V mounts for RED DRIVE / BATTERY PLATE

[Alex Carr]

I was working on a show over the summer and I can't remember where the V-mount came from. It was basically a 15mm Universal Rod mount with V-Mounts attached to them, on three sides Top, LEFT, RIGHT. So I can configure the Battery Plate in any way I need...without having to touch a Allen wrench... thats the important part...

The camera gets built from Steadicam to Handheld to Studio, depending on the day and the shots. I want fast configuration, where time can be spent else where...

Anyone use this or know of it?

 

[Curran Giddens]

I think you are referring to the Element Technica quick-release rod mount (a.k.a. speedy v-lock clamp) with aluminum battery plate. This is still in development but should be available soon....

http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?t=16614

 

[Anders Yarbrough]

The mount is Keslow's. Not a big fan.

2 big reasons that it's not the coolest mount:
1- The three side mount is kinda bulky and unchangeable, It may just be me but, I haven't met a steadi op that loves it. Most don't like it's size and shape. the v-lock on the operator side, gets in the way of the operator. Keeping the battery and drive in top/back where the mag should be pleases most of them.
2- The v-lock is metal, with no shock absorption value- common harddrive sense dictates that drives don't like abrupt jarrings (ie - locked and unlocked from the v mounts, in particular without the drives being parked properly). I'd be really pissed to have a drive fail on set, it would make the department look bad, and really f up the works.

Keslow's response to anyone asking, "Do you guys have the battery/drive tray mounts?" goes something like, "No. We don't believe in those." I guess they're catching the rebellious demeanor that red has.

My 2 cents/rant...

Are you a DIT or an assistant? If you're a DIT, why not let the 1st A.C. deal with it, it should be his/her responsibility not yours, besides you peeps already have tons of crap to do.



That ET drive mount rocks! Hopefuly Keslow wakes up (for their clients sake) and buys those instead of hack/modding the red drives.

 

[Alex Carr]

I worked with 2 of Keslow camera's package for 2 months over the summer... That's definitely where I saw them.
I really just wanted to mount the batteries on Top Rails.
The only time we ever used the Red Drive was on Sticks. Never on Steadicam or handheld, unlikely on A Dolly unless High Speed or long Takes.

I am definitely interested in ET's mount also, its the same thing with only one mount, more customizable. I def. like it better.

I am a DIT / DAM (very soon 600) - I am just building a package for a DP who's number came up.

 

[Florian Stadler]

Keslow's 3 v-mount QR top/bottom mount is pretty well designed and inspired, the lighter, meaner version of Element Technica. The design isn't made for steadicam but for studio mode. It is meant to hold a dual battery plate and a drive off to either side. Keslow is well aware of what Element Technica is producing and vice versa.