Less Expensive Shoulder Mount Alternative

David Twelves · December 6th, 2009, 10:37 PM

Nice! That's a beast - real nice for adding accessories! I just recently went with a Glidetrack Shooter as my shoulder mount for my ultra-portable setup:

Glidetrack Shooter for video camera tracking shots with shoulder support

I slapped a Bogen 577 Quick-release plate on the bottom and a fluid-head on top (Velbon DV-7000 for the legs & head), so I can pop it off of my tripod for table/floor shots or shoulder-mounted shots in a snap. Works incredibly well - acts a tripod + gliding track + shoulder rig, all in one. I pretty much keep it in my car 24/7 since it's so portable. The little flip handles are surprisingly comfortable to use with a bare dSLR (lens & body only, that is), plus it came with a larger handle that screws in underneath if you want to keep one hand free.

Since it is a smaller setup, it'd be a bit more of a hassle to rig up a mattebox, so I just use a lens hood instead to reduce flare. I suppose you could use a follow focus on it, but because it's designed more for compactness, I'd say it's better to have one Glidetrack-style system to go anywhere, and one larger rails-based system for the serious setup shots with your follow focus, mattebox, external monitor, etc. Your rig looks killer, got any video with it up to show off? :)

Bruce Foreman · December 6th, 2009, 11:19 PM

I go a bit lighter, and a lot lighter on the wallet.

SpiderBrace 2 Combo (home) used with a Manfrotto quick release adapter and the matching sliding plates, and the CAVISION viewfinder assembly with swing away adapter. Works very well for me and I shot my whole DVC17 challenge entry with it.

Shawn Wright · December 7th, 2009, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Foreman

I go a bit lighter, and a lot lighter on the wallet.

SpiderBrace 2 Combo (home) used with a Manfrotto quick release adapter and the matching sliding plates, and the CAVISION viewfinder assembly with swing away adapter. Works very well for me and I shot my whole DVC17 challenge entry with it.

Bruce -

Can you show me a photo of this Rig? Is it with the 7D?

Did you find a way to use this with a tripod?

Noah Yuan-Vogel · December 8th, 2009, 12:13 AM

what do you do about using your zoom lens with a matte box? doesnt it extend a lot? you must have to adjust your matte box any time you want to adjust focal length, right?

Chuck Spaulding · December 8th, 2009, 12:38 AM

Who me?

Yes and no. It depends on which lens. The stock lens for example does extend quite a bit, I leave the adjustment for the rails loose (at the rear) and the Matte Box and rails slide smoothly in and out with the lens. The rails are carbon fiber and very lightweight and smooth.

The matte box still has all the support it needs and stays perfectly aligned with the lens.

Bruce Foreman · December 8th, 2009, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawn Wright

Bruce -

Can you show me a photo of this Rig? Is it with the 7D?

Did you find a way to use this with a tripod?

I'll have to get someone to take a shot of me using it. If you look at the photos on the spiderbrace.com website, the "combo" unit has a third grip centered in front. Makes balance while trying to focus manually easier.

Yes, 7D.

Imagine a Manfrotto quick release adapter on the camera platform, the quick release plate mounted to the bottom of the camera and the changeover from SpiderBrace to tripod is a matter of holding the release button on the quick release adapter, slide the camera off and then onto the Manfrotto 501 head on the tripod.

Couldn't be simpler.

Wayne Avanson · December 8th, 2009, 04:43 PM

Carlo,

I bought a shoulder rig from The Cine City in India and it was pretty rubbish. Heavy components, (cast iron blocks and chromed thick rim steel bars, ill fitting screws) and the screw threads don't last long before they strip and become useless.

I've since bought a Cavision which is much better engineered, much lighter AND the key thing here is that the shoulder support part is offset from the centre so that my 7D with the loup on is dead level with my eye without having to strain my head to one side so see the LCD through the loup. Much relief!

The Cavision is also cheaper than Zacuto, Cinevate, RedRock and the Shape ones it seems.

Cavision | RS1580D-SPE Shoulder Pad System Package | RS1580D-SPE

It's light and comfortable, and folds down to a smaller footprint for packing away. Very pleased with it. Wish I hadn't wasted my money in the first place on the Cine City one!

Avey

Chuck Spaulding · December 8th, 2009, 06:41 PM

The CAVISION is nice. I took a long look at it before going with the Shape. But CAVISION charges extra for all of the accessories so it ends up costing pretty much the same.

So for me it came down to a couple of things, admittedly stupid things, the shoulder brace for the Spider II is padded, the handgrips are round and it just looked more comfortable. I have never use the CAVISION and I'm not implying that it isn't as comfortable, but the Spider II is very comfortable. And lastly it was out of stock.

Interestingly many of the accessories I put on the Spider are CAVISION. The build quality for the Spider II and the accessories from CAVISION are both very good.

I don't think you can go wrong with either, if you like this style of support.

Wayne Avanson · December 9th, 2009, 11:34 AM

fair enough Chuck, I actually put a padded bit on the Cavision shoulder support because, as you say, it doesn't look as comfortable as the Shape.

Chuck Spaulding · December 9th, 2009, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keith Moreau

Chuck,

Thanks for the recommendation, I'll check it out, however, I do actually have something like the rig you mentioned already, it's the DVRig Pro HD, and it's quite a nice unit, and a very nice and helpful company to work with, you can see a link to them here:

DvRigPro./ DvRigPro HD

in that it also has a shock absorbing pod that you can use onto a supplied waist belt. It's almost like a steadycam. However, it's kind of a 'commitment' similar to the Shape rig you mentioned, and really lets people know that you are seriously there to get something. I use it on very, very long shoots where I know I'd going shoulder-mount the entire time. I use it with my rods and Mattebox rig, and you can mount all kinds of extra stuff to it with their modular system, like monitors (if you want to take images from behind without walking backwards, huge battery packs, etc.

Thanks for the recommendation though. Another unit that is really a bargain that I have have and use on occasion is the "Tiffen Steady Stick." I have yet to try my 7D rig with this. It's actually pretty well made and also had the waist pod concept and is amazingly less than $75.

Amazon.com: Davis & Sanford SS3C SteadyStick Compact Stabilizer with Handle: Electronics

On this I have the Manfrotto quick release plate that I've mentioned above.

-Keith

To add to what Keith mentioned here's another model from the same company that I find fascinating, the DV MultiRigPro: DV MultiRig

As Ken Stone call it "The Swiss Army Knife" of camera mounts: Review DvMultiRig Pro

And here it is in action:

I find the Spider II to be a very stable platform for hand held shooting, however its probably a little bigger than I'd like and not as flexible as the MulitRigPro appears to be. But I still recommend it as very good product for "Movie" style production where you need to hang a lot of accessories on it. But for run and gun like a wedding videographer or documentary producer where you never know what the next shot will be the MulitRigPro must be a good candidate.

Does anyone use one of these?

Bruce Foreman · December 9th, 2009, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawn Wright

Bruce -

Can you show me a photo of this Rig? Is it with the 7D?

Did you find a way to use this with a tripod?

Here's a shot of the SpiderBrace 2 Combo with 7D and CAVISION viewfinder with swingaway. 7D has an EF 24mm F2.8 prime mounted.

Note the Manfrotto quick release plate on the bottom of the CAVISION mount, allows swapping to tripod with Manfrotto 501 head in seconds. This rig is quite lightweight and works for me.

Hope this picture helps.

Cristian Derois · December 9th, 2009, 06:11 PM

I have to say thank you for all you guys replying this post.

I was up to spent a fortune with Zacutto's made-of-gold-rigs.

Perrone Ford · December 9th, 2009, 06:13 PM

So... what happens if you want to add a mattebox? Maybe to get some ND filters and a polarizer? Or you want a follow focus. Or a monitor if you don't want to squint into that eyecup? Or a big zoom?

Mark Spartak · December 9th, 2009, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wayne Avanson

fair enough Chuck, I actually put a padded bit on the Cavision shoulder support because, as you say, it doesn't look as comfortable as the Shape.

I'm looking to buy this one but what is a difference between your model and this one:
Cavision Standard Shoulder Pad Package for DSLR Cameras / 5D MII

This one is more expensive, but your model seems the same except viewfinder. Did you add some plate on this support, like one on my link, or just put the camera on it?

I'm asking because I will add follow focus and hope lens will not be too low. Model from my link has same plate so camera stay higher for follow focus.

Chuck Spaulding · December 9th, 2009, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perrone Ford

So... what happens if you want to add a mattebox? Maybe to get some ND filters and a polarizer? Or you want a follow focus. Or a monitor if you don't want to squint into that eyecup? Or a big zoom?

You can pretty much figure out a way to add a rail system and quick release to any of these supports. The thing to keep in mind is that by doing so you start adding a fair amount of weight.

I have a quick release on the base plate of the rails so I can disconnect from the shoulder mount and attach the camera along with the rails [and everything attached to them] to the tripod in seconds. I can use the CAVISION quick release to remove the camera from the rails. So there's a couple of levels of quick release which you can mount to pretty much anything.

Just because some supports are ridiculously expensing doesn't mean they are better engineered or the only ones who can mount gobs of stuff on them if you want.

December 9th, 2009, 11:34 AM	#24
Wayne Avanson Major Player Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Lancashire UK Posts: 496	fair enough Chuck, I actually put a padded bit on the Cavision shoulder support because, as you say, it doesn't look as comfortable as the Shape. Attached Thumbnails

December 9th, 2009, 06:13 PM	#28
Perrone Ford Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 4,100	So... what happens if you want to add a mattebox? Maybe to get some ND filters and a polarizer? Or you want a follow focus. Or a monitor if you don't want to squint into that eyecup? Or a big zoom? __________________ DVX100, PMW-EX1, Canon 550D, FigRig, Dell Octocore, Avid MC4/5, MB Looks, RedCineX, Matrox MX02 mini, GTech RAID, Edirol R-4, Senn. G2 Evo, Countryman, Moles and Lowels.

December 6th, 2009, 10:37 PM	#16
David Twelves New Boot Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Hartford, Connecticut Posts: 12	Nice! That's a beast - real nice for adding accessories! I just recently went with a Glidetrack Shooter as my shoulder mount for my ultra-portable setup: Glidetrack Shooter for video camera tracking shots with shoulder support I slapped a Bogen 577 Quick-release plate on the bottom and a fluid-head on top (Velbon DV-7000 for the legs & head), so I can pop it off of my tripod for table/floor shots or shoulder-mounted shots in a snap. Works incredibly well - acts a tripod + gliding track + shoulder rig, all in one. I pretty much keep it in my car 24/7 since it's so portable. The little flip handles are surprisingly comfortable to use with a bare dSLR (lens & body only, that is), plus it came with a larger handle that screws in underneath if you want to keep one hand free. Since it is a smaller setup, it'd be a bit more of a hassle to rig up a mattebox, so I just use a lens hood instead to reduce flare. I suppose you could use a follow focus on it, but because it's designed more for compactness, I'd say it's better to have one Glidetrack-style system to go anywhere, and one larger rails-based system for the serious setup shots with your follow focus, mattebox, external monitor, etc. Your rig looks killer, got any video with it up to show off? :)

December 6th, 2009, 11:19 PM	#17
Bruce Foreman Trustee Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: San Angelo Texas Posts: 1,518	I go a bit lighter, and a lot lighter on the wallet. SpiderBrace 2 Combo (home) used with a Manfrotto quick release adapter and the matching sliding plates, and the CAVISION viewfinder assembly with swing away adapter. Works very well for me and I shot my whole DVC17 challenge entry with it.

December 8th, 2009, 12:13 AM	#19
Noah Yuan-Vogel Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: New York City Posts: 613	what do you do about using your zoom lens with a matte box? doesnt it extend a lot? you must have to adjust your matte box any time you want to adjust focal length, right?

December 8th, 2009, 12:38 AM	#20
Chuck Spaulding Trustee Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Thousand Oaks Posts: 1,099	Who me? Yes and no. It depends on which lens. The stock lens for example does extend quite a bit, I leave the adjustment for the rails loose (at the rear) and the Matte Box and rails slide smoothly in and out with the lens. The rails are carbon fiber and very lightweight and smooth. The matte box still has all the support it needs and stays perfectly aligned with the lens.

December 8th, 2009, 04:43 PM	#22
Wayne Avanson Major Player Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Lancashire UK Posts: 496	Carlo, I bought a shoulder rig from The Cine City in India and it was pretty rubbish. Heavy components, (cast iron blocks and chromed thick rim steel bars, ill fitting screws) and the screw threads don't last long before they strip and become useless. I've since bought a Cavision which is much better engineered, much lighter AND the key thing here is that the shoulder support part is offset from the centre so that my 7D with the loup on is dead level with my eye without having to strain my head to one side so see the LCD through the loup. Much relief! The Cavision is also cheaper than Zacuto, Cinevate, RedRock and the Shape ones it seems. Cavision \| RS1580D-SPE Shoulder Pad System Package \| RS1580D-SPE It's light and comfortable, and folds down to a smaller footprint for packing away. Very pleased with it. Wish I hadn't wasted my money in the first place on the Cine City one! Avey

December 8th, 2009, 06:41 PM	#23
Chuck Spaulding Trustee Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Thousand Oaks Posts: 1,099	The CAVISION is nice. I took a long look at it before going with the Shape. But CAVISION charges extra for all of the accessories so it ends up costing pretty much the same. So for me it came down to a couple of things, admittedly stupid things, the shoulder brace for the Spider II is padded, the handgrips are round and it just looked more comfortable. I have never use the CAVISION and I'm not implying that it isn't as comfortable, but the Spider II is very comfortable. And lastly it was out of stock. Interestingly many of the accessories I put on the Spider are CAVISION. The build quality for the Spider II and the accessories from CAVISION are both very good. I don't think you can go wrong with either, if you like this style of support.

December 9th, 2009, 06:11 PM	#27
Cristian Derois Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Porto Alegre, Brazil Posts: 28	I have to say thank you for all you guys replying this post. I was up to spent a fortune with Zacutto's made-of-gold-rigs.