FS7: FS7 Handgrip MOD to ARRI Standard - now available

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FS7 Handgrips now can be reengineered to ARRI standard with stainless steel rosette and M6 internal threaded socket.

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This opens up industry standard options for rigging according to your preference. Professionally machined in New Orleans. It's footprint free, we do not alter your grip and it may be returned to 'factory' should you ever want (why, is another matter ;-)

Two shooters contacted me last week to ask if I could do this. After looking at Ben Giles great original effort, I took off last week and engineered a simple strong solution. Send us your grip for 1 day, we will perform upgrade and return ship next day. One day turnaround. Intro price is $150 (EDIT 2019: price is $245, over 70 repairs performed, its a 5 hour job requiring several custom machined parts) including return shipping, ground. The first one went out this week and parts are on hand for two more right now. Additional parts arriving next week, so if interested just email info@shootingmachine.net to set up your conversion.

Goodbye 'Sony only land'- hello WORLD!




 
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Fantastic!

Hate to lose the functionality of the Shape Arm, but very tired of the wrist strain, so most likely sending you my grip soon.
 
Do you have a way to attach the grip to a angled bracket such as ErgoCine's?

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Thanks Bern,

Sure, we make a 15mm rod bracket that uniquely permits your grip to slide under lens center. DP's LOVE these for comfort.


https://www.shootingmachine.net/products/dovetail-plate



We also make the original ClockArm introduced in 2012.


https://www.shootingmachine.net/products/clockarm


These products are well regarded by top DP's and they have been out there working for 4 years now. Not a single issue. Made in Maine. The videos are just roughly thrown together but they show the idea.
 
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Your Clock Arms look great, but how do you connect it's female-threaded rosette to to the grip's female-threaded rosette?

The more I think about it the more I'm interested in attaching directly to a rod's bracket without any arm, but would want to angle the grip so it's more ergonomic, like the ErgoCine example above. Do you have thoughts how this might be accomplished? A Rosette Spacer with screws on either end would be great, but engineering a method for tightening the screws could be tricky.
 
Bern, Ahh! I didn't get you clearly the first time.

I may have a solution for you. I was sketching this out yesterday.
Normally it would be a kludge to get a male stud on this grip so that it could clamp/adjust correctly- BUT The FS7 grip has this great "Release" pawl mechanism to rotate the grip. So, I can permantly fix a stud into the curent grip mod and you would rotate the entire grip to tighten into a socket. Yeah? Normally this would simply not work because the grip would land in a random position - but the FS7 grip can then just be released and placed into correct position. I can make brass M6 studs to size. So a male stud version should be possible at $20 additional. I will have to test first.
 
As far as attaching to a Clockarm I would sell a special version with the male tip (the camera end) fitted on both ends- dead simple really.
 
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Bern Caughey said:
Your Clock Arms look great, but how do you connect it's female-threaded rosette to to the grip's female-threaded rosette?

The more I think about it the more I'm interested in attaching directly to a rod's bracket without any arm, but would want to angle the grip so it's more ergonomic, like the ErgoCine example above. Do you have thoughts how this might be accomplished? A Rosette Spacer with screws on either end would be great, but engineering a method for tightening the screws could be tricky.
Click to expand...

Would something like this work?
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...hc15_single_15mm_rod_holder.html/prm/alsVwDtl

I've been wanting to do the same thing for ages. Very excited to see someone has stepped up and engineered this.
 
Is the Clock Arm 15mm?

If so would it be possible to just buy just the male-tip camera end so the grip could be mounted directly to 15mm rails? Trying to reduce my camera package as much as possible for travel.
 
Bern Caughey said:
That's the idea, but I believe Cavision's rosettes are not compatible with ARRI standards.
Click to expand...

Hmmm ok yeah I wasn't aware of that. If there is a similar product that has an Arri rosette that's what I would probably end up using to attach the grip to the rod. Getting closer...
 
Killick, Wow Cavision just flat out scanned and copied my Clockarm camera end! Oh well. As Bern commented that rosette looks odd and the stud length looks far too long to clamp any standard kit. It would bottom out long before tightening. I would stay far away from that. Anyway none of us want a company starting a format standards war right!

If it helps keep things simple, if you already have a rod clamp you like and want a converted FS7 grip attached to it, send it along and I can ensure a good fit. No charge for that. If it needs something custom, $45 should cover adding or altering a stud or socket.
 
Don't reinvent the wheel yet. I'm testing the addition of a standard male stud to my conversion this wk end. This makes it like every other grip out there except that the stud is fixed. So to attach the grip you'll keep the cable unplugged and rotate the entire grip like a screw driver into whatever socket you use (like the built in camera rosette for example.) Once it's tight, it may be in a random position you don't like -

SO JUST HIT THE 'RELEASE' BUTTON AND ADJUST AS NEEDED.

Removal opposite of installation. I just have to test the kick out of the thread when it's tight. It may loosen up with back pressure in a manner that will be annoying- or it may not be an issue within the two or three pawl clicks of a "normal" shooting angle.

I'll report back soon - I'll also look into solutions that are readily available. I have a Roseclamp product
https://www.shootingmachine.net/products/roseclamp that attaches to any 15mm rod. It will not move once attached. I can change the current female version to a male version and drop the price. I can get it below 100 for sure. Maybe as low as 75, I have to price it out.
 
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Caleb,

Might send my ErgoCine Bracket for you to modify. Would it be user (me) removable afterwards?

Another option might be Vocas' Tilted Handgrip Bracket. Since the threads pass all the way thru seems headless M6 screws could be used to secure the grip. Would want to modify the rod clamp to be tool-less, but (hopefully) that should be simple.

24y4gth.jpg
 
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Bern,

Can definitely do that for you. I just went to my bench and found a cool mounting option for anyone wanting to attach to a 15mm rod. I'll post photos after a little time on the lathe
to cut a special thread
 
Caleb,

Very interested in your solution!

I use a spacer on my current wood grips as it better aligns my arm & seems I'd also want to when mounting your modified FS7 grip to the rails. You might consider a simple open-box spacer like Vocas', but with screws on both ends. The spacer I use is about 25mm end-to-end, whereas Vocas' is 50mm, which I think is a bit too much for this particular setup.

Hope you don't mind the suggestion.

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Bern

Are you more comfortable with your fist further outboard of camera? If so thats unusual. I looked at the pic but don't see where it would plug in.



 
I don't want to keep referring to my current wood grips (which I posted earlier), but with it's tilted/angled bracket, & a 1" spacer (Movcam?), my arm sits completely vertical below the grip, & not outboard, so better supports the weight.

My thought is that something like a short open-box spacer with male M6 screws on both ends could fit between the FS7's rosette, & the rod bracket's rosette, while the open-box design would allow room for a L-shaped hex wrench to tighten the heads.

Think I first added the spacer so it better cleared the matte box, & subsequently found it more comfortable. If the rod bracket wasn't angled this would be less useful, but without the tilt the wrist stress increases. Since it is tilted the spacer only puts the grip an extra 1/2" outboard (& a 1/2" lower).

Hope I'm explaining this better, & once again I look forward to seeing your design. Was lustfully fondeling one of your grips last week at HRC, so know what your capable of.
 
Bern.

Thanks, Ilya and I are cooking up an "as yet unspecified" new accessory that should be pretty awesome. I see how your positioning now and that makes sense but prob only when operating with your arms at a palm up angle (for most of us anyway) Otherwise the closer your hand can be to under the lens the better. Elbow in the ribs, fist under lens. If your elbow is not touching your side - you're arm/shoulder/neck is working much harder, and usually less steady. Anyway, I follow you much better now, I see why the spacer in your case- it's to get your elbows closer to ribs yeah? Makes sense. For shooters not working palm up - I'm pretty certain they would prefer it- THUS doing all this in the first place- GET COMFY! I'll have pics tonight of a rod solution that's really affordable and permits palm up with a converted FS7 grip. Back to the shop!
 
Caleb,

I can't speak for other people, but I've always been looking for something similar to the positioning of a B4 ENG lens grip or an Aaton grip on a well balanced handheld rig with the new breed of cinema cameras.

cam-lrg-DVW-700ws_1_.jpg_MG_0980.jpg

With those grips, I've always rested the grip in my palm and braced my elbow into my ribs. It may very well be that is what I came up using and became comfortable with, but it is my preference. It may be because the new cameras generally seem to be front heavy, but I've always found the "steering wheel" style of low positioned bike grips to be super awkward.

I really appreciate the work you are doing with modding the FS7 grip, because of the limitations of positioning it, I have opted to forgo it all together in favor of a double grip solution mounted directly to the rods (same thing Bern is using). I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Ryan
 
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