Shape WLB - The camera support you have been searching for! (http://shapewlb.com/en/)

Indeed! Awesome kit, that is the camera support I have been looking for :P

Shape WLB - The camera support you have been searching for! (http://shapewlb.com/en/)

looks a bit cumbersome. I think my DVMultiRIgPro is a bit better than theirs, but who knows. I do like that the MultiRig is designed to not just hold a camera, but provide mounting & attachment points for lots of other stuff (light, mics, wireless receivers, etc).

We used one of these in a recent shoot home (http://www.spiderbrace.com/)

Expect some highlights soon. Used it in the bridal prep to give that 'manic, chaotic, getting ready' felling as the glidecam is too smooth and slow to make you feel the emotion.

While the units do look rather well built, I have to agree with sticking to my DVMulti Rig. It's much more compact and lighter in weight, and just as, if not more, configurable.

OMG the music for the promo video was seriously annoying...

I never get these shoulder mounts.. When you use them with two hands how do you zoom and focus? I hate the zoom motion from rocker switches and I always use manual focusing. Can you support the camera with just one handle on the fly? Would that cause the camera to rock due to the sudden change of hand? Also, you're basically always shooting from shoulder level and you can't rotate the camera because the mount is hooked onto your shoulder..

having shot for years with full size cameras and then making the switch over to small form factor cams I could never be without my DV multirig.
First I can hold steady like I did with the FS cam for long periods of time. 2nd, I use a zoom and focus controller and can do a very fast zoom if needed and focus at the same time. All of this while holding the rig with 2 hands and because of the spring rod I can even walk and be quite steady while focusing and zooming if need be. As for shooting at a different angle, again, it's no problem. The MultiRig allows the camera to be shifted off the shoulder to an over the head shot and lower to a waist level shot if needed. The real beauty of it to me though is the fact that I can be in a stationary position locked down for quite a while for things like toasts which can run quite long as you know. 99 out of 100 people that handhold small form factor camera shoot from the waist and after a couple of minutes they have to change position because of fatigue. With a properly built and balanced shoulder rig (and a little practice of course) you're good to go. But different strokes for different folks.

Yea! I'm 1 out of 100!!

I had to shoot a 35-minute toast/gift session at a rehearsal dinner last year. I 'toughed' it out and shot without switching positions .. AND .. the footage was steady all the way through. It was brutal, though.

This year I'm abandoning that tactic and will shoot all such events from a tripod.


As for shoulder mounts, I owned a Spiderbrace, and it was nice. But I think Don is right on the money. Not everyone likes to shoot the same way. I found I didn't like the shoulder-mount position as much.

OMG the music for the promo video was seriously annoying...

I never get these shoulder mounts.. When you use them with two hands how do you zoom and focus? I hate the zoom motion from rocker switches and I always use manual focusing. Can you support the camera with just one handle on the fly? Would that cause the camera to rock due to the sudden change of hand? Also, you're basically always shooting from shoulder level and you can't rotate the camera because the mount is hooked onto your shoulder..

Hi Yang,

When I went HD I came from a shoulder mount camera. I was looking for a way to get a steady shot at the reception while being zoomed in 75-100%. The DVTec MultiRig was the perfect solution for me.

I also shoot manual focus, so I rest my left hand on top of the left from arm of the MultiRig so I can manually focus. Then I have a zoom controller on the right front arm. When I'm shooting something like toasts, where the subject is not moving, once I have focus, I will take my left down from the focus ring and place my left hand on the left arm of the MultiRig. It feel very comfortable and allows me to get a steady shot for long periods of time, even while zoomed in

The advantage that I see that the MultiRig has over the above unit is the support pod. It is spring loaded and supports the weight of the camera. With the above unit, the shooter supports all of the weight.

Hmm I agree with all comments.. Here's what I'm wondering..

My usual shooting position when off the tripod is to either hold the camera by the top handle with right hand and manipulate the focus/zoom with the left hand, meanwhile bracing the camera against my abdomen. This proves to be steady and allows me to rotate the camera and take advantage of the DVX's geared zoom for quick snap zooms and framing from shot to shot.(I hate servo zoom for the lack of speed). Or I would have my hand in the side strap and brace the rear viewfinder against my chin or forehead and manipulate focus/zoom with my left hand.

With a shoulder rig, can I realistically hold the rig up with one handle and manipulate the lens with my other hand without much balance issues? The handles sticks out away from the camera so that additional distance would introduce extra torque on top of the camera's weight, but maybe the shoulder brace would mitigate that extra torque?

I looked at the multiRig and I'm intrigued by the "steady-cam" mode by using the flexpole that attaches to the holster. WIll that give me a pseudo "steady cam" look if I walk gingerly? If so this could be a good solution for me as there is no way I can operate a steadycam when I'm the sole shooter

Hmm I agree with all comments.. Here's what I'm wondering..

My usual shooting position when off the tripod is to either hold the camera by the top handle with right hand and manipulate the focus/zoom with the left hand, meanwhile bracing the camera against my abdomen...

With a shoulder rig, can I realistically hold the rig up with one handle and manipulate the lens with my other hand without much balance issues?

Hi Yang,

For prep and establishing shots of the reception I use the handheld technique you described. Once the reception starts, I use the MultiRig. For the first dance and parent dances I use the rocker for zoom because I find it gives me better control versus the zoom controller.

By placing my left on the left arm of the rig it not only helps to balance the rig, but also makes it feel more comfortable since my hand is resting on the rig. Does that make sense?

You can see a pictures here.

EventDV.net: In the Field: DvTec dvMulti Rig Pro (http://www.eventdv.net/Articles/News/Feature/In-the-Field-DvTec-dvMulti-Rig-Pro-41399.htm)

If you are on Facebook, I have some more picture of me using the rig as I have described and there will also be a release next week with an online article on EventDV and there are a couple of picture of me using the rig.

Ahh those picture help. THanks! When you place you left write on the left handle, it doesn't force down the left side of the camera?

Hi Yang,

You are welcome. No it doesn't because my right hand is either in the strap of the camera so I zoom and start/stop or on the right arm with the zoom controller, so it keeps it balanced.

Ahh those picture help. THanks! When you place you left write on the left handle, it doesn't force down the left side of the camera?

Actually Yang, what Mark says is true.
I also shoot with the DVMulti Rig and shoot with the camera in shoulder mode with the 2 section support pod.

I shoot I several configurations, but this is the setup I shoot in most.

What I do is this...
The right grip is faced out like normal and I hold this with my right hand.
The left grip is turned inwards and I also rest my left elbow against it.
I then use my left hand for all manual camera controlling, such as of focus, iris, zoom etc.
I prefer to control the zoom using the zoom ring on the camera lens, rather than using the zoom toggle switch. The reason being that I get a much more fluid control over my zoom speed buy manually controlling my zoom from the lens barrel.

This is entirely personal preference of course, as I used to use a LANC remote on the handle grip, but still found myself reaching on the camera itself for additional controls, like iris and such. So for me it made more sense to shoot with the multi rig, as I would a supported camera (even though I have never shot with a should camera before), where I would control everything on the lens barrel and let the camera rest on my shoulder.

The big difference in this equation, is the 2 section support pod, which makes panning, booming, static shots and the like so effortless, as the camera simply floats on the support pod and takes all of the stress and weight off of my shoulders, back, and arms.

I can shoot all day long with no fatigue, and I get great steady, fluid hand held shots.

I shot for someone recently who owns a DVMulti Rig, but never really used it.
When he reviewed my footage from the wedding we shot, he was amazed how rock solid my shots were, and even how fluid my moving camera shots were on the dancefloor. He told me that the camera seemed to be floating while moving from one couple to another.

I am now teaching him my techniques of shooting with the DVulti, which is really simple, but I have found 3 or 4 really great shooting styles over the years while shooting with it.

BTW, I was one of the first in the U.S. to won and use the original DVMulti Rig 4 years ago. The new DVMulit Rig is much improved, as it's lighter, even quicker to reconfigure, it has a new quick release support pod which is the bomb. And even the new tripod adapter plate, that lets you mount the entire DVMulti Rig to a tripod is much improved as it's rock solid adn enables you to go from handheld to tripod and back in a matter of seconds.

For anyone out there who shoots with a smaller hand held prosumer camera, there is no comparison. Pickup a DVMulti Rig, as it's the most versatile rock solid support system you will EVER use.

Yea! I'm 1 out of 100!!

I had to shoot a 35-minute toast/gift session at a rehearsal dinner last year. I 'toughed' it out and shot without switching positions .. AND .. the footage was steady all the way through. It was brutal, though.

wow. I'm too much of a fiddler and a fidget to be able to do that. I can't even stand still NOT holding anything, let along holding stuff!

I looked at the multiRig and I'm intrigued by the "steady-cam" mode by using the flexpole that attaches to the holster. WIll that give me a pseudo "steady cam" look if I walk gingerly? If so this could be a good solution for me as there is no way I can operate a steadycam when I'm the sole shooter

You will not be able to get anything even close to Glidecam / Merlin footage with the MultiRig.... but it isn't designed to do that. It was designed to hold your cam, lots of accessories (including a LANC controller, wireless receiver, light, mic, etc), and to let you do that fro ma completely mobile platform.

You can get somewhat stable moving shots, but because of the spring pod, you will still translate body movements into the camera.

Check out my wedding day highlight clip. (http://vimeo.com/2731479) There are obvious glidecam4000 shots. The ending shot is MultiRig (because I needed the light) and is not nearly as smooth as the Glidecam. But it works well enough. You can learn to compensate and make it work "well enough" give the major advantage that you don't have to rebalance to include a light.

wow. I'm too much of a fiddler and a fidget to be able to do that. I can't even stand still NOT holding anything, let along holding stuff!

The ONLY reason I was doing that last year is because I had a couple of receptions earlier in my career where I was taken by surprise when they asked if any guests wanted to give toasts. The most difficult of these was governor Kempthorne's daughter's wedding. There were something like 800-1000 guests and they were spread out all over the Simplot estate .. and I was having to run here and there to catch people giving toasts (they had RMAV there with multiple wireless mics and handlers). If I had been on a tripod I would have been screwed.

From now on, though, I'm going to confirm that all toasters will be in the same location. 5-10 minutes handheld I don't mind so much, but going beyond 20 minutes is really brutal on the body.

I don't own a multirig, although I might one of these days when budget permits. BUT I've cobbled up similar rigs from available stuff picked up online on the cheap... and the concept is the best for wedding/event work where you may need to move a lot and shoot a lot of different angles.

I'm with Jason in the "WOW, I wobble THAT much?" category... standing "still" is a very relative thing, and actually moving sometimes results in a smoother shot! I like tripods...

BUT, tripod shots are boring and aren't terribly practical for many situations. I have several stable, TALL tripods to strategically place several small cameras where I want to get an angle, but I want the main camera to be moving with me to get the best angle if possible.


My take on handheld is that it's hard if not nearly impossible with an HD camera because of the higher resolution. ANY motion translates into a blurred or distorted shot. SO, pure "handheld" is for family stuff at the most...

Steadicam, Glidecam, etc. are potentially OK with a vest, but too tiring for longer shots - great for what they do, but physically demanding, so less than ideal for practical "full day" coverage. Oh yeah, and expensive plus operating/balancing is another art unto itself.

Pure shoulder mounts are a big help, BUT again hard on the back, and may not address the "tilt" which to me is the most distracting "wobble"... so now you have to add handles, or something similar to the fig rig concept to spread the control of the "roll" axis. Now the rig is starting to get HEAVY, and fatigue is a factor, so a waist belt/support rod comes to the rescue - and there's the multirig (or the rigs I've mashed together...)!

Yang, what you need to do with any shoulder/handle/waist support rig is learn to adjust for each shooting situation - the shoulder/handles are darn close to a steadi/glide rig IF you learn to walk correctly - you can't be a lummox stomping around, YOU have to glide... AND you have to release any locks on the support rod before you start to move, or you'll get jarring from your lower body.

I find that with the Tiffen Steady Stick for instance, you release the rod knob, then move, and use the shoulder support aspect of the design, and you're pretty good, then lock the rod when you aren't needing to move - the Steady Stick isn't perfect, no handles, but it's pretty effective.

Camera support and stabilization for event work is a tough nut to crack, but the right rig and some practice with it can make a huge difference in how your footage looks in the end!

5-10 minutes handheld I don't mind so much, but going beyond 20 minutes is really brutal on the body.

A wedding I did a couple of years ago is still burned into my brain. I was doing table shots when I hear a speech start with no warning. No chance to get on tripod. No problem, I figure, what's 5-10 minutes handheld?

They proceed to do all the speeches in a row. I actually had to change tapes. Almost an hour. Sweat was pouring down my face, and I wanted to shoot myself.

Sure would have enjoyed a shoulder support for that one!

Since this seems to be basically a Multirig thread thought I'd add my two cents. Having one of the older models I had the support rod for the shoulder support strip out and not work correctly. I wanted to get it back working so I contacted the manufacturer in Israel and stated my problem. I was willing to pay for the parts/repair. But they said, hey send us a picture of the unit and tell us what is wrong and we will send you the parts FREE UPS ground shipping included!!!! As it was I paid for air and got it quicker. BVut you CANNOT get better support than that and I was totally surprized and amazed. The new part was obviously better engineered than the old part and was simple to replace.

Since this seems to be basically a Multirig thread thought I'd add my two cents. Having one of the older models I had the support rod for the shoulder support strip out and not work correctly. I wanted to get it back working so I contacted the manufacturer in Israel and stated my problem. I was willing to pay for the parts/repair. But they said, hey send us a picture of the unit and tell us what is wrong and we will send you the parts FREE UPS ground shipping included!!!! As it was I paid for air and got it quicker. BVut you CANNOT get better support than that and I was totally surprized and amazed. The new part was obviously better engineered than the old part and was simple to replace.

I'll have to remember to get in touch with the DVTek crew because my spring got tweaked and now it cannot stand up right (and I had a screw in model before the snap in was released).

i built already several shoulder support because all the commercial product i found had several issues. the first is that most of them have flat shoulder pad, while there are chances that the work position of your shoulder is not ( even if you are Mr Swarzenegger). This makes the support and the cam to usually roll or slip to the edge of your shoulder or make the horizon difficult to keep. I solved this by either making a pad compensating for this, or screws allowing to change it at anytime (if you lend your rig to other people).

The second are the handel/grips (usually two). I found that most of the support are fine if you use both handles, but become very difficult when used with only one.
I solved this by replacing the handles by a square frame with rounded corners you can grab any way you want.

The third is the fact that many shoulder support have no counterweight at rear, so to get the balance, you need to set the camera to the rear, making the viewfinder or the lcd screen too close/unusable. I solved this by installing a 7" LCD screen in the front frame, fixed on the bottom bar. This is the best place since, the distance is ok, the weight is placed very low under camera/support and the angle of LCD can be freely adjusted. I installed too , a box at rear of the support to install the battery for LCD, light, wireless stuff, and why not a bottle of water, some spare tapes if needed.

Since this seems to be basically a Multirig thread

Oops, I went OT there...

Actually the original post was in reference to Shape WLB. I don't really know anything about them, other than they seem to be a new company close to me. I see their stuff on Ebay, too.

Looks well made. Has anyone actually actually used one other than Danny O'Neill?

I waffle back and forth about shoulder mounts and monopods. I'm never pleased with the footage I see from shooters using them, as opposed to good hand held footage.

I also worry about the reduction in mobility. I like to move the camera around a lot. Stick it under chairs, up high, whatever, and I hate the thought of it being harder with a mount attached.

But the multirig looks good.

Hmm I'm beginning to see the light of using something like the multirig for toasts at the reception.. I currently use a tripod and just lock it down for the duration of the toast.. You guys think I can easily shoot the whole thing (40min-1hr) from the shoulder?

Hmm I'm beginning to see the light of using something like the multirig for toasts at the reception.. I currently use a tripod and just lock it down for the duration of the toast.. You guys think I can easily shoot the whole thing (40min-1hr) from the shoulder?
It's a no brainer.

As I said, I shoot ALL day long with no fatigue. And never had a complaint about my footage.

What I tend to do for a lot, but not all, speeches, is pull up a chair and sit down and shoot accordingly.
I don't block anyone this way, and since I lock my 2 section support pod on the Multi Rig, I get easy rock solid shots.

<<I'll have to remember to get in touch with the DVTek crew because my spring got tweaked and now it cannot stand up right (and I had a screw in model before the snap in was released). >>
Jason, I wasn't talking about personal problems :>).

<<I'll have to remember to get in touch with the DVTek crew because my spring got tweaked and now it cannot stand up right (and I had a screw in model before the snap in was released). >>
Jason, I wasn't talking about personal problems :>).

wow, now that I re-read that, I did kind of leave that one open for comment. hehe :-)

While the units do look rather well built, I have to agree with sticking to my DVMulti Rig. It's much more compact and lighter in weight, and just as, if not more, configurable.

Hello Michael,

I’m participating to this thread to give additional details on the Shape WLB camera supports.

Our camera supports weight between 2.8 and 4.1 lbs. One model weights 5.86 lbs but this total weight includes a 4 lbs counterweight. So actually, they are light and compact.

Regards,

Charles
www.shapewlb.com