Superb new shoulder mount. Best yet [Archive] - DVXuser.com -- The online community for filmmaking

Buck Forester

07-03-2008, 08:37 PM

Thanks, Philip! I just blooming ordered one.

Hey Philip, can you recommend a good handheld steadicam-like stabilizer for the EX1? I won't be using a vest or anything, I just want to walk in the woods with one. Gracias for your time... you're THE EX1 resource guy.

philip bloom

07-05-2008, 08:43 AM

Hi Buck

I guess if you are going without a vest then it would be the Merlin with the new Gimbal. Using others without a vest would be very heavy

chriswilson

07-05-2008, 04:13 PM

Can you actually walk around with this mount and get a steady picture, or is it really for just standing in one spot?

Zak Forsman

07-05-2008, 04:17 PM

would you feel safe adding the weight of a 35mm adapter (SGpro, specifically) to the mix?

philip bloom

07-05-2008, 04:40 PM

Can you actually walk around with this mount and get a steady picture, or is it really for just standing in one spot?

Well it isn't steadicam so no, but it is as steady as you would be with a full sized camera, maybe steadier due to the adjustments and flexibility of it. So walk around freely!

The weight limit is 7 pounds so I would say don't use a 35mm adaptor with it unless it is a Brevis sans flip as it is very light.

FrankC

07-07-2008, 10:48 PM

Not bad... but I really love my Cavision shoulder mount. Very adjustable for different situations...and I can "grow" it as I add a 35mm adapter. I have four contact points for steadiness ( 2hands, shoulder, eye piece)...Best of all, it was only about $250 !

adamr316

07-08-2008, 03:49 AM

Does this thing have a problem with the left lean of the EX1? Can the shoulder pad be put on the left shoulder like other devices?

Postmaster

07-08-2008, 04:17 AM

Cinecity makes some nice gear - good price too (O.K. the first 35mm adapter was crap - didn´t tried the new version)

I got the "Indicator Magic Arm & Vest + Flycam 6000 " Steady-System, blimp, railsystem andwhatnot. Nice affordable stuff.

Frank

Ron Rodenmeyer

07-09-2008, 12:28 PM

Has anyone tried Cinecity's latest version of the 35mm adapter?

philip bloom

07-09-2008, 12:31 PM

how good is the arm, vest etc?

philip bloom

07-09-2008, 12:32 PM

Does this thing have a problem with the left lean of the EX1? Can the shoulder pad be put on the left shoulder like other devices?

cant see how it can be put on left shoulder unless you use the viewfinder of the ex1...

Ron Rodenmeyer

07-09-2008, 12:39 PM

philip bloom

07-09-2008, 12:41 PM

Phillip-

Have you used the DV Rig Pro? If so, how does this Cinecity shoulder support compare? I realize it's a very different price point, but I'm still curious as to how they stack up in your opinion.

Ron

The DV rig pro is much more heavy duty and more expensive. It requires you to put on a belt and half a pole. The Cine city one is quick and easy to use and is cheap. It also works really wel

Ron Rodenmeyer

07-09-2008, 12:45 PM

The DV rig pro is much more heavy duty and more expensive. It requires you to put on a belt and half a pole. The Cine city one is quick and easy to use and is cheap. It also works really wel

Is there a quick way to go from the Cinecity to a tripod? I haven't figured out an elegant way to do that with the DV Rig Pro.

Thanks in advance. Your information and answers are always top notch.

philip bloom

07-09-2008, 12:48 PM

Postmaster

07-09-2008, 12:52 PM

how good is the arm, vest etc?

I changed the plastic buckles to steel on the vest, the rest is a great value for the money.

Would buy it anytime again.

Frank

Ron Rodenmeyer

07-09-2008, 01:11 PM

yep. same as with dv rig pro. Get manfrotto plate and base kit, the size used by dv rig, cant remember the model number, am assuming you dont have a manfrotto tripod, attach your tripod plate to the bottom of the manfrotto base. Attach the manfrotto plate to bottom of your camera. this will fit both the dv rig pro and your tripod so it will just slide on and off. If doing with cine city rig, you will need a second manfrotto plate to scew onto the top of it.

Correct, I'm not using a Bogen/Manfrotto tripod. I have a Cartoni Focus. One thing I'm not clear on...I don't think the DVRig Pro has a Manfrotto plate. It's a silver lightweight aluminum plate that looks proprietary. It's slotted on one side for balancing the camera.

philip bloom

07-09-2008, 01:16 PM

it is the same size. i own the dv rig pro.

this is what you need, two if you go for the cine city. one if you stick with your dv rig pro
http://www.h1photo.com/357.html

Lenilenapi

07-09-2008, 01:21 PM

I've been doing the same thing as Philip with a few giotto quick releases for years with my monopod.

I also use it as an extra "triangulation" support with 2/3" shoulder mounted cams and I can often get the quick release mounted up in the 1/4" screw that you'll find at the front many full sized camera base plates. It often doesn't interfere with the tripod plate and I can go back & forth from tripod to handheld + monopod with ease.

Its hard to remember to bring all the right parts though and it can get a bit odd as I've found myself using a sony camera on my shoulder with the flat base plate on my shoulder.

Ron Rodenmeyer

07-09-2008, 01:30 PM

it is the same size. i own the dv rig pro.

this is what you need, two if you go for the cine city. one if you stick with your dv rig pro
http://www.h1photo.com/357.html

Thanks, Phillip! What DON'T you own? LOL

Again, you are a wealth of information and I enjoy your blog very much.

I have the DVRig Pro at work but may get the Cinecity for personal use.

Ron

philip bloom

07-09-2008, 01:31 PM

cheers Ron! It's worth it. So cheap really for the quality and the ease of use.

Buck Forester

07-10-2008, 01:10 PM

Wow, I ordered mine and it came already... they really get on it! It's very simple and light with lots of adjustments... I put it together but haven't gone out and shot with my EX1 yet... dang 115 degree heat and smoke filled skies from these wildfires is taking it's toll on me. Cough... cough...

Ron Rodenmeyer

07-22-2008, 07:22 AM

I put an order in to The Cine City a week ago and didn't hear a word outside of a prompt email that said it would "dispatch tomorrow". Yesterday, I emailed to check status and I received a reply that they only had my P.O. Box (billing address) and needed a street address. The fact that it took a week --and my email prompting them-- to request this was a bit galling.

Also, the email he sent included their original correpondence, which included the invoice. My street address was clearly listed in the Shipping section. Argghhhh!

Based on everyone else's experiences, I'm going to assume this is a rare glitch.

Ron

Buck Forester

07-22-2008, 11:21 AM

Ron, sorry to hear that. I don't know anything about the company or their usual practices so I can't say. For me I ordered it and it arrived within 3 or 4 days and I didn't even use an express shipping method. And I think it came from India or someplace far far away. I still haven't used the product yet other than putting it together. It seems durable enough but it's also obviously not precision made, but at this price I wasn't expecting it to be.

jaw

07-23-2008, 10:43 PM

I ordered one direct from CineCity and I swear it got here to the midwest in about 36 hours. I was floored as to how fast they got it to me. As Philip said, it is strong, well built and inexpensive. I'd change a couple of minor things, personally (longer extension, slotted nuts, larger knurls on knobs), but a very good value!
I DO have a slight issue with mine: I cannot get the main hinge point to tighten up enough. No matter how tight I turn the large knob, I cannot get the brace to "lock" into position -- it moves with weight on it (which of course it does, with camera). Any bright ideas on how I can fix this without sending it back?

Ron Rodenmeyer

08-04-2008, 10:10 AM

After the initial flub, Cine City shipped the shoulder support, and it arrived in the states very quickly. Then FedEx had some issue with it at customs, and I played phone tag with them for a few days before it was mysteriously resolved. Sometimes everything just goes exactly wrong.

As far as the shoulder support goes, I generally agree with previous assessments in this thread: It's well designed and decently constructed for a piece of equipment at this price point. I also can't get the big nut to tighten fully, and the whole thing sometimes pivots slightly when I move. But it's not terrible or a deal killer. I also wish the "belly" rod would extend a little more. The thing that concerns me the most about Gliders (that's the actual name...very goofy!) is the tiny thumbscrew that supports the vertical slider under the camera plate. It just looks like something that will be stripped out in a week. I hope not. The shoulder mount is a little bit uncomfortable in the back, but I haven't tried to bend it yet. Has anyone done this? Finally, I was pleasantly suprised that it comes with rail mounts. Very nice detail. I may have to get a rail system/matte box from them. Has anyone tried the matte box from Cine City?

The main point is that I predict we will use this support a LOT.

Ron

HowdyDoo

01-12-2009, 11:23 PM

I may be shooting a couple episodes of a travel show and need a cheap, lightweight shoulder support for my EX1. I really don't want anything big and conspicuous that will bring a lot of attention to the camera, but I also don't want something that is so uncomfortable that it's not even worth wearing.

Do you think the El Cheapo or The Glider would work well for my purposes? From the pictures I've seen, the Glider seems to look a little too strange and may turn heads.

Any suggestions?

FrankC

01-12-2009, 11:27 PM

I'm very happy with my shoulder mount from Cavision for my EX1. It's very adjustable, yet looks pro...and solid. Best of all, only costs around $250.

lazslo mckenzie

01-13-2009, 06:48 PM

you may also like the IMAGE2000 by birns & sawyer. there are one and twohandle versions. here's an example: http://www.filmtools.com/im20haglshsu.html

JDDalllas

01-14-2009, 11:00 PM

I'm very happy with my shoulder mount from Cavision for my EX1. It's very adjustable, yet looks pro...and solid. Best of all, only costs around $250.

I concur. I love my rig, and don't need the belly support, that would seem to effect your shot when walking (breathing etc.)

EIREHotspur

01-15-2009, 09:44 AM

Thats a very Pro Looking setup lads.

I have tried shooting with camera strap around my neck and camera down around my side.....kinda like an UZI stance.
Would be great if I was a shao lin monk who could control breathing.

Jbucaro

01-15-2009, 11:23 AM

I concur. I love my rig, and don't need the belly support, that would seem to effect your shot when walking (breathing etc.)

I have the same Cavision bracket. Question: How do you mount it on the tripod?

Do you have a quick release?

Thank you,

Jose

JDDalllas

01-15-2009, 11:05 PM

I have the VF gadgets plate with rod mount, and I must remove the shoulder pad to go on tripod.
But I just leave on the rod mount part of the shoulder mount on the rails so I only need to loosen one mounting point to remove pad.

Jbucaro

01-16-2009, 01:27 PM

Thanks for the info.

Jose

Tata Steva

01-16-2009, 03:19 PM

Yes, it is a cr@p piece of gear: I ordered one by eBay from Cine City (after seeing "recommendation" from Mr. Bloom), and after receiving the piece I think strongly that Mr. Bloom is somehow compensated to promote this lousy accessory.
None of the screws were proper, so called "camera mount" was bended, I could not lock the main support, not to slide after putting the camera on it. Forget on figuring out anything form the manual: it's like a xerox copy from the corner store. I still don't know why I got whole bunch of screws and bolts in a separate plastic bag??
And the biggest flaw: main connection between the camera mount part and shoulder/body support part is PLASTIC, connected by ONE cheap screw!!!
After 2 days of trying to "fix it" I contacted Cine City for refund and than problems started. It took me one whole month to get the refund and to explain to eBay that I paid for the item, because Cine City kept on sending complaints to eBay that I did not pay for it (After they gave me the refund)??!!
They also told me to keep the product as customs in India are too high for them to receive it back.
All in all, after this episode I am not trusting Mr. Bloom on any product recommendation. He is a great DP, but "spokes person"- I don't know...:crybaby:

davidcheok

01-26-2009, 06:45 PM

Yes, it is a cr@p piece of gear: .....
All in all, after this episode I am not trusting Mr. Bloom on any product recommendation. He is a great DP, but "spokes person"- I don't know...:crybaby:

:) I'm with ya, mate. Although on all fairness, what can we expect out of something called an 'al-cheapo?'

On a side note, all the al-cheapos i've bought based on B's recommends have now gone into the building of a 'frankenstein' shoulder mount based on my own design which I am actually quite happy with :)

philip bloom

01-27-2009, 02:31 AM

I thoroughly recommend you disregard any recommendations I give for gear. It is after all, purely my opinion on stuff that I have bought. When I reviewed the gliders it worked a treat, after some use it went all limp and got it replaced. I then decided I preferred my el cheapo, which I still think it an absolute bloody bargain! It cost me £30 and I have used it countless times and it still works a treat.

Look let's cut through the crap. If you want really good gear you pay for it! You want a shoulder mount that will last forever then just get the Zacuto one, it's the only one with a lifetime warranty but you pay for it. If you want to take a punt on a £30 shoulder mount don't complain if it doesn't last!

I put myself out there by buying gear and sharing my thoughts with you all, without me or other people doing that how will you know what to buy or not to buy? From threads like this the initial review can be discussed and people can correct it and disagree. That's what it is all about!

As long as people are interested I will continue to review the gear I buy. I am happy to be a guinea pig. I have wasted an absolute fortune on rubbish equipment, I am trying to stop you doing the same! Yes i don't always get it right but it's better than having nobody looking at this stuff before you spend your hard earned dosh!

Happy shooting!

Phil

philip bloom

01-27-2009, 02:35 AM

and after receiving the piece I think strongly that Mr. Bloom is somehow compensated to promote this lousy accessory.

Wild statements like this are not tolerated by me in any way. Why oh why do people think it is OK to say things like this on DVXuser? Please read my response above for my thoughts on this equipment a few months down the line.

I spend MY hard earned money buying gear and trying it out and sharing my thoughts, as I said sometimes they aren't always as good as I initially thought after spending time with it. But all I am doing is trying to help.

Phil

Steve Shovlar

01-27-2009, 03:14 AM

Phil, don't get wound up mate. You can never please everyone, even if you recomended gear that was free!

End of the day I bought an El Cheapo, used it quite a few times, know its limitations and for £30 it has paid for itself several times over with the EX1 I had. If it had cost me £300 then I would have said it was not good value, but it is what it is and it does the job asked of it.

You keep those reviews coming Phil.

mcgeedigital

01-27-2009, 03:35 AM

AS I always say, buy once, cry once.

I bought the CineTech Hipcam 2 NABs ago and love it:

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/1296/1207131308.jpg
http://www.dvinfo.net//canon/images/cinetechi.jpg

Is it cheap? No.

Is it solid? Oh hell yeah! What price is your back worth?

With this rig I FINALLY got steady hh shots w/o a tripod.

Now that I have an HPX500 I'm probably selling it, but it is EASILY the best accessory I bought for my HVX at the time.

jujufactory

01-27-2009, 04:36 PM

I called Philip Bloom three times and he was very helpful. Just for that I think he deserves credit. Making his time and opinions available to us allows us to compare notes and draw our decisions to a faster conclusion. Philip Bloom drew attention to the 35mm adapter and the various things one can do with it. Just for that he deserves our respect because many of us would probably not even know about 35mm adaptors if it wasn't for Philip. The same goes for various gadgets such as the sock viewfinder. Now granted, sometimes Philip has his own views and you don't have to agree with it but insofar as his opinions are honest opinions and insofar as he willingly shares his experiences with all of us without holding back... I'm not sure there's anything for us to complain about. As far as the Indian shoulder mount is concerned... I purchased one also (a different one) and initially I was about to throw it away. Yet believe it or not I kept pulling it out because I could not find anything better. Even the expensive equipment did not get the job done any better. The Indian rig finally imposed itself. Cheap... yes... fragile... yes... but the damn thing gets the job done... don't ask me how. So perhaps Philip had a similar experience. Let's face it... there is no one way to do things. Whatever works for you should should be fine with Philip. Don't blame him for having an opinion.

MitchLewis

01-27-2009, 06:09 PM

Please don't piss off Phil, he's a great asset to our community. He has personally replied to a couple of emails I've sent to him (he must get thousands!)

Keep up the great work Phil! :)

davidcheok

01-27-2009, 07:23 PM

Wild statements like this are not tolerated by me in any way. Why oh why do people think it is OK to say things like this on DVXuser? Please read my response above for my thoughts on this equipment a few months down the line.

I spend MY hard earned money buying gear and trying it out and sharing my thoughts, as I said sometimes they aren't always as good as I initially thought after spending time with it. But all I am doing is trying to help.

Phil

Chill out dude.. dont think anyone with common sense would blame you. We live in a real world.. we get what we paid for.

At the end of the day, all readers should know, we read and accept everything published online at our own risks.. just keep the reviews coming...

PS.. good stuff on the new competition.. makes me want to join just to try get that new rig from cinevate.