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.

 :)

Tips and Tricks to improve your DSLR Rig.

The handles are often see as weak or poor on some DSLR rigs but its not always the handles that are at fault!

 If you've got a Cheap dslr rig watch this before you spend a packet on upgrades... you really can't afford too.

 It's not Filmcity specific but more budget rig in general.

Genuinely less than £1 will transform your rig! honest!

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 :)

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.