Hi all,
This forum cropped up repeatedly on my search for the right shoulder rig, and seems filled with some very sensible/knowledgeable people, so I figured I'd register to hopefully get some light shed on some stuff
I shoot the occasional videoclip/short film, nothing professional, and have decided to buy a rig instead of continuing to rent one every time. I'm looking to spend up to around €300, so Zacuto et al, and even complete Lanpart/Ikan/Jag35 rigs are not really an option. But.. I do want a certain degree of quality, so I decided I'm going to put it together from seperate parts on eBay. There's of course countless options, so I looked at what I thought to be essential for me in order to come to a solid starting point, and settled on the Lanparte single handle - from what I can tell the most popular one of its kind - because I found myself never using the left handle since I continuously use my left hand for focus pulling. Lanparte's adjustable Z-clamp seems like another good, albeit steeply priced pickup that provides a little construction freedom. Other than that I'm looking at the simplest of shoulder pads and mount plate, to keep the price down. Don't really need a follow focus.
Now, here's the main issue.. although the single handle seems really logical, I'm a little apprehensive about it diminishing the three-point balance usually created by two spread out handles + a shoulder. So I figured what if, instead of mounting the handle directly in front of the camera, I purchase 2 really long rods (18" is the longest I could find, not sure it would be enough), mount the shoulder pad on one end, and then the handle at the other end. Basically like this: http://www.cambo.com/Html/Images/CS-Zodiac_5s.jpg, but with both outer rods reaching all the way front and back.
Is this a good idea? Will 18" be enough to mount a counterweight at sufficient distance from my shoulder? Is this whole thing unnecessary because a centered handle will provide adequate balance? Any and all thoughts on this are much appreciated
Oh and then a couple other things:
- I saw a complete Lanparte rig on eBay for $400.. is that real? The sellers all have high and plentiful ratings but this seems too good to be true.
- Aluminum or carbon fiber rods? And what's the best place to buy?
- Any good alternative to official counterweights? they seem pricey for what is essentially a hunk of metal.
This forum cropped up repeatedly on my search for the right shoulder rig, and seems filled with some very sensible/knowledgeable people, so I figured I'd register to hopefully get some light shed on some stuff
I shoot the occasional videoclip/short film, nothing professional, and have decided to buy a rig instead of continuing to rent one every time. I'm looking to spend up to around €300, so Zacuto et al, and even complete Lanpart/Ikan/Jag35 rigs are not really an option. But.. I do want a certain degree of quality, so I decided I'm going to put it together from seperate parts on eBay. There's of course countless options, so I looked at what I thought to be essential for me in order to come to a solid starting point, and settled on the Lanparte single handle - from what I can tell the most popular one of its kind - because I found myself never using the left handle since I continuously use my left hand for focus pulling. Lanparte's adjustable Z-clamp seems like another good, albeit steeply priced pickup that provides a little construction freedom. Other than that I'm looking at the simplest of shoulder pads and mount plate, to keep the price down. Don't really need a follow focus.
Now, here's the main issue.. although the single handle seems really logical, I'm a little apprehensive about it diminishing the three-point balance usually created by two spread out handles + a shoulder. So I figured what if, instead of mounting the handle directly in front of the camera, I purchase 2 really long rods (18" is the longest I could find, not sure it would be enough), mount the shoulder pad on one end, and then the handle at the other end. Basically like this: http://www.cambo.com/Html/Images/CS-Zodiac_5s.jpg, but with both outer rods reaching all the way front and back.
Is this a good idea? Will 18" be enough to mount a counterweight at sufficient distance from my shoulder? Is this whole thing unnecessary because a centered handle will provide adequate balance? Any and all thoughts on this are much appreciated
Oh and then a couple other things:
- I saw a complete Lanparte rig on eBay for $400.. is that real? The sellers all have high and plentiful ratings but this seems too good to be true.
- Aluminum or carbon fiber rods? And what's the best place to buy?
- Any good alternative to official counterweights? they seem pricey for what is essentially a hunk of metal.