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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

RED EPIC ENG MODE

Tonaci Tran

Tonaci Tran

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Red Sliding Top Handle with Swat Rail
Red Universal Mount 19mm
Red Dovetail Mounting Plate
New Element Technica Magnetic Shoulderpad/Baseplate System
Element Technica Hybrid Base Plate
Wooden Camera Universal EVF Mount
Wooden Camera A-Box for Full Size XLRs
Azden AZSGMPDII SGM-PDII On-Camera Short Shotgun Microphone
Wooden Camera Hot-Shoe
Brook/Viewfactor Top Plate
Ronford Moose Bars

Below is configuration with LCD and quick release Battery Plate
iPhone-Capture1.jpg
[/IMG]
 
Thanks for sharing - any idea how much the whole thing weighs.
It looks like there's quite a bit of metal and various layers between the bottom of the camera and your shoulder, I'm wondering if there's scope to cut weight here?
 
I think weight is less of an issue than balance, once you put a 35mm PL-mount zoom on front (even a lightweight Optimo) plus a sunshade or mattebox... I would think you'd want a battery brick in back just to rebalance the weight, get the center of mass over your shoulder.
 
Cool. Thanks Tonaci and everyone for sharing pictures and videos of your rigs. I'm still thinking though that to consider it ENG style the operator needs to be able to pull their own focus. So one of the hands supporting the camera should be on the lens (not very practical) or on a FF wheel. Anybody experimenting with an MFF-1 or similar as the left hand grip yet? I'm drumming my fingers waiting for the RED QR plates with 15 LW support to go that direction (back ordered of course).

I agree with David that a rear mounted battery might help for balance. The ET Mantis has predrilled holes on the back that fit a V-dock. Its really easy to put a V-lock on the back of a battery plate and - viola - you have a quick release plate that puts a battery low and behind you. Or not if you want to put RED volts in the handle. Very flexible.

Anyway. Thanks again for showing your rig. Its great to see how different people are approaching these common issues.
 
Hey David! Hope you are doing well. =)
Yeah, due to the Epic's super small size, a counterbalance helps.. so I devised a "quick-release" battery system using Element Technica's V-dock. There are a few other cool systems like Red's backpack that is available and a few other 3rd party solutions coming.

Below is a pic where we popped in a vmount to help with counter balance.
iPhone-Capture1.jpg
 
Thanks for posting guys...

I would really like to replace that right hand grip with the DSMC side handle.
Something like a 12"-18" breakout cable connecting side handle to EPIC body would make this sort of configuration much more practical.

FF in left hand - DSMC side handle in right hand..
 
I am all for these lightweight setups. I think it is great.

The problem I see in the video you posted is that in that configuration you still need a focus puller.

ENG (electronic news gathering) generally means one operator, pulling focus for themselves.

Traditionally that has meant the right hand in a grip near the lens and the left hand for pulling focus.

In a two handed hand held it looks like it would be tought to pull focus based on where th BOMB EVF is and where the lens is in relation to the shoulder. The lens feels a bit high for ENG shooting.


eng-crews.jpg


David
 
Thanks - really like the LCD setup.

When I look at these lightweight Epic setups I think "how would that work with Scarlet Fixed - and my budget that will be busted just by getting the barest bones package?"

Missing dialog: "Hey Ivan, how do you start and stop recording?" "I remove my hand from the left/right grip and ..."

Missing piece: the "dumb" side handle with on/off/record button. Screw-on replacement for a grip, with a wireless or Lemo connection back to an adapter that replaces the DSMC side handle. I'd really like it to have a programmable rocker and a couple of user buttons. For ultralight work, maybe it could replace the DSMC side handle with a mount that enabled it to slide down and swivel forward and back - kinda old-skool consumer-ish, but light and compact. I wouldn't care if it didn't have a battery since I would probably want a large V-mount on the back anyway. Given the touch-screen and Redmote functionality, I would take this kind of handle over the DSMC handle in a Scarlet Fixed kit in a hot minute.

Gibby's been pretty quiet lately. I bet he's testing a lot of very interesting stuff that fits with his type of work, and which would also be perfect for ENG and docs.
 
The beauty of the Epic is that none of the pieces are fixed on this camera (unlike most other cameras).
I can move the Bomb evf back more which would allow plenty of room to allow the left hand to rack focus. I can also use the LCD which is forward enough to allow plenty of spce for left hand rack focusing.

Right now, I have the setup up on sliding ET hybrid baseplate which allows for quick 15 second tripod to handheld swaps. I could just screw the baseplate directly to the Epic which would lower the lens height from the shoulder.

I will definitely show more samples later of what I am talking about.
 
Steve,
The Ronford moose bars came with a start/stop thumb trigger for the Red One which I think could easily be converted to trigger the Epic. (I'm gonna have it done for sure).

Once Steve gets his Epic-X, I'm sure we will see lots of ENG/EFP posts. =)

"Missing piece: the "dumb" side handle with on/off/record button."
I think Red has something in the works for that:
4059462805_d53edfba98.jpg
 
David Battistella said:
I am all for these lightweight setups. I think it is great.

The problem I see in the video you posted is that in that configuration you still need a focus puller.

ENG (electronic news gathering) generally means one operator, pulling focus for themselves.

Traditionally that has meant the right hand in a grip near the lens and the left hand for pulling focus.

In a two handed hand held it looks like it would be tought to pull focus based on where th BOMB EVF is and where the lens is in relation to the shoulder. The lens feels a bit high for ENG shooting.

eng-crews.jpg


David
Click to expand...

Touch screen focus...

David Mullen ASC said:
I think weight is less of an issue than balance, once you put a 35mm PL-mount zoom on front (even a lightweight Optimo) plus a sunshade or mattebox... I would think you'd want a battery brick in back just to rebalance the weight, get the center of mass over your shoulder.
Click to expand...

Who uses PL lenses for ENG?

When Epic-S hits the streets most run'n'gun set-ups will be with Canon or Nikon mount, screw on ND and a hood - very lightweight.
 
Liam Hall said:
Touch screen focus...

Who uses PL lenses for ENG?
Click to expand...

I still think you are hard pressed to be using EPIC for actual ENG, Although I can totally appreciate a small, flexible, Handheld set up and that is what many will "go for". I'm sure you'll see many DSLR style homemade rigs with EPIC in the coming months as everyone finds their own sweet spot.

Touch screen focus throuhg a bomb EVF could be a bit tricky. :) (yes that is a smile I am indeed being funny)

ENG setup would be what TED walks around with.
Right hand gritp, touchscreen focus with a Canon or Nikon 18-135 zoom lens.

Still r3d does not make EPIC much of a "news" camera, although with 1080 out now maybe you could do some live hits from the truck back to the station.
 
Paul J Steinberg said:
Has anyone tried the Red B4->PL adapter with Epic to see if B4 zooms will cover the Epic 2k cropped sensor? Those B4 lenses still offer the best range for a manageable weight for handheld verité work.
Click to expand...

The photosites are the same size on the RED One and the EPIC, so the RED B4-PL adaptor (with about .25 stop light loss) should certainly cover 2K. AbelCine makes the HDx2, which allows B4 lenses to cover 3K (2 stop light loss) and the HDx35, which allow then to cover 4K (2.5 stops).
 
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