Welcome to our community

Be a part of something great, join today!

Log in
  • 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 :)

15mm studio offset and DSMC Quick Release?

Eric Haase

Eric Haase

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 1, 2009
Messages
1,041
Reaction score
0
Points
36
Location
Los Angeles
Website
www.ericjhaase.com
Got the 15mm DSMC Universal Mount for the Epic Quick Release Dovetail. Looks like it doesn't line up with Arri studio matte boxes. What standard is this 15mm spacing that the RED 15mm Universal Mount (V2) is using? Are there plans to support studio offset 15mm? It seems to be a standard here in L.A. What are people doing about this- seems like my Quick Release and 15mm Universal mount are relatively useless except for clip on matte boxes...
 
15mm studio offset is going to require, at the very least, a different mounting plate between the camera and Quick-Release base. They can't just build the offset into the universal mounts as it would encroach on the QR base on the one side. The vertical spacing is off as well... I'm not exactly sure what RED's theory is on this. I'm actually expecting them to keep these universal mounts and the Epic mounting plate as they are and release a different Quick Release platform base that supports position of everything for the studio offset.

Most people I know that are dealing with this now are using the ET hybrid plate. FYI, you can order just the ET plate and not their universal mounts if you already have the RED ones. They're compatible.
 
Jeff Kilgroe said:
15mm studio offset is going to require, at the very least, a different mounting plate between the camera and Quick-Release base. They can't just build the offset into the universal mounts as it would encroach on the QR base on the one side. The vertical spacing is off as well... I'm not exactly sure what RED's theory is on this. I'm actually expecting them to keep these universal mounts and the Epic mounting plate as they are and release a different Quick Release platform base that supports position of everything for the studio offset.

Most people I know that are dealing with this now are using the ET hybrid plate. FYI, you can order just the ET plate and not their universal mounts if you already have the RED ones. They're compatible.
Click to expand...

Thanks. So just to confirm, if I put the Epic on the ET plate (Hybrid plate right?) and use the 15mm DSMC Universal Mount from RED, I can use studio offset matte boxes?

Do I need some sort of bottom plate too? What goes on the bottom of the Epic- just the ET plate?

Thanks,
 
Red has never been a big fan of 15mm studio offset, so I don't know if it's a standard they'll choose to support in the future.

We are currently using ET baseplates for our Epic X and it's great - just don't forget to get a riser adapter plate. Otherwise the camera sits too low for some Matteboxes, lens support brackets, etc. Anything without a height adjustment won't work.

I know there are some Epic specific 15mm baseplates in the works... hopefully they'll be available soon =)

Colin Sheldon
www.finnerknowsbest.com
 
Eric Haase said:
Thanks. So just to confirm, if I put the Epic on the ET plate (Hybrid plate right?) and use the 15mm DSMC Universal Mount from RED, I can use studio offset matte boxes?

Do I need some sort of bottom plate too? What goes on the bottom of the Epic- just the ET plate?

Thanks,
Click to expand...

Our system is to use:
http://www.elementtechnica.com/products/view.php?p=6
or
http://www.elementtechnica.com/products/view.php?p=65

along with:
http://www.woodencamera.com/easy-riser-epic

cheers,

Colin Sheldon
finnerknowsbest.com
 
Eric Haase said:
Thanks. So just to confirm, if I put the Epic on the ET plate (Hybrid plate right?) and use the 15mm DSMC Universal Mount from RED, I can use studio offset matte boxes?

Do I need some sort of bottom plate too? What goes on the bottom of the Epic- just the ET plate?
Click to expand...

You will need an adapter/shim plate between the EPIC and the ET Hybrid plate (ET sells this as well, or you can buy one from VF/Brook and a few others). The RED 15mm u-mounts will fit on the front and rear of the ET baseplate, but you will want to confirm with ET that the RED mounts will hold the proper spacing. I have been told by more than one source that they do, but I have not tried it myself.

As mentioned by Colin, RED isn't much of a fan of the studio offset. They have said in the past that it has little place moving forward as it's an old standard and was designed to support the offset loading of film mags. They tend to view it in the same light as interlaced video formats -- obsolete. As much as I'm inclined to agree on this, that doesn't change the fact that Arriflex 15mm studio offset has been a standard in Hollywood and several other regions around the world for a long time now. There are a lot of people who own a significant amount of 15mm offset equipment.

There are some 15mm offset solutions for the EPIC in the works, as Colin also pointed out. I actually do think RED has a solution of their own coming too, but who knows if or when, I don't think they have formally announced such a thing.
 
Jeff Kilgroe said:
They have said in the past that it has little place moving forward as it's an old standard and was designed to support the offset loading of film mags. They tend to view it in the same light as interlaced video formats -- obsolete.
Click to expand...

It's true that 15mm Studio offset is an old standard, but I don't see an argument for saying it's obsolete. Progressive has very distinct advantages over interlaced, 19mm has no advantages over 15mm. To me it's more like 110V vs 220V. Certain regions choose one standard, other regions choose the other.

Take Alberta for example. The Panavision here has no 19mm accessories - not even a 19mm lens support bracket for their zooms. I know because we've rented our 15mm bridge plate to local red owners. In Vancouver there is probably a 10:1 ratio of 15mm to 19mm accessories available.

I also must say 15mm studio offset's weight and size are a prefect match for Epic. I just wish Red saw things that way.
 
For sure the offset is obsolete but it's a small price to pay to stay 15mm, here is the solution I find the best...

Viewfactor FMJ and the OG 15mm studio Arri plate...
EpicFMJ.jpg


The Hybrid bugs me but it will work on this plate too.
 
Hey Evin, if I'm using my 15mm lightweight rods for follow focus, and O'connor O-box, and lens support; does the rods support that weight with most lenses? Does the 15mm offset baseplate become useless (except for balancing the camera), or can you run four rods and use the 15mm offsets for lens support and the 15mm leightweight for the O-box and follow focus? (My chrosziel FF is leightweight, as is the O-box)...

Thanks so much,

Shaun
 
Useless is not an applicale term here, horses for courses. You can use the lightweight support rods for a variety of things like Matteboxes and followfocuses, and even some lighter lenses but most lenses that it would support do not need it, the PL is strong enough on it's own.
The offset is designed to accomodate larger zooms and telephoto lenses as well as 6x6 matteboxes, of course it also offers you a sliding dovetail but some heads have that too. I use the 15mm offset plate for more full production mode and studio configurations.
 
Selling my RED DSMC Quick Release Dovetail with 2 DSMC 15mm Universal Mounts and Epic Mounting plate for $1050. PM me if you want them. LIKE NEW. $1200 is what they cost new (plus tax) so you're saving a couple hundred.
 
And does anyone know how why this message keeps coming up when I try to change my profile ???? I assume its because I'm a Junior Member? How do I graduate to Senior Member?

Shaun Lawless, you do not have permission to access this page. This could be due to one of several reasons:

Your user account may not have sufficient privileges to access this page. Are you trying to edit someone else's post, access administrative features or some other privileged system?
If you are trying to post, the administrator may have disabled your account, or it may be awaiting activation.
 
Got the ET Hybrid core. Just to confirm for everyone else- the ET 15mm mounts and the RED DSMC 15mm universal mounts are identical in spacing/size/etc. So I am able to use the RED 15mm mounts with the ET core. Just now selling the RED Quick Release platform and Epic mounting plate. Thanks for your help everyone!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top