I've mentioned it in a couple of other threads but here is the preliminary shots of the shoulder rig I'm building. Only things left to do are mount a QR plate on the bottom, add the padding on the shoulder part, and do some cosmetic/painting work.
The most expensive parts were the QR plates for $100. All the aluminum, hardware and padding was another $60.
I'll get a final weight with all the attachments (batteries, cables, wireless audio) once it's finished but right now it feels pretty good. That's the Panasonic HMC-150 with a SmallHD monitor.
Having the zoom/focus/iris controller is pretty cool and the rig is balanced enough that it's really comfy to use all three controls!

Thoughts?

When this rig is in use, are your elbows close to your body? If they are close, the monitor looks like it would be too close to my face. If your elbows are away from your body, the rig looks very front heavy, especially if you add on wireless receiver(s) and a light. I may be wrong, I'm just looking at your photo and imagining what the rig would feel like.

My elbows end up at my side in a pretty natural place. This puts the monitor about 15" from my eyes which for me is perfect. The monitor is tilted slightly back which may not be apparent in these pics.

it will probably end up a bit front heavy but I plan on having a mount for the battery that powers my light on the back of the shoulder brace as a counterbalance. Worst case, I end up with biceps like Arnold in Conan the Barbarian!! HaHa!

Thanks for the comments! This is an experiment that may need to be revised once in the field!

what is the make and model of the monitor you're using?

SmallHD DP1...it's awesome and full kit with 2 batteries, hood, cables, screen protectors, was under $1000

Looking at the (quite thick) alu plates you've used, may I suggest the availability of sandwich plates, build from a honeycomb structure heart with very thin alu plates on both sides?

The aluminum looks like hollow square tubing, which is pretty light. I don't think honeycombing is necessary in this instance.

A big problem with this design, however, is that when in use, there is a huge blind spot in front, as well as to the right of the operator. You'll be able to see what the camera sees, but nothing outside of it's frame when you're zoomed in.

Here's my ugly arse with the almost complete unit. I need to tweak the shoulder shape a bit even though it's quite comfy with the padding.

There is no blind spot as it sits low enough to see over.
I don't have the zoom/focus/iris hooked up in these pics but I did a few days ago and it works like a charm.

The finished piece with everything on it including batteries is 12.5lbs. Hard to see in the pics but there is a QR plate underneath that allows the whole unit to sit on my tripod...and it's on the CG too! I can also put my monopod at the same point in case I have to do a longer shot.

All things considered, I'm very happy with the results and even happier with the price.

If I built another one, I'd consider a thinner wall aluminum to save weight. But that's about it!

Nice job. That's pretty snazzy. I like the HD monitor setup especially.