F3 rig for ENG/EFP style work

[Steve Kalle]

Originally Posted by Andy Shipsides

I'm not a big fan of any rig that puts the camera out in front of you.. Just too heavy and especially with a zoom lens.

I put together this for a test shoot (sorry for the low quality pics)

Yfrog Photo : yfrog.com/h2cu4bj - Shared by AndyShipsides
Yfrog Photo : yfrog.com/h4ftkbhj - Shared by AndyShipsides
Yfrog Photo : yfrog.com/h2250ynj - Shared by AndyShipsides

Hey Andy,

To me, that rig and the handles do not look comfortable because the right arm is so close to the body. I have the entire Zacuto newsman rig with doublemount and red plate at the rear and my rig with an EX3 is soooo comfortable with little to no stress on my back (I have a bad back). All the weight is placed on my biceps and a little on my shoulder. Any chance you can assemble a similar rig with the F3 and snap a photo for us?

Thanks

[Andy Shipsides]

Andrew: We can get those parts for you no problem. Abel is closed on Monday so I'll get you more info on Tuesday.

John: That is a rig from Kinomatik out of Germany, we worked with them in the past with their Movietube products. I'm interested in it and will try to find out pricing.

Steve: Zacuto snapped some pictures with the F3 here - Sony F3 Video & Kits - or are you looking to see a similar rig to mine with a Zacuto baseplate and grips?

[Steve Kalle]

Andy,

The video in that link is exactly what I was looking for. Now I must give Kari some grief when she gets back from her trip :)

Thanks

[Thierry Humeau]

Originally Posted by Andy Shipsides

I'm not a big fan of any rig that puts the camera out in front of you.. Just too heavy and especially with a zoom lens.

I put together this for a test shoot (sorry for the low quality pics)

Yfrog Photo : yfrog.com/h2cu4bj - Shared by AndyShipsides
Yfrog Photo : yfrog.com/h4ftkbhj - Shared by AndyShipsides
Yfrog Photo : yfrog.com/h2250ynj - Shared by AndyShipsides

Combines a base plate, grips, EVF, follow focus, and a battery plate in the back. It felt good on the shoulder even with the small Optimo zoom. By putting the viewfinder to the side and putting thecamera on your shoulder, the whole rig become more useable.

Andy,

Understand. But I want to use the F3 for doco and news mag (and probably some news work too...), and I need a rig that:

1. Let me switch easily from tripod to shoulder
2. Is light and compact (as comfortable the Zacuto is, it is way to much rig for my taste)
3. Let me take some low shots by holding the camera by its handle (rig is either light enough or camera can be unmounted from rig)

I think I'd like to have the F3 body over the shoulder and use an EVF. I am planning to use the MTF Nikon mount with Sigma DC series lenses for weight and conveniency. I like Vocas's approach but it does not seem as if the shoulder pad can be mounted under the F3 body so it may end up being quite front heavy.

So, it looks as if all bets are open for F3 rigs and piecing something from various manufacturers may be the way to go. In that regard, it would be great if you could come out with specific combinations and list items and pricing?

Thanks for your input.

Thierry.

[Steve Kalle]

Thierry,

For me, my Zacuto rig and my EX3 work great for ENG work where I have it on the tripod most of the time but need to quickly remove it for shoulder shooting. I now leave my EX3 on the Zacuto rig 99% of the time.

I have rented the RedRockMicro shoulder mount a few times and it can't even compare to my Zacuto rig.

I, too, will be using the F3 for some ENG and event work.

1) At least with my Sachtler FSB 8, going from tripod to shoulder is quick and easy. The only thing easier is getting the Sony VCT plate and Zacuto V-wedge.

2) The Zacuto rods quickly and easily unscrew. It takes me less than 5mins to disassemble my rig and reassemble it.

3) Remove the handles in a few seconds and a camera can be held low.

[Thierry Humeau]

Steve,

Can you post pics and a list of components used in your Zacuto's rig. I am not sure exactly what you have but would love to check it out. What lenses are you planning to use on the F3 for ENG/EFP style work?

Best,

T.

[Andy Shipsides]

Originally Posted by Thierry Humeau

So, it looks as if all bets are open for F3 rigs and piecing something from various manufacturers may be the way to go. In that regard, it would be great if you could come out with specific combinations and list items and pricing?

Thanks for your input.

Thierry.

Good idea, I'll put the kit together and list it on our site.

[Thierry Humeau]

I really like the Vocas stuff too. It's pricey but the built quality is quite amazing. The only problem I forsee is that the shoulder pad does not seem to be able to sit underneath the camera body but instead to the back. See Vocas rig for Panasonic AF100 bellow:
https://www.sugarsync.com/pf/D456513_6308368_676509

So, it would make for quite a front heavy rig?

Thierry.

[Thierry Humeau]

That's what I am going for. Vocas shoulder rig with MB-255 mate box system and MFC-1 follow focus.
http://twitpic.com/43eflr

Thierry.

[David C. Williams]

Originally Posted by Thierry Humeau

That's what I am going for. Vocas shoulder rig with MB-255 mate box system and MFC-1 follow focus.
http://twitpic.com/43eflr

Thierry.

You will have a hard time pulling focus by yourself with that rig. Both hands needed to hold all that weight out front.

[Thierry Humeau]

True with heavy PL lenses but with the lighter Sony's, I dont' expect this to be much of a problem. Also, I'll be using the F3 quite a bit with very light SLR lenses with no follow focus. I am eventually planning to add an EVF and slide the shoulder pad almost under the F3 body which will help balancing a lot when usign heavier lenses.

T.

[Steve Kalle]

Originally Posted by Thierry Humeau

Steve,
Can you post pics and a list of components used in your Zacuto's rig. I am not sure exactly what you have but would love to check it out. What lenses are you planning to use on the F3 for ENG/EFP style work?

Here are some images of my rig. I only had my EX1 to shoot video and take screen grabs for these images.

The list of parts:
1) Zacuto Newsman Baseplate Kit
2) DoubleMount w/ 7" Rods
3) Red Plate
4) Wireless Plate
5) Switronix GP-S V-mount plate
6) Wireless Bracket (this was given to me by a friend)
7) Zacuto 24" Male D-tap to Female D-tap and Camera Power "XP-EX-Z24"

For perfect balance with a Dedo LEDzilla on front, nanoFlash and wireless receiver on a t-bar on the rear shoe, an 88whr Swit battery and the 3.5lb weight on the back.

This rig has been the savior for my back. Hand holding an EX3 or EX1 for 10 minutes starts my back pain whereas I have gone over an hour with this Zacuto rig with zero back pain. For me, this is worth every dollar. Another big plus for Zacuto gear is the lifetime warranty and great resale value in addition to being modular with thousands of possible setups.

I keep the EX3 on this rig all the time and use a Sachtler FSB 8 which handles the weight without a problem but my FSB 6 cannot handle the weight. For most of the time, I do not use the 3.5lb weight and I use a Litepanels SolaENG 3 rather than the Dedo most of the time.

[Thierry Humeau]

Looks like a well balance rig but with the F3 viewfinder behing far in the back, you'll probably have to add an EVF to the side for this to work.

Good pics though, thanks for sharing those.

Thierry.