Shoulder mount and on camera light purchase

C

christiankelly

Member
I need to get a shoulder mount for my HVX200A for some handheld work (just can’t hold the camera steady enough for the amount of time I’ll need to be shooting) I’m leaning towards the RedRock microShoulderMount Deluxe. It looks very well made, although the price at $400 is more then I would like to pay. The other one I found was the Cavision RS1580D-SPE it runs about $200 which is nice but it just doesn’t seem to be as polished and well thought out as the RedRock. I could be wrong and would like to save the money, but I’ve generally found that not getting something of high quality ends up biting me in the end.

Has anyone used either of the above shoulder mounts for the HVX200A? Would you recommend one over the other? Is there another model that I haven’t seen in this price range that I should be looking at?

I am also in need of some on camera lighting, and what I’m thinking of getting is the Litepannels MicroPro. I have read a lot of reviews on the Micro that weren’t so good, but not that many on the MicroPro. It seems to be brighter and a more even amount of light. I would like the Miniplus but I just can’t afford it. I’m looking to spend no more than about $450 max and that is pushing it for me already at this point. Has anyone used the MicoPro? Would you recommend it? Is there another light in the under $500 range I should be looking at?

Thanks so much for your time.
 
I use the Litepanel MicroPro for weddings and to be honest, it's pretty lack luster. The problem I find is that besides often not being bright enough, it's white balanced for daylight. And that really throws off the lighting inside ballrooms and grand halls where receptions are generally held. As you probably know, receptions are usually warmly and dimly lit, so a bright white balanced for day light really throws off not only the other videographer I shoot with but the photographers. I suggest getting something Frezzi. It's a little awkward because it runs off an external battery pack whereas the Litepanel lights run on AA batteries, but ultimately it is the better on camera light.
 
I guess if you use the Tungsten Filter that comes with it you lose even more light. I like the Frezzi but to get the kit that woudl work with my cam is just over 1k. Out of my raange at this point I think.
 
If you just need the light, why would you get a shoulder mount as well if you are concerned about your budget? Honestly, I don't think that anyone needs a shoulder mount unless they're using a 35mm adapter rig, or their rig is just large as is. But if it is something you need and its fits your budget, it looks like a relatively solid buy.
 
ive found that pretty much NONE of the shoulder mounts out there are perfect (no, not even my beloved and ultra-pricey zacuto rig) dont get me wrong. most of them serve quite well in various scenarios. but ive found fundamental flaws in just about all of them. i finally plunked down the 2 dozen or so benjamins for my zacuto rig because it was as close to perfect as i could find. and adjustable enough to work in a number of configurations...

the biggest problem i have with any of the shoulder+grips rigs is that they take your hands off of the focus/zoom controls. and ive yet to find any remotes (varizoom, manfrotto, bebob, etc...) that work all that well ergonomically with any of the grips. you usually end up carrying the grips on your 3rd and 4th fingers while operating the controls.

and those goofy things with the lower arm that rests on your torso or hips seem kinda clumsy to me. i cant imagine them working if youre walking - or breathing for that matter...

one thing i found pretty interesting on a cost/value standpoint is this little rig called the cb105. its mega lean on glitz and glamor but is kind of brilliant in its simplicity. its basically a bent piece of metal, a foam pad and a counter weight. there are no grips, no way to accommodate a lens adapter or much anything else. but what it does is take just about all the weight off the front end and places it behind your shoulder. the only problem i have with it its not adjustable and im kind of far-sighted and the camera ends up closer to my face than i can focus on using the on-cam monitor (and the center mounted viewfinder is of no value in this configuration)

but have a look. it might be just the thing for you - and at like $70 it wont break the bank if its not.

here is an old ebay link. i dont think the guy has any on auction right now. but maybe if you drop him an email he can make up some more...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Shoulder-support-for-Steadicam-Steadycam-operators_W0QQitemZ320369636579QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4a9784b4e3&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1234|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50
 
Last edited:
Finnegan said:
If you just need the light, why would you get a shoulder mount as well if you are concerned about your budget? Honestly, I don't think that anyone needs a shoulder mount unless they're using a 35mm adapter rig, or their rig is just large as is. But if it is something you need and its fits your budget, it looks like a relatively solid buy.
Click to expand...

I'm in the market for both items as stated in the first post so if I combined them I would be able to afford it.

wgzn: Thanks for the pointers I will check if the ebay guy has more of thoes very interesting
 
I agree on the cb105.

It's a little heavy until you put it on your shoulder.

Works really well. And as pointed out, you can still deal with zoom, etc. controls.
 
I did a comparison before showing 6 different on-camera lights. You can take a look here

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=173216

I don't have LP MicroPro. But LP Micro is just won't make the cut. SWIT is a great light too but it doesn't have the throw and spread like the Comer 900. It is cheaper and perform much better than LP Micro and SWIT. I'm using Comer 1800 which wins hand down.
 
Indifocus has the best bang for the buck in shoulder mounts in my opinion. I have one. Its only 150 bucks. The Zacutto stuff is awesome, but price of admission is high.

product_indirailspro_imgsm.jpg
 
Very cool thanks for all the posts, I like the Indifocus it looks good. Also the CB130 for 70 is hard to beat.

On the lighting I'm leaning towards spending a bit more and getting a Frezzi setup. I'm going for the FRF12MH Power Belt with the Frezzi Mini-fill. With an adapter I will be able to power my HVX200 with the same battery and for daytime should get me all day usage and at night can power the camera and light for 2 hrs. The quality looks good and it's dimmable which is a must. I also like that I can use the support stick to get the light off the cam and held by someone if needed.

The whole kit will run be about 1k but I think in the end I will be happier then with a LitePannel or other LED light. Below is what I'm getting.

FRF12MH Power Belt Dual 4-Pin XLR Output
Frezzolini MFIC-4X
LS-21 3" Stud with Shoe Mount
LS-1 3" Stud with 1/4-20
Frezzolini UMS Universal Camera and Light Support Stick

PS: the only thing that's making me rethink could be the Comer CM-LBPS1800, that looks quite good on thoes tests.
 
Good quality products come at a price. If you want something cheap, you will get a support that will be uncomfortable and a light with low output.

The best support I know of is the DV Rig by DVTEC (dvtec.tv). They make a couple supports for handheld cameras. You can shoot all day with no fatigue with their supports.

For lights, MicroBeam 128. Considerably more output than Litpanels.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top