C100: Shoulder Rig ?

Just got a c100 and realized I need a new rig. My old one is a cheap Indian rig I used mainly on my 5D. Is way too heavy and too high for the C100. Never liked it anyway so now looking for something more light weight and can also go on a Rhino slider. I can still use the matte box and FF however.

Right now I'm thinking of something simple like this:

Zacuto Gorilla plate - and mount FF + MB on front.
Zacuto target shooter - Looks like an easy solution to provide another point of contact and slots right into the Gorilla plate. Will use with the Z-finder.

Only thing is I'm not sure what size rods to get for the front. Ideally need to cover length of my longest lens (24-70). Maybe 7" are long enough.

Anyone else got a similar setup?
 
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The issue of forward vs. rear mounting is frustrating (or external evf vs. no external evf). While mounting the camera rearward over the shoulder makes the rig lighter and more balanced, the added weight of the EVF and battery increases the weight of the rig and brings the center of mass forward, which you were trying to minimize by putting the camera and lens farther back (not to mention more batteries to deal with, buttons, etc). I also don't like reaching up and back with my right hand to access the lens, which you must do if the camera is mounted this way. I think there's no perfect solution, but I prefer a z-finder on the lcd and forward mount, but it does make counterweights a necessity. But even with 4 lbs of counterweight on a rig it's still easier to shoulder mount than to hold in one's hand for hours. I'm waiting for a new offset shoulder pad from Tilta, I'll post a photo in a few days.
 
My old Indian rig with shoulder off set and z-finder worked fine. Just need some more weights on the back (anyone know where to get some cheap weights from?).

I'm going to use the Zacuto target shooter for smaller run & gun stuff and the shoulder rig for more narrative stuff I think.

20140603_155412.jpg
 
The problem with most of those rigs is the fact that after upgrading your camera you will have to upgrade/change your rig as well.
I am looking for some sort of universal rig that will work with next cameras, that will be future proofed and extremely solid. Something like Letus Master Cinema Series or similar. Some professionals that I was speaking with last week have taught me to invest in SOLID equipment. It's going to last with you a looong time, in opposite to cheap stuff that you will have to replace after 2-3 years. So investing in an equipment even 5 times more expensive BUT that will last your entire career and will be always reliable makes a lot of sense to me (buy once and forget).
Please post some extremely solid rigs names that will accommodate C100 as well as some other cameras in the future.

So list starts like this:
- Letus Master Cinema Series ----------------- (not sure about quality - please comment)
- Zacuto Recoil with their Half Cage ---------- (not sure about quality - please comment)
- Arri shoulder Kit ------------------------------- (not sure about it's universality - please comment)

Please add another ones, I will edit this post to add all.
 
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Nedcam are you powering your c100 with the Dionic or only the SmallHD DP4?

nedcam said:
BeeHop,

Look no further, study my rig photo. I do a lot of handheld and I need to go instantly from tripod to shoulder and found the Tilta Rig base was the best, modular, and a good value to customize. Figuring I needed a counterweight I did not want a useless weight so I have my Anton Bauer powering the whole thing. Knowing that sometimes I may need a Ninja or wireless receiver I wanted room on the back.

But the best thing is that I bought the Zacuto Relocator for about $300 so my right hand's thumb can do all the scrolling. My left hand grip is a custom handle made by Olof. So I pretty much consider this perfect except I may need focus wheels if I can figure out which brand will work with all my lenses. I bought a DP4 EVF so it acts as an onboard monitor if a client or director wants to see the shot. Once I know my focus while on sticks I have no need for the LCD screen.

I tend to leave the shotgun on so I don't pick up myself breathing. Sometimes I have an LED light on top, even though the C100 is good in low light there are times you need an eye light or something straight on. The cheeseplate was $30, bought an AB Gold Mount then a Quad D-Tap to power everything. In previous models I had configured a stomach support rod that fit near my belt buckle. I could literally make phone calls with two hands or sip coffee because everything was perfectly in balance. But I figure this is too expensive a package to take both hands off at the same time. I tend to shoot at many heights so detaching the rod quickly becomes an issue, but if you feel the job will be HOURS of handheld then it is very handy to have, I may configure a fast detaching one.

So in sum, if you start with a Tilta Rig baseplate you can modularize it the way you want as you get to learn more of what you need. The way I look at a shoulder rig is if I am in the middle of an IMPORTANT shot I know the editor really needs, I have to be able to take either hand and make an adjustment to either side of the camera, whether it's focus, exposure or zoom, without any noticeable bump. Now I am onto customizing a rain coat of some sort. Tilta is the least expensive solution yet has great build quality. That's my two cents. Good luck!
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