Less Expensive Shoulder Mount Alternative
 

There are several threads on different sites discussing various camera supports, everything from DIY, RedRock Micro, to Zacuto, After looking at all of these I decided I couldn't/wouldn't spend more for the support than I did for the camera. I also knew I was not going to build one myself from scratch.

So I went in search of alternatives which I have shared in the several posts.

I decided to take pictures of my setup so people could see what it is and how it works. What I discovered is that I'm not very good at photographing products but here it is nonetheless.

www.frameyourart.net -- I don't know how to embed the image into this post?

This is a shoulder mount system which includes an accessories box, an adjustable back support, a counter wait (not shown), two hand grips, a telescopic support arm (not attached in picture), a CAVISION LCD swing away viewfinder, 15mm Carbon fiber support rods with quick release, and a 4x5 Matte box.

I have placed the accessories box under the camera to give it some additional height but it can also be attached on the back shoulder pad. The camera support can be adjusted to accommodate a larger camera like the EX1, the handles can be adjusted with the push of a button and the telescopic support arm is spring loaded and can be adjusted to rest comfortably on your stomach or waist. As an alternative to that you can attach the counter weight to the back pad and the 7D requires very little support.

Not only is there a substantial price difference between this setup and a Zacuto for example, but there's probably a bit of an ideological difference too. The aforementioned products are more configurable in the way a photographer might want to use it, this set up is probably what videographers are more accustomed to.

So I don't think choosing the right camera support is simply about price, although this setup is less then half the cost of a comparable set up from from Zacuto or RedRock, but about how you want to work. Clearly the 7D would benefit from either type of solution, and as you can tell I've approached it from more of a digital cinema perspective, which I'm not sure is the right approach. It works incredibly well in a production environment but it "hinders" the "gorilla" aspect of shooting with the 7D. I find myself detaching the camera from the support, removing the matte box (if I don't need filters) and holding the camera by the support rods. People don't pay attention to that and think I'm taking stills.

Since I've chosen this route the next thing is a follow focus, but I'm not going to pay $1200...

Anyway for others who are experimenting and looking for ideas I hope this helps.

Great but what brand is it?

Here's the info:

The shoulder mount is from Shape and there are several models to choose from:
Shape WLB - Camera supports
I have the Spider II, which has an adjustable camera platform. This is important for me because I also use this support with the EX1. If you don't need that then you save even more.

The LCD viewfinder is here:
LCD Viewfinder System for Sony HDR-TG1

The swing away support for the viewfinder is here:
LCD Viewfinder Plate Connection Piece with Swing Away Function

The Rod Support and Quick Release is here:
Cavision Rods Support System for Mini-DV with Quick Release - Reversed Version

The Matte Box is here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/PROAIM-Matte-box...ht_4258wt_1027
OK, this one requires a little explanation. I got this off of eBay, its a knockoff from India and it was so cheap, $240 that I thought I would take a chance on it. Out of everything that I ordered, it arrived first, the build quality is surprisingly good and it bolted up to everything else perfectly.

I think everything totaled around $900. Still a bit pricey, but so far I'm happy with everything I purchased and this would have costs significantly more elsewhere.

I'm not trying to talk anyone in or out of anything, just trying to provide some choice.

We've talked about the Shape products here in the past. They seem like nice stuff and I considered one. But it had one BIG showstopper of a problem for me when I was looking for a shoulder support. And that is, it's not possible to go from shoulder mount to tripod without dismantling the unit. That requirement pushed me to the Red Rock Micro. If not for that, these units would have been a major consideration.

That depends,

I can mount the entire unit directly on a tripod
If I want to mount just the camera I use the CAVISION Quick Relaese
And If I want to mount the camera and matte box, I can mount the Rod Support to the accessories box via the same Bogen quick release. I can do that with the Spider II because the height of the camera is adjustable.

I have the same tripod plate on the Spider II, my tripod and monopod.

There's no doubt each of these systems has their strengths and weaknesses but they all seem to be adjustable enough that you can figure out a way to do just about what every you need done. For the price difference if I have to get something machined to make this work I'm OK with that, to a point, but I found that CAVISION has enough different kinds of adapters and such that I could make this work the way I needed.

Again, maybe not for everybody.

Hi Chuck:

I live right over the grade from you in Camarillo. I have been very happy with my cheap Bushhawk setup. I have since upgraded to the Z-Finder 2.0 since when I tool this image in the spring. The Bushhawk is pretty cool and was cheap although it too suffers from a custom sized mounting plate that is not compatible with my Bogen or Sachtler tripods. But other than that limitation, it is very nice.

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/picture.ph...pictureid=1142

Dan

LOVE the bushhawk.. or Bushwacker as my wife calls it.. what did you put over the part that meets your shoulder? We've been contemplating a solution for that.. also, we attached a standard bogen 577 quick release to the hawk so it has the same conneciton as our tripods, gorilla pod, slider and steadicam..

How large is the eye piece for your hood loupe? looks bigger than I thought the z finder was supposed to be.. also your looks silver, I thought they were black...?

I have an airplane at Camarillo airport, I'm there quite often. I like shooting at the airport there's generally a lot going on there. What lens is that?

Chuck,

What do you think of the Cavision viewfinder? I know it has 6x magnification. Can you view the entire LCD comfortably while using it?

Thanks,
Chad

I have not used anything else to compare it too.

It takes a bit of adjusting and to be able to see all of the screen it partially covers the buttons on the left of the LCD. It does swing out of the way, but I do like having unobstructed access to those buttons. I don't know why I just do. I would imagine that any viewfinder would have this problem if it covers the entire LCD.

It also doesn't snug up to the camera as tightly as I'd like. In certain circumstances it leaks light from around the edges. This has not been a problem and I think I can resolve this with some shims but I haven't had the time to correct this yet.

The build quality is good, the 6x is plenty, I still use the focus assist and I don't find focusing to be that difficult.

I wear glasses so I wish it had a diopter so I could use it without my glasses, but I wasn't willing to pay $400 for the Z-Finder.

Overall it works well.

Zacuto Z-Finder
 

Since we're discussing loupes, I just used the Z-Finder handheld continuously for about 3 hours, the first time I've really had a chance to try it out in a real-world situation. I had the Canon 17-55mm on it most of the time, fully manual mode, f/2.8. I found the combination of the body, lens and Z-Finder to be nearly ideal in this situation.

You can use the Z-Finder to kind of stablize the hole thing against your cheek. The only problem was occasional fogging of the Z-Finder. I found the framing and focusing to be ideal with this unit. I missed an articulating LCD a lot for low angle shots, I had to get on my knees a lot or even sometimes get on the ground.

Though the Z-Finder is ridiculously expensive, like I think it should be at least $100 less than it is, however I think it is the best viewfinder for the 7D. There's no light leakage, the eyecup is generously big (much better than the others), it's very high quality and it's easy to remove if you need to.

Regarding getting the 7D or other camcorders off your rods system, or other systems, I've found using the Manfrotto quick release receptacles to be a very good and versatile deal. I've used both the sliding plate quick-release, and the fixed plate "RC2" style Manfrotto plates. Those are good for smaller systems, but I've even used them on my EX1. Here's and example:

Amazon.com: Manfrotto 323 RC2 Rapid Connect Adapter with 200PL-14 Quick Release Plate - Replaces 3299 (Black): Camera & Photo

You can mount these plates to your rig, but there is a part that sticks down, so you need to put some washers in between it and your rig so the lever on the device clears. I use some 1.5" aluminum shims I made up with 1/4" holes in them for spacers. This makes things a bit higher than the other sliding plates, but sometimes is worth it. You'll also need a longer than standard 1/4" or 3/8" screw to mount the RC plate to your rig.

When I put my big, heavy Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS onto the same rig, it was a bit too heavy to handhold for very long, my arms got tired quickly. In this situation I'd need some more support. I'm considering the Zacuto tactical shooter but I may also just try something cheaper.

"When I put my big, heavy Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS onto the same rig, it was a bit too heavy to handhold for very long, my arms got tired quickly. In this situation I'd need some more support. I'm considering the Zacuto tactical shooter but I may also just try something cheaper."

Hi Keith, I'd suggest checking out the Shape Spider II. If your a videographer this is probably a little more of what your accustom to, if your a photographer it probably appears to be pretty large and take a bit more to get used to it.

However, as I mentioned, with the counter balance weight attached I can almost completely let go of the rig and it will stay balanced on my shoulder [thats with the setup you see in the pictures with the stock lens].

I know it might sound like I'm trying to talk people into this rig, I'm not. I had never heard of them until I purchase the Spider II, in fact I think it was someone on DvInfo in the EX CineAlta forum that tuened me on to it. But I do believe that this is a quality less expensive alternative to the others.

Anyway good luck with your choice.

Chuck,

Thanks for the recommendation, I'll check it out, however, I do actually have something like the rig you mentioned already, it's the DVRig Pro HD, and it's quite a nice unit, and a very nice and helpful company to work with, you can see a link to them here:

DvRigPro./ DvRigPro HD

in that it also has a shock absorbing pod that you can use onto a supplied waist belt. It's almost like a steadycam. However, it's kind of a 'commitment' similar to the Shape rig you mentioned, and really lets people know that you are seriously there to get something. I use it on very, very long shoots where I know I'd going shoulder-mount the entire time. I use it with my rods and Mattebox rig, and you can mount all kinds of extra stuff to it with their modular system, like monitors (if you want to take images from behind without walking backwards, huge battery packs, etc.

Thanks for the recommendation though. Another unit that is really a bargain that I have have and use on occasion is the "Tiffen Steady Stick." I have yet to try my 7D rig with this. It's actually pretty well made and also had the waist pod concept and is amazingly less than $75.

Amazon.com: Davis & Sanford SS3C SteadyStick Compact Stabilizer with Handle: Electronics

On this I have the Manfrotto quick release plate that I've mentioned above.

-Keith

matte box and ff
 

I saw that the same company from India is also offering the matte box with rail and ff. Any ideas on that?? I have the 7D, GH-1 ,and EX-1 and it seems that it will work with all of them? Do you think is worth the risk of getting the set they have for sale?

The only reason I initially purchased the matte box off of eBay was because it was so cheap I figured if it wasn't any good I wasn't out that much.

After I received it I was surprised how well it was built and it bolted up to all of the more expensive components just fine.

There seem to be various models to choose from, and although I like the matte box I'm not sure I'd take the chance in purchasing the entire setup. Just because I'm so skeptical, if its too cheap its too good to me true, if its too expensive it can't be that good.

It all depends on how much you can afford to lose. Its not like you'll actually loose the money but it might not be what you want so you don't use it. I guess if you don't like it you can always sell it again on eBay.

Nice! That's a beast - real nice for adding accessories! I just recently went with a Glidetrack Shooter as my shoulder mount for my ultra-portable setup:

Glidetrack Shooter for video camera tracking shots with shoulder support

I slapped a Bogen 577 Quick-release plate on the bottom and a fluid-head on top (Velbon DV-7000 for the legs & head), so I can pop it off of my tripod for table/floor shots or shoulder-mounted shots in a snap. Works incredibly well - acts a tripod + gliding track + shoulder rig, all in one. I pretty much keep it in my car 24/7 since it's so portable. The little flip handles are surprisingly comfortable to use with a bare dSLR (lens & body only, that is), plus it came with a larger handle that screws in underneath if you want to keep one hand free.

Since it is a smaller setup, it'd be a bit more of a hassle to rig up a mattebox, so I just use a lens hood instead to reduce flare. I suppose you could use a follow focus on it, but because it's designed more for compactness, I'd say it's better to have one Glidetrack-style system to go anywhere, and one larger rails-based system for the serious setup shots with your follow focus, mattebox, external monitor, etc. Your rig looks killer, got any video with it up to show off? :)

I go a bit lighter, and a lot lighter on the wallet.

SpiderBrace 2 Combo (home) used with a Manfrotto quick release adapter and the matching sliding plates, and the CAVISION viewfinder assembly with swing away adapter. Works very well for me and I shot my whole DVC17 challenge entry with it.

Bruce -

Can you show me a photo of this Rig? Is it with the 7D?

Did you find a way to use this with a tripod?

what do you do about using your zoom lens with a matte box? doesnt it extend a lot? you must have to adjust your matte box any time you want to adjust focal length, right?

Who me?

Yes and no. It depends on which lens. The stock lens for example does extend quite a bit, I leave the adjustment for the rails loose (at the rear) and the Matte Box and rails slide smoothly in and out with the lens. The rails are carbon fiber and very lightweight and smooth.

The matte box still has all the support it needs and stays perfectly aligned with the lens.

I'll have to get someone to take a shot of me using it. If you look at the photos on the spiderbrace.com website, the "combo" unit has a third grip centered in front. Makes balance while trying to focus manually easier.

Yes, 7D.

Imagine a Manfrotto quick release adapter on the camera platform, the quick release plate mounted to the bottom of the camera and the changeover from SpiderBrace to tripod is a matter of holding the release button on the quick release adapter, slide the camera off and then onto the Manfrotto 501 head on the tripod.

Couldn't be simpler.

Carlo,

I bought a shoulder rig from The Cine City in India and it was pretty rubbish. Heavy components, (cast iron blocks and chromed thick rim steel bars, ill fitting screws) and the screw threads don't last long before they strip and become useless.

I've since bought a Cavision which is much better engineered, much lighter AND the key thing here is that the shoulder support part is offset from the centre so that my 7D with the loup on is dead level with my eye without having to strain my head to one side so see the LCD through the loup. Much relief!

The Cavision is also cheaper than Zacuto, Cinevate, RedRock and the Shape ones it seems.

Cavision | RS1580D-SPE Shoulder Pad System Package | RS1580D-SPE

It's light and comfortable, and folds down to a smaller footprint for packing away. Very pleased with it. Wish I hadn't wasted my money in the first place on the Cine City one!

Avey

The CAVISION is nice. I took a long look at it before going with the Shape. But CAVISION charges extra for all of the accessories so it ends up costing pretty much the same.

So for me it came down to a couple of things, admittedly stupid things, the shoulder brace for the Spider II is padded, the handgrips are round and it just looked more comfortable. I have never use the CAVISION and I'm not implying that it isn't as comfortable, but the Spider II is very comfortable. And lastly it was out of stock.

Interestingly many of the accessories I put on the Spider are CAVISION. The build quality for the Spider II and the accessories from CAVISION are both very good.

I don't think you can go wrong with either, if you like this style of support.

fair enough Chuck, I actually put a padded bit on the Cavision shoulder support because, as you say, it doesn't look as comfortable as the Shape.

To add to what Keith mentioned here's another model from the same company that I find fascinating, the DV MultiRigPro: DV MultiRig

As Ken Stone call it "The Swiss Army Knife" of camera mounts: Review DvMultiRig Pro

And here it is in action:

I find the Spider II to be a very stable platform for hand held shooting, however its probably a little bigger than I'd like and not as flexible as the MulitRigPro appears to be. But I still recommend it as very good product for "Movie" style production where you need to hang a lot of accessories on it. But for run and gun like a wedding videographer or documentary producer where you never know what the next shot will be the MulitRigPro must be a good candidate.

Does anyone use one of these?

Here's a shot of the SpiderBrace 2 Combo with 7D and CAVISION viewfinder with swingaway. 7D has an EF 24mm F2.8 prime mounted.

Note the Manfrotto quick release plate on the bottom of the CAVISION mount, allows swapping to tripod with Manfrotto 501 head in seconds. This rig is quite lightweight and works for me.

Hope this picture helps.

I have to say thank you for all you guys replying this post.

I was up to spent a fortune with Zacutto's made-of-gold-rigs.

So... what happens if you want to add a mattebox? Maybe to get some ND filters and a polarizer? Or you want a follow focus. Or a monitor if you don't want to squint into that eyecup? Or a big zoom?

I'm looking to buy this one but what is a difference between your model and this one:
Cavision Standard Shoulder Pad Package for DSLR Cameras / 5D MII

This one is more expensive, but your model seems the same except viewfinder. Did you add some plate on this support, like one on my link, or just put the camera on it?

I'm asking because I will add follow focus and hope lens will not be too low. Model from my link has same plate so camera stay higher for follow focus.

You can pretty much figure out a way to add a rail system and quick release to any of these supports. The thing to keep in mind is that by doing so you start adding a fair amount of weight.

I have a quick release on the base plate of the rails so I can disconnect from the shoulder mount and attach the camera along with the rails [and everything attached to them] to the tripod in seconds. I can use the CAVISION quick release to remove the camera from the rails. So there's a couple of levels of quick release which you can mount to pretty much anything.

Just because some supports are ridiculously expensing doesn't mean they are better engineered or the only ones who can mount gobs of stuff on them if you want.

I wasn't arguing the expense aspect at all. I was typing my post at the same time as the post above mine, so it looks like it references Christians post when in fact it was a reference to Bruce.

My concern with these rigs is that they seem rather like dead ends. Awesome of you don't plan on building out the camera rig, but kind of a pain once you start to move forward with some common accessories. That to me, is where the rails systems just make so much more sense.

And you are going to have a VERY hard time convincing me that a basic rail setup (especially with the carbon fiber rails) weighs more than something like a DVMultiRig. I've tried both.

Hi Perrone, I'm not sure I understand your concern, which could just be me...

Anyway, if you look at this picture: www.frameyourart.net
you'll see that I show the shoulder mount with the waist stabilizer [not attached] and the "Shape" box attached where you can place things like a wireless receivers, mixer etc..

The middle shows just the 7D with the CAVISION quick release and the swing away viewfinder. I could just as easily of had the rails and matte box attached.

then the lower picture is of all three elements together.

All of this could just as easily been attached to the rig in Bruce's picture or the DVMultiRigPro. I think the important point and maybe where this thread is headed is that all of of the components need to be modular. Face it, I'm probably going to want to trade up from the 7D in a year so I need to make sure that all the lenses and components work with the next XD.

I had seen this with the Shape which is why it was a contender. However, I had not seen it with any of the other units, and frankly the common rails systems from RRM and Zacuto looked like a more elegant solution. I didn't care for how far forward some of these units placed the camera. I'm using an EX1 and while the body brace is a fine idea, I'd rather have the camera further back and counterbalanced than have a stick at my waist. Personal preference after having used both setups.

The Shape Box would make a dandy place to put my wireless reciever/nanoflash though so that's a nice touch. I'll be putting them on a tray behind the shoulder though as counterbalance. It does make the cable routing longer.

Actually, funny you should mention that, the Shape box does mount to the back pad, it also comes with a counter weight that really shifts the center of gravity to the rear. Without the matte box the camera is well balanced on my shoulder.

SAN ANGELO!!!!! YES!!! thats where im from

but im at baylor now, good to see theres another 7d shooter in angelo

Redrock Micro theEvent DSLR Hybrid Support
 

hi guys, i just received my Redrock Micro theEvent DSLR Hybrid Support a few hours ago.

Website here : Redrock DSLR 2.0 Hybrid Support Accessories

It's well built and allows me to expand my kit through the rails system.

I changed the layout a little to suit my preference.

Here's some pics for your reference :)

http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/6466/img0064if.jpg - What's left of the box. lol.

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/44/img0063nr.jpg - adapter mounts for the camera

http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/3784/img0065ig.jpg - adjustable length and angle for the shoulder brace & the handlebar

http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/1430/img0067s.jpg - top view of the kit

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/3820/img0071j.jpg - handlebar, nicely fitted with a rubberised grip

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/6671/img0075x.jpg - top view of kit. again.

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/6625/img0077jr.jpg - closeup of the screws and rods

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/6064/img0079r.jpg - the microbrace body pad, this was the deal breaker for me, i've been looking for something like that!

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/4112/img0076f.jpg - top view of kit. again and again.

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/5469/img0078nm.jpg - closeup of rods and screws. again.

Overall, i think for $640, it can be a little high for what's in the kit (i'm no expert on building rod systems, i'm just doing some customer observation :P ), but i'm really happy with the quality. Happy enough to recommend this to other shooters in my area.

;D

Terrific. Thanks

I already have a dv multirig pro. and I think I'll try it with before spending money on anything else. I also have one of those Indian "Cine city" follow focuses, which isn't too bad ( been using it with my Letrus Extreme). So what I need next is

1- A set of rails, long enough for the 70-200,
2- lens gear rings ( I'll probably go with redrock since I'm happy with the ones I bought for my Letus Extreme). and
3- A viewfinder. I bought and returned the idc. I like the 6x on the caivision, but with no diopter, I'm scared to buy it ( wear glasses..61 uear old eyes). I guess the only option is the Zacuto.

So what I really need is to settle on a set of rails.
Suggestions?
Thanks
Bruce Yarock

I'm using the CAVISION viewfinder and the 6x works well. What I like best about it is the swing away arm, because what I'm finding is that I don't really like using these types of viewfinders. I use it to check focus and then swing it out of the way to view the shot on the LCD which works well.

For the cost of the Z-finder your more than half way there for the purchase of a good 7 or 8" HD LCD display with a Hoodman.

I think I'd buy an HD-LCD before I purchase the Z-finder.

I forgot to mention I also have the CAVISION rail system with the quick release, this is great. I have not owned any other rail system so I don't have anything else to compare it to but I really like the quick release setup on this system. At first I thought the sales guy was doing his job and selling me up on this whole quick release thing, but he was right about the flexibility it gives you to quickly reconfigure how your using your camera. I'm just that lazy that if I didn't have this, there are certainly shots that I might not even attempt because it would takes too long to remove the camera from the shoulder mount and move to to something else.

Chuck, I'm not sure you can equate the money you would spend on the Zacuto Z-Finder as being half way towards a decent HD LCD monitor.

First off one doesn't replace the other, they would be two completely different set ups, you can't replace a Z-Finder with a LCD and expect the same results in terms of style, ease of use and invisibility.

Second, break down the cost of setting up a decent HD LCD, which model, the resolution has to be high if you are using the DSLR's for the short DOF. Plus the mounting arm, rails, battery, sun hood, cables etc

Your post is misleading for anyone who would want to replace one with the other for the same results. Zacuto gear is expensive but the Z-Finder is an exceptional product (their best I believe), I've tried them all, it has been designed by folks who are shooters.