Shoulder Brace and Support for Sony PMW EX3

[Rafael Amador]

Hi Nakul,
At first sight that looks great and the price really far from what we are used to.
I will have a look in depth.
Our friend Olof is also building some gear for the EX:

https://www.westsideav.com/EX1plate/index.html

Best,
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Will Salley]

Nakul, I’m very much interested in the Embrace5. I’ve got an EX3 and own several other devices for using the camera handheld but nothing is comfortable for more than about 5 minutes.

I also use a 35mm adapter on about 90% of my handheld work. Will the Embrace5 handle the extra weight? It’s about 15 pounds (6.8Kg) total (camera, adapter & battery). I can offset the battery, like a Steadycam, and that will save about three pounds.

Can the springs be changed with stiffer ones like a tripod head?

Mac Pro 2×2.8 Quadcore – 10.6.2 – QT 7.6.3 – 22 GB RAM – nvidia8800GT – SATA internal & external storage – Blackmagic Multibridge Pro – Open GL 1.5.10 – Wacom Intous2 tablet – AJA io
SONY XDCAM EX3 – Letus Elite

[Nakul Sood]

Dear Will and Rafael,

Rafael – Thanks a ton for the link, wanted to compile as comprehensive a list of brace makers. Please take a thorough look when you get the chance. I’ve tried to price everything reasonably.

Will – I promise you it’ll be very comfortable, I’ve shot entire days with it. I’m really really happy with the results, specially when moving/walking with it.

I’ll test to see how the current springs respond to about 7 kgs. One can change the tension on the springs, using an Allen L key. Or else I’ll have springs of a higher tension made for the weight. No point off loading the battery, we’ll work with that. The springs can be changed by the customer, but will be toughish task, there’ll be a fair amount of work, you’ll have to knock a bearing shaft out of 2 bearings and then replace the shaft, not crazy but some time and finesse. I’ll just send you a spring to the correct tension fitted. Please send me an email and we’ll converse there, nakul610@gmail.com

Thanks for the responses, please let me know if there are any other designs on the market,

My best wishes,

Nakul

New Devices for Audio and Video recording
http://www.embracevideo.com
http://www.oomagamma.com

[Jim Mcnally]

Nakul,

This looks quite interesting. Am I understanding this right that this unit acts like a motion stabilizer (steadicam). This is the unit I got for handheld work, https://www.cavision.com/pictures/EX3/EX3fullset_2.htm

It’s not bad but it’s still handheld without stabilization.

Jim McNally
The Commercial Factory
http://www.commercialfactory.com

[Nakul Sood]

Hi Jim,

This isn’t a steadicam, I just use the articulated arm (spring inside) as a dampner for shocks. What this does do is take the weight entirely off your hands and places it on your waist, which is far less tiring. You can literally work hands free if you want because it has a locking rotating head. In effect you become the tripod. It is just great for walking and moving shots. It’s by far the best results that I’ve got in comparison to the other shoulder braces I make.

I also make a full fleged steadiam called the phantom, it’s all the features you’d find on the best rigs and it’s only $900, by far the cheapest. I’ve also got an idea of mounting a monitor that should be revolutionary, I wonder why no one’s thought of it yet, that’s mounting the monitor on the vest, that way even if you turn the camera, you’ll always see exactly what you’re shooting, like a surgeon using a robotic arm for surgery.

Anyway, that’s in the future.

My best wihes,

Nakul

New Devices for Audio and Video recording
http://www.embracevideo.com
http://www.oomagamma.com

[Jim Mcnally]

Your Phantom device looks interesting. Does it take the weight of an EX-3?

How does the Trifecta Dolly breakdown for shipping, carrying? Are the rails angle iron and how do they join at each section?

Jim McNally
The Commercial Factory
http://www.commercialfactory.com

[Nakul Sood]

Hi Jim,

The phantom does take the weight of the EX3.

The dolly track is an aluminum L shape 1 inch width about 5.5mm thick, so very strong. We’ve tested it with V heavy tripods and weight is not at all an issue. The tracks join with a combination of a triangular aluminum piece, and a male female bush. The triangle supports the L shape so 2 L shafts tracks meet evenly, and the bush locks them in place. There’s a separater at the front and end of track, that maintains the distance/parallel. The track can only attach straight. Many very intelligent things design wise. I’m using skating wheels very very smooth and offers great dampened feel.

I developed this with Flamingo Films proprietor, Nandakumar (nandu), they’re Delhi’s largest rental house, and Nandu’s won 2 emmys for cinematography and audio recording, for docs. He’s had me adapt it to take the Arachnopod device so it becomes a very low angle dolly too, additionally for his rig we’ve made a fixture that lets baby tripod legs also sit on the dolly. He’s using the gear with their new EX3, it’s part of the kit when the camera goes out. They have several dollies, including the Hague and KeyWest, he said this is the smoothest and quietest he’s seen. It’s designed so that when you remove the tripod spreader, the leg spokes go into holes. Hope that comes thru in one of the pics.

Best wishes,

Nakul

New Devices for Audio and Video recording
http://www.embracevideo.com
http://www.oomagamma.com

[Nakul Sood]

Hi Jim,

Sorry I forgot to answer a couple of things the last time. The dolly is optionally in 2 pieces or foldable. The images you see are of the foldable dolly. The dismantlable dolly is 2 pieces (Looks exactly the same), one with a socket that the other piece slots into and locked with 1 flynut, very solid.

You’ll need wedges for out door/even ground. I’ll also provide padded strips to go below the track for hard floors.

The whole kit fits into a padded bag about 5inch diameter, 5ft long. It’ll hold 8 tracks of 5ft (20Ft Parallel) individual fabric tubing to prevent clanging, 1 or 2 pieces of the dolly fastened inside and the separater. I’ve not got the bag made yet but I know what I want, and should take a week from when I place the order.

Personally I feel it’s a steal at $250. A lot of value for money. I haven’t researched how much others are selling dollys for yet. I might price it higher in future, when I consider all the costs.

Nakul

New Devices for Audio and Video recording
http://www.embracevideo.com
http://www.oomagamma.com

[Anthony Faulkner]

I like it, you got any footage you have taken while using it? I couldnt see any links on your site?

[Nakul Sood]

Hi Anthony,

I’ll put a video up soon. I’m planning, various shots let me know if you’d like to see some other stuff. I’m rushing to finish Jim’s order, so I’ll probably start next week.

Putting on the brace, mounting the camera, Steadiness on full wide, steadiness on full zoom in, pan and tilts. Moving shots, walking with the camera.

I’ll probably shoot the stuff in a rental house’s facility as i don’t have an EX3. So the footage will be of the storage facility and walking through the corridor.

My best wishes,

Nakul

New Devices for Audio and Video recording
http://www.embracevideo.com
http://www.oomagamma.com