Gunstock rig - absolutely essential?

R

RandyQ

Well-known member
Hi folks,
I've been seeing all these rigs being used with DSLRs nowadays (Zacuto, etc), and I'm wondering if its absolutely essential to have one of these (obviously I have never used one). Are they really a big help in a shoot? I dont plan to have all that outboard gear connected (no monitor, external recorder, etc).

Also, I may be shooting on a tuna boat in the Pacific in a month or so - will this be a big help over water? These boats roll so much that its very hard to stand without holding on to something, so if I use a rig it will have to be one-handed.

rgds/ RandyQ
 
Of all the things you can do to make a dSLR create video that looks like film/high end video it is tacking on weight. These tiny cameras weigh very little and shake in your hands which is where 90% of rolling shutter and mud problems come from. Cinema cameras weigh 20-40 pounds by the time they are rigged up and with that comes the stability (even in hand held shots) that we have all gotten used to seeing on screen.

You can use anything from a purchased shoulder mount to a DIY plumbing pipe rig. It's the weight and the stability of resting on your shoulder that matter.
 
I for one am baffled by the prevalent thinking that DSLR rigs and attendant accessories should be light weight. The cameras weigh, what, a few pounds? So it then makes way more sense to (as mentioned) increase weight of the camera rig. Most, if not all the ridiculous gunstock rigs are super light weight and regardless of how many "points of contact" they offer, they're still too light in my opinion.

That said, you DO need some form of "rig" to mount the camera to in order to operate it without seeing the distracting shake that's inherent in shooting with very lightweight cameras and preferably something that offers shoulder support. Unfortunately, most if not all the DSLR rigs are grotesquely overpriced and poorly designed.

As mentioned, you CAN build something yourself:

rig3.jpg


rig2.jpg


rig1.jpg


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A piece of scrap wood from my desk drawer: FREE

j/k

Friday Night Lights came on my TV yesterday while not paying attention...after 15 seconds I'd realized how far behind I'd been left in the film-making world. I got sea-sick. (I'm not a film-maker...I'm a wedding videographer.)

I'm going to pop in my Apocalypse Now DVD...chant my usual prayer that I will get it on Blu-Ray one day...pop open a beer...and dream of better film-making days. ;)
 
I use a Flash Handle

I use a Flash Handle

I use a "Flash Handle" like this, so I can carry the camera with my left hand, while working the buttons with my right.
 

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Cavemandude said:
You really need a right-sided grip flash handle so you can swing out the LCD.

Randy
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I use a similar flash bracket, and the LCD has room for clerance. Just barely, but it works. I often combine this with a Gorillapod Focus and am really liking the setup.

There's a debate over lightweight vs. added weight. I understand the appeal of heavier rigs. They do help keep down microjitters. But as I get older, I just don't want to carry any more weight than necessary. If you brace things firmly and are careful, it's possible to shoot useable video. Of course, the longer the lens the more difficult this is. I use a monopod a good bit and a tripod for interviews or other times when I don't have to change the shot quickly.
 
It seems that there are two concepts here - a rig that rests on TOP of your shoulder, and one that works like a gunstock (sample by Ben B pictured here) that you press AGAINST your shoulder.

I wonder if anyone has tried both and can share which one works better? Because of its compactness and easy setup, I'm veering towards the gunstock type, and the pics here have convinced me I can rig my own.

Any comments on which works best?

BTW, Ben B - did you put a weight at the bottom of the handle? I'm thinking this will help stabilize the whole kaboodle somewhat if you did.

Ben_B said:
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The weight issue definately comes into play, I'm shooting my project ENTIRELY handheld as its a psuedo-doc and I'm NOT going for Cloverfield/Blair witch shaky-cam so I'm adding weight to Switronix DLSR rig, anyone erer use mini-sandbags before? I'm thinking 5 or 10 pounds? any comments on adding other weights on a real smal rig welcomed!
 
I didn't but it would be very easy to attach a weight to this setup, just cut the bottom of the grip and attach maybe a large t-joint to the threads. You can hold this setup in a dozen different ways...sometimes I even use it upside down :D I usually use the handle when gripping the stock and the handle two-handed style, when using like a gun I usually grab the camera. I kind of like how light it is and it actually helps...sometimes I just kind of cradle it.

I am careful about using this setup in public until I get the chance to paint the whole thing white or orange or something...I was using it in the woods with an EX1 on top (you heard me) and some girls walked through, and freaked out for a second and put their hands up...no joke.
 
Our rig

Our rig

I made my own set up to stabilize things while shooting fast moving airplanes.
The first half of the video is about our simple microphone set up but then it goes into the shoulder rig

http://www.vimeo.com/12340995

RandyQ - I started out with the gunstock style but found I needed it to rest more on top of my shoulder - hence the addition.

I made it light because I don't feel the need to lug a beast around all day at an air show!
 
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