HMC150 Offset Shoulder Rig?????

[Chris Harding]

Hi Guys

I'm thinking hard about moving from the HMC70 to the 150 rather than the HMC80 purely for weight issues!!! On Mark's review there is a pic of him using the 150 with a rig but does anyone know if you can get a rig that is offset so you can use the EVF or is it good enough to use the LCD while shooting?????

Comments from anyone using an HMC150 with a shoulder mount rig would be greatly appreciated!!

Chris

[Robert Turchick]

Back when I had an hmc150, I made a shoulder rig which held a smallhd dp1 right in front of me and the camera offset. First thought that should roll into your mind would be, "why would you want to carry a smallhd monitor on your shoulder rig?" Answer is the LCD is terrible and the evf isn't much better especially if you want to focus manually. Its about the only serious problem I had with the 150...and most Panny cameras for that matter.
So the rig worked fine but when I got into dslrs I stopped using the 150 on my shoulder.
When I got the Canon XF, I was no longer tied to an external monitor so simply tweaking my dslr shoulder rig a bit allowed the XF to easily be carried on my shoulder and use the LCD. I can flip a couple of pieces around and it lines the evf perfectly with my eye.
Now youre going to ask what shoulder rig did I buy? Well, since I love to tinker, it's a hodgepodge of pieces from Redrock, Cinevate, CineCity, and a couple of homemade bits.
The critical piece that allows the flexibility is the rail offset from redrock. Depending how it's oriented, it changes the rig significantly.
So if you have a dslr shoulder rig, try reconfiguring for the 150. If not, buy 4 rails, a pair of handles, shoulder brace, an offset and a camera plate.
Also, there's someone on the forum who's making a beautiful shoulder mount for the XF which i bet would fit the 150 just fine. I'll see if I can find a link.

Hope this helps!

[Rob Patin]

I use the DVMultiRig Pro with my HMC150, which allows me to easily switch between the EVF and the LCD, just by repositioning the shoulder support. It wasn't a cheap investment (about $650, I believe), but I love it.

[Chris Harding]

Thanks Guys

As I said I am "thinking" at this stage only and am still a wee bit reluctant to move away from shoulder mounted cameras. As Don Bloom says, it's not the weight but the balance!! I see even the great Mark uses a spring loaded arm from the front of the cam to the waist to help reduce the front end weight on your arms!! The DV Multirig guys also make a really neat ENG rig!!!

Chris

[Mark Von Lanken]

Hi Chris,

I shot with shoulder cams for about 9 years before switching totally over to hand held cams. It was a big transition for me but about 4 years ago when we made the move to HDV, I was forced to leave the shoulder cams behind. The DVTec Multi Rig Pro was the perfect solution for me. I tried using a monopod for stability, but it just felt too restrictive.

With the HMC150, I shoot 100% with the LCD and I also shoot 100% in manual focus. However the DVTec Multi Rig is very versatile in that you can configure it in just about any way needed to fit your own personal preference. It is certainly possible to use the EVF instead of the LCD on the MultiRig.

Now that we are shooting more and more with DSLRs, I have found the DVTec MultiRig to be an even bigger asset and it is especially nice to be able to use the same piece of gear for both the HMC150 and DSLRs. I am all about making wise investments, and when I can use the same piece of gear for multiple purposes I love it. I would rather keep the money as profit than spend the money as an expense.

Let me know if you have any additional questions.

[Chris Harding]

Thanks Mark

In your pic on your HMC150 review are you using the DVMulti Rig there ???? I see it also has a spring loaded stabilizer rod to a waist belt!!

Don Bloom has suggested that I stick with the shoulder-mount cams but add an ENG mount which is essential the rod and belt part of your rig. Does that bit really help a lot?????

All advice is much appreciated guys!!!

Chris

[Mark Von Lanken]

Hi Chris,

You are welcome. Yes, that's the MultiRig in the picture. The ENG mount on a shoulder cam really does help. The bigger question is do you want to stay with a shoulder cam or go to a handheld cam. Switching from a shoulder cam to a handheld cam was a gradual process for me. From 2003-2007 we had two PD150s and a DSR250. I loved the DSR250. Big B&W viewfinder, color LCD, lots of room for wireless receivers, lights, etc...stability and instant status. Everyone took me serious and got out of my way. :-)

I used a PD150 for steady cam stuff, monopod rising shots and gradually started shooting prep with it. When I shot in the Brides room, everyone noticed me with the shoulder cam, but with the handheld cam I could go a little less noticed. I started to enjoy shooting with the little cam over the shoulder cam, but still preferred the shoulder cam for the ceremony and events at the reception, but I would use the little cam for shooting reception decor. It became a hassle to need the small cam for some things and the big cam for other things. I was starting to contemplate a move away from the shoulder cam when we decided to go with HDV.

The biggest thing I missed with the shoulder cam was the stability of having it rest on my shoulder, but the DVTec MultiRig solved that problem for me.

[Chris Harding]

Thanks Mark

Much appreciated!! It's pretty obvious that something like a DVMulti is essential for smaller form cameras

I would need to factor in the cost of the rig when upgrading and deciding as I'm so used to shooting from the shoulder I would feel out of place trying to hand hold.

The input is much appreciated

Chris

[Mark Von Lanken]

You are welcome Chris. Do you have access to a small camera, rent or borrow? I remember that it was a big transition for me to go from shoulder mount to handheld. One of the things that I have really enjoyed about getting away from a shoulder cam is that when I want to be a fly on the wall, it is much easier with a small camera, the same with flying shots or rising monopod shots, but when I need the stability of a shoulder cam, just put it on the MultiRig, and the stability is there. For me, it's had given me the best of both worlds.

[Chris Harding]

Thanks again Mark

The maths are getting the better of me now!! Over here the HMC152 is $3800 (adding a rig at $650 brings it up to $4450) and I can get the HMC80 here for a mere $2560. With two cams involved it does mean that the price difference (assuming 2 x 152's and just one rig) is a quite significant (over $3000!!!)

I really do need a cam for my Realty shoots (they only need SD footage) so for now I will grab an HMC80 which shoots in 576i as well direct to the card which saves me heaps of time by not having to transcode and I probably shoot a good 10 hours of raw footage for the Realty guys a week!!! I can then do a practical evaluation of the 80 and decide whether 150's are the way to go.

However, I do agree that a Multirig is the way to go for handhelds!!!!

Chris

[Randy Johnson]

Chris,
Just for some something to think about. do you have a lot of stuff mounted to your camera? Wireless? outboard batterys? You may want to look into a mono pod with feet for on the fly stuff. Its only $100