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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 :)

Epic M Owner's Corner

Just curious Brook... and for future planning, if you want to use the camera on an Arri dovetail plate and use a standard Arri bridge plate (15 or 19mm) , is there the need to use a riser to get the camera at the correct hight for lenses and mattebox? If so is there anyone making that (hint hint)?
 
The plate I have for the bottom of the camera makes it fit the ET Hybrid baseplate as well as the shorter/smaller baseplate that I'm making. In other words, this is that spacer with some additional functionality built in. The 3/8-16s on the bottom of my plate are so that you can mount a quick release plate directly to the spacer if you wanted to forego a sliding baseplate and just use the lightweight support [which I really like... it's so light].

RED's QR baseplate is awesome [I plan on buying one if that says anything...] but when you release from the baseplate... you no longer have iris rods. Since everybody who wants to use their existing ET Hybrid baseplate with the camera is going to need a spacer [like ET's at the beginning of this thread], I wanted to kill two birds with one stone: make a spacer but also enable the lightest possible configuration while still retaining the ability to use lightweight iris rod support [while not blocking the air intake].

If you're talking for a normal Arri BP-9 or equivalent, the main challenge is that the holes on the bottom of the Epic are close enough together that fitting an Arri baseplate [which also needs screws on the center line] is difficult or impossible without interference. I have a functional one modeled but I'm not super happy with it yet. If there's a market... I'll make it. Arri baseplates [meaning baseplates actually made by Arri] are so physically large that they're pretty awkward when they're on the Epic.
 
The biggest issue for me right now is the battery. Because I am using V-locks, I need some way to mount the battery near the camera. Right now, that means using an ET Hybrid plate with rods on bottom, supporting an ET V-lock plate with speedy clamp. But that is a LOT of weight and bulk to be adding to the camera, just to support one measly battery.

What can I do right now to completely lose the Hybrid plate/19mm rods, and mount the v-Lock battery somewhere else on the camera? I would prefer to mount my Epic right to my Sachtler head (with no ET riser or Hybrid), or directly to my Vinten head, camblock head, Kessler mounts, etc. I don't need a dovetail. I want to keep this baby as light as possible. Are there any top mount solutions I might be able to use to mount the V-lock battery, for example? Or maybe something that could clamp a V-lock to the back of the Epic somehow?
 
Tom what about using the battery belt clip? Storing the brick in your backpack or belt or setting it on the ground?
 
Art Chong said:
Brook, does your bottom plate block the audio jacks?
Click to expand...

Nope. The lightweight iris rod support is removable in case one doesn't need it.

Tom Lowe said:
The biggest issue for me right now is the battery. Because I am using V-locks, I need some way to mount the battery near the camera. Right now, that means using an ET Hybrid plate with rods on bottom, supporting an ET V-lock plate with speedy clamp. But that is a LOT of weight and bulk to be adding to the camera, just to support one measly battery.

What can I do right now to completely lose the Hybrid plate/19mm rods, and mount the v-Lock battery somewhere else on the camera? I would prefer to mount my Epic right to my Sachtler head (with no ET riser or Hybrid), or directly to my Vinten head, camblock head, Kessler mounts, etc. I don't need a dovetail. I want to keep this baby as light as possible. Are there any top mount solutions I might be able to use to mount the V-lock battery, for example? Or maybe something that could clamp a V-lock to the back of the Epic somehow?
Click to expand...

I have a battery plate that mounts on the back of the camera using the Epic V-mount. I have one for IDX/V-mount batteries, one for Anton Bauer batteries and a third that lets one re-use their old V-mount battery plate from the RED One by screwing it into the plate... minimizing redundant cost. I still have some work to do on it [I'm not happy with the design yet, I'm trying to consolidate them into one or two multi-function plates] and I'm trying to source LEMO connectors, but I'll see if I can email a rendering out soon when I'm in the neighborhood of where it'll land.

I've been using a similar setup on Spidey, but the current one bolts onto the back using the Module Adapter interface points. I like the idea of a quick-release mechanism that uses the Epic-V. That way it can mount onto the back of whatever module is attached.

I don't want to abuse this thread more than I already have by turning it into something that's only about the parts I'm making... but don't worry - solutions are really really close. :)
 
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Rick Darge said:
Tom what about using the battery belt clip? Storing the brick in your backpack or belt or setting it on the ground?
Click to expand...

This is in fact what I often do now. I'm just getting tired of the ET Hybrid and rails, so lately I have been using the Red battery belt with 6-ft cable, and just clipping it to my waistband. I also have velcro on most of my tripods, so I have put velcro on the top of all my v-lock batteries, so I can velcro the battery to the legs on my tripod, for example. Last night, I was doing a low-angle slider move, so I just set the battery on the ground, literally, while I was operating. But these are all short-term solutions.
 
timescapeskesslerepicto.jpg


Oh looky looky what just arrived in the mail today.... the new custom Epic top from Brook Willard and VF!
 
Nice, Tom! I'm gonna make a little "announcement" thread that tells everybody the details of that [and other] accessories. I'm writing it up tonight and taking pretty pictures after work tomorrow. :) Enjoy!
 
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