shoulder support ex-1

[Ron Shook]

Ken,

[ken hon] “I can certainly see why Steve likes the Red Rock unit. It’s sleek, simple, and robust”

I very much like that also, and the fact that it’s constructed around rails. The DVTEC units, particularly the one that you have, are very reconfigurable, but also relatively complex monsters.

I’m wondering if you could take the Red Rock Device and easily add the DVTEC support pod and belt and attach it at the tripod mount location, perhaps with a bar to offset it forward.?

[ken hon] “We bought the DVTec DVrig Pro HD and I like it. It’s certainly not sleek, but we bought it to hang a gyro off of for boat and helicopter use. I couldn’t find a better inexpensive setup that would take our gyro. It’s nice because we can put the big old gyro battery in the counterweight position on the shoulder pad and it offsets the camera and gyro weight pretty well. Just from photos”

Speaking of photos, I love to see this gear in action and see some results, particularly on a fast moving boat. Kudos for your ingenuity. Find a way to show us, please?

Ron Shook
Shoulder-High Eye Productions
CreativeCOW Forum Host for Discreet edit*

[Steve Wargo]

[ken hon] “We bought the DVTec DVrig Pro HD and I like it”

I saw a DVTec unit on a guy’s shoulder at NAB but didn’t get a chance to try it on.

Because I’m too lazy too look it up, could you please give us a web address.

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

[Steve Wargo]

We have a Peter Lisand unit for our bigger cameras but I see that they have a smaller unit for smaller cameras. Maybe you cam do a deal with them for part of a kit. And, maybe I’ll win the Lotto tonight.

https://www.peterlisand.com/

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/514113-REG/Peter_Lisand_BCS05_BCS_05_Shoulder_Brace_with.html

Steve Wargo
Tempe, Arizona
It’s a dry heat!

Sony HDCAM F-900 & HDW-2000/1 deck
5 Final Cut (not quite PRO) systems
Sony HVR-M25 HDV deck
2-Sony EX-1 HD .

[Ken Hon]

Aloha Steve and Ron,

Here is the link for Steve for the DVTEC multirig pro hd that we have.
https://www.dvtec.tv/id27.html

I think the company is based in Israel and there’s only a couple of outlets here in the US, one on the East Coast and http://www.alangordon.com in California where we bought ours. Nice people.

Heres a photo from our workbench of the “hefty” version of the EX-1 with the KS-8 gyro and it’s battery. Starting to compete with Steve’s F900 for weight : )

https://volcanovideo.com/cow/

We shot from a boat for the first time on Friday night and it went pretty well. The thing is a bit of a beast with the gyro and it tries to walk off your shoulder when the boat turns left. Otherwise it worked pretty darn well. The boat was pitching up and down about 3 feet but the camera stayed pretty level. I was sitting on a central stowage locker and had the belt and support attached, I don’t think I would have lasted long without it. I let the upper rod lock stay open and clamped the lower lock on the spring loaded rod. The lower one is kind of jerky, but the upper one allowed the camera to float more smoothly with the gyro. I’ll try to get a video up, but we’re getting ready for a month of travel and I don’t have much time.

Aloha,

Ken

[Ron Shook]

Ken,

[ken hon] “We shot from a boat for the first time on Friday night and it went pretty well. The thing is a bit of a beast with the gyro and it tries to walk off your shoulder when the boat turns left. Otherwise it worked pretty darn well. The boat was pitching up and down about 3 feet but the camera stayed pretty level. I was sitting on a central stowage locker and had the belt and support attached, I don’t think I would have lasted long without it. I let the upper rod lock stay open and clamped the lower lock on the spring loaded rod. The lower one is kind of jerky, but the upper one allowed the camera to float more smoothly with the gyro. I’ll try to get a video up, but we’re getting ready for a month of travel and I don’t have much time.”

Fascinating and thanks for the photo. Yeah, I think that you would have tanked real quickly without the support rod on that beast. But a beast with a purpose, eh? I sure hope I don’t have to wait a month to see the results, but understand your priorities. (g)

Thanks again,

Ron Shook
Shoulder-High Eye Productions
CreativeCOW Forum Host for Discreet edit*

[Ron Shook]

Steve,

[Steve Wargo] “Because I’m too lazy too look it up, could you please give us a web address.”

Ken gave you the biggie, but here’s another from the same outfit that’s a completely different type of beast, that can be folded to smaller than camera size, left on the camera in a slightly larger case, and be ready for use in a minute in 3 or 4 different modes, or go directly on a tripod. This might fit your use more than the big brute, but it’s certainly more complex and thus capable of more variety of usage than the RedRock Micro unit. You’d have to stock up on allen wrenches. (g):

https://www.dvtec.tv/id33.html

Double click on the video demo to take it into YouTube where you can watch full screen if you want.

Ron Shook
Shoulder-High Eye Productions
CreativeCOW Forum Host for Discreet edit*

[Ken Hon]

Aloha Ron,

Just for you, I’ve posted up a short quicktime movie of raw footage from the boat trip. I’ve just added a link on the same page.

https://volcanovideo.com/cow/

We don’t have a need to do high speed filming and this is really our first try from a boat. Dean Sensui who posts here really knows how to film from boats, so he would be the one to ask about that.

Anyway, the first part is a clip of my wife filming with a small HDV camera. Notice how much she is moving up and down compared to the lava in the background. That’s what the gyro buys you. Overall, we found this a lot harder than working in helicopters where we mount the camera and gyro on a Fig Rig that works well.

Aloha,

Ken

[Ron Shook]

Ken,

You are a most estimable gentleman!!!

[ken hon] “the first part is a clip of my wife filming with a small HDV camera. Notice how much she is moving up and down compared to the lava in the background. That’s what the gyro buys you. Overall, we found this a lot harder than working in helicopters where we mount the camera and gyro on a Fig Rig that works well.”

Well I can see your rig works amazingly well. I can hardly believe it. You must be very pleased. Thank Heavens it was a short clip or I’d have gotten sick watching your wife bob up and down. (g)

Thanks for taking the time. I’m sure I won’t be the only one to appreciate it.

Ron Shook
Shoulder-High Eye Productions
CreativeCOW Forum Host for Discreet edit*

[Ken Hon]

Aloha Ron,

The DVTEC unit does work really well for this. It’s extremely strong and has no problem with the weight I put on it. It doesn’t bend or twist, though your spine will when the boat goes one way and the gyro the other.

Glad you enjoyed the footage, it was fun to do. Every once in a while I’d actually look out and go God that’s cool, then of course the shot would go down the drain as the camera dives down. It some places the surface water is so hot, it’s nearly boiling and the condensate fogs up your lens. Don’t want to be in a rubber boat around this.

Spending 3 hours staring at a EX-1 screen on a bobbing boat can make you a bit dizzy! I tried to get Cheryl to quit bobbing, but she wouldn’t do it. Luckily for me I’ve always hated to throw up, so it makes me less susceptible to the motion problems.

Aloha

Ken

[Dean Sensui]

Ken…

Nice footage of the flow going into the sea. I have yet to see that in person.

For the time being I’m using a BTK system to compensate for boat pitch and roll: Bend The Knees. It works OK for some of the shooting if there’s no telephoto work involved. Otherwise it’s not stable enough.

I’m planning to rent a KS-8 and test it. My shoulder mount is crude by comparison and, because I depend on the camera’s eyepiece for framing and focusing, it puts all of the weight forward of the shoulder, making it tough to hold up over time.

Often I’ll use a monopod to help support the weight.

How are you monitoring your shots? With the LCD?

Next time I’m out in Hilo I should try to get in contact with you. I was just there last week for an overnight. A few more trips planned now that the ulua are supposed to be running.

On a totally off-topic point, have you guys tried dropping lines in the vicinity of the flow? I heard that fish bite like crazy there. Use whole akule or opelu as bait.

Aloha,

Dean Sensui — Hawaii Goes Fishing