Pyxis Baseplate Input

Hey everyone,

I am starting to look into ideas of how to rig the Pyxis and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions or experience with these manufactures for baseplates? Pros and cons between them.

I'm currently looking at Kondor Blue, Shape, mid49 and Zacuto.

I will primarily shoot on a tripod and Ronin Gimbal. Not sure if I will shoot on my shoulder because I'm 6'4" and have never shot on my shoulder so not sure about the Zacuto. But I also like the idea of low profile.

Coming from the Pocket 6K, I am mostly starting with a clean slate, so any feedback and experience is more than welcome!

Thanks!

I have used both Kondor Blue and Mid49 products and love them both. I think that Kondor Blue has the better options for the Pyxis, including their new battery plate with attachable Lemo options...with more to come.

I really like the low profile of the tiny 20ish dollar SmallRig one. The others are too heavy and just have another sliding plate that I don’t need imo.

I may be wrong, but it looks like the Zacuto keeps the camera profile low and also allows you to use the camera on your shoulder without an additional mount which can be good features.

I use Shape for the BMPCC4K and like the convenience that I can easily remove the camera from the mount that holds the camera to the tripod.

I have used both Kondor Blue and Mid49 products and love them both. I think that Kondor Blue has the better options for the Pyxis, including their new battery plate with attachable Lemo options...with more to come.

I am favoring the Kondor Blue baseplate currently and would pair that with their Battery Plate.

Thanks for the feedback!

I really like the low profile of the tiny 20ish dollar SmallRig one. The others are too heavy and just have another sliding plate that I don’t need imo.

I did see this one on B&H's website for $40. It's advertised more as a universal baseplate and show it with the Pocket line in the list of pictures. I do like SmallRig and a minimal approach. I also reached out to SmallRig to see which baseplate would work with the Pyxis but they haven't gotten back to me with a solid answer yet.

Screenshot 2024-11-28 112016.png (156.13 KiB) Viewed 4352 times

I may be wrong, but it looks like the Zacuto keeps the camera profile low and also allows you to use the camera on your shoulder without an additional mount which can be good features.

I use Shape for the BMPCC4K and like the convenience that I can easily remove the camera from the mount that holds the camera to the tripod.

I believe you are correct with the Zacuto Rick. That has been on my saved list for a while and I saw a reference to it or someone recommended it at some point, but I just don't think I will shoot on my shoulder as it would be a high angle for just about everything I shoot, lol.

I reached out to B&H and asked their opinion on which baseplate to use, and they recommended the Shape. They do seem to be top notch and on sale currently at B&H. Thanks for the input!

That savings would absorb most of the pain if I had to pay in Canadian dollars.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1856389-REG

I have a Canadian supplier that allows me to pay in USD which is my preference.

Due family financial priorities I thought I would purchase a camera and gear next year. Now with Trump threatening Canadians and Mexicans with 25% tariffs on imports, I’ve no idea how Canada will respond with their own tariffs. But given the BMD cameras may not be currently considered as “Made in the USA” due to their offshore origins, we might be spared any pain on the camera. Except Canada is part of the North American region for BMD sales and Canada might well say that BMD cameras are Made in the USA!

Shape is a Canadian company so I may be good to go in that regard. If I was living in the USA, and wanted that Shape kit, now is the best time to buy.

This is the one. It's on Amazon. SmallRig Camera Base Plate with 15mm LWS Rod Rail Clamp - 1674

Curious, what are the thoughts on the Tilta PYXIS Cage with its baseplate? https://tilta.com/shop/camera-cage-for- ... k-pro-kit/

There's a lot I like about what Tilta has done here. The only issue may be the top handle they did, which may not work with the URSA Cine EVF that can also be used on the PYXIS. I'm sure you could still make the PYXIS Monitor work. But the question for me is the EVF.

This is the one. It's on Amazon. SmallRig Camera Base Plate with 15mm LWS Rod Rail Clamp - 1674

Thank you for posting that! It is pretty minimal, which I do like.

Curious, what are the thoughts on the Tilta PYXIS Cage with its baseplate? https://tilta.com/shop/camera-cage-for- ... k-pro-kit/

There's a lot I like about what Tilta has done here. The only issue may be the top handle they did, which may not work with the URSA Cine EVF that can also be used on the PYXIS. I'm sure you could still make the PYXIS Monitor work. But the question for me is the EVF.

I do like Tilta also, but I am going to try to stay away from a full cage for the Pyxis for now and see if I can use and rig any needed items directly onto the camera. It's pretty great all the options we have now and days, but it also makes it tough.

Have you taken a look at the Shape baseplate this "cyber monday" week?

It's a pre-order and on sale this week. The baseplate has a unique feature where it has a small tripod plate attached to the main "baseplate" that has a quick release, so you don't need tools to separate the camera from the 15mm rod baseplate but also has a traditional ARRI dovetail compatible plate at the bottom. This is the best of both worlds. Why bother lugging the whole baseplate with you when you don't need the rods? Plus, you will not constantly be removing and installing your baseplate wearing out the helicoils in the Pyxis mount points.


https://www.shapewlb.com/products/shape ... -pre-order

Full disclaimer: I just ordered one of these while they were on sale, and I have the Shape top case, side nato rails, and full Pyxis handle. The workmanship is pretty good, but they are working on a revision to the nato side handles, they are about .5 mm too thick for quick releases like those used on the DJI Focus handle, but work fine with my smallrig nato clamps. They said they will send me new rails later this month.

Agree with Corey as that’s how I use Shape on the BMPCC4K.

Reviving this thread to hear if there are any updates on the baseplate situation?

Also Blackmagic has been photographing the Pyxis 6K and 12K with an OEM baseplate with Blackmagic branding but I can't find it for sale anywhere. Anyone know anything on that?

@MrRipfrog did you end up going with the Smallrig plate? How are you liking it? Looking for a minimal option as well, not a full cage solution.

Edit: seems like the Blackmagic baseplate is not a Pyxis specific one, but rather the one of the 4K Studio camera that fits well. Considering going that route

Whatever you choose, make sure to check the height of the rod holders, if they are "industry standard" once mounted under your camera type (and cage setup), if you ever plan on using a rod mounted mattebox.

For instance, I have the XLCS Cage for the Pyxis and thought a simple SmallRig baseplate (15mm Dovetail Baseplate 4002) would be fine. But the rods are about 3mm too high, which is a problem for rod supported Matteboxes since they don't align with the lenses. Some lenses, mainly vintage, are not suitable for clamp on Matteboxes so it's a bit annoying if the rod height is off.

Still looking for the best solutions with the XLCS cage in particular.

[quote="@MrRipfrog did you end up going with the Smallrig plate? How are you liking it? Looking for a minimal option as well, not a full cage solution.[/quote]

I ended up going with the Kondor Blue Baseplate and its height adjustable. I actually went with quite a few Kondor Blue parts. I like the Matte Box which allows easy attachment of the Lidar and fits directly onto the Arles lenses.

The pictures are of the camera fully rigged (excluding audio).

That's a beautiful rig, thanks for sharing the pictures. Searching for a lidar solution as well, yours looks very sleek. Does the top flag get in the way of the LiDAR though?

Trying to go for something slightly more compact that still includes a V-Mount solution. Unfortunately it seems Mid49 seems to have the only solution that attaches directly to the top of the camera without requiring any additional parts.

[quote="I ended up going with the Kondor Blue Baseplate and its height adjustable. I actually went with quite a few Kondor Blue parts. I like the Matte Box which allows easy attachment of the Lidar and fits directly onto the Arles lenses."[/quote]


Very nice... I had to make an underslung Lidar mount for my rods because I have the older smallrig Matte box, and the top flag is blocking the bottom half of the Lidar.

@Corey care to share a picture of your LiDAR mount? Still trying to figure out what works best.

Thank you, guys. This rig has worked well for me so far and I attach and detach accordingly for the needs of the shoot.

Good eye and yes, I did just take the camera out to take these pictures and just raised the flag. When shooting with the Lidar, there are two screws on top that easily allow the flag to be removed. The Lidar also has a quick release to remove it if not using it.

I was eyeballing that Mid49 and ended up going with the Shape Top Cage because of the Nato side arms that allow me to attach the Lidar handle on one side and the SmallRig on the other. It's a pretty close match and feels good in the hands. It is on the heavier side though.

Shot a Noir style commercial and here's a frame grab.

@Corey care to share a picture of your LiDAR mount? Still trying to figure out what works best.

Sure, I tried to take some quick pics of the setup.

I put some white paper behind since everything in my office is on the dark side.

I had de-rigged my Pyxis, so I just threw on my baseplate with 15mm rods and grabbed my Lidar.

IMG_2857_resized.jpg (531.79 KiB) Viewed 2655 times

IMG_2855_resized.jpg (481.96 KiB) Viewed 2655 times

I made this attachment using mostly spare parts. I had the aluminum spacers already, which allow me to make room if I do have to use a lens support for something heavy. I guess technically, if I wanted to simplify things, I could move the NATO directly to the rod attachment, removing the cheese plate, and the Tilta lidar mount is reversible, so that would allow it to attach from underneath with the nato clamp keeping the LIDAR oriented in the right direction (this would be so much easier if you could flip the image 180' on the lidar). The only problem is the weight of the camera on that mount if it's not on a tripod. Not ideal in a big rig setup.

I also think you could avoid the NATO and keep the original DJI cold shoe setup. I just hate cold shoe mounts.

FYI: When I attach my Zoom or use a shoulder rig, I have a USBC extension for the Lidar used with the original DJI cable. DJI cables have a chip or something in them and are not normal USBC cables.

Hey everyone,
I am starting to look into ideas of how to rig the Pyxis and was wondering if anyone has any suggestions or experience with these manufactures for baseplates?...

I have used quick releases by Kessler Crane for years and have used their K-Plate with the URSA Mini Pro, the Big URSA and now the UMP 12K.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... plate.html

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... er_v2.html

The K-Plate has been great. I have two and leave them bolted to the camera bottoms. The K-Plate has 4 small rubber feet which allows the camera to be place on a table without scratching. I use titanium rods in mine. The K-Plate has machined into it a dovetail for the Quick-release block (of which I have 8 which are mounted on every head, slider... whatever that a camera might go onto... even a pocket)

The K-plate is compact, rigid, light weight and I have not found anything better to do the job it does. It provides rods as well as a solid, safe quick release to the camera system.

I have used quick releases by Kessler Crane for years and have used their K-Plate with the URSA Mini Pro, the Big URSA and now the UMP 12K.

Thanks for sharing those Jeffrey! In all my searching, I have never come across that brand.

Would you mind sharing a picture of your setup? I's love to see how you use them.

Sure, I tried to take some quick pics of the setup.

I put some white paper behind since everything in my office is on the dark side.

I do like how minimal that setup looks! Thanks for sharing.

Whatever you choose, make sure to check the height of the rod holders, if they are "industry standard" once mounted under your camera type (and cage setup), if you ever plan on using a rod mounted mattebox.

For instance, I have the XLCS Cage for the Pyxis and thought a simple SmallRig baseplate (15mm Dovetail Baseplate 4002) would be fine. But the rods are about 3mm too high, which is a problem for rod supported Matteboxes since they don't align with the lenses. Some lenses, mainly vintage, are not suitable for clamp on Matteboxes so it's a bit annoying if the rod height is off.

Still looking for the best solutions with the XLCS cage in particular.

They a "Dog Bones" option for rod adjustment.

I just sold my pyxis but I was using the (open to sell) the Blackmagic Studio baseplate.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1708638-REG/blackmagic_design_bmcstud_tpdmnt_camera_studio_4k.html

the holes line up perfectly with the Pyxis body and having a rail setup with a sliceable baseplate is really nice. I just don't need it anymore.