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F5 / F55 Rig


Jon Zanone

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Looking for rig options for a Sony F55.  I currently have a Shape rig - looks nice but it's heavy and the carrying handle is not very good.  Or should I just get something like an EasyRig?  I like the V-plate, but open to other options as well.

 

F55_BUSAN.thumb.jpg.0a844bacbc40cc3abce948244aa8184f.jpg

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I have the Vocas top and side plate for the f5/55 and top Handle.. by far the most comfortable shoulder plate is the Zacuto universal (the newer version).. and I have the wooden Vocas grips / arms.. they are pretty much identical to the old Aaton handles.. very comfortable..  

When I shot 90% with CN7 I used an easy rig.. great for static ,or small movements shots but un useable for a lot of walking around.. sways side to side due to weight being on the hips..  great for some shoots but useless for others.. I changed to the Sigma cine zooms .. and sold the CN7 just recently .. 

Personally I would stick with V mount .. and that's the default of the f55 anyway.. well the adapter plate that comes with it.. which is very light and low profile.. I doing see the problem staying with V mount on these camera,s.. seriously thinking about getting the Fx9 when it comes out ..

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4 hours ago, Robin R Probyn said:

I would stick with V mount

Sorry, should've been more clear.  SHAPE uses a V-plate to attach to the tripod.  Some call it a speed plate, but AFAIK it came from the ENG camera side and it's a familiar piece of kit to me.  Not a fan of RED's dovetail system for multiple fast setups.  

BTW, the picture was taken on Haeundae Beach in Busan, ROK - Kind of your neighborhood in a roundabout, get on a plane way!

Z_ROK_CAM_BUSAN.jpg

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Can you post some more detailed photos of the rig? Would make it easier to advise you based on the kit that doesn't need to be replaced.

Do your Shape handles attach to rosettes on the baseplate? Or are they mounted on your 15mm rods?

Top plates are top plates, and they really don't vary much between the brands, so if you're not willing to go back to the default Sony handle (which does work nicely) nothing is really going to save you much weight-wise on top of the camera, so you might as well stick with what you have there.

If it's just your top handle that you're not happy with, I'd HIGHLY recommend the Berkey System Versahandle. It attaches via NATO rail, which is rock solid and can be adjusted really fast. It's just fantastic allround (and lets you use 15mm rod clamps/15mm spuds to mount accessories - which is faster and more secure than any other option I've encountered):

http://store.berkeysystem.com/quick-release-handle-for-sony-f5-55-with-sony-evf-mount/

 As for baseplates, all of the "universal" ones (like the one you have now) have always struck me as silly, they mostly don't give you enough adjustment to put the shoulder pad directly under your camera's centre of gravity (particularly with a couple of kilograms of glass up front, like your CZ.2 zoom). And the Sony V-mount tripod connection thing is kinda crappy too.

What will shave a TONNE of weight off your rig, is to switch to either the Bright Tangerine "Left Field" baseplate (for Venice, F5, F55), or to the Wooden Camera "Unified" baseplate:

https://www.brighttangerine.com/store/sony-venice-bmd-ursa-pro-riser-for-left-field-baseplate/
https://woodencamera.com/products/unified-baseplate-sony-venice-rialto-f55-f5-ursa-mini

These two baseplates are basically doing the same thing, they give you 15mm LWS rods (that can be separately secured both at the front and rear of the baseplate), and they attach to Arri-standard dovetails.

This is the golden combination.

Why?

Because it's using the minimum amount of metal possible to give you both 15mm LWS rods, and a dovetail clamp.

You then simply attach an Arri dovetail to your tripod (for easy counterbalancing of your camera on the tripod head), and you add a Arri dovetail based shoulder pad to your kit (like this one from wooden camera):

https://woodencamera.com/products/shoulder-rig-v3-dovetail-and-shoulder-pad-assembly?_pos=1&_sid=5d841025f&_ss=r

So that you adjust the position of your shoulder pad to DIRECTLY underneath your camera's centre of gravity (which is obviously a huge deal for handheld work).

If your Shape handles are rod mounted, you won't have to add anything else to the kit, but if they're rosette-mounted, you'll also need this cross bar:

https://woodencamera.com/products/crossbar-v3-pivoting-arri-rosettes?_pos=1&_sid=bf0a180f5&_ss=r

A setup like this will allow you to jump easily from tripod to handheld, you just slide off your tripod dovetail, and slide in your shoulder-pad dovetail. And it gives you the most adjustability possible with the lowest weight possible.

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The ENG style V mount can be rock solid if you don't have the spring loaded tripod plate  ie the Sony or cheaper knock offs.. the spring wears out .. and the camera doesn't lock in place.. you have to shell out for the Arri or Chrosziel plates.. they are mechanical locking..  pricey but they never wear .. Ive had my Chrosziel one for about 15 years probably more.. well worth the price.. 

This is still the quickest way to go from tripod to hand held.. just right off the tripod onto your shoulder.. agree with Mark about the balance of many ENG style shoulder rigs .. but Zacuto universal  changed this .. I could balance a CN7.. and the gel sacks are by far the most comfortable for hand held all day..

Trouble with the default handle, and the reason just about everyone changed it over ,is the 4 screws holding it down, are  very small.. and weak . would never trust it with heavy lenses ..

Edited by Robin R Probyn
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Thanks for the experienced thoughts.  After dragging this rig around South Korea for 3 weeks of daily shooting, here's what I don't like about this rig:

-The handle is uncomfortable.  It's attached via several 1/4--20 bolts directly into the top plate. It's not adjustable so usually the camera is front heavy.

-There's no place to comfortably mount a mic.  I've resorted to gaffing a Sennheiser 416 to the top of the handle.  This may be a universal problem, though as all the rigs I've seen are conspicuous in the lack of mic attachment options.

-The connector guard does not allow for easy removal of the EVF cable.  I used the zoom handles from the Zeiss CPZ to press the buttons to release the cable.  I like the Wooden Camera option that allows easy on / off of the connector.  I'd think they would 

-The top plate only has 1/4-20 holes. It wasn't really an issue on this last trip, but when it's configured for studio work, I like to use a monitor on an Israeli arm. 

-The follow focus doesn't have an adjustment to tighten the arm holding the gear against the lens.  It requires periodic tightening to keep the gears from skipping.

-The viewfinder mount is hard to adjust, affecting perceived horizon in the viewfinder.  The screws holding the mount to the handle are very small and the heads are easy to strip.  I finally solved the problem with LocTite. 

Here's what I like - 

-The speed plate.  It allows me to put the camera on the tripod and it'll be perfectly balanced every time.  Disregarding the crappy dovetail lock on the Vinten 100 tripod....

-I can balance the camera to CG for handheld work, but with the camera about 2" behind the front of the shoulder mount.

-The handles.  After years of traditional ENG camera work, my shoulders aren't real enthused about the 'traditional' way to hold a camera (right hand in a handle on the zoom rocker, left hand focusing).  Having the handles lower and forward allows my shoulders to not work so hard.

Sorry for the long critique.  When we first bought the rig, I really wanted to like it, but it seems I'm constantly trying to make the rig work, and not letting the rig work with the camera.

F55_CU.jpg

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Turn the handle around the other way.. thats what I did ..so the weight is actually pushing your hand into the handle.. not like its going to slip out of your hand in the "normal ' mode ..

A better top plate will give you more holes to move it..

TBH I share your pain.. Ive been toting my f5 /CN7 around the world for last 6 years.. Sigma cine zooms are very light in comparison .. Im really thinking about the fx9 now.. for shoots that dont need all the bells and whistles .. it can be made very small and light.. by the looks of it..

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