Welcome to our community

Be a part of something great, join today!

Register 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 :)

Red Handheld

Supernovafilms,

Looks like a good solution for the documentary type shooting you pictured - where you need to be real mobile, less conspicuous, and guerilla style. Looks like you're in India or Sri Lanka in those pics. Having shot mobile productions in India before, I know weight/size of the rig can be critical in the tropical heat - plus the bigger and more expensive the rig looks, the more you're a target for thieves.

I think you figured out a simple and effective solution for your needs there, and for that type of shooting.
 
I've used these shoulder pads on a few shows now and I have to say, for quick hand held shots in studio configuration it's the best, fast solution.
StrapOnPad1.jpg

The Mantis is my choice for all day handheld in a light weight config. but I rarely have the time to properly set it up like that. This pad lets me work from the shoulder for short bursts.

StapOnPad2.jpg


On ER the Ops used this pad and the Red with the LongValley lightweight support rods and an Arri MB-19 mattebox which they operated from instead of the spyder-grip handles I'm using in these pics.
 
Evin,

since this thread is about Red for documentaries I find your set-up not convenient for such an application and to be honest what you are shooting on the pictures is cinestyle stuff.

On a documentary shoot the switch between tripod and handheld must be accomplished in a second. You must be able to put the camera down on the floorm whatever. All shoulder pad solutions require at least a minute or two to reconfigure the camera for tripod usage. You never have the time for that ind docco world.

Mantis is great for cinestyle but surely not for docco work.

I operate the Red for such work like I did with my Arri SR. I put the RED with the Sachtler quickplate screwed underneath on my shoulder, push the EVF mounted on the ET EVF mount as much to the front as possible, grab the lightweight rods to hold the camera with the right hand and grab the Arri FF4 with right haND to pull focus.

Such a configuration is not cosy as the Mantis but fast, uncomplicated and does allow the operater to pull the focus by himself.

Hans
 
Leica_SummicronR-50mm_02.JPG

An ultimate lightweight RED1 hand-held rig with Allstar shoulder pad that you can take off in a second and put it on any kind of tripod system...
 
We've been using the Mantis regularly for documentary work. The camera mounts on the Mantis via an ET hybrid plate on the camera, quickly sliding onto the V-plate on top of the Mantis. To go to tripod work, its as simple as releasing the slide locking lever on the side of the Mantis, sliding the camera off the Mantis, which just takes a second, and then sliding the camera onto the V-Plate which always stays on the tripod. The whole procedure of going from the Mantis to tripod, or vice versa, takes about 10 seconds with practice.

If we know that we absolutely will be shoulder held with the Mantis all day, we sometimes bypass using the hybrid plate on the bottom of the camera, and instead mount the camera directly on top of the shoulder pad assembly - which puts the load lower on your shoulder and makes it lighter.

Also, if we know we'll strictly be on Mantis all day, we mount the EVF directly to the top/front of the Mantis using the ET EVF mount, with the rod receptacle right on the Mantis front. If we know we'll be switching back and forth from using the Mantis and a tripod, we'll usually mount the EVF/ET EVF mount to the top of RED in the standard way, although with practice even if the EVF is mounted directly to the Mantis, when going to tripod it can be quickly removed from the Mantis and re-inserted directly on the camera for the tripod work.

For low angle quick shots in documentary work, I carry a Cine Saddle strapped to my backpack. I simply take the RED/Mantis rig off my shoulder, drop the Cine Saddle where I need for the low shot, and set the whole RED/Mantis rig right down on the Cine Saddle. The shoulder pad assembly cradles easily into the Cine Saddle. After the shots, the Cine Saddle is re-strapped to the backpack quickly, and the RED/Mantis rig goes back to my shoulder.

As for balance, if your workflow will allow, low mounting the EVF via the ET EVF mount right onto the front of the Mantis helps keep the weight of the rig low. If that mounting isn't available to you, and you must mount the EVF to the camera, then if you set the EVF slide bar screws to their highest point you can greatly lower the EVF on the camera, to get it on a horizontal plane with the lens. When we've setup our RED Mantis rigs correctly, we've been quite happy with the center of gravity, balance, and weight distribution of the rig.

Also, unless they are absolutely necessary, we never use a matte box or follow focus with a RED/Mantis setup. For documentary shooting mobility is absolutely necessary - thus a MB and FF are a liability, rather than an asset. Thats why for RED Mantis doco shooting we use a lot of 35mm stills zooms (lightweight), screw on filters, and eye focus RED by racking the barrel of the lens. If we're not switching back and forth from shoulder held to tripod, we use the right arm handle made by ET for Origo use, run the cable through a single 15mm, 12" rod on the lower right of the rig to the Lemo pot on the back of the camera. If we're going from from shoulder to tripod constantly, we'll either not use Origo, or simply have separate Origos on the Mantis and the tripod, and if we have time, plug them in and use them as needed. Since we use lightweight 35mm stills zooms, and no MB/FF, the left hand is always free to go to the lens barrel to rack focus and to zoom the lens.

We've been using the above equipment and procedures for many months now in documentary shooting - with excellent results.
 
Here's a similar design to Evin's shoulder pad that is commercially available. I actually have one of these for sale ($40) if anyone wants it.

http://www.modular51.com/index.php?main_page=index&main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=20

There are some big advantages to a pad that sits on the shoulder rather than a dedicated handheld mount. It's a quicker change from sticks to handheld in that you pop the touch-and-go from the head and just drop it on the shoulder, rather than have to remove one thing and add another. Plus, you can shift the camera fore and aft as much as you like without restriction.
 
Good point Charles...

For extremely mobile days with a lot of quick switches from shoulder to sticks to ground and back I've always kept a pad like that available in my kits. I just analyze the day's needs, and proceed accordingly.

As for the fore and aft needs, yes, its easy to move the camera fore and aft on a pad, but then again on the Mantis, with a simple release of the locking lever you can quickly slide the camera fore and aft, then lock it back down quickly - without ever having to take the rig off your shoulder. In fact, when its shouldered, I do almost all adjustments to the Mantis quickly without every having to take the rig off my shoulder.
 
Hans von Sonntag said:
On a documentary shoot the switch between tripod and handheld must be accomplished in a second. You must be able to put the camera down on the floorm whatever. All shoulder pad solutions require at least a minute or two to reconfigure the camera for tripod usage.
Click to expand...

I am missing something with your post, Evin's shoulder pad does not appear to be attached to the camera at all, but remains on his shoulder? To me this seems to be the most effective use for run-n-gun w/tripod? I would've loved to have one of those pads last year.
 
re: Hans von Sonntag

This is exactly how I use the cam handheld PLUS an old Sachtler shoulder pod which also accepts the quickplate for safe mounting. The shoulder piece folds nicely when not in use, you can put it down with the camera mounted without the combo tipping over.
(this picture shows a modified mount, not my unit)
These shoulder pods go for 2-300 on ebay.
 
But at last, you`ll find the height is the point. ET Mantis was high, especially on Epic and Scarlet, the height of base will become more higher.
With my rigs and new base, you will get very low height, and it could setup in short time. setup video: http://www.vimeo.com/4397192
_MG_9116.JPG

If I need to switch between tirpod & hand-held often, I always leave handles on the rods.
_MG_8421.JPG
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top