Shoulder Mounting for Documentary | Sony FX6 - Vlog 077

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[@cvice30]

How are you viewing your .mxf files in finder? I preview everything through catalyst browse and it's a little tedious. Is there some intel I'm missing here?

[@davidmorefield]

Hmm they play fine for me in finder and QuickTime.

[@Yogert422]

Can you give details about the parts you used for mounting the SmallHD Monitor to the Tilta camera cage?

[@davidmorefield]

Check out this video for the updated monitor mount. In the description you will find updated links to the mounting solution as well. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n3PbcnevgtCZrassi=8G79wuut6fklVK1p

[@Tws5515]

Hey, any chance you could talk, or make a video about some of the minimum requirements that your clients are asking for when it comes to doing interviews/corporate work/freelance in general? Are clients still in the dark about how videography works, and trust you by your reels to get the job done? Do bigger clients need you to whip out 20k in order to land work?

[@davidmorefield]

Yeah I can definitely talk about that. Most of my clients are production companies or publications. So they are well versed in tech lingo. In my experience bigger clients or bigger budget does not mean more expensive gear and specs. My largest project was shot mostly on GoPro, my largest retainer (4.5k/month) was shot on iPhone. A lot of times the client does not want log. All depends on the end goal. But I’m happy to talk more about it.

[@lensofjared]

Such a good vlog! Love seeing the documentary BTS! I also love the inevitable cycle of being a camera owner. Making the perfect setup and thinking “but, what if it could be better 🤔” 🤣

[@davidmorefield]

Seriously… this time I’m done. 😂🙃

[@RAFA13D]

Great video. Keep it up. Can you share the link of the extended cable to the Sony Grip? Also, the adaptor from the Sony Grip to the shaped arm?

[@davidmorefield]

The shape arm comes with the cable and grip adapter. But the one for fx6

[@konradgrokopf5288]

Love your way of mounting the smallhd! May I ask what part you used to get it to the nato rail? cheers

[@davidmorefield]

All the links are in description! Lmk if you need more help.

[@visuellemusikCH]

Would you mind sharing the stickies for the lavs from your sound guy that stayed on the talent while sweating? Thank you!

[@davidmorefield]

He used a wrap similar to an Ace bandage

[@erikpreston2393]

Super vid as always, thank you! Quick question, you've probably covered this before in an earlier build clip. -- do you ever lament not being able to take advantage of the touch auto focus features (or touch features at all) having swapped out the OEM EVF for the small HD monitor?

[@davidmorefield]

Ehh it’s tough… sometimes I wish I had it. And other times, the autofocus figures it out. However, when I really need it, I’ll just attach it towards the rear handle and use tap focus that way. Best of both worlds. Do you use that feature a lot?

[@gideonbohm-smith-paul4279]

I think you can also control the autofocus with the little joy stick on the side and top handle to an extend. But I also prefer using the touch focus and tracking on my fx6. I’m about to get a Cine 5 and try a similar setup, let’s see how that goes!

[@davidmorefield]

@@gideonbohm-smith-paul4279 I use the toggle when switching between different faces. That’s about it.

[@sammorganmoore]

907. that rosette to single rod item looks a really dumb design. Clearly it is going to spin.. or spin the rod. To monunt a handle the clamp needs to be holding both rods then it cant turn/spin. Personally Id be using two handles - this means you can put the rig on the floor or if AF you can operate with both hands on handles.

[@davidmorefield]

No spinning so far.

[@bourdon845]

Cool !!

[@davidmorefield]

Thanks for peeping the vid

[@MylesAwayAgain]

great content man. what fake battery cable are you using for the SmallHD please!

[@davidmorefield]

It’s from smallhd. It’s really expensive ($129) but it’s worth it to avoid any voltage issues. You know that it will 100% work with their monitors and that is an amazing peace of mind.

[@gideonbohm-smith-paul4279]

So much useful information as always! Love the rig! Quick suggestion tho. You could use the smallrig baseplate and put the rods in there so you can mount the Shoulder Pad on the rods which then would allow you to have Monitor further away from your eyes. I hope that was understandable lol keep it up!

[@davidmorefield]

That’s a great option too. And it’ll increase the size a bit. I might try it. But also this works so I’ll probably just leave it 😆

[@thekp503]

Gotta get a dash cam. Guy hit me in Jan. Dash cam saved me. Not dime out of my pocket. I have them front and rear now.

[@davidmorefield]

I need to do that. Which cam do you have?

[@TolarRay]

I feel like I would get near sighted having the monitor so close for shooting for more than an hour at a time I’m honestly leaning toward an easy rig over a shoulder mount

[@davidmorefield]

Easy rig seems like better for all day use but it draws so much attention when close to your subject.

[@NTVIZUALS]

What cable did you use to extend the fx6 grip?

[@davidmorefield]

It came with the Shape arm

[@hi.imgonner5813]

Dude im in there all the time, lilly rocks. Its sureal to see it in a video haha.

[@davidmorefield]

😁

[@BrucieNZ]

I've been considering the CameraRibbon Rig, but I'm new to video as a hobby and have a much smaller camera, the Canon XA75.

[@davidmorefield]

Hmm I’m not familiar with it. What do you like about it?

[@BrucieNZ]

@davidmorefield not the price that's for sure. Otherwise It's very simplistic.

[@iambenlerner]

The OTF at 3:06 looks awesome! Looks like there was some natural negative fill there. And exciting about Val

[@davidmorefield]

Yeah man, really fun to look at the locations for the lighting they already. No lighting, no neg. Just fighting the right pocket of light.

[@TheTechnoPilot]

I definitely don’t get why you seem so opposed to the incredible VCT system.

[@davidmorefield]

It’s just weight/bulk and the infrequency of job I have that would require it. It is a good solution though. Maybe in the future.

[@TheTechnoPilot]

@@davidmorefield I have a sneaking suspicion that once you make the move, you will question why it took you so long. I played around with other shoulder setups for years, always dealing with the inconvenience of either removing the shoulder pad like I’ve seen you been doing, or trying to put the plate away from the pad and dealing with the rig being either imbalanced on my shoulder or on the tripod (using my shoulder). Once I worked on my first show which was entirely VCT it instantly changed my mind. Not only are many of the VCT shoulder pads now the same weight as the one you are using, but they also almost all include integrated rosettes (mind you you wouldn’t get the opposite rod mounting from those that you are doing here to bring the Shape handle in). Probably the heaviest part of the VCT setup is the plate for the tripod, but it it’s not that noticeable compared to my overall tripod weight and it would completely eliminate your issue of the drop in mechanism not properly accepting the camera. If you hear the click in the VCT you are almost assured to be locked in, then one safetied lever and you are out. If you design your rig carefully you could even get a lower stack height than you already have. If you aren’t already on there you should check out our Facebook group Camera Rigging Mods, we do a lot of rig configuration building.

[@jacksonmokk]

May I ask if you find lens support useful for your documentary setup?

[@davidmorefield]

My lens is light enough that it doesn’t require it.

[@jacksonmokk]

@@davidmorefield Oh, that's sensible. Thanks for the reply!

[@Slothfilm]

Love the vlogs David, got me considering starting my own... Just wondering if you're pulling focus manually most of the time / or af? Curious if you miss the touch tracking by not having the stock monitor on somewhere. How do you find manual focus with the sony lens? Keep up the great work! James

[@davidmorefield]

When I’m doing the interviews I usually kee it on autofocus bc the subjects moves back and forth slightly. For scene action, it’s mostly manual. I actually find focusing to be well supported. I’ll explain it in my next vlog that I’m shooting tomorrow. Thanks for the idea!

[@scottievee7467]

C70 has one button slomo option (no scrolling), one button dual ISO 3200, and built in ND's? This FX6 option was faster? Okay.

[@davidmorefield]

Faster in the sense that I can use a high base iso as part of the equation which allows me more flexibility. C70 has good sensitivity but it is not a dual basi iso cam like the r5c. And when you throw Sony’s vari nd into the mix, it is much faster than the 2 stop increments of c70. I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal when I heard about it but after application, it is very useful. I do love how c70 has 10 stops. That is a clear winner.

[@livestreamsuk6004]

Yes you can do all of that on the C70 but if your hearts not in it you wont take the time to learn

[@davidmorefield]

@@livestreamsuk6004 you cannot do variable nd and dual base iso in a c70 no matter how much heart you have. 💔

[@scottievee7467]

@@livestreamsuk6004 That sounds like an emotional response and has zero to do with the actual comment/function? Your "heart" can't get behind a Canon? Odd.

[@chrisw443]

if you really do alot of shoulder work, look into an ergorig or a steadygum.

[@davidmorefield]

I saw a buddy using steadygum. It looks interesting!

[@chrisw443]

Id choose the ergo rig as its more maneuverable, and you dont have to lock in the camera, but the steadygum can literally just hold the camera for you lol.

[@BenPhanStudios]

Awesome, thanks for sharing your tips - just subscribed!

[@davidmorefield]

Happy to have you on board. Many more tips to come.

[@shotzbyaden]

great video!

[@davidmorefield]

Thanks! Always trying to show the bts stuff that I’d like to see.

[@itsbeyondhuman]

Colonial photo and hobby 💪🏿💪🏿 purchased my first lights from them

[@davidmorefield]

They’re a staple in the community

[@bearland7541]

My CBM cannot monitoring when the camera set 24p，do you have this problem？

[@davidmorefield]

What is cbm?

[@bearland7541]

@@davidmorefield that's an app for remote FX6 from your phone, I am sorry I think I leave the common in wrong channel. But your work is so exciting, hope one day I can be part of this kind of program😃

[@davidmorefield]

@@bearland7541 check out @907dp he just put a video out about that 🤙🏻

[@bearland7541]

@@davidmorefield thanks 👍

[@JanWilliamsBailey]

Watching these vlogs, Has taught me so much about how you have a setup where you can bring a your camera straight out of the bag straight onto the tripod, gimbal, shoulder rig etc. From the Jobs I've done with my friend Lee's production company spending at least 2 hours on just the setup with 30 ish mins doing the cameras alone. How Long did it take you to figure this strat out?

[@davidmorefield]

I kept turning into that exact scenario. I wondered why am I spending so much time doing this on set. It’s preventing the scenes from happening, the client is waiting on me and it was completely fixable. So now I try to do specifically what you just said… spend as little time adjusting gear while on set. It creates a faster workflow and eliminates so many headaches.

[@IMDABROWN]

Love that Smallrig wall. Colonial was the 1st place I ever went that I could actually see and feel if the accessory I needed. I hope to see your name name in the credits of the docuseries.

[@davidmorefield]

Makes such a big difference when you can tough the parts. And yeah man, me too. Would be such a surreal feeling.

[@RealLifewithAdrianRuth]

Another great video. you sharing your trial and errors with gear is a great help to all.

[@davidmorefield]

Thanks! I love it when others do to.

[@DavidAcampora]

Nice

[@davidmorefield]

Definitely liking this setup more. It’s not the fastest switching from shoulder to sticks but fixed my other issues. Pretty cheap too

[@timdanyo898]

You might want to get a left arm extension with a wooden handle grip. It’s super rock steady and helps to keep at least one hand on the grips when adjusting the camera settings so you can switch back and forth.

[@davidmorefield]

I always thought I wouldn’t use those that much though. My left hand is usually on the lens or operating the camera. I bet it is more steady though

[@AlexanderTheFirstMate]

You should try an fx9 its crazy how much better it mounts on the shoulder. I just moved from the fx6 to the fx9 recently for the better shoulder mount form factor and the super 35 4k scan.

What this guy is sayin 😉🎉

[@davidmorefield]

I would love the 4k s35! But I hate how heavy and power hungry the 9 is 🥲

[@davidmorefield]

@ Jo where you been???! Need some vlogs!

[@AlexanderTheFirstMate]

@@davidmorefield I feel that bro and that was what I was worried about as well but if you use an extra 98 wh bpu battery inside the fx9 you can get like 4 hours of run time or 6 hours with a sharkfin, which also helps balance the camera better with more weight on the back.

[@bmefilms6879]

@@AlexanderTheFirstMate which image looks better the 6 or the 9? which looks closer to film and less digital?

[@vidfolio]

loosen the allen screw on the shape arm and slide it inwards. I actually mount it on the body with a Vocas rosette plate in the original handle slot. love your stuff David

[@davidmorefield]

I’ve heard it can break the plastic when mounting to the body?

[@vidfolio]

@@davidmorefield It's possible yeah, someone knocked over my cam on sticks and it broke, It was repaired but they had to replace the complete titanium "skeleton" inside the cam. Insurance paid though.

[@mitchmedmedia5386]

Shifting the placement of that shape handle is so simple, but so smart. I rarely use my shape handle on my FXX, because I felt like I had to squeeze it into my body too much. Over a long day, my peck/shoulder would just be on fire. I’m not the strongest guy in the world, but I can usually handle my gear pretty well. I’m definitely going to give this a try, thanks for the info 👍

[@davidmorefield]

I swear these simple adjustments make our job so much easier. I love optimizing my gear and usually it starts with subtracting pieces.

[@magicmitch1537]

@@davidmorefield After using this for a while, did you find that the rosette clamp has held up?

[@davidmorefield]

@@magicmitch1537 yep. Rosette is good.

[@TonyContiniProductions]

Great content! Love this camera so much!

[@davidmorefield]

Really makes my job easier

[@MrCapturedmoments]

Great shoulder rig, you inspired me to enhance my own camera rig. Thank you for such a great detailed video.

[@davidmorefield]

Happy to do it. Those tiny adjustments made a big difference for me

[@MrCapturedmoments]

@@davidmorefield It's the tiny adjustments that make all the difference in the wold. I look forward to seeing more vides, good luck.

[@Cinematographer_brenton]

love this dude, great setup!

[@davidmorefield]

Thanks! I just used it yesterday for a news publication and it worked really well. It’s still weight on your shoulder which can get tiring but still efficient.

[@B-Moye]

Those rig hacks are great!!

[@davidmorefield]

Glad it could help. They really make a difference for me.

[@EditsByAustin]

Really got me about to sell my soul to purchase an fx6 solely for the internal ND. Have you tested out the auto ND feature on it at all?

[@davidmorefield]

Not in a live situation. I’ve heard test things but I need to play with it before I use it on a paid job. Man internal nd from any camera is a level up. I loved it on my c70… even c100 days. But the variable on the fx6 is really convenient.

[@EditsByAustin]

@@davidmorefield it seems so nice to have, plus the fact that they are calibrated specifically for that sensor so you never have to worry about color shift or anything funky happening. Really the only reason I’m interested in that camera body, just don’t know if I can justify the price tag for it lol

[@davidmorefield]

@@EditsByAustin I get that. For me, it had a few other features that productions were requiring like sdi and timecode.

The more I did shoulder I tended to move the handle closer and closer to the lens. Like it was a rocker on the lens itself by the end. To almost never even rigging it with a handle and just holding the mattebox. 😂

[@davidmorefield]

Interesting. I wish they updated the power zoom line. Would love a 24-135 f3 or something in that range.

@@davidmorefield I have 2 pz 28-135mm t4. It's a bit old and a lite to tight at 28. But covers a reasonable range and the optical performance is excellent. With dual native iso, you always have enough light anyway. And f4 is shallow enough for background separation on a full-frame image. Power zoom is cool and you can focus manually(not electronically) on the lens, with little breathing to! I love it :)

[@davidmorefield]

@ I would love to use that for a doc shoot. But yeah I wish they offered something just a little wider and brighter.

@@davidmorefield 24-120mm T3.5. With real followfocus gears(like the crop version) and slower and faster zoom speeds. Sony plz

[@davidmorefield]

@ honestly I would see the value in it, even for $5k. That would truly be an all-in-one lens.

[@AcastroAX]

I’m sorry but what you said about the C70 is incorrect! I have buttons mapped to change frame rates even faster than what you did here. Stop the Hate to the C70 to please the Sony lords 😂

[@davidmorefield]

I had them mapped as well when I owned one. My ‘equation’ is referring to being able to jump to a high base iso and add nd. That’s is a fact. It’s not possible on a c70. I owned a c70 for years and used other canon cams before that. So there is no pleasing Sony lords here. I’m using a different system and I’m able to be objective, regardless of brand. Other people cannot say the same thing. I do thing the c70 is an amazing and capable camera and is the better choice for certain applications. Where do you feel it shines in your work?

[@livestreamsuk6004]

Yeah its spoiling the content by making jabs at the C70.. No need just enjoy what you have

[@scottjohnson3017]

@@livestreamsuk6004 There weren't any jabs and no one said the C70 sucked. This is a single person's opinion and experience based on the the steady flow ofregular paid work he delivers. How is that spoiling content?

[@livestreamsuk6004]

@@scottjohnson3017 Who said anything about sucked? LOL! Relax gatekeeper

[@scottjohnson3017]

@@livestreamsuk6004 No one made any jabs at the c70. That was my point. And how exactly is my comment “gatekeeping”?