There are a few schools of thought in camera design, and I've gone over my personal preference in some detail. If a camera isn't designed to be put on your shoulder, it can be extremely helpful if it can at least be rigged in a sensible way to work in whatever capacity you need it to. Quite a few people have been worried about the ergonomics of the Blackmagic Cinema Camera, but like most cameras of this size and general shape, you'll probably want to add some sort of rigging if you're doing anything other than using it on a tripod. Thankfully, the popularity of the Cinema Camera means we are going to get quite a few third party solutions to satisfy any shooting need.
Wooden Camera, a third party manufacturer of camera accessories, is now coming out with a line designed to work specifically with the Blackmagic Cinema Camera. While they're famous for their RED accessories, they also make rigs for most small cameras out there. Good rigs get out of your way when you need them to and have mounting points literally everywhere possible. Specifically, the cage looks like it's going to be helpful for adding on any accessories you need, like external monitors and external batteries. At $400, it's not going to kill your wallet either.
The top handle that they make could be an essential accessory for anyone who doesn't want to use the straps to carry the camera. I had the opportunity to use a Sony F3 over the weekend, and I had forgotten how much I enjoy simple things like having a handle and being able to physically pick up a camera in order to position it properly on a tripod or on a shoulder mount. Another complaint about the camera has been the lack of XLR inputs, and Wooden Camera is addressing this with a $200 balanced XLR to 1/4" adapter.
Wooden Camera has most of the accessories you would need to kit out your camera, but it's always better to buy only what you need first, than to get a whole rig that might actually not fit your shooting style. My philosophy has always been to wait until not a piece of gear is actually hindering me or slowing me down, and then I know if I need it or not.
What do you guys think? If you already pre-ordered a BMCC, will you be reusing gear you already have, or thinking about getting something new?
Link: Wooden Camera
