which of these handles is "best" - to go with which "best" shoulder pad??

[Les C.]

This Lanparte Side Grip 2 from CoollCd (in China, I think), has a lot of flexibility and range of movement.

http://www.coollcd.com/lanparte-side...-rig_p882.html

https://vimeo.com/40634289

On real advantage I see if that they don't slide on, but can be attached from the bottom, right in between my O-Box and O-Focus. And, they can be angled outward or positioned in any number of ways. And they look 'cool'!!

Then again, there's the Shape Quick Handle Rod Bloc:

http://www.shapewlb.com/en/product/p...ort%3dTitreASC

which slides on, and can only be tilted up/down (but not side to side like the CoollCD

I have a Zacuto Studio Baseplate

http://store.zacuto.com/studio-baseplate-for-se.html

and am considering the Shape Composite Shoulder pad

http://www.shapewlb.com/en/product/p...ort%3dTitreASC

which looks very comfortable, but would make the camera's center of gravity higher than a shoulder pad like this from Zacuto

http://store.zacuto.com/Shoulder-Pad.html

So, my main concern about the arms is whether they would be too long to use for some reason, or if I'm missing something basic that makes my possible choices unacceptable.

As for the shoulder pads, I've never used a rig before, so ... I don't have the experience to even guess what makes one more attractive than the other - so ... I'd appreciate any and all comments.

[A. Clint Litton]

I have the shape handle, and I absolutely love it. Quick adjustability like no other provides, and easy to manage these adjustments when your hands are already full and need a quick adjustment mid-shot.

That said, the coollcd grips look pretty sweet, and at a very reasonable cost. Couple of things worth looking at, though...I'd question the build quality, as fancy looks don't equate with reliability. If you can find anyone who owns one and see it in person, do so at your earliest convenience (and promptly report back). The other thing I noticed is that the 15 LWS rod mount differs in the main picture to one of the close-ups. I'm guessing the clip-on option is the newest version, but...I tried to modify my shape rods using a clip on piece from a vocas shoulder pad, and I never was able to tighten the clip on adapter enough that I felt completely secure in supporting the full camera weight by the handles alone (which is a deal breaker for me). It was a different locking mechanism (on the side instead of the middle, and a circular knob that wouldn't allow me to really put some torque into it), so this one may be fine. I personally think clip on would be a great way to go as it means you can adjust the position of a FF and MB with the handles quickly between lens swaps without taking everything off to put it back on. That said, I value the rigidity and secure nature of my shape handles' original rod mount, so take that for what it's worth.

If you can afford to try out the coollcd one first, by all means give it a shot and let us know how it works out. But the Shape will be a great backup option for you.

As for Zacuto...I know a lot of people swear by them, but I've never really cared for their handles and consider them wildly overpriced.

On the subject of shoulder pads...with Epic and scarlet, 15mm LWS typically only works on the front of the camera, so you don't have 15mm LWS rods running under the camera in a manner that allows for shoulder attachments. There may be companies out there that can rig 15mm rods on the back side, but that may interfere with connections in the back of the camera, as well as lens height conflicts if you're trying to run long rods on the front and back. I think allstar and innocinema have some pretty good options, though those require an arri-style bridgeplate, typically.

[Jon Carr]

If you have a Obox and Ofocus, why don't you just add on the Ogrips. Ogrips will last forever and are the best/strongest grips on the market.

[stu aull]

Les - I use the SHAPE handles and love 'em. I confess the desire for the longer, double-jointed handle styles like the coollcds escapes me. I prefer hands up closer to the rig as with the SHAPE.

Shoulder-mount: again I use the SHAPE rig, but you are right it will raise the camera a bit since (at least the way I've configured mine) I ran a second set of 15mm rods under the camera to mount the pad to. As my pic shows, the whole shoulder/rod assy mounts to the FRONT rods, which I leave on the camera. You need the double 15mm mount block (avai in chinese market quite cheap - I used the SHAPE product) to mount the pad/rig to the front rods.
This set up allows me to keep the tripod plate on the camera, as it nestles above the rod/pad unit. I can slip the pad and handles on pretty quickly this way for HH work.

Trick with these shoulder pads is to get the camera as close to on-top of your shoulder as you can as (at least mine) the rigged up camera can be a real bear, weight-wise, to support with your arms for long! The SHAPE pad set up I have allows me to do this.

OR:
I spotted this neat movcam shoulder rig :

http://16x9inc.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=992

Same price range. pad is very small (not that that may be an issue) and the attachments look to be very versatile. Would give this a hard-look myself if I hadn't already bought the SHAPE rig (and may still...)

Stu Aull
SX 199
Alaska

[Mike Garrick]

@ Jon

I'm thinking of O box but couldn't find a price for the handles how much are they roughly ?

@ Les

A question how much hand held will be doing ? 10%, 20%, 50%, 70%?

The reason I ask is this one area where I reckon some over the top prices are being paid for very average designs, I.M.O. for something that will spend at least 80% of the time packed away. Now yes this depends on the type of work your doing......

So I'm going to nominate a left field budget entry that works takes, under 30 seconds to set up with no stuffing around. For Shoulder pad get the Shoot 35 one , for about $120, then mount on your choice of dovetail or some form of QR System. Then for handles .....buy a top of the range 2nd hand Redone Yoke with rod blocks of your choice plus handles for about $200 for the whole setup. With Epic stage 2 & 3 happening there are tonnes of these items looking for a new home & most are in really good shape. Whilst it's not a "Clutch" this setup gives you stability, comfort, speed.

P.S. I believe Zacuto is overpriced & aimed at an entirely different market. If your inclined that way checkout WC save yourself a packed of $ & get a better build & functionality.

[Brian Boyer]

This Lanparte Side Grip 2 from CoollCd (in China, I think), has a lot of flexibility and range of movement.

http://www.coollcd.com/lanparte-side...-rig_p882.html

https://vimeo.com/40634289

On real advantage I see if that they don't slide on, but can be attached from the bottom, right in between my O-Box and O-Focus. And, they can be angled outward or positioned in any number of ways. And they look 'cool'!!

Then again, there's the Shape Quick Handle Rod Bloc:

http://www.shapewlb.com/en/product/p...ort%3dTitreASC

which slides on, and can only be tilted up/down (but not side to side like the CoollCD

...SNIP...

So, my main concern about the arms is whether they would be too long to use for some reason, or if I'm missing something basic that makes my possible choices unacceptable.

As for the shoulder pads, I've never used a rig before, so ... I don't have the experience to even guess what makes one more attractive than the other - so ... I'd appreciate any and all comments.

Les,

I have the Lanparte Side Grip 2 handles: http://www.coollcd.com/lanparte-side...-rig_p882.html

They're built really solidly and the price is right. The quick release feature is one of the main reasons I bought them. I find I can tighten them securely without fear of them slipping under the weight of my rig (approx. 20 pounds) as long as you get them flush with the rods before tightening.

As these are my first set of handles, I have nothing to compare them to, so I don't know if they would be considered heavy at around 2 pounds (according to my analog bathroom scale).

They're also not as long as they look in the picture. The joints don't have the range of rotation you might expect. The bottom grip portion only rotates about 170 degrees. The upper joint rotates about 160 degrees.

The grips on my pair have a very slight bit of play in them. I can wiggle them just a little at the very bottom of the handle. They're attached at the top of the grip and the grip is hollow. They don't rotate around their length at all and feel secure but, at first, they made me think the rosettes were loose. It's no big deal but I thought you might like to know.

Overall, I'm happy with them.


I looked at the shape handles: http://www.shapewlb.com/en/product/p...ort%3dTitreASC

Keep in mind the slide-on nature and the height of the rail attachment above the 15mm holes may force you to either have the handles fully behind or in front of your O-Box. Although, there may be enough room between the ray shade and the filter holders.

I can put the Lanpartes under most (not all) parts of my Genus Elite matte box. I wouldn't be able to use the Shape handles in as many positions with my matte box.


As for shoulder pads, they're not all made equal, but any shoulder pad that doesn't pivot is a deal breaker in my book. I no longer have to lean over to the left in order to hold the camera vertically. That's huge.

I bought this from Jag35: http://jag35.com/products/dslrproduc...r-pad-pro.html

It's not ideal and the padding leaves a little to be desired but the pivoting nature makes up for the other shortcomings. I can't say I recommend it but's worth looking into.

I think I'm going to get the Camera Comfort Cushion to help supplement the padding: http://www.filmtools.com/camera-comf...shion-com.html

Zacuto was showing a pivoting shoulder pad at this year's NAB but who knows when that will be available. It may also work well with your Zacuto Studio Base plate.

[Jake Wilganowski]

The o-grips are awesome. They are $500 per handle and $500 for a 15/19mm bridge. You can get a set of 4 handles and a bridge for $2k. Super pro, very versatile as you can attach them anywhere at any angle as they have a ball mount. Really really versatile, you can string them together also. Incredibly solid build.

[Jon Carr]

The o-grips are awesome. They are $500 per handle and $500 for a 15/19mm bridge. You can get a set of 4 handles and a bridge for $2k. Super pro, very versatile as you can attach them anywhere at any angle as they have a ball mount. Really really versatile, you can string them together also. Incredibly solid build.

+1 never using anything else

[Les C.]

In addition to the items listed, I'm also looking for a workable inexpensive arm, and am toying with getting the one listed here http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthr...nt-for-monitor although, some of the reviews on bhPhoto for the Ikan arm were horrible (it broke immediately for some).

I also need a way to mount a shotgun microphone. I've got a Rode SM3 Shockmount hot-shoe http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SM3 - which I think I can mount onto the O-Box using a Wooden 1/4-20 hot shoe mount - but ... I'm always open to better suggestions.

A question how much hand held will be doing ? 10%, 20%, 50%, 70%?

...
For Shoulder pad get the Shoot 35 one , for about $120, then mount on your choice of dovetail or some form of QR System.
.....

P.S. I believe Zacuto is overpriced & aimed at an entirely different market. If your inclined that way checkout WC save yourself a packed of $ & get a better build & functionality.

Excellent question and observations.

I doubt I'll get heavy use out of a rig, so want to get something that would be workable for under an hour or so of use every now and then.

Does the Shoot35 pad need anything additional? It mentioned "Height and offset adjustment is not included with this Shoulder Pad. This feature can be added by adding a 'Rods Clamp' and a set of '10" Rods' " - which is odd, as the product lists "Rods Clamp" as part of the package contents?

As to the Zacuto, the Studio baseplate I purchased two months ago is working quite well, and I'm happy with their build quality and functionality. Their customer service was also great. They shipped me a small part I needed without charge.

...
On the subject of shoulder pads...with Epic and scarlet, 15mm LWS typically only works on the front of the camera, so you don't have 15mm LWS rods running under the camera in a manner that allows for shoulder attachments.

...

Clint - the Zacuto Studio Baseplatehttp://store.zacuto.com/studio-baseplate-for-se.html has both rods in the front (for O-Box & O-Focus) and rods coming out of the back (for the shoulder pad, batteries, etc.)

It also has optional rods coming out of the sides, which I'll probably end up using to attach an arm for the LCD.

I have the Lanparte Side Grip 2 handles: http://www.coollcd.com/lanparte-side...-rig_p882.html

They're built really solidly and the price is right. .............

Thanks for the detailed response!!

I ended up ordering the Lanparte Side Grip 2 from CoollCd from China, and it's already shipped by DHL (of course, DHL is the absolute worst shipper on the planet, wish me luck).

If anyone is interested, they had some $20 default discount, and then I added another $20 coupon coollcd201208 to get the price with shipping down to $309 (thru Paypal, and my Amex is showing 309, so no extra currency charges).

The O-Grips sounded interesting, except for the high price. They also looked like they would move freely rather than lock down.

[Les C.]

I ordered the Lanparte Side Grip 2 from CoollCd in China http://www.coollcd.com/lanparte-side...-rig_p882.html Sunday evening.

Less than 3 days later, the package arrived from China this morning.

It's perfect. Absolutely no wiggle or play in the arms. There are two springs that move the retainers out of the way when I position the handles onto the rods from underneath my rig (no sliding necessary). Then a large knob to tighten the retainers.

Absolutely perfect. I only wish they were weightless. I haven't weighed mine, but Brian said they were 2 pounds.