Shoulder rigs are great and all but how do you carry over long distances?

shaocaholica

shaocaholica

Well-known member
I see a lot of rigs configured for comfy shoulder shooting but what happens if you have to trek great distances before and after you shoot? A top handle would help but the ideal solution would be some sort of sling that would free up your arms and let the whole contraption hang from your chest. Are there any examples of this kind of configuration?
 
You can get a back large enough to hold them. A sling would likely get in the way during shooting. I try to make sure everything I have can be carried by a strap over the shoulder, and I go for a large bag (with other stuff in it) for that.
 
Cassius said:
You can get a back large enough to hold them. A sling would likely get in the way during shooting. I try to make sure everything I have can be carried by a strap over the shoulder, and I go for a large bag (with other stuff in it) for that.
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A bag could work but what if you're shooting nature or something else that requires you to start shooting quickly without taking your bag off and getting the camera out. Theres also the noise factor involved in that as well.
 
I have no experience with video and I am a stills photographer. The main reason I am here is to learn about video as I need it for a few projects I have in mind. I do a lot of high magnification macro photography in the field and it is very difficult handholding at high magnifications because every movement is hugely magnified. So a couple of years ago I came up with a very simple rig for stabilizing the camera and it works very well. I think it could be adapted for use as a stabilizing rig for handheld video when the shoulder mounts are too bulky. It is easy to just drop it off the camera when you don't want it and it can just loop over your belt. It is also very light and compact and just uses a few easily available bits of photographic equipment. What is not clear from the images is how I use it. Basically I push the end of the un-extended monopod into my stomach, and with shoulder brace it gives 2 points of contact. Sometimes I also use an old lens pouch either on a belt or a neck strap and put the end of the monopod in that. It really is incredibly stable. The components - a Manfrotto MN361 shoulder brace and the Velbon Ultra Stick 50 monopod are very light, and pretty cheap. I apologise for the poor quality stills as I just quickly snapped them when somebody asked to see a photo of the set-up on another forum. Nevertheless it gives some idea of how it works - the photo with the camera showing the position in how it is used.

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Yes sometimes I just use the Manfrotto shoulder brace on its own. The monopod only weighs 210g and is only 32cm long so it's not much to add to it + of course you can use it as a monopod to. It has to be a short monopod to work like this and I only got this one because my other monopods were too long.
 
That shoulder brace and monopod setup looks exactly like something I'm after. Can you please tell me what mono pod that is?

Edit: I missed it in your post. The velbon ultra stick. I'm getting one next week. cheers
 
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I should have added that when I use it I put my left hand around b&s head and sort of slightly push it into me and this is what gives it the stability.
 
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