EX-3 Baseplate Received

[Jeff DeMaagd]

Originally Posted by Vincent Oliver

Do you have a link to the baseplate vendor - Jeff's baseplate doesn't mean much at the moment. And how much does it cost?

Thanks

Hello;

This is where it is listed:

Tripod Reinforcement plate only:
DM-Accessories - EX3-PLATE Reinforcement Plate for EX3 Camcorders

Tripod Reinforcement + shoulder mount:
DM-Accessories - EX3-SHOULDER Shoulder Brace For EX3 Camcorders

I think those pages should answer most of your questions.

Thank you!

[Vincent Oliver]

Thank you Jeff, will place an order next week

[Robert C. Fisher]

I have a new EX-3 coming and am interested in getting the DM plate/shoulder mount. Just wondering how long the camera, with stock lens, is with the shoulder mount attached so I can start looking for a bag.

[Jeff DeMaagd]

Originally Posted by Robert C. Fisher

I have a new EX-3 coming and am interested in getting the DM plate/shoulder mount. Just wondering how long the camera, with stock lens, is with the shoulder mount attached so I can start looking for a bag.

I measured about 20 inches or 51 centimeters from the tip of the stock lens with stock lens hood to the back edge of the shoulder mount.

[Derek Reich]

I just want to add to the thread by saying that I received my baseplate a couple days ago and I am absolutely delighted with every aspect of it! I won't requote the poster who said he would be embarrassed to show up with this on a camera.... but I don't feel that way at all, and really wouldn't even think about it. My clients are more interested in what comes OUT of my camera. But in any case, this baseplate is extremely well engineered and a great (if not outright necessary) addition to my EX3. I did not order the shoulder mount, but was pleased with the option of mounting the stock pad directly onto this plate. Nice touch.

One thing I am curious about... I have seen some photos where folks which have a tripod head such as Sachtler mount a quick release plate to the Sachtler release plate. Why? I have mounted my Sachtler (video 18II) release plate directly to the baseplate, and it sits very nicely and snugly across the full surface area of the head. It just seems to me that the more surface area supported, the more stable.

Anyway, a great product!

[Andrew Stone]

Originally Posted by Derek Reich

I have seen some photos where folks which have a tripod head such as Sachtler mount a quick release plate to the Sachtler release plate.

Manfrotto sells fairly inexpensive "add on" baseplates with both the male & female portions so you can have a homogeneous mechanism between the camera and various tripods as well as other contraptions that require mounting your cameras to something.

In my country Miller sells their baseplate - just the male base plate - for $150 and the Manfrotto male/female baseplate combo is $72. Manfrotto is considered ghetto to some but it's your choice where you want to put your money.

[Ned Soltz]

BTW, I am using a Manfrotto 3273 tripod baseplate with sliding camera lock. I have the tripod part secured to the mount on my Sachtler tripod. I secured the camera sliding plate to the bottom of the EX-3 baseplate with two screws. There is absolutely no wobble and I can easily slide the whole assembly on and off the tripod.

[Derek Reich]

Hi, Ned-
I hope you don't think I was critical of your mounting set up.... in fact, quite the opposite! I have gleaned a lot of useful information from this site. Much more than I expected to, I have not been a forum browser before. I was curious about mounting a release plate to a release plate, but you may have a completely different head set up than I do. I am very pleased with how snug the fit is with Jeff's plate mounted directly to the Sachtler release plate. But I also have slide adjustment on my head itself, so if you don't have that on your head I understand the benefit. I just like to learn what others are doing.... I found out about the COCO adapter and Jeff's plate from this site, two beneficial things which have sure made my camera more versatile and reliable.

[Ned Soltz]

HI, Derek

No. Didn't take it that way at all. It is just that when I described my set up initially I had neglected to specify which Manfrotto mount.

Since the Manfrotto mount slides and the Sachtler DV 4 head has a sliding mount as well, I'm finding using these sliders in combination helps balance the camera on this head, which now is carrying about the maximum weight it should. Need to get a DV-6SB or equivalent.

[Bob Grant]

Fitted two of Jeff's EX3 plates today. Very nicely made and fit very snug.
With them on the EX3 the camera is nicer to handle. It's a small thing I know but when you put the camera down it no longer wobbles.
In my opinion the plate adds to the appearance of the EX3.

[Alister Chapman]

As I said in my earlier post the addition of one of these plates really does make the camera so much nicer to use. It's rock solid on a tripod, the whole camera feels much more stable. It enables the use of two mounting screw instead of one so the camera no longer twists on the tripod plate. It has both 1/4 and 1/2 inch mounts so all my Pro mounts that use 1/2" screws fit. I have a couple of 3D rigs for dual EX3's or an EX3 plus EX1 side by side and the plate is so stable I can now use quick release mounts knowing that the camera alignment isn't lost each time I remove a camera.

[Larry Huntington]

Good job!! Ditto on all of the positive feedback. A killer plate for sure.

[Vincent Oliver]

I have bitten the bullet and ordered my base/shoulder plate from Jeff. As good as the built in Sony shoulder pad is, it is not that comfortable for long periods.

[Ted OMalley]

Sometimes in life, the planets align, the stars shine bright, the clouds blow away and I stumble upon a good decision. The responses in this forum are genuinely uplifting, because they keep confirming what I felt for myself - I chose well when I approached Jeff DeMaagd on this project.

Jeff really has done a nice job on this, and more importantly, he brought his expertise to it where mine fell short. He turned my rudimentary engineering of a good idea into a well-engineered product.

It's kinda funny - I was actually in preliminary discussions with VF Gadgets on this very same unit (though not as fully engineered as what Jeff brought to the table). After contacting a camera shop and a rental house, I thought they'd be the ones to build it. Oddly, they didn't want it - they were already working on something that they had just made a prototype of.

I almost threw the idea and drawings away - but was reminded of the responsiveness that Jeff had on those little cold-shoe adapters for the EX1 and making them work for the EX3 (adding registration holes). About a hundred emails and several phone calls later, fellow DVinfo.net members are pleased and enjoying the product! Well Hallelujah, all the stupid little things that could have gone wrong -- didn't! Thanks, Jeff!

[Vincent Oliver]

Just to let you know that I have ordered a Baseplate from Jeff and it has been sitting in UK customs since 11 Jan, today I received an email saying Parcelforce tried to deliver but there was no answer - delivery time 2.05 am on 16th January

I also received a letter by post from Parcelforce this morning (also 16 Jan) saying that I had to pay an extra £51.62 for import and vat and their delivery charges. The parcel will not be delivered until this sum is paid in full.

Nice friendly service we have here in the UK - I look forward to seeing this baseplate sometime before Easter.