Austin Wilson from DVRebellion puts the $30 dollar shoulder support 'offset' piece to a weight test. I've seen this piece crack twice on items I have, and it seemed to break in the same place. Have they fixed a possible mold issue? Not sure, but i'm personally not taking that chance. I'm pretty happy with the Express35 RigX setup on the main shoulder support and toss out the offset. Either way, it's a good test he's put it through that still shows the main shoulder support is extremely sturdy. [Thanks Austin]
dslr stabilizer
Cinevate Simplis DSLR Rig
Here's a cool little Ad shot for Cinevate's new DSLR rig. Most DSLR rigs are built around a foundation of rails, but Cinevate's new 'Simplis' takes a different approach to where the rig starts from a custom Quick Release Base plate. The Quick Release base plate is Manfrotto compatible and has several 1/4 x 20 threaded holes to mount anything from handles, to shoulder stock, to monitor arms, and more. The text below is taken from their Vimeo page.
Introducing the Proteus Simplis DSLR Rig. This rig embodies simplicity and scaleability. At it's core it is the foundation for countless, customized DSLR rig configurations.
It is the DSLR rig that covers the complete spectrum of shooting styles and skill levels.
For more info visit cinevate.com/​simplis
This piece was shot/edited by our good friends at Imaginarium Studio. imaginariumvideo.com
Cinevate Simplis DSLR Rig VideoQuick release Adapter – It is Compatible with Manfrotto
Looks like a Manfrotto 577 Rapid Connect Adapter w/Sliding Mounting Plate
I don't know why they don't state it anywhere on the specs of the product, but it does look to be the exact same QR adapter and Plate design. The question I had was 'Is it really compatible?'. So I just put this quick release through the tests and it sure is compatible in every means. If you're looking for a QR adapter for all your Glidecam, Flycam, Sliders, or Jibs, it's a bonus that this inexpensive one is Manfrotto compatible. Right now it's on sale and there's only a limited supply in every store. If you were wondering too, here's the answer..
Quick Release Adapter + Plate (not Manfrotto branded)
If you're just in need of the plate itself, they have that available too (again not stating Manfrotto Compatible)
Sliding Plate (not Manfrotto branded)
DIY Mini Shoulder Brace + Mini Tripod
I love me some RedRock Micro gear, but unfortunately i'm just one of those poor souls who can't afford even their entry level stuff. As seen in the image below, this is just one bundle in the line up of RedRock Micro's Nano rigs called the Running Man. Pretty solid piece of gear that doesn't look quite overkill. Light weight, sturdy, sets up fast, and packs down small. Nice little stabilizer for the frequent traveler. You can find the Running Man rig here: Redrock Micro nano - RunningMan
Having a few spare parts around the studio, just decided to mount the Calumet Mini Tripod / Handle to a Manfrotto 361 Shoulder Brace for Monopods. The bearing on the shoulder support spins freely, but by adding a handle under the camera, you can keep it steady. It's also handy having the handle break out into a Tripod to rest the gear down (gotcha on that one RedRock..JK).
Would be an interesting travel brace for a smaller camera like the GH1, GH2, Sony NEX, or A55. I don't know..all for fun...
700RC2 Mini Fluid Head + 190XDB Tripod
Client-Kata bags
Producing/filming/editing-Johnnie Behiri
Shot with the Nikon D90 (all but the Antarctica and wild life)
No CC, only a bit contrast corrections.
Lenses used: Nikkor 50mm 1.8, Nikkor 16-85mm, and Tamron 70-300.
Tripod: Manfroto 756XB and 700RC2 head
Voice-over recorded with Edirol F1-field recorder (hard disk video/audio recorder for dv/hdv/sound only purposes).
Editing on Adobe Premiere CS2 with Cineform Prospect 4k plug in.
The 717AH is a great fluid head, but what other options are there for inexpensive Micro video fluid heads? Well the Manfrotto 700RC2 Mini Fluid video head drops down a few bucks with B&H surprisingly coming in cheaper than anything over at eBay and slightly under Amazon. Keep in mind it's rated to support only 5.5lbs, something that might be good for the growing Panasonic GH2 audience. Don't expect this to support a camera slider, it's best for camera only.
Over at B&H Photo Video they also have a special kit thrown together combining it with the 190XDB Tripod if you're in need of that too. I've never used one, but there's quite a few videos via Vimeo that show some serious travelers using the fluid head for it's small size and light weight (such as the Kata video above by Vimeo member Johnnie Behiri).
Manfrotto 190XDB Tripod Legs (Black) with 700RC2 Video Fluid Head
Hard Panning 717AH – Clean it Out
The 717AH or similar fluid head is a pretty beefy camera mount for it's price, but there's been some inconsistency in fluid panning. Most people are happy with the video head right out of the box, but if you've got stiff panning try the fix below. The solution to getting smoother (looser) pans are to disassemble the head, clean out the old lube, and add your own. If you've been experiencing such harsh movements you might want to try this yourself. I didn't have time to shoot a video so if anyone has one online, please share. For now you'll get to see a few images of what's inside (not much).
The fluid part of this head is not really a cartridge. It's two sections combined to be a machined bearing. The lube that is used adds more friction rather than more smoothness. It's some really really sticky stuff inside. Personally I find it's best to clean everything out and not leave any traces behind and then add in your own lube. A small dab of white grease from an auto parts store should do fine. You'll know more once you have it apart.
Tools you'll need are some Carb Cleaner. This will help break down the old grease. You'll need a 2.5 & 3 Metric hex tool. If you have everything accessible, you can get through this in less than 10 minutes.
Remove the three screws in the middle which removes the bottom cap.
Remove the 6 hex screws under the cap (cap shown on the right)
Take out the two piece metal machined Panning bearing and clean it out.
Lube it with your white grease and put it all back together. (Make sure your Panning Brake is setup correctly before assembling.) Done, should feel super smooth and like a brand new Head.
Heavy Duty Video Tripod Fluid Drag Head Kits WF717A
Rod’s Budget DSLR Shoulder Rig
Looks like Rod's been busy, but it also looks like he's been saving - some cash. This is originally a short review of the Express35 RigX DSLR shoulder bundle, but i'm catching all kinds of cool budget gear over the entire rig. RigX was a project Chris designed after I mentioned about adapting to rails to my cheap shoulder support. The version Rod is showing here might be an earlier version of the RigX bundle as I believe there's some new redesign around the baseplate. Don't quote me on this, you might want to check in with Chris over @ Express35 first. Or sometimes he comments in the articles. More info on the RigX can be found here: https://express35.com/rigs/rig-x/
Besides the RigX rail system, he's mounted it to the cheap $24 $30 dollar shoulder support. This small setup looks super lightweight but very functional. Fast off the shoulder and fast onto a Fluid Head. Rod's also got a Zoom H1 over top with hot shoe shock mount, Sescom cable with splitter from Markertek to feed audio directly into a Magic Lantern loaded T2i, and one of the cheapest follow focus systems - the D-Focus. Rod's got a bit more information over at his Vimeo page which you can find here: https://vimeo.com/19856612
Ikea Cutting Board to DSLR Rig
YouTube member kimandcris shares a DIY DSLR Shoulder rig build using an IKEA cutting board and some Aluminum tubing. Cutting, sanding, and bending sounds like a tough DIY, but the materials seem to be easy enough to work with. Cutting board approx. $7 dollars. We've got some interesting DIY'ers out there with quite an imagination. [Thanks Cris]
IndyMogul – Stabilizer Showdown w/ Q and Erik
Wow just caught this video from IndyMogul a few minutes ago, and believe it or not, I feel like i've just been nominated for an Academy award. In this video they touch on a few ideas for budget stabilizers (one or two from this website) with all of the web links in the description of their YouTube video found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9d93j4jf5M.
Seriously though, i'm a huge fan of IndyMogul. If you love anything about movies - making movies, watching movies, DIY gear, and low budget ways to get special effects into your filmmaking, check out all of the videos they've produced over the years. With over 80 million upload views on YouTube alone, they're hard to miss. If you're not on the ball, you can subscribe to all the content they produce over at their YouTube channel, or set up a subscription to their FREE podcasts via iTunes. This way you can carry all the episodes in your fancy iPods, iPhones, and iPads.
Aside from pure voyeurism, you can always send in your comments and ideas to IndyMogul as they're pretty active in the filmmaking community. [Thanks for the kind words guys, Keep on Keepin' On]