Best lens support (rails) for Twoneil DOF adapter

Have just received my achromat add-on for the Twoneil DOF adapter. It adds about 2 inches to the barrell of the adapter, which means that my adapter + 50mm lens is now officially longer than my HV30. It also means that, as Twoneil suggests on his website, it’s time to buy some lens support for when I use it with a tripod.

So the search begins again!  First I did an initial product search for a suitable lens support system for the twoneil and came up with a couple of options:

• Cavision 15mm rod support – approx US$159
• Manfrotto telephoto lens support – approx US$69
• indiRAIL Pro 18mm rod support -approx US$129

There is a lot of useful discussion on which of the above lens support systems is best over at hv20.com. It seems there is a general consensus that the Cavision support is working for most people, however the 12mm rails might be a bit too short for longer lenses. For people who want to play it safe, it seems the indiRAIL 18mm model is the way to go.

However, digging a little deeper I discovered a more customised HV30 + Twoneil lens support system out there called the Shrigg Rig which was developed in consultation with a hv20.com veteran called “Shrigg”.

The Shrigg Rig supports long and short lenses and holds the HV20/30 upside down to negate the need to flip in post production (doesn’t of course correct the viewfinder). This is also available through indiSYSTEMS at just $109, the downside being that the rods are only 12mm, which may be too short for those using something like a 70-200mm lens (interested in owners feedback on this point). There is some useful discussion on the Shrigg Rig at hv20.com.

indiSYSTEMS Shrigg Rigg

As for the much cheaper Manfrotto, it seems the main disadvantage is that it is made for still cameras and doesn’t really offer too much flexibility for hv30 owners wanting to pimp their rigs in the future with matte boxes and the like.

For me, it looks like the best way to go is the Shrigg Rig, mostly because it looks to be the product of a Hv20/30 love affair between manufacturer and consumer. It also will shave some time off my “flip” post production process by holding my dear Hv30 upside down while shooting.

If anyone has any impressions of the Shrigg Rig they’d like to share, or any other suggestions for lens support systems, leave a comment below. Happy shooting.

Manfrotto 560B Monopod First Impressions

The Manfrotto 560B. Ok so I did a bit of an about face with my tripod decision.  You know that point where you have looked through that many reviews of tripod heads and legs that you feel as if you actually might know less than you did prior to searching? I’m so there.

Manfrotto 560B (compacted)

Plus, I am booked to go on holiday, was tight on budget and looking for something light and relatively portable to take with me on a hike.  The heads and legs decision was driving me bonkers, just when I thought I’d reached a decision (the Manfrotto 190XBPRO with a 701RC2 head) more numbers and acronyms would jump on board, and when I started adding up the kit price, I discovered I was beginning to eat into my holiday budget.

Taking a different approach, I thought about what I really wanted to achieve short term with my video expedition. Number 1 was reducing shake and number 2 was achieving number 1 whilst remaining mobile. The Manfrotto 560B seemed to satisfy both demands.

Sure I can’t leave the manfrotto standing while I take a coffee break, and time lapse is out of the question, but I’m open to experimentation and new ways of filming.  I say if you don’t have the equipment (or the budget) to do terrific still shots, start learning how to do terrific moving shots. It’s evolution baby.

I looked at a number of very positive reviews of the Manfrotto 560B which listed as one of its main benefits: the ability to add significant stability without the need to lug around a bloody great big tripod setup. The price was also very reasonable; available here in Australia for under AU$200 compared to my dream tripod setup of more than AU$600.

So you know how that story goes…I have only just got it, hence why this is a first impressions post and not a full review. But here’s hoping that first impressions, in this case, last.

The immediate impression you get when unpacking the 560B is that it feels built to last. This is a hefty paperweight and everything feels very well put together, tough enough to take on extended use without worrying about bends or scratches (well maybe scratches…). 0.7kg feels a little weightier than I first thought it would be, but that’s still half the weight of pretty much every other set of legs out there and it includes the head and snap on camera plate.  The midget legs that pop out at the base don’t exactly scream unbreakable, but on the whole I was surprised at just how good this thing feels to heft in your hand.

The whole unit extends to 166cm and compacts down to about 60cm.

The clips snap into place easily and convincingly, and the little legs on the base are easily extended to give you extra support and access to panning. If you have not seen the 560B in action before, check out the video demo on vimeo (pictured below).

Manfrotto 560B Monopod Demo

The only issue I have with the little legs is that there is no way to snap them in/out other than lifting up the tripod and doing it one by one with your hands. It would be great, if a little unrealistic, to be able to snap the little legs out in one go, rather than do it one by one, then repeat the process when you are finished. Maybe I’m expecting too much…

The fluid ball joint at the bottom of the unit is very cool. You can rotate the whole “pod” around 360 degrees up to an angle of just shy of 45 degrees to the ground. Panning is a sinch, the unit has enough drag to make them very easy to do with a slight turning of the wrist. I had a pretty decent pan going after about 3 minutes of practice. The rubber grip up the top helps a lot and feels very reasuring in the hand (if such a thing is possible).

Manfrotto 560B (extended)

Unfortunately, I haven’t got any test footage yet because my twoneil DOF adapter is broken (see another story) but this week I will do my best to post some footage sans adapter. It won’t be as dramatic, as I think the HV30 already has pretty decent image stability.

I’ll be taking the 560B with me all around New Zealand and Melbourne for the next four weeks so after that I’ll do another post with more detailed impressions.

In the meantime, if anyone else out there has one of these babies, let me know and I’ll post your video instead!