FS7: Another Baseplate/Shoulder pad/Rig thread for FS7 thread

After being quoted a substantially higher price from Cinegear Pro than the one mentioned on previous pages for the Tilta baseplate, I'm back interested in the Chrosziel again, as not only is it very slim looking, but the should pad is adjustable too which may help a bit with balancing.

I'm sorry to hear that Ben. He even attached this image to his reply that gave me that price I mentioned- unnamed.jpg
Perhaps that was the wholesale price that he quoted me?
 
Ahh that image says £ which is what he'd said. You said Euros in your post! which would have ended up making it about £100 difference after VAT.

So for UK purchasers that's £450 including VAT. Will update the OP.
 
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It sort of positions it in the 'seems quite competitive but now not a definite must order' product as it's £100 more than I thought it would be. I think I'll wait to see the Movcam offering because I think they make very good stuff and if that isn't great then it's a toss up between

The Tilta
The Chrosziel
Just using the small Wooden Camera rails plate for now and keep the whole camera ultra light and dealing with a sore shoulder as and when I need to go hand held.
 
I mentioned this in other threads, but is anyone else also wanting to mount the Fs7 control grip on matte box rails and just ditch the entire extension arm thing?

I'd rather the control grip be mounted on the rails, up high, near the lens. Like this...

28499c926e24e5a9cc628e7d6fa40348.jpg ....or this...76dc1a5284d2dac6827f26f74cda8829.jpg

I'd also like some sort of strap like the one in the photo above or the strap for the grip below-

8233534538_68c06c6f6e_z.jpg

That is the Zacuto Grip Relocator. I am sure they will soon be producing one for the Fs7 grip as well. Now I just need to figure out a way to devise a hand strap like the one for the FS700 grip and C300 grip. And a method of making the iris dial into a spring loaded actuator!
 
I have the grip in that position or very close to that positon. I have the arm almost paralel with the rails. I guess beacuse the baseplate moves the handle out a bit it has clearance for my FF but its not a beefy one.
 
I mentioned this in other threads, but is anyone else also wanting to mount the Fs7 control grip on matte box rails and just ditch the entire extension arm thing?

I'd rather the control grip be mounted on the rails, up high, near the lens. Like this...

View attachment 94695 ....or this...View attachment 94697

I'd also like some sort of strap like the one in the photo above or the strap for the grip below-

View attachment 94696

That is the Zacuto Grip Relocator. I am sure they will soon be producing one for the Fs7 grip as well. Now I just need to figure out a way to devise a hand strap like the one for the FS700 grip and C300 grip. And a method of making the iris dial into a spring loaded actuator!

I've tried to remove the screws from the handgrip (to take if off the extension arm)... had to stop trying otherwise I think I'd strip the screws. Those suckers are in there good. And they are small. I feel like they maybe used some loc-tite or something to really get the screws solid. Even if Zacuto could manage to make a grip relocator, I don't know if it would be a reasonable expectation to have people attempt to remove the arm.
 
Seems a crazy oversight that the grip isn't attached to the arm via rosette.

My thought as well. Also a less than ideal design that the two screws for changing the length of the arm require tools. Those could easily have been small knobs that you loosen with your fingers.

I have struggled to explain how it is the grip strap makes such a difference over just gripping something with your hand.With the strap you can relax your fingers and still have a grip on the camera, still control it's pitch. You don't have to actually grip the camera with your hand. Also, the weight of the camera is shared by part of your hand where the strap is located, by the back of your hand. This reduces the amount of weight on the area between your thumb and forefingers. An area that can cause my hand to go numb when there is heavy pressure for an extended period of time.

The lack of handstrap on the Fs7 grip is a curious omission. Sony included a strap on the FS700 grip.

But this is the same company that gave a camera the name FS7 when they already had a camera model FS700. What would have been wrong with "Sony F4"??
 
Word of warning to anyone wanting to buy the Zacuto Universal VCT. The FS7 arm won't move because the plate is too wide .So you'll have to buy another rosette attachment to put the arm on! (Which I don't want to do so I'm sending it back).

So back to square one again...

You should watch their FS7 video- they have a solution forthcoming which puts a Rosette just below the right front rod knob. This allows the arm to attach. I too was a bit appalled but have tested the system in the video and am pleased. I would contact Zacuto before returning.
 
Terry, do you happen to have a fixed-height matte box that you can put on the rails and see how it lines up with the lens?
 
You should watch their FS7 video- they have a solution forthcoming which puts a Rosette just below the right front rod knob. This allows the arm to attach. I too was a bit appalled but have tested the system in the video and am pleased. I would contact Zacuto before returning.

That's ok, I'm going ahead with the Chroszeil plate now, it looks more secure and lighter.
 
I have seen the Chrosziel and the Vocas baseplate already and think the Chrosziel does
match to the FS7 design very well.
It's leightweight, adds further rosettes for the handgrip and is built very nice.

I'll definitely buy one!
 
I have seen the Chrosziel and the Vocas baseplate already and think the Chrosziel does
match to the FS7 design very well.
It's leightweight, adds further rosettes for the handgrip and is built very nice.

I'll definitely buy one!

I like the fact that the mount for rear rods is removable on the Chrosziel, even if it's not something I see much need for. I just ordered the Chrosziel. Around $800 including 15mm rods, with shipping. That's a darn good price. I figured it would be much more than that since it's from Chrosziel. The Arri plate will no doubt cost much more than that. As noted by another poster, while the Chrosziel does not allow fore / aft adjustment of the camera body it does allow you to adjust the shoulder pad a bit. Other shoulder plates do not allow fore / aft adjustment of the position of the shoulder pad.

It may be snobbery but I like having the Chrosziel name on my camera's hardware. It carries a certain high quality status that the names "Vocas" and "Shape" do not. Back in the Betacam days having a Chrosziel matte box said you were a serious shooter. Much in the same way that having a Sachtler tripod says "pro" over a Manfrotto, Vinten, or even Miller. Pure opinion there and a superficiality at that. If a piece of kit performs the task and performs it well, the brand name shouldn't matter. Although image of both you and your gear is a factor with clients. Seems every Hollywood camera op these days is required to wear Arc'teryx in order to look the part. I'm still a Marmot man. :happy:
 
Wooden Camera just released this pic of a final version of their setup.

OAuReQR.jpg


Thinking about it - could be great - combined with that lightweight rail mounted zacuto shoulder mount I posted a few pages back for hand held but still small and low profile if you want to attach to tripod via dovetail or straight onto a tripod plate.

If the price is right I'll go for this. If not the Chrosziel. Or maybe the Movcam when that comes out. Agh I CAN'T DECIDE!
 
In a perfect world - you know...the one where I have my own machine shop - I'd have the first piece directly under the camera in the Wooden Camera pic - where the rods connect along with a VCT mount on the bottom. That's it. Just like this piece pictured below...like I've had on every full-size shoulder mount "betacam" style camera for years....but this is just me. i'm going to put this on the Ronin and use it for a B/C camera in sit-down interviews along with my F5 and F800. It (generally) ain't goin' on my shoulder - but again...that's just me.
 

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