I don’t always use rigs… But when I do, I find that I tend to want to alter the form factor several times during a shoot. This is, of course, impossible. Having to break out tools on set and tinker with rigs isn’t efficient or possible at all. But after playing with some gear, I think I have found a great solution. Using the Polaroid DSLR Rig and some other parts, I’ve made a small shoulder padded rig that can instantly break into 3 different configurations.
The Parts
- Polaroid Rig
- SmallHD DP4 Monitor
- Cinevate Simplis Baseplate (Could use this plate as a cheaper alternative)
- Monitor Arm
- LCD Viewfinder (There are much cheaper options available these days)
- Camera Body (in this case I have the 7D mounted)
- Tamron 24-70mm
Configurations
1. Full Rig
In this configuration, the rig is all set for shoulder use. The Cinevate Simplis plate connects the camera to the Polaroid rig, and the Monitor arm is attached the the Cinevate Simplis plate. With this setup you could use the Viewfinder or the Monitor depending on your setup or situation.
2. Monitor and base
The second configuration is just the Camera and viewfinder on the Simplis plate with a monitor on an arm. This is achieved by simply detaching the simplis plate from the Polaroid rig.
From here you can move the monitor around to fit your needs.
3. Quick Shooter
The final configuration is simple, just pop the camera off the Simplis and you have a mobile, small camera package. This setup is operates at a special level of rocking awesome when you have the Tamron 24-70mm with vibration control turned on for smooth handheld shots. One hand on the lens, one on the camera and your eye on the viewfinder gives you 3 points of contact which is crucial for getting smooth footage.
Conclusion
So there you have it… 3 configurations all using one rig and some extra parts. Want to share your rig with us? Submit a rig for Wednesday Rigging!
Photos
