Rigging your t2i
 

I have always subscribed to the guerrilla video production philosophy.

I plan on buying a t2i soon but am trying to get my "ducks in a row"........

So what are the ideas that most people use for rigging. I assume some short of shoulder mount with grips. I currently have a Edirol 09 for audio recording.. a shotgun mic. and a beachteck for xlr to mini connection that needs to fit on it. I like to build something customizable, or buy something not hugely expensive. Also is there a source just to buy the small diameter aluminum tubes used in rigging setups?

thanks
Steve

It's difficult to find 15mm aluminum pipes from conventional suppliers in the states -- every metalworking shop or pipe supplier I've called says "uhh... can you convert that to inches?" YMMV.

Get rails on eBay or from an inexpensive specialty supplier like Jag35. There's some good quality Indian gear on there.

Don't bother using the T2i for audio -- it's not worth the effort. You'll get much better control, quality, and flexibility from using something like a Zoom recorder.

I am in the UK, where the situation is different, as we're really a mix of metric/inches over here. I found a place that does aluminium on a small scale, and will cut to length:

They don't do the aluminium tube at 15mm, but they have the bar, which is pretty light anyway.

Not worth you shipping to the US I'm sure, but here's the link anyway:

Forward Metals Ltd. 15mm Diam

The other part of rigging of course is creating the structure. I looked around for a long time, before deciding on my DIY rigging strategy. I just could not find a supply of suitable components to build rigs based on the 15mm standard. What I kept finding is that post systems used in opto-mechanics are based around a 1/2" standard, and the are tons of suppliers competing the prices down.

I decided to abandon the 15mm standard and make rigs that suit my needs and budget from scratch. My first project was modelled on the Zacuto Striker, and I am very happy with the results and price. The shoulder stock was taken from a tenon saw, and the grip was taken from a sawn off bicycle handle bar.. Next is a shoulder mount with rails and an external display.

The 2 essential components for making multiple rigging forms are the fixed 90 deg post clamp, and the variable angle 90 deg post clamp. Thorlabs is the cheapest supplier I could find for Europe. You'll have to find the US equivalent if you're over the pond.

Thorlabs.com - RA90 Right Angle Post Clamp, Fixed 90 Degree Adapter

Thorlabs.com - SWC Swivel Post Clamp, 360 Degree Continuously Adjustable

The other find I would like to share is cheap ebay ball-head light stand mounts. You can chain these together to make rigid, multi-articulated arms, terminated in the standard 1/4" stud. To chain them, you simply remove the locking bolt at the end. These are cheap, but reasonable quality:

C type Flash Shoe Umbrella Holder Ball Head Light Stand on eBay (end time 20-Jun-10 06:39:17 BST)

To finish things off, you might want to buy a couple of these cheap quick release plates. I can vouch for these, they are really well made, which is comforting!

Quick Release Adapter & Manfrotto 200PL-14 Compat Plate on eBay (end time 18-Jun-10 15:33:07 BST)

Good luck, and keep us updated with how your guerrilla efforts go!

thanks to all for the suggestions. Ryan, I agree about the audio... thats why I am hoping to use the Edirol R-09. It records wav, or mp3 files.

James thanks for all the information. Lots of food for thought and some real good ideas!

James, how is your rig working? Do you have pictures... cause I might attempt making one myself.

I was pleased to find out that the Proaim stuff on eBay uses 15mm rails and works just fine with RedRock Micro components, etc. My rig is a combo of RRM stuff and a ProAim follow focus/mattebox kit, A great buy

Shoulder mount prototype
 

Sorry for the delay but here are a couple of snaps of the work in progress.

When the camera is mounted, my DIY loupe sits nicely at eye level. The twist to the main parallel rods ensures both are transmitting weight to my shoulder. My arms are in a relaxed, natural position when supporting the rig. Over all I am pleased, but there is lots more tinkering to do.

I will be adding some weight to the back and a formed piece for the contact point with the shoulder.

I have also used the bits in different configurations, like a zacuto striker for instance, but this is the form that feels most balanced to me. The whole set up is very light, and the quick release base plate makes it convenient to use.

Edit: I forgot to say, this cost me about £65 in parts.

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_6B1YrGfsQQ0/TA...0/IMG_1276.JPG

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_6B1YrGfsQQ0/TA...0/IMG_1278.JPG