Blackmagic Forum

I think it's time to show your Rigs, I'm still configuring mine from other/older and new parts.
although my BMCC camera is being fixed here is what I have thus far, sorry for the bad pics I was in a hurry, I'm still waiting on a lanparte V-mount battery plate, a Rycote Mic Shock Mount and 10" black anodized aluminum rods for the Top Handle and accessories.

What I like most about this setup is the manfrotto 394 rc4 low profile QR plates, and The Genus DSLR Matt box rod setup, this allows me to very quickly take the camera with Matt Box/Cage/FF etc to another rig i.e Jib, Dolly, Slider, Steadicam and more without tearing the rig down, or building it up again.

or I can just take the cage, camera and top handle with rods.

What is that EVF? I'm in the market for an EVF for my BMCC..

Bill Rich wrote:What is that EVF? I'm in the market for an EVF for my BMCC..

Hi Bill, That would be the SmallHD DP4, you will need a SDI to HDMI converter for this Monitor/EVF
or.. in my case I'm using the Blackmagic Design Hyperdeck 2 as a Converter and recorder.

I already owned the DP4 before I purchased the BMCC, and buying the Hyperdeck sure beats paying $1200, to $1400 for an SDI EVF like the Alphatron or Cineroid... for now anyway.

I'm still waiting (and waiting) for my BMCC-MFT, so I've had a lot of time of think about my "less is more" configuration.

See:
http://herefortheweather.wordpress.com/ ... -thinking/

Peter J. DeCrescenzo wrote:I'm still waiting (and waiting) for my BMCC-MFT, so I've had a lot of time of think about my "less is more" configuration.

See:
http://herefortheweather.wordpress.com/ ... -thinking/

I agree if you can get by with less.. that is best, but after 6 years I have found many rig configurations are not "what they seem" or "what works for you", It is my honest opinion that you need a few years
of buying rig-lits (bits and pieces) to get the setup that works with you, I have found the less I need to fumble around with my rig the happier I am on any shoot, and the faster my setup times are.

This is a time in low-budget independent filmmaking where "Time" is of the essence, and literally minutes count, therefore my rig is quickly configurable and affordable.

If I told you how much I obtained all the parts for my rig (hundreds below retail)I could write a book and it would be a best seller. It is in the years of trying every rig known to man that I ended on this one, It is not for everyone, it is built for me and how I like to work period.
There are rigs that cost thousands more than mine and are awesome, but with the low cost of the BMCC My rig dollar for dollar fits perfectly.

They key to any shoulder rig is getting the camera as close to "Above your shoulder" as possible
and the grips as close to your chin/chest as possible, Trust me you will not enjoy long shoots if your
reaching far forward with arms extended for long periods of time, crunch/compact your rig as close to you as possible, I hope that makes sense.

I'll post pics soon of the two extremes to show what I'm talking about .

If you take any advice from my rig, please look at the Manfrotto 394 rc4 Low Profile QR Plates they are awesome for just a few dollars more or less than the manfrotto rapid connect mounting plate

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/control ... &A=details

Cheers.

Blackmagic Cinema Camera
Shape Cage
Bebob V95 Battery & COCO plate
Zeiss ZE lenses
(Matt box was not mine)
Still working on a audio solution, probably Sound devices Mixpre-D.

Marcel you just had to mention Zeiss, okay now it's on like Donkey Kong, I'm going to line up all my Zeiss lenses and take pics like a duck shoot at the carnival

By the way how do you like the Bebob Coco Battery Adapter?

Darryl Gregory wrote:Marcel you just had to mention Zeiss, okay now it's on like Donkey Kong, I'm going to line up all my Zeiss lenses and take pics like a duck shoot at the carnival

By the way how do you like the Bebob Coco Battery Adapter?

Haha it was mentioned in singular, I'm loving the bebob Coco adapter, its so versatile.

What lenses do you have? (the cue for the awesome photos of zeiss)

Marcel Beck wrote:

Darryl Gregory wrote:Marcel you just had to mention Zeiss, okay now it's on like Donkey Kong, I'm going to line up all my Zeiss lenses and take pics like a duck shoot at the carnival

By the way how do you like the Bebob Coco Battery Adapter?

Haha it was mentioned in singular, I'm loving the bebob Coco adapter, its so versatile.

What lenses do you have? (the cue for the awesome photos of zeiss)

ZE 28mm, ZE 35mm , ZF 50mm Makro , ZE 85mm , ZE 100mm , sold the rest
But these are my most used/favored.

I do miss my 50mm f/1.4, but the ZF 50mm Makro is sharper and I paid $750 for it and it's Mint.

FYI: None of these lenses work without a camera

Marcel Beck wrote:

Blackmagic Cinema Camera
(Matt box was not mine)

Who did you have to kill to get that matte box? I think they are lying on the floor in the upper right corner of the photo so no denying it!

Rick Lang
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Peter J. DeCrescenzo wrote:I'm still waiting (and waiting) for my BMCC-MFT, so I've had a lot of time of think about my "less is more" configuration.

See:
http://herefortheweather.wordpress.com/ ... -thinking/

Peter I'm thinking about buying old nikkor lenses myself. Are the AI or AIS versions best for video?

Simple.

emoticon7 wrote:

Peter J. DeCrescenzo wrote:I'm still waiting (and waiting) for my BMCC-MFT, so I've had a lot of time of think about my "less is more" configuration.

See:
http://herefortheweather.wordpress.com/ ... -thinking/

Peter I'm thinking about buying old nikkor lenses myself. Are the AI or AIS versions best for video?

To the best of my knowledge, for use with a BMCC the Nikkor AI & AIS designations make no difference. My old Nikkor lenses are fully manual (both focus and aperture are set manually on the lens itself).

AI & AIS relate to how the lenses implement aperture control on certain Nikon cameras. See:
http://www.kehblog.com/2011/10/nikon-le ... d-aid.html

The BMCC only interacts with certain EF mount electronic lenses, such as:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4651

Additional info about old Nikkor lenses:
http://www.naturfotograf.com/lens_surv.html
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/ha ... /index.htm
http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/lenses.html

Peter J. DeCrescenzo wrote:

emoticon7 wrote:

Peter J. DeCrescenzo wrote:I'm still waiting (and waiting) for my BMCC-MFT, so I've had a lot of time of think about my "less is more" configuration.

See:
http://herefortheweather.wordpress.com/ ... -thinking/

Peter I'm thinking about buying old nikkor lenses myself. Are the AI or AIS versions best for video?

To the best of my knowledge, for use with a BMCC the Nikkor AI & AIS designations make no difference. My old Nikkor lenses are fully manual (both focus and aperture are set manually on the lens itself).

AI & AIS relate to how the lenses implement aperture control on certain Nikon cameras. See:
http://www.kehblog.com/2011/10/nikon-le ... d-aid.html

The BMCC only interacts with certain EF mount electronic lenses, such as:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4651

Additional info about old Nikkor lenses:
http://www.naturfotograf.com/lens_surv.html
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/ha ... /index.htm
http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/lenses.html

Thanks for the info and in depth blog post!

Darryl Gregory wrote:What I like most about this setup is the manfrotto 394 rc4 low profile QR plates, and The Genus DSLR Matt box rod setup, this allows me to very quickly take the camera with Matt Box/Cage/FF etc to another rig i.e Jib, Dolly, Slider, Steadicam and more without tearing the rig down, or building it up again.

Could you talk more about how you're doing this? Looks like you're using multiple 394 plates to get things on/off quickly? I really like this and want to do something similar so i can go from shoulder->sticks->jib->steadicam etc quicker than i currently can. Been trying to think/find a good solution.

Are you using some kind of riser below the first 394? Did you need to get the height for some reason?

Thanks.

No riser, I'm using manfrotto quick release plates as the receiver for the low profile "Base" plate but I got some extra ones from calumet photo since I seem to have lost a few over the years, these are calumet brand but work on manfrotto also, I had a hard time finding the QR plates separate from the base plates, and calumets were cheaper in price.
You won't need these for every setup, just for heads that accept the sliding plate, then the 394's attach to them.
On the shoulder rig there are 1/4 20 and 3/8 threading so the low profile plate attaches directly to it.

The height is coming from the Genus rode system, http://www.genustech.tv/home/matte-box-dslr-kit

Sliding style QR plates, without buying the base plate, in case you need them.
http://www.calumetphoto.com/eng/product ... ate/ck9001

Here is a video review of the 394 Low Profiles plates, Top Mount.
http://www.pauljoy.com/2010/03/manfrott ... em-review/

Update:
Don't be confused, You only need the sliding plates on any and all rigs using a tripod head, and you should already have them, But you will need both 1/4" 20 and the 3/8" screws to secure the 394's base plate and insure you have no twisting.

I think I may need to do a video demonstration/review? let me know if you need a better explanation.

Thanks

Wow! Darryl Gregory have some nice toys to play with. I'm glad to see all of your bmcc combinations. That help me to decide what should I use to build my weapon.

Those images are so sexy. that are almost pornographic. Keep it coming

rick.lang wrote:

Marcel Beck wrote:

Blackmagic Cinema Camera
(Matt box was not mine)

Who did you have to kill to get that matte box? I think they are lying on the floor in the upper right corner of the photo so no denying it!

Rick Lang
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Hahahaha It was our operator's matt box from RedRock Micro. I personally am waiting for the chance to get my self one of these (Bright Tangerine).... maybe some day!


@Joe, great simple setup!

All nice rigs here! Mine is still waiting for an Ikan D7 monitor, Ikan Sony L series battery plate adapter both on order and an E-Bay shoulder pad for 15mm rods. (I almost went for the new Small OLED, but after reading that color changes (ages) drastically well within two years in this technology, I opted to wait till this technology settles in, plus I hate the idea of having such beautiful colors (initially at least) that NO ONE ELSE can see on the sets they currently have!)

Buying the BMCC has been the biggest, yet most rewarding money pit I have fallen in in a long time!

Here's a photo that I posted from the bag pack thread:

Marcel Beck wrote:I personally am waiting for the chance to get my self one of these (Bright Tangerine).... maybe some day!

Looks like the Swiss Army Knife approach to a matte box for all seasons. I'm afraid to look on the distributor site to check the price. Probably more than the BMCC with all the options! I did bookmark the site though just to torture myself.

Rick Lang
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Here's my Shape rig, Edelkrone Focus One Pro, and Lanparte matte box. I'm awaiting a Lanparte v-mount batter and plate in addition to my camera.

rick.lang wrote:

Marcel Beck wrote:I personally am waiting for the chance to get my self one of these (Bright Tangerine).... maybe some day!

Looks like the Swiss Army Knife approach to a matte box for all seasons. I'm afraid to look on the distributor site to check the price. Probably more than the BMCC with all the options! I did bookmark the site though just to torture myself.

Rick Lang
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Its absurd looking into a matt box that actually costs more then the camera itself haha but like you mentioned its a kit for all seasons. I think I'll keep it on the wish list for now

Benton wrote:All nice rigs here! Mine is still waiting for an Ikan D7 monitor, Ikan Sony L series battery plate adapter both on order and an E-Bay shoulder pad for 15mm rods. (I almost went for the new Small OLED, but after reading that color changes (ages) drastically well within two years in this technology, I opted to wait till this technology settles in, plus I hate the idea of having such beautiful colors (initially at least) that NO ONE ELSE can see on the sets they currently have!)

Buying the BMCC has been the biggest, yet most rewarding money pit I have fallen in in a long time!

Here's a photo that I posted from the bag pack thread:

IMG_2507.jpg

Benton it looks like you have the same Genus Matte Box and rods as me?

rick.lang wrote:

Marcel Beck wrote:I personally am waiting for the chance to get my self one of these (Bright Tangerine).... maybe some day!

Looks like the Swiss Army Knife approach to a matte box for all seasons. I'm afraid to look on the distributor site to check the price. Probably more than the BMCC with all the options! I did bookmark the site though just to torture myself.

Rick Lang
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Well Rick here are some videos of the Bright tangerine VIV and Strummer Matte Boxes,
I promise they are not scary .

https://vimeo.com/search?q=Bright+Tangerine

Darryl Gregory wrote:

Benton wrote:All nice rigs here! Mine is still waiting for an Ikan D7 monitor, Ikan Sony L series battery plate adapter both on order and an E-Bay shoulder pad for 15mm rods. (I almost went for the new Small OLED, but after reading that color changes (ages) drastically well within two years in this technology, I opted to wait till this technology settles in, plus I hate the idea of having such beautiful colors (initially at least) that NO ONE ELSE can see on the sets they currently have!)

Buying the BMCC has been the biggest, yet most rewarding money pit I have fallen in in a long time!

Here's a photo that I posted from the bag pack thread:

IMG_2507.jpg

Benton it looks like you have the same Genus Matte Box and rods as me?

Darryl, It certainly may be the same one that you have. It's the PV Matte Box Advanced Kit, I just picked it up during their showroom/display stock sale for 50% off list. The sale is still going on if anyone's interested: http://shop.genustech.tv/collections/sh ... it-special

It was in pristine new condition when I received it and was not used in any way as far as I could tell. The Genus products are absolutely beautifully made! My rods and dedicated BMCC mount are from Ikan. I'm using a Trusmt follow focus with the NF1 rail mount. (The fancier adjustable mechanisms they have can slip, but this one is rock solid and cheaper)

Yeah I have the DLSR version here
http://shop.genustech.tv/collections/ma ... sp-400-038

I also purchased Used/Mint for $420
I never liked the older versions with blue knobs, in fact I hate any color on my rigs,
these manufactures need to have all black options.
When I purchased my Redrock shoulder rig, I was angry when I found out you can get it in all black!
I still may buy the black knobs/kip handles and grips, I like the black/flat black stealth look.

Darryl Gregory wrote:Well Rick here are some videos of the Bright tangerine VIV and Strummer Matte Boxes,
I promise they are not scary .

https://vimeo.com/search?q=Bright+Tangerine

Thanks Darryl.

Rick Lang
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Darryl Gregory wrote:Yeah I have the DLSR version here
http://shop.genustech.tv/collections/ma ... sp-400-038

I also purchased Used/Mint for $420
I never liked the older versions with blue knobs, in fact I hate any color on my rigs,
these manufactures need to have all black options.
When I purchased my Redrock shoulder rig, I was angry when I found out you can get it in all black!
I still may buy the black knobs/kip handles and grips, I like the black/flat black stealth look.

I agree that colorless hardware is best, but at least the newer Genus stuff uses a very light champagne color which is not ideal but way better than any stronger flashier color.

rick.lang wrote:

Darryl Gregory wrote:Well Rick here are some videos of the Bright tangerine VIV and Strummer Matte Boxes,
I promise they are not scary .

https://vimeo.com/search?q=Bright+Tangerine

Thanks Darryl.

Rick Lang
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

You are welcome Rick, but your Avatar is looking at me funny, Can you fix that?

Darryl Gregory wrote:You are welcome Rick, but your Avatar is looking at me funny, Can you fix that?

Okay I tried a new avatar but it's only 40 pixels by 40 pixels! I don't seem to be able to have a larger file dimension and keep it within the 6KB maximum size. My previous was 90x90 pixels but I don't remember how I did it. Darryl, your image is 15KB. How did you upload it since the limit is supposedly 6KB? If I make my image 90x90, it is also 15KB but it was rejected.

rick.lang wrote:

Darryl Gregory wrote:You are welcome Rick, but your Avatar is looking at me funny, Can you fix that?

Okay I tried a new avatar but it's only 40 pixels by 40 pixels! I don't seem to be able to have a larger file dimension and keep it within the 6KB maximum size. My previous was 90x90 pixels but I don't remember how I did it. Darryl, your image is 15KB. How did you upload it since the limit is supposedly 6KB? If I make my image 90x90, it is also 15KB but it was rejected.

Try saving it as a JPEG. Those files are smaller than PNG.

Thanks Christine, i needed to drop the jpeg quality down to 5 instead of 10 and then the new avatar fit.

I'm one of those crazy guys who like to shoot free hands as much as I can or use tripod if needed.
The problem about the camera is that you absolutely need an evf or a viewfinder when shooting outdoor, so i'm trying to configure one of those famous cowboy rig-shoulder pad to use with the camera and a small hd 4 with viewfinder mounted over the camera (with an edelkrone evf holder).
Still have to work on balancing it, but i love to have one or both hands free.

I'm also thinking on buying a viewfinder for bmcc screen and go to this configuration :

boukmanmutt wrote:I'm one of those crazy guys who like to shoot free hands as much as I can or use tripod if needed.
The problem about the camera is that you absolutely need an evf or a viewfinder when shooting outdoor, so i'm trying to configure one of those famous cowboy rig-shoulder pad to use with the camera and a small hd 4 with viewfinder mounted over the camera (with an edelkrone evf holder).
Still have to work on balancing it, but i love to have one or both hands free.

I'm also thinking on buying a viewfinder for bmcc screen and go to this configuration :

I'm not sure having both hands free is a good idea, unless you trip and fall
Which I have done running with my shoulder rig, not nice on the elbows
But at least my gear survived without hitting the ground.

hahahahaha well, "potentially" free, but sure I will use them, don't worry

Tamerlin wrote:Here's my Shape rig, Edelkrone Focus One Pro, and Lanparte matte box. I'm awaiting a Lanparte v-mount batter and plate in addition to my camera.

Man all these rigs are making me jealous of my under funded setup. I was looking between the cheaper D|Focus V4 or the Edelkrone. Do you use an SLR with that rig too? I wanted a follow focus I could use with my DSLR as well for shoots that are prone to accidents. I shoot a lot of concerts and would hate for someone to spill beer all over my BMCC when I'm shooting from the pit. My concern is the follow focus not fitting my DSLR with the battery grip on it.

My rig I'm planning on using is an IndiRAILSpro XVsm


Not the most expensive, but it's served me well on my HVX and my DSLRs. The guy was supposed to send me a prototype for their counter balance system but never followed through. I ended up fabricating one from another system to fit. I was going to go with their mattebox as well since I'm not financially backed very well to be making big $$ gear purchases. For now I'm going to use the Zoom H4n for audio as well. The decent thing about the indirails is theres some good amount of mounting options and since it wasn't breaking the bank, I don't mind taking a tap and die set to it for more mounting options.

Here's my rig . Lanparte kit v2. Hopefully get an evf soon and a better audio solution.

Stephen Grubb wrote:Here's my rig . Lanparte kit v2. Hopefully get an evf soon and a better audio solution.

did you need to get an adapter for the bmcc? or does it not cover the vents that bad?

TZuck wrote:

Stephen Grubb wrote:Here's my rig . Lanparte kit v2. Hopefully get an evf soon and a better audio solution.

did you need to get an adapter for the bmcc? or does it not cover the vents that bad?

No adapter - I would say there's definitely enough of a gap to allow the fan to duct.

Stephen Grubb wrote:Here's my rig . Lanparte kit v2. Hopefully get an evf soon and a better audio solution.

Looks very thoroughly thought out. How many pounds including the camera is the tripod and head holding? What tripod and head are you using? Thanks for any response.

Rick Lang
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

rick.lang wrote:

Stephen Grubb wrote:Here's my rig . Lanparte kit v2. Hopefully get an evf soon and a better audio solution.

Looks very thoroughly thought out. How many pounds including the camera is the tripod and head holding? What tripod and head are you using? Thanks for any response.

Rick Lang
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Hi Rick

The tripod head is a Manfrotto 504HD on 546B sticks. The tripod and head are sturdy enough, but the rig is too heavy for the counterbalance to work. However the setup in the photo is to allow me to shoot from the tripod or shoulder quickly. One issue I have encountered is because of the way the tripod base plate slips off the head backwards, I have to remove or at least loosen the Lanparte grip arms every time I need to take the rig on and off which isn't great as it takes a bit of fiddling to set it up again for hand held. As far as the weights concerned, not sure - no scales. It's heavy but reasonably well balanced so not too much of an issue for the type of shooting I do.

Stephen Grubb wrote:

rick.lang wrote:

Stephen Grubb wrote:Here's my rig . Lanparte kit v2. Hopefully get an evf soon and a better audio solution.

Looks very thoroughly thought out. How many pounds including the camera is the tripod and head holding? What tripod and head are you using? Thanks for any response.

Rick Lang
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Hi Rick

The tripod head is a Manfrotto 504HD on 546B sticks. The tripod and head are sturdy enough, but the rig is too heavy for the counterbalance to work. However the setup in the photo is to allow me to shoot from the tripod or shoulder quickly. One issue I have encountered is because of the way the tripod base plate slips off the head backwards, I have to remove or at least loosen the Lanparte grip arms every time I need to take the rig on and off which isn't great as it takes a bit of fiddling to set it up again for hand held. As far as the weights concerned, not sure - no scales. It's heavy but reasonably well balanced so not too much of an issue for the type of shooting I do.

"One issue I have encountered is because of the way the tripod base plate slips off the head backwards, I have to remove or at least loosen the Lanparte grip arms every time I need to take the rig on and off which isn't great as it takes a bit of fiddling to set it up again for hand held."

And this is why I recommend the 394 plates, they are Top mount!

Stephen Grubb wrote:Here's my rig . Lanparte kit v2. Hopefully get an evf soon and a better audio solution.

Stephen! Your rig looks great! Congrats! What is that little breakout box attached to the back of the battery pack near the rear of the rig?

cmckinlay wrote:

Stephen Grubb wrote:Here's my rig . Lanparte kit v2. Hopefully get an evf soon and a better audio solution.

Stephen! Your rig looks great! Congrats! What is that little breakout box attached to the back of the battery pack near the rear of the rig?

BM SDI to HDMI converter I reckon

Bought the Bebob rig and the LanParte Pro V-Mount Power Distributor for my (not yet arrived) BMCC. Meanwhile I'll use my HERO3.

BMCC EF
Tilta DSLR3 Shoulder mount/handles
Tilta Follow Focus/Matte Box
DP4 EVF
BM SDI-HDMI battery converter
Switronix Power
Zacuto Zwiss Plate
Rode NTG-2
VidPro LED Light

A few more pics

My BMCC's in action...

cmckinlay wrote:

Stephen Grubb wrote:Here's my rig . Lanparte kit v2. Hopefully get an evf soon and a better audio solution.

Stephen! Your rig looks great! Congrats! What is that little breakout box attached to the back of the battery pack near the rear of the rig?

Thanks and yes, Boon is correct, it's a SDI to HDMI converter. Although it's a £50 one bought on Amazon. Seems to work ok.

Stephen Grubb wrote:Here's my rig . Lanparte kit v2. Hopefully get an evf soon and a better audio solution.

Hey Stephen is that a Lilliput 7" Monitor you have there? If so could you tell me what model it is. Im curious to which are working for this cam, ive tested a few with the converter but none work. Thank