DIY Shoulder Mount Mod for AC-130

[ChrisHarding]

Hi Guys
Coming from 2 x HMC80's I really struggled with the smaller AC-130's when handheld so I have them both on shoulder mount rigs nows. Essentially it's just 2 simple 1/2" aluminium tubes with aluminium flat bar for camera and tripod plates plus some really useful grips at the front end. The rails offset at the end and have a neoprene foam block with a curved cutout so it sits neatly on my shoulder. The added advantage is that I also have radio receiver mounts sitting just outside the battery compartment so that saves having them on the camera handle. using just the LCD is fine inside but a disaster outside so I grabbed a Hoodman loupe and fastened it with rubber bands on the LCD for a perfect solution...unfortunately the loupe weight tends to twist the LCD so I have also made a little "crane" that extends out from one of the 1/4" threads on the handle and that hooks into the lanyard "o" ring of the loupe and takes all the weight off the LCD so it floats there...the bands simply stop it from moving. Works very well and I can now shoot from the shoulder without any issues!!!

Chris

[ChrisHarding]

Sorry forgot to attach the EVF images!!!!

[kwkeirstead]

Well, I guess I will stick to my tripod (depends what you do). I would not dare to try to add innovation along the lines of what you did.

However, I love the idea of removing the damper apparatus from the Rode mic - I am going to do that right now so that I can put it in the mic holder instead of having to install it at the shoe.

At the tripod, I will continue to be able to use the AC160 viewfinder and not have the outside LCD problem, I wish I could find a way to detach the LCD but I suppose at times it is useful.

I immediately removed the plastic guard off the sound dials at the time I started to use the camera - that "feature" really annoyed me.

Wouldn't it be nice you could do test clips with all of the readings on the LCD? Someone asked me last week about a recording - no way to know what the settings are unless you write them on a 'take' board and record this at the start of a session.

[ChrisHarding]

The Rodes work perfectly in the mic mount..no noise either and no countless "O" ring replacements for the old VideoMic suspension. You do have to push the foam sock forward a bit then clamp the round part of the body in the Panny mic clamp and push the sock back. On at least one camera (as I do weddings) I need a video light on the cold shoe when they turn all the lights down!! I normally work solo so at wedding ceremonies Camera 1 is on the tripod, LCD is closed and I tilt the EVF upwards to use it (the Hoodman is removed of course) However on the 2nd cam I'm shooting cutaways so that keeps a hoodman in place so I can shoot from the shoulder....it provides a remarkably steady shot too so OIS is seldom used. Normally if the camera is doing roving shots my right hand is in the strap and left hand on the front left handle....I only use both handles for long shots like wedding guests dancing.

Chris

[rzr219]

I like it, I have a 250 and used it allot today and my hand was tired. I think I will try out your design. Thanks.

[ChrisHarding]

I did a wedding last night and it really does save my bacon when it comes to sequences like dancing where you can't use a tripod simply due to space. If you are going to use a hoodman 3.0 loupe (I find it awesome for shoulder-mount shooting), what I have done now is tossed out the 16:9 rubber extender from Hoodman as it's way too flexible and I have "hot glued" a 3.0 loupe directly onto the foam LCD shade you see in the top pictures. I also discovered that the loupe is not rubber but plastic with a rubber coating...it doesn't adhere at all if you try to glue it to anything so I have also ripped off the rubber skin leaving just the plastic shell....the whole thing is even lighter now!!! Camera "A" which is my fixed camera at weddings doesn't use the loupe at all and I just use the rig mainly to hold two wireless mic receivers and do all my viewing with the 130's EVF. However the "B" camera has it's loupe on the whole day and night and works hard!!

Chris

[kwkeirstead]

Chris... Fascinating to see what people do.

I went through the exact same exercise with the Rode VideoMic (no more need for the rubber bands) and you are right, you have to slide the foam sock.

Unfortunately I also have a Rode VideoMic Pro which I would have liked to have as a backup but the design of this , for me, has gone too far along the road (no pun intended) toward miniaturization - result you can't fit the Pro on the Panny mic clamp (it would have to go on the shoe and compete with the light) so now I have no backup for my VideoMic as a result.

I think you can get brackets that will host two devices so I am certainly not going to throw out my Pro or try to sell it.

I have seen the problems with long shotgun mics being put in the mic clamp. Goes to show that external devices are not that portable from one camera to another.

I just bought a Manfrotto 521 PFI (not sure why I did this but we shall see), I am hoping to find that it will be easier to adjust focus and iris.

I keep zoom on manual out of worrying that I might turn the ring manually by accident if I leave it on auto. The book says this its best not to fight with the servo motor.

BTW, what on camera light do you use/like?

[ChrisHarding]

The very reason I don't mount the mic on the coldshoe is that I do need to put a video light there at dark receptions and so far all the dual cold shoe converters are either too close together to fit a light and a mic or are just plain rubbish!!! For me the light that works best is the ones that are now using PowerLED's rather than individual LED's... I actually bought one to use on the HMC80 so on the 130 I need to turn it down a bit. These are a smaller form than the 160 led lights and probably as bright or even brighter..They use just 6 x 3W LEDs bunched together.


Seriously, with the DIY mount I felt it was essential!!! If anyone can show me a better way to use the camera handheld, I would love to see it....I cannot see anyone using the camera via the rear viewfinder for any extended period of time and keeping it steady..my arms ache after a few minutes!!! Also no offence to Panasonic but the EVF is still VERY tiny to work with...using a loupe on the LCD really does give you a decent sized image to work with...I have only seen it used on the HMC80 and on Sony's EX3 camera but after you have experienced that sort of "working screen" you don't want to have to go back to the "tiny EVF at the end of the black tunnel"

For those wanting to do the EVF mod, I have changed a few things on the loupe!! I have scrapped the widescreen rubber from Hoodman as it was just too heavy and made a simple "box" from foam board to replace it..I also had to peel off the rubber from the actual loupe casing so I could hot glue the loupe to the foam box...it's really light now!!!!

Chris

[ChrisHarding]

Hi Guys

I did another small mod to the loupe on the 130 viewfinder that sits on the LCD screen so I thought I would post a pic in case anyone else wants to do it. I have scrapped the rubber "extender" from Hoodman as it's way too heavy and it flexes too!!
All I have done is built a little box made out of black foam board and hot-glued together about 2" high and then I stripped off the rubber coating on the actual loupe (glue didn't want to adhere to the rubber but it sticks well to the plastic case of the loupe) and simply ran a strip of hot glue around the edge so the loupe stays firmly in place. As before the little box sits over the LCD and being much lighter, it works a lot better too. I just keep it in place with a few rubber bands.

Works well for me now!!

Chris