C300 and Shape rig?

[Tony OBrien]

Does anyone have any setup photos of a C300 with the BP6000 or BP7000 rig from the company Shape?

Thanks!

[Jaron Berman]

I use it often, it works and its a good idea, but not perfectly thought out. Because of the dimensions of the C300, you can't get the rods to line up correctly for non-adjustable matteboxes, etc... Also, for some reason, the camera ends up being WAY out forward and super front heavy even with relatively heavy bricks on the back end. The finish quality looks nice, but in their structuring of the piece, where the shoulder pad mounts is recessed between "webs" of metal which are particularly sharp and dig into your shoulder unless you have it perfectly lined-up on your body....impossible because the camera sits so far forward. It's also VERY slow to break off the camera if you want to shrink dimensions for getting into a vehicle, etc... The shape rig ends up being HUGE. And to balance it, it's about 3' long with a zoom.

 

My suggestion - the Arri baseplate is excellent, VERY well designed and cheaper. Add the portabrace pad (SP-3G) and you have a fast and flexible setup that lets you position the pad where you want it or lose it instantly. Build the camera and just put the pad on the rods under it wherever that balance point needs to be. Easy, no sharp edges, no extra weight.