F3: "Hulkanizing" with 3ality Body Armor...

I think it was well worth the $700 but would never have paid $2500 to upgrade what is soon to be an out of date camera. Also, it is 3 metal pieces, well made, but not worth the original price in my estimation. With the entire rig it weighs north of 20 lbs and it is nice to be able to move it around by the "manhandle" rather than worry that the original one might break, not to mention losing the wothless EVF is certainly worth something. It has minimum impact on function, but much improved form. I like it more than I anticipated.
 
No question here from me, I am sure it's worth the prices everyone paid on this thread.....I was just remarking that it obviously wasn't an attractive buy before at the full $2500 otherwise everyone here would have bought into it before now. I would have done the same, that is bought it at the discounted price if I was sure that I would keep the F3, but as I am not certain of that I chose not to do that remodelling.
But I have to agree that it sure looks a whole lot better, and hopefully works better too for you all.
 
Hi there.
I think I would have paid full price for it. I am really happy with the results I am getting from my F3 - and I am still getting and learning to to get the best images from it (don't think you ever stop learning) - and have decided to stick with my F3 for a good while yet. For my client base, it's a great camera and everyone seems very happy with our work. So I would have been happy to invest in this rig at full cost as I am really impressed by it. Best, Sparky
 
I would not have payed full price on this upgrade. Just like I would not have payed a full price for Elements raiser and shoulder pad that i got as well... Just like I did not pay a full price for Solid evf mount (got it 1/2 price on this forum from another Canuck rushing to dump his F3 kit...).
I appreciate the craftsmanship and r&d that went in all of these products, but I am running my own operation and I do have limits on budget.
 
rx8pilot said:
Curious, would you have paid full price for it? Is it awesome only because it was 70% off list? I am just asking, not trying to argue or make any point. Simply Curious.
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I wouldn't have paid full price for it, however I was literally about a week away from buying the top plate and manhandle when the firesale started, and those two pieces alone (with a 20% discount) would have cost me the same amount as I paid for the full body armour kit and the shoulder-pad/riser... so I got really lucky on that front.

The kit is awesome not because it's 70% off, but because of the functionality it provides. It streamlines the camera; gets rid of the awkward protrusions that used to get snagged on things as you moved the camera around; provides a handle that doesn't feel like it might break under the weight of the camera and the accessories you have mounted to it; it allows the camera to jump almost instantly from a tripod head to handheld - basically it provides the camera with the simple functionality that you'd want it to have had in the first place.

To me, personally, that's worth every penny - however, at the original price, for my business, it would have been near impossible for me to justify it (hence why i was planning to take the bare essential approach and just get the top plate and manhandle) ending up with the full kit instead (and for the same price!) has been a blessing and a bonus.

These sorts of camera specific investments are always tough decisions to make (as I'm sure you're acutely aware Carlos!), but at the pricing they came to with 70% off, it suddenly became a no-brainer and instantly justifiable. Having the complete ET kit probably saves me about 10-15 minutes of setup, packdown and adjustment time to the camera per full day of shooting, that sort of time saving adds up pretty quickly so at the $1250 or so I paid for the complete kit, it should pay for itself fairly smartly (at the full pricing of $3600 it would have been a very different matter).
 
Grug said:
I'm really keen to get the top plate myself, I just need a low-rise version of the manhandle to make the setup work for me (to keep the camera compact, and because the 15mm rod mounts on the manhandle are essential to how I'd mount my PIX240 to the camera).
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Hi there Grug. I actually work for Element Technica so I will help you guys with some of the questions that have been posed here along with suggestions as needed. When we originally designed the ManHandle we actually needed to make sure it cleared any screens that would get in the way. When designing it the first camera we were testing it with was the FS700. This meant we had to be mindful of the height of the flip up screen. All other testing we have done on other cameras proved to be the right choice especially considering we wanted to keep the 15mm clamp integrated into the design. This means a tube clamp wouldn't be needed. Yay. Well, as you've noticed, there are situations where the height is needed nor is the extra 15mm clamp. So next in our arsenal is going to be a reduced height handle riser to take care of just such issues.
 
Sparky874 said:
I heard that you are meant to send the camera to Sony to mount the armour for you, but it sounds like its down to you. Is this correct and is it complicated? Also how much is it please, would have to ship to the uk. Sparky
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When these camera plates were originally designed we worked VERY VERY closely with Sony to make sure it followed their guidelines and processes. In order to retain the warranty it needed to either be installed by us or by a Certified Sony Repair center such as Abel Cine or Band Pro. As the warranties started to expire for these cameras we started making available the instructions on how to assemble yourself. If you have a camera still in warranty I would recommend having a Sony Service Center do it. If the warranty is gone, have at it!
 
Grug said:
You can send the camera into Sony for the modification to be done, it would probably cost extra though. There's also the 'Sony' branded version of the modification, which was announced with very little fanfare a while ago, I believe the Sony top-plate/armour was developed with Element Technica for 3D rigs, so it's basically the predecessor (design-wise) to the current ET body armour. The Sony version looks a bit more utilitarian, but the mounting holes (for the top plate at least) are in the same places, and it's cheaper than the ET version.

However the Sony version doesn't appear to have air vents built into the top plate (which the ET version does), I'm not sure how much of a difference that makes for camera ventilation though.
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Our version and Sony's version have zero to do with each. What Sony produced is just their offering for the top plate and it was primarily designed for 3D applications although it could also serve as a 2D top plate.
 
Tata Steva said:
Try this one: F3SALE

It worked before...
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This is still active. As a manufacturer we move to where the business is. Typically this follows the sales cycle of professional or pro-sumer cameras. The F3 for us is no longer a feasible camera to support, same as the RED One. So instead of making a few hundred products that will sit on our shelves for years, we sell until they are gone.
 
Andrew, sorry you and others have to go hunting for these. When we started designing the ManHandle spuds we took a careful look at what was needed in the market place. For the Sony VF dovetail we knew that all handles came with this locking nut. So we decided two things: 1) Don't charge the customer extra for something they already have and 2) Don't make Sony angry by copying their patented design. ;)

Andrew Stone said:
That jives with what I heard from 3ality maybe not even that long.

Does anyone have a source for Sony parts for their ENG cameras. I am looking for the locking nut and the small EVF dovetail plate for their ENG EVFs.

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Might I recommend:

http://elementtechnica.mybigcommerce.com/manhandle-with-evf-mini-clutch-for-alphatron-6-dovetail/

MPB said:
Grug, i seem to recall your having offered some details about the parts used to mount your pix before, but i can't find it. i see the "cross clamp" on the Berkey site, but is the rest of it just a combination of rods and blocks?

i ask because i've been meaning to invest in the Solid evf mount for my Alphatron but your method looks like it should provide an equally versatile set up (if not quite as slick) for a lot less money. also, it's been mentioned that the Solid doesn't get the evf close enough to the camera.
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This is true. We were not happy with the VCT fitment at all. There were one too many examples of VCT toes and heels that didn't fit they way we felt they should fit. So it was back to the drawing board. We are looking at releasing another VCT offering for the F3 though. Merely because demand has been so high.

Tata Steva said:
You will not find it there...
i had to call directly and literally beg for it as they don't sell it any more. Apparently, they were not 100% happy with fitment on some VCT plates, so it's not available... I said i need to try it on my plate and that this part is crucial for my set up (and it is). Finally, the kit was included (for free) but with caution that it might not fit as it should. Well, it did not! But, a simple modification on the rear part made it perfect.
System is complete.
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Well that isn't exactly the case. Yes, the day before NAB2013, JUST the Element Technica portion of 3ality was purchased by RED. 3ality is still 3ality but they are only in 3D now. Element will continue to do what we do but now we are under the RED umbrella. Our business strategy doesn't change much though. We will still be working diligently on non-RED and RED cameras alike. The "dump sale" has zero to do with this. In fact we are offloading the F3 because sales had dipped to zero for month long stretches. That's not a product line we should continue to sit on if it means sitting for years. So instead we figured we would make a lot of people happy by getting them into our gear and hopefully make some new, long term customers we well ;)

Tata Steva said:
I doubt it...
That place is "Red team" now. They are moving on. That 's why a "dump sale" at the first place... They will continue producing and selling overpriced stuff for other models.
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Duke M. said:
There was a NAB announcement that 3ality was bought by Red.
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Um....no. It was priced based on demand, the HUGE amount of engineering involved AND the low volume of sells we expected. This armor kit was built at the request of Sony. It took a year of back and forth with Sony to come to a final product that they would sign off on. When we started selling the kits, the camera was already on its downslide in popularity. We had missed the boat. Because we made such a small number, the production costs were through the roof. What we will never ever do again, is run these two pieces. Ever. Never ever.

petermullett said:
Well perhaps they've noticed that the current scramble to get the kit at the discounted price says that it was probably way overpriced to start with.
I hope if they do another production run the pricing for that will reflect this lesson learned.....
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Joey Romero said:
Well that isn't exactly the case. Yes, the day before NAB2013, JUST the Element Technica portion of 3ality was purchased by RED. 3ality is still 3ality but they are only in 3D now. Element will continue to do what we do but now we are under the RED umbrella. Our business strategy doesn't change much though. We will still be working diligently on non-RED and RED cameras alike. The "dump sale" has zero to do with this. In fact we are offloading the F3 because sales had dipped to zero for month long stretches. That's not a product line we should continue to sit on if it means sitting for years. So instead we figured we would make a lot of people happy by getting them into our gear and hopefully make so new long term customers we well ;)
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I might note that AbelCine and Element Technica have had an excellent and fruitful relationship for years now. We continued to enjoy this relationship while they were a part of 3ality and we fully expect to continue along with them as a part of RED. The Micron line of accessories for cameras such as the F55, C300 and more are great designs which have been embraced by our clients.
 
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