In my seemingly eternal hunt for the perfect rig, a post by Mark Bone regarding the best placement and angle for a screen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyNUrnVf5SU got me agreeing and ordering something (not what he recommended, but close).
I went with the Smallrig 11” rosette arm, a multi angle arm that can mount on an ARRI point, then allow articulation of a screen to almost any angle. It was bulkier than the one MB uses, but it was available to me and cheap enough to try out.
Complete now with the Nisi Pl-L mount that was given a lead time of 2-3 weeks, then turned into 2 days…… seems I am blessed with this whole process. The adapter cost about as much as I saved on the lens, so free mount I guess.
Still working on perfect angles and placement or even a useful application of the arm for that matter, trying to put this accessory to best use, but giving up on it for a while and rigging normally, I tried an idea from another image I noticed while shopping for the arm, which was to mount it as a handle.
The screen is in the usual spot, front of a handle, but unlike the normal, it is lower and tighter and I have options.
Capable of 3kg capacity, it handles this comfortably.
From here it is no great ordeal to swing it either side, backwards or forwards. The main locking clamp first releases the two heads (the BMVA drops, so be careful), then the rosette is released allowing for major angle changes. The main advantage for a solo shooter is to have a static camera with the screen and go button as close as possible.
Even if I use the lowest sitting of my monitor mounts, I cannot get much lower than this and they basically just adjust screen angle.
From here I can articulate the arm pretty much anywhere I might need, but what I have found more useful is the ability to activate and reactivate the recorder (BMVA screen) with my thumb.
I finally have a right hand actuation option, that allows my left hand to focus etc without having to leave the lens to turn the whole thing on or off.
Easy peasy. I actually did it automatically while testing the lens.
It’s not the most comfortable handle (nor the worst), but it is the most useful and makes the S5 and cage a good core rig for my movement or static B-rig.
I may even add one to my big GH5s rig, because every other option I have tried has been either too bulky or too limiting and severely limiting my packing options. This will retain the low profile while adding a handle to help pack and un-pack it.
The big rig would even leave me with the option of a second handle using an existing Nato rail mount (very low profile until needed), so I could hand hold and use the screen off angle.