I Built The ULTIMATE Sony a6700 Cinema Rig

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A6700 Rig Part List:
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Sony a6700 - amzn.to/3FN4lRG
Smallrig Cage - amzn.to/4606Ni8
Top Nato Rail - amzn.to/3SyJkBP
Side Nato Rail - amzn.to/3Qp4uPW
ZY-Optics Lenses - zyoptics.net/p...
Nitze lil Stinger Top Handle - amzn.to/3QMPQDm
Monitor Mount - amzn.to/465LTya
Portkeys LH5P ii Monitor - amzn.to/460gNYP
NPF 550 Batteries - amzn.to/460TUEv
Tilta Left side Focus Handle - www.bhphotovid...
(Alternative wooden handle - amzn.to/3SrsWCQ )
Freewell Eiger Matte Box - amzn.to/47evzMu
VND Module - amzn.to/46XJEOR
Mist Filter - amzn.to/3u9nMkL
HDMI Cable - amzn.to/463PJb7
15mm BasePlate - amzn.to/470auFR
Nitze V Mount Plate - amzn.to/40osGXg
Cheeseplate - amzn.to/3u7O1rM
Screw Packs - amzn.to/3u7Wtaw
Arca Swiss Clamp - amzn.to/462ffO2
15mm Rails - amzn.to/3QoQK7R
Smallrig FluidHead Tripod - amzn.to/3MwV83o
Title Focus Motor - www.bhphotovid...
AndyCine 95S V Mount - amzn.to/475wRKk
USB C Cable - amzn.to/49ldQF3

[@thomasjmcclure]

Sorry about the auto Focus, the camera had been rented out to someone and all the settings were changed lol. Hope you enjoy the rig though!

[@prozekutor]

it focuses perfectly on the gear, so absolutely no probs right there!

[@GEEMUSIQAL]

Don't be a heater, we filmmakers not some iPhone youtubers... we shoot cinematic not video🫂❗

[@JamesStevensonPhoto]

One of the best rigs I've seen... and I've looked at a lot! Some described rigging cameras as adult lego... I liked this definition - fun to see how others build theirs out. I'll have a ZV-E1 soon and will do something very similar to yours. Thanks for sharing!

[@ItzSi]

Small rig is brilliant they have the best rigs for compact cameras nice one mate 👌🏼

[@ButterBossFilms]

These always look so clean! I built my zv e10 rig from your video, but I LOVE the rig videos!

[@thomasjmcclure]

Thanks man! I love building a good wee rig

[@BasicDripGuy]

the professionalism of this channel is astonishing. subscribed. can't wait to say I was here before 1 million

[@thomasjmcclure]

Thanks man!

[@pidezi]

Looks really professional.

[@thomasjmcclure]

Thanks man

[@remery4]

man, those small rigs looking C L E A N i am myself starting to think to change my bmpcc 4k to a6700 or fx30 since i need more run n gun features, and af is one of the biggest thing i really missed for some of the side jobs. also the weight is really different the only concern is that a6700 could overheat and i sometimes doing gigs when you need to film 5-6h straight

[@thomasjmcclure]

if you're doing video only and not needing a hybrid, the fx30 is definitely the way to go over the a6700 in my opinion.

[@POVwithRC]

FX30 All day.

[@overtime94]

Great clean build. I used this video as a base to build up my A6700, Note: Just have to make sure you buy the right attachment piece for the the Tilta wood handle. I bought the one that sits closest to the body and now I can't plug in my micro HDMI lol. Will need to get the piece that brings it away from the body or try a right angle HDMI

[@BrooksLeibee]

Coolest functionality ideas on a rig I’ve seen so far. Really considering adapting parts of this for my Fx30 rig!

[@fremekwame]

Awesome video Thomas!! Would you be in interested in making a budget version like you did for the ZV-e10? That would be great

[@arkkaisen]

Great video! I have a similar setup but with a shotgun mic and/or rode wireless go for "run and gun" interviews.

[@thomasjmcclure]

I did have a rode wireless go 2 setup with this, but if I’m using a rig like this, usually i try to record all audio externally with a zoom f3 or f6. But the wireless go 2 worked great

[@dami4944]

I see the improvements from the zv-e10 video great work

[@tonypmedia]

Never overkill, Also sorry! don't block me yet... Having a rig DOES make you a better cinematographer, why? Heavier weight which gives better handheld stability. Bigger unit for better control. Accessories that makes the camera last 100% longer. Matte box to control crazy reflections from flares and shitty lighting from offices and can lights. Expandable to make your job easier. Looks cool thus it gives visual impression you are a professional. So yes, it makes you a lot better at taking video. and I'm the first to witness after using mine for a wile now lol!! Overkill? Heck naw!!!!

[@thomasfransson]

Sweet rig!

[@BrianHYX]

I have the exact same arca Swiss clamp!

[@thomasjmcclure]

its nice and small yet sturdy! i have a handful of them connected to all my tripod plates lol

[@philippurban4459]

Keep going on ! Thank you Greetings from Germany

[@thomasjmcclure]

Thanks!

[@daniellarue1789]

Dope content, I know a guy who has one of those cameras and he won’t stop talking about it!!

[@thomasjmcclure]

Its worth talking about! lol

[@siddharth2136]

Just got an A6700 and this rig is definitely a great place to start! The only thing that I felt was missing is having an external SSD to record onto. Is there any way we can add that to the rig? Like using a dummy battery and then using the USB C port on the camera to plug in an SSD?

[@muratila]

Monitor Mount - the link to the monitor mount does not match what is on the screen. You are shown a mount with a clamp, and the link shows another adapter. which needs to be screwed. Share the link to the adapter that you use in the video..))

[@FeRoOOo71]

ultimate 6700 camera rig and nothing to shoot.

[@StreetsOfVancouverChannel]

🤔😳😏🤣🐂💩

[@mpphotofilm]

😅

[@jaspercapalad]

BAHAHAH Real asf

[@Noname-eg6xm]

That’s basically all camera reviewers. The content that they are creating is the content that explains the product.

[@classicboy97]

Any suggestions for dealing with long-form recording at 4k30 with overheating?

[@thomasjmcclure]

It depends on what you’re filming and where, personally indoors at a decent temp I’ve been able to record 4k 24 for long periods with no overheat. But you could try using an external v mount with a dummy battery into the camera, that’ll remove the heat from the battery. Also try the ulanzi or tilta external fans that attach to the back of the camera (the tilta one requires the tilta cage)

[@phamwoaw]

not a bad video at all - little lengthy but lots. of. good information. the hook for me that made we watch all the way to the end was the hot swap battery with out using a dual hot swap battery mount. needless to say I was curious as to. how it was hot swappable. personally I would use a dummy battery and try to limit as many cords from thier ports as possible. but i get the reason being for the 'quick release' again opinion would be alot quicker to release the tripod mount versus the arca Swiss for hand held, unless trying to move to a gimbal or something. anyways good vid.

[@thomasjmcclure]

It’s definitely longer than i was anticipating lol, yeah honestly the dummy battery is probably a wiser choice, i just like the convenience of unplugging the usb c lol.

[@ManuelParodiRamos]

@@thomasjmcclure Is it really wiser to use a dummy battery? everytime I ask people who know better than me, they always recommend usb actually

[@thomasjmcclure]

@@ManuelParodiRamos both are good options, but if overheating is your concern, dummy batteries help. It moves the heat from the battery outside of the camera body to the external battery. But both work great

[@phamwoaw]

I guess my frame of thinking, is from being a second AC and basically ensuring the main camera rig was powered on and stayed on all day. a dual battery truly. hot swappable system or pass through power is best to keep a rig on all the time. but those are expensive and require way more parts and cords. that being said then yes usb c power pass, while have a full charge battery will do the trick to keep this hybrid camera system on all the time. so I retract my statement as this would be as close to a cine rig setup as possible in terms of keeping the system on all the time. but still having a USB micro or c connected to a camera rig from sticks to hand held is a broken connector waiting to happen. which is also why I am happy they went full hdmi!

[@karimelshatoury5882]

I rarely ever comment but great video man really

[@pats_seidl]

very nice rig! I like it

[@STGFilmmakers]

Love the setup. Pretty close if not the same price of a used FX6 though. :(

[@ksh6]

It looks really cool. Clients would be happy seeing their photographer look like a cinematographer from hollywood. But, this is really expensive to do for the target audience of this camera. Someone who can afford to spend $5000 for a rig will likely be okay with spending two three thousand more for higher end camera. But yea, a really great video, cool to see whats possible! Also, this camera has the best autofocus of any camera out there, even better than more expensive sony cameras, yet using it for mainly manual seems like not using its biggest feature. Meanwhile there are great cameras with lesser autofocus.

[@thomasjmcclure]

good observations, its definitely a lot to spend on a $1400 camera. For me it worked out fine as i already hav 80% of this stuff lying around from previous purchases/jobs. but if starting from scratch, yes its too much! and as for the autofocus, you're right that it is fantastic, but creatively I still enjoy the manual aspect of cine lenses, as well as the image that these lenses in particular provide. if I'm going "run and gun" then yeah, auto focus lenses every time. but for creative/cinematic shoots where i have more time, I love using manual cine lenses. I'm not one to say that manual focus is better in every way, its definitely not. but different, and good in certain circumstances. I'm not much of a run and gun kinda guy.

[@SharrodVisuals]

Does the external recording help it stop from overheating?

[@GeorgeOliver-o1z]

Do you reckon this would work similarly on other Sony Cameras or is it very strictly a series specific? I have a Sony A7IV and love the look of this rig but worried that buying some of this stuff would potentially not work for that.

[@kennethchristopherwest]

Where is the cold shoe mount at on the handle you dont have it in the videos description?

[@guybiton7824]

Is the A6700 Auto focus/manual focus can be controlled by the portkeys monitor wireless ? i also have the same monitor and i would like to upgrate my camera to A6700

[@TheBacktimer]

Have you found out?

[@TheBacktimer]

I'm wondering if it can be controlled wirelessly, especially focus. If you could tell me that would be a tremendous help! I got the 6700 too.

[@mikeagisilaou]

It's cool and all but why not go for fx3 at this point if you go that deep?

[@thomasjmcclure]

If I was to go and buy all of that in 1 go, yeah, totally getting something more substantial, but these are bits and bobs I’ve gathered over the last 10 years that I pieced together to build this

[@mustafakamal8608]

This is stupid question,but Im confused. Should I use left angled or right angled micro to hdmi cable?

[@shueibdahir]

Only bad thing about this rig seems to be the lack of leverage that the battery could provide had the v mount plate been mounted to the rods and pushed back a bit...

[@lvlyprem9575]

I have a Sony A6400 with a Sigma 18-50mm f2.8 lens, and I’m planning to start shooting talking head videos indoors. I’m considering replacing the Sony A6400 with either the Sony FX30, Sony A6700, or Sony A7C II, but I’m totally confused about which one to choose. I haven’t shot any videos yet. Should I upgrade the camera and lens now, or wait a few months until I build a base audience for my KZbin channel before upgrading?

[@thomasjmcclure]

Good question, I’d say start with what you have and upgrade when you can. Make sure to get decent lighting and audio for your KZbin setup, that’ll make more of a difference than the camera body. For video only out of those 3 I’d say fx30, no overheating and xlr inputs etc. also if you have good apsc lenses, it’ll be a lot more expensive to upgrade to the a7c ii because you’ll have to upgrade to more expensive lenses as well as the camera body

[@lvlyprem9575]

@@thomasjmcclure thank you so much

[@pidezi]

What do you use for video editing? What programs?

[@thomasjmcclure]

I edit with premier pro, I really want to be using davinci, but I’m faster and more efficient with premier still and don’t have the time to learn it right now. But definitely hoping to switch at some point

[@assadbkr6145]

GREAT VIDEO TYYYY!!!!!

[@thomasjmcclure]

thanks!

[@highlyfeevan]

What is the cord used to connect the external monitor and the battery? Just fried my monitor when trying to power it up.

[@thomasjmcclure]

It’s a dc to 5 pin aviation connector (i think that’s what it’s called). What way did you have it all connected?

[@konstantinmuller4081]

Hey, i have just bought a v-mount battery and my a6700 does only show the charging symbol. It isnt actually taking power from my vmounnt battery. I have the setting „external power“ enabled and i dont know why it wont take the battery

[@sixofsix]

It’s a badass setup. I just can’t help but notice that it’s more $$ than just getting an FX6 though :(

[@thomasjmcclure]

If you were to buy everything from scratch yes. One thing I said is that I already had a lot of these parts lying around, also you’d only get the fx6 body without lenses and all the other accessories needed for it to function at full capacity. But yeah it’s an expensive rig build, i wouldn’t go buy everything in 1 big go

[@sixofsix]

@@thomasjmcclure oh no yeah I totally get it, if anything it's therapeutic and satisfying/fulfilling to build out and customize. I just can't totally ignore the Builtin VNDs, the actual true Sgamut color space, button layout, built-in XLR.etc etc..... The VND in auto function ALONE for me was a game changer for faster paced/unplanned doc type of work.

[@RokidMedia]

For some reason my hdmi doesn’t work it’s not the cable or the field monitor 😢

[@thefreak809]

If I do use a dummy battery to plug into the vmount, should it be into the 8v slot? I have Smallrig VB99 pro powering an Atomos Ninja V via the D Tap port, just figuring out the camera battery now

[@mtbewan5632]

4:22 or just turn of auto focus on your lens… if ur focus pulling anyways …

[@alexskillen9094]

Would be awesome to see some shots with this rig?

[@thomasjmcclure]

Working on a couple videos about image quality from this camera. But the rig itself doesn’t actually impact the image quality, just the camera, lens and maybe filters. But yeah got some coming soon! I do have a video about the lenses i used in this video on the zve10, they’re pretty sweet in my opinion

[@luksounds4265]

Hi I have doubts about how you're powering the sony 6700 as far as I know the sub c is only for charging battery when the camera is off, could you clarify, Im really interested if there is any other option :)

[@tyzmiller]

D-Tap / Dummy battery

[@ZafarKarimov]

What the weight became in the end?

[@Angellojvfpvandfilm]

how heavy is this rig?

[@TLOverlander]

I thought I read somewhere that the Sony FZ battery won't charge from USB when the camera is on...? 🤷

[@overtime94]

Runs directly on external power while its on, Charges the FZ battery when its off

[@UncivilizedVick]

Could I use this base for a Sony a6400 I know I would have to get a different cage but that’s what I have right now

[@thomasjmcclure]

Probably! The other thing is that the screen doesn’t flip out, so I’d look at getting the smallrig hinge v mount plate. Gives you access to the screen when you need it

[@BradMitchellBrokerAssociate]

what's the point of plugging in the usb c to the camera when it only charges when the camera is powered off?

[@TheBacktimer]

Not sure that's true. I had a dead battery once and operated it on a power bank

[@BradMitchellBrokerAssociate]

@@TheBacktimer not from an a6700 you didn't. The camera won't charge while it's on. You may have thought it was charging and the battery wasn't completely dead but even Sony will tell you it's not designed to share power while turned on that's the whole reason for a dummy battery.

[@jannadel4369]

​@@BradMitchellBrokerAssociate the Sony a6700 is capable of running of an external power source via USB c. It doesn't charge but it doesn't drain the internal battery.

[@BradMitchellBrokerAssociate]

@@jannadel4369 they should have an indicator light for that because with the charging light goes off it seemed like it wasn't accepting power via usbc but good to know.

[@jannadel4369]

@@BradMitchellBrokerAssociate it does need to be a Power Delivery(PD Standard) charger though. So either a powerbank that supports it or a wallcharger. Else it will slowly drain the internal battery or not work at all

[@ronaldlee3537]

@Thomas J McClure: Are you using a external microphone or the camera's internal?

[@thomasjmcclure]

I usually record audio externally. Sometimes I’ll use a rode wireless go ii for scratch audio

[@derwinjax]

The question I have with the 6700, is there any issues with heating? Especially when you have it rigged out.

[@thomasjmcclure]

I personally haven’t had it overheat, but the kind of stuff i use it for wouldn’t have it overheat, i don’t film long clips of slow motion ever. So your mileage may vary

[@ceebecee]

I've got the same camera. With no rig it overheats after about 15 minutes of 4k video. 50p lasts longer than 100p. I bought a small 40mm usb fan and taped it to the back and that lets it record for much longer (I tested for over 45 minutes and it didn't overheat at all). Love everything else about the camera though.

[@LAMON_N91]

а как на счет перегрева у этой камеры?

[@ereceeme]

Would an ulanzi ir tilta fan fit in your configuration ?

[@thomasjmcclure]

Probably, you’d just need to add some space between the v mount plate and the arca swiss plate.

[@sundaydickson]

Nice video here. IMHO, I don't think the rig is an overkill, in as much as you can make an extra income from it. My question here is, what do you use for an external audio recorder? Can you integrate an external audio recorder like the Zoom R4 for external audio recorder? If so, do you use it with this existing setup, or do you add another rig? 🤔

[@thomasjmcclure]

Depends on where I’m filming, I film a few podcasts in which we use either the podtrak p4 if we are traveling, or p8 if it’s in the studio. And i also have a zoom f3 and hollyland park max set I use if I’m doing weddings

[@NISDAOfficial]

I am planning to buy this camera. What about overheating issues ?

[@thomasjmcclure]

It really depends on how you use it. In normal use I personally haven’t seen it overheat. But I’m not filming 4K 120 for much time at all. So it really depends. If you are looking for video only, go fx30. If you want a hybrid or a photo camera, this thing is great!

[@NISDAOfficial]

I am looking for hybrid camera. I mostly shoot on Full HD only means 1080p. Till the moment in our country 4k is not much popular. So for 1080p videos at 100fps or 120ps does this camera overheats ?

[@timond1987]

@@NISDAOfficial 1080 is fine, no overheating

[@sergey.romanenko]

What about overheating?

[@thomasjmcclure]

I personally haven’t experienced it yet, but I do not record long sessions of 4K 120p…

[@johnlocke3481]

Next video: “Turn your kids college tuition fund into a camera rig.”

[@Kadehr]

The rig is nice, but I don't understand why you need this "big" of a rig with an extremely capable autofocus camera with great battery life? You're not adressing any issue with this rig, but you're adding new one. I don't understand the point here I think that, nowadays, if you want a cinema camera or big camera, go for a big camera. If you go for a mirrorless, use it as a mirrorless, with a very minimal rig (little mattebox, little monitor, handles and that's it!)

[@thomasjmcclure]

Firstly, you don’t “need” this at all. there’s a lot of people out there, like myself, who just really enjoy building rigs like this. I said at the start and end that the “image” from the camera is no different with all these accessories, the lens, camera and filters on this rig are the only thing that make a difference to the image. I personally just really enjoy building these, and using them! And as for the autofocus point, autofocus is great, but so is good manual focus lenses. It’s a simple choice of the user as to what they would rather use. I really like using cinema lenses, i love the quality and character that these ones provide. That’s all

[@anushtechreviews]

i don't understand why people need to make a small camera into a cinema camera? if the size is not your concern then go for an actual cinema camera. if size matters then go for these kinds of cameras. At the end you will be spending the money to rig up the small camera but not investing it on a cinema camera which has more functionality than alpha 6700.

[@thomasjmcclure]

For me it’s an enjoyment thing. And all the cinema cameras I have require as many accessories and rigging as a camera like this does. And it’s modular, you can take all these accessories and add it to any mirrorless camera. But for me I just find it fun. Sure it’s an expensive hobby, but i enjoy it

[@anushtechreviews]

@@thomasjmcclure I understand, thank you, really appreciate your reply. A person who knows what he is doing.

[@0xggbrnr]

The monitor is $400. That’s ridiculous.

[@masterjaxmedia]

Bro why wouldn’t you just do this with the FX30? This is completely impractical to use for what I’m assuming would be an A-cam for client work when you consider the A6700’s overheating problems, lack of dual card slots, no xlr handle, no full size hdmi, no external ProRes Raw, etc.

[@thomasjmcclure]

the main reason is that I do not own an FX30 lol. if I did, this is the rig i would use. and its completely interchangable provided the fx30 cage you use has an arca swiss plate on the bottom. In my first impressions video I made about the a6700 I outlined why i picked it up instead of an FX30 (If i had the budget for both I would have totally gotten both, and plan on getting one in the future). For the type of work i shoot, I havent run into much overheating problems, I record audio externally for my professional work anyway, and have no need for prores raw. All that being said, the FX30 is clearly a better video camera. I made this rig because I love building rigs, and I had an a6700 to build with. thats all

[@henrystravelcorner7090]

Aaand you still have horrible rolling shutter, small sensor and overheating prone camera lol

[@thomasjmcclure]

I saw you say something similar about the zve10… every camera has its downsides, zve10 rolling shutter in 4K is bad, yup, but that doesn’t make it a bad camera for the money. The rolling shutter on the a6700 is not bad at all. if that is the main thing you hate in a camera, then look for other cameras that don’t have those problems. And as for “small sensor” that’s not a bad thing, APSC is used in cinema all the time, it’s been an industry standard, and honestly most people can’t tell the difference if putting them side by side

[@henrystravelcorner7090]

@@thomasjmcclure I mean the zve10 is unusable but the fx30 and a6700 are alright. But when there are the likes of zv-e1 I just don’t see the need for something like this! Just my thought ! Cool build tho 😉

[@VideoEmotionHigh]

Tratare de hacer esas configuraciones para mi Nikon Z30😁 Nice video.

[@zionk4747]

Not a good camera will over heat so fast

[@thomasjmcclure]

I’ve never had it overheat on me, I absolutely love it