Anyone using a counter balance weight?

[Marlon Martins]

i did a support to fix a battery on the back for video light, and helps a bit as counter-weight.

it split in 2 parts to make easy to pack on the bag, it fixes on the shoulder pad, on the top of the camera (to reduce shoulder pad stress) and also put pressure on the top-back of the camera, to be very secure. the battery "slide and lock"

http://i.imgur.com/9Jh0wBD.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/LMU6KlK.jpg

[Chris Harding]

That's neat Marlon!

I think the first to stack stuff behind the camera was Noa and then I just made a simple aluminium "T" section that screws on top of the shoulder pad and on my main EA-50, this has two plastic shoes for my two receivers. I made the same for the second EA-50 and that just has one plastic shoe at the end for my 3rd receiver and in front of that I pop riveted a stripped out Sony generic charger and ran a cable back to the camera cold shoe to power the light ...with the battery over the shoulder pad you don't get any extra front end weight and the camera is much better balanced. I actually had a quite heavy PowerLED light up front and when both lights were stolen from my car last Friday I replaced those with a really super-light 96 LED light so I have virtually no extra front weight now!

If you have to use on-camera lights then putting the battery behind is an essential move!!

Chris

[Marlon Martins]

my partner using today:

[Chris Harding]

That looks very secure too!

According to Sony the shoulder pad can take gear up to 1kg but I know that Tom already uses a 2.1kg weight on the back of his camera attached to the pad so it's quite tough.

I noted that she shoots without the view tube .. I like the tube cos it gives me another contact point for stability ...You can see that without the viewing tube that the camera sits correctly on her shoulder exactly where it should be so if you use the tube at it's normal length the whole camera has to move forward..that's why I shortened my tube so the pad sits exactly on my shoulder.

That looks light an awesome light Marlon with the cooling fan on the back too! What make/model is that?

Chris

[Marlon Martins]

yeap, it's very secure. the top screw and the pressure pad near makes all the difference (there's a rubber on that to not scratch the camera). it actually make force up to release weight on the pad, so i can put about 3kg. its made from aluminum with a few coats of paint and protection paint to not scratch.

The light brand is "Marlon Martins DIY" and the model is "3.0". it's 4000 lumens, 40W ;D



about stability, yes, the eyepiece helps. i will make a "ear" support on the side, cause the camera "twist" easily.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Marlon

Wow 9 x PowerLEDS!! Those look like 3W modules at least so that's some serious light ... You could almost make a room daylight with that. My biggest was 18W with 8 LED's but guests at weddings started to complain about it! I only use a 9W panel now and they seem to tolerate that!

What I have is a piece of square PVC pipe cut to size and it has Velcro on it and fits between the LCD side and the camera so it won't tilt inwards...works well for me! With the essential shortening mod on the viewing tube, the LCD doesn't try to fold in as much as the tube is shorter but it's still worth having a little block velcroed onto the camera body so it cannot fold at all.

Chris

[Marlon Martins]

they are 10W each. the are Cree XM-L T6, one of today's most efficient led (my goal was efficiency/power). running them in less then half power, i get more lumens per watt (could use only 4 to get the same 40W, but would generate more heat and less light)

Video showing it:

Iluminador 3.0 - YouTube

as i normally use diffuser and/or a 6500k>3200k converter, the light get cut-down a lot, so its is powerful wen i need (in the party, i point it up, and i get a diffused light (lens create a circle with no spill). it also has 2 power levels.

yeap, a LCD mod like you did is essential if using eyepiece, you touch it it move inwards... grrrrrr... making fixed must help a lot...

[Marlon Martins]

today i did a "head support" cause its too easy to twist the camera (i found myself "bending" my head to support the cam)

it is fixed on the battery support. made with aluminum/plastic/neoprene/foam (soft on the ear)

[Marlon Martins]

used the head support yesterday, DUDESSS, makes a lot of difference. mainly when changing controls with left hand, cause the hold> change setting>hold camera again>change setting>hold camera again caused shake. NOT ANYMORE.

highly recommended ;)

[Chris Harding]

Hi Marlon

It's amazing how simple and quite small items can make a big difference to using the camera. That has worked out for you nicely!!

Chris

[Marlon Martins]

"In action":

[Aaron Jones Sr.]

Looking for a base plate kit similar to Tom's for my matte box with 15mm rods. Anybody have a good inexpensive solution?

[Tom Van den Berghe]

I bought this one (not in this shop because I live in Europe)

WONDLAN PL28 Big Base Plate at PhotoGear.com - Canada Discount Sources for Photography Accessories

cheap and good enough for me

[Aaron Jones Sr.]

Thank you, I will be looking into this... I live in the US and I will see if there is a US distributor... I will be grabbing that Camshade as well.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Aaron

I know rails and the Camshade look really cool but please consider the fact that the Camshade and it's fittings alone (without the flags!!) will increase the front end weight of your camera by at least 1 kg!!!! (2.2 lbs)

I had both on my EA-50's and sold them as they made the camera simply too heavy to use. You will not believe you much more awkward your EA-50's will be with the rails and Camshade fitted. Especially on your shoulder ... I found them just too impractical to use on the camera when handheld. If your cam is always on a tripod then you have no issues but beware if you handhold ...it throws out the balance a LOT!!

Chris