**Show Us How You Use Your CowboyStudio Shoulder Rig**

Mo.licious

Mo.licious

Member
Pretty simple, how are you using your twenty-dollar shoulder rig?

We've seen DIYs and all sorts for this little shoulder support system. Have you added anything to it? Rails? Offset pieces? Counter-weights?

Show us!

...and for starters, here are some videos to get us started. Maybe this can become a comprehensive resource for people looking to buy this shoulder support and the potential it has.

 
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The cowboy studio rig gets you something that holds on. Regardless of that your back is still doing all the work to hold the weight.
 
The problem is probably more to do with the fact that the weight is so far forward, not the amount of weight. This is as much a problem with the camera design. Some rigs try to get the camera further back on the shoulder to balance the weight.

Shoulder rigs like the cowboy studio are fine for most jobs. But for long term documentary style work (where you have the camera up there days on end) you'd want some kind of counterbalance I'd imagine.
 
Back problems? Ever talked to steady guys? Only way is rigurous constant training and exercise... Still this rig looks interesting, I am still looking around for a lightweight and small size rig for travels. Something that packs into minimum size.
 
things like this are OK if you are standing still. When walking around, they bounce like crazy.
 
here's my entry for crazy contraption of the year:
* cowboy shoulder rig
* macro rails for lateral displacement
* gorillapod ball head for vertical displacement and camera adjustment
* wood bit for left-side-only handle (best way I could balance the whole thing) (I don't let the cowboy's chest support touch my body while recording, it leads to weird camera movement)
* big velbon quick release for camera
* two small quick release thingies for H1 and small light panel

the whole thing folds really small, and weights just below 1.5 Kg (and that's with the full-metal macro rail, which I may replace with a wood bit for a slight weight reduction at the furthermost end of the rig)

I mounted the followfocus on the right side of the camera so that my right hand can operate all functions of the camera and also focus

IMG_0111.jpgIMG_0110.jpg
 
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These are some pretty rad ideas.
I'd like to be able to remove the camera from the cowboy arm and go straight to a tripod quickly and easily.
I've been thinking of grabbing a straight flash bracket like this and attach the tripod plate to the bottom. Any ideas?

:)
 
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choose well the quick release system you want to get, then get a big load of them, all exactly the same model

I got five, and I've already got them all used (except for one top half):
* top parts: camera, 300mm lens, 180mm lens, bottom of slider
* bottom parts: main tripod, secondary tripod, shoulder rig, top of slider, flycam
 
I'm using a Velbon C-500 Fluid Head.
I don't think they make QR's for those...just the plates.

That's why I was thinking of using the straight bracket to actually hold the tripod plate.
 
yes, you're right, but even if they did it's not sure you'd want to go that route, specially if you think you'll want to upgrade your tripod in the future

I didn't take my current cheap tripod into account when choosing my quick release system; I chose a QR that was cheap but good (the old velbon QB-635 magnesium), got 5 of them, and have one base permanently mounted on my tripod, so I never actually take off the QR plate that came with the tripod; when I finally upgrade my tripod, I'll just put that same base on top of it, and forget about the QR that comes with the tripod
 
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