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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 :)

ET Mantis or Red Clutch

Adnan Siddiqui

Adnan Siddiqui

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Hi

I'm looking to get a shoulder mount and trying to decide between the Mantis or the Red Clutch Shouldermount. Can anyone advise me the pros and cons?

Thanks
Adnan
 
both are great.we have the mantis, because we already had the 19mm bridgeplates from ET and didnt want to buy in the red qr system.
(because we wanted to save money :)
so it was the mantis for us.
 
Hey Adnan,

Just wanted to list an alternative to the shoulder mounts you mentioned. The ActionProducts shoulder mount is modular and allows for almost limitless configuration options. It's designed for maximum comfort (also rotates 360 degrees), and also allows other modules to be mounted directly on to it.

battery_module_12.jpg


link
 
I use the Mantis and really love it.. The price is amazing for the adjustability of it as well.. I love being able to slide it on the built in dovetail and slide it right onto my tripod in seconds.. It also balances fairly well on my shoulder..The clutch is amazing, but very expensive and limits your mounting to REDs quick release.. (unless there is some adapter I don't know about?) Can't say anything for innocinemas product as I have never seen it..

Ill attach a picture when I can
 
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Thanks guys. This is really helpful. I'll choose between the Mantis and ActionProducts.
 
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Justin G, your PM box is full. I wanted to discuss the razor.
 
Have to agree, the Clutch is in a league of its own. The Mantis is a fine rig, owned one for years and it was wonderful. The Clutch simply has much more specialized focus on how the Epic/Scarlet is made, it becomes one with the camera. Synergetic design.
 
pic of the ET with EPIC.. It's comfortable.. except I never get my eyepiece right! GRR
photo.jpg




photocopy.jpg



photocopy2.jpg
 
The Mantis was designed for the Red One and larger form factor cameras. The combination of the articulating shoulder pad and arri sliding doetail puts the EPIC/ Scarlet too high on the shoulder IMHO. That's why you have to look up above eyeline when using the EVF. It also pushes the camera's center of gravity up so you have more inertia working against you when you move.

The Gunner, like the Mantis, keeps the weight of the EPIC/Scarlet on the shoulder where it belongs, but with a lower center of gravity—low enough so the EVF is at eye level when mounted on the top plate/Spinner. You can use an ET EVF mount as well if you want more adjustibility. You can also attach a battery plate to the back of the Gunner if you want move more weight toward the back. Plus if you use Red's QR dovetail, you have more front/back adjustments on the camera relative to the gunner mount points.

With the QR Modular Assault Plate and 15mm rods on a Gunner, you have a very lightweight, compact HH rig. About as light as you can go. And with the QR system you can pop off the camera with MB and FF attached in 2 seconds and click it into another QR plate on sticks or dolly or whatever and be ready to shoot. (See Tonaci's demo video). The only downside about having an EPIC on your shoulder (no matter what brand) is that short lenses pose challenges for getting the Bomb EVF and FF to work together on the left side. The FF and EVF end up in the same vertical plane, plus you can have problems with the FF hitting a clipon mattebox. With longer barrel lenses, it's not a problem. So that's one thing to think about. It's just a small body so with small lenses, it all gets tight. That's one advantage of the Clutch since the camera is forward so the EVF sits back relative to the camera.

The QR system works with the Clutch as well, but the Clutch uses two 19mm rods and two collarbones for handle and pad attachments, so by the time you add a set of 15mm rods, you have that much more stuff you are lugging around.

What I don't like about the clutch is the fact that the Camera sits forward of the shoulder mount. And while the chest pad and back pad compensate for part of the forward weight, I find that they work best in a horizontal plane and tend to restrict vertical movement a bit. Whereas the gunner seems more flexible, configurable and "spontaneous" in it's design. They are both good...just different in their approach and application.

My 2 cents anyway...

M
 
Mark Pedersen said:
The Mantis was designed for the Red One and larger form factor cameras. The combination of the articulating shoulder pad and arri sliding doetail puts the EPIC/ Scarlet too high on the shoulder IMHO. That's why you have to look up above eyeline when using the EVF. It also pushes the camera's center of gravity up so you have more inertia working against you when you move.

The Gunner, like the Mantis, keeps the weight of the EPIC/Scarlet on the shoulder where it belongs, but with a lower center of gravity—low enough so the EVF is at eye level when mounted on the top plate/Spinner. You can use an ET EVF mount as well if you want more adjustibility. You can also attach a battery plate to the back of the Gunner if you want move more weight toward the back. Plus if you use Red's QR dovetail, you have more front/back adjustments on the camera relative to the gunner mount points.

With the QR Modular Assault Plate and 15mm rods on a Gunner, you have a very lightweight, compact HH rig. About as light as you can go. And with the QR system you can pop off the camera with MB and FF attached in 2 seconds and click it into another QR plate on sticks or dolly or whatever and be ready to shoot. (See Tonaci's demo video). The only downside about having an EPIC on your shoulder (no matter what brand) is that short lenses pose challenges for getting the Bomb EVF and FF to work together on the left side. The FF and EVF end up in the same vertical plane, plus you can have problems with the FF hitting a clipon mattebox. With longer barrel lenses, it's not a problem. So that's one thing to think about. It's just a small body so with small lenses, it all gets tight. That's one advantage of the Clutch since the camera is forward so the EVF sits back relative to the camera.

The QR system works with the Clutch as well, but the Clutch uses two 19mm rods and two collarbones for handle and pad attachments, so by the time you add a set of 15mm rods, you have that much more stuff you are lugging around.

What I don't like about the clutch is the fact that the Camera sits forward of the shoulder mount. And while the chest pad and back pad compensate for part of the forward weight, I find that they work best in a horizontal plane and tend to restrict vertical movement a bit. Whereas the gunner seems more flexible, configurable and "spontaneous" in it's design. They are both good...just different in their approach and application.

My 2 cents anyway...

M
Click to expand...
Great review.. Best thing is to test out these rigs if possible!
 
We're going to be looking at what I think are the best handheld solution on the RED102.. The vendors have really stepped up and are send us stuff to train on. You won't believe the amount of accessories we'll be looking at for you.

It should make it a lot easier to decide what to buy.

Not online yet, but... Close...

Jay
 
Maybe you shoulder consider this solution, Quick release, light weight, low center of gravity, full rods supporting (19,15 studio, 15 offset, LW15), reasonable price and working with most of camera(not DSMC-only).

 
every of these systems are great! on the mantis we have a solution where we mount the bomb on the sidheandle of the mantis,
a friend uses the action product rig and is happy, another one uses the clutch and is happy too.
so its a matter of taste, price and choice.
nothing wrong with all of them. (although a little tweeking is needed to make them work for you special needs)
cant speek for the AP. the clutch looks good.
 
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