HVX+Letus Extr+FF+rails

D

dvxusr

Active member
Im still trying to figure this out, lets say I have an HVX with a Letus extreme and Nikon mount and want to put it on rails plus a FF and possibly matte box

a) what options do i have in terms of rails? lets say just metal ones, are there options besides red rock? (other than Lowes) and what length for this purpose assuming lenses up to maybe 100mm and a FF/mattebox? 18"?

and just hypothetically, to make all this a shoulder mount, how much longer would the rails have to be and would it require a really heavy counterweight to actually distribute weight evenly + an expensive setup such as zacuto?

b) anyone have the mattebox advertised in the dvxuser shop?- is it good quality or are there better options for the price? (not heavy)

c) for the hvx mount, is the only option http://www.cavision.com/rods/minidvFF.htm because of the large vertical offset of the letus extreme or are there other options? (looks like this one comes with rods already so you cant buy it without them if you have others?)

d) for the FF, are there ones in indifocus' price range that would work with the nikon lenses? Im a little confused about indifocus vs indifocus gear, would both work or indifocus gear is the only one that would work without problems and it comes with all the gears needed for standard types of lenses? and being a total newb to FF, do those plastic tabs on the FF wheel serve as movable marks for your two focus points or do they just hold the wheel in place and you need a marker?


Sorry, I know its a lot, just trying to make sure i ask everything in context so it all actually works together :)
 
DVXUsr,
If you're using Redrock's or Zacutos Gear attachments for your lenses, their follow focuses should work fine with the Letus. The Letus should also have some sort of rails attachment. I'd go with a Zacuto basic baseplate package. You could do that with the 7 inch rod extensions and the shoulder pad. Length behind camera is really up to you. Three aren't THAT many nonmetal rails options out there. Also, the Zacuto baseplate has vertical adjustment for things such as the M2 and matteboxes etc. etc. I've seen lots of shoulder mounts, but I prefer Zacuto's sleekness. It's not super bulky and it doesn't overwhelm my rig. Meaning I can easily set my long rails rig down and not worry about it toppling over with "my precious." In terms of follow focus, check out Kendal Miller's recent review. I think for the price, Redrock's Follow Focus unit is solid. What's 2mm of play anyway right? There are numerous follow focus units out there. Don't get overwhelmed. Look at what other people are fabricating for their rigs. I preferred the simplicity of Redrock and Zacuto when getting things together for my kit. What's your total budget hear. I'll see if I can jot down something in that range.
 
Chan,
I've been watching Cinevate products as well. However, one of my concerns is that their setup may only work properly with their own follow focus. I dunno it seems impractical if that where true. Anyway I like the Zacuto gear because its an entire system. You can expand upon it as you need to. The Cinevate setup works with their current offerings, but is there a way to expand upon it? Redrock micro is doing something similar with their HV20 rig on their site. They've expanded by adding grips, etc. etc. Zacuto has the whole HVX gig down pat though.
 
All of Cinevates hardware works with all standard 15mm rail gear. I have a Brevis to rails mount with a Zacuto double/battery plate and a RedRock lens support and it all works with either our Zacuto rails or our Cinevate CF rails.
 
That's correct....we've migrated 100% to carbon fibre 15mm systems following the 60mm on center/15mm diameter standard.
 
thanks guys, question- if i were to put together a zacuto system piece by piece as $ becomes available, what would i need to begin with for an hvx, letus extreme, and lenses up to about 100mm, tripod based? just the 12" universal baseplate with 12" rods and 7" extensions for letus (zacuto site mentions 10" extensions for redrock and letus looks longer)? i mean will that be balanced with nothing else in the back?
for shoulder mount (not right now) i was looking at the shoulder pad and double mount, but is the only way this would balance out all that weight up front to mount extra batteries/monitor etc on the double mount? there is no counterweight that can be attached to it?
 
forgot, i wanted to make sure the zacuto plate with its own rails + front rail extensions will be adjustable enough for the offset of the extreme
 
Our rails systems will work with every follow focus system out there, and it's safe to say that the camera base plate has unlimited height adjustment. We've got a 12V rails mounted power supply in the works that will mount behind the shooter as a counter balance. For that, I'd suggest our 60cm carbon rails (they can be extended behind the camera plate) if you intend on going that way.
 
DVXusr,
You are correct in saying that the shoulder mount with Q-release requires batteries and what not in the back. The baseplate has plenty of height adjustment. No need for shims or anything. I've actually seen people using Dennis's rails with Zacuto's system.

For now, I'd suggest this from Zacuto. Universal Baseplate + 10 inch rod extensions. Once you screw the rods together, you can move them forward or backward to accommodate your needs. Then when you get the $$$, try the shoulder pad. You can mount it underneath (for balance) or straight onto the rods. Also look at the HVX-HLS (heavy load support). It enables you to carry your whole setup by the HVX handle without stressing the system.

Give Zacuto an email, they may have some demo units or be able to cut you a break.
 
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