Let’s face it—filmmaking is hard, hard work. For anyone who’s ever been on a 4:30 a.m. crew call (then stayed until midnight), or pulled an all-nighter editing a short film for a 24-hour film contest, we feel for ya.
But there’s perhaps no job which requires more painful, back-breaking work than running-and-gunning around with a gimbal camera rig setup that isn’t optimized for comfort.
Sure it can be a great workout, but camera rigs are historically very heavy, very cumbersome, and very, very uncomfortable. Which is why, when we see a new, innovative gimbal rig setup that actually looks feasible for an all-day shoot, we have to check it out.
Building Out the DJI RS 2
So, as you can see in the video above, this rig featured by Chris Brockhurst is set up to accommodate the DJI RS 2—although you could possibly build a setup for another similar gimbal option out there. However, we like this one with the RS 2 because it’s truly a lightweight and versatile gimbal option that still packs a great deal of stabilization.
Designed off of the popular Ronin-S gimbal system, the RS 2 is 25% lighter and more compact due to its monocoque (French for "single shell") carbon fiber axis arms, yet offers about 20% more support for a huge variety of camera bodies and lenses.
It’s also quite modular and versatile, as you can add in all the bells-and-whistles that you’ll see outlined in the video.
Credit: Chris Brockhurst
Before we go into all the other features for this setup, we also have to quickly focus on the camera and lens combination. Not only because we love cameras and lenses, but these elements are also an important part of the equation when trying to consider just how much weight your rig can hold.
If an operator were working with a much heavier cinema camera and lens combo, this whole rig system might have fallen apart. However, with the FX3 and a reasonably lightweight zoom lens, this rig is perfectly balanced.
Plus with the FX3’s 12.1MP sensor, this setup is able to capture full-frame 4K video at up to 120fps with plenty of dynamic range to boot. The Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN Art Sony E Mount lens also covers a wide variety of videography needs.
Credit: Chris Brockhurst
As someone who’s lugged around my fair share of gimbals and camera rigs in the past, I can attest that there’s nothing I love more than the prospects of finding a new setup that is even smoother than the last. While I’m not a current FX3 shooter, if I were—or using any similar Sony or comparable camera—I’d be quite intrigued with what Brockhurst put together.
From the description on YouTube, the rest of the setup includes these features:
- SmallRig Half Camera Cage for SONY FX3
- DJI Ronin Focus Motor for DJI RS2/RSC 2
- Anton Bauer Titon Base Kit for Sony Cameras with NP-FZ100 Dummy Battery
- SmallRig Handle
- Peak Design Slide Lite Camera Strap Black
- Peak Design Anchor Links for Camera Straps
- Multi Camera Gear for DSLR/SLR strap by C Coiro
- 1/4" Camera Neck Strap Screw Holder, SDTC Tech 2 Pack
But your opinion is the one that matters! What do you think of this “all-day” rig setup?
Think you might be interested in this Sony FX3 and DJI RS 2 combo, or would you prefer to build out something else from scratch? Let us know in the comments below! And shoutout to Brockhurst to taking the time to share.
Source: Chris Brockhurst
