The Sony PMW-F3 is a camera that begs to be accessorized. It can shoot with 35PL lenses, which means a follow focus and mattebox. If a large zoom is used, support is called for as well. Since the F3 can output very high quality HD-SDI, a camera-mounted recorder is desirable. An on-board monitor or accessory viewfinder needs accessory power, so an extra battery mount would be nice. Additional provision for handheld operation is also helpful.

AbelCine worked directly with Element Technica to develop the F3 Riser & Shoulder Pad Kit. This complete solution, which accepts lightweight 15mm support rods, includes ARRI rosettes for mounting handgrips and an adjustable shoulder pad. It also acts as a spacer for use with Element Technica Hybrid Bridgeplate or ARRI standard 15mm or 19mm studio bridgeplates, such as the ARRI BP-8 or BP-9. An optional Universal 15mm Lightweight Rod Bracket allows rods to extend behind the camera for mounting additional accessories. The unique design of the riser means that proper balance can be achieved both for tripod as well as shoulder-mounted use.

Other accessories shown in the video that are not part of the kit include Zacuto 15mm Rods, Vocas Handgrip Kit, AJA KiPro Mini, Zacuto Zwiss Plate, Anton Bauer QRC-Dual PT Battery Mount, and the Berkey F3 Top Mount Cheese Plate and F3 Extension Plate.

Compact Cine (aka Large Single Sensor) cameras like the AF100, PMW-F3, and the upcoming NXCAM FS100 all share one thing in common – they are small. This is great for tight situations, but many times we find the need to add an external recorder or on-board monitor to the camera. Not only does the camera grow in size when these accessories are added, but also the whole system requires more power. Many of our clients have been adding external battery solutions that power the camera, accessories, and also serve as counterbalance for their rig. Here are a few power solutions and mounting brackets that we’ve found for these cameras. Keep reading to learn more.

…continue reading Powering Your Compact Cine Camera

We’ve received a lot of great feed back from our NAB booth tour video, and one of the most inquired about items is our decked out Sony PMW-F3. Some of the new accessories we’re showcasing for the F3 include the new Element Technica 15mm lightweight baseplate that we helped design, as well as a heavy duty top handle that replaces the standard Sony handle. We were also fortunate enough to have the new S-Log 4:4:4RGB firmware that let us take advantage of the new Sony SR-R1 Memory Recorder, which records at 220Mbps or 440 Mbps.

Watch my video to see some of the great accessories we have available for the F3.

Matt Livingston, one our sales team members here in New York, had a hand in one of the new Zacuto products released at this year’s NAB. Matt works with many clients that use the Letus 35mm lens adapter systems. These are great systems, but one of the complaints that he often heard from clients was the inability to lock focus on the camera after setting it for the Letus. When setting up the Letus on a camera (without the use of a relay lens) you have to focus the camera’s lens to ground glass of the Letus. After setting the focus on the camera’s lens, operators need only adjust the 35mm lens to get proper focus. So the big problem comes in when the camera’s focus is accidentally bumped, sometimes without the operator even knowing it. Matt got this question a couple times and tried to build a solution with some existing Zacuto parts. This proved to be difficult, and every solution made it hard to adjust the focus at all. So Matt called up Zacuto’s Steve Weiss and asked for his opinion. Well Steve and the Zacuto team found a solution and designed the Z-Stop. The Z-Stop is a small carbon fiber piece that attaches to rods of the Letus support system. It is designed to be strong but pliable, so that it can hold the lens in place and still be bent back for adjustment. Check out a quick video of the Z-Stop over at the Zacuto site, and make sure to add the Z-Stop to your Letus system. Good job Zacuto and thanks to Matt for his help in making it happen. It may be called the Z-Stop, but we’ll always call it the ZLivingston.