By site editor Dan Chung:
BIRTV 2012 – Movcam rigs for Sony FS700, Canon C300, KineRAW S35 and Red Epic from Dan Chung on Vimeo.
Movcam are one manufacturer who has done a lot to dispel the myth that all Chinese camera accessories are of poor quality. Their new 2012 line of camera supports seem well made and are highly customised to specific camera models – with plenty of bespoke parts. Earlier this year reputed US dealer Abel Cine started selling the Movcam line – a testament to their quality. Pricing is competitive with the Abel selling a Sony FS700 baseplate/cage/shoulder pad and top handle for $1244 US.
At BIRTV they showed all their latest models including their popular FS700 and C300 rigs. The attention to detail and uniqueness of some of the designs really impressed me. Moving from shoulder to tripod configuration with the FS700 rig was very quick and easy – something many rigs fail to do. The $645 US Canon C300 top handle uses multiple attachment points to the camera’s top plate – giving you not just a handle but an EVF mount and twin 15mm rod attachments.
As with many other manufacturers I do feel that some of the Movcam kits are slightly over engineered for run and gun work. They could be done better with slightly fewer parts – hence making the rig lighter. Hopefully Movcam will recognise this and bring out some more streamlined kits to go alongside their full cine ones.
Movcam are also the first manufacturer to make a dedicated support system for the upcoming Chinese KineRAW S35 camera. The baseplate and top handle will be offered direct from Kinefinity as part of an optional extended camera package. The KineRAW when fully rigged out starts to look like a serious cinema camera.
For more details on the Movcam range check out their website or Abel Cine.
Video shot by Shan Shan Wang and Sun Shaoguang.
