Saved by the Rod!
 

Hi Guys

We had a wedding yesterday and when the speeches were wrapped up I packed away all the lighting and continued on just the B-Cam. The MC an hour later announced they they were going to do a quick vote of thanks from the lectern in a few minutes and, of course ALL my gear including lighting and tripods were already packed away so I had to do it handheld which I figured was no issue for a few minutes.

Bear in mind my B-Cam EA-50 had the basic camera PLUS the big Sigma 18-35 F1.8 plus a video light plus a second Sony battery for the light on it so the lens alone is over 800 grams then there is the heavy battery and the LED light so one can add a good 1.5 - 2.0kg to the outfit.

The so-called short speech ran for 8 minutes and 48 seconds so all I can say is thank goodness I was using the support rod and belt otherwise I doubt whether I could have held the very front heavy front end up that long. It really did take ALL the front end weight off the camera, and I could actually easily take my right hand right off to adjust focus if required .... certainly saved my bacon and amazingly stable footage too!!

Chris

Re: Saved by the Rod!
 

Nice one Chris - Quite a few years ago I got caught out when the speeches started early - before they had even cleared the desserts! I was just about to start placing my equipment so had no choice but to grab my old Z1 and film the lot hand held with onboard mic!!!

Fortunately the B&G loved their video but needless to say it's not one I ever show (well not the speeches bit anyway) to prospective clients!

20 minutes hand held - killed my back!

Pete

Re: Saved by the Rod!
 

I got caught out again on Saturday .. the bridal party at a Macedonian wedding were supposed to advance to around the middle of the Church but just kept coming right up to the front so my main cam lens hood was buried between a groomsman's legs so I just had to keep filming on the 2nd camera until their ring ceremony was done ..that was 15 minutes !!! Luckily for me they moved back to the correct position afterwards.

I have actually tossed out the plastic plate with the crappy ball joint out now and just use a nicer mini ball head fastened onto the "L" bracket below the belt and it has really smooth movement too!!

Chris

Re: Saved by the Rod!
 

I said it before...using my ENG rig from DVTec on my full sized cameras including my trusty old GY-5000/5100 with Canon 19X and an Anton Bauer Hytron 120 NiMH battery (5.5 pounds just for the battery) and a wireless receiver hanging off the back end for a total of about 22 to 23 pounds of gear, that ENG rig saved my back everytime I picked up the rig. I has times doing weddings where the introductions, cake cutting and toasts (speeches) ran upwards of 40 minutes. Was the footage as good as if it was shot on a tripod? No. Was it better than just having the camera on my shoulder? Yep. Did I zoom in to the long end of the lens? Nope. Did it save my bacon (my back) from being totally destroyed. You bet.
The ENG rig on my FS and the Multirig on my small form factor cameras were the best investments I made, bar none.

Re: Saved by the Rod!
 

Don't suppose you have a pic of that Chris? :)

Re: Saved by the Rod!
 

Hi Pete

No problem at all. My bracket was one I salvaged from a light stand ... I just cut it to size but any "L" bracket will work. The "cup" that the rod goes into is part of an old sprinkler but it does work fine. If you look in your hardware store they have irrigation fittings that are used to block off the end of a pipe and those would actually be better!! It's just bolted onto one end of the ball head. Being horizontal as the bracket makes it horizontal now it works really well and also the bracket drops the rod by a few more inches as it's just bolted to the bottom of the waist belt.

Chris

Re: Saved by the Rod!
 

Well either today or tomorrow I'm going to try and shorten mine as per your tips - wish me luck!

Re: Saved by the Rod!
 

Hi Pete

No luck needed just common sense!

Don't cut the tubes or springs!! I had two rods so I could experiment and you need the decent length to get a nice soft support.

Do it in two stages First cut off the big plastic fitting at the top and try the whole thing using the pouch only.

That might be OK for you without the ball head at the bottom ...Don's one just had a pouch! If you are worried about destroying the plastic fitting at the top you can also just knock out the pin and remove it and then find even something like a piece of plastic or aluminium rod that will fit snugly in the top tube and tap a 1/4" thread through it ... That way you can always return to the plastic fitting. If you feel a ball head at the bottom is a good idea then do the bottom section.

If you need any help just yell or email me.

Chris

Re: Saved by the Rod!
 

Chris,

Don't you have to switch between handheld with the rod and filming on tripod?
It looks difficult to switch from rod to tripod.

Re: Saved by the Rod!
 

Hi Tom

Nope! I have two cameras so normally one is on tripod and the other is on my shoulder. Basically if you use just one camera the rod fitting is already on the rail and you have the belt around your waist anyway so it would be simply, remove the cam from the tripod, hoist it onto your shoulder and put the rod in place. It needs no screws/fasteners 's instant and one handed too.

Chris

Re: Saved by the Rod!
 

thanks Chris but what about the rod?
You place the camcorder from the rod on the tripod.
But the rod is so long, can you easily shorten it?

So the rod is not disturbing you after that. I hope you understand my question.

I found this video. Is simulair product to yours I think.


I found also another way (around the neck) but at this moment I don't find the link. will post it later.

Re: Saved by the Rod!
 

The most simple things tend to be the most useful, don't they? sometimes i'll use my monopod like that rod, i have a similar pouch that just straps over a heavy belt for the same effect. then again, most times if it's stationary just plopping down the monopod is quick and back-free

Re: Saved by the Rod!
 

Hi Tom

Yeah, that's a DV Multirig or a copy of one and is much the same except I added a ball head at the belt instead of just a pocket.

To be honest I don't use the rig on my A-Camera at all ...that stays on tripod and my B-Camera stays on my shoulder (with the rod) When I stop filming I simply put the camera down and have the rod alongside it but keep the belt on. When I need to use the camera again I just pick up the camera and hoist it onto my shoulder and then snap the rod into place. You could, of course, just push the rod diagonally between the belt and your body (like an old fashioned sword and scabbard!)

Now, my old rod (from the same people had a string loop at the top so you could compress the sections together and lock them by hooking the string over an adjustment knob but it seems to be omitted on the newer rod. All you would need to do is have a string loop at the top and when you are done, squeeze the sections together and loop the string over to secure it. It makes it a lot more compact so I might take a look at changing mine so it can be compressed when not in use.

Chris

Re: Saved by the Rod!
 

hey chris,

I only found 1 other brand F&V that sells a simulair rod belt

you have also something like this, it starts at 1min50sec

Re: Saved by the Rod!
 

Hi Tom

As far as I can see, that's a solid rod (but adjustable) which is better than nothing. I don't like supports that rest that high up on your chest as your breathing will also affect it as your chest goes up and down. You also get better support and better weight distribution from your waist as everything is transferred to your hips and legs which is a quite stable platform.

Even a very simple rig helps hugely in taking the front end weight off the camera as Darren has commented on with a monopod. In fact my first support back in my Panasonic days was really really simple and was just a "socket" under the camera, a waist belt and I used a leg from a old broken table tripod ... it wasn't spring loaded of course but it was adjustable and worked almost as well and more importantly saved my back ... I made the waist belt from an old lens waist belt/bag ...Next time you use your camera, try something as simple as a piece of PVC pipe from under your matte box down to your pants belt and jam it in there ... you will be amazed how simple it is and how well it works !!!

Thanks for posting both videos

Chris