C300: I'm looking for a baseplate with 15mm rods for the CN-E 18-80. Any recommendations?

Clermond

Clermond

Veteran
I have a plate from Cinemilled with rod mount for the Ronin1 but the rods are to close to the bottom of the camera. I cannot release the 18-80. When I turn the lens the servo unit is blocked by the rod. Same thing with cheapos like from SmallRig.

The C300iii arrived on Friday. I'm pretty happy with the handling and form factor so far and I want to keep it as small as possible. No cage, no v-mount battery, no expansion unit, maybe a brighter 5" monitor but that's it. I don't mind if the baseplate isn't too expensive :)
Thanks for recommendations!
 
Hi Clermond. Glad you got your camera. Can't help about baseplates, sorry, but I'd love to hear how you get on with it, as I'm sure many others would. I was about to order one but then started to consider the Komodo. I suspect I'll eventually go with the Canon perhaps because of the reliability factor but I'm trying to keep an open mind.
 
hey stewhem, I got it on Friday but still have to finish a Job with the EVA1 next week. It's my 1st Canon cinema camera but I shot stills with Canon since the 1st 5D in early 2006. I played around with it a bit at home and tortured Mrs. Clermond with some test :) For the sake of my marriage I cannot show the footage. But I liked what I saw. The footage and off course Mrs. Clermond. The camera feels easy to handle. Next step: trying to match the B/C-Cams Panasonic S1 and GH5.

nB: The display and the V50 could be brighter though.
in reply to your post: AF was a main decision criteria. That's why the Komodo was no option for me
 
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I have the small rig vct baseplate 1954 and it has the ability to raise and lower the rods. The Zacuto universal baseplate also has this ability. I would very much suggest getting the Zacuto's 18-80 lens support and extension and a baseplate with adjustable rod height. The lens support is quite a bit safer for th mount. Also, if you ever intend to use the grip unit, get an arri rosette 15mm rod mount so that you can put the grip directly on the rods and not on the lens.
 
Why do you need a baseplate? For using a wireless follow focus I often top mount the rods so I can forgo having a baseplate.

With the 18-80 and my Zacuto VCT Pro, I have a Kessler Kwik Release on the VCT Pro. Since the camera is attached via quick release to the baseplate, taking the camera off for a few seconds while I change lenses is quick and simple, as opposed to if you have the camera directly screwed into a baseplate. I always say, "You never want to screw around when on set." Quick release is where it's at.

I also have the Zacuto right angle cable for the 18-80 which reduces the clearance needed for a lens change since the stock cable sticks out more. Another thing, if your quick release(s) are high enough, they can provide enough clearance for the lens change without needing to take the camera off the baseplate. You could stack baseplates to accomplish this, though the added size, weight, etc., would likely make using just one baseplate and taking the camera off to be more practical.


cpreston said:
I have the small rig vct baseplate 1954 and it has the ability to raise and lower the rods. The Zacuto universal baseplate also has this ability. I would very much suggest getting the Zacuto's 18-80 lens support and extension and a baseplate with adjustable rod height. The lens support is quite a bit safer for th mount. Also, if you ever intend to use the grip unit, get an arri rosette 15mm rod mount so that you can put the grip directly on the rods and not on the lens.
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Both of those baseplates require an allen wrench in a tight spot (when rods are in the way) to raise or lower the rods which would be a huge hassle to deal with for every lens change, and I'm doubtful the amount of movement to lower them would be sufficient for the lens change.

I bought the lens support for my 18-80 and never use it. The lens is relatively light (like a 70-200) and I've never suffered noticeable damage to my EF mounts as a result.



This was my setup from a few years ago.


I've changed it some since then, such as using a Wooden Camera Grip Reolocator with the Shape Extension handle on the left side, along with the C200 monitor, Wooden Camera Helmet, Smallrig Top Handle, and Kessler Kwik Release. I just used this setup on yesterday's shoot with the 18-80. Nice to have a fully balanced rig with the camera grip control in one hand and the 18-80 servo in the other hand. One nice benefit of relocating the 18-80 side handle is the handle then doesn't get in the way of lens changes.


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When you don't need a shoulder mount baseplate, I personally like the small profile and design of the Wooden Camera Unified Baseplate for C300 Mark II. Unlike the Zacuto VCT Pro, you can slide the rods fully in and out without taking them off which could then give you clearance depending on what else is attached to the rods.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...era_wc_222100_unified_baseplate_sony_fs7.html

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24059336_1298457620260831_7247581544761073554_o.jpg
 
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Thanks for these suggestions and images. I’m 6‘8 and I never shoot from the shoulder.
I just need rods for the lens support and I want to keep it as simple and small as possible.
 
Clermond said:
hey stewhem, I got it on Friday but still have to finish a Job with the EVA1 next week. It's my 1st Canon cinema camera but I shot stills with Canon since the 1st 5D in early 2006. I played around with it a bit at home and tortured Mrs. Clermond with some test :) For the sake of my marriage I cannot show the footage. But I liked what I saw. The footage and off course Mrs. Clermond. The camera feels easy to handle. Next step: trying to match the B/C-Cams Panasonic S1 and GH5.

nB: The display and the V50 could be brighter though.
in reply to your post: AF was a main decision criteria. That's why the Komodo was no option for me
Click to expand...

For me the main attractions are (not necessarily in order) Canon colours, reliability, RAW, AF, decent codec if not using RAW, huge range of EF lenses of known quality. Reliability is a big one. I've never had a Canon still or video let me down since the original AE1.

And I sympathise about being fair to Mrs Clermond. My "Mrs Stewhem" is a black belt Karate person from Tokyo Uni, where a lot of the Japanese Olympic athletes train. As I'm nearer to 5'8' than your 6'8' I have learnt never to mess with her. You might be safe, but it would be a close call:nads:
 
Clermond said:
I have a plate from Cinemilled with rod mount for the Ronin1 but the rods are to close to the bottom of the camera. I cannot release the 18-80. When I turn the lens the servo unit is blocked by the rod. Same thing with cheapos like from SmallRig.

The C300iii arrived on Friday. I'm pretty happy with the handling and form factor so far and I want to keep it as small as possible. No cage, no v-mount battery, no expansion unit, maybe a brighter 5" monitor but that's it. I don't mind if the baseplate isn't too expensive :)
Thanks for recommendations!
Click to expand...

With the *Wooden Camera Baseplate for the C200/C500M2/C300M3 the rods are far enough from the lens mount to mount/unmount the CN-E 18-80mm and 70-200mm lenses. If you are using a lens support you will need to slide that out of the way but the rods are not an issue. I've got photos here on my IG and in the header image for a blog post.

*The baseplate piece that attaches direct to the camera sits higher than the one for the C300 Mark II giving the appropriate/standard amount of clearance for the lower sitting C200/C500M2/C300M3 cameras.
 
stewhem said:
For me the main attractions are (not necessarily in order) Canon colours, reliability, RAW, AF, decent codec if not using RAW, huge range of EF lenses of known quality. Reliability is a big one. I've never had a Canon still or video let me down since the original AE1.
Click to expand...

Coming from a EVA1 I had a lot: Varicam colors, decent codecs, reliability. RAW with the Atomos but I never used it. AF is what I often missed. 4K120p is a great bonus but I wouldn't have complained if it were only 4K60p. RAW is nice but I'm not on that level where it's requested or paid. I would have moved earlier to Canon Cinema but the 300ii missed 4K60p and with the C200 I would have to backup 1.5 - 2TB every night in the hotel.

stewhem said:
And I sympathise about being fair to Mrs Clermond. My "Mrs Stewhem" is a black belt Karate person from Tokyo Uni, where a lot of the Japanese Olympic athletes train. As I'm nearer to 5'8' than your 6'8' I have learnt never to mess with her. You might be safe, but it would be a close call:nads:
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Mrs. Clermond does that just by lifting one eyebrow. :Drogar-Shock(DBG):
 
Jon Roemer said:
With the *Wooden Camera Baseplate for the C200/C500M2/C300M3 the rods are far enough from the lens mount to mount/unmount the CN-E 18-80mm and 70-200mm lenses. If you are using a lens support you will need to slide that out of the way but the rods are not an issue. I've got photos here on my IG and in the header image for a blog post.

*The baseplate piece that attaches direct to the camera sits higher than the one for the C300 Mark II giving the appropriate/standard amount of clearance for the lower sitting C200/C500M2/C300M3 cameras.
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Thanks. That's just what I am looking for.
 
morgan_moore said:
Why do you need lens support rods?

Not on an 18-80 - yes with a cn-17 maybe 80-200 2.8 (better get the F4 version)
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I work often in dusty environments where I do not change lenses. The 18-80 stays on all day and travels in the backpack. I feel much better with a lens support. I had that already on the EVA1 and it proved it's worth.
 
I have two C300 MKII's that travel with the CN-E compact servos attached in their case. They both have baseplates and rods attached for the lens support. Even when I'm shooting handheld, I find the two rods to be a useful support for operating the lens. If I have a problem with the grip attached or removing the lens, I actually just take the right rod out. I feel much more secure with the lens support.

For the C300 II, I'm using some light weight, smallrig baseplates that have the perfect clearance for the Zacuto lens attachment. I did have the Zacuto baseplates designed for the C300, but the SmallRig were much lighter so I traded them out. I can't remember the SmallRig number for their low profile baseplate. It would be nice if somebody would design a low profile C500II/C300III baseplate with the correct rod height, but I haven't seen one.

The nice thing about the SmallRig VCT baseplate is that it actually uses a Manfrotto 501 plate to attach the camera to the VCT system. If I don't need the extra weight of the VCT or the shoulder mount capability, I can just use my regular manfrotto 501 quick release setups.
 
cpreston said:
It would be nice if somebody would design a low profile C500II/C300III baseplate with the correct rod height, but I haven't seen one.

The nice thing about the SmallRig VCT baseplate is that it actually uses a Manfrotto 501 plate to attach the camera to the VCT system. If I don't need the extra weight of the VCT or the shoulder mount capability, I can just use my regular manfrotto 501 quick release setups.
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The WC one does have the correct rod height for the lower Canon Cinema EOS cameras (C500M2, C300M3, C200, C700) and it is similar in functionality, just with Arca Swiss and Arri style Dovetail options instead of Manfrotto including the ability to quickly go on a VCT shoulder mount.

I run mine so that I can be with or without VCT, if not VCT then Arca Swiss compatible, and with or without rods. All very quickly.
 
I attended a Canon webinar for the C300iii and I asked the representative if I would need a lens support for the CN-E 18-80.
Short answer: no. That's good to know but it won't do harm for sure
 
Clermond said:
I attended a Canon webinar for the C300iii and I asked the representative if I would need a lens support for the CN-E 18-80.
Short answer: no. That's good to know but it won't do harm for sure
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I had done the same when I first got the 18-80. Canon's response was that if you are not using the servo grip at all or not using it mounted on the lens then a support was not needed.

They do recommend it if the servo grip is attached to the lens' arri rosette.

That said - if I am running around a lot with the camera on a project I prefer to have a lens mount beneath it. It just seems to make sense to do.
 
That's of course because your hand is putting pressure on the grip and pulling the lens down naturally with use or in general from gravity.
 
Jon Roemer said:
They do recommend it if the servo grip is attached to the lens' arri rosette.
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One of the nice things about the Zacuto lens support is that it supports the lens in all directions so that the lens mount doesn't take much stress. I've had cameras hit the ground and the lens not be damged due to the baseplate taking all of the torque. I have, however, had my unattached compact zoom hit the ground just falling from a couple of feet and needing to get the lens mount replaced. I think it cost about $700. Not fun.
 
cpreston said:
One of the nice things about the Zacuto lens support is that it supports the lens in all directions so that the lens mount doesn't take much stress. I've had cameras hit the ground and the lens not be damged due to the baseplate taking all of the torque. I have, however, had my unattached compact zoom hit the ground just falling from a couple of feet and needing to get the lens mount replaced. I think it cost about $700. Not fun.
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Note to self: Don't buy used cameras or lenses from Chuck. ;-)
 
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