FS5: Shoulder Rigs for the Sony FS5 Thread
- Thread starter Chadfish
- Start date
Looks nice, same as the Shape but hides the wire... I think its great you can take the grip off and stick it back on the camera without tools
Chadfish
Veteran
Can you? I didn't see that written anywhere. That would be great. Without a way to do that, for me is a deal breaker.
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You can see the fitting on the end of the arm... its for the Sony grip mount and not a rosette. Or just buy the Shape and run your own $10 wire vs the coil it comes with (easy to hide)
They demonstrate that you can do this right in the video.
andykwilkinson
Well-known member
The LCD is going to be very, very close to your face with the set-up shown in that demo video.
Chadfish
Veteran
True, but it's perfect placement for something like the Z Finder: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...ap=y&m=Y&c3api=1876,92051677442,&Q=&A=details
That handle extension intrigues me. I think I have the right balance setup but need to extend the grip as I've been getting really handy with it. For me I just want to make sure the mounting solutions are easy to remove for a stripped down gimbal setup. That's what I've been finding is difficult as the Recoil and Shape all have top plates.
I agree the Lanparte handle looks like a good solution. Maybe the top plate idea would allow you to orient the VF a bit father away if you aren't using a loupe.
This has been the best solution for me so far. Shoulder plate (Lanparte), Zacuto Finder and Shape extension (can be taken off without tools and even more important: can be moved up and down just by pushing that red button and not by turning screws, as seen from the Lanparte extension and others)
Z-Finder work well?
Z-Finder work well?
Nice rig! How do you like the Zacuto Finder? I had a Z-Finder for my GH4, but it was difficult to see the entire width of the GH4's OLED screen. The FS5 screen is a bit underwhelming, but I wonder if the Z-Finder makes it any more usable. Obviously, the Z-Finder will help in bright light.
Z-Finder work well?
Nice rig! How do you like the Zacuto Finder? I had a Z-Finder for my GH4, but it was difficult to see the entire width of the GH4's OLED screen. The FS5 screen is a bit underwhelming, but I wonder if the Z-Finder makes it any more usable. Obviously, the Z-Finder will help in bright light.
I have mounted the "Touch-and-Go" plate from Sachtler on the underside of the Lanparte shoulder plate and that's it. Very simple. There is an extra piece included with the Lanparte shoulder plate that I have removed here. When mountes, you could attach the shoulder plate to a VCT-14 plate as well.
As I am living in a country with lots of strong sunshine (Thailand), the Zacuto comes in very handy. Without it, the LCD would be too close to my eyes. I can easily see the whole screen with the Finder over it.
That Chrosziel setup looks close to perfect but is way more cash than I want to spend. http://shop.chrosziel.de/shop/eng/c...xtender-kit-w.-support-for-sony-pxw-fs5?c=269
Yep, very spendy! As the FS5 seems to be getting popular, there will likely be less expensive rig options coming from others.
PandoraFilmmaker
Member
I'm splurged and bought the Zacuto recoil rig with Z finder for the FS5. In order to reach the controls in the back of the camera however, you have to move the camera forward - putting more weight in the front of the camera. To further stabilize the camera and take pressure off the arms, I used an old DVTec Rig http://www.dvtec.tv/engrig1.html I'm lucky I had an old one around because whoever owns the company (in Isreal) doesn't seem to want to be contacted. It's still a bit awkward - but something I thought I could get used to....until I tried it on a real shoot where I had to use headphones. You simply can't wear them without them knocking into the side of the camera - because the zacuto finder - even when pushed to the end of the rod - doesn't keep your head far away enough from the camera. I'm contacted them to see if they can send me a longer rod -- but major oversight!
Chadfish
Veteran
That's a bummer that headphones will prevent you from getting your eye in the Z Finder comfortably. I'm always wearing headphones when I shoot. I'm just not sure the Zacuto is the right rig to get. There just aren't many videos out there that show a complete solution to get the FS5 on your shoulder, then be able to put it onto a tripod without any fuss. I need to be able to switch back and forth quickly. I guess we need to be including some form of big bass plate that stays on the tripod too.
Grug
Veteran
Throwing it out there, but I'd highly recommend the Wooden Camera Shoulder Rig v2 (I got the premium version with wooden handles) and Wooden Camera's Dovetail Clamp. You'd just need a simple 15mm rod mount to put underneath the camera, then put the Dovetail Clamp underneath that:
http://woodencamera.com/ARRI/Shoulder-Rigs-ARRI/Shoulder-Rig-v2-Premium-Wooden-Grip.html
http://woodencamera.com/ARRI/Shoulder-Rigs-ARRI/Dovetail-Clamp.html
Why? Because it'll be the last shoulder rig you ever need to buy. This crazy cycle of customised baseplates for every camera under the sun is just madness in my opinion. The Arri dovetail standard is here to stay, and will support basically any kind of rig you can throw at it.
I've used this with an Alexa Studio and an F35 so far and it's worked a treat, and it's worked just as well on a much lighter F3 setup too. It's a system that'll let you achieve perfect balance regardless of the camera and lens combination.
And you don't have to go the Wooden Camera route if you don't want to - you can easily build the same sort of dovetailing setup out Small Rig parts. It's the concept that matters here, not the brands.
http://woodencamera.com/ARRI/Shoulder-Rigs-ARRI/Shoulder-Rig-v2-Premium-Wooden-Grip.html
http://woodencamera.com/ARRI/Shoulder-Rigs-ARRI/Dovetail-Clamp.html
Why? Because it'll be the last shoulder rig you ever need to buy. This crazy cycle of customised baseplates for every camera under the sun is just madness in my opinion. The Arri dovetail standard is here to stay, and will support basically any kind of rig you can throw at it.
I've used this with an Alexa Studio and an F35 so far and it's worked a treat, and it's worked just as well on a much lighter F3 setup too. It's a system that'll let you achieve perfect balance regardless of the camera and lens combination.
And you don't have to go the Wooden Camera route if you don't want to - you can easily build the same sort of dovetailing setup out Small Rig parts. It's the concept that matters here, not the brands.
Danneskjold
Member
While the VCT plate is big, you can get them for relatively cheap on eBay and then add your own tripod plate. I got a Sony VCT-14 plate off eBay for cheap and put a normal Manfrotto baseplate on and now I can swap it between my tripod and monopod.
You can also add your own tripod plate to the front of the Zacuto VCT, BUT it will be next to impossible to balance your tripod (if you are concerned with that).
My major complaint with the Zacuto VCT is how heavy it is - it weighs 2lbs by itself which in the case of the FS5 is more than the camera itself weighs. I'm not sure if any of the competition weighs less or not.