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4. DIY DSLR Wooden Shoulder Rig
1 year ago
A wooden shoulder rig for a DSLR videographer. Two handlebars, one can change the focus.
For more info please go here:
athan.se/diy-shoulder-rig/
Sample video: vimeo.com/11535111
UPDATE 2011/06/19
Have replaced the hose clamp for a fixed metal ring that slides in over the lens when zoomed in, then matches focus ring perfectly when pushed toward it. A big time saver! Check it out on my website!
For more info please go here:
athan.se/diy-shoulder-rig/
Sample video: vimeo.com/11535111
UPDATE 2011/06/19
Have replaced the hose clamp for a fixed metal ring that slides in over the lens when zoomed in, then matches focus ring perfectly when pushed toward it. A big time saver! Check it out on my website!
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i really enjoyed watching this little documentation.
thanxxX!
good job dad! ;)
I say get started with your patent description and drawings and just submit it, ASAP.
Have you got any idea how much per hour you pay a craftsman, and have you considered how much hours of work went in this? $$$
IMHO this 'piece of wood' is worth much more than $400.
Alot goes into R&D and production cost are always more then materials. I wouldn't knock Zacuto or most of the others; they make good quality stuff and stand behind their products. Me - I DIY allot of rigs for myself, using different materials - I never thought of using wood, which is pretty neat to work with.
Ivan, my opinion here was for everyone who decided to DIY a rig and not to get ripped off by Zacuto and Redrock. And for sure all this plastic follow focus and rig's produced by this companies are made in china, for a cost of less then 10 % of what you pay in US.
And I am not sure about the R&D cost, but I am seeing a lot of DIY rigs and follow focus. Is such a simple thing!
Tiago, take a chill pill! I am on one and they are very nice!!
Also, You can't get ripped off by Redrock if you know what you are buying. I use both DIY rigs and Redrock rigs and they are great for what they are intended. I love using the DIY rigs for situations where I know they will work. But sometimes you need the durability and design (or even presence) that Redrock has spent alot of time developing. Why should they not be rewarded for their hard work...
Hey Brandon, maybe you need the pills now... I agree what you said. This products may have good quality and so on. But all this gear sometimes could be more affordable. They exaggerate a bit on the prices.
We're thinking about maybe doing some further development as in working with cogwheels, allthough keeping the focus pulling operation in the handlebar.
I've been thinking of doing a similar thing on the right handle for zooming, but it doesn't feel so necessary since I dont zoom that much while actually recording.
Hehe Philip the main purpose of wood in our household is to burn it and warm up the house, so I think this is a better alternative at least. =D
How well does the rig focus using the handle? I only ask because it would seem to be less dexterous using your whole wrist to control minute adjustments rather than your fingers on a cog? I'm not stating that as a fact mind, I'm just wondering out loud... :)
Once again tho, excellent work! :D
180 ring is hard to work with even with normal follow focus, but with such long pulls it's always a hard task.
Beautiful photography of your dad at work, as well. Hope to see lots of footage from this rig in the future!
cheers to your folks on the craftmanship and to you on the way you documented the project.
Are you going to paint it or stain it?
Next up...mahogany?
Your Dad is a champion, how proud you must be.
Out of all the (expensive) Zacuto/Redrock rigs available not one has thought of making the focus action incorporated into the shoulder rig allowing you to shoot with greater freedom + flexibility.
Congrat's to both of you.
Start a site like glidetrack.com - take online orders and BOOOOOOOM - your away.
Love it.
You guys have a great idea with the focus handle.
Your Father is a true craftsman.
Thanks for sharing.
well done guys! wher'r you from, you've got a little bit of a north europe accent :)
bye..take care
andrea
Its really inspiring to see that so many people think this is a good idea! I wanted to build it cause i really need a shoulder-rig for an upcoming project and i can't afford the ones on the market just now (my business is new and buying the actual camera, sound recording system, tripod head etc in the first place took quite a bit of my budget).
Now with all the positive feedback we've gotten a lot of new ideas, maybe it would be fun to continue development of the product... Because even if i didn't want to show the downside of the rig in the video, there is room for improvement.
Maybe the major downside for me is that it doesn't take 5 seconds to set it up when on a shoot, since the hose clamp takes a while to screw on. I've watched cinema5d.com/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=9600 and my dream is to find a similar thing to mount on the focus ring, then it would be a super fast assembly!
Now of course the main good thing with the rig is that you can change the focus with the left handle, so if we're going to continue working with it, that is definitely a keeper.
Several people have pointed out that with a lens with 180 degree focus ring this setup wouldn't work. That's also a point that should be improved IF(a big if) we try to make a prototype that is ready for production.
Several new questions comes up IF we continue with the development.
Is there room for one more developer of these kind of rigs?
Do we have the contacts to take the rig to production?
A possible benifit of other rigs for professionals is the rod-system. Maybe not so much for attaching a follow focus here, but more because of the use of a mattbox with filters. Is it possible to have an option with some attachments so you CAN mount rods on this rig, still keeping the focus system working?
Is it possible to hold down the production cost of these types of rigs? Like I said, the reason in the first place for making this rig was I simply couldn't afford the options on the market.
Is it better to do a prototype and try to sell it to an already existing company? Are they even interested?
Yeah, as you see you've inspired us greatly and for that we, my father and I are so very greatful!
For the part of being an inventor besides your work as a cinematographer/video filmer, i would just take the opportunity. Make a website i'd say and sell the rig with a webshop tab. But keep the prices attractive (which will be easy since the Zacuto products are too expensive for the normal man outthere anyway). Some idea: get a wooden replacement for a Steadycam but then in the unmatched quality your father managed to like he did with this rig. I am about to purchase a 550D soon and i make most of the stuff myself as well (cheap and fun to make yourself, i used to make a fully functional 4x5" Technical camera out of wood and paper myself ^^).
And ofcourse, it's good to get some nice products from Europe instead of the USA i guess. You did point out there are downsides as well on your design, but trust me, there are always downsides on ready made systems (hence the crazy prices they ask for accesoiries you need to purchase on basic systems, while they are looking so cheap and easy to make, the only point is, if you don't have the knowledge to design fine mechanics and crafting them after it will get hard to get it made by yourself).
Anyway, keep making new wooden products whenever you can. It's worth it, and i am sure you will manage to make some cash out of this (although its not your intention maybe, new lenses and equipment cost a lot of money as well!).
I've sent it to my dad to watch, who is also familiar with his son coming up with ideas that need him to build them. ;) It is fun watching your dad work. He's skilled and inspiring. I'd hold a flashlight for him any time!
You could even attach a strap (like a good, thick, cut-down guitar strap) to the back and underside of the front and really tighten it for added stability.
Harold House
Wisconsin
Seeing how much Swedish I remember. Hoppas at du forstar mig.
( the music sounds familiar, what is that song playing? )
congratulations!
Wonderful man, this i really like.
Instead of the 'ring and rod' system you've used, my idea was to use a small fan-belt around the lens, twisting 90 degrees across to the vertical handle. If you were to build the hand grips pointing forward at an angle slightly less than 90 degrees (as many rigs do have them) then the fan belt twist wouldn't have to be as severe giving a smoother action.
A belt system would also work for a continuous motion. That way you could use other lenses which have a longer focus turn than the Tamron 17-50. I have the same lens so I can see how your current design would work wonderfully. If you or someone else handy could implement my idea then we'd be on our way to creating some amazing tools :)
That all being said, well done on this great example of ingenuity.
halfinchrails.com/hir/hir.asp?PID=49
and the wood looks so beautiful and the amazing follow focus. Invent us more good tools mate! Glad you shares with us all!
Your father puts them all to shame...and no, you can't "patent" your idea but you can give it a unique name (Trademark), which is something you can do now.
Keep improving on your great idea, then everything else will fall into place.
Kalani-
Muy buen trabajo!!!
then I saw this..
"Hands off my mouse pointer, 'buy' button!!!"
Great work! :D
A double idea, the follow focus is on the left hand... Why not the zoom in the right hand with a similar articulation ?
The best way is to have a fixed grip for each hand (not moable) and a circular ring at the upper part of each handle....
The patent will be good at this achievement.
Agree with me Jonathan ?
Best regards
Schol