Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

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Travis Hodgkinson

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Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

PostFri Mar 11, 2022 12:42 am

On the topic, has anyone here had any experience with the brand/ something similar?

There aren't many online reviews from what I can find.

The idea seems solid, I'd be using it with a fully rigged 12K, roughly 13kgs in weight.
If you've had any experience, do you think this would be too much weight for the saddle?
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Mike Potton

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Re: Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

PostFri Mar 11, 2022 1:09 am

Yeah 13kg is getting up there for a 12k.

Cine Saddles are fantastic, overpriced when you consider the materials but priceless when you can wake up the next day without a sore back and very well made, 13kg will be fine.

Great for when your on the ground (combo with some apple crates) or in super confined spaces, just rest it and the camera on what you have available. They can be used for shooting from the hip, but easy rigs are a bit more versatile in that regard.

I operated on this tech demo, 85% of the shots were on the cine saddle, both inside and outside the plane. It was a shoot where we needed to add camera shake (no motion rig) and the saddle was quite useful in that regard as well, you can keep the camera grounded but organically manoeuvrable.

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Travis Hodgkinson

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Re: Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

PostFri Mar 11, 2022 1:44 am

Thank you for your input Mike.

I can see how useful it was on that shoot and the given limited space.

I've considered making my own, but really doubt I'd get the same quality.

Good to hear that my capacity might just work.
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Brad Hurley

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Re: Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

PostFri Mar 11, 2022 12:53 pm

I'm pretty sure John Brawley has used these and could speak to their usability with an Ursa.

There's also an alternative version from Japan; see https://www.newsshooter.com/2022/01/06/ ... ra-review/
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John Brawley

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Re: Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

PostFri Mar 11, 2022 1:25 pm

The “marsupial” is too small to use for operating.

The Cine saddle is a one a lifetime purchase. Buy one and it will last your entire career.

They are very versatile and useful.

Originally designed to be a cheap car rig for putting a camera on the hood of a car.

They still come with this rigging.
https://www.flickr.com/gp/johnbrawley/Jgdr0S

More common usage today is to wear it like a sling.

https://flic.kr/p/pXNnwn

Fancy French version for those complaint that the Aussie version is too expensive.

https://www.cinetools.es/en/equipment-a ... 3%A9e.html

- for some reason this link is broken, copy and paste the link above and it works)

And if you really are that cheap and stingy, do what Chris Doyle does…
A couch cushion and a belt.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iDMRB5cCrzY&t=242

All of them involve you looking like an idiot.

Buy a Cinesaddle anyway. They’re great for just resting a camera on between setups. It won’t go anywhere. Or between locations in the back seat of your car. Once you start using it you’ll keep thinking of new ways.

And they don’t go out of date. When BMD drop their 16k camera your cinesaddle fron 10 years ago will still work.

Don’t worry about the price. Don’t get the marsupial.

JB
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Curtis Campsall

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Re: Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

PostSat Mar 12, 2022 8:09 pm

I’ve had mine for probably 25 years and never thought to use it as a sling for hand held, but will definitely try that. It seems expensive for essentially a bean bag, but it is a lifetime tool that will never break. I’ve used fence posts, park benches, etc etc to hold it up in lieu of a tripod.
Dop16mm on the other forum
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Travis Hodgkinson

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Re: Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

PostSun Mar 13, 2022 1:00 am

Wait what I thought the marsupial was the biggest one designed for cameras like the URSA and ENG sized cameras? Is there a different one?

Thanks for your insight!
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Travis Hodgkinson

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Re: Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

PostSun Mar 13, 2022 1:06 am

I see there’s 5cm difference in one of the dimensions. Does that make it unusable for the Ursa? It’s priced at $395 kangaroo coins. I figured that was the biggest model.
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John Brawley

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Re: Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

PostSun Mar 13, 2022 1:25 am

They’ve never been great at their marketing and their names are strange. There’s also sometime differences between what they are called in Australia and in other parts of the world. Their website is terrible from memory.

You want the largest one.

For a while there were versions that had the mounting kit, which is basically some clips that enable you to use it on a car.

I’ve not done that for a long time.

I also changed the beads in mine which are quite noisy when used as a sling. I instead took a rubber yoga mat and shredded it into pieces and half filled mine with that instead. Less noise when being used.

JB
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Travis Hodgkinson

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Re: Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

PostSun Mar 13, 2022 2:10 am

Yeah I was getting a tad confused there.

Interesting use of a yoga mat.

I’ll reach out to them and see if they can direct me to the biggest option that can house the 12k.
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Travis Hodgkinson

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Re: Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

PostSun Mar 13, 2022 2:35 am

Found it. It’s called the: Original Australian Cinesaddle with Mounting Kit

Including postage, it’s around $500 AUD. Not cheap for a glorified gym bag with foam balls/ or yoga mats :)

But people seem to swear by it.
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Phil999

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Re: Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

PostMon Mar 14, 2022 9:21 pm

John Brawley wrote:I also changed the beads in mine which are quite noisy when used as a sling. I instead took a rubber yoga mat and shredded it into pieces and half filled mine with that instead. Less noise when being used.

good idea with the shredded yoga mat, thanks.
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Re: Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

PostTue Oct 04, 2022 7:07 pm

John Brawley wrote:The “marsupial” is too small to use for operating.

...

Don’t get the marsupial.

JB


I was under the impression the Marsupial was the same outside structure just with an extra hidden pouch that you could stuff some bits in and they'd be protected (gloves/hat more likely than fitting a built out 12K obvs). But my point is that there's the original version which comes in small/medium/large and then the marsupial version which comes in the same sizes but has the 'marsupial' pouch built in it.
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Re: Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

PostTue Oct 04, 2022 11:37 pm

And they don’t go out of date. When BMD drop their 16k camera your cinesaddle fron 10 years ago will still work.

JB


Ahaaaaaa 16K confirmed. :roll:
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Re: Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

PostWed Oct 05, 2022 12:58 am

Travis Hodgkinson wrote:I've considered making my own, but really doubt I'd get the same quality.

This wrap is made of clay bb shot. It's 26 inches long and 4 to 8 inches wide. It forms a ball about 5 inches in diameter. It could probably be used as a base with some alien tape. It weighs 3.8 lbs.

NuvoMed - Neck and Shoulder Wrap - Blue
Model: ANS-6/0939 SKU: 6488614 $19.99 USD

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/nuvomed-ne ... Id=6488614
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John Brawley

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Re: Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

PostWed Oct 05, 2022 2:55 am

Ed_Mantle wrote:
I was under the impression the Marsupial was the same outside structure just with an extra hidden pouch that you could stuff some bits in and they'd be protected (gloves/hat more likely than fitting a built out 12K obvs). But my point is that there's the original version which comes in small/medium/large and then the marsupial version which comes in the same sizes but has the 'marsupial' pouch built in it.


They have this section in the middle where you can store stuff, but you're basically taking away space from the bean big filling and making an area to stash batteries or other items...kind of turning it into a bag.

ALSO, the regular cinesaddle also does have a kind of pouch as well, it's just on the outside / underside of the bag, it's where they store the little hook and rope accessories.

For a lot of people they ONLY use a cinesadle as a way of stowing a ready to shoot fully dressed hand held camera when they don't want to hold it anymore. Have a cart or right on the ground, plonk the camera on it and it stays put, cradled and protected ready to be picked up in an instant. The bag storage makes sense here.

I don't do that.

I WEAR the cinesaddle and use it as a way of operating either lower mode shots or higher mode shots with my elbows wedged in to stabilise the shot better.

This means I modify mine. I take out the beads it comes with (too noisy when you operate) and replace them to about 50% with bits of shredded rubber from yoga mats. It's less noisy to operate with and by only filling it to 50% I can contort the bag to my body.

Having the marsupial bag pouch takes away from this function. It interferes with how it works in the way you wear / operate it.

Since this thread started, I was shooting in Miami in a house and I left my cinesaddle on an electric stove top. Someone accidentally turned the hot plate on and a few mins later the smoke alarm starts blaring and the cinesaddle was smoking! I threw it out the into the back yard and later hone I went to retrieve it, the bottom just had a few scorch marks on it but that was it! They really are indestructible. They will last you your whole career.

I also am a fan of these....sort of the small version...basically a fancy shotbag that's waterproof and has a carry strap. The cinesadle can sometimes still be too tall....

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... dybag.html
JB
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Ed_Mantle

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Re: Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

PostFri Oct 07, 2022 11:28 am

John Brawley wrote:
Ed_Mantle wrote: I take out the beads it comes with (too noisy when you operate) and replace them to about 50% with bits of shredded rubber from yoga mats. It's less noisy to operate with and by only filling it to 50% I can contort the bag to my body.


Nice tip - thanks John
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Re: Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

PostFri Oct 07, 2022 12:13 pm

John Brawley wrote:
I also am a fan of these....sort of the small version...basically a fancy shotbag that's waterproof and has a carry strap. The cinesadle can sometimes still be too tall....

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... dybag.html
JB


Wow, and the price is right! Only $75 USD.
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John Brawley

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Re: Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

PostFri Oct 07, 2022 3:28 pm

Brad Hurley wrote:
Wow, and the price is right! Only $75 USD.



For a fancy shot bag? I think of this as a different item to the cinesaddle though.

JB
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Re: Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

PostFri Oct 07, 2022 3:36 pm

Am a bit confused on the Cinesaddle. Shredded foam is cheap; you can buy it from pillow manufacturers if a yoga mat won't do.

But if you take the beads out of the Cinesaddle, what's left but a very expensive canvas bag?
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John Brawley

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Re: Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

PostFri Oct 07, 2022 3:50 pm

John Paines wrote:
But if you take the beads out of the Cinesaddle, what's left but a very expensive canvas bag?



The beads are just regular bean bag beans.

Yes, it's an expensive canvas bag filled with regular bean bag beads. I just change mine because they make too much noise when I wear the bag, which is not really what the original design intention of this bag is.

Film accessory that's expensive? That's unusual in this industry....

JB
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Re: Cinekinetic Marsupial Cine Saddle

PostTue Nov 08, 2022 8:22 pm

Jeez after reading this thread I realize what a mistake it was to sell my Domke bag a few years ago for peanuts. I could have converted it into a cine saddle for my 6k.

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