New style DIY shoulder mount...

armisiano

armisiano

Veteran
So I've begun building a shoulder mount. I've found that once I got my LEX attached to my DVX, along with rails and a lens, it gets a bit weighty and very difficult to manage hand held shots with.

My design works a bit specifically for people in MY situation. I have a lens adapter, and want to do handheld work, but cannot afford an external monitor, so I need to see the LCD. This being said the shoulder mount isn't your traditional design where the camera itself sits on a shoulder, it sets in front. Also, I didn't want to have the weight strain on one side of my body, so I've made a brace that goes over both shoulders and the camera is coming from the middle of my body.

I'm about 85% done with it, and won't be able to finish it until next weekend, but when I do pictures will be posted on this thread, as well as test results.

Wish me luck, things are going really well so far.

-Anthony
 
armisiano said:
So I've begun building a shoulder mount. I've found that once I got my LEX attached to my DVX, along with rails and a lens, it gets a bit weighty and very difficult to manage hand held shots with.

My design works a bit specifically for people in MY situation. I have a lens adapter, and want to do handheld work, but cannot afford an external monitor, so I need to see the LCD. This being said the shoulder mount isn't your traditional design where the camera itself sits on a shoulder, it sets in front. Also, I didn't want to have the weight strain on one side of my body, so I've made a brace that goes over both shoulders and the camera is coming from the middle of my body.

I'm about 85% done with it, and won't be able to finish it until next weekend, but when I do pictures will be posted on this thread, as well as test results.

Wish me luck, things are going really well so far.

-Anthony
Click to expand...

Be interested to see it. :Drogar-BigGrin(DBG)
 
sounds cool, i have a very similar setup and currently am just balancing the rods on my right shoulder... hardly ideal.
 
I single tear just rolled down my cheek, not because of polution, I'm only half indian, but because my selfish white half can't wait any longer for the pictures.
 
Alright already, here it is. I look like a 12 year old with facial hair as I squint in the BRIGHT FREAKING HOT SUN!
1213834284.jpg


Sorry it took so long to get pictures up, but here you go. The handles are wooden dowels wrapped with nice squishy foam handles from a pair of 1 1/2 lb. weights. Very comfy. The bottoms of the handles are stopped off with chair leg feet. They're attached to the camera rig via the rail mount that came with my cavision rails (I knew it'd come in handy eventually) and screwed on with wing nuts so they can be easily removed or flipped upside down and reattached for storage in my camera bag. The harness over my shoulders is attatched via 7/16" all thread, with nuts locked in place on one end, and wing nuts on the other for easy attaching and removal. The 7/16" all thread fits nicely inside the 15mm rails. The harness over my shoulders is surrounded (on the side toward my body) with foam bought from a fabric store, and attached with a lot of athletic tape (athletic tape sticks well, but is soft like fabric and very comfortable. Lastly on the back are two 2 1/2 lb. ankle weights.

All in all it works quite well. Yes it's still heavy, but nowhere near as bad as without, and much easier to handle of course. And with the weight distributed evenly on both shoulders it's balanced quite well, I don't have to worry about it falling off one side, and the weight doesn't get to me that quickly.
 
Is that a cast holds a broken Steadicam Vest? (lol) i

Nice job...
 
Last edited:
armisiano said:
The harness over my shoulders is surrounded (on the side toward my body) with foam bought from a fabric store, and attached with a lot of athletic tape (athletic tape sticks well, but is soft like fabric and very comfortable.
Click to expand...

Good old hockey tape :thumbsup:
 
armisiano said:
The harness over my shoulders is attatched via 7/16" all thread, with nuts locked in place on one end, and wing nuts on the other for easy attaching and removal. The 7/16" all thread fits nicely inside the 15mm rails.
Click to expand...

That's a good little bit of info to know.

Cool rig!
 
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