Small Monitor for Jib ~ Suggestions?

[CaromVideo]

Hello,

I'm trying to cheaply wrangle a little monitor for my DIY jib. In one of the videos on youtube they use and old playstation one that worked well for the jim monitor.

I bought one off of ebay and although a ps1, it didn't have the monitor so I got the wrong one. I sold it for five bucks over what I paid so no biggie, but hope to take another path if I should on this task.

Any recommendations for a rinky dink yet good enough diy jib monitor?

A couple of comments on my jib: I have a HVR-Z1U and built a modified version based on the jib designed from the classic $14 steadycam. The aluminum poles bend a bit more than I like even though I cut them shorter by two feet. Maybe another foot and I'll feel safer but I don't want to lose the reach.

I designed a homestyle skid plate for the Z based on the design of a Stroboframe. All the parts were from the hardware store or on hand already. The round headed bolts weren’t a problem since I used thicker corkboard for the camera rest. A c clip holds in the threaded bolt like any other plate. The c clip is a size smaller than the bolt too, turns out.

I have a Bogen tripod, used a spare plate to hold the jib, giving me the quick release breakdown; that's good since my gigs are pretty run and gun these days. Though I do go slow since I don’t yet trust this rig, the jib asks a lot of the plate and it moves within the holder on the tripod head.

Having the head able to tilt because of the moveable head is very good. I’ll change the bolts to cotter pins or whatever so they move better too.

This is my first time cutting metal or anything so it was a great learning project. Some revisions coming, especially using the correct lock washers so this sucker doesn't fall apart as I use it. The Z wouldn't like that too much.

Mellissa of Carom Video in Big Rapids Michigan USA
www.caromvideo.com
owner - creative - tech director

 

[Ted Ramasola]

Mellissa,
Thats good for a first time.
I have built my own three jibs. I'd like to share with you my concerns about your design.

1. That's not a good idea to attach the jib base to a quick release plate. Its not safe.
remove your head and attach it to the sturdier bolt on your tripod head mount.

2. You don't want to make tilt adjustments on your jib base area as the torsion is too strong
once the weight is shifted off center. this is dangerous as with the z1 needs a considerable counterweight. Your jib base in this particular design must always be upright. Thats why pro designs do the pan and tilt on the camera mount.

3. as for a cheap solution to a monitor, if you don't have a remote focus control then a cheap 7 inch lcd (like a liliput ) will do since this will only be for framing.

Ted

 

[Postmaster]

I use a cheap (60 bucks) car head rest/back seat monitor for that.

Frank

 

[CaromVideo]

Thanks

Thanks

Hi,

Yes, when I did the shoot the other day I had two spotters, one on the front and the other at the back weight. Scary but we did get the shot.

One to phase two!

Mellissa

 

[legend of the steelstring]

I bought a cheap portable dvd player with RCA inputs You can find them on sale for around $50. It's great because it runs on a rechargeable battery so moving my crane is no problem. It can switch acpect ratios. I just bungee it to the base. I think its an APEX just make sure it has the ability to input signal a lot of portable dvds don't

 

[Jason Miller]

those old play station monitors didnt come with the play stations, you had to buy them as an extra, they were like 150 new, which at the time was amazing for an lcd monitor of any size. but frankly the quality was crappy, I used to se one on my xl1 many years ago,