New camera style

[Jon O'Brien]

Here's something I've observed in the contemporary filmmaking world. To start off, I guess I must admit that I'm a bit of an old-fashioned person. I do tend to like traditional things, which sometimes, for some, seems to come with a negative connotation. I think you're supposed to say that you're 'progressive', not 'traditional.' Oh well. There you go.

Anyway, so I've noticed that to be 'hip' and 'with it' (I'm trying not to bring to mind Dr Evil here) in the filmmaking world now, especially amongst camera dudes, you have to basically have three main things or elements to your gear. And here they are:

You must have:

1) A shoulder rig, with left and right handles on it.

2) An enormous battery at the back of the camera. It must be truly huuge. Preferably after-market brand, attached with a V-mount. You must not have a collection of smaller batteries.

3) A monitor, preferably large, mounted on the camera. On no account whatsoever must a viewfinder be a part of the setup.

An optional fourth requirement to be considered 'legit' in the world of camera operators today is that you must have some kind of cage surrounding at least part of the camera.

A top handle adds serious kudos and street cred.

And of course, we won't even mention, that you simply MUST, at all times, have matte box on the front of the lens. This must be strictly observed. To be without one's matte box is to be like a 19th century gentleman out in public without his hat. Heaven forbid.

Of course, if the camera operator is quite young, this greatly helps in having indie filmmakers/directors hammering on your door, wanting you to film their production.

But, here's the thing. I like to use a tripod. Sure, sometimes, a handheld shot works really well for a scene, or for a single shot within a scene. But generally I prefer a tripod. I also much, much prefer to use a viewfinder where possible (preferably an optical one). Plus I'm an older person. I don't tick those boxes.

But I do wonder ... just what is so un-cool about using a tripod?

Or a viewfinder?

Why must short films now be filmed entirely with a shoulder rig, and handheld? What's with that? Frankly, I find it dopey. So many shots and scenes now are handheld/shoulder-rigged that it would be more startling to use a locked off camera. It would be unique, so ubiquitous has the mobile, 'floating' camera style become.

 

Edited March 29 by Jon O'Brien

[Mark Wiggins]

Having a big battery at the back of the camera is a good idea. It helps keep the camera from being too front heavy because of the lens. Helps not just with handheld but with getting good balance on a tripod head.

[Brian Drysdale]

The battery does assist balancing, especially with larger/heavier lenses. The Panaflex has the magazine at the rear when rigged for handheld. With the computers, which modern digital cameras are, larger batteries allow longer running times.

[Clark Nikolai]

I don't think people do any of things to be hip, I think they do these things because they're practical for some types of shooting.

Having said that, my feature I just finished last year was almost entirely shot on a tripod. The type of content it is would not have went well with shoulder mount. And I also prefer a viewfinder, however they cost about five times more than a budget small monitor.

I suggest not be worried about peer pressure and concentrate on your craft. If you're good at what you do it'll show in the results and anyone that mattered will be able to see that.

[Joerg Polzfusz]

Is it true that your setup is faster with shoulder mount than with a tripod?

If yes: what’s the benefit when you nevertheless have to wait for the lights, actors, … ?

Also: Doesn’t shoulder mount reduce your flexibility? With a tripod, you can easily adjust the height and hence the perspective…

 

As for the top handles: Aren’t they a little bit retro? After all, they have already been available for Single8- and Super8-cameras in the 1970s…

 

[Tyler Purcell]

The shoulder mount style of shooting died a long time ago, most of what you think is shoulder mount, is actually gimbal or handheld in front of the operator. They're creating a shoulder look, without using shoulder mount cameras. 

The mattebox is not required, I rarely shoot with one on my doc work unless I'm forced to due to filtration or blocking the sun. Recently I brought my mattebox on my railroad documentary series because it was snowing out and I wanted that eyebrow to block the snow as it fell, as well as a filter to prevent the snow from hitting my lens. It worked ok, but man it made the rig big. I would not have used it otherwise. 

The handles are great, I switched from a single Arri or Aaton handle to a dual Nucleus 2  handle set, they're great. They come right off the front of the camera so when you switch from hand held to studio mode, you can just slide them off and leave the motors on the camera. 

On the Aaton cameras, the battery system isn't that bad. As others have said above, on the bigger digital cameras, the battery weight offsets the lens weight. Plus, you need a big battery on those cameras because they're very power hungry. Nobody really makes a non-power hungry modern digital cinema camera that is shoulder mount, which is my preferred body style. I don't like cameras that you hold out in front of you for hand held work, it's not the same look as shoulder mount, which is what I have always preferred. 

I don't get why younger people don't understand EVF's, because once you show one to someone, they're totally into it. Maybe it's a germ thing? I have no idea. I refuse to ever buy or use a camera without one. Where the integrated monitor is nice, it's only for those shots you can't use the EVF, my face is always in that thing. 

When the shaky cam look came out, I was very depressed. I love smooth shots with steadicam, dollies, cranes, jibs, even shoulder mount with wider lenses. I think they're trying to create a spontaneousness within the shot that ups the tension by making it shaky? I love me a good tripod shot as well and vastly prefer it over every other shooting method. 

[Brian Drysdale]

A shoulder mount doesn't mean that you need to shoot standing up or even on your shoulder. 

Use handheld as dramatically appropriate, Kubrick used tripods, dollies, Steadicam and handheld. 

Handheld is different to a gimbal, and it doesn't have to be shaky. 

[Jon O'Brien]

Thank you, great posts everyone.

I only ever see shoulder rigs and handheld in my neck of the woods, it must be a local fashion, at least for short film production. I completely agree with Clark, to just soldier on, and do what I do, and do it my way, and the results will speak for themselves.

Great point, Mark, about the battery balancing the lens. I guess I was commenting on camera operators who aren't balancing a heavy lens. I was having a dig at those seeking 'the look' (E.g. the camera operator themselves, and their gear looking 'professional,' not the look of the finished product on the screen).

Edited March 30 by Jon O'Brien

[Jon O'Brien]

I could post a picture, here, of what I'm talking about. A local camera operator. But I won't. Some people really do do it to be hip, and for that reason alone.

[Daniel Brothers]

Long time lurker, first time poster and eager to chime in on this one as an experienced shoulder-mounted documentary operator!

Now over 40, my up-close vision is getting worse. I've always loved a viewfinder (optical or electronic) for helping me tune out the world when composing - but now I love it more because I can fiddle with the diopter and keep it sharp to my aging eyeballs! With the big monitors I either need to stand way back or fumble for my readers.  And big batteries - I usually use small batteries and swap them a bunch. But I also spent years shooting documentaries and rolling camera while climbing in and out of vans while embedded with different groups, so I don't like a bunch of stuff hanging off the camera to bang around and get caught on stuff. On the other hand, I did shoot a movie where our build was a meter long and weighed over 50lbs so...it depends on the project! And on that one, I still worked in the eyepiece mostly. And kept it on the tripod and dolly because - my back! 🙂

 

Speaking of big on-camera monitors (and note that he does, in fact, have both left and right grips attached!): 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMVgqh3xdZq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

[Mark Wiggins]

My Panasonic AU-EVA1 when I was shooting some drama reconstructions for a boxing documentary. The camera has a quick release plate so I can go quickly from handheld to sticks and back again.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DLacAYziYcJ/?igsh=MTZpdnh2a2hpeWMwMw==

[Nicolas POISSON]

Jon, I do not think the shoulder rig you described is meant to be "hip". Quite the opposite indeed : it is what you get when you want to do things the right way with no money. By right, I mean : stay away from fancy tricks that draw attention to themselves, and use tools that support the story without the audience noticing it.

A good example is that scene from The Dark Knight (2008) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jane6C4rIwc

The scene starts with a slow pace, the camera is on a tripod. Enters Batman, the energy rises, and the camera moves to the shoulder. It is stable enough so that that it remains unnoticed, shaky enough to support the mood.

Here was my journey in the world of DIY shoulder rig.

Bad designs : 

Say you are a broke film-maker with a DSLR. Most YouTube videos show sexy, compact, pro-looking shoulder rigs… but really poor designs. The camera is a DSLR far away on the front, so that the operator can look at the rear screen.

After watching tons of YouTube videos, you end up with this ARRI workshop at Camerimage :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHcYjKpJb-I

Now, you are convinced that you rig should be :
- balanced
- heavy (the guy says 20kg / 40lbs)
- with 3 points anchor to the body : shoulder, hands (1 anchor point), eye to the viewfinder ;
- with the image plane close to the shoulder, so that any tilt does not add too much vertical translation

Most designs miss all these 4 key points of a proper shoulder rig.

Although this is not part of the rig itself, you should also start with rather wide angle lenses, since you are inexperienced.

Good design :

First : image plane over the shoulder. OK. Easy to do.
Now you cannot look at the rear screen. The best would be to add a viewfinder, but you’re broke. A monitor is much cheaper and you’ve got one anyway. You place it far away in front of you. Keeping it out of the frame is a bit tricky with wide angles and compact lenses.
Now you rig is completely unbalanced. Use the battery as a counterweight placing it behind the shoulder. Often it will not be enough. Either use a bigger battery, or place it farther away behind you (not very convenient in small spaces), or add other counterweights using cast iron disks bought at the body-building section of your local sport store (very easy to drill).

This is what I did, and got a 6kg/13Lbs rig, balanced, with only two anchor points (no viewfinder) and not as heavy as a real rig. It is still much better than the 1.5kgs of the DSLR on a Neewer rig. The design evolved a lot, the latest version allows for a quick separation of the camera + battery + monitor + follow focus from the shoulder rig, so that I can put it on a tripod in seconds. The secret is to use two sets of rods.

Now I agree that at this level of film-making, the mate box is a fancy accessory either meant for the film-maker's confidence or pure marketing. 

Edited March 31 by Nicolas POISSON

[Brian Drysdale]

Although the weight does add inertia, the well-balanced shoulder mount works with lighter cameras such as 16mm and ENG style video cameras. Even the 1/3" sensor JVC HDV cameras were effective with their shoulder mount mini ENG design.

[Mark Wiggins]

If I’m handholding a light camera I add weight to it as the heavier it is the easier it is to produce smooth handheld shots.

[Tyler Purcell]

14 hours ago, Daniel Brothers said:

Now over 40, my up-close vision is getting worse. I've always loved a viewfinder (optical or electronic) for helping me tune out the world when composing - but now I love it more because I can fiddle with the diopter and keep it sharp to my aging eyeballs!

Bro this is a killer. I have started to notice this as well. 😢

[Jon O'Brien]

9 hours ago, Nicolas POISSON said:

Jon, I do not think the shoulder rig you described is meant to be "hip". Quite the opposite indeed : it is what you get when you want to do things the right way with no money. By right, I mean : stay away from fancy tricks that draw attention to themselves, and use tools that support the story without the audience noticing it.

A good example is that scene from The Dark Knight (2008) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jane6C4rIwc

The scene starts with a slow pace, the camera is on a tripod. Enters Batman, the energy rises, and the camera moves to the shoulder. It is stable enough so that that it remains unnoticed, shaky enough to support the mood.

Here was my journey in the world of DIY shoulder rig.

Bad designs : 

Say you are a broke film-maker with a DSLR. Most YouTube videos show sexy, compact, pro-looking shoulder rigs… but really poor designs. The camera is a DSLR far away on the front, so that the operator can look at the rear screen.

After watching tons of YouTube videos, you end up with this ARRI workshop at Camerimage :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHcYjKpJb-I

Now, you are convinced that you rig should be :
- balanced
- heavy (the guy says 20kg / 40lbs)
- with 3 points anchor to the body : shoulder, hands (1 anchor point), eye to the viewfinder ;
- with the image plane close to the shoulder, so that any tilt does not add too much vertical translation

Most designs miss all these 4 key points of a proper shoulder rig.

Although this is not part of the rig itself, you should also start with rather wide angle lenses, since you are inexperienced.

Good design :

First : image plane over the shoulder. OK. Easy to do.
Now you cannot look at the rear screen. The best would be to add a viewfinder, but you’re broke. A monitor is much cheaper and you’ve got one anyway. You place it far away in front of you. Keeping it out of the frame is a bit tricky with wide angles and compact lenses.
Now you rig is completely unbalanced. Use the battery as a counterweight placing it behind the shoulder. Often it will not be enough. Either use a bigger battery, or place it farther away behind you (not very convenient in small spaces), or add other counterweights using cast iron disks bought at the body-building section of your local sport store (very easy to drill).

This is what I did, and got a 6kg/13Lbs rig, balanced, with only two anchor points (no viewfinder) and not as heavy as a real rig. It is still much better than the 1.5kgs of the DSLR on a Neewer rig. The design evolved a lot, the latest version allows for a quick separation of the camera + battery + monitor + follow focus from the shoulder rig, so that I can put it on a tripod in seconds. The secret is to use two sets of rods.

Now I agree that at this level of film-making, the mate box is a fancy accessory either meant for the film-maker's confidence or pure marketing. 

Yes, of course I agree with you. I'm not saying that using a shoulder rig makes a camera operator suddenly guilty of trying to be 'hip'.

Hmm. I don't know. Should I give up writing?

Lately, a few people seem to completely miss the point I'm saying.

If you look at my original post, up the top of this thread, I state that I have nothing against shoulder rig shots, or handheld shots. Actually, I like them.

I am basically complaining about a trend that I see a lot. In fact, in my experience, it's all I see.

And it's not about money either. It's not about being broke, or needing to film for free. It's a choice.

I did a cinematography course at a respected film school. During the course, the students formed groups and made short films. In my group, I wanted to use a tripod. One of the other students disagreed and wanted the whole short film to be shot with a camera on a shoulder rig. I said, no, we are going to use a tripod. She wasn't impressed. Money was no issue. All the gear was rented for free from the school.

Also, again and again, I see local short films being filmed with a shoulder rig. I never see a tripod anywhere in sight. Again, this hasn't to do with money. It is a deliberate choice of the filmmakers.

I will leave this thread at this point. Thank you all for your contributions.

I repeat, I think shoulder rigs and handheld are great. I was making or trying to make a humorous comment about a fashion in filmmaking. Not a criticism of professional camera techniques that are entirely valid. 

[Brian Drysdale]

It's up to the director to decide if they want to shoot handheld or the DP in discussion with the director. It's a style decision at that point. I've shot a short which had quite a few handheld shots where the director wanted me to add camera shake because I was too steady. I mimicked the shake from a not so well-balanced camera from the 1960s and the director was happy.

Shaky cam has been around for quite a while, there's nothing new about it. 

[Daniel Brothers]

9 hours ago, Tyler Purcell said:

Bro this is a killer. I have started to notice this as well. 😢

I wanted to reply to your post sooner but I had to find my readers lol.

 

Jon - I had a teacher in film school who, whenever he'd walk past any of us on the quad or anywhere we were noodling with bolex's, would just bark, with a certain degree of disappointment -  "Use a tripod, boys," and then walk away.

 

[Tyler Purcell]

15 minutes ago, Daniel Brothers said:

I wanted to reply to your post sooner but I had to find my readers lol.

LOL 

I have really bright lights around my workbench and the OLED EVF in my Blackmagic URSA Cine 12k is very bright, so I can get my eye's iris to close a bit, which helps. I have a stigmatism, so it's annoying, but nothing I can do about it. 😞

[Nicolas POISSON]

Jon, my post was not a critic and I sincerely did not expect you would take it so bad. However, about half of your initial post described a certain camera set-up. My goal was to explain that such a set-up is the result of logical decisions, including when you intend to mix both hand-held and tripod shots. It is no surprise that it pops up so often.

Maybe you know much more about cinematography than I do, and all I said was obvious. But you pointed out aspects like camera cage, rear V-mount battery or top handle, that are common and basic across all levels of productions. It is hard to evaluate your experience.

And I keep thinking the lack of viewfinder is more often than not a clue of budget constraints. At least, that is my experience. Are some folks so used to the lack of it that they do not get it even when they could ? Maybe.

Edited April 1 by Nicolas POISSON

[Mark Dunn]

On 4/1/2026 at 4:30 AM, Tyler Purcell said:

LOL 

I have really bright lights around my workbench and the OLED EVF in my Blackmagic URSA Cine 12k is very bright, so I can get my eye's iris to close a bit, which helps. I have a stigmatism, so it's annoying, but nothing I can do about it. 😞

Bifocals. They're a revelation. Or varifocals if you  can tolerate them...and the price.

[Tyler Purcell]

2 hours ago, Mark Dunn said:

Bifocals. They're a revelation. Or varifocals if you  can tolerate them...and the price.

I may have to mess with that shortly. Not looking forward to it because I'm hard on glasses. They basically get destroyed yearly. 

[Daniel Brothers]

Can I just say how proud I am that a thread about camera builds has devolved into a thread about eyeglasses?

Gen Z DPs and Ops out there - take care of your eyes!! Eat carrots. Do vision exercises. Switch from that on-camera monitor in your face to EVFs!

[Brian Drysdale]

The carrot eating was a WW2 myth created by the British to hide the fact that their night fighters had radar. Having said that, carrots are good food. 

[Tyler Purcell]

1 minute ago, Brian Drysdale said:

The carrot eating was a WW2 myth created by the British to hide the fact that their night fighters had radar. Having said that, carrots are good food. 

Oooo nice piece of history! I knew it was a myth, didn't know it was a world war 2 myth, awesome! 
 

1 hour ago, Daniel Brothers said:

Gen Z DPs and Ops out there - take care of your eyes!! Eat carrots. Do vision exercises. Switch from that on-camera monitor in your face to EVFs!

This is part of why I don't wear glasses much if at all anymore. I found my vision getting worse with them and now that I don't wear them much at all, I feel my vision has been stagnant outside of close up stuff. I've been near sighted my entire life, since like 13 or something like that.