Cheap rig for hg10

[elclanrs]

Hi, I've a Canon HG10 and I just bought a CAMs 35mm DOF adapter and a Canon EF 50mm 1.8f lens.
My cam feels pretty heavy now and I'm afraid of damaging the thread so I'm thinking of building a rig for better support.
I've a standard cheap tripod. What's the most important thing to get? I think rails are the key and from there just expand it when I have money.
I also need a lcd monitor to flip the image and a micro and shoulder support. What can I do with 400$? I know is not much but my equipment is not really that advanced...
I just film for passion, I'm not a professional.

[Jack Frost]

you will want an inexpensive monitor, go with the 619ah,
you can get it for $188. From www.coollcd.com

hooks up to your camera with hdmi cable.

p.s. - check www.dvxuser.com and www.cinema5d.com there are large groups of people using this monitor.

also get yourself this off of eBay :
The Giottos MH-1304 Pro Series II Mini Ballhead with MH-110C Camera Platform
you'll pay $19.95 for it on eBay, in retail packaging.

if you want the battery for the LCD monitor, CoolLCD.com sells that also. This battery is very nice because it screws to the back of the LCD
monitor for times when you aren't near a wall socket to power your LCD monitor with the AC adapter from a wall socket. This LCD monitor
also comes with a remote control and a cigarette lighter adapter so you can power it from a car, a boat, etc, or portable power box that has
a 12 volt socket.

Buy from where you wish, but prices differ.

One last thing - to hook up your LCD monitor to the hot shoe of your video camera, first establish if your hot shoe is a mini or regular hot shoe size
like the hV20, HV30, HV40. If so, then you can order a piece from another eBay vendor which works very well to hook your LCD and swivel ball head to
your actual camera via the hot shoe.

** that hot shoe adapter will only work with regular size hot shoes ! **

Henry-Digital ebay vendor:
Pro Type 1/4"-20 Tripod screw to Flash Hot Shoe Adapter
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120554347949&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

if you buy this from say B&H Photo, you'll pay about $30 for it, and no better.

so what this does is this - it slides into your hot shoe... you tighten it down with the bottom wheel.... then the upper part ( the thread of the screw ) goes into
your new ballhead mount.

http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/3285/camerapiece.png

[elclanrs]

Thx for the info! I tried coollcd.com but the web is down don't know why.
The giottos seems nice for the price.
I think the shoe mount is the same as the hv20 since the hg10 is the same cam but with harddisk instead of tape.

Do the lcd have a flip switch or something or do I need to put it upside down?

What about the rails? what do you recommend? Is it really necessary for my rig?


EDIT: Just tried the coollcd web again and it works!

[cornreaper]

Here's (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320469754768&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fshop.ebay.com%3A80%2Fi.html%3F_nkw %3D320469754768%26_in_kw%3D1%26_ex_kw%3D%26_sacat% 3DSee-All-Categories%26_okw%3D320469754768%26_oexkw%3D%26_ud lo%3D%26_udhi%3D%26_ftrt%3D901%26_ftrv%3D1%26_sabd lo%3D%26_sabdhi%3D%26_samilow%3D%26_samihi%3D%26_s adis%3D200%26_fpos%3DZip%2Bcode%26_fsct%3D%26LH_SA LE_CURRENCY%3D0%26_sop%3D12%26_dmd%3D1%26_ipg%3D50 %26_fvi%3D1&_rdc=1) a guy selling acrylic rail setups for $80 shipped. I'm eyeballing his DSLR rails myself....

[Jack Frost]

Not sure about the flip thing, and you don't need it.... the LCD monitor just turns around so you can see it.

here is a direct link to that monitor.
http://www.coollcd.com/619ah-7-inch-hdmi-tftlcd-vga-monitor-no-touchscreen-new_p634.html?zenid=85898b8bbc63a87eb4338971e4eea5 55

to get it for $188, you email them and say you want to go in on a group purchase, even though there is no group "sign up list" just tell the guy you heard about the pricing, as this is what everyone does and he doesn't turn anyone away. He knows of DVXUser.com and Cinema5D.com

As for rails, you can try the IGUS rail. For $158 or so, you get the rail ( amazing rail + the carriage ) which results in very very smooth footage. The rail for that price is 1000 mm long ( not sure what that is in feet ) a good 4 feet or so.

That rail is what many rail makers use that are buying from IGUS and then just re-selling it for many hundreds more.

There's a group on DVXuser, that you can check out, it has all the info
for the IGUS slider, including the 2 part numbers you need, and their phone number.

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=145701


1-888-803-1895
sales@igus.com

Here's the order:
WS-16-60 Drylin 'W' rail 1000mm
WW-16-60-10 Drylin 'W' carriage


you can read this blog on the Igus slider:
http://rebelvideo.blogspot.com/2010/02/diy-camera-slider-aka-zazaslider-or.html

IGUS is the company that manufactures the railing and the carriage ( the piece that slides long the rail )

[Jack Frost]

here's a guy in Germany showing the raw IGUS rail you get, and the carriage.... I went his way and did what he did.... works very well and didn't take long to drill the hole for the screw that goes into the bottom of my video camera.

http://www.friedhelm-fischer.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=83:camera-slider-tutorial-how-you-build-up-a-cam-slider&catid=40:top-headlines

direct link to the guy's video is here:

http://vimeo.com/9625381

[elclanrs]

The acrylic one looks great! I think that one suits me better than the IGUS one, it's cheaper and seems good enough for me.

So lets see...200+80+20+7 = 307$, not bad for a basic rig. I'm open to any other suggestions.

Do you think it's worth sending the cam to Jahu from jag35 to do the fliphack? It's almost 80$... Or is it better to just save that money for the lcd?

[Charter]

Here's (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320469754768&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fshop.ebay.com%3A80%2Fi.html%3F_nkw %3D320469754768%26_in_kw%3D1%26_ex_kw%3D%26_sacat% 3DSee-All-Categories%26_okw%3D320469754768%26_oexkw%3D%26_ud lo%3D%26_udhi%3D%26_ftrt%3D901%26_ftrv%3D1%26_sabd lo%3D%26_sabdhi%3D%26_samilow%3D%26_samihi%3D%26_s adis%3D200%26_fpos%3DZip%2Bcode%26_fsct%3D%26LH_SA LE_CURRENCY%3D0%26_sop%3D12%26_dmd%3D1%26_ipg%3D50 %26_fvi%3D1&_rdc=1) a guy selling acrylic rail setups for $80 shipped. I'm eyeballing his DSLR rails myself....

Buy that, and replace the rod with this (http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/60138759).
Might not fit 100% (cause these rods have 2 different kind of diameters) but it's VERY cheap and it's stainless steer.

[cornreaper]

Buy that, and replace the rod with this (http://www.ikea.com/ca/en/catalog/products/60138759).

Interesting option for a heavier setup with 35mm adapter and the works. Acrylic is pretty strong though, and he rates his DSLR rig to hold up to 5 kg. For me, I can't see my setup going over 2 kg. I believe he also offers a solid rod option (the default is hollow), which would probably double their load limit.

Heh, I said "solid rod".

[Charter]

The Ikea stuffs are not solid. Nonetheless it's stainless steel.