anyone had true success with a shoulder mount...

Carlos E. Martinez · November 2nd, 2006, 05:15 AM

Probably Phil's not more important issue when he opened this thread, but let me rob a little of it to go in another direction with a shoulder mount. Will you? :)

As I am buying a lot of stuff now (camera, WA adapter, filters, etc.), if I need anything else I have to limit my expense.

But a shoulder mount is not a luxury but a necessity. And the Spiderbrace is very affordable.

Only one problem: you can't disassemble it, so it's large to carry around, particularly on flight trips. They are working on a collapsible version, and I got confirmation on that from SB themselves. But I can't find out more, even if I repeatedly asked them about it. Has anyone seen any photo or have any data about that version?

Phil Bloom · November 2nd, 2006, 05:24 AM

collapsable is very important...current biggest problem with spider brace. The dvrig pro does fold down very nicely from what I see.

I won't get mine for a few days probably, could really do with it tomorrow. shooting a live gig at the Astoria in London, would come in very handy...

Carlos E. Martinez · November 2nd, 2006, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil Bloom

collapsable is very important...current biggest problem with spider brace. The dvrig pro does fold down very nicely from what I see.

DVDRigPro is too expensive for me now. Until I get what I can afford, I will keep doing the moving shots in a different way.

Even I know it's not the same application, one thing I learnt to do is use my Manfrotto monopod on many manners:

1) Poor man tripod: my version has three foldable small legs at the base, which lets you use it as a tripod in fixed positions. No pans though.

2) Poor man steadicam: as it is it can successfully be used as a simple hand held system; a small weight at the base might make it better.

3) Poor man crane: if you telescope it, you can raise it and move it quite smoothly, particularly if you are in wide angle.

All above was used on a shoot I did some weeks ago with a Z1. It worked great. For 2 and 3 it would be great having a light LCD screen that you can move more freely than the camera screen.

Phil Bloom · November 6th, 2006, 05:20 AM

Ok..got my DVrig pro this morning.

Well worth the money. It truly solves all my problems and is very comfortable to use.

Shot a concert on Friday night with my z1 and cavision shoulder mount. Am still in agony!! Wish I had my DV Rig pro then...only downside is the belt and spring rod design (essential i hasten to add to the design) makes taking the camera on and off very quickly not that easy.

Now can I make it work with my M2 adaptor. Might be a bit too much I think, with the rods etc... (perhaps with more weights on the back)

George Yousko · November 6th, 2006, 05:28 PM

Greetings Phil,

Delighted to hear all went well on your first effort with the DV Pro Rig. I too was initially somewhat awkward at first with taking the camera/rig on/off but now it's second nature - very slight loss of time - practice makes perfect. Another item that made a HUGH difference for me was purchasing a lanc controller - I originally just purchased the rig - two shoots later I purchased a Manfrotto.

The master plan calls for a Chroziel matte box probably on Zacuto rails. So like yourself, I'll most likely need an additional weight.

Drop Danny an email at: http://www.dvtec.tv/ - ask him on the specifics of what you what to accomplish with your gear - he'll fill in the missing blanks.

Remember the first guy to get the system up to 30 pounds wins!!

Cheers,

George

Mark Goldberg · November 11th, 2006, 09:31 PM

I picked up a Hoodman for my Z1's LCD screen. It then occured to me that the right magnifying glass could move this to being a shoulderable rig. I tried a cheap magifier and it was indeed possible to view the screen at close range. But the right hand position was still uncomfortable. I think to go the whole way it would need a way of mounting the magifier, and eye cub, a shoulder pad, and an extension with remote control of start/stop, zoom, and focus.

It is definitely feasible, so all that's necessary is for a company like Manfrotto to rig it up.

Phil Bloom · November 15th, 2006, 10:29 AM

after using the dvrigpro for a while. it is very good. still a pain for taking on and off quickly but so much less back strain than the other ones i have used. cavision one used for just 4 hours gave me back ache for a week!!

Carlos E. Martinez · November 16th, 2006, 02:55 AM

Today I found a company I didn't know of that makes several products that might be interesting for location shooting.

One of them is a simple and cheap shoulder mount:

http://www.fotodiox.com/shop/product...oducts_id=4128

But they also make a practical monopod with a ball head:

http://www.fotodiox.com/shop/product...oducts_id=4128

And a very affordable kinoflo-style light head:

http://www.fotodiox.com/shop/product...oducts_id=4124

This seems like a company to keep our eyes on!

Carlos

Mark Goldberg · November 28th, 2006, 08:14 PM

I am working on a way to accomplish this with the Z1. Having that little monitor up front is what made me hopefull.

Step 1 was to get a Hoodman, a type of shade that attached to the Z1 or FX1 monitor. I was playing around with a magnifying glass and found that I could use it to put my eye fairly close to the monitor. In combo with the hood, it acts like a traditional viewfinder on a shoulder cam.

My next steps are to (1) gin up a way of mounting the magnifier to the Hoodman, (2) obtaining some type of handle which would place my right hand forward (3) obtain a shoulder rest, such as what Sony sells, (4) obtain a remote zoom/focus/start button like that sold by Bogen, for mounting on a handle. I think that combo would be lighter and easier that some of the complicated rigs.

Chris Barcellos · November 28th, 2006, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Goldberg

I am working on a way to accomplish this with the Z1. Having that little monitor up front is what made me hopefull.

Step 1 was to get a Hoodman, a type of shade that attached to the Z1 or FX1 monitor. I was playing around with a magnifying glass and found that I could use it to put my eye fairly close to the monitor. In combo with the hood, it acts like a traditional viewfinder on a shoulder cam.

My next steps are to (1) gin up a way of mounting the magnifier to the Hoodman, (2) obtaining some type of handle which would place my right hand forward (3) obtain a shoulder rest, such as what Sony sells, (4) obtain a remote zoom/focus/start button like that sold by Bogen, for mounting on a handle. I think that combo would be lighter and easier that some of the complicated rigs.

I did something like this with a collapsable magnifier off a medium format camera I own. The image is not really that satisfactory, in my opinion, but it will work in a pinch.

What would be nice is to have the ability dis mount the regular view finder and move it forward on the camera. There was a discussion of that possibility in a thread several months back.

Chris Barcellos · November 29th, 2006, 01:32 AM

Mark: Here is a photo of prototype I was working on with a 35mm adapter. Note the old 2 and 1/4 camera view finder magnifier mounted on the LCD.

Carlos E. Martinez · December 1st, 2006, 07:12 AM

Another shoulder mount that looks very interesting and affordable.

http://www.camerashop.in/multipurpos...ame-p-835.html

Perhaps lacking the the sort of "mini-tripod" aptitude of the Spider Brace, but at least it can fold away in less space.

Joe Lawry · December 1st, 2006, 02:47 PM

Anyone been to Spiderbraces site lately? looks like the collapsable version is out - http://spiderbrace.com/

There also a quick video here - http://spiderbrace.com/collapsable.html

Its not as collapsable as i think some of us would of liked it to be but its definately a better rig now.

Might be about time i bought one i think.

Joe

Carlos E. Martinez · December 1st, 2006, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Lawry

Anyone been to Spiderbraces site lately? looks like the collapsable version is out - http://spiderbrace.com/

There also a quick video here - http://spiderbrace.com/collapsable.html

Its not as collapsable as i think some of us would of liked it to be but its definately a better rig now.

Might be about time i bought one i think.

The front piece, after collapsing, is still too large to put into a bag, which would be the way to do it.

I wonder why don't they allow the two front arms to get together. When folded together it would look like their Mini-Rig, but giving the option of opening up the arms again for normal use.

Is that so difficult to achieve?

Joe Lawry · December 1st, 2006, 07:44 PM

Yes it is a shame the front piece doesn't come apart either..

November 2nd, 2006, 05:24 AM	#17
Phil Bloom Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: London UK Posts: 1,939	collapsable is very important...current biggest problem with spider brace. The dvrig pro does fold down very nicely from what I see. I won't get mine for a few days probably, could really do with it tomorrow. shooting a live gig at the Astoria in London, would come in very handy... __________________ Philip Bloom Cinematographer, Director, Filmmaker www.philipbloom.net

November 6th, 2006, 05:20 AM	#19
Phil Bloom Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: London UK Posts: 1,939	Ok..got my DVrig pro this morning. Well worth the money. It truly solves all my problems and is very comfortable to use. Shot a concert on Friday night with my z1 and cavision shoulder mount. Am still in agony!! Wish I had my DV Rig pro then...only downside is the belt and spring rod design (essential i hasten to add to the design) makes taking the camera on and off very quickly not that easy. Now can I make it work with my M2 adaptor. Might be a bit too much I think, with the rods etc... (perhaps with more weights on the back) __________________ Philip Bloom Cinematographer, Director, Filmmaker www.philipbloom.net

November 11th, 2006, 09:31 PM	#21
Mark Goldberg Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Annapolis, Maryland Posts: 101	Shoulderable Z1 I picked up a Hoodman for my Z1's LCD screen. It then occured to me that the right magnifying glass could move this to being a shoulderable rig. I tried a cheap magifier and it was indeed possible to view the screen at close range. But the right hand position was still uncomfortable. I think to go the whole way it would need a way of mounting the magifier, and eye cub, a shoulder pad, and an extension with remote control of start/stop, zoom, and focus. It is definitely feasible, so all that's necessary is for a company like Manfrotto to rig it up.

November 15th, 2006, 10:29 AM	#22
Phil Bloom Trustee Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: London UK Posts: 1,939	after using the dvrigpro for a while. it is very good. still a pain for taking on and off quickly but so much less back strain than the other ones i have used. cavision one used for just 4 hours gave me back ache for a week!! __________________ Philip Bloom Cinematographer, Director, Filmmaker www.philipbloom.net

November 16th, 2006, 02:55 AM	#23
Carlos E. Martinez Trustee Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brasil Posts: 1,138	Affordable shoulder support Today I found a company I didn't know of that makes several products that might be interesting for location shooting. One of them is a simple and cheap shoulder mount: http://www.fotodiox.com/shop/product...oducts_id=4128 But they also make a practical monopod with a ball head: http://www.fotodiox.com/shop/product...oducts_id=4128 And a very affordable kinoflo-style light head: http://www.fotodiox.com/shop/product...oducts_id=4124 This seems like a company to keep our eyes on! Carlos

November 2nd, 2006, 05:15 AM	#16
Carlos E. Martinez Trustee Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brasil Posts: 1,138	Probably Phil's not more important issue when he opened this thread, but let me rob a little of it to go in another direction with a shoulder mount. Will you? :) As I am buying a lot of stuff now (camera, WA adapter, filters, etc.), if I need anything else I have to limit my expense. But a shoulder mount is not a luxury but a necessity. And the Spiderbrace is very affordable. Only one problem: you can't disassemble it, so it's large to carry around, particularly on flight trips. They are working on a collapsible version, and I got confirmation on that from SB themselves. But I can't find out more, even if I repeatedly asked them about it. Has anyone seen any photo or have any data about that version?

November 6th, 2006, 05:28 PM	#20
George Yousko Regular Crew Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 38	Greetings Phil, Delighted to hear all went well on your first effort with the DV Pro Rig. I too was initially somewhat awkward at first with taking the camera/rig on/off but now it's second nature - very slight loss of time - practice makes perfect. Another item that made a HUGH difference for me was purchasing a lanc controller - I originally just purchased the rig - two shoots later I purchased a Manfrotto. The master plan calls for a Chroziel matte box probably on Zacuto rails. So like yourself, I'll most likely need an additional weight. Drop Danny an email at: http://www.dvtec.tv/ - ask him on the specifics of what you what to accomplish with your gear - he'll fill in the missing blanks. Remember the first guy to get the system up to 30 pounds wins!! Cheers, George

November 28th, 2006, 08:14 PM	#24
Mark Goldberg Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Annapolis, Maryland Posts: 101	I am working on a way to accomplish this with the Z1. Having that little monitor up front is what made me hopefull. Step 1 was to get a Hoodman, a type of shade that attached to the Z1 or FX1 monitor. I was playing around with a magnifying glass and found that I could use it to put my eye fairly close to the monitor. In combo with the hood, it acts like a traditional viewfinder on a shoulder cam. My next steps are to (1) gin up a way of mounting the magnifier to the Hoodman, (2) obtaining some type of handle which would place my right hand forward (3) obtain a shoulder rest, such as what Sony sells, (4) obtain a remote zoom/focus/start button like that sold by Bogen, for mounting on a handle. I think that combo would be lighter and easier that some of the complicated rigs.

November 29th, 2006, 01:32 AM	#26
Chris Barcellos Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Elk Grove CA Posts: 6,838	Picture of Prototype Mark: Here is a photo of prototype I was working on with a 35mm adapter. Note the old 2 and 1/4 camera view finder magnifier mounted on the LCD. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Chris J. Barcellos

December 1st, 2006, 07:12 AM	#27
Carlos E. Martinez Trustee Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brasil Posts: 1,138	Another shoulder mount that looks very interesting and affordable. http://www.camerashop.in/multipurpos...ame-p-835.html Perhaps lacking the the sort of "mini-tripod" aptitude of the Spider Brace, but at least it can fold away in less space.

December 1st, 2006, 02:47 PM	#28
Joe Lawry Major Player Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Auckland, New Zealand Posts: 418	Anyone been to Spiderbraces site lately? looks like the collapsable version is out - http://spiderbrace.com/ There also a quick video here - http://spiderbrace.com/collapsable.html Its not as collapsable as i think some of us would of liked it to be but its definately a better rig now. Might be about time i bought one i think. Joe

December 1st, 2006, 07:44 PM	#30
Joe Lawry Major Player Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Auckland, New Zealand Posts: 418	Yes it is a shame the front piece doesn't come apart either..