F35: hand grip for the F35 - help me with this please

macgregor

macgregor

Veteran
hello gentlemen!
I want to try something different here. I was stripping most of the weight out of the F35 (IF box, top handle and metal frame, battery) and I've gotten into something that could be considered handheld. It's not compact but it's not too heavy neither. It's basically a big square box lol.
So anyway I was thinking it'd be very cool to attach a wooden handgrip near the right side base so that I could walk around with this beast.

I like the Tilta handgrip that comes with the A7r cage, but the price is way too high if you plan on buying separately:
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Also I wonder if it would be possible to use the rec button to trigger the recording on an external recorder. Anyone has some experience with this?

My main question is, how would you guys attach the handgrip to the camera without adding a lot of weight (no drilling please)?
 
You need an ARRI rosette or some front rods. A handgrip can be mounted to either with ease. Personally I would go with the front rods so that you have the option to add a follow focus & matte box if you wish. It would also push the handgrip a bit more forward from your body, which is much better for a stable handheld shoulder mount.

My personal preference is for the Kinogrip wooden handgrip. Very nicely made. If you are recording on an Odyssey7Q+, Kinogrip has made custom trigger cables that will work with the recorder. You may have to send an email asking for details.
 
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This is not exactly what you are after but may help. I tried to attach a bmcc tilta grip to the sony baseplate of the f35, however
threads dont match between the two. I ended up using a mini movcam extension to make it work. I also set up the 7q remote trigger inside the tilta grip by removing and drilling the hole slighly larger in the grip so the 7q trigger would fit.
 
mavs said:
View attachment 116200

This is not exactly what you are after but may help. I tried to attach a bmcc tilta grip to the sony baseplate of the f35, however
threads dont match between the two. I ended up using a mini movcam extension to make it work. I also set up the 7q remote trigger inside the tilta grip by removing and drilling the hole slighly larger in the grip so the 7q trigger would fit.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Could you upload some pics of the adapter?
Also taht doesn't seem an original sony raiser plate, what is it?
 
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Heres how its attached to the baseplate with the movcam extenders. F35 came from Otto Nemetz with the plate in place. Unfortunately, I could not find any markings on the plate to identify the mfg. Whatevevet you come up with, the grip will need to be far enough from the body so your hand can fit like on the above pic. Even though I wanted to do a direct mount without the extenders, it wouldnt of worked as my hand would not fit. Huge thanks by the way, for everything f35 related! Also thanks to Mitch and CD. Honestly the best product for the price ive purchased in my entire life.
 
Thanks for the shoutout, we try!

I'm pretty sure that baseplate is an Otto custom job. But you could use a somewhat similar generic plate from SmallRig.
 
That actually looks like the riser plate with integrated 15mm rods that Band pro use to sell. I believe the guy that made them stop by the forum once and talked about it. It's on the bigger thread.
Thanks for the pics!
how are you powering the camera?
 
Vmounts with 3m velcro applied to the front side of the battery and the if box. Dtap splitter to shortened xlr for the camera, 7q, etc..Over a year of moderate use with no issues. I always intended to belt mount the batteries, but have not gotten around to it yet.
 
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macgregor said:
That actually looks like the riser plate with integrated 15mm rods that Band pro use to sell. I believe the guy that made them stop by the forum once and talked about it. It's on the bigger thread.
Thanks for the pics!
how are you powering the camera?
Click to expand...
That would be Carlos Acosta from Solid Camera. He has a website with a contact link so you could ask him if he has any old plates on the shelf.
 
This post has me rethinking my F35 setup. The day I bought it i wanted to make the smallest setup possible.

In the process of adding the 7Q I've made a much more capable camera, but also a much larger one. Now I love the 7Q and feel i have perfected that with the F35, but this contest is to make the F35 light and nimble.

I broke the rules I put the battery on the back, i actually like the counter weight it suppliesIMG_0020.jpgIMG_0021.jpgIMG_0022.jpgIMG_0024 (1).jpg. I have a band pro lemo extension cable to make extension so I could go without battery, I just need to take the time to cut it and connect to AB plate. These power Lemo cables for the F35 seem to pop up on eBay every now and then.

I still feel adding plate on the bottom like Zacuto is good idea because it gives you rods, rosettes and shoulder pad. The Zacuto makes it possible for me to quickly rearrange my F35 setup depending on the size and items I need to add. But I also understand the desire to make it into nothing but a F35 box, if I needed to loose Zacuto base, i could add a handle to the 15mm rods off the top nato handle.

I have atomos ninja star on the way, i am thinking of sticking it right on the top plate under the handle. The 502 can convert the HD-SDI 10-bit signal from the monitor out to the HDMI out port so this opens up the ninja star to the F35 which is the smallest prores recorder I could find that wasn't a LCD/Recorder.
 
It's a nice, trim setup. But since you can power your Odyssey7Q+ off P-Tap from the battery, I don't see why ou don't mount it flat against the dumb side or lay it atop that big black plate behind the handle. Plenty of real estate and Odyssey is only 1" thick and less than 1.5 pounds.
 
It's not just the 7Q, it's also the IF box. Another option is to use the 7Q in place of the EVF which works well and saves weight as well.
 
Mitch Gross said:
I see, I guess I just don't understand why one would shoot on the F35 and not record in 4:4:4. Seems like a waste to me.
Click to expand...

+1

It's getting those lovely 12-bit 4:4:4 images free of any of the low-rent sensor artifacts that mass market cameras often have to deal with, that keeps the F35 appealing. I don't know why anyone would want to put up with the size and weight, just to end up with the same 10-bit 4:2:2 colour and tonality that everyone else is dealing with.
 
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After spending some time with the F35, i began to feel like i needed a universal wooden handle, something that i could use in almost any configuration. I cut and sanded down a piece of walnut board into something resembling the most basic and generic handle. It is low profile while allowing for a gripping angle from al sides. Was goong to iust sand with 120 paper, but gave 2000 (yes 2K) a try and actually like it. Will ge scraped up and added character as time goes. It was designed to be universal and generic, but i may also attempt one that is more geared towards should mount handgrip. This one while comfortable can be improved in more specialized cases. I still like the ergo cine handle too.

I may try out teak, mahogany, and other woods, as well.
 
this is super cool, I would love Eclair ACL 2 type wood handle which is similar to Aaton except it has arm extending from the camera. Really cool work.
How does it connect? Rosette?
 
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