Best Shoulder Mount/Other for Wedding Videography?

C

catalyst

Member
Hello,

Shot a wedding over the weekend. Couldn't use my tripod as much as I'd expected, ended up spending most of the wedding going hand-held. Arms got tired, close-ups looked shaky.

So, before my next wedding, I'm thinking about building some kind of shoulder mount. Of course, I need the flexibility of being able to lift the camera up and around (eg off my shoulder) quickly, etc. for those times when everyone stands up unexpectedly and blocks my view of the bride.

So, what's a good option? Also, don't want to look too much like a space alien at the ceremony. Ideas?

Catalyst
 
I have a spiderbrace and a dvmultirig pro. I've shot a wedding with the spiderbrace on one of my cams, and shot a couple of similar events with the multirig.

My take... if you are on an extreme budget, spiderbrace obviously.
If you want a lot of versatility, less fatigue, ease of use... multirig pro all the way.

If you want to use the spider brace with one hand, you can... but, changing back and forth, taking one hand on and off of the sb, and making zoom or focus adjustments with one hand is not exactly smooth. You are bound to have some jolts, etc here and there. If you want to try to hold it with one hand the whole time, that would probably help, but fatigue sets in even quicker. A counter weight on the back could help.

When using the multirig pro in shoulder mount, I find it pretty dang effortless. I haven't been able to use it long enough continuously to fatigue myself, and I am terribly out of shape. If you are using the support rod, you can easily hold the rig with one hand and make adjustments with the other. Zoom, focus, iris, etc. All the while, keeping a rock steady shot. Beyond that, you have a lot of other useful positions you can use the multirig that can make it very valuable for weddings and such. When you go to shooting the after party, some of the different hand held modes can be useful, and being able to switch back and forth from position to position in a matter of seconds is great for faster pace, run-and-gun type shooting...

that's my take anyways. On a 80 dollar budget, go for the spiderbrace. Want something that is not going to fatigue you, is versatile, and is going to be a more effective shoulder mount (which is what you are primarily talking about), the multirig is worth every penny, and then some, in my opinion.

Hope that helps.
Jason
 
ive been wanting to go with the multirigpro but i was wondering can you leave the tipod plate and wheels on atall times so you can go between shoulder to tripod and skater dolly with ease?
 
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