Matthew Bennett
Well-known member
I just finished constructing this Homemade Shoulder mount RIG a few days ago,
I took an old homemade shoulder rig, added a hoodman LCD loupe to it, and reconstructed it to integrate a 5D or D90 as the camera..
The result is a balanced shoulder mounted rig, with an eyepiece you can cup your eye into...
...and now I think I'm going to take it apart, so I thought I'd share a couple of videos of the use of the Matticam rig before I repurpose it. My plan now is to use the m2 mount+diopter hoodloupe to make something small enough for a backpack, very light, sort of the same form function as a super 8 camera...
THE VIDEOS:
Here is a video (h.264 generated from a d90 on a tripod) of the standing usage of the matticam... its covered with fabric currently (see below for 'nude' view). When its on your shoulder, it is balanced enough to go hands free, thus you are able to operate focus, press the exposure buttons, etc, all the things you'd need to do to be ready to shoot an exposed, focused shot. Then your hands can go to the grey grips to operate your smooth pans, etc.
http://www.qmediasolutions.com/guest/CAMERA_TESTS/MATTICAM_BALANCE.MOV
Here is a closer video where you can see that the 5d just 'shoes in' to the whole rig, and is placed so the hoodloupe meets it properly. This keeps the hoodloupe nice and stiff, so your eye can jam into it without putting pressure on the camera. The natural stability of your head and shoulders is used. You could put a d90 in here as well, with a few adjustments...
http://www.qmediasolutions.com/guest/CAMERA_TESTS/MATTICAM_MOUNT.MOV
Overall the rig (I guess) weighs like 15 pounds. There is a dead 12v battery on the back which keeps the rear weight up and thus balances the rig.
I'm quite happy with the form factor and comfort of the rig, but I'm on a constant mission for smallness, lightness, and more operating comfort, therefore I'm going to take it apart and see if I can prototype a smaller version.
I've learned, after thinking 'smaller is better', that the people who designed rigs/cams like the shoulder mounted ENG betacams, et al, really did nail it when it comes to making a camera necessarily heavy and steady on your body. That form factor really helps for smoothness of operating.
I'd thought I'd share with the forum so you can see it before I take it apart.
HERES the 'nude' view:
I took an old homemade shoulder rig, added a hoodman LCD loupe to it, and reconstructed it to integrate a 5D or D90 as the camera..
The result is a balanced shoulder mounted rig, with an eyepiece you can cup your eye into...
...and now I think I'm going to take it apart, so I thought I'd share a couple of videos of the use of the Matticam rig before I repurpose it. My plan now is to use the m2 mount+diopter hoodloupe to make something small enough for a backpack, very light, sort of the same form function as a super 8 camera...
THE VIDEOS:
Here is a video (h.264 generated from a d90 on a tripod) of the standing usage of the matticam... its covered with fabric currently (see below for 'nude' view). When its on your shoulder, it is balanced enough to go hands free, thus you are able to operate focus, press the exposure buttons, etc, all the things you'd need to do to be ready to shoot an exposed, focused shot. Then your hands can go to the grey grips to operate your smooth pans, etc.
http://www.qmediasolutions.com/guest/CAMERA_TESTS/MATTICAM_BALANCE.MOV
Here is a closer video where you can see that the 5d just 'shoes in' to the whole rig, and is placed so the hoodloupe meets it properly. This keeps the hoodloupe nice and stiff, so your eye can jam into it without putting pressure on the camera. The natural stability of your head and shoulders is used. You could put a d90 in here as well, with a few adjustments...
http://www.qmediasolutions.com/guest/CAMERA_TESTS/MATTICAM_MOUNT.MOV
Overall the rig (I guess) weighs like 15 pounds. There is a dead 12v battery on the back which keeps the rear weight up and thus balances the rig.
I'm quite happy with the form factor and comfort of the rig, but I'm on a constant mission for smallness, lightness, and more operating comfort, therefore I'm going to take it apart and see if I can prototype a smaller version.
I've learned, after thinking 'smaller is better', that the people who designed rigs/cams like the shoulder mounted ENG betacams, et al, really did nail it when it comes to making a camera necessarily heavy and steady on your body. That form factor really helps for smoothness of operating.
I'd thought I'd share with the forum so you can see it before I take it apart.
HERES the 'nude' view:
