HDDSLR Ultimate Rig

Translation

Now I don’t expect many of you to go out and buy this kit – its something that I have been working on and building for the better part of two years now, and it’s what I use on all of my productions.  Many of these pieces are ones that you would most likely rent.  Honestly, the price of this kit is extremely high – as it has all the bells and whistles that you could want for shooting with a DSLR – and I don’t mean to show it off – but rather, I want to offer it as an example of a high-end DSLR shooting kit, and what sort of parts and functionality you might look for as you build your own kit.  While you may not want/need all of these things – at least I want to make you aware that they exist.

The one thing I did not mention in the video – is that this kit ALLOWS YOU TO DO VIDEO OUT – because it includes the Black Magic box.  You can also use the Cube or more expensive Boxx wireless systems – to go wireless and drop the need for cables.

ALSO PLEASE NOTE:  You can read a LOT more detail about rigs, lenses, tripods, steadicams, jibs, lights, batteries, cards, software – YOU NAME IT as well as WHY I use it the PROS and CONS of each and examples on the MY GEAR section of this site.

TRIPOD:  As you have heard me mention before – not all films are shot on a hand-held rig – and so some sort of rigid support is necessary.  If you are going to go ahead and invest in a rig of this caliber – then you ought to have a tripod and fluid head to match.  I recommend the 1030HD Fluid Head and the 25L Carbon Fiber Tripod Legs from O’Connor.  These are professional grade sticks that will last you a life time.  Head over to the Tripod Page to check them out.

Contineo 5D/7D Cage Mfr. Site
The Contineo powered cages for the Canon 5D and 7D solidly hold these cameras in place while providing numerous mounting points for accessories and providing regulated power for the camera and three accessories. These cages also feature an external trigger port for remote start and stop of the camera.
Wide Bracket Mfr. Site
This Wide Bracket mounts to the base of the Contineo Cage allowing it to mount to 15mm Rods in a lightweight configuration as well as two sets of standard mounting points for tripod quick release plates.
B2 LLR II: 80mm LR Clamp (Quick Release) Mfr. Site
The B2 LLR II replaces the standard mounting bracket on the microShoulderPad allowing the bulk of this camera rig to be quickly configured into a sticks mounted or hand-held setup.
microShoulderPad B&H Mfr. Site
A comfortable and adaptable shoulder pad that, when modified with the B2 LLR II, allows for a quick and effortless change from a hand-held setup to a sticks-ready mode. Not only can a camera system be mounted directly to the head bracket of this shoulder pad, a quick release tripod plate can also be mounted to the base, allowing fast and easy conversions from a sticks-bound system to a handheld configuration.
12" 15mm Carbon Fiber Rods B&H Mfr. Site
The foundation to any serious cinema kit, rods allow you to mount any number of accessories essential to the art of cinematography. These 12" Rods are mounted from the Contineo Cage’s Wide Bracket, providing a place for the numerous accessories that grace this configuration.
microRiser (Quick Release) Mfr. Site
This microRiser (Quick Release) is used to connect the Handlebar component to the main rig, allowing for a quick conversion from a sticks-bound mode to a hand-held setup.
6" 15mm Carbon Fiber Rods B&H Mfr. Site
The foundation to any serious cinema kit, rods allow you to mount any number of accessories essential to the art of cinematography. These 6" Rods are used in conjunction with the O-Grips and microRiser (Quick Release) to form the Handlebar component for hand-held mode.
O-Grips B&H Mfr. Site
The O-Grips are a highly customizable handle system that can be utilized in many forms. One O-Grip is mounted on the top of the Contineo Cage to provide a fully adjustable top handle, while the remaining four O-Grips are combined with the Rod Bridge to form a fully adjustable Handlebar system.
O-Box WM Series B&H Mfr. Site
The O-Box WM Series is a flexible matte box system that features numerous mounting points on the top edge for accessories, as well as mounting points for O-Grips on the left and right sides as well as bottom. The Matte Box features two 4×4 or 4×5.65 drop-in style filter tray holders, as well as an optional 138mm circular filter holder in the rear. There are mounting points for both an eyebrow (top flag) as well as two left and right french flags. The Matte Box can be mounted on 15mm lightweight configured Rods, or as a clip-on (provided you have the correct retainer rings for your lens).
Battery Plate Mfr. Site
The Viewfactor Battery Plate features an Anton Bauer QRC Digi Bracket battery plate that holds any standard Anton Bauer Gold Mount Battery Pack (like the Dionic 90 or Dionic HC). When used with the Contineo DTAP Power Input Cable, this battery plate will provide DC power to the Contineo Cage.
QRC Digi Bracket B&H Mfr. Site
The QRC Digi Bracket accepts any Gold Mount Anton Bauer Battery Pack, and provides one DTAP port for any DTAP powered accessories. The QRC Digi Bracket is mounted on the Viewfactor Battery Plate to provide the power source for the Contineo Cage.
Dionic HC Battery B&H Mfr. Site
The Dionic HC Battery Pack is a Gold Mount style power solution that provides 14.4V DC current at 10 Amps and features a real time LCD readout. The Dionic HCs are used on the QRC Digi Bracket to provide power to the Contineo Cage and all of the rig’s accessories.
(2) Thin Bracket Mfr. Site
The Thin Bracket is a universal 15mm Lightweight configuration bracket. In this rig, the Thin Bracket is used to mount the Battery Plate to the rig, as well as provide a Rod support system on top of the Contineo Cage for mounting Remote Follow Focus motors (like the Inclino Follow Focus Motor).
Inclino Follow Focus Motor Mfr. Site
The Inclino Follow Focus Motor is used in conjunction with the Impero Wireless Follow Focus System to provide remote follow focus, zoom, or iris capabilities when a focus puller cannot reach the system (on steadicam, on a crane, etc.).
Impero Wireless Follow Focus Mfr. Site
The Impero Wireless Follow Focus system provides a remote follow focus control to a focus puller when he or she cannot reach or physically interact with the system (when the camera is mounted on a crane or a jib, when using a steadicam, etc.).
microLens Gears B&H Mfr. Site
The microLens Gears adapt focus barrels on SLR style lenses to be used with geared follow focus units (like the microFollow Focus v2). The microLens Gears come in 4 sizes: A, B, C, and D to fit lens barrels from 180mm to 320mm circumference (most fixed and zoom style SLR lenses).
microArm (long) B&H Mfr. Site
This microArm (long) mounts to the top of the Contineo Cage and supports the Electronic Viewfinder (EVF), allowing the EVF to be placed in any number of angles for easy viewing and operation.
V-LCD50-HDMI 5" Monitor B&H Mfr. Site
The 5" Marshall Electronics Monitor is a great substitute for the DSLR’s back panel LCD screen, allowing the operator to easily judge focus and operate the camera from any angle. The best feature about this monitor is its ability to run solely off of 4 AA batteries, reducing overall weight and making this monitor more portable than ever.
Mini converter HDMI to SDI B&H Mfr. Site
The Mini Converter Box takes a high definition video feed directly from the DSLR and converts the signal into two HDSDI feeds. This box helps isolate the fragile HDMI cable while favoring the industry standard BNC connector style cables for the majority of the "heavy-lifting" applications (running video out feeds directly to external monitors, etc.). This Mini Converter Box also allows dual feed monitoring, meaning the director or client can be monitoring video on one video monitor while the operator utilizes their own monitor from across the stage for the shot–something a single HDMI feed cannot do.
Contineo HDMI Cable Clamp Mfr. Site
The HDMI Cable Clamp does everything short of replacing the HDMI cable connection when addressing the issue of HDMI cable use in professional video applications. The HDMI Cable Clamp mounts to the side of the Contineo Cage and holds the HDMI cable firmly in place. This clamp reduces wear on the HDMI cable while preventing dropped signals from lost connections.