Neat Counterweight

[Chris Harding]

Hi Guys

These guys make a nice adapter plate on the EA-50 which allows you to hang a counter balance behind the shoulder pad.

Weight attachment plate for Sony NEX-EA50 | Vocas Systems

Don Bloom might be interested in this and I was also thinking if you made your own plate a tad bit longer you could put not only a counter balance but also a nice bracket for radio receivers at the end. It's quite a neat idea!!

Chris

[Randy Johnson]

If you use Anton/bauer and if you dont mind the shoulder mount being out all the time I bet you could mount a anton bauer plate on the back. Giving you power and a counter weight.

[Don Bloom]

I'm in the process of designing a bracket for my AT receiver which should compensate for at least some of the weight. Once I( have the camera in my hot little hands I'll be able to finalize the design and manufacture the bracket. I'm also working on a way to use my DVTec ENG rig which has rails and a sprung rod for carrying the weight up front. I used it with many different Sony and JVC full size cameras and I think I can modify it to work with the NEX-EA50.
We shall see but I'm not ordering until I get back from vaca so that will be around the first of Feb.

[Lee Berger]

I bought this shoulder bracket from Dynamic Motion Video for my Z7U Dynamic Motion Video
It works better with the 50's view finder. There is a weight welded to the rear (6.5 lbs) that counter balances the camera very well. The whole rig is a bit heavy, kind of like a full shoulder mount camera.

[Don Bloom]

I had one of those a few years ago. Didn't work for me. Too heavy overall and the balance was still off. I sold it soon there after.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Lee

That looks pretty nicely balanced with over 6lbs on the back end. One of the plus ideas about the EA-50 compared to my HMC82's was the fact that it weighs around 2lbs less which doesn't affect a fit and strapping guy like yourself but myself (and probably Don too) are getting on and camera weight after a 12 hour wedding is an issue ....Hmmm maybe for me just an aluminium plate running from behind the pad and angled downwards at 45 degrees is what I need to mount my receivers and then I'll make sure I have enough room under for a counterbalance weight ... Don will look at that sort of stuff when he returns from his vacation relaxed and ready for action.

My current cams have the receivers on the side but I think on the back end might be nicer? They, themselves will provide almost no counter-balance weight but then at least the facility is there to add a weight if I make back mount plates

Chris

[Lee Berger]

Six pounds is not all that attractive to me either, but I don't do weddings or long events where I have to hand hold the camera. The longest I might have to hold a camera is under an hour. 12 hour weddings! I feel your pain with any camera rig (-:

[Chris Harding]

Hey Lee

I'm on site for 12 hours but certainly not shooting for 12 hours...you have plenty of slack time in-between events ..speeches are on tripod on one cam and then cutaways on the other so your actual camera on shoulder is really short...maybe 10 minutes non-stop at the most...however it does feel heavier and heavier as the evening progresses. On a full wedding I probably film at the most 3 hours of actual footage so it's not that bad if you look at actually camera holding time!

Chris

[Chris Harding]

Don

My original rig for the ENG rod was really simple and I think I still have it..basically just two plates joined with 1/2" aluminium tube about 3" apart...one side went under the camera into the tripod screw and the other had the ball head and socket for the sprung rod. My B-Cam is usually never on a tripod so the rig just stays there whenever I need the extra support but I did have to take it off to put the camera on the stedicam which was only a minor inconvenience....rig frame off and quick release on and viceversa after the photoshoot. That's really all you need

Chris

[Don Bloom]

Yeah, I've spent a few minutes firguring out my design for the ENG rig and I think it'll work. Won't know for sure until I have the cam but it seems like it should work out. I'm not going to divulge until I have it made and on the cam then I'll post pics of that and the receiver bracket. One other thing I'm working out about the ENG rig is I want to have my QR plate on the cam at all times as I do now.
Anyway once I get the gear and MFG the parts I'll show you!

[Chris Harding]

Hi Don

My current rig on the Panasonics does exactly that! I have a 1/4" plate on top of the rods that goes into the camera and then (slightly offset so you can get to the camera tripod screw) I have an identical plate under the rods with a 1/4" thread tapped into it so I can screw the QR onto it ...that way nothing needs to be removed and the cam can go from shoulder to tripod to stedicam instantly.

When does the cruise begin?? Bet you need the break?

Chris

[Don Bloom]

Chris,
I'm basically taking the month of Januaray off which is something I do every year. We'll leave from home on the 18th and board ship on the 20th and you'd better believe I need a break! ;-) I am truely at the point of chucking it all but I get like that every year at this time. :-)

[Noa Put]

I think the Vocas solution is not helping that much, it will only add weight onto your shoulder but not counterbalance it enough to take some weight from your hands, it just doesn't extend enough to the back. The Dynamic Motion rig I have here as well, bought it for my xh-a1 longer time ago and that works well and balances like a true shoulder camera, only like pointed out, it's very heavy camera included, but that's the amount of weight you need to get the camera balanced like a shoulder camera.

I think I rather use that extended shoulderpad to attach a wireless audio system or the swit battery for my video light.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Noa

I will also make my own! That way you can extend backwards as far as you need to..the further back you go the better the counterbalance and the less weight you need.

I was just thinking mainly of an aluminium plate a little narrower than the pad extending backwards on the same plane and then bend it at 45 degrees and mount the receiver on that and if required put a weight under the receiver mount(s)

I guess those that need a mod here will post photos? Dunno about yours but I suspect my first camera will be here around this time next week (have to allow for all these public holidays)

Chris

[Noa Put]

you already have a delivery date? I don't even have a clue, I only hope mine is not assembled in the same place where they build the black magic camera :D