In a previous blog I talk about the benefits of my new monitor, the Viltrox DC-50. The one thing which I discovered in my research, is that there are only a few ways to attach your monitor to your camera or rig.
The traditional way is to use a magic arm, which is what I used to use for a long time. However, they are quite flimsy, unless you buy one for an excessive amount of money. The way I’ve attached it to my tripod is using a clamp with a magic arm. This becomes loose over time and you’re continuously fighting with it.
I thought a hotshot ball head attachment would be the answer, but this proved to be almost as useless as it kept coming undone. In the middle of a crucial shot, the monitor flipped down and smacked into the camera. Owch!
For lots of my run and gun shoots, I don’t have the time to rig up a cage; sometimes I’ve just got to get the shot quickly. Also, I need to be able to transport things and while I would love a cage, it’s something I just can’t invest in right now. One thing about them though, is that they do allow you to easily attach monitors and EVF holders, as they use the traditional 15mm rod system, as on most rigs.
I came across one or two such holders and found them all to be in excess of £200; even the edelkrone one (which does look very promising) was £100. Then I came across this video blog by DSLR Video Shooter:
While his set up does use a cage rig, it got me thinking about what I could use. The monitor isn’t heavy, so the hotshoe would easily cope with the weight. After going around on Amazon, and using the above video as a guide, I bought a 15mm single rod connector, two 6 inch 15mm rods, a 1/4 inch hotshoe mount adapter, and a rod mount evf mount as you can see below. For £37, this seemes like it will do exactly the same job as much more expensive models.
I’m not just limited to attaching it to the hotshoe. This can be attached to any rig with 15mm rods, and to any 1/4 mount. This is a much more stable way of attaching your the monitor, with almost zero risk of it suddenly collapsing on you at the crucial moment of filming.
I’ve now got so much more flexibility than I had before in terms of shots, as any DSLR without an articulating screen is such a pain to film with if you’re not at eye level with it.
You can find the items I mentioned above on eBay and Amazon.