C100: CINEMECANIX shoulder rig

I saw it(and shouldered it) at NAB. It's like a piece of military hardware that you would expect a rocket launcher or large calibre, high rate of fire machine gun to be attached to. And it is BIG.
 
mcgeedigital said:
The whole idea of the C100 is to be small and nimble.

Why would you encumber yourself with this monstrosity?
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I actually think its a good solution to a rig especially if one uses many different cameras. I've seen way worse rigs.
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Like this rig. I bet they spent weeks thinking this rig through and then about 10 minutes of working with it before they realized they need to hit the gym.
 
Good engineering but seems marketed to very wealthy shooters. If you do a thorough search on this forum starting from the beginning, perhaps look into the AF100 forum as well, you'll see we've custom made our own rigs for about a quarter of what this thing costs. Every now and then people will buy a component from Zacuto or Wooden Camera, etc., but to buy this thing whole doesn't make sense, plus as dustylens says- Too Bulky.

Me, I've made an excellent rig but now am trying to wean myself off it and get back to basics. Sometimes for weight or noticability I have to strip it down fast, for instance, being told to get in the passenger seat and shoot the driver, etc. All these cables going everywhere is driving me nuts. So in sum, I'd say learn to work with it with the least amount of doo dads possible.
 
If I head the money flying around, I would buy it in a heartbeat. Would I use it all the time? Hell no.
There are many, many times where the C100's size is crucial for my work.
But shooting film-style, with wireless FF, extra monitors, power brick, wireless HDMI monitoring etc. - this still looks like the best balanced rig out there. No shakes or tremors, smooth, breathing camera all the way. Not to mention probably better for the back, less crampy arms after hours of shooting.
Well, I guess, I have never used it, one of those items we always end up deleting from the rental list, when managing budget...
 
Yes, the "smaller" rigs name seems to have changed to "C-4", at least the shoulder arc-pad looks similar to the one in the video...
 
I am looking for a shoulder rig that will allow me to have my C100, lens, Atomos Ninja Blade, on-camera LED light, wireless receiver, and Anton Bauer battery in a compact configuration that will allow me to quickly disconnect/reconnect the rig from a tripod. About 80% of my shooting is on the tripod, but when I do shot from the shoulder, I have to be able to do it quickly. Yes, the C1 Pro and C4 Pro are expensive, but seem to be quality products. From the images on Cinemecanix's web site, the C4 does not appear to have the same camera mounting options that the C1 has. Sent an email to Cinemecanix inquiring about the C4 camera mount options. Waiting for a reply.

Bill
 
Nutmegger,

Sounds like we do the same style. My solution was the Tilta base because it detaches quickly with one hand from the ENG style base plate that is long and heavy duty.

The plate is a Panasonic SHAN-TM700 Tripod Adaptor Plate.

With all the stuff you will have on your rig you should go with a robust base plate liike that and the Tilta was made for it.
 

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I use the Titla rig also, because I wanted to be able to use it with all of my tripods/tripod plates(Sony) for my ENG gear and not have to worry about having separate "cine type' mounting plates(dovetails, etc.) JUST for one camera. I wanted everything to be as universal and familiar as possible. Zacuto also has a VCT type shoulder pad/rig coming out that, from what I remember at NAB, is lower profile, BUT will be several times more expensive than the Tilta, which is surprisingly well made. I just can't believe it has taken this long to begin to have several real choices for VCT tripod plate/shoulder mount compatibility for the cine cameras.
 
nedcam said:
Nutmegger,

Sounds like we do the same style. My solution was the Tilta base because it detaches quickly with one hand from the ENG style base plate that is long and heavy duty.

The plate is a Panasonic SHAN-TM700 Tripod Adaptor Plate.

With all the stuff you will have on your rig you should go with a robust base plate liike that and the Tilta was made for it.
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Ned,
Your rig is very similar to what I am looking for. Can you provide a detailed parts list?
Thanks,
Bill
 
The more I see videos of this rig the more I like it. A good rig needs to be ergonomic for a full day of shooting.

I like your rig Ned, and I'm sure it's cheaper. But the difference that I see in this Cinemacanix is that it's far more adjustable. Getting the camera eye level, up on shoulder, and down on the chest. I just know I could shoot far longer with this rig than the one you have built and with greater flexibility into it's design.
 
I will send the parts list shortly. The way I get the DP4's eyecup to exactly where I need it is on a $350 Zacuto arm, I had used one of my Israeli arms but then the weight of the EVF would cause it to flop and risk getting busted. The only thing I can improve on my rig, which is another $355, is my left hand handle, I plan on buying a Zacuto grip:

http://store.zacuto.com/zgrip-z-mount-zwivel/

When I do a long day of hand held the angle of my present left hand grip becomes fatiguing. I also have always believed that one's elbows need to be tucked into the bottom of my rib cage for stability. The only thing I can think of that would make the Cinemacanix worth the price is that it stays on your shoulder when you let go with your hands. My other rigs would do that but now the C100 is too far forward. That is very important for answering my phone to book jobs, also for handling my coffee.

But there's no sense buying a Tilta base if you don't have the longer ENG style quick release plates. BTW, buy them used, they're built so tough who needs a new one? I have all my cameras plus teleprompter with that base so I don't get on location and kick myself. I also filed off the safety on one so I can take the camera off with just one hand, however, that's really dangerous if it gets bumped or another crew member tries to be helpful the camera can fall to the ground.
 
Me again. I don't have the exact parts #s because those are on receipts deep within bookkeeping boxes but here's the gist:


382 Tilta Rig Base Plate & 2 Rods
290 Z Grip Relocator
350 Z EVF Holder to hold up my DP4
46 Small Cheese Plate
318 Anton Bauer Gold Mount & Quad D-Tap. This powers everything but I had some back and forth with Small HD re: polarity.
100 BEC Box to hold wireless receiver, I had used ones from the Betacam days. Buy it used on Ebay.
60 Mic shock mount, I had a stick mic from previous cameras. Often it's just on for show but when I do need it: Much better than built in.
40 2 3” rods

$1546 Total

I had the left hand handle from a previous custom job for another camera so you will need something for your left hand, I'd suggest a Z grip for $350. Also, I stuck little rubber pieces on the bottom of the rig in case it is placed on someone's dining room table or a fancy conference room table. I can't afford to have them refinished! I use a $260 Flolight LED dimmable light on top of the camera, also keep on for show sometimes but when I do need it, such as night exteriors or as an Obie Light, it's there already powered off the AB.
 
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Ned,
Thanks for your reply. From the images below sent to me by Eric at Cinemecanix, the C1 Pro appears to be too large for my needs. Your Tilta rig or the C4 Pro are better choices for me.



Sony-F55-C1-pro-rig.jpgNation Geo.jpg20130521_093626.jpg1391677_556772071059609_370730561_n.jpg
 
It looks like it's designed for large crew situations, where you'd have an assistant or focus puller to help you with it. Not for my style of fast moving shoots.
 
The C1 & C4 rigs looks like they've been designed to handle huge mitchell cameras from yesteryear.

Why on earth would anyone use this in modern 21st century production environments is a mystery to me ?
 
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