Edelkrone Pocket Rig now out - Anyone try this??

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Oaken

Active member
This is just too cool, talk about handy, just want to see if anyone else has tried one these before I buy one. I already have a full rail system but this looks so easy! Questions is whether the folding locks stay solid over use and whether that chest pad is without wiggle. Pretty damn neato though.

http://www.edelkrone.com/the-pocket-rig/
 
Looks ok, but I think you have to be a robot to use it.
Seems really pricey too, over $500 bucks. It's definitely small, but for that cost not a very good buy.







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It seems to have a big problem in that you need to remove it to change your battery. Cool idea but way overpriced and not as useful as a proper rig. Useful for specific stuff but the not enough to justify it's price tag.
 
Well it looks like it's been cut to 299.00! And all you have to do is loosen the hand screw to replace the battery. Personally I think this looks great for run and gun situations and other very simple operations where you don't need or want a full shoulder rig. Still curious if anyone has actually used this yet.
 
I'm curious as well. Never actually seen any sample footage produced by one of these (nor, for that matter, on a Redrock Nano rig; how stable does this sort of rig actually get?).

Am impressed enough by promo, and enough of a sucker, to have just ordered two of them (poor credit card; one day you'll be paid off; maybe next year). Will see if I can post some impressions and sample video here when the rigs arrive.
 
To be honest, feeling a slight twinge of buyer's remorse, because the more I think about it, the more niche the usefulness seems. For most stuff, I'd want footage as smooth as possible, so it's tripod, monopod or steadicam. For documentaries, especially if you're rolling for long stretches without a break, shoulder-mounted seems like it would be less tiring. And if you need to attach a lot of crap to attach to your camera, shoulder-mounted might be necessary.

Also, how fast can you respond with this pocket rig if a bird flies past? Is it as fast as shoulder-mounted or monopod? What's the "at rest" position, and is it awkward? (Do you have the camera hanging around your neck, with the rig extended, ready to bruise you with and bump into things?) How fiddly is it to adjust the rig against your chest before you take a shot? -- I guess I'll find out these things soon enough.

Maybe one of the main advantages is simply the convenience of always having it there, ready to go, and the ease of packing if, for whatever reason, you really can't take a lot of gear with you to a shoot.

Discreet? Sure, more discreet than a shoulder rig. But, still, if you're in a situation where you're at risk of security guards kicking you out, having any sort of rig is going to make you obvious.

For event coverage (especially small, cramped places, where you're in crowds or have your back against the wall), and for narrative where you want a handheld look without the fuss of shoulder-mounted, maybe it could be useful. In fact, I'll be shooting a low-budget TV series later on this year that this rig will be perfect for, so for that reason I don't regret the purchase. But, for general use, for most people...
 
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@Nick_K, your question on the modified arm hinge made me do some research and indeed my Pocket Rig does have this but I didn't realize it. I updated the blog with an extra section on the review where I explain how to use it. I also added the link which you provided for all the people who ordered their rig before 01/01/2012.

So thanks again for your input, it is much appreciated.

Edit: quick link to the update
 
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Do you mean the official video? Is he using the Edelkrone follow focus?

Some negatives I've found with the rig so far:

(1) not much space with those rods, especially for longer lenses; however, they can be replaced (except, then, you'd lose the ability to fold them up, which is half the point);
(2) the point at which the base of the rig mounts to a tripod isn't that secure. I'm not mechanically minded enough to know why, but it does seem to come loose from time to time;
(3) didn't come with a manual; and the supplied hex key doesn't fit all the screws; nice packaging, though.

Other than that, pretty much does what it says on the box. Unit has been surprisingly sturdy so far (used it on about three shoots); the screws for the arm joints look like the sort of thing that might come loose, but they haven't so far...

Another slight advantage: if you're switching to a longer lens, like 70-200, normally I'd be fiddling with coins and so forth to swap over the quick release plate from base of camera to base of lens. This process is easier and faster with the pocket rig involved, since you're not messing around with coins, etc.

Incidentally, you can leave the arm extended even when it's mounted to a tripod. Means faster setup going to handheld, so you don't have to fiddle with adjusting the length.
 
Hi all,

Here is a link to our short which we partially shot with the pocket rig for those who are interested. All the non static shots were done with the this rig.
We shot this with a Nikon D7000 and a Canon 600D/T3i on the rig and also used the extra handles which I described on my blog.

Here is the link to the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPg4ixAMPbs

It worked really well for us and I am still happy with it. If you got any questions feel free to ask.
 
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