Filmcity MB-600 Matte Box Upgrade

As promised a short video explaining what i have done to improve my Filmcity MB-600 matte box which came with my Filmcity FC-03 Rig.

Not the easiest DIY mod but for me defiantly worth doing as it is now rock solid and no longer has the fitment issues with the Canon 24-105L lens.

Basic requirements are:

A Filmcity MB-600 Matte box (obviously)
3mm Aluminium plate approx 150x150mm (6" x 6")
Some counter sunk bolts with nuts and washers to match
A jig saw with a metal cutting blade
Some Velcro to tidy the thing up
And a bit of time :)

Like i say its a bit fiddly but it was worth doing for me.

Hope you like this video and if you do click the like button and if you want to see more tips and mods like this press subscribe.

 :)

Yongnuo YN-300III Review

FeelWorld FW 759 Review

Filmcity FC 03, DSLR shoulder rig, 9 months on now with Gini upgrades

A quick update video on my rig configuration, although i have spent extra improving the original Filmcily FC-03 rig the end result is a super rig that far exceeds it's price tag.

Rig cost to date (excluding camera and lenses)...

Around £255
Rig:

• Filmcity FC-03                 -£118
• Shipping                           -£24
• Import TAX                     -£18
• Baseplate                          -£20
• Gini Cage Arms x3           -£52.50
• Aluminum Z Bracket        -£12
• 7" Magic Arm                   -£10.99

Extra's:

• FeelWorld FW759           -£85
• HDZ-81 mic                     -£12

The cage parts from the original rig are now being used to protect my camera in the new super low cost Camera Crane/Jib i have been working on.

Video to follow on that one :)

Enter the new kid on the block! FeelWorld FW759 Field Monitor

I've been using an old 7" low resolution monitor primarily for framing for a while now, i usually use a optical view finder but have found the larger external monitor really helpful, with that in mind I felt now is the time to upgrade.

My original monitors resolution was just 480 x 234 Pixels but the real killer was the low contrast ratio at just 100:1 so basically i needed to set the camera up on the LCD on the back of the camera before switching across to the field monitor which is a bit of a pain.

I looked into using my Android tablet and using dSLR Controller to act as a monitor but found the lag was just too great for me.
Pulling focus on a moving subject i found near on impossible as i over/under correcting all the time.  This may have been due to the cable or spec of the tablet but either way it just wasn't working for me.  The other issue was mounting, as they aren't threaded you need to rely on some kind of clamp which just was a bit weak.

Looking around there are a whole host of cheap'ish monitors on the market so choosing one wasn't easy!

It seems everyone has different opinions so it really comes down to which one has the spec i wanted and which looked nicest.

Enter the new kid on the block!!!  Well almost, its been ordered so stay tuned for a full video review soon!

Feelworld FW759 Seven Inches Slim Design Ultra HD IPS 1280x800 Field Monitor HDMI Input for BMPCC

DescriptionThis FW759 HD Minitor utilizes advanced IPS screen, with up to 7inches monitor allows you
to get the vivid and clear visual experience. Specific Slim Design 17mm wide view angle IPS 1280x800
Ultra HD Monitor for Steadycam,DSLR Rig,Camcorder Kit,Handheld Stabilizer,Video Camera Crane ,seizing
much more clear world. The high resolution LCD,1:1 pixel mapping and 800:1 contrast ratio provides users with
the most accurate picture of FEELWORLD monitors. Professional Peaking Focus Assist Application for full HD
Vedio Camera in taking photos and Making Movies.

Features: * Wide view angle IPS panel,Ultra HD1280x800 resolution
 * The enhanced 400cd/m2 backlight and 800:1 color contrast ratio
 * Slim design 17mm Portable Light compatible for Steadycam,DSLR Rig,Camcorder Kit,Handheld Stabilizer,Video Camera Crane
 * Peaking Focus Assist
 * Camera 5D II Mode
 * Check Field:(Red,Green,Blue,Mono)
 * Image Flip(U/D,L/R)
 * ScreenMarker (80%,85%,90%,93%,96%,2.35:1)
 * Centre Marker
 * 4:3&16:9 image adjustable
 * Pixel-to-Pixel
 * Image Freeze
Specification:
Model  FW759
Resolution  1280x800
Dot pitch 0.11775(H) x 0.11775(V)
Aspect ratio 16:10
Brightness 400cd/m²
Contrast 800:1
Backlight LED
Response time 25ms
Viewing Angle 89°/89°(L/R) 89°/89°(U/D)

GINI BODY ARM CLAMPS

After using my rig for a while in its new configuration I've decided to upgrade it again, this time by getting some CNC GINI BODY ARM CLAMPS.


I initially bought one like this hoping i could use it in place of the support arm.  As it was shaped i hoped it would attach and let my camera slide in and out without having to remove my lens or undo the support.

Unfortunately that wasn't the case as the i would not attach!
Unfortunately again the seller did not accept returns so i couldn't send it back so i was a little unsure of what to do next.

I then purchased two of these below.  The plan now is to remove and replace the entire Filmcity Cage unit with the Gini parts.

"The Body Arms main functionality is to protect your DSLR while creating a support system for 15mm rails. Body Arms are CNC machined from high grade aluminum and anodized in black for durability." said the advert...

Although this has increased the cost of my rig i do think it will enhance it considerably.

Video to follow.

A quick video to show what i have done to my Filmcity FC03 shoulder rig.

More by accident than design i have stumbled across a method to increase the strength of the cheap ebay shoulder rig FC03.

How to attach a Canon 50mm F1.8 (Nifty Fifty) to a follow focus using standard focus gears.

A quick video on how to attach focus gears to Canon's plastic fantastic 50mm f1.8 lens AKA Nifty Fifty and also how to use it with a matte box and a little bit about why you need to cover the back of the matte box.

It's all basic stuff and about a easy as it gets but if your new to filmmaking or your budget is really tight you need as much help and advice as you can get.

Recorded on a Canon 700D.

Yougnuo YN-600L light panel quick review

A quick review of my new Yougnuo YN-600L light panel.

In a nutshell... Super bright and built well. Just don't have it directly in-front of your talent!

Filmcity FC-03 - Cheap Ebay DSLR Shoulder Cage Rig with MB-600 Matte Box + X1 follow focus review

A quick run down on my new Filmcity DSLR shoulder rig.

After much deliberation over either the Filmcity FC57-N or the FC-03 Cage rig i opted for the FC-03.

Basically it's the same as the FC-02 but includes a X1 follow focus. In an ideal world i'd have bought the Camtree Kit-201 as it is very similar but has all metal construction, it also has a price tag to match and was outside of my budget so i opted for this little unit.

The video shows a quick build plus my first impressions and a good shake to test it out!

Purchased from ebay it took just 4 days to get to the UK from india.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/37106842738...

A great little rig with some great features with the X1 follow focus being really very good, it's not roses as there are a few things worth knowing, no spoilers here so you'll have to watch the video to find them out!

Shot on a Canon 700D.