Cinevate's "Proteus" Carbon Rails System

Dennis Wood

Dennis Wood

DVXuser Sponsor
In keeping with a tradition of quirky names for our products, we're pleased to announce the "Proteus" rails system. Debuted at NAB 2008, the system springs from two years of development of what we consider to be the perfect 35mm adapter rails system. Based on our solid carbon fibre rails, the system features stiffness 75% greater than stainless steel rails, at half the weight. The base plate offers very simple XY adjustment for both fore/aft and side to side adjustment, while maintaining two points of attachment. Height adjustment variance is designed to work with every camera on the market. There is no downward protrustion of any parts meaning guaranteed perfect balance on your tripod, regardless of adapter type or lens used out front. If that's not enough, the base plate system doubles as our shoulder mount...pad coming shortly.

A short link kit will be up in the Cinevate catalog next week which would allow the use of the rails with ENG cameras like the HPX500, and strange applications like RED.

The system is up in the catalog for order, as well as at a great bundled price when included with adapter orders. The update parts are also up in the catalog.

A chat with the FreshDV guys on the new rails: http://www.freshdv.com/2008/04/nab-2008-cinevate.html

mp1ex1.jpg
 
Last edited:
The system kicks ass. We had the pleasure of playing with it about a month ago and Kwan was ready to drop cash on the spot. There are so many things the riser can do when you put your mind to it.
 
I had a couple ideas myself, but I'll wait to try it out myself before I put my foot in my mouth!

What I'm really interested in seeing is the "shorty" attachment for it. I think this'll open up alot of opportunities. I don't even know what it looks like. I'm guessing its a shortened version of the proteus arms?
 
You still up? I didn't call back cause I had to run a bunch of errands in Jersey and Spring Valley and thought I would be home before 11.
 
I checked this out at NAB. Looks pretty interesting. I've had the previous version rails setup for a few months now, and there were a few little quirks that kinda' irked me about it... This new system looks like it has taken care of those things...

Dennis looks to be stepping up his game from what I saw with the new adapter modifications and this new rails system at NAB.

Later,
Jason
 
I'm in New York once again (Tribeca event with B&H) so a few of you guys (and you know who you are!) are going to be very happy tomorrow. I've lugged down some of the new rail stuff, and the never before photographed fully rigged Ballare dolly...with a seat. We added a little bonus in that the seat support arm can also be used a ground-scraping mini-jib, using the 100mm bowl that normally sits atop the tower. It's so cool I've been burbling about it like a little baby since last week. It'll take up to 3 seats.

I'll try and get some pics posted up of what it all looks like rigged up at the Kellen Gallery tomorrow.

Kwan, the shorty kit is a low profile version of the larger supports that allow the base plate to nestle right down in between the rails, or be raised from zero to a few inches. With that kit, the rails would support virtually everything on the planet, including say an HPX500 with a Brevis flip and 2/3" relay lens :-)
 
Yeah, I peeped the new rails at NAB. Looks great, Dennis! I'll be upgrading shortly . . .
 
You Surly know How to make very happy mood within only a few seconds
DA da da da da
I'm Happy... I'm very Very Happy............ LOL
 
Last edited:
Actually, two of our universal rails blocks can be joined vertically using either a short length of grip rod, or our Brevis-to-rails mount riser for an extremely strong/versatile equivalent of the Z riser.

Hmm, the term "Proteus Joints" evokes an image of a very relaxed Greek sea god likely seeking snack food :-)
 
Dennis,

Proteus looks cool. You know what the next logical request is? Invent some decent handgrips at a good price.

Mine look great but really suck as the joints always slip and require a gorillas strength to tie it down. The handgrip market would sell. Zacuto grips, as great as they are cost the price of a few lenses. My Cavision grips, well, need some help. The joints can't handle the weight/force. Hell they slip with a naked HVX.

As a camera rest on one shoulder, the width should be able to off set, going wide on one side and narrow on the far side. Of course they need to go up/down, left/right and fore and aft.

The best grips of all time are the Arri Bull Horns. But they cost a few G too. But there's some inspiration there. Not only did they make great handgrips, they were so sturdy that I used them to brace cameras against dashboards and knee in cars on bumpy roads; braced them against cave walls when a tripod wasn't feasible etc. In fact, I had a grip use them as two points in a three point harness to drop a 30lb camera from 60 feet with bungee attached to the end, stopping a foot from the ground. He had that much confidence in grips. They're really a work of industrial art and worth a look before embarking on such mission should you accept.

All that's really needed are grips that can support a fully loaded adaptor rig/monitor (15lbs plus the force of use ie: whip pan or jumping off some stairs - 80lbs of force perhaps). So they don't need to be as beefy as Arri grips. I'm not sure if something like this can be R&D'd and made to sell for less than 300.00. If so, there are buyers my gut says.

I haven't the tools or time or know how. You seem to be on an inventing spree these days. Make it so. Its market would extend beyond the adaptor crowd.

And while you're at it - a quick release shoulder pad. On and off the rails in seconds. It needs to go under the rails. Behind the camera and your arms are too extended. You get tired. I currently tossed my Cavision shoulder brace in favor of a knee pad with velcro. It's a bit too ghetto.

Anyway, my services for testing and consulting are yours.

Tim
 
Last edited:
Thanks Tim. The "Proteus" plate is the basis of our shoulder mount system, and the grips are in the works. All I'll say right now is that they are carbon fibre based...and expect them to be as strong as the rails.
 
Hey Dennis, love that micro-collimininimantiotion thing. I went to Kwan's studio to set his and mine up with the focus in red and it was a breeze. It would be mad cool if you were able to put little tabs on the mount that fits into the notches on the micro ring so you can turn it without having to take the mount and lens off.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top