Red Arm - A Question of length

[Colin C]

I was thinking of getting an additional Red Arm and noticed that theres now a 9" version. This comes down to personal preference, but do any of you custom configuring guru's out there have any preference/recomendations?

I know its trivial but of all the choices this for some reason has me indecisively paused.

(Resisting the inevitable jokes on the benefit of an extra 4" :sarcasm: )

[donatello b]

i find the 5" too short .. just can't get LCD where i would like to put it ... especially hand held ... but then i haven't used the 9" so ??? i'll pick one up in the next week or so ....

[Colin C]

Great! Be curious what you think.

I'm wondering what the load tolerance is. No problem for the uber light RED lcd I'm sure, just idle speculation on what it could hold.

[Volker Ehlers]

Hi,

I am anticipating the need for a flexible extension (tube? with cable channel?) that hooks up to a leveller that all bigger heads can support.

Operators that want to get low or work with geared heads need some way of keeping the evf in position when tilting.

Anyone on the case? It should provide 3 axis pivot and be left/right compatible...just like a modern optical viewfinder...

[albert rudnicki]

I am also interested in opinions about the 9" Red Arm
Anybody?

[Finner]

I am anticipating the need for a flexible extension (tube? with cable channel?) that hooks up to a leveller that all bigger heads can support.

Operators that want to get low or work with geared heads need some way of keeping the evf in position when tilting.

Anyone on the case? It should provide 3 axis pivot and be left/right compatible...just like a modern optical viewfinder...

Check out the Element Technica gear. They are building a fantastic EVF mount just like you explain at a great price.

IMO the red arm will not do a good job with the EVF.

[BASSAM MSSALATIE]

What do you think about this i may have one for the LCD
http://www.reduser.net/forum/uploaded/3151_1202404071.jpg

:clown2:

http://www.reduser.net/forum/uploaded/3151_1202404097.jpg

[Steen Linde]

I got my 9" arm yesterday and it is really good. I only want to use it for the LCD, and go for the Element T. arm for the EVF.
Now I can place the LCD where I want it :-)

[Rick Darge]

How does one order the ET EVF mounting arm?

I am curious to see a picture but can't find one

thanks

[Walter R]

The little arm that comes with the LCD is just way too short. When we got our Red, we already had a 9" Noga arm (same thing, basically) and immediately used that for the LCD. We'll probably use the little arm that came with the LCD for a shock-mount for an on camera mic.

It would be nice if Red offered an option for upgrading to the longer arm with the LCD and EVF. I'd rather add $50 to the price of the LCD or EVF and just get the longer arm to begin with. Now, when our EVF arrives we'll have two of the little arms and I doubt we'll find much use for them.

The Element T. EVF mount looks great (you can email them and ask for a PDF of their gear), but I think we'll try the longer arm first to see where we like putting the EVF and if the Element mount has enough range to get it there. We are getting their 15mm arri plate, dovetail, top mount, top cheese, etc. and I expect it will help us shave at least a pound or two off our rig and will work better. They have really nice gear.

[CJ Roy]

I find the 5" arm too short for handheld work. I can get it in the ball park, but the 9" would make life easier and put the LCD right in front of my eyes, so that I'm still in line of sight with whatever else is going on in the scene/about to enter frame/etc. As of now with the 5", my head is tilted up.

Also, I'm shooting without the side rails, so I don't know if they help with this at all. I would think they get in the way.

Will be ordering a 9" arm shortly.

-CJ

[Rick Darge]

http://www.lcdracks.com/accessor/mounts.html

[Bret Weeks]

First hand, the 9" Arm is definitely a better choice. As mentioned prevously, the 5" arm ANYWHERE off the top mount seemed just a little too close to the eyes for handheld... we did 4 or so shoots with heavy handheld and experienced the same issues others have stated... the great thing about the longer arm is it's positioning capability, flipped to the dumb side, flipped around to operate backwards off a dolly and circle track etc...

The 5" arm hasn't left my bag since the 9" arrived.

[Dominic Jones]

It would be nice if Red offered an option for upgrading to the longer arm with the LCD and EVF. I'd rather add $50 to the price of the LCD or EVF and just get the longer arm to begin with. Now, when our EVF arrives we'll have two of the little arms and I doubt we'll find much use for them.

Absolutely agreed - a ~$50 upgrade option would be fantastic.

It seems a shame to ship a bunch of unwanted arms to people, especially in this age of waste reduction!

[R Fogg]

Absolutely agreed - a ~$50 upgrade option would be fantastic.

It seems a shame to ship a bunch of unwanted arms to people, especially in this age of waste reduction!

I requested this from my Red sales helper and was told no.

[Chris Gearhart]

I agree 100% that the small arm is too short in some instances. Having said that, I find it just right in a lot of others. Nice thing is, there is some flexibility even with the short arm--you are not limited to putting it on any one location (e.g., just the top).

Since the short one comes with the LCD, I'd not get anything else at first to see what gymnastics you will need it to perform. I will definitely get something else at some point, whether from ET, Zacuto, the RED 9" or what have you.

-Chris

EDIT: something I really like about the arm (or at least with the lightness of the LCD) is how firm it is, yet pliable if you don't tighten the elbow joint like a monkey. It stays exactly where I put it, but I can still tweak an angle if I need to. (It's also short enough of a moment arm that if it does drop down and hit the body, no damage will be done.)

[Dominic Jones]

That's a shame to hear, but feedback from this forum has caused Red to change their policies for the better before - if not this time, then nothing lost.

What do you say Red - less wastage for the planet, more cash for you (simply price it at a point that makes that possible - the difference in the store is only $30, after all) and less money spent for your customers.

That looks about as good a deal for everyone as you could hope for!