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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 :)

Brook Willard's Epic Accessories...

Brook Willard said:
Way ahead of you, Sergei. There'll be something very similar to that. :)

It is interesting that while the top iris rods on the R1 [be it 19mm or 15mm] are properly spaced from each other, most accessories that people put on the rods do not rely on that. Don't get me wrong, many do... but the top rods often end up more like "curtain rods" from which people hang their FIZ, transmitter, downconverter, power breakout box, etc. It adds a bunch of weight [two long, heavy rods] but is very easy to adjust.

Often times I see people mounting accessories to quick release systems on the rods themselves. It often ends up as a top mount to an iris rod to a speedy clamp to a V-mount to a plate to velcro to the accessory itself [like a downconverter]. That's a lot of stuff to hold something so small! It's definitely convenient and allows for a lot of adjustability [don't get me wrong... I do this 95% of the time and love it] but I think that with a camera as small as the Epic there is the opportunity to try out new mounting brackets and over-arching concepts for building a camera in a slimmer, lighter way.

More soon, don't worry.
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Great to hear this Brook.

Simple plate attached (via screws) into your top plate on the dumb side of the camera will be great to velcro on sync box, wireless transmitter, etc. and still be compact and lightweight. You've got the vision!!! Finally someone does!!
 
Wow Brook. This is amazing. Should be standard on all cameras. Can you please give the final height dimensions? Once again well done, really nice piece of work and i like how you held off to you had a production run before announcing. Please do not stop there.
 
The FMJ Top Plate is a thing of beauty.

Thanks Brook, Curt and Caroline.

IMG_20110426_121429.jpg


Now, if I only had a camera ... I'd be all set. :)
 
Brook and Curt your top plate saved my you know what all day today on my first full day of shooting on my Epic. Using it for all kinds of mounting on different configurations. Nice work.
 
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Awesome guys, glad to hear everybody's liking theirs! Big update on other parts coming this week or early next - naturally, all announced parts will be shipping at the time of the announcement. :)

Jason Sinclair said:
Wow Brook. This is amazing. Should be standard on all cameras. Can you please give the final height dimensions? Once again well done, really nice piece of work and i like how you held off to you had a production run before announcing. Please do not stop there.
Click to expand...

The plate is 5/8" thick.
 
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Great to hear Brook. Looking forward to it...we may have our Epic tomorrow so that means we can actually start figuring how to kit this puppy out.
 
You know what's pathetic? The 0.5pt stroke limit at that size is having me re-draw my logo or come up with something complimentary and identifiable for laser etching on my FMJ. Maybe I should just come up with something clever like Evin's "FRONT TOWARD ENEMY" or something. I better hurry...
 
Dude, I so hear you.

I ended up just using my company name in the font from my logo as the logo itself is too small and detailed (see avatar to the left of your screen)

I seriously considered an upside down text stating "this side up" or block letters in red ink "radiation shielding has failed if text is RED"

Steve
 
Hey Brooke,
I been looking everywhere for EPIC mounts and brackets, Bot much out there at the moment, but I have to say that this little plate of yours is perfect. (I've ordered a few just then)
I also saw a left hand side handle/grip that TED had on an EPIC that was perfect also.
Do you make this also... or was that a RED handle (not on there product site) so might not have been.
But seriously cool gear dude.
congrats




Brook Willard said:
Heheh, don't worry Jeff... I've seen firsthand how hard Curt is working on those motors. Just to answer the question before it's asked, he hasn't let the help that he's given me take away from the motors. I'm not kidding about the late-night meetings and midnight machining. :) Hell, these parts aren't even cut on the same CNC machine that the motors are being cut on! This is a wholly separate endeavor with different realities. There was nobody more concerned about these things than Curt and myself when we started making this happen.

I have run the final design by RED. Making sure that these parts are 110% on the level was my primary concern.

As for supply, well...

20110330-043746.jpg
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I have to say guys, I'm totally geeking out seeing my plate on so many cameras. I'm really glad everybody's liking it so much, this is awesome! I'm bummed it's taking so long to ship the next round of parts... if only those new bits would ship!

Jeff Kilgroe said:
You know what's pathetic? The 0.5pt stroke limit at that size is having me re-draw my logo or come up with something complimentary and identifiable for laser etching on my FMJ. Maybe I should just come up with something clever like Evin's "FRONT TOWARD ENEMY" or something. I better hurry...
Click to expand...

Heheh, I wish that I could make it smaller... but any smaller stroke and the laser engraving can look pretty spotty and inconsistent. A few people have just beefed up the thin bits by a tiny amount and left the rest the same... it seems to do the trick without showing its hand.
Mark Toia said:
Hey Brooke,
I been looking everywhere for EPIC mounts and brackets, Bot much out there at the moment, but I have to say that this little plate of yours is perfect. (I've ordered a few just then)
I also saw a left hand side handle/grip that TED had on an EPIC that was perfect also.
Do you make this also... or was that a RED handle (not on there product site) so might not have been.
But seriously cool gear dude.
congrats
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot, Mark!

Against my better judgment, I'll post some renders. These aren't the final design but they're close. They should be shipping in larger quantities in the first part of this coming week.

20110420-095432.jpg

20110420-095447.jpg

20110420-095504.jpg

20110420-095521.jpg


You can slide any NATO accessory you want onto those rails... including RED's own handles:

camera_guide_clamp-19mm.jpg

camera_guide_clamp.jpg

spinner_w-guide_clamp_and-evf_mount.jpg

wheel_handle.jpg


Yes, you can slide the EVF mount directly onto these parts.

The latter two pictures show a setup which is engineered to snap into RED's DSMC QR sliding baseplate while retaining lightweight 15mm support.

I've also experimented by mounting NATO rails directly to the side of the FMJ-Top plate as well as to the 45˚ angled part on the side arms. to add accessories [work's great for mounting one or two top rods to facilitate FIZ motor mounting!].

I have a whole basket full of NATO parts for these mounts at well, including all of the 15mm toys that people have been waiting for and lightweight 15mm studio Arri-style sliding baseplates. Ultimately I'll produce whatever parts I think are needed to fill holes in the market. :)

The battery plates are really the business though... you guys are going to fall in love. I've been using the prototypes for months. I can't wait to have some good prototype pictures to show.
 
Brook, I love how you've found ways to respect Epic's lightweight nature while still allowing for cine/studio style configurations.
Could you tell us what kind of shoulder support you find best suited to an Epic with a lightweight zoom, FF and MB on LW15mm rods?
Is your battery plate V-mount?
 
Well, you've won me with the ability to attach the EVF, and handles.
Can I buy shares?

Brook do you know if the Rosette on Red's new bit is Arri rosette?
Does anyone know when these new Red parts will be actually availbable?

My only problem is that the DSMC QR plate isn't shipping at the moment, so I don't know which cage system to buy.
 
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Zac C said:
Oh man, please tell me the strips on the side line up with the sensor plane, so I can stick my tape measure and hook it on your cage.
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It's about 3-4mm forward, but I'll be making a proper focus hook that lines up directly at the focal plane... soon.

Mark Pugh said:
Brook do you know if the Rosette on Red's new bit is Arri rosette?
Click to expand...

It is not an Arri rosette, it is RED's own [matching the Clutch]. I have a fistful of ideas for the Clutch as well, but I don't want to show my hand before I have something physical.

Ted handle?
 
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