Building the Ultimate Camera Shoulder Rig!

This custom shoulder rig costs less than $500 and works with any camera! Find the parts list and build guide here: dslrvideoshoot...
I've been searching for the perfect video rig for years and decided to make my own using parts available online. This video shows you what I came up with! Be sure to see my other handheld rig video here: • I Built the ULTIMATE H...
PARTS USED
All parts and a build guide can be found in the article link below but here are a few items I mentioned in the video.
All Parts: dslrvideoshoot...
My Handheld Rig: • I Built the ULTIMATE H...
Nucleus Nano Wireless Follow Focus
Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/Ze01
B&H: bhpho.to/2PCVt6b
Shinobi Monitor
Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/eJST3m
B&H: bhpho.to/2FWUo4P
MY CAMERA GUIDES
academy.dslrvi...
MY MAIN CAMERA SETUP
Panasonic GH5s on Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/gh5s
Viltrox Speedbooster on Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/y2CORa
Sigma 18-35mm on Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/sigma18
Benro Tripod on Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/i2ZUCA
MY LIGHTING SETUP
Aputure 120D on Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/88Akm
Aputure Light Dome on Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/aputure...
Falcon Eyes 24TDX on Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/OdOb
Rolling Stand on Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/Jh97BK8
MY AUDIO SETUP
Deity Shotgun on Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/aputure...
Sound Devices MixPre-3 on Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/vHsiYi6
DISCLAIMERS:
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
This video was not paid for by outside persons or manufacturers.
No gear was supplied to me for this video.
The content of this video and my opinions were not reviewed or paid for by any outside persons.

[@JuanTheBone]

By 2024 Caleb is gonna have a tutorial on how to build an Iron Man suit out of camera gear.

[@eirjordan337]

Rayo Visual sounds GREAT!

[@bestboy007]

did he just say there is no time for tripods when making independent films?! what the heck??

[@CraigStellmacher]

Nato rails up and down his body... ;)

[@PVMMAC]

🤣👍

[@jasonm.stephens632]

Ha!

[@geraldundone]

I was captivated by the work being done on the window. Upload the full version to her channel! 😃

[@tomdchi12]

Seriously. That's some awesome old-school glazing work there. The tricky move of jamming points into the wood without breaking the glass, getting the putty nicely formed and smooth... Great stuff! Oh, and the camera rig was nice and that Tilta gizmo looks very interesting for the price.

[@dslrvideoshooter]

@@tomdchi12She is a window reglazing superstar!

[@dslrvideoshooter]

She really should! Getting really good at it.

[@riparianstudios]

Now THAT'S a rig! Totally a good option for cinematic movement, but I do feel like I'd worry about it getting in the way in situations where I want to get an angle that isn't right at eye level. I used to edit a news magazine show shot by a bunch of photogs with big broadcast cameras on their shoulders and _all the footage was eye level._ Because most of what I do is a bit run and run, I love the flexibility of a rig I can move up, down and around easily rather than being locked onto my shoulder. That being said I'm SO happy to see a lot of OG creators pushing back against gimbal-mania. ;) Thanks for pushing outside the typical, as always!

[@dslrvideoshooter]

Great point! Many of my shots were done kneeling. Or you could just pop the camera rig off of the should pad and you're good to go!

[@punkrachmaninoff]

thank you for dispensing with these ibis and gimbal users in such a professional manner - long overdue. 😁

[@JunsuePark]

Do you actually ever shoot anything with these rigs? Would love to see some of your actual work!

[@jas_bataille]

No he only builds it for show obviously (roll eyes)

[@stevengonz]

I can vouch for the fact that having your hands placed up high on a shoulder rig on multi-hour shoots makes my biceps cramp up by the end of it and they tend to hurt the next day, love the idea to have the rails angled down I might have to try that out on my own rig!

[@dslrvideoshooter]

Yeah it is much nicer on the bod! I like the idea of a compact setup but I not in the best of shape so long handles it is!

[@JoshBenBernales]

I can't get enough of the "handheld" look! I own a GH5 and find myself turning IBIS off more and more lately, especially as my rig continues to gain weight : )

[@ToastedSynapseGaming]

I love shoulder rigs. 95% of my footage. The only problem I see with this one is having the camera controls in an inaccessible place. ISO, fstop, audio(if you have a shotgun), etc. If it's not a cinematic shoot, you need to have access to them fast (5 secs). Also a matte box could obscure your vision. That's why I prefer a longer setup with weights/batteries in the back and camera in front of my head. This looks very comfortable though, I'll give you that. Keep up the good work.

[@gearreallydoesntmatter]

Great video. Big fan of the shoulder rig look. Gimbals and drones are cool but I like them for specific type of shots and definitely feel that they are over used by many.

[@mistereb]

Thanks Caleb. Literally just received the final part for my 5D mk IV hand-held rig (£400 in the UK). Now I've got to suck it up and get the rest!

[@amrmabrouk3794]

Been waiting for this video! Thanks for your hard work Caleb.

[@dslrvideoshooter]

Thank you good sir!!!

[@savvycreativeadventurer]

@@dslrvideoshooter would you say that the lens support is a big deal? I am using the eos r with either the RF 24-105mm or the RF 70-200mm lenses. Right now they seem okay but i know that i have to add some extra juice to the tilta nano to get it to turn, will the lens support help with that setup?

[@smallrigofficial6732]

Love what you’ve come out with from our products 🤩🤩

[@jonjoy-gaba315]

Nice setup - thanks for sharing! I love the lower grip and never thought of doing something like that 😃 BTW - I shoot weddings probably 90% handheld, 9% tripod, and that last bit on a gimbal (and I'll probably stop bringing a gimbal to wedding shoots).

[@newsbatavian]

Thank you for these two videos. I learned a lot. I may incorporate some into the rig I'm building for myself. The main reason I decided to leave a comment -- I just really appreciate what you said about not using a gimbel. I decided I prefer shooting DSLR video without a gimble and so I'm not buying one. I have one for my iPhone so when I need a gimbel that's the route I take. My DSLR stuff -- the majority of my video now -- I prefer hand-held or semi-handheld (monopod). (If I need super locked down, I use a tripod.)

[@TerenceKearns]

I'm gonna try and build this one. I've narrowed it down from looking at a lot of them. It's about time I built a shoulder rig - if for no other reason than to look more impressive and get gigs, but this one actually looks comfortable. You did a really great job with your photographic guide. Thanks so much for putting that together.

[@michelrms]

Dude, as a filmmaker that focus a lot in indie documentaries that rig is my dream. Awesome idea and very nice use.

[@crooker2]

This is interesting. I built this very shoulder rig with parts I had lying around and some rails from another shoulder rig I had purchased. I have to say, it's pretty comfy. But I DID notice that, because of the shape of the human body, my camera, sitting on my shoulder, sat on about a 7 - 12 degree tilt. Because I'm using a breakout monitor (The Aputure monitor), I can't see the camera's (A Pana GH4) built in level indicator without futzing around with the monitor output (which I'm trying to do)... (The GH4's monitor-out is notoriously finicky) A bit tricky to get a nice, level shot with a comfortable pose in this rig. Also... without IBIS (A comfort I am not afforded), it takes some practice to move around smoothly and get nice steady footage because the camera is connected to your shoulder. Not much shock-absorbtion in this configuration. Obviously, you need to do the 'cameraman's prowl' when you're moving around with a camera anyway... but finding some way to deaden the bumpy-ness of footage this way will be something to look into.

[@PaulHarwood856]

I appreciate your input on this Dave. Thanks. - Paul

[@volkerkeck9185]

THIS is truly amazing. I was looking sooo long for an adequate solution for DSLR that NOT make me bankrupt . THANK YOU

[@thes3th]

I am so happy I found this video. I never thought about going with a shoulder rig I always use a gimbal and they are so simple. So thanks so much

[@personal61319]

Yes love it dude. I agree and in fact I bought my Crane 2 last year and I have never actually used it. I found out I dislike 99% of gimbal shots....it's only useful 1% of the time for MY types of shooting....I rigged up a 6300 and shoulder as well. NOTHING beats straight up sensor and weight....I love the look. Cheers

[@TopGarageTV]

Never seen anyone under 55 years old glaze a window. Awesome!

[@Rashadmcka]

I’m buying parts for a shoulder rig rn actually! I’m definitely going to use this as reference. I love the heavier handheld look. I’m a bit tired of gimbals right now lol. Thanks.

[@dslrvideoshooter]

Glad i could be of service!

[@rastazilion7084]

bro you are the best dont know what we would do as independent cinematographers who are not rich your insight gives us the ability not only to thrive but to compete with many of those who's finances are pretty much limitless thanks so much for your research and work ☀️

[@tomdchi12]

There are some v-mount power distribution plates out there that take the nominal 14.4v from the main battery down to USB (5v) and other voltages to power the bits and pieces of a rig. I don't really neeeeeddd a full v-mount, but one of those distro plates plus a dual NPF to v-mount carrier could work well...

[@dslrvideoshooter]

Yeah the reason I haven't used V-mount is the ergonomics. Way to bulky. For cameras with top mounted displays it isn't a problem.

[@kernelpanic2887]

No problem, Nucleus Nano cam handle 14.4V and will be even stronger.

[@SeanFBoyd]

Well said Caleb! Can’t stand hearing about gimbals etc non stop

[@dodmedia]

That's a really nice approach, it's almost like you've flip reversed it. Definitely having hands lower down is a lot more enjoyable!

[@RicoResolves]

For those of you interested: Most parts can be bought straight from China for far cheaper prices. His last video on making a GH5 rig for example. I made a video with links in the description which will save you tons of money. I made the entire handheld rig (without batteries and monitor) for like €350. With some parts that aren't even needed right now, which would have knocked down the price another 50. Have a look and if you have questions about the parts, let me know.

[@DatrysiadMedia]

Used to use a gimbal with my phone all the time, bought my first DSLR G7 and done a make shift user rig. Tbh I really liked the footage to the point that I may not buy a gimbal for a while. I've also just got the tilta nano n too and it works lovely, using that with a motorized camera slider and it's really brilliant. Works well with the fly by wire lens, but also drives me a little nuts, but that's the fault of the lens not the nano m. When I get more proficient will attach it to the rig.

[@joshua3113]

Interesting rig. I'm building a shoulder rig now but VCT-14 based so I can go handheld to tripod to shoulder with no issue for Doc style shooting. Love gimbals, EZ-Rigs and steadycams but shoulder mount is perfect for most things. Jump in a car with an EZ-Rig and you'll know why shoulder mounted systems are amazing.

[@chicagowebsiteservice8482]

Hey, I like your videos and I like this shoulder rig. I film concerts and have been wanting to build something like this. It would have been nice if your video entitled "Building the ultimate camera shoulder rig" actually showed us how to build the rig. Yes, I clicked through to read the nicely put together blog post but people on a video platform appreciate learning from videos. At least I do. Anyway still great content. Keep up the good work.

[@avebeno]

I came looking to mount the nano knob in a rig and got a whole new outlook on my build! Thanks1

[@eirjordan337]

Interesting....to me..it looks like you could add another camera on the other shoulder too...maybe even mount another camera at the handle level for a 3 camera rig! Not sure why...but hey. It’s like Lego Nice one Caleb!

[@chungdha]

I have issues with many magic arm they get loose far too easy never seem to lock well into 1/4 holes, very easy to accidentally untighten. Making me seeing so many magic arms on this setup being an issue.

[@dslrvideoshooter]

All the magic arms I use have a second 1/4 bolt biting onto the main bolt No slipping/spinning!

[@curtisjudd]

Nice rig!

[@DigitalNinja3]

That follow focus set up is brilliant.

[@adinwalls]

Caleb you are a guru at this stuff. Quite keen to start developing a rig like this.

[@jeremybassett588]

Been waiting for this one! Side note - I had this NP-F battery plate go out on me after less than 3 weeks unfortunately, but I've switched up to predominately v-mount now. Definitely giving this shoulder setup some thought.

[@dslrvideoshooter]

Nice man! You used the Ansso plates?

[@jeremybassett588]

@@dslrvideoshooter I did! The dummy to my a7iii just crapped out and then the DC out became really unreliable and eventually died too *shrug*

[@carolmcclendon3248]

Caleb, you are the bomb! I always look forward to what your brain comes up with! Thank you!

[@RedlineRevenant]

"Out of the way! Can't you see this man is with the media?"

[@robertflores6927]

Followed this guide and built it almost exactly how you did. Love it! Although did you say this rig cost you almost 1000$? oof times have changed. I was able to build mine for about 280$

[@shirinbina7985]

Where did you get the parts?

[@coleudall14]

Haven’t even watched it yet and I’m so excited about this!! I’ve been working hard to build my own shoulder rig so I’m stoked to get your input

[@gilbycoyote]

It’s a great rig, i’m gonna build something very similar, one thing I’m gonna add is a barrelplug splitter with buckconverter USB adapter to power the Nucleus though.

[@兰凯-h6b]

Nucleus-N can handle up to 18V!!And it's really strong power via D-TAP!!SO you can really try a small V-mount battery and put it on your back!!I tried and it balanced much better!!Though the D-TAP to micro USB cable was made by myself lol

[@nerdynicknacksandgeekygear8682]

Caleb: "I like nice long rods" Me: That's what she said!

[@benfergusonishere]

Thanks for the video Caleb! Just bought the parts for this shoulder rig setup and I have already built your handheld rig. Looking forward to using the full setup together!

[@omarknowsphotos]

I was just thinking about putting one of these together next. Love the handle location and glad I didn't buy anything yet. Keep it up man, all of this is a tremendous help to newer scrubs like me.

[@dslrvideoshooter]

Thank so much!

[@marcopervo]

The shoulder rig totally re-imagined!

[@sangmojo]

how do with you do if you want to seting the apperatue camera?

[@julientaylor]

the Tilta motor has an input voltage of 5-18V. with the higher voltage the more torque the motor provides

[@piuvbn]

One of the best presenter.

[@LoudlabsNYC]

What bag would you fit that entire rig in?

[@mannyb4265]

Very nice video, Caleb, thank you. I just finished putting together my rig based on this step, for a BMMCC. My monitor has a sunhood so had to find a way of mounting it further forward. I've also attached a light (I purchased the YN300 Air based on your recommendation) using one of the articulating arms. Thanks again for such a useful channel.

[@luucamNY]

hell yea i completely shot a whole music video without a gimbal and loved it i forgot ho good handheld shots looks

[@dorfkind9825]

Rig looks really comfy. Bought now everything from the part list. Also ordered the BMPCC4k, was shooting with an 80D before, time to step up the game.

[@merlinmorzeck5840]

Very nice setup. Just bought a X-T3 couple of days ago. Just one little question: Does the record button on the Nucleus also work with Fuji?

[@MikeMu]

Good stuff! I've always wanted to build one, just never got around to it. With your guide, no excuse now! Thanks!

[@dslrvideoshooter]

Thank you Mike!

[@Shawn_Kelley]

Thanks! I'd love to see more about handheld - the process and gear.

[@js_filming7701]

The 15mm rods are actually 2 Euros per meter at our local building supply store here in Germany! You can safe much, much money with this tip ;)

[@elipercy1071]

So I'm about to start rolling on my first documentary, and I'd like to build this rig because I love the feel of the shots it's producing. By the way you've set the camera back behind your shoulder though, it does seem designed in a way that never intends to use autofocus on the camera. I'm shooting Sony A7rIII with the Andycine A6+, and I'd like to be able to use autofocus at times to follow my subject. Is it true you built this rig specifically for manual focus only? Just wondering if this means I need to mod it out a little differently. Thank for this though! I'm so excited to build something :)

[@SebHazel]

I’d love to build this some day :)

[@YannickFilms]

Awesome video!🔥

[@alexcook4347]

Kickass concept here. Might need to try it

[@thaddeusfenton3961]

So, how would you say this rig compares to, say, a Moza 2 or Crane 2 fitted with a US $45 Spyder Gimbal Support? At first blush a gimbal & support would produce smoother footage at about half the cost of the shoulder rig?

[@nunobarbosa77]

Hi, nice rig! I have the Nucleus Nano, but i can't attach it to that same magic arm, do you have any adapter in between the Nano plate and the magic arm? Thanks!

[@DanielScottFilms]

Awesome rig. Just built mine. Still rocking the Canon 6D lol. But my rig does allow for an easy camera swap for when I'm ready for an upgrade.

[@atompunk5575]

If i can mount my bolex on it, I'm sold!

[@davidgray2805]

I need money grr, great video.

[@seanhdr4k629]

Great video, I thumbed up. I like cinematic looking scene and Gimbal can look artificial sometimes. My question is, would the camera part fell off either forward or sideway? I think there should be a strap linking everything behind your back.

[@JohnPham2015]

the follow focus you use - Tilta only support one motor, in this case your focus but not zoom - what decent focus system that support zoom and focus under $900?

[@cigarcitysoundz6938]

Nice rig! I just got my first piece to the start of my first shoulder rig. I’m leaning towards building it similar to yours. I started with the niceyrig should rig for my Sony fs5ii and I can’t wait to build it further!

[@drumslapper]

Liking this concept. Struggling to find a comfortable shoulder rig and this looks interesting. Wonder if the Nano can drive the Rokinon DS lenses.

[@dslrvideoshooter]

Thanks! The Nano can totally handle Rokinon lenses. It struggles with large metal lenses but plastic is no sweat.

[@kernelpanic2887]

@@dslrvideoshooter It struggles on SIGMA 18-35 tho

[@crooker2]

@@kernelpanic2887 That's good to know... because that's my main lens.

[@SidEOE]

Hi, Love the video! I was just wondering (as an XT3 user) which cable you used to hook up the Nucleus Nano to provide the start/stop recording functionality? Any hints appreciated and keep up the good work!

[@renatopico7282]

I like your rig set up it's look comfortable and stable

[@johnnyray5515]

What would I need to do to add a Matte Box to the front. Would I be able to add extra rods to fit that onto this rig. I want to use this rig for a Sony Fs5m2

[@TwinDragonStudios]

How compatible is the Tiltamax Nucleus-Nano with Sony cameras (specifically the Sony a7S II) where the REC button is concerned? I've looked for what cameras the REC button is compatible with but the only stuff I can find talks more about the lens control and less about the camera control.

[@NoWheelDrive]

Thank you!! Please tell if Nucleus Nano Wireless Follow Focus can be used to adjust the focal length as well or just the focus of your lens? PS: I like your job! Also it seems shoulder rigs have some limitations while of course they help you to distribute the weigh of your gear. But what if you need to quickly switch between shoulder height and heel hight? I guess the rig from part one could be more useful in that case. But of course rig from part one will suck all your juice when held for a while at the face height.

[@GustavoSalun]

The only think i dont like about is the acces to the camera. Any way to put the camera more to the front ?

[@peterlatoska118]

Hey, Perfect setup but I have here a question. Is any possibility that I have a little control on my ISO when the camera is placed on the shoulder? Where can I starting the recording? Please give me a few ideas :) because the setup is really fine. Thank You

[@thatmanjustyawned]

As someone who shoot documentaries, I found that zooming on object is quite often, how could we access the zoom easily without breaking banks (buying another wireless follow focus)?

[@NickVanHouse]

can we get a BMPCC 4k/6k updated version of this? maybe using the tilta cage

[@DarkJesterHead]

Just started building a similar rig for my a7iii, The tilta nucleus looks awesome i need to get one as well!

[@TesseracMedia]

Nice video. That rig looks sweet!

[@theantoniosilva]

Hello! Awesome video! You said you can use any camera you want but does that mean the cage would work for an A7III and a BMPCC 4K? Or are the Small Rigs specific to a camera? thanks!

[@bunnyhallow]

I would pay extra for extension arms with adjustable rosettes on opposite ends so it can fold for ease of transport

[@minervahammond2754]

when I'm using a ninja v, can I leave the batter on the ninja? what is the reasoning behind separating the battery?

[@paulkowol2561]

Hello, I will build a setup for my Canon 5DMIV, please let me know or is any possibility to control the ISO external not on the camera ? On the focus wheel is REC, can i use this to start and stop recording ? How works this ? Thank You very much

[@johnnyray5515]

What if I want to mount my Sony Fs5 which doesn't need the hand rig. Will I need any attachments to use this rig with a fs5 without the aforementioned hand rig?

[@QWERTY7777er]

Nice Rig

[@danieldougan269]

How do you transport a rig like that? Does it fold up somehow to fit in a backpack or carrying case?

[@bluenotecat]

Hello Caleb, Have you tried any of the modern camcorders? If so, would you be interested in creating some videos talking about them as tools for filmmakers? I am inspired by the kind of work that Vincent Moon creates using this approach without having to have the latest in technology. Cheers mate!

[@JIMMYSBN]

will it be possible to mount slanted rods on the smallrig shoulder pad as on the one you have used?

[@Polostaycreative]

Wow. Fan from 🇵🇭

[@mrmillsartstudio]

Maybe this is a silly question, but I assume because I am tall (6'5") and I was to use a shoulder rig, that the perspective would look off? Like looking down on everything, instead of at their level. I wonder if anyone else has come up with a resolution for this? I'm thinking a shoulder rig, but mounting the camera at chest height, instead of head height?

[@guccidaniels]

Anyone know how to mount the Tilta Nucleus Nano follow focus wheel to a magic arm? I’ve got this hot shoe mount with the item although it doesn’t screw on to the small rig magic arm.. Help would be appreciated.

[@blaspayri]

Very interesting video. It would be even better if you provided comparative camera movements and angles with this shoulder rig (as compared to handheld or gimbal) ... see the quality of movement, the freedom it can provide when moving or standing in different situations.

[@dslrvideoshooter]

Great point!

[@st2816ven]

Great build!

[@AmitTiwari]

Great video. Thanks a lot.

[@WalterTheBalter]

How do you like small rig handle 1961 for mirrorless like a6500 is it too small? I like the arri pin mount on front of it for monitor mount but dont know if 1955 is a more versatile handle with it having 2 coldshoes on it.

[@Weird_Quests]

What lenses would you recommend for video production it’s the Fujifilm X-T3? Was thinking between this and the GH5. Think I’ll be opting for the x-t3 due to the stills and film simulation.

[@jordansfilms01]

Great video but Could you use this with a camera like the Black Magic Pocket Cinema Camera where you need to use the camera to control the settings?