The homemade 'Shoulderlander'

[Mark Shea]

I have an XH-A1. I hate these toy cameras with no shoulder support. I tried finding one to purchase, but none allowed me to still connect to a tripod.

So I made my own, see attached photo.

The Shoulderlander prototype is made up of an aluminium bar about 35cm x 5cm, a bit of foam on the bottom, a hand made (longer) tripod bolt

[Timothy D. Allen]

Way to take the initiative to solve a problem tones of people are having! It's people like you who starting things like the Redrock M2, and RED!

One thing though:

Do you have anything to counter weight it in the back? If not it seems that you're still holding the all the wait in your arms.

[Mark Shea]

Hi Tim

My paglight C6 battery for my on camera light kit sits nicely above the shoulderlander. I just use two big elastic rubber bands to hold it on. Works a treat, but cant access battery apartment when in place

If I was to do another, I would probably use a 4cm wide piece of aluminium and have it maybe 3mm thick instead of 6mm. Then I could bend the end to fit around my shoulder if needed.

The hardest part of building this was making the tripod bolt. (1.4-20) Can't buy them from hardware stores.

I really can't believe not one camera manufacturer (apart from Sony, who make the ridiculously priced VCTFXA http://www.videoguys.com.au/scripts/...idproduct=1451) makes a shoulder support THAT also allows connection to a tripod.

I'm new to these 'handheld' cams, and really believe if you are using them with manual settings, you need a 3rd arm (ie shoulder pad) so you are not getting 'wobblyshot' when you make adjustments

[Timothy D. Allen]

Cavision makes a really nice one at a reasonable price: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...ulder_Pad.html

But it does however require that it be mounted to rails, so that might not fit your needs. Works great for me!

[Mark Shea]

I developed these for my own use...do you think people would buy such
a simple effective shoulder support if I started mass producing them??

The Shoulderlander:
Solid, dependable, strong. For those who don't want to muck around with wobblyshot. Made from lightweight aluminium and anatomically correct cushion foam, the Shoulderlander gives you the support you need when the going gets tough - an extra long wedding service, a long winded speech. And as illustrated, can still be connected to your favourite tripod, once the dust has settled


The Travelander (in development)
The travelander is a lightweight version of the Shoulderlander, for those who crave the open road. Just chuck it in your backpack, and hit the road, jack!
You CAN have it all, a free and easy lifestyle AND steady shots!

[Mark Shea]

The lighter 'Travelander' prototype is complete.

Here you can see it fully loaded with light battery attached ( with rubber bands)

For use with handheld camera with LCD screens, and versatile enough to connect to a tripod.

[Timothy D. Allen]

The only issue I see is that you are still supporting most of the weight with your hands/arms. You should ad a pad that sets over the shoulder, and then battery could hang off the back allowing for a better balance of the weight.

[Martin Catt]

Looking at the picture, all I can say is that it looks extremely uncomfortable. I'd either bend a curve in the metal or fit a curved pad to the underside to fit the shoulder better. The balance looks front heavy. It would work in the short run, but having lugged an XL2 on my shoulder for eight-hour stretches, I'd say your design needs refining. I'd try boosting up the camera's position relative to your head so you're not looking down into the viewfinder. The head-back angle in the pictures can't be too comfortable for long periods. Plus maybe a pistol-grip in the front, underneath the lens.

Martin

[Bill Mecca]

+1 on a curve for the shoulder, have it drop down over the shoulder, and add a metal sleeve to encase the battery(and add counterweight).