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Custom Rig for a6500 (or any small camera for that matter)
My goals:
1. Record solid audio from a wireless lav and a shotgun directly to the camera and monitor that audio (a6500 has no headphone jack).
2. Be able to shoot for hours without worrying about batteries (these little NP-FW50s go REAL fast, especially when shooting in 4k)
3. Go from bag to shooting in 5-10 mins. Then move easily between monopod, tripod and, as much as possible, gimbal.
4. Limit weight (trying to avoid a monitor and a big battery adapter/dummy battery setup).
5. Be able to carry it easily when not filming and put the thing down on a table when possible. (needed: flat bottom and a top handle)
6. Friendly to hold, able to see screen, and access to all the camera’s buttons + knobs.
7. Add an LED light.
8. Smile while I’m working.My current plan:
Build off this rig based on the cage from SmallRig.
I want to take his setup and add:
1. My Beachtek DXA-Micro Pro pre-amp to the bottom of the rig (it has a flat bottom and screws in easily.)
2. Swap out his mic for my (considerably longer) Sennheiser MKE 600 shotgun mic.
3. Wireless receiver to the outside coldshoe of the L-Bracket (beside the shotgun mic).
4. A small arm to the right side of the front of the top-mounted handle for an LED light.It will look something like this (rear view)…
One other thing I might try to do is mount the powerbank perpendicular to the handle and in front of the handle (above the lens) so that it’s not on the handle itself.My biggest worries:
1. Adjusting focus.
2. That it’s not gonna survive. With cables running along one handle and the powerbank built-into the other and the audio recording section living perilously out on the ledge.
3. That it simply won’t work like it does in my imagination…or in my horrible sketch (evidence of why I film people instead of drawing them).Any thoughts?
Jesse Freeston
Documentary Filmmaker/Editor/Shooter -
1 Reply
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I’ve been building rigs for a long time and my approach is to generally start with a bridgeplate or baseplate that takes iris rods and then attach hang grips to the front and a counter weight to the back. Then I add a top handle that attaches at one end to the hot shoe of the camera (in the case of DSLR) and to the rod behind the camera on its right side.
With a rods based system, you can add whatever accessories you need to easily. I built a battery box dealio that also serves as counterweight and powers an external monitor, transmitter, etc.
One key thing is to intelligently route your cables and fix them to the rods where it makes sense so they’re not hanging off or loose.
https://s18.postimg.org/tlzulap05/20141112_105051.jpg
https://s18.postimg.org/lghsn58h1/20141205_120538.jpg[URL=”https://www.santucci-cinematographer.com/”]Cinematographer Cameraman Camera Operator Director of Photography Buffalo, New York[/URL][URL=”https://www.santucci-cinematographer.com/”]
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