Bought Cavision Shoulder Mount, 7D Is Too Close, Help!
 

i just bought this:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/531905-REG/Cavision_RS1580D_SPE_RS1580D_SPE_Shoulder_Pad_System.html
i need follow focus to fit, and the lense keeps hitting the top pin that locks the handles and with the shoulder mount flush the camera is just to low to look through the "lcdvf" magnetic viewfinder that i bought

will this work? is there a cheaper way? like if i buy the baseplate for 30 dollars where can i buy the part that mounts it to the one on the shoulder mount?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/486498-REG/Cavision_RS_15IIM_250mm__RS_15IIM_250_Rod_Support_System.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/621718-REG/Cavision_RS_15IIMQR_RS_15IIMQR_Rod_Support_System.html



thanks for the help

i just found this, is this the piece that holds that 30 dollar mounting plate for adjustable rise?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/668126-REG/Cavision_RPC4580_Spacer_Plate_for_Canon.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/310689-REG/Cavision_RPMD90_RPMD90_Mini_DV_Plate.html

these plates are the same that are on the kits above including the reversed with 15mm rods...

how do i get this stuff without the rods? i just need the plate which i can buy...but how do i purchase the riser that allows height adjustment of the 30 dollar plate?

my current plate has a spot that is a perfect fit for it....

Can you send better links, these all go to the main page at B&H.

just fixed it...links are now correct

This would be useful - attaching a quick release plate, no? This is a common method on shoulder mounts and then going to a tripod very quickly.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/554151-REG/Manfrotto_357_357_Pro_Quick_Release.html

I have what appears to be the same Cavision system for my 7D and no problem with lens hitting anything.

Mine has this plate: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/621718-REG/Cavision_RS_15IIMQR_RS_15IIMQR_Rod_Support_System.html
I use a Manfrotto quick release on it because with the Cavision quick release that comes with it, the knobs that hold on the IDCphotography.com LCD viewer bump into the bottom of the plate. There are some photos of my setup in this article:
http://www.dvfreelancer.com/articles...t/dslrRig.html

it looks like you have the shoulder pad extension bar and not the stock one...the arm that connects the shoulder pad to the rail bracket on the backside....lol

i need that

Cavision | Mini Ball Head | RS15MBH | B&H Photo Video

will this work?

It's not an extension, just the standard shoulder brace connected to the rods. This one:
http://www.cavision.com/rods/RS15SP.htm
The connecting arm is part of the shoulder brace. You can swivel it up or down to get the height just the way you want, and there's plenty of room to move the camera forward or backward on the rods. Lots of adjustments on the rig.

It's difficult to track down the components at B&H. If you go to the Cavision site, they show you the package and include links to the individual parts, like the rods system, handles, shoulder brace. Copy those numbers, then go to B&H and enter them and you'll go right to the pieces you need. You can order from Cavision, but since they're in Canada, that's a bit of a hassle.

Does this system front heavy? I don't see any balancing weight in the back.

They're all front heavy. The reason I like the Cavision over some of the others is because the shoulder pad curves down pretty far in front. That allows you to push back against the front of your shoulder, rather than simply resting on top of your shoulder as most other systems do. This adds stability and makes it easier to hold for long periods. The handles rotate all the way around as well, so you can angle them any way you want. Once I got it all properly adjusted, I could shoot as stable with it as with better balanced broadcast cameras I've used for years.

My first shoulder rig was a home built unit that went over the shoulder. I put the juicedLink back there as an occasional counterweight. Franky, there's not enough leverage back there, unless you make the shoulder bar very long.

For work, I just received a Red Rock theEvent rig. Personally, I think it's the perfect setup. Holding pressure from one hand to the upper chest (collarbone really), is how I tend to hold my homebuilt rig anyway. Add a loupe and follow focus and you've got four points of contact.

I wasn't going to get the second handle, but I'm glad I did. It gives three points, so you can set the camera/rig down without it falling over. I set the extra handle so it touches the forearm of my focusing hand. Make that five points of contact. :)

is there any camera plate that has adjustable height? one that has a male connector at the top for the camera, and a female on the bottom to mount it?

i need a height adjustable plate....

I'm looking for the exact same thing with the exact same problem.

I have found this. For a $0.99 piece of tube steel, you can buy this Kowa TSN DA3-40 Height Extension Plate from Eagle Optics for $80. HA! I'm thinking about trying to make one of these since surely it can't be that hard.

This is NOT adjustable though. I'm still looking. I can't use my follow focus rig because the camera is too low.

I'm also trying to figure out a way to modify this http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc....html#features to make it work. The top part would be perfect, but I don't' think it would work mounting to the bottom.

Or this, which costs almost as much as the Cavision rig itself, but would surely work http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/673235-REG/Cinevate_Inc_CIRAAS000005_Proteus_Base_Plate_System.html .

If you get the proper plate arrangement from Cavision for a DSLR, the camera is high enough to not have any problems.All you need is this part: http://www.cavision.com/rods/RS15IIMQR.htm

Ugh! $200 for that? I wonder I you can just buy that "riser" piece? Buying Cavision products like like pulling teeth sometimes--a guessing game if you're getting what you really need. Their website really needs some help and more pictures and specs.

This is the one I got http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/531905-REG/Cavision_RS1580D_SPE_RS1580D_SPE_Shoulder_Pad_System.html and I asked the dealer if this was the best shoulder rig for the 7D. They said yes. I do like it a lot, but it certainly has some issues (one being the clamps don't tighten enough on one of the rods, so I have to put electrical tape around one of the tubes... Anyway, another topic for another day.)

But the camera is too low. Bill, maybe you know (since B&H and Cavision's sites don't seem to say), do you think just the pieces of this could be purchased without getting the whole new rod system?

Check the part number at B&H. I bought the rods with the quick release riser, the handles and the shoulder brace. I think the whole package was a little over $350. I went to Cavision, copied the part numbers, then went to B&H and ordered all 3 pieces. The reason I did it that way was the only package they had listed was with the eyepiece, and I already had one. The rods and quick release tall bracket are, as you noticed, about $200. But you should be able to just buy the plate and not the rods if you already have them. You might email Bernie at Cavision. He's always been good at answering questions I've had.

If there's a problem in clamps tightening, that's a defective part and the dealer should take it back and exchange it. I see the problem you're having with the plate--the system you bought isn't the one Cavision makes for a DLSR. It's for regular video cameras and the plate is way too low. If you got it from B&H they should exchange it for you. I have a friend who bought the 17-55 lens, had it for around 30 days, maybe a little more but had all the packaging and really hadn't used it except to test it out. He decided he wanted to go with primes, called B&H and they exchanged it with no trouble.

I turned my handle mounting bar upside down so that the locking pin thing was underneath. Doesn't touch the lens now.

As for the height and the shoulder support, I fixed a home made foam cushion into the shoulder bit, mainly for comfort but it also means you can lower the shoulder support a bit which has the effect of raising the camera and loupe up to eye level.
I use the Z-Finder.

I mark the chromed ratcheted discs with a permanent marker so I can collapse the thing into a box for transport, but always know how to set up the shoulder support angles exactly again by lining up the marks.

As for my follow focus, it works fine by being a little further 'out' to the left than 'under' the lens.

Avey

Thanks Bill. I probably should have gotten the RIGHT one to begin with. Now that I have it, I just purchased my "fix." Fingers are crossed if it will work.

I bought these 3 Brass 1/4" to 3/8" Tripod / Monopod Camera Adapter - eBay (item 160405343083 end time Apr-17-10 20:54:00 PDT) plus this 2.5" Manfrotto head http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/554098-REG/Manfrotto_234RC_234RC_Swivel_Tilt_Head_for.html .

The head is 2.5 inches. I don't really care what weight it's rated for, since I just plan on locking it down tight and using it mainly for a riser. With doing some testing, I think this is a perfect height to get my Z-finder to the right height. The only problem is now my follow focus is too low to grab the gears. Catch 22.

Once I get the parts in, I will just get a longer bolt for the FF and add a couple spacers and should be in business.

I'm hoping this will work. A $45 fix.

A cheap quick release plate from Manfrotto is around $40, so this head for $39 that INCLUDES a quick release seems like a good deal. My only concern is that it might want to pivot with the follow focus--that it won't be firm enough to resist the tendency to move when the gears are pulling it around. ?

I will let you know how it turns out when the parts arrive. Hope this helps you Corey too.