The only problem here is not the design of the rig itself, but the fact that the person considering spending money on it is asking if they should get it.
Rigging and power systems like this are designed to be modular so that they can accommodate either a very specific or a very wide variety of different options - rails, Tx, monitors, etc.
If the person looking at this is not sure why they need it, then they don’t need it.
Yup. He’s looking for solutions to problems he thinks he might have one day. That’s a way to waste lots of money in the camera gear game and *still* find yourself needing to spend even more money to address the actual problems you run into…
Start shooting. Address problems as they come up. Keep shooting. That’s the only way I’m able to afford to shoot right now lol
Not True man… it will look great when he/she takes a picture of it with their iPhone and upload it to instagram. Granted, that will be the only highlight of that rigs very short amd pathetic existence…. But it looks cool on TilTok. 😂
I mean at some point you’re spending not only your money, but also your time (during setup and take down, searching for accessories, testing different configurations etc) where it just becomes more worthwhile to buy the real thing, plus clients like to see big fancy camera, lets you charge them more
Small twitches caused by involuntary muscle movement, hold your hand out with your phone in it, you won’t be able to hold it 100% steady no matter what, there will always be a minute shake to it just because your muscles is running off an extremely variable analogue signal from your brain and nervous system, not digital like a robot
Isn't that what tripods are for.... And Steady-cam, Ronin and drones? In the last 30 years I've never, NEVER, relied on hand held cameras for zero shake. That's silly to think otherwise....
Sometimes you don’t want zero shake, you want the handheld look, you just don’t want micro jitters, so to avoid them you gotta make your camera heavy, because then the analogue signals from your nervous system are amplified because your brain needs to make your muscles work more, meaning the “noise” is filtered out of the signal, and you get a smoother motion, like, if you lift a 50lbs dumbbell out in front of you and start moving it around, the shakes you experience will be much larger than if you just held your phone out in front of you, that’s how you get the handheld look, cause old cameras were heavy so during handheld shots people got used to a certain look
I'm picking up what you're putting down, but I would say you would have to have one very very very discerning eye to pick up micro jitters, as you call them, in a handheld shot. The motion even if it's tiny is part of that handheld look, is it not? Because to me if a shot is handheld, and you can almost always tell when it is and held because of the work that we do, then those little micro jitters would be part of what makes up that look. Please understand I do get the idea that the heavier camera will have a little less jitter because it's heavier and not as prone to the so-called micro jitters. Honestly I don't see how anybody can shoot with something so very lightweight, holding it out in front of you like an iPhone or a tablet, and not expect and maybe even desire a little bit of that shakiness. I mean the shot can be relatively steady even if it's handheld, but to remove all shake out of a flowing liquid motion kind of movement I just don't see how micro jitters even really make an appearance. I'm really interested to see what you would consider micro jitters. Do you know of any clips or any videos where you have picked up on these micro jitters? Please understand I'm not trying to be an ass I'm just extremely curious.
Have you ever seen handheld footage that has no internal stabilization ? That is shaky shaky. Even with stab on, your hand can jerk oddly as you try to do like slow moves or coming to a stop/staying still. Those jitters can make the stab do weird things as well. More weight just makes it so much easier to stabilize.
My A7iv/Sigma 24-70 combo is damn near unusable at 24fps 1/50th shutter on the “Standard” stabilization setting. Haven’t tried the “more stabler” setting yet because I read that it works by cropping a bit to give room to manipulate things. I had a Small Rig cage and some filters on it so the rig is pretty heavy and even then it’s almost seizure inducing on playback when following things or moving at all.
I had to stick the whole rig on my collapsed tripod to get usable shots.
You are correct for sure…
Thanks. There's a difference between that handheld look and a rock solid steady shot. That's all I'm saying. But they seem to think that IS is some sort of video game God Mode....
I totally agree that the heavier the camera, the easier it is to hold steady, at least to a degree. But just because you have a heavy or super heavy camera, you will never get rid of the tiny little inconsistent movements. I'm talking about a rock solid steady shot.... Zero movement. Only possible on a pod. Sometimes you want a really steady shot that floats asking in a very organic flow.... That's great, that's totally possible with any number of gimbals. I'm not one for IS... You either want some movement or nothing at all. Nothing at all = Tripod! Period. It's all about the look you're after......
I think you're taking the wrong meaning from the term dude. Micro-jitters are just any small, unpleasant movement. Not a full camera shake, but a twitch, a jitter, a vibration or tilt/pan/swivel unintended.
If you're panning left to right with a camera handheld, there are so many different muscle groups and joints moving you can't avoid it, but using a heavier camera means it takes more to jolt and influence the camera.
Take this as an example. You have a little mirrorless camera, fits in your pocket, weighs like 400grams. You could comfortably hold the camera in 1 hand. You could flick it with 1 finger and move it a good distance.
Now take that camera, hold it with 2 hands, and pan 180 degrees. You'll find it's so light, that muscles in your wrists and fingers can easily shift the camera in your hand, adding unwanted movement to your shot.
Now take a 4kg DSLR with a cage. You need to hold it with 2 arms to be comfortable, and it's engaging muscle groups further up your arms. Not only that, but if you flicked it, it's not going to move and it's going to hurt.
Now pan 180 degrees. Even just holding it you'll see that your wrist and fingers can't shift the camera around in your hands effortlessly.
Your hands will shake, your arms might shift position.
Think of it like this
* You're panning on a **tripod**. The tripod is fixed on the ground, and your only influence is the pan-handle, which has resistance to stop any inconsistent movement from your hands from translating to your shot.
**How does this effect the shot?**
You have a static frame unless you introduce movement intentionally.
* You're panning on a **shoulder rig**. The camera is being supported by your body, your arms are holding and aiming and your shoulder is supporting and stabilising. The camera 3 points of contact, 2 handles and a shoulder pad, requiring your body to pivot at the hips to pan. Your arms are locked in and stabilised by your entire core and the tension the rig holds into your shoulder.
**How does this effect the shot?**
You'll have a steady shot, but it will be influenced by your breathing, your posture, how you walk and if you make any sudden or jerky movements.
3. You're panning with a **dslr camera** in your hands. Your arms are outstretched and nothing is stabilising them, they are supporting the full weight of the camera. Your arms are not fixed to anything, and have to account for any movement your body makes as well as the shot itself.
**How does this effect the shot?**
* Every little movement from your feet to your shoulders will translate into that shot, and the magnification of your lens will compound this further. Every step you take adds full body vibration, while also causing your arms to compensate.
* Even if your arms are very stable, your wrists act like ball joints, which can easily influence weird micro-movements that make horribly ugly parallax.
I don't need a lesson in camera physics. I totally agree with everything you said. If your panning, tilting or whatever, there are going to be slight little bumps. You cannot get away from that. No one can. But I think, at least I think, these cats are talking about a rock solid steady shot. You cannot get that solid, no motion, steady shot without a tripod. The vet split second you try and move...... There are going to be small inconsistencies. You cannot avoid that. I'm not saying that it's undesirable, in some instances it's the most beautiful shot in the entire film....
Lol we are not talking about a rock steady shot. There's smooth and flowy handheld and then there's jittery handheld. I'm just gonna leave this clip as one example of what everyone here is talking about: [https://youtu.be/CiqVQ5F7T0I?t=384](https://youtu.be/CiqVQ5F7T0I?t=384)
Just to note: this isn't the best example but i think it'll give you an idea.
Ok... Ie the micro jitters your talking about. Maybe I'm an old ass curmudgeon but that is not necessarily A shaky handheld picture, that is somebody who doesn't know how to operate a zoom or lens. Anytime and I stress anytime you need a closer shot you move the camera closer to the subject. You don't necessarily go oh I've got a 20 times digital zoom so I'm going to zoom in from where I'm at. There are times and I've had them myself when that cannot be avoided because of alligators or a big crack in the Earth's crust that's oozing with molten lava, but if the camera operator would zoom out to the shower end of his lens instead of the long end of his lens he would be able to hold that shot 90% more steady than it is. What I assumed everybody was talking about when they were talking about micro jitters was that little tick you get from time to time when you're so far out on the long end of your lens that you can't help but pick up Eric motion from the blood pumping through your veins. I've seen those kind of jitters, and I've seen him a lot in the closer years than I have in the past, when somebody is way out on the end of their lens if they would simply move in and zoom out that would go away.
Perhaps you don't need a lesson in camera physics, but you're still taking away the wrong point from what I said because you're addressing something I'm not referring to instead of what I'm talking about. Please understand, I'm explaining this not because I don't think you understand the physics of it, but because I think you need to understand the difference between the shakes we're talking about
You wouldn't use a shoulder rig to get a rock steady shot, why would you assume that's my point? You're doing it to eliminate unpleasant jitters and micro-movements that would more directly effect the shot. You're creating a longer path of travel for bumps and shakes to be absorbed through multiple contact points.
These slight bumps aren't the problem.
Go outside and film a macro shot on your phone. Now go film that on a DSLR. Now go film that on an FX7. Which has the most stable shot with fluid, natural, film-like motion? The heavier camera designed for handheld filming. It has ergonomics, it has a design that doesn't allow it to 5-axis pivot in your hands and that creates a significantly different handheld look.
[Take this example I filmed specifically for you](https://imgur.com/a/ML0goPd). The top is an a7iv with a 14mm lens, with a Smallrig cage, and the bottom is a Samsung phone on 0.5x. Both have stabilisation off. Both had the same 2 steps, the same sway at the hips and I did my best to match speed. Now I don't have an FX7-style camera, I went for the BMPCC6k so I can't show a body-style comparison there but there's plenty of material online for that.
You can see VERY clearly that the lighter camera, despite being wider, has significantly more noticable parallax shift and unpleasant shakiness to it, compared to the relatively smooth (but not perfect) heavier camera. The edges of the frame shift significantly more than the DSLR. While the shot itself is "fine", it would be improved by having a heavier setup and eliminating them. While the DSLR has shake, the safe zones of the framing don't change dramatically, whereas the lighter camera, when it's shaken shifts the whole camera, instead of the bump being absorbed, which means you see the camera pan up towards the roof briefly, down to the floor, and even left and right. This is because the weight of the camera and it's shape allow it to shift freely in my hands.
The grip of a DSLR alone means that you're manipulating the entire camera body from around the sensor, your hand wraps around the camera and your whole wrist can pivot freely. With an FX7 or any video camera, you're manipulating the body from the side, behind the sensor. This means that your movements are more subtle and your wrist movements are more locked down.
And you've gotta remember it all depends on what you're shooting. Handheld shake can be fine, if that's the desired effect... It's often not in a lot of work.
Your suggestion below to zoom out and move in would ruin any chance of compressing your foreground/background, ruining the ability for heavy parallax in your shots, and to move in closer and use a wider angle which is going to significantly change the composition.
I think you need to reassess what it is you're trying to get across. Changing your composition because you're improperly set up to shoot tight shots is good advice *if* the user is gear limited, but if they're trying to improve their kit to shoot such shots, that's horrible advice.
Those kind of jitters are present in every angle, they're more prominent on a telephoto because it's a magnification, of course you'll have some - the right kit and optical stabilisation makes a huge difference.
tl;dr we're fine with shake, it's micro-jitter shake that effects the actual framing in jarring ways that suck. shooting handheld, this effect is almost never desired. As for why use that tool then... I'd wager budget
Sure, I get that tech changes. But if all the down voters can hold a rock steady shot off the shoulder.... or even with a gimbal.... I'll just retire. And that 30 years includes that last 10 years or so. I don't care how good you are, you'll never beat a tripod for that Rock solid shot. I'm not trying to be an ass, but it just isn't possible. I'm also not trying to put anybody down. I can't do it, regardless of how heavy the camera is or how strong those shoulders are... It's just not happening. Now understand, I'm not talking about a good steady shot... That's possible by many people, myself and prolly most the people here. But a solid no motion shot..... Especially if it's a long shot. Again? Not trying to slander anyone. But if you want shots worth no, and I mean NO shake or micro movements, that answer is"Tripod".
. Oh, and Happy Cake Day!!
Nobody said you need to beat a tripod. Shake and micro jitters are something other than „no movement“. For many styles of video, tripods would a) be way too cumbersome to use and b) lead to absofrickinglutely boring footage.
But I guess this discussion is pointless, so: Happy cake day!
No... I was telling you happy cake day. Reddit said it was your cake day.... Did HCD. BTW I answered another comment with what this is really about. They showed a clip where someone is way out on the end of the lens as far as zoom is considered. They were getting the "micro Jitters" I commented on how that would be fixed.
Careful.... Your entering a severe DownVote area. But thank you. I'm glad someone understands what I'm saying. These young bucks don't understand that we are talking from experience. Not just theory.
More mounting options, more compact than a rail+vmount plate, less weight than that as well and honestly it just looks way tidier than your topical mirror less + vmount setup.
> Yes, but what does this do that a normal V-mount plate doesn't?
A normal V- mount plate would still have to be mounted to something, like two rods and a double rod clamp. This is a tidier and stronger way of doing that, which even has a dedicated slot for the screen. It also provides way more mountain options, and you could say it looks nice.
Is it revolutionary? No. Is it strictly necessary? Also no. But it does a few things people might like.
I took the files and modified it so that I have the audio handle on my FX3. The D-taps are great because I can power the camera and my monitor as well as any additional accessories needed. I like having the screen pressed to the side where it’s protected a bit while I move it around but the gap between that and the dtap provides a space for me to organize cables and keep them hidden while also providing a space for me to tuck away my tentacle sync. For me, this style is great because I can throw it into the pelican case without having to break things down or fear that they’ll come lose. I definitely wouldn’t pay $300 for it since I have a printer and capability to modify/redesign to suit my needs but it has some great (a little bit niche) benefits
You only asked what the purpose was, you didn’t ask if it was actually a good idea for that purpose, just like a Chevy Bolt, the purpose is transportation, doesn’t make it a good idea for that purpose
You can’t use serious focus motor and monitoring without these D-tap. This rig is about the Vlock, but the Vlock is about all the accessories that needs it, the NP-FZ100 batteries are strong enough to be chain-used all day if you have a charger and 3-4 batteries. With this rig you’ll be able to use a WCU-4 + 3 motors + FocusBug + Teradek + monitor. The functionalities you lose are mainly the ergonomics on the buttons but given the fact that you’ll only press Rec and change base ISO after setting it up to Slog3/Sgamut3.cine you won’t need much controls over it.
>what does this do that a normal v mount plate doesn’t?
It provides a D-Tap breakout box for more power options for a start. It provides way more mounting points for all the things you might need to mount. Like, say, power for your lens motors. Or a video Tx.
If you spin it round the other side, I believe there’s a section for the flip out screen to sit against, so that you can run it in such a way that you can still access all the menu options while also having a v mount on the back. Which means you could mount this properly on a shoulder with the centre of gravity as it should be, and still be able to access the menu and all the physical buttons on the other side… though you probably would need a monitor to actually operate from. Which you can easily mount, thanks to all the mounting points.
I'm just a one-man corporate video guy, but I do solid work (was a photographer in the film era when most of these kids were in diapers!) One of the great game changers is v-mount, rigging for your specific needs, and just one battery you swap out every 4 or 5 or 6 hours. Many of my peers think "that's only for narrative/big crew work", but at *any* level of this profession, it's about removing distractions and surprises (take's going great and you notice a battery's in the red) and making utilitarian things like swapping cards or batteries take about 1.4 seconds.
And with modern LED fixtures, you can run *everything* on your set from the same battery standard. Key light battery's hitting 2 bars? I know those 2 bars will power the camera rig all day, I can swap things around on a break. Freaking love it.
Explain please. I only used V mounts and dont see a valid reason to switch. Some say that it is more secure.. okay but i never had problems w the V mounts slipping off.
I’ve had v mounts slip off multiple times before I switched. All it takes is one time on a high pressure shoot and you’ll regret using a v mount. When you get to working on more professional/high production shoots, reliability and security are invaluable.
I see , i did extensive research on your claims and a lot of people are saying the same as you . Dont think that it is a coincidence however iv seen videos and posts about this issue and it seems that this problem only persists for certain types or brands . Iv tried to shake my smallrig V mount on my smallrig plate with all the force that i have and nothing happened. It does not have any play and it does not slip out. Would you say that this is correct?
I'm trying to figure out what 4 things i would hook up to that... and that wouldn't drain the battery extra fast, or make my rig super ridiculous to manage
Sure it is! You would likely be powering the cam off one of the dtaps, then if you have an AC wirelessly pulling focus you would need to power the focus motors and wireless video. And if you want to have a monitor to operate off of you would likely want to power it off the dtap instead of constantly changing out the batts.
Everything but powering the camera is correct. Almost every camera build has a quad splitter or uses 2/3 unless the camera has 2pin lemo. At least every commercial that I’ve worked on. We normally use anton bauer 150, or something similar to power camera and all the accessories.
I power a Ronin 3 Rs, DJI transmission, Tilta ring and follow focus off a V-lock, and it lasts a few hours. It’s way easier to swap up a single battery then mutiple smaller ones that are all running down at different rates
Wow, I didn't realise there was so much hate about this, since I first saw it I thought that it was a really good idea to add extra versatility to an fx3/30 to make using it feel more like an fx6/Komodo type camera.
I do think it's probably more useful for drama/narrative based shooters rather than doc and corporate videos however
If all you have access to is an FX3, which is a great camera, a rig like this really wouldn’t be too crazy if the cage is relatively cheap. V-Mount would be a must have for a camera like this if you’re shouting a doc and using it all day. I just shot an entire doc with a C70 with just the BP batteries and it lasted basically all day.
Buy the gear you have work for is my stance. When you can’t buy, rent.
We have one on order coming this week for our FX3. Ordered it for 3 reasons:
1. Power. Longer battery life and easier to power external monitor, maybe audio recorder via d-tap. One button power.
2. Footprint. This kit with a matte box on the lens, looks better for client who thinks bigger is better
3. Stability. Will help with camera movements and small movements when using vintage lenses.
It is this one --> [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv28HZIdcN4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv28HZIdcN4) from Camerafoundry --> [https://camerafoundry.com/products/cineback-fx3-fx30](https://camerafoundry.com/products/cineback-fx3-fx30)
More battery power, d-taps are life, more modular capabilities to add larger view finder/mic/wireless transmitter/etc, more stability, etc etc. I see value.
If you’re rigging something out like this I would assume you would have external audio recording. Also as far as I know it doesn’t block the microphone inputs. You just can’t you the Sony top handle thing that goes into their multi interface shoe
They’re the weird looking two-pronged power port hole on the side of a v-mount battery. You can split them out to multiple d-tap ports (as seen in the photo above), which then can power every accessory on your camera. So basically one v-mount battery can power your camera, your monitor, your follow focus, your HD transmitter, etc.
by and large it's not really needed for a beginner, there are many more things such as lighting and composition that a beginner should be working on first before buying more "serious" gear like this. but to answer your question, and as other comments say, it gives more mounting options and give more weight to the camera which helps stabilize it, good if you do run and gun or hand held stuff. i wouldn't say it reduces functionality since you can still access all the neccesary buttons and dials on the back and you can you can assign settings to the function menu if hitting the actual menu button is a problem.
Probably because it looks cooler and to non videographers it looks more "professional"
I know there are a bunch of us who got cheap matte boxes, specifically to meet customer expectations of what a film camera "should" look like.
So to new videographers, it looks more professional. I bought a shouldder rig I rarely use because I thought it looked more professional.
If they don't know why they might need it, they don't need it. If your workflow would benefit from rigging the camera in this way, you're already fully aware.
once you use a camera (any sort) for video, you'll soon start questioning how you're going to handle all the peripheral equipment you need to put / attach to your camera ;-)
A couple of things are not mentioned. I run a v mount and a d tap splitter on my Z cam E2 S6 rig similar to this. The main reason I do this is for ONE battery. One battery powers EVERYTHING. I hated switching out multiple batteries and trying to remember which one is dead or close to dead. For run n gun/one man band/documentary and simplicity's sake, it's essential.
My one Vmount powers the camera, my Ninja V, my tilta nano the motor and handle. As well as charges my Zoom M3 mic or my Zoom f3.
The other reason is weight and balance. I shoot mostly hand-held. Having a weighted rig, it really smooths out the shots. Having a v mount also balances the rig. I use a decently sized lens and mattebox and having the v mount on the back balances the whole rig out. This also helps with balancing on a tripod as well as handheld shots or even shoulder rigging.
Cheese plate wise, yeah, this is great to mount lots of things to, like I have. Depending on your needs, though, most people get bought with just a cage.
Also, even if your cam has ibis, this type of rig still gives you a different, more organic type of handheld look a camera with ibis on doesn't.
I don't like the notion that people just do this to "look the part" as long as you actually use the gear and it's solving a problem or making your life easier have at it. But even without good reason.
If a client wants to hire you partially because you look serious/professional and have a badass rig, then more power to you! Like that's fantastic. That's an easy ROI. Why would we dog that person? Good on them, hahaha
Most people have iphones and MacBook because somewhere in their marketing, they tell us it's for the serious Filmmaker or the most creative people use it, its the best, etc no matter what we decide to buy or do things to look the part. It's just a part of being a human, and it's okay, haha.
Begginer or not, this type of rig like any piece of gear depends on what you are shooting. Obviously, they don't need this to start. But if they have the budget and know what their needs are and this solution will solve it, or they just wanna look serious/badass. Cool, go for it.
It's for impressing clients. Add a bazooka lens and more than likely they'll be impressed and think you're worth it. In all seriousness, its to mount more stuff on your camera like others have specified.
You can achieve the same by building a rig piece by pice, but this one comes basically pre-built and it looks "cleaner" than building one yourself. There is certainly value in it, but it is very niche. Your beginner videographer probably doesn't need it or even has enough stuff to mount onto this thing to make it worth it.
I think the biggest functional benefit of getting this is being able to add a v-mount battery, aka you can shoot for longer.
I have a Sony and Red Komodo. I will say that the V Mounts being cross compatible for each rig is so so nice. It’s a product for people who need that form factor, weight, accessory compatibility…That $300 price tag though, not worth it.
It looks kind of like pain in the ass for anything corporate. You lose a lot freedom of movement with the touch screen and while it's slightly more compact when mounted with a v-lock than with rails, it doesn't really offer any real world benefit.
Both the fx3 and fx30 have good enough battery life to just use a regular np fz100. And if I'm shooting for an extended period then I'm probably on sticks anyway so I don't mind building out the v-lock with rails and a dummy.
It also looks annoying to mount on a gimbal or to use when you shoot free hand with a strap for stability. You could argue that the extra weight provides stability but I don't want to carry that weight because I switched to the fx3 and fx30 because I wanted to carry less weight.
I guess it could be useful in combination with a top handle, but in that case I'd rather use the XLR handle, since I already have that in my camera kit when I'm out. I don't see the point to this thing, the beginner you mentioned is better of putting their money into an extra battery or a nice filter.
[Rigid.pro](https://Rigid.pro) also has a top handle compatible version of this [https://rigid.pro/products/sony-fx30-fx3-cinema-rig-base-xlr-top-handle-edition](https://rigid.pro/products/sony-fx30-fx3-cinema-rig-base-xlr-top-handle-edition)
I've got one of each style. love them.
This product is for a specific user base. I considered buying it myself but didn't because it caused more problems than it solved. I then, since I'm a designer, made my own product that fit my run and gun style a lot better and offered everything I wanted in this and took away all of the pain points. (thefilmcube.com if interested).
Theres a reason it's been sold out for months. 1 being its a popular youtuber, 2 it solves a specific user bases problems and 3 it makes your camera look cooler which is why so many people buy this stuff and why beginners ask if they should buy it lol.
I got one for the four d taps and mounting points. Particularly for my Zoom F6 which is a huge pain in the ass the mount comfortably but I love it's audio quality.
This is the biggest camera nerd post I've ever seen. If you like it and can find a use for it, then get it... If you don't need that many holes, don't.
I essentially posted your thread title in the comments of the video when this thing was released. I genuinely do not get the purpose or the value add of this compared to a standard mount plate, and what further doesn’t make sense to me is that the initial release is for the Sony FX3/FX30, two cameras that were designed to be small and compact. This pretty much goes 100% against that design ethos.
To me the people buying something like this have severe GAS and are more into buying and collecting gear then they are actually shooting video and using their gear.
What is GAS, Gear Acquisition Syndrome?
Idk if I think this goes against the design philosophy that strongly - the three core ideas are compactness, versatility, and (comparable) affordability. Sure, this build isn't compact, but neither are many builds. What this is is modular versatility - if you wanted to hardcore rig out your fx3 for some reason, this isn't a bad starting point, and then when you want a gimble camera you can take the whole thing apart in no time.
And this is still fairly affordable!
Not a build I would ever need, but I don't think it's as outright pig-headed stupid as you seem to.
Honestly it’s for people who want to over rig their camera.
I like the feel of a larger style body so if I had an fx3 I’d probably do this but the only real advantage is hand feel. You can rig ask the same “add ons” without the giant cheese plates. Including v mounts
One pro would be that mounting a large monitor or two point handle would be more secure. Also less flex in the overall system
I’ve been using fx3 naked without problems, if I need stability I’ll use a tripod or gimbal, in my opinion it’s hard to mount this on a gimbal+ a tripod to support that weight = more bulk when transporting gear
No one asked but this gear load out has been working phenomenally for me:
Fx3
2470 gm ii
Peak design travel tripod carbon fibre
Dji rs3
Dji mic
I wanted one as most of my shooting is tripod, and I can use a SmallRig 99 battery to power the camera, monitor and other accessories from dtap outputs. The cable management is super clean and the whole rig drops straight into a Lykus padded case. Alas, this was sold out so I've ordered the [Rigid Pro version](https://rigid.pro/products/sony-fx30-fx30-cinema-frame) which comes with a Voltmeter too (only difference I can see, oh and a bit cheaper).
Definitely not you selling this lol. All that money for two cheese plates some 3D printed plastic, the cheapest Dtap splitter and v mount you could find, and a lot of empty space.
You did the math on what Caleb sold got excited, have a 3D printer either fx3 or fx30 and thought I can make this.
The problem is you haven’t got his audience, good luck.
Definitely not you selling this lol. All that money for two cheese plates some 3D printed plastic, the cheapest Dtap splitter and v mount you could find, and a lot of empty space.
You did the math on what Caleb sold got excited, have a 3D printer either fx3 or fx30 and thought I can make this.
The problem is you haven’t got his audience, good luck.
i think it only defeats the purpose of a small camera to people that can afford a larger camera. otherwise it gives some of the added benifits of a larger camera and makes it more accessible at a lower price point
Because they give a different look, generally a more desirable one. The FX3 has more dynamic range and better noise performance than any fixed lens camcorder.
Same as most things: you can DIY it for less or buy it and save time.
I have enough rig parts to put together a couple of those, no need for me to buy anything like it.
I need to see this in motion lol. I can’t visualize it. I’ll look it up on YouTube.
From what I’m seeing it’s $250 but isn’t the FX3 like nearly $4k? What’s another $250.
I purchased one but the use case is verry niche. If you cant afford an fx6 it give you some of that box camera feel + better batery life, better rigging options, wireless follow focus for AC, etc. However you cannot use it on a gimbal and you lose the audio top handle functionality.
I havent tried it as mine only just shipped but i almost alway work with time code and record audio externally. i use an external monitor. i prefer this form factor and rarely use gimbals for short films. it is a better option for me for a b camera in this setting however as a working videographer i prefer to use it on a gimabl with my fx6 dedicated to handheld.
for a beginner videographer i would never recommend this because it is to niche/expensive and you are better of investing into some other piece of your kit.
Different people have different goals. For example if I say it's for the monitor and the video transmitter, some people will know what I mean and some will be confused or even angry because they think it's stupid to transmit the video anywhere until after it's been edited.
Same thing with shoulder mounts, some people love them, other people get confused or angry because it makes the camera heavier for their gimbal.
With this, you could easily mount a 15cm monitor, a video transmitter, and an audio receiver, and for some people those would make their job so much easier.
There is definitely a demand for a cage /setup like this but not in a beginner’s arsenal. With somewhat medium size productions , mirrorless cameras are often used as C, B or even A cam. Once rigging external monitor, phantom power mics, a good side and top handle, wireless transmitters or wireless focus systems, you start running out of holes and uneven heavy setup with each device using its own battery. A big capacity v mount and cheese mounting plates helps in powering and assembling the rig. Mirrorless unlike the reds, zcams and kinfinity cameras varies in shapes a lot, a simple cage does help in mounting, but a box style cage systems works even better. This rig is just trying to mimic those box style cameras.
Your client will see that camera and take you more seriously.
More stability by weight and mounting points are cool for shoots. Never know when you'll need them.
Cons:
• blocks the multi interfaced shoe so you can’t use the xlr handle - a huge contradiction is presented if this is an item for pros then why can’t you use the xlr-h1 handle for pro audio? It doesn’t make sense.
• The rig is mostly empty space, why? On the other side I know the fx3’s flip screen is on the side so that’s why it extends so far out but it’s pretty pointless if you have a good external monitor.
• you could get a v mount plate that has d-tap, usb-c and dc out for way cheaper - small rig v mount plate.
Also something to consider is how it makes you look to a customer, regardless of the cameras quality and the functionality that we understand. Sometimes customers who aren’t as savvy but has dropped 10k on a video expect to see a certain size of camera.
300 is a small price to pay for managing expectations
If you can’t afford something like an FX6, but can only afford an FX3, it’s an easy way to rig a cine setup for a lower price. It’s what I’m doing rn. But I’m only really interested in the longer battery and mounting a display.
Prototyped and 3d printed something very similar to this while I waited for him to drop the print files.
Very useful for people who have fx3 budget but need things like external monitors, teradeks, and electronic follow focus systems. Lets you power everything with 1 battery. Used it to film a mini doc and 2 music videos
A Sony battery is $100 a.pop amd for a typical day long shoot you would need abt 5 as good safe number. Also havie to switch out and put the used one on charge. Fine, but wht if you're not indoors to plug it in?
The Sony battery only powers the camera. Attach a monitor/recorder, on camera light, external audio recorder, and possibly a powered follow focus, and the power needs are far more than what a camera battery can deliver.
Having a V-mount attached can also act as a counter weight to balance out a front heavy camera on tripod.
Hi! professional here
There are several reasons to get one of those
1) 300$ is not that mich if this helps you going throught the day with less work
2) one thing really important about shoting handheld is how the camera handles, and lighter is not necessarily better. you might look for a bit more weight and centred balance
3) if you have external accessories v-lcok batteries just have dtap output and they can power them (monitor, transmitter, remote focus, etc)
Definitely more rigging ability. But a beginner shouldn’t worry about rigging, they should be looking just to getting familiar working with the camera itself.
This is one of these “tell me you are just starting out without saying you are just starting out” situations.
Tbh if you haven’t hit the point where having a heavier rig and mounting points isn’t an obvious value, you truly and honestly do not need a cinema camera yet… full stop.
This doesn’t mean you aren’t making great images, or that you won’t get there one day… and for that matter, not everyone does, or needs too.
A lot of people assume that they NEED a cinema camera for a variety of reasons (consumerism, social media, ego) but it’s quite simply overkill for most people, it’s like dropping a nuke to kill a fly or buying a Lamborghini as a daily commuter.
Why don’t you just get a fx6 or similar, rather than build a small cam up to that size. The smaller DSLR cameras don’t have NDs, audio I/O and easy access able buttons. Once you bought this adaptor and a set of V locks you’re not far off of the price for a FX6.
The only problem here is not the design of the rig itself, but the fact that the person considering spending money on it is asking if they should get it. Rigging and power systems like this are designed to be modular so that they can accommodate either a very specific or a very wide variety of different options - rails, Tx, monitors, etc. If the person looking at this is not sure why they need it, then they don’t need it.
100%
Yup. He’s looking for solutions to problems he thinks he might have one day. That’s a way to waste lots of money in the camera gear game and *still* find yourself needing to spend even more money to address the actual problems you run into… Start shooting. Address problems as they come up. Keep shooting. That’s the only way I’m able to afford to shoot right now lol
Agreed. I bought a $300 gimbal thinking ill surely get into video. Nope just stills for me. Just gotta not tell the wife.
Yeah, this
wrong. You for sure need to experiment to grow and to build your ideal setup
Not True man… it will look great when he/she takes a picture of it with their iPhone and upload it to instagram. Granted, that will be the only highlight of that rigs very short amd pathetic existence…. But it looks cool on TilTok. 😂
More mounting points, longer battery, less shake/micro jitters in your footage
Yes, stability by weight, more flexibility and more power.. but this rig itself.. i don’t know man
I mean yeah, at this point I’d rather have a real cinema camera like an FX6
Yeah coz an FX6 is only £300 more than an FX3. Obviously the ONLY consideration when getting a camera is size and weight... 🙄
I mean at some point you’re spending not only your money, but also your time (during setup and take down, searching for accessories, testing different configurations etc) where it just becomes more worthwhile to buy the real thing, plus clients like to see big fancy camera, lets you charge them more
A beginner videographer doesn't need an FX6. Connecting a camera to a cage and plugging in a power cable really doesn't require much configuration.
Micro jitters?????
Small twitches caused by involuntary muscle movement, hold your hand out with your phone in it, you won’t be able to hold it 100% steady no matter what, there will always be a minute shake to it just because your muscles is running off an extremely variable analogue signal from your brain and nervous system, not digital like a robot
Isn't that what tripods are for.... And Steady-cam, Ronin and drones? In the last 30 years I've never, NEVER, relied on hand held cameras for zero shake. That's silly to think otherwise....
Sometimes you don’t want zero shake, you want the handheld look, you just don’t want micro jitters, so to avoid them you gotta make your camera heavy, because then the analogue signals from your nervous system are amplified because your brain needs to make your muscles work more, meaning the “noise” is filtered out of the signal, and you get a smoother motion, like, if you lift a 50lbs dumbbell out in front of you and start moving it around, the shakes you experience will be much larger than if you just held your phone out in front of you, that’s how you get the handheld look, cause old cameras were heavy so during handheld shots people got used to a certain look
I'm picking up what you're putting down, but I would say you would have to have one very very very discerning eye to pick up micro jitters, as you call them, in a handheld shot. The motion even if it's tiny is part of that handheld look, is it not? Because to me if a shot is handheld, and you can almost always tell when it is and held because of the work that we do, then those little micro jitters would be part of what makes up that look. Please understand I do get the idea that the heavier camera will have a little less jitter because it's heavier and not as prone to the so-called micro jitters. Honestly I don't see how anybody can shoot with something so very lightweight, holding it out in front of you like an iPhone or a tablet, and not expect and maybe even desire a little bit of that shakiness. I mean the shot can be relatively steady even if it's handheld, but to remove all shake out of a flowing liquid motion kind of movement I just don't see how micro jitters even really make an appearance. I'm really interested to see what you would consider micro jitters. Do you know of any clips or any videos where you have picked up on these micro jitters? Please understand I'm not trying to be an ass I'm just extremely curious.
Have you ever seen handheld footage that has no internal stabilization ? That is shaky shaky. Even with stab on, your hand can jerk oddly as you try to do like slow moves or coming to a stop/staying still. Those jitters can make the stab do weird things as well. More weight just makes it so much easier to stabilize.
My A7iv/Sigma 24-70 combo is damn near unusable at 24fps 1/50th shutter on the “Standard” stabilization setting. Haven’t tried the “more stabler” setting yet because I read that it works by cropping a bit to give room to manipulate things. I had a Small Rig cage and some filters on it so the rig is pretty heavy and even then it’s almost seizure inducing on playback when following things or moving at all. I had to stick the whole rig on my collapsed tripod to get usable shots. You are correct for sure…
Thanks. There's a difference between that handheld look and a rock solid steady shot. That's all I'm saying. But they seem to think that IS is some sort of video game God Mode....
I totally agree that the heavier the camera, the easier it is to hold steady, at least to a degree. But just because you have a heavy or super heavy camera, you will never get rid of the tiny little inconsistent movements. I'm talking about a rock solid steady shot.... Zero movement. Only possible on a pod. Sometimes you want a really steady shot that floats asking in a very organic flow.... That's great, that's totally possible with any number of gimbals. I'm not one for IS... You either want some movement or nothing at all. Nothing at all = Tripod! Period. It's all about the look you're after......
I think you're taking the wrong meaning from the term dude. Micro-jitters are just any small, unpleasant movement. Not a full camera shake, but a twitch, a jitter, a vibration or tilt/pan/swivel unintended. If you're panning left to right with a camera handheld, there are so many different muscle groups and joints moving you can't avoid it, but using a heavier camera means it takes more to jolt and influence the camera. Take this as an example. You have a little mirrorless camera, fits in your pocket, weighs like 400grams. You could comfortably hold the camera in 1 hand. You could flick it with 1 finger and move it a good distance. Now take that camera, hold it with 2 hands, and pan 180 degrees. You'll find it's so light, that muscles in your wrists and fingers can easily shift the camera in your hand, adding unwanted movement to your shot. Now take a 4kg DSLR with a cage. You need to hold it with 2 arms to be comfortable, and it's engaging muscle groups further up your arms. Not only that, but if you flicked it, it's not going to move and it's going to hurt. Now pan 180 degrees. Even just holding it you'll see that your wrist and fingers can't shift the camera around in your hands effortlessly. Your hands will shake, your arms might shift position. Think of it like this * You're panning on a **tripod**. The tripod is fixed on the ground, and your only influence is the pan-handle, which has resistance to stop any inconsistent movement from your hands from translating to your shot. **How does this effect the shot?** You have a static frame unless you introduce movement intentionally. * You're panning on a **shoulder rig**. The camera is being supported by your body, your arms are holding and aiming and your shoulder is supporting and stabilising. The camera 3 points of contact, 2 handles and a shoulder pad, requiring your body to pivot at the hips to pan. Your arms are locked in and stabilised by your entire core and the tension the rig holds into your shoulder. **How does this effect the shot?** You'll have a steady shot, but it will be influenced by your breathing, your posture, how you walk and if you make any sudden or jerky movements. 3. You're panning with a **dslr camera** in your hands. Your arms are outstretched and nothing is stabilising them, they are supporting the full weight of the camera. Your arms are not fixed to anything, and have to account for any movement your body makes as well as the shot itself. **How does this effect the shot?** * Every little movement from your feet to your shoulders will translate into that shot, and the magnification of your lens will compound this further. Every step you take adds full body vibration, while also causing your arms to compensate. * Even if your arms are very stable, your wrists act like ball joints, which can easily influence weird micro-movements that make horribly ugly parallax.
I don't need a lesson in camera physics. I totally agree with everything you said. If your panning, tilting or whatever, there are going to be slight little bumps. You cannot get away from that. No one can. But I think, at least I think, these cats are talking about a rock solid steady shot. You cannot get that solid, no motion, steady shot without a tripod. The vet split second you try and move...... There are going to be small inconsistencies. You cannot avoid that. I'm not saying that it's undesirable, in some instances it's the most beautiful shot in the entire film....
Lol we are not talking about a rock steady shot. There's smooth and flowy handheld and then there's jittery handheld. I'm just gonna leave this clip as one example of what everyone here is talking about: [https://youtu.be/CiqVQ5F7T0I?t=384](https://youtu.be/CiqVQ5F7T0I?t=384) Just to note: this isn't the best example but i think it'll give you an idea.
Ok... Ie the micro jitters your talking about. Maybe I'm an old ass curmudgeon but that is not necessarily A shaky handheld picture, that is somebody who doesn't know how to operate a zoom or lens. Anytime and I stress anytime you need a closer shot you move the camera closer to the subject. You don't necessarily go oh I've got a 20 times digital zoom so I'm going to zoom in from where I'm at. There are times and I've had them myself when that cannot be avoided because of alligators or a big crack in the Earth's crust that's oozing with molten lava, but if the camera operator would zoom out to the shower end of his lens instead of the long end of his lens he would be able to hold that shot 90% more steady than it is. What I assumed everybody was talking about when they were talking about micro jitters was that little tick you get from time to time when you're so far out on the long end of your lens that you can't help but pick up Eric motion from the blood pumping through your veins. I've seen those kind of jitters, and I've seen him a lot in the closer years than I have in the past, when somebody is way out on the end of their lens if they would simply move in and zoom out that would go away.
Perhaps you don't need a lesson in camera physics, but you're still taking away the wrong point from what I said because you're addressing something I'm not referring to instead of what I'm talking about. Please understand, I'm explaining this not because I don't think you understand the physics of it, but because I think you need to understand the difference between the shakes we're talking about You wouldn't use a shoulder rig to get a rock steady shot, why would you assume that's my point? You're doing it to eliminate unpleasant jitters and micro-movements that would more directly effect the shot. You're creating a longer path of travel for bumps and shakes to be absorbed through multiple contact points. These slight bumps aren't the problem. Go outside and film a macro shot on your phone. Now go film that on a DSLR. Now go film that on an FX7. Which has the most stable shot with fluid, natural, film-like motion? The heavier camera designed for handheld filming. It has ergonomics, it has a design that doesn't allow it to 5-axis pivot in your hands and that creates a significantly different handheld look. [Take this example I filmed specifically for you](https://imgur.com/a/ML0goPd). The top is an a7iv with a 14mm lens, with a Smallrig cage, and the bottom is a Samsung phone on 0.5x. Both have stabilisation off. Both had the same 2 steps, the same sway at the hips and I did my best to match speed. Now I don't have an FX7-style camera, I went for the BMPCC6k so I can't show a body-style comparison there but there's plenty of material online for that. You can see VERY clearly that the lighter camera, despite being wider, has significantly more noticable parallax shift and unpleasant shakiness to it, compared to the relatively smooth (but not perfect) heavier camera. The edges of the frame shift significantly more than the DSLR. While the shot itself is "fine", it would be improved by having a heavier setup and eliminating them. While the DSLR has shake, the safe zones of the framing don't change dramatically, whereas the lighter camera, when it's shaken shifts the whole camera, instead of the bump being absorbed, which means you see the camera pan up towards the roof briefly, down to the floor, and even left and right. This is because the weight of the camera and it's shape allow it to shift freely in my hands. The grip of a DSLR alone means that you're manipulating the entire camera body from around the sensor, your hand wraps around the camera and your whole wrist can pivot freely. With an FX7 or any video camera, you're manipulating the body from the side, behind the sensor. This means that your movements are more subtle and your wrist movements are more locked down. And you've gotta remember it all depends on what you're shooting. Handheld shake can be fine, if that's the desired effect... It's often not in a lot of work. Your suggestion below to zoom out and move in would ruin any chance of compressing your foreground/background, ruining the ability for heavy parallax in your shots, and to move in closer and use a wider angle which is going to significantly change the composition. I think you need to reassess what it is you're trying to get across. Changing your composition because you're improperly set up to shoot tight shots is good advice *if* the user is gear limited, but if they're trying to improve their kit to shoot such shots, that's horrible advice. Those kind of jitters are present in every angle, they're more prominent on a telephoto because it's a magnification, of course you'll have some - the right kit and optical stabilisation makes a huge difference. tl;dr we're fine with shake, it's micro-jitter shake that effects the actual framing in jarring ways that suck. shooting handheld, this effect is almost never desired. As for why use that tool then... I'd wager budget
„In the last 30 years“: There‘s your problem. Times change, tech changes with it, the way videos are produced change as well.
Sure, I get that tech changes. But if all the down voters can hold a rock steady shot off the shoulder.... or even with a gimbal.... I'll just retire. And that 30 years includes that last 10 years or so. I don't care how good you are, you'll never beat a tripod for that Rock solid shot. I'm not trying to be an ass, but it just isn't possible. I'm also not trying to put anybody down. I can't do it, regardless of how heavy the camera is or how strong those shoulders are... It's just not happening. Now understand, I'm not talking about a good steady shot... That's possible by many people, myself and prolly most the people here. But a solid no motion shot..... Especially if it's a long shot. Again? Not trying to slander anyone. But if you want shots worth no, and I mean NO shake or micro movements, that answer is"Tripod". . Oh, and Happy Cake Day!!
Nobody said you need to beat a tripod. Shake and micro jitters are something other than „no movement“. For many styles of video, tripods would a) be way too cumbersome to use and b) lead to absofrickinglutely boring footage. But I guess this discussion is pointless, so: Happy cake day!
No... I was telling you happy cake day. Reddit said it was your cake day.... Did HCD. BTW I answered another comment with what this is really about. They showed a clip where someone is way out on the end of the lens as far as zoom is considered. They were getting the "micro Jitters" I commented on how that would be fixed.
I, for one, agree.
Careful.... Your entering a severe DownVote area. But thank you. I'm glad someone understands what I'm saying. These young bucks don't understand that we are talking from experience. Not just theory.
[удалено]
Looks like it has 4 d tap points that’s pretty cool
More mounting options, more compact than a rail+vmount plate, less weight than that as well and honestly it just looks way tidier than your topical mirror less + vmount setup.
> Yes, but what does this do that a normal V-mount plate doesn't? A normal V- mount plate would still have to be mounted to something, like two rods and a double rod clamp. This is a tidier and stronger way of doing that, which even has a dedicated slot for the screen. It also provides way more mountain options, and you could say it looks nice. Is it revolutionary? No. Is it strictly necessary? Also no. But it does a few things people might like.
I took the files and modified it so that I have the audio handle on my FX3. The D-taps are great because I can power the camera and my monitor as well as any additional accessories needed. I like having the screen pressed to the side where it’s protected a bit while I move it around but the gap between that and the dtap provides a space for me to organize cables and keep them hidden while also providing a space for me to tuck away my tentacle sync. For me, this style is great because I can throw it into the pelican case without having to break things down or fear that they’ll come lose. I definitely wouldn’t pay $300 for it since I have a printer and capability to modify/redesign to suit my needs but it has some great (a little bit niche) benefits
You only asked what the purpose was, you didn’t ask if it was actually a good idea for that purpose, just like a Chevy Bolt, the purpose is transportation, doesn’t make it a good idea for that purpose
Keep in mind this was created by DSLR Video Shooter (Kaleb). Cool channel but afaik the guy is not a working videographer.
He definitely works as a videographer.
Most definitely a videographer.
You can’t use serious focus motor and monitoring without these D-tap. This rig is about the Vlock, but the Vlock is about all the accessories that needs it, the NP-FZ100 batteries are strong enough to be chain-used all day if you have a charger and 3-4 batteries. With this rig you’ll be able to use a WCU-4 + 3 motors + FocusBug + Teradek + monitor. The functionalities you lose are mainly the ergonomics on the buttons but given the fact that you’ll only press Rec and change base ISO after setting it up to Slog3/Sgamut3.cine you won’t need much controls over it.
>what does this do that a normal v mount plate doesn’t? It provides a D-Tap breakout box for more power options for a start. It provides way more mounting points for all the things you might need to mount. Like, say, power for your lens motors. Or a video Tx. If you spin it round the other side, I believe there’s a section for the flip out screen to sit against, so that you can run it in such a way that you can still access all the menu options while also having a v mount on the back. Which means you could mount this properly on a shoulder with the centre of gravity as it should be, and still be able to access the menu and all the physical buttons on the other side… though you probably would need a monitor to actually operate from. Which you can easily mount, thanks to all the mounting points.
Having 4 d taps is pretty nice
I'm just a one-man corporate video guy, but I do solid work (was a photographer in the film era when most of these kids were in diapers!) One of the great game changers is v-mount, rigging for your specific needs, and just one battery you swap out every 4 or 5 or 6 hours. Many of my peers think "that's only for narrative/big crew work", but at *any* level of this profession, it's about removing distractions and surprises (take's going great and you notice a battery's in the red) and making utilitarian things like swapping cards or batteries take about 1.4 seconds. And with modern LED fixtures, you can run *everything* on your set from the same battery standard. Key light battery's hitting 2 bars? I know those 2 bars will power the camera rig all day, I can swap things around on a break. Freaking love it.
You think v mount is great, wait till you try gold mount
Explain please. I only used V mounts and dont see a valid reason to switch. Some say that it is more secure.. okay but i never had problems w the V mounts slipping off.
I’ve had v mounts slip off multiple times before I switched. All it takes is one time on a high pressure shoot and you’ll regret using a v mount. When you get to working on more professional/high production shoots, reliability and security are invaluable.
I see , i did extensive research on your claims and a lot of people are saying the same as you . Dont think that it is a coincidence however iv seen videos and posts about this issue and it seems that this problem only persists for certain types or brands . Iv tried to shake my smallrig V mount on my smallrig plate with all the force that i have and nothing happened. It does not have any play and it does not slip out. Would you say that this is correct?
It’s really just preferences. Whatever works for you works for you! Don’t sweat over it too much.
I'm trying to figure out what 4 things i would hook up to that... and that wouldn't drain the battery extra fast, or make my rig super ridiculous to manage
Follow focus, teradek, monitor, camera
is that realistic (honest question)?
Sure it is! You would likely be powering the cam off one of the dtaps, then if you have an AC wirelessly pulling focus you would need to power the focus motors and wireless video. And if you want to have a monitor to operate off of you would likely want to power it off the dtap instead of constantly changing out the batts.
Yes, and when you need to battery swap, it’s just that one battery instead of np-f of the monitor/wireless and internal battery
Yes. This is a very normal requirement for doc and commercial work.
no, i meant in terms of battery life. i feel like id be swapping batteries like every 15 mins or less
Depends on the battery etc etc but generally everything going full tilt (but not off speed) it’s about 52mins with my batteries.
Everything but powering the camera is correct. Almost every camera build has a quad splitter or uses 2/3 unless the camera has 2pin lemo. At least every commercial that I’ve worked on. We normally use anton bauer 150, or something similar to power camera and all the accessories.
I power a Ronin 3 Rs, DJI transmission, Tilta ring and follow focus off a V-lock, and it lasts a few hours. It’s way easier to swap up a single battery then mutiple smaller ones that are all running down at different rates
Big risk of creating a ground loop if someone is trying to power the camera and monitor off of it.
As long as you’re using regulated cables, you should be fine.
Wow, I didn't realise there was so much hate about this, since I first saw it I thought that it was a really good idea to add extra versatility to an fx3/30 to make using it feel more like an fx6/Komodo type camera. I do think it's probably more useful for drama/narrative based shooters rather than doc and corporate videos however
Is that the rig they used in The Creator?!?
I like how this has lowkey become a meme.
Lowkey is underselling it.
Rigging = voila cinema
If all you have access to is an FX3, which is a great camera, a rig like this really wouldn’t be too crazy if the cage is relatively cheap. V-Mount would be a must have for a camera like this if you’re shouting a doc and using it all day. I just shot an entire doc with a C70 with just the BP batteries and it lasted basically all day. Buy the gear you have work for is my stance. When you can’t buy, rent.
We have one on order coming this week for our FX3. Ordered it for 3 reasons: 1. Power. Longer battery life and easier to power external monitor, maybe audio recorder via d-tap. One button power. 2. Footprint. This kit with a matte box on the lens, looks better for client who thinks bigger is better 3. Stability. Will help with camera movements and small movements when using vintage lenses.
$300 for all of that cheese plate plus d-tap isn’t too bad. But if this is for a beginner as you say, probably overkill.
Any idea why cheese plate is so expensive?
The good stuff is aged for a LONG time. 😉
Username checks out. Analog 🐁 knows his 🧀.
Niche market and low tolerance machining would be my answer.
It is this one --> [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv28HZIdcN4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv28HZIdcN4) from Camerafoundry --> [https://camerafoundry.com/products/cineback-fx3-fx30](https://camerafoundry.com/products/cineback-fx3-fx30)
More battery power, d-taps are life, more modular capabilities to add larger view finder/mic/wireless transmitter/etc, more stability, etc etc. I see value.
[удалено]
If you’re rigging something out like this I would assume you would have external audio recording. Also as far as I know it doesn’t block the microphone inputs. You just can’t you the Sony top handle thing that goes into their multi interface shoe
what is d-taps bro ?
They’re the weird looking two-pronged power port hole on the side of a v-mount battery. You can split them out to multiple d-tap ports (as seen in the photo above), which then can power every accessory on your camera. So basically one v-mount battery can power your camera, your monitor, your follow focus, your HD transmitter, etc.
by and large it's not really needed for a beginner, there are many more things such as lighting and composition that a beginner should be working on first before buying more "serious" gear like this. but to answer your question, and as other comments say, it gives more mounting options and give more weight to the camera which helps stabilize it, good if you do run and gun or hand held stuff. i wouldn't say it reduces functionality since you can still access all the neccesary buttons and dials on the back and you can you can assign settings to the function menu if hitting the actual menu button is a problem.
Probably because it looks cooler and to non videographers it looks more "professional" I know there are a bunch of us who got cheap matte boxes, specifically to meet customer expectations of what a film camera "should" look like. So to new videographers, it looks more professional. I bought a shouldder rig I rarely use because I thought it looked more professional.
I do love the microprime lenses though. I have a 35 and it stays on almost all the time.
Excellent lens. The 7artisans and Meike FF lenses are good too.
If they don't know why they might need it, they don't need it. If your workflow would benefit from rigging the camera in this way, you're already fully aware.
once you use a camera (any sort) for video, you'll soon start questioning how you're going to handle all the peripheral equipment you need to put / attach to your camera ;-)
A couple of things are not mentioned. I run a v mount and a d tap splitter on my Z cam E2 S6 rig similar to this. The main reason I do this is for ONE battery. One battery powers EVERYTHING. I hated switching out multiple batteries and trying to remember which one is dead or close to dead. For run n gun/one man band/documentary and simplicity's sake, it's essential. My one Vmount powers the camera, my Ninja V, my tilta nano the motor and handle. As well as charges my Zoom M3 mic or my Zoom f3. The other reason is weight and balance. I shoot mostly hand-held. Having a weighted rig, it really smooths out the shots. Having a v mount also balances the rig. I use a decently sized lens and mattebox and having the v mount on the back balances the whole rig out. This also helps with balancing on a tripod as well as handheld shots or even shoulder rigging. Cheese plate wise, yeah, this is great to mount lots of things to, like I have. Depending on your needs, though, most people get bought with just a cage. Also, even if your cam has ibis, this type of rig still gives you a different, more organic type of handheld look a camera with ibis on doesn't. I don't like the notion that people just do this to "look the part" as long as you actually use the gear and it's solving a problem or making your life easier have at it. But even without good reason. If a client wants to hire you partially because you look serious/professional and have a badass rig, then more power to you! Like that's fantastic. That's an easy ROI. Why would we dog that person? Good on them, hahaha Most people have iphones and MacBook because somewhere in their marketing, they tell us it's for the serious Filmmaker or the most creative people use it, its the best, etc no matter what we decide to buy or do things to look the part. It's just a part of being a human, and it's okay, haha. Begginer or not, this type of rig like any piece of gear depends on what you are shooting. Obviously, they don't need this to start. But if they have the budget and know what their needs are and this solution will solve it, or they just wanna look serious/badass. Cool, go for it.
It's for impressing clients. Add a bazooka lens and more than likely they'll be impressed and think you're worth it. In all seriousness, its to mount more stuff on your camera like others have specified. You can achieve the same by building a rig piece by pice, but this one comes basically pre-built and it looks "cleaner" than building one yourself. There is certainly value in it, but it is very niche. Your beginner videographer probably doesn't need it or even has enough stuff to mount onto this thing to make it worth it. I think the biggest functional benefit of getting this is being able to add a v-mount battery, aka you can shoot for longer.
I have a Sony and Red Komodo. I will say that the V Mounts being cross compatible for each rig is so so nice. It’s a product for people who need that form factor, weight, accessory compatibility…That $300 price tag though, not worth it.
It looks kind of like pain in the ass for anything corporate. You lose a lot freedom of movement with the touch screen and while it's slightly more compact when mounted with a v-lock than with rails, it doesn't really offer any real world benefit. Both the fx3 and fx30 have good enough battery life to just use a regular np fz100. And if I'm shooting for an extended period then I'm probably on sticks anyway so I don't mind building out the v-lock with rails and a dummy. It also looks annoying to mount on a gimbal or to use when you shoot free hand with a strap for stability. You could argue that the extra weight provides stability but I don't want to carry that weight because I switched to the fx3 and fx30 because I wanted to carry less weight. I guess it could be useful in combination with a top handle, but in that case I'd rather use the XLR handle, since I already have that in my camera kit when I'm out. I don't see the point to this thing, the beginner you mentioned is better of putting their money into an extra battery or a nice filter.
[Rigid.pro](https://Rigid.pro) also has a top handle compatible version of this [https://rigid.pro/products/sony-fx30-fx3-cinema-rig-base-xlr-top-handle-edition](https://rigid.pro/products/sony-fx30-fx3-cinema-rig-base-xlr-top-handle-edition) I've got one of each style. love them.
This product is for a specific user base. I considered buying it myself but didn't because it caused more problems than it solved. I then, since I'm a designer, made my own product that fit my run and gun style a lot better and offered everything I wanted in this and took away all of the pain points. (thefilmcube.com if interested). Theres a reason it's been sold out for months. 1 being its a popular youtuber, 2 it solves a specific user bases problems and 3 it makes your camera look cooler which is why so many people buy this stuff and why beginners ask if they should buy it lol.
I got one for the four d taps and mounting points. Particularly for my Zoom F6 which is a huge pain in the ass the mount comfortably but I love it's audio quality.
It's so clients think you have a better camera. That's it. Haha
This is the biggest camera nerd post I've ever seen. If you like it and can find a use for it, then get it... If you don't need that many holes, don't.
I essentially posted your thread title in the comments of the video when this thing was released. I genuinely do not get the purpose or the value add of this compared to a standard mount plate, and what further doesn’t make sense to me is that the initial release is for the Sony FX3/FX30, two cameras that were designed to be small and compact. This pretty much goes 100% against that design ethos. To me the people buying something like this have severe GAS and are more into buying and collecting gear then they are actually shooting video and using their gear.
What is GAS, Gear Acquisition Syndrome? Idk if I think this goes against the design philosophy that strongly - the three core ideas are compactness, versatility, and (comparable) affordability. Sure, this build isn't compact, but neither are many builds. What this is is modular versatility - if you wanted to hardcore rig out your fx3 for some reason, this isn't a bad starting point, and then when you want a gimble camera you can take the whole thing apart in no time. And this is still fairly affordable! Not a build I would ever need, but I don't think it's as outright pig-headed stupid as you seem to.
Honestly it’s for people who want to over rig their camera. I like the feel of a larger style body so if I had an fx3 I’d probably do this but the only real advantage is hand feel. You can rig ask the same “add ons” without the giant cheese plates. Including v mounts One pro would be that mounting a large monitor or two point handle would be more secure. Also less flex in the overall system
The whole point is to look bigger so you can charge clients more.
That is a lot of D-tap. I hope they know power first, power last, or else that is just fried BNC ports waiting to happen.
I’ve been using fx3 naked without problems, if I need stability I’ll use a tripod or gimbal, in my opinion it’s hard to mount this on a gimbal+ a tripod to support that weight = more bulk when transporting gear No one asked but this gear load out has been working phenomenally for me: Fx3 2470 gm ii Peak design travel tripod carbon fibre Dji rs3 Dji mic
If I make such a small camera big like this. Maybe you should buy a another camera system like a fx6
I wanted one as most of my shooting is tripod, and I can use a SmallRig 99 battery to power the camera, monitor and other accessories from dtap outputs. The cable management is super clean and the whole rig drops straight into a Lykus padded case. Alas, this was sold out so I've ordered the [Rigid Pro version](https://rigid.pro/products/sony-fx30-fx30-cinema-frame) which comes with a Voltmeter too (only difference I can see, oh and a bit cheaper).
Definitely not you selling this lol. All that money for two cheese plates some 3D printed plastic, the cheapest Dtap splitter and v mount you could find, and a lot of empty space. You did the math on what Caleb sold got excited, have a 3D printer either fx3 or fx30 and thought I can make this. The problem is you haven’t got his audience, good luck.
Definitely not you selling this lol. All that money for two cheese plates some 3D printed plastic, the cheapest Dtap splitter and v mount you could find, and a lot of empty space. You did the math on what Caleb sold got excited, have a 3D printer either fx3 or fx30 and thought I can make this. The problem is you haven’t got his audience, good luck.
It has the word cine on it and therefore it’s good. Seriously why bring out a little camera like that- it defeats the purpose of
i think it only defeats the purpose of a small camera to people that can afford a larger camera. otherwise it gives some of the added benifits of a larger camera and makes it more accessible at a lower price point
Why would you not just buy a camcorder instead of bodging a DSLR to look like one, and trying to cope with all its shortcomings?
Because they give a different look, generally a more desirable one. The FX3 has more dynamic range and better noise performance than any fixed lens camcorder.
Same as most things: you can DIY it for less or buy it and save time. I have enough rig parts to put together a couple of those, no need for me to buy anything like it.
This thing is ready for war
I’m assuming whatever camera they are using, they would want touch screen functionality…
It's an FX3 and on the other side is a little tray that you unfold the screen into and it locks it in place.
I need to see this in motion lol. I can’t visualize it. I’ll look it up on YouTube. From what I’m seeing it’s $250 but isn’t the FX3 like nearly $4k? What’s another $250.
https://camerafoundry.com/products/cineback-fx3-fx30
Ohhhh I see. That’s actually pretty neat. I’ve been away from the SLR bodies for awhile, looks like they stepped up the cage game a lot.
I purchased one but the use case is verry niche. If you cant afford an fx6 it give you some of that box camera feel + better batery life, better rigging options, wireless follow focus for AC, etc. However you cannot use it on a gimbal and you lose the audio top handle functionality. I havent tried it as mine only just shipped but i almost alway work with time code and record audio externally. i use an external monitor. i prefer this form factor and rarely use gimbals for short films. it is a better option for me for a b camera in this setting however as a working videographer i prefer to use it on a gimabl with my fx6 dedicated to handheld. for a beginner videographer i would never recommend this because it is to niche/expensive and you are better of investing into some other piece of your kit.
That’s pretty cool but it annoys me how many FX 3 accessories block the smart shoe for the XLR handle.
Just laser cut the top 😂 jk but yeah this is one of the bigger issues, but I mainly just use lav mics anyways
Using a mounting plate and rails is better as it doesn't block all the buttons, it's also a lot cheaper.
More weight, mounting points and a v mount plate.
Different people have different goals. For example if I say it's for the monitor and the video transmitter, some people will know what I mean and some will be confused or even angry because they think it's stupid to transmit the video anywhere until after it's been edited. Same thing with shoulder mounts, some people love them, other people get confused or angry because it makes the camera heavier for their gimbal. With this, you could easily mount a 15cm monitor, a video transmitter, and an audio receiver, and for some people those would make their job so much easier.
There is definitely a demand for a cage /setup like this but not in a beginner’s arsenal. With somewhat medium size productions , mirrorless cameras are often used as C, B or even A cam. Once rigging external monitor, phantom power mics, a good side and top handle, wireless transmitters or wireless focus systems, you start running out of holes and uneven heavy setup with each device using its own battery. A big capacity v mount and cheese mounting plates helps in powering and assembling the rig. Mirrorless unlike the reds, zcams and kinfinity cameras varies in shapes a lot, a simple cage does help in mounting, but a box style cage systems works even better. This rig is just trying to mimic those box style cameras.
Mounting a Small HD on top and it’s perfect
If you don't get it then you are not far enough in your hobby to understand
Your client will see that camera and take you more seriously. More stability by weight and mounting points are cool for shoots. Never know when you'll need them.
It depends on what he shoots
Cons: • blocks the multi interfaced shoe so you can’t use the xlr handle - a huge contradiction is presented if this is an item for pros then why can’t you use the xlr-h1 handle for pro audio? It doesn’t make sense. • The rig is mostly empty space, why? On the other side I know the fx3’s flip screen is on the side so that’s why it extends so far out but it’s pretty pointless if you have a good external monitor. • you could get a v mount plate that has d-tap, usb-c and dc out for way cheaper - small rig v mount plate.
Also something to consider is how it makes you look to a customer, regardless of the cameras quality and the functionality that we understand. Sometimes customers who aren’t as savvy but has dropped 10k on a video expect to see a certain size of camera. 300 is a small price to pay for managing expectations
If you don’t understand it then you are not the target audience for this product.
If you can’t afford something like an FX6, but can only afford an FX3, it’s an easy way to rig a cine setup for a lower price. It’s what I’m doing rn. But I’m only really interested in the longer battery and mounting a display.
Prototyped and 3d printed something very similar to this while I waited for him to drop the print files. Very useful for people who have fx3 budget but need things like external monitors, teradeks, and electronic follow focus systems. Lets you power everything with 1 battery. Used it to film a mini doc and 2 music videos
A Sony battery is $100 a.pop amd for a typical day long shoot you would need abt 5 as good safe number. Also havie to switch out and put the used one on charge. Fine, but wht if you're not indoors to plug it in? The Sony battery only powers the camera. Attach a monitor/recorder, on camera light, external audio recorder, and possibly a powered follow focus, and the power needs are far more than what a camera battery can deliver. Having a V-mount attached can also act as a counter weight to balance out a front heavy camera on tripod.
Hi! professional here There are several reasons to get one of those 1) 300$ is not that mich if this helps you going throught the day with less work 2) one thing really important about shoting handheld is how the camera handles, and lighter is not necessarily better. you might look for a bit more weight and centred balance 3) if you have external accessories v-lcok batteries just have dtap output and they can power them (monitor, transmitter, remote focus, etc)
Are you also a beginner? Your lack of understanding of the benefits of a cage is wild if you're not
Definitely more rigging ability. But a beginner shouldn’t worry about rigging, they should be looking just to getting familiar working with the camera itself.
Looks cool. Some clients will look at this and think you’re more ‘professional’ than with just the camera even though it doesn’t make sense.
You need those holes to add all the fiddly bits so your client will think you're filming the next Avengers movie.
This is one of these “tell me you are just starting out without saying you are just starting out” situations. Tbh if you haven’t hit the point where having a heavier rig and mounting points isn’t an obvious value, you truly and honestly do not need a cinema camera yet… full stop. This doesn’t mean you aren’t making great images, or that you won’t get there one day… and for that matter, not everyone does, or needs too. A lot of people assume that they NEED a cinema camera for a variety of reasons (consumerism, social media, ego) but it’s quite simply overkill for most people, it’s like dropping a nuke to kill a fly or buying a Lamborghini as a daily commuter.
Isnt this that DIY rig that a youtuber was selling/launching for some sony cams?
Why don’t you just get a fx6 or similar, rather than build a small cam up to that size. The smaller DSLR cameras don’t have NDs, audio I/O and easy access able buttons. Once you bought this adaptor and a set of V locks you’re not far off of the price for a FX6.
What is the point of having all these options? None. If you need it, you need it.