CAME products

Ehhhh... I'd say, don't buy some $600 shoulder rig. Find a baseplate that works for you, doesn't loosen up and give you a camera spinning off axis... one that lets you open the damn battery door. Find one that you can quickly take off or on without anything more than a screwdriver. The baseplate is the most important part. Get some long rails.

If you don't have amazing eyesight, a loupe (to me) is the #2 priority, and using a loupe adds one more point of stability to your rig. Magnet mount or baseplate? Makes a big diff. #3 (for me) was a matte box with a solid top flag that I could adjust without tools and only needed re-tightening every couple hours. With wide lenses on APS-C sensors, the flag has made a huge difference for me (since a full-frame amount of light is hitting the lens, regardless of sensor size, you can get veiling flare).

Then shop around for the shoulder piece and handles. A one-piece handle can make it impossible to get your rig on and off a tripod if the head is a decent size and the handles are close together (and you'll be surprised how many shoots you're jumping from sticks to shoulder). But two separate handles can be a hassle. Or they'll allow you to offset the distance to the handles or mount an FF right where you want it. Fairly wide handles mean you can set the rig down and it won't fall over. And this is HUGE shooting all day on your shoulder.

Some people feel a counterbalance is a big deal. I've used them and disliked the extra weight, no prob without it. YMMV.

A good shoulder rig is like a well-tailored suit. I started with Cavision parts and still use their shoulder piece - I didn't spend a fortune but ended up with enough parts to get two cameras on rails, and as my business grew it came in really handy.
 
Michael,

Your comments are very very valuable. It's a pity more than half of it is about the shoulder mount, which is not that interesting for me for that, as you will see below. But that is my fault for not being more specific.

To start with, that combo is just one kit Came is selling. They have Tilta and other brands, that I think make better systems and do not demand to break the bank to get them. Yesterday I also got to know the Contineo brand, that also seems to sell very ingenious affordable rigs. Their basic Blackmagic cages seem like a good deal.

Not being able to open the battery door when you screw the rig is not as important to me as the card door or SSD door, and I think that's something to pay attention to. Particularly if you are shooting RAW!...

But starting with the base plate is certainly fundamental. I haven't seen them all, but yesterday I was watching a the Contineo base plate video for the BMCC, and it certainly looks well thought out.

One question: what is a loupe? What does it serve for?

Your comments on the top flag are very interesting. I have never used the one on my matte box, as I find it a bit cumbersome and not too effective. That is because I prefer external, flexible flags to control flares. Small, medium and large. Like the Lowell and some others that you can fix to the camera.

My application for the "shoulder mount" is mainly to hold external things, like a video recorder, an external battery and audio recorder. These last two are essential with the BMs, particularly the Pocket.

I'm a "tripod man" and not so much of a fan of hand-held cameras, even steadicam types. I have a DIY wheel rig which I built because I found it to be very useful. Mine even improves on the Manfrotto, because it has acrylic plates to hold a small mixer or audio recorder. It can also stand by itself (which the original doesn't), so you can place or start from a tripod or table.

For me the most effective, simple and not needing lots of training to do hand-held system is one where you wear a harness and you have a spring rope passing over your head. You hang your camera from it and just point it. You can also hang the wheel-rig from it to have even more possibilities. I think such a combo is much more effective and cheap than any steadicam, with very little stress to your body and that anyone can handle. If you ever saw that spring rig you will know what I mean.

Unfortunately I don't know if it's still made anywhere.
 
Last edited:
In addition to Michael's comments (though I do favor counterweights on my rig), the rig in question looks suspiciously like a rebranded version of the same generic rigs sourced from China and India. Most of these off-brands roll off the same factory floor and are bought, branded, and sold by various companies around the world.
 
I have the Came S120 stabiliser with vest and Arm and its build very well but cost less than most similar out there but its equal some professional ones costing 10 times more.
 
carlmart said:
One question: what is a loupe? What does it serve for?
Click to expand...

Magniifier that attaches to your camera to turn the LCD into a "viewfinder". Some people like using an HDMI monitor, but in full sun a loupe's much better. And the HDMI monitors often have issues with lag time, another battery needed, etc. I like the loupe, I can pull dynamite focus with it. For a crane or crazy angles, a monitor or articulating screen is needed. I generally bring a 5" Marshall with me, it doesn't get a lot of use for fast-moving gigs.

BTW, I've seen ads in the past for the string-over-the-head backpack things. I just can't imagine it... can't see myself spending the day with a pole sticking up over my head, I dunno why... always looked like some "wow, your uncle's crazy" thing, but hey, if they give you steady footage, go for it!

Regarding CAME - lots folks on RED user.net are pretty happy with their CAME vest/arm setups. Those guys are using more extensive monitor & battery solutions as bottom weights, but they seem to like the basic setup.
 
Just now I was looking at Adorama's, and they sell a matte-box kit and shoulder support by Digital Juice that very much resembles that sold by Came.

http://gear.digitaljuice.com/products/products.asp?pid=2434

Maybe it's what Alex H said, that it's a generic model made in India and sold with different names.

What I wonder is if someone did buy any of them and how they compare with more expensive ones.

Perhaps what I'm looking for is the best deal I could get on a matte box.

Personal experiences are welcome.
 
I bought an Indian matte box when the T2i came out - figured I'd give it a try and upgrade to something pricey. But I still use it.

What I'd say to look for: rail mount vs. lens mount. 2 rotating 4x4 filter stages (or at least one that rotates, for polarizers or grads). Height adjustable.

On mine, the top flag can get a little droopy, I tighten it before each shoot day and it's fine. When using the side flags, they would rattle against the top flag - self adhesive velcro tabs keep them quiet and stuck together. Also, my side flags didn't insert very well - I made the notches a bit bigger with an angle grinder and now they're solid. One of the best uses for 300 bucks I've ever seen, and they're cheaper now - Amazon sells one that seems decent for $199.

Funny thing - first time I used a DSLR on a corporate gig, it was a T2i, kitted out with FF and matte box and cheap Cavision loupe (only non-magnetic loupe at the time, never wanted to mess with sticky magnets, too damn hot in Texas). The client was experienced in hiring video crews, and was sliding between the camera and a tight space to get off the set. He jiggled the tripod a bit and said "Whoah, I don't wanna knock that thing down, you'd own my HOUSE!" Total cost of the rig including camera and lens was under $2k. So regardless of what people around here say... a pimped out rig with no PVC pipe or duct tape does indeed make clients think their money was well spent. Yeah, it's all about the final edit, but you want them feeling good on set, too.

Every shoot with a fully rigged DSLR, someone still says "wow, is that a RED?", etc...
 
I have an Indian matte box which I bought in 2007 for my Sony Z1. I think it was their first version, as it did have some small details that could be improved.

It's quite likely it can be adapted on the Pocket, as long as the distance between the support rails is the same as on the cage I will be buying. Of course, I can always use the original base, screwed to the cage, adding some adapter to rise it to the right height.

One very weak point of that MB model were the filter support rings. There's some sort of spring to hold the glass, but the pressure is not as it should be and the glass may slip out and crash. Not happened yet because I am doubly careful.

But I wonder if there are not newer versions of that ring, same size and all, with better filter holding design, that I can use on my old MB.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top