Affordable DSLR rig?
 

I'm planning on purchasing a 7D in the next couple months I had a question.

The Zacuto gear is a bit pricey for me after purchasing the 7D, some of the Cinevate gear is affordable though. Is there anything remotely affordable?

What would be the best to pick up?

Try out indi system products.

indiSYSTEM - Home

Redrock Micro has some good stuff too. Redrock Micro: Create the Cinema Experience

the Redrock stuff is too expensive for me looks like indisystem is the route im going

Their stuff is good and reasonably priced. I have a Cavision rods support system, with handles and shoulder mount; got it before I knew of Indysystem. I think I have around $350 in it. Plus a bracket with handle from marksphototools.com. I'm ordering a Cavision follow focus tomorrow, getting the ring gears from Redrock

Jag35 has some well-priced stuff. This shoulder mount looks nice but I haven't tried it (much cheaper than Redrock, Zacuto, etc):

Full Shoulder Rig | Jag35.com

Yeah, I forgot about them. I like their cage too. It's $149, which may sound high till you see the letusdirect.com version for $700.

I actually have the Redrockmicro Field Bundle. I like it a lot, but now I'm about to purchase something a little smaller and more manageable.

HandySLR
handy FILMTOOLS

I'm pretty sold on anything that looks clean and gets it back to an XL2 form factor.

Agree, I'll go for handySLR too. I used Cavision before, but changed to HandySLR and loved it.
Cavision's rail system are good price, come with viewfinder, good value, but the quality is not as good.
I only got it coz didn't have much budget after purchased 7D :p, a bit like you. But I like Cavision follow focus, well built, lighter than RR's, but have to choose the lens gear carefully, coz they use .6, which is not industry standard, won't compatible with others.

Indie's stuff look great in the pics, but won't be what you expected when you open the box due to my personal experience. There is another company from India, called Proaim, can be found on ebay, cheap stuff as well, but the unit might be a little bit heavier.

(DSL-170 + upgread silicon pad) - eBay (item 250654805546 end time Jul-21-10 10:11:13 PDT)
G-170S-DH dslr rig 50% Sale - eBay (item 320551832511 end time Jun-24-10 01:08:10 PDT)
Both very similar to Zacuto, but lot cheaper.

CPM is also a very cheap and nice look/compact unit.
CPM Film Tools - camera rail systems

I guess at the end of the day, it really depends on what you are shooting really, what sort of works you do. If you like CPM, the special price only available till end of July.
And if you are not too fuss about viewfinder/loupe thing, HandySLR is the one to go, and free DHL delivery worldwide now, not sure when the promotion finishes.

And you might be able to find some discount coupons online as well, Coupon codes and discounts for 50,000 online stores! RetailMeNot.com is the one I found for my HandySLR.

Good luck.

The Cavision follow focus is compatible with other ring gears. I'm ordering ring gears from Redrock. A friend has the Cavision and is using the Jag 35 gears. You can get the Cavision with the cine gear, which is the industry standard, or the Canon or Fuji, I think, which are not standard with all gears.

Yup, that's correct.
I mean the ring gear from Cavision only available in .6. And that won't compatible with other FF unit.
Thanks for the heads up. Cheers

I've just purchased a kit from INDIKIT which looks pretty good

I'm pretty happy with my Indisystems stuff.

Has anyone used the handySLR with a zfinder?

Also, would love to see some walking footage shot with one, if anyone has links.

I don't think you can use Z-finder with HandySLR, coz the camera position is not infront of your eyes.
And I personally use monitor more nowaday, rarely use viewfinder at all.
Heard Zacuto is gonna release a new accessory for Z-finder, which is "gonna change the way you use DSLRs", I assume it's something you can title the Z-finder up can down.

Just wanted to add my two cents on rigs..

I own a Cinevate Uno rig. It's got one carbon rail, one stage to mount the camera body, one handle, and one flat panel to rest on your shoulder.

It's very sturdy, and modular, which is cool if you want to configure it to your liking. The only complaint I have is that it is HEAVY. Of course, the weight will change depending on what lens you use, and how many accessories you've got on it. For me personally, I have a 7D with a 17-55mm zoom, and a cinevate follow focus. After 15 minutes or so, I had to give it a rest. I probably should have gotten a shoulder mount pad.

Anyway, the rig is well-made, but could wear you out over the course of a day. I'm leaning towards getting a monopod for when I'll be shooting more than a hour or so.

Nik

I also marveled at this kit by CPM Film Tools, looks nice with all-carbon version, and only $200.

What I currently own/use with 7D:

- This $115 "Media cage Coach Kit" (shown with my SI-2K cam, but I do use it with 7D as well.) Turns out, it is even better with the top aluminum plank removed.

- This $25 shoulder brace (gives you stability, but is not really designed as shoulder pad replacement - I have that one separately by no-brand eBay retailer, works fine. Note: it is almost useless as-is because it flexes, so you need to reinforce it. I just poured JB Weld into its side that served as a mould, and now it's very sturdy.)

Also, this is NOT inexpensive, but quality is absolutely on ARRI level if you know what I mean - the Cinevate Durus follow focus. I acquired it only recently, and it is absolutely marvelous - no play, super easy and intuitive operation, looks like it's built to last.

Waiting on these rails now - they seem to take forever to be delivered....

Indisystem (indiSYSTEM - Home) are well priced and the build quality is good. Also, they are made in the US.
Very easy to use and configurable to your liking. We use their sliders, FF and 7D rig systems. Very happy so far.

Carlo Zanella
The Santa Fe TV Show

I bought a Habbycam shoulder rig for a documentary project and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and adjustability for the money. I can use it for both my 7D and HMC150. No affiliation whatsoever.

Downside is no rail system (yet). But for run and gun it's been amazing. I rigged a 5 lb counterweight to the back and the rig balances on my shoulder by itself with my 24-70 2.8 on the camera.

Here's a really bad photo of the rig:

Nik, first of all thanks for your comments on the Uno rig. One thing that is lacking in any stock type rig is that 100% of the mass is forward of your shoulder. Here's what we've come up with to address your concerns:

On top of a new quick release system (supports 3 of the most common quick-release plates you're using allowing vertical ejection, while retaining slide adjustment!), we've introduced a full counter-weight system and yet-to-be seen non-skid shoulder pad to go with it. This can be added or removed from your UNO rig in about 5 seconds so if you wish to lose the counter-balance, you can do so very quickly. One thing that is hard to appreciate though is just how much more stable (and relaxing) it is to shoot with a properly counterbalanced system. Our counterweight is actually fill-able which means you can add precisely what you need for weight and optionally empty it for air travel. Once set up properly, you can actually let go of your camera completely as the mass is now centered over your body. We've got a video series coming in the next two weeks that covers all of the new gear, including some that will likely create a bit of a stir in the community. You'll find the counterbalance kits on our site. As an aside, the new gear you'll see is likely the "sexiest" we've come out with to date.

Cheers,
Dennis Wood
Cinevate: DSLR Rigs, Camera Sliders, Follow Focus and More

Does anyone have experience with this line for HD-DSLR 's - G-Cinema - G-CINEMA

This website is not very informative but what they do show look interesting. Are these the South Korean rigs that you sometimes see around? They are not from India I am fairly sure of that.

I've bought stuff from Jag35.com , and now i'm looking at their brand new DSLR rig, very affordable ... The Field Runner | Jag35.com

Sorry to say this but the Field Runner looks mighty ugly... and it looks heavy to me. DSLR rigs need to be light - thats my main factor.
I just received a box holding a rig I was curious about so I ordered it - looks identical to Zacuto stuff. I havent assembled it yet but I will post pics soon. It's a double rail system with a nice gel shoulder pad. I just took the first piece out of the bubble-wrap and it is surprisingly high quality. Much better than I thought it would be. More soon....

I promised a photo of my new light rig.
This is a quick assembly but this may change. I ended up with a baseplate for the tripod and two rods spare. Of course if I want to quickly put the rig on to my tripod I will attach the second base plate under the rig. On first configuration, the rig seems fairly stable - and it is light (my main concern). The shoulder pad is heavy and filled with a firm gel, so a balancing weight is not needed as far I can feel right now. The 15mm rods appear at the rear of the pad so you can attach a weight on the rods. You can attach the extra rods and also add focus and bellows. I will attach a folllow focus this week.
Overall it's a very good deal at $270 plus shipping. The build quality is excellent.

Jon, is that one of those eBay rigs from Hong Kong?

It came from South Korea ... Ordered on Tuesday and arrived Friday - impressive delivery.
I've got other rigs but for the 7D I needed something lighter - I don't need big handles and large shoulder pads for a 7D and for this money I can take a gamble. It paid off I think.
Had to order a smaller QR plate from B&H, then I can take this out for tests but so far, it's a winner.

How do we order?

Seller is on ebay - This is a link to another of this sellers rig - just click on sellers other items and I'm sure all the rigs will show up.

DSLR RIG moniter set G-K17 - eBay (item 250672660875 end time Jul-27-10 02:43:31 PDT)

Anyone tried this rig?
 

It's made in Turkey. The site is neat and informative.
handy FILMTOOLS
Anyone here has tried it? Right now it sells for $690. Looks like the ideal form factor for DSLR's.

Hector, normally the VDSLR should sit in front of your eyes, not inline with your shoulder.

This Handytools shoulder mount does not have any offset, relying on the external monitor being offset instead. Not the best arrangement, IMO, regardless the price (and I think the price is very high anyway.)

The only time it shows in the correct position on their pictures, is when it gets mounted on the steadicam arm...

I think people who buy expensive DSLR rigs hoping that they will magically help them make fantastic movies, will quickly discover that a $2 wooden plank with two handles on the sides and the cam mounted in the middle does an equally good or better job. And I'm not even exaggerating taht much ;)

After a few tests with the rig, I can say the ergonomics for my 7D is spot on. The left offset and height is perfect and adjustable. I am using a LCD viewfinder which gives me extra contact point.
The balance is good for a DSLR - no counterbalance is needed which was my big worry as I need a lightweight rig to travel with. For long lenses - my 70-200mm there is an adjustable height support as well.
I have spent thousands on rigs in the past - for my Ex1 and Ex3 - its a nice change to get a lighweight rig that does the job on all counts .... including price!

I've tried quite a few rigs and I've found that I've been most pleased with just using a monopod.

I've got a support belt from a DVRig Pro that I use with it if I'm moving, if I'm standing still I just put the pod on the ground. So far it's worked great and very transportable.

Shocking! You did not spend $7,000 on your DSLR rig?? Tz, tz...

;)

"I think people who buy expensive DSLR rigs hoping that they will magically help them make fantastic movies, will quickly discover that a $2 wooden plank with two handles on the sides and the cam mounted in the middle does an equally good or better job. And I'm not even exaggerating taht much ;)"

Alex I'm new to this theme so please pardon my naïveté. Most of the experience I have with video is on ENG type cameras. I thought that was the original idea on making support rigs for the "compact" crop of video cameras that lack the dimensions or pads to be held steady shoulder mounted. Thing is the DSLR's also lack pro mic onboard sound ins and the built-in pre-amp system sucks added to the more crucial detail that the exquisite optical focusing system they have for stills is off when recording video, that is if the auto focusing system of the camera/lens would be any good for shooting video. Added to all this the camera's batteries won't last your typical video grabbing workday (come to think of it I'm wondering why I'm considering this camera at all).

Anyway, the nice guys from Switronix (no affiliation) made a cable to tap a regular 14.4 Volt / 90 W/hour pro ENG type battery via Canon's DR-E6 DC Coupler. So we're talking $44.95 for the DR-E6, $129.95 for the Switronix XP-DSLR-C power tap and at least $579.90 for a couple of V type batteries (pick your favorite brand), plus taxes, shipping and handling and that takes care of the juice shortage. I believe there's a consensus here regarding the Juiced Link pre-amps for those of us who don't have the inclination to contemplate the on-location workflow ergonomics of two system sound, and I also happen to have a liking for the Small HD monitor being that I really don't think the loupe way is an economical alternative to an external monitor, specially regarding the price of the better ones like the Zacuto, e.g. I also have an inclination towards the dimmable LED litepanels MicroPro hybrid, which could double as a flash for any still taking (and I also plan to do lots of stills... Aha! Now I remember! That was why I wanted to get one of these in the first place!).

So, all of the above, plus a Røde mic for example, to be portable, has to go on me or on the camera, and I don't think the hot shoe mount AND the tripod screw can cope.

Pulling focus with my left hand ON the lens focus ring comes like second nature to me, anything else would be very awkward. Having a focus pulling assistant via a follow focus rig would be nice but not too practical for run'n gun type shooting. How could I do that with a rig like the one Jon's got if I have to counter-balance the thing holding the handle with my left? (thing's offset to the left, no?). And if I have my right hand busy holding the other handle, how am I supposed to operate the zoom ring? No need to re-compose the scene anymore nowadays? Zoom with my legs?

On the wood for rig material: now you're going off giving guys ideas and we will be seeing shortly 5 or 6 competitors on the "ecological" rig market!

Yup, VDSLRs are no substitute for the standard shoulder-mounted cams. Should they be? I look at them as an extremely liberating devices, allowing operator to fly the cam in the free manner due to small form factor/weight, yet deliver big results due to good image quality (pro lenses, good image sensors, OK compression.)

So adding all the external stuff kills the advantage, IMO. (Yes, I tried it myself, guilty...)

If you want an HD camera for indie productions that does it all, why not consider Sony Z5U with this Flash memory unit: HVR-MC1. These will get you a prosumer camcorder with built-in sound, monitor, ND filters, optical image stabilization, and all the in-cam video adjustments you need. Lens is excellent. Video quality is great. Cost is 3x that of Canon 7D though.

About the wooden plank camera stabilizer. Actually not my idea. Legendary Stu Maschwitz's brother did that years ago with small camcorders, see

DV Rebel's Guide

 

DV Rebel's Guide

book. So unfortunately, green credit goes to the Maschwitzs of ILM fame this time...

As I noted in another thread manufacturers producing expensive equipment for DSLR video shooters remind me of those vast selection of lures that you find in fishing tackle shops. The lures are far more successful in luring the fisherman to part with his cash than in actually catching a fish.