FS5: FS5 Rigging

[olof]

So I am starting to figure out how to use and how to rig my FS5.

Here are my first simple kit parts. 2 ways of rigging wireless mics, with and W/O shotgun. And how to mount the Odyssey.

I am working on a quick release system for front rails for matte box and big lens support, and I already have nice simple solution for Metabones support, photos of that later, a $10.00 solution.

The 2 wireless mic supports are also very affordable. And some parts are 3D printed, I will sell them on my WEBstore but also provide them for free if you have your own 3D printer.

I am also making a very collapsible hood. It weighs nothing...

Lots more to come. Including shoulder mount kit.

 

[Clermond]

well.. what's the advantage over a FS7 if you put that much of gear on top?

 

[Alpha Beta Omega]

I would ask the same. The only thing the FS5 have is the small and light form. If you need to rig, the FS7 is so much better.

 

[olof]

well.. what's the advantage over a FS7 if you put that much of gear on top?

Actually, I think it reasonable to want a wireless mic and a shotgun mic at the same time, and I can see a lot of situations where an Odyssey securely mounted on the FS5 can be useful. Especially when RAW is enabled. Most of these parts I am playing with are interchangeable with my FS7 rig parts. And I think a Metabones support is crucial.

What I am doing is adding very light multiple locations for wireless mic and I can see using an on camera light as well, that is why I am not using the front hotshot for the mic.

I typically have a shotgun mic and on camera light as well as a wireless mic on my R&G cams. I am working on the best way to do this and at the same time have use of the top handle. A lot of us already have wireless mic, so we may not be buying the new hotshoe version and even if you do sometimes you need a second one as well. Sony should make a dual mic version of this hotshoe kit.

I have an FS7 as well but even so there are 2 camera shoots when would want matte boxes on both cams, so why not make that possible, with a quick release system on the FS5 so you can just leave the matte box and FF on the sticks and grab the FS 5 for some portable B-roll, but also be able to use the same Swiss Arca connector to mount the camera to the sticks w/o the matte box.

I also think a light shoulder brace that can be used with the EVF would be nice similar to what I did with the EX1.

I see a market for this camera very much like the market for the EX1 cams, they were very popular.

So personally I see this as a very versatile camera that deserves some nice light weight rigging. Of course this is just my opinion and I can see that a lot of shooters that have FS7 will keep those and maybe buy the FS5 just as a "grab and shoot" but I do think others will be using it as an A-cam. How can it hurt to show some options, like the wireless mic holder that pops in the shotgun mount, that I will offer to print out for free if you have access to a 3D printer, the stubby 15mm is also a 3D printable part with a socket screw inside and then the mic holder is also a 3D printed part. These are all very light and come off instantly w/o any tools.

I also bet there will be many "monster rigs" shown here soon. And yes I will be making an extension arm for the handle as well. To each his own...

 

[alex1]

It looks fine with the wireless lav, but the shogun really dwarfs the camera

 

[greenheron]

Once you rig an Odyssey it really doesn't make sense to not have a FS7. The only advantage the FS5 has is to be light and quick. Sure, put a wireless on the camera, maybe even a very light weight shotgun, but once you anchor the camera to a tripod with an Odyssey and all that entails I would want the flexibility of an FS7. I shot a lot with the EX1 and EX3 and would never have considered adding something of the size and weight of a Odyssey. Anyway, to each his own and if you own a FS5 and can't rent then it is a way to make the camera do more things, IN THE FUTURE.

 

[Jim Ritscher]

I think both things are true:
1. If you are going to rig out your camera extensively, you are much better off buying the FS7.
2. If for good and sufficient reason you have decided to buy an FS5, there are times that you are going to want to supply a certain amount of rigging. Certainly a wireless mic. There might be certain situations where you would want an Odyssey. It would depend on your needs for a particular project. I have seen C100s rigged pretty extensively. Thank you Olof for providing the options.

 

[griplimited]

Thanks for sharing Olof. I was curious about O7q ratio to this cam. It may not have raw now, but with continuous 240fps over having to add an extension to FS7 sounds real good to me.

Which Arca Swiss brand quick release are you using? I don't see them normally with that length.

 

[olof]

Thanks for sharing Olof. I was curious about O7q ratio to this cam. It may not have raw now, but with continuous 240fps over having to add an extension to FS7 sounds real good to me.

Which Arca Swiss brand quick release are you using? I don't see them normally with that length.

Yes I think this tiny cam packs huge potential. Especially when the RAW is enabled. I see that as an advantage over the FS7, yes in the Future for sure.

I use and stock HejnarPhoto made in USA SA style clamp (part on the tripod). And I make the plates myself. The clamps come in 3.25" 4.75", 6" and I make plates for the camera base from 2.25" to a couple feet long if you like. I stock 2.25" and 3.25" ones and take custom orders.

Kessler makes a really nice clamp system for SA system as well, but they are much pricier. I thought about making my own clamps, but the Hejnar ones are so good and reasonable priced that I just resell his.

 

[Jim Ritscher]

Especially when the RAW is enabled. I see that as an advantage over the FS7, yes in the Future for sure.

What is the advantage? The raw itself? (yes, definitely).

 

[olof]

What is the advantage?

No back hardware needed, it will work like on the FS700.

Look guys I like my FS7 a lot, and I will probably keep it as well as the FS5. But I must say Sony has put a lot of great stuff in a tiny package here.

I also will say that shooting slomo I like the end trigger way a lot better than the FS7 way of recording forever, chewing up expensive cards at a huge rate. The cool thing with end trigger is you just wait and when something happened like the Osprey leaving the nest and then push record. You can even decide how much to keep of the footage by stopping transfer and it keeps everything up to that point and you can go back to waiting for something again. For some controlled shooting the FS7 way is superior, so everything is a trade off. Ideally I would both types of slomo in a camera. Maybe the next version...

 

[Martin.G]

No back hardware needed, it will work like on the FS700.

Look guys I like my FS7 a lot, and I will probably keep it as well as the FS5. But I must say Sony has put a lot of great stuff in a tiny package here.

I also will say that shooting slomo I like the end trigger way a lot better than the FS7 way of recording forever, chewing up expensive cards at a huge rate. The cool thing with end trigger is you just wait and when something happened like the Osprey leaving the nest and then push record. You can even decide how much to keep of the footage by stopping transfer and it keeps everything up to that point and you can go back to waiting for something again. For some controlled shooting the FS7 way is superior, so everything is a trade off. Ideally I would both types of slomo in a camera. Maybe the next version...

Yeah i miss the old way of shooting slow motion (coming from fS700). But it has its advantages with long shooting too.

With the FS700 shooting action sports i would miss moments because it was writing from buffer.

 

[AlexLeith]

What is the advantage?

"RAW" output in a compact form factor without requiring an interface unit for one.

Personally I'm liking the potential for rigging up the FS5 for some work, and stripping it right back for gimbal and discreet work.

 

[aldolega]

Personally I'm liking the potential for rigging up the FS5 for some work, and stripping it right back for gimbal and discreet work.

Yup. You can make a small camera bigger, but you can't make a big camera smaller. As long as rigging the FS5 gives comparable quality and usability as the bigger cameras, at a similar or possibly lower cost, there's no reason for me to go for the bigger cameras. I do really hope that by the time FS Raw comes out there is a smaller recorder option than a Shogun or O7Q. Something like the Pix-E5 would be more suited to the FS5's size, but I don't think the Pix-E5 will be capable.