rails on a VFGadgets ex3 plate?

MPB

MPB

Well-known member
i've been given a Redrock microMattebox deluxe bundle after a piece i shot won an award. i'm wondering if anyone has fit this, or any other rail mounted devices, onto the VFGadgets bottom plate for the ex3. the VF site shows an attachment for rails, but the picture only shows the forward section, with the rail attachment also serving as a mounting point fitting into a standard tripod quick release plate. with no indication that there is also a rearward mounting point, it doesn't look very stable at all.

looking on the Redrock site, they have some options, but i don't know for sure they would fit the VFGadgets plate.

and is it just me, or is this box HUGE?
 
I've been using the VF plate since the came out. It's very solid and very stable.
Here's mine with everything. That's what always bugged me about Redrock, was that gigantic ugly box.
xf0whx.jpg
 
wow, JD. that's quite the rig. relay lens and all.

it looks like you might get some added stability from the fact that you're securing the lens adapter to the rails, as well as the mounting point on the VF plate. i'm still a little concerned that with that point that attaches the rails to the VF plate as the only mounting point, it might be a little wobbly front-to-back. i'm just using the stock lens and hoping to put rails on just for the matte box. that wouldn't provide me with another mounting point.

what lens do you have on the front there? and does the relay save a lot of light?

thanks for chiming in, i appreciate the input.

i may have a look at some of the Zacuto rail mounts/adapters, as it looks like they provide a longer point of contact with the plate.
 
The lens is a Zeiss 50mm. There is no wobble. It's a "locking" mechanism, it's not going to move. Plus this camera doesn't weigh all that much, even with all the letus stuff. If your just adding a matte box, ...that's nothing. You will be totally fine. A latch in the back would just be redundant. The camera is just too light, not an issue.

As for the relay, it just helps, in making the Letus set-up be more compact and used friendly. Plus I'm not going though so much glass as in the stock lens. Still just 1/2 stop in light loss. Relay has no effect on light loss.
 
thanks for the input. my vf plate is the longer one, with shoulder mount and the additional v-mount battery adapter. that's what made me concerned about the short, single point of support. it makes for some leverage being roughly a foot aft of the single mounting point.
 
That's a very cool plate and shoulder mount, been seeing that one recently. That's what I was looking for in the beginning! Very smart. I have to remove my shoulder mount to get on tripod. This is a tricky camera to balance. I'm sure even without the letus stuff, it's still front heavy (unless you get a battery brick , that's 10 to 13 lbs).
What I have found and use, which is really great is the DV-Tec support system. It's a spring loaded mono pole that's mounts to the rails and has a quick release to loose the pole and attaches to waist. Takes all that front weight off your arms. Makes an all day handheld, do-able. Haven't tried yet with Letus, but it would be the only way to go to with all that front weight. http://www.dvtec.tv/id2.html
5uh2bo.jpg
 
That DVTEC support looks really good. I was working with a cameraman last year who was using one (not sure if it was the DVTEC or something similar) - seemed to work well.

The EX-3 is an awkward camera to balance - and you definitely need some weight out the back for any sort of shoulder mounted rig.

I've put some posts on a couple of other forums about the shoulder mount I'm working on - will start a thread here too - the more feedback, the better!

Mark
 
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