Love Josh Yeo his video about setting up the sony A7iii in camera settings was the only resource that I felt like I could trust at a time I had no idea about dslr video and photography.
Some great tips there, thanks, trying to get some more time out of my A7 iii with some external battery going. Looking for an upgrade Ideal world FX3 but will more than likely the A7s iii, not sure about fx30, what do you think Gerald?
since both sony a 7 ii and a 7 iii have pretty identical bodies, can you use this cage for both? The thing is, I still use my sony a 7 ii and I'm not really happy with design of the cages for this particular model
I love this. The only thing I would change is instead of the friction arms chosen here, consider the smallrig 2072 nato double ballheads arm. The primary advantage is that no matter what angle you use, it will never twist and loosen at the base attachment point. I’ve often been frustrated if I need to turn my monitor or other accessory counterclockwise and unintentionally also loosen the friction arm where it’s mounted to the cage. Low profile nato rails (2172) on everything gives you a bulletproof mounting solution that doesn’t fail in the field after several hours. Great video Gerald!
Thanks Ramon. You find that the rail stays attached to the recorder without spinning as well? It only has the one hole, so I figured the safety rail would turn in the recorder. Unless you put the monitor in a cage, obviously. But this is a good tip, thanks!
Gerald Undone yes, I feel with the low profile nato rail, it stays put rather well. This issue has always driven me crazy, so this current conclusion comes after trying out about a dozen alternatives 😊😊
Nice and informative video as usual, Gerald. I used the Meike battery grip extender on the Sony A7III for a Milky Way timelapse; I didn't hear the alarm and wake up to bring in the camera after 2.5 hours as planned. When I awoke, the camera had been taking 20 second exposures with a 2 second interval for over 7.5 hours! The second battery still had 56% remaining. Incredible!
@@geraldundone - The 12 AM - 2 AM were not very exciting aside from satellites and other flying machines. The timelapse from 2-4:30 AM was pretty neat. Milky way came into center of frame, then everything was blown out after 4:30. My only problem is, I'm a rookie in Lightroom/Photoshop. Someone that knew what they were doing would make it look beautiful I'm sure. I made a video of it have yet to post it because I was going to have a contest and give a $50 Amazon card to the winner of who made it look the best. Then I found out there are so many rules and laws it may not be worth it. Maybe I'll edit out the contest part/post it and then leave a link to the photos and hope someone wants do their magic. The hard part is, it's gets lighter over the timelapse, so I guess you have to process groups/sequences. Love your work and your channel! If you can just add to your intro "people say" he's crazy...
Just want to mention that you're the first person I've ever come across on the internet that has had the same problem with the GH5 dummy adapters having the cable breaking because it didn't line up with the freaking hole. I bought 4 different ones untill I found a dummy that actually did the trick for me and worked fine with my LanParte batteryplate. Anyways, great video as always! Oh and on a side-note, I always attach my Ninja V to my rig with a Smallrig 2100 Monitor Holder, I find it way more reliable and faster to adjust than losening an entire arm.
This video was shot on the GH5. I have videos on all these topics. I suggest you look through my videos. Here's a good one for this though: ruclips.net/video/2ZETMw53hi4/видео.html
late to the game on this one; I love your stuff man and always go to your channel 1st on the Sony alpha gear. I have a 6300/6400/6500/A7III and RX100MV....kinda a Sony Fanboy since living in Japan for 5 years. You really hit the wickets on this stuff. I am getting ready to start may year long series of a6400 shooting for amateurs. I have a small production business that does local business support, that is where your gear and experience really helps! Thanks Gerald!
Sweet build! I love seeing how other set their rigs up so I can steal your ideas for my own! For those not ready to put money into V-mount, here's an alternative all-day powering system. All parts cost $200 on Amazon + monitor w/ power DC-out if you want a monitor as well. I used dual NPF -> v-mount plate by Neewer that has a single D-TAP out. I use a D-TAP to NPF dummy battery powering my SmallHD FOCUS monitor, which subsequently powers my GH5s. I pair this rig with a Nikon 24-70 zoom and MBSB XL and have a pretty nice stabilized mass for handheld work and can shoot an entire wedding with 2 NP-970 batteries. It's all mounted using various Smallrig parts, rails, plates, etc to the camera. If you don't want to have a monitor, or prefer a more minimal setup, there's a slick NPF plate by Ansso (~$38 on Amazon) that dslvideoshooter used on a recent build that provides two power outs from an NPF battery. So it could power your monitor and camera at the same time, and you would be switching out cheaper NPF batteries rather than v-mounts.
Thanks, dude! I put that alternate holder in the description which has a quick release, but I haven't tested it. I suppose it wouldn't help much if I have all that stuff screwed and velcro'd on anyway. Now a QR system to take the camera out of the cage completely would be pretty sweet. You ever see anything like that?
@@geraldundone tried that, unfortunately most QRs are too bulky to fit inside the small rig, you would have to change to a universal cage that has a high gap between the camera and top of the cage, if u figure this out let me know
Hi, could you please help me decide. If I shoot mostly video but sometimes I want to do a little bit of photography, would it be better to have one SONY A7s3 and one SONY A7R4? Or would it be better to just have SONY A1?
that's really cool setup. thank you ! the only downside i see.. is the build time on location. beside the camera in the cage that can go inside my camera bag the rest of the stuff need to be put together.. so many times when i go to work i have few minutes to get ready
Thank you! I generally do all the rigging the night before a shoot and bring it to the shoot already setup. I wouldn't fly like that, but I'm okay with driving like that.
Hey Gerald - again, thank you for another amazing guide! Quick question - I generally shoot at home, I have a whole tethered setup. I'm concerned about keeping it plugged in all the time - which I've been doing. Is it ok on the a7iii or does the battery automatically go into a trickle mode when the battery is full?
Very helpful guide for me. Thanks a lot. However, do you mind if I ask you to show us using a NPF type battery, not a v-mount battery? Because I want to set up as simple as I can. Thanks.
What SSD are you using to record your weddings and events on the Atomos? I’ve ordered mine and would probably get the WD Blue 1TB SSD. What’s the largest memory capacity SSD does the Atomos take?
Hi, is it possible to attach a tilta follow focus control to the side of the rig , I've seen similar setups here and there. Would like to know as I'm gradually setting up my rig with the sony a7iii. Thanks man a lot of your videos have been of great help.
Is there a certain routine to power your camera with you. Should you power the external battery then power camera on in that order if you are using a dummy battery?
Can you connect the battery with d-tap directly to a dummy battery? Will the dummy battery convert the 12v from the big battery to a 7volt for the dummy battery? By the way I use a canon m50
i can see your halo........ lol i don't use A7III but i love your videos , i will share it to my friend who jus bought aA7III. I jus love your set up and work space.
I am at a loss. I have a rig around a v mount Shape D-Box power disruption plate. But I getting a TON of noise in my audio make it completely unusable. Here’s my set up: A Black Magic Video Assist 12g powered using the d tap. A Sony A7iii through a dummy battery to the 8v connector. And, a Sound devices Mix Pre 3 through the usb connection. I’m thinking this is a ground loop issue... but I have no idea. I’m super disappointed with the noise and not being able to use the d Box as advertised. Any advice?
It may be more convenient to connect every thing to the plate but I've had some issues with the battery moving just slightly and my entire setup up shutting off. It may be that I have a faulty plate but it's something to think about. I fixed that issue by connecting the most important pieces (Camera and Monitor) directly to the battery. Id much rather have my light shut off during a shot than my camera. Besides that this setup is amazing. Geralds List will have you shooting for daaaayyys. Thanks Gerald!
Btw way, I bought the indipro battery plate with the sony npz100 dummy battery attached, and I think Gerald was right to recommend the universal plate. When is hooked everything up to the battery, the unused dummy battery just got in the way.
Thank you! I didn't have that issue with the battery being able to move enough. Mine is locked in there pretty tightly. But thanks for sharing your experiences. Good notes. Cheers!
Wanted to throw something like this together so i can dabble in a bit of video without burning through batteries. Bless you sir. Now i have a 1 stop reference for every paycheck for a bit rofl.
Hi, I saw some forums saying V mount dummy battery should connect to a 8v or lower to a sony A6500,instead of 12v or 14.8v, or else it would fry the camera. I am a Sony A6500 user, is this true? Thanks!
10:16 ... Can you actually Over-Power a camera? I thought you could only under-power them, wich may cause damage? Are you sure it's not a regulator for plus and minus? We hade cheap D-Tap cables for our Fs5 and C200, where you could, with ease, connect the D-tap side the wrong way, shorting both our cameras DC-inlets.. :(
I'm not 100% sure. I do know that v-mount batteries are rated much higher in voltage and current than the cameras battery slot, but perhaps it's to prevent under-powering. I'd have to check on that.
@@geraldundone I spoke to a gaffer and he told me "cameras/laptops usually take the power it needs.. If you have more then it needs, it doesn't matter.. But if you don't have enough power, it's gonna struggle, get hot and take damage.". I've 'destroyed' some powerbanks by charging them with old and week 500mA iPhone chargers. Maybee Camera Conspirecies can help us, he's sooo into tech!
Very nice video, thanks. Building up my XT3 rig now and there are so many ways you can approach a build, it's very interesting to see detailed breakdowns of those already in use. I've been using V-mounts with Sony rigs on other shoots, so I've become used to that all-day, one-battery idea and really like it. I have a quick question which may also help other Fuji shooters! Re. Power Deliver via USB-C for Fuji X-T3, you touched on perhaps still needing the dummy battery as the Amp output might not be high enough from the USB on the V-mount or the D-Tap adapter. Just researching this, I see Fuji's own recommended power delivery (not just charge) is from Anker batteries, which have the following outputs: Quick Charge 3.0 Output: 5-8V ⎓ 3A / 8-10V ⎓ 2.4A / 10-12V ⎓ 2A Standard Output 5V ⎓ 2A As I think the delivery comes from the standard output on the Anker, would this suggest it's possible to power via USB-C from the D-Tap, keeping a battery in the camera as you have here in the Sony? Cheers as always, sooooo much useful stuff here with no rambling or waffle! That is a rare thing!
Thanks, James! Yeah, PD is an option for Fuji. I have another video on this topic using an Anker PowerCore. And SmallRig actually has a grip (or will have one soon) for mounting a Power Bank to your cage.
Take some 3m picturing hanging sticky tape place it under camera and monitor and they will not turn. Allow you to put LESS pressure on that screw in your camera!
Can you also just get a v mount battery that has a d tap output on the battery and get the cheaper smallrig v mount adapter plate? I guess that one is not made for rod support though so you would need a rod adapter to attach the plate to the rods. Great video btw!
@@WeddingDocumentary It's just the USB cable that comes with the Sony. If you get the battery I recommended it has a USB port on it and you can just connect that to the Sony using the cable that came in your Sony box. Otherwise you can get an adapter for batteries with no USB ports: bhpho.to/2PWEL1D
Love it, man! I basically built this exact same rig for the a7iii in January, only I opted for clipping a zoom h6 to the side to get phantom power for multiple mics. I also regretfully went for the wooden camera's dummy battery plate, and I've had nothing but problems with the dummy battery. First it was working fine, but then it turns out they had an underrated MOSFET that eventually popped on the plate. Then I sent it in and they replaced it with a newer dummy battery, but the camera now rejects the battery, and actually reset it to factory defaults. I've had a great experience with their dummy batts in the past for the a7ii. I'm temped to try to replace it again, but now (after watching this) I'm inclined to just remove the dummy chip from the plate (it would be easy), and use the batt's usb to keep the camera juiced for longer. Have you ever encounter a dummy battery reseting the camera or just outright rejecting it? I have a feeling that they may have just popped in one designed for the a9 because it uses the same battery type, and that is triggering the check/reset, but not sure... Figured I would get your thoughts before I void the warranty. 😁 Sorry for the long post. Here's a potato 🥔
Thanks, Jan! I haven't experience that myself. Most of my issues were with cheap cables. But the USB is definitely a viable option. I'd probably just do that.
I also have some concerns about the top handle mounted to the cage and having to support the weight of the v mount battery and the rest of the kit. In essence it's just those two Allen nuts holding all that weight via the threads in the cage. Maybe I'm paranoid but I'd love to hear your well informed thoughts on this.
I did some stress tests. I'm able to carry around my entire rig AND the tripod it's attached to by that top handle. One screw can be concerning, but two screws is usually pretty hard to fault. I'd say you'd be well into the hundreds of pounds to break that handle free.
@@geraldundone oh wow! Thanks a ton! That's reassuring! I guess u just need to play seeing with my rig:s CoG then and I'll put in the to handle. So much more convenient.
Hello, I'm following you from Iraq. I have a question for you. I have $ 900. I want to buy a camcorder for the filming in terms of isolation. It is sharp and beautiful.
Also I wanted to know your take on the potential hazards of charging and/or powering a camera via USB vs dummy batteries/9v adapters (aka Fuji x-t2 battery grip). Theoria Apophasis strongly recommends against powering/charging via USB.
I actually happened to catch that video where he talks about the USB thing and I think the concerns are completely unfounded and aren't well supported in that video. Most modern lithium batteries can take a hell of a beating and will last you an acceptable amount of time. And I USB charge and operate all my batteries on USB power (which is manufacturer approved) and have never noticed a single drop in longevity or camera concerns. It's probably some minimal thing where using it perfectly gets you 3 years on the battery, and using it rougher with USB powering, etc. gets you 2 years 10 months. At the end of the day, same with phones, you should use it in a way that best supports your workflow and replace batteries as necessary.
@@geraldundone Excellent! And of course I respect him as I respect every other creator in this niche on YT, but perhaps you could consider testing those claims. Either way thank you so much for taking the time to respond. You're amazing!
Hello Gerald, I know this is an old video but I have a concern about powering my A7iii & Ninja V on the same V-mount battery. I people I have talked to says that it is dangerous and I could fry my camera. There have been reports of this happening including the HDMI port being fried. What precautions do I need to consider?
It's in the recording, you can't really hear it unless you put headphones on when shooting. It does emanate outside the camera, it's from the electronics within.
With regard to heat flow with or without lcd screen touching camera.... the lcd screen temp I’m sure is hotter and generates more heat flow into the camera if the lcd is touching. So not touching is better because heat flow can come out of camera, and cables might add just a small amount of insulating effect. The heat flow will just go around the cables to get out of the camera.
I love the new format for this video! But it does beg the question, WHY DON'T YOU SEND ME ANYTHING??!! (LOL, tots jk, love it!). Did he build the Flux Capacitor?? I love SmallRig!! I use them for everything! (I'm live commenting btw) Good idea, monitor w large batteries often just spins down :( This is a great video! I love the assembalee vids, it's like a camera chop shop. Does this mean you will add a matte box? AND make an entirely new ND video? Or filters? LoCon to increase dynamic range? Hollywood BlackMagic? (Can O' Worms) Active side handle LANC/USB-C? That hum! Police light in place, ready for the next episode of COPS. That's a great idea! Aim the microphone where you need it! Silent Velcro? Also BongoTies. That is a heavy rig, no need for a gimbal. Do the puppy POV shot! I like the ATeam montage music. Some Vmount chargers work best if you only charge one Vmount battery at a time, even though you can connect two (Looking at you RED! Not that your setup called for this, just annoying). Still want to see that low shot; I could watch a whole video of just low shots. Yep, Shoulder Pad 15mm rod piece and VCT quick release are good options, or a neck pillow... Well this comment was too long :[] I should probably delete it later :/
Will this battery mod work with my Nikon "Z" camera? i was looking at doing this but I'm not certain if that battery will overpower my "Z" camera and didn't want to take the chance I have seen those Dummy batteries on Amazon for my nikon "Z" Great Video Thanks
In theory, a quality dummy battery should do the trick, yeah. The USB option is a no go for the Nikon Z, because they require that specific Nikon cable, but if you can find a decent Nikon Z battery to D-Tap you should be good.
If you have a a6500 or a camera with small capacity batteries , and you power the camera battery over usb from the Indie large battery, then you could still possibly drain the camera battery and the camera would shutoff? Depends on your camera duration and also if you are recording internal or not. But I don’t know what the actual duration would be before camera shut off. Why not just power camera through a dummy battery and not worry about it? ( for cameras with small capacity batteries. A6500 has 1500 mamp hrs. Not sure what the battery drain is compared to the supply from large battery)
Discovered your channel about 1 month ago and it’s by far the most useful to learn tech and gear related things about videography! Thanks so much dude! BTW, is it possible to build it with longer rails at the bottom to attach a focus pull system to it? :)
AWESOME video! Just was I was looking for...I was wondering if this cage would work with my A7sii & its battery grip. The answer is no, but after a quick Amazon search, I found another, by the same company, that will work.
Hi Gerald. I was wondering if you could answer this question for me. I'm building my first rig for my A7SIII with the idea in mind to power it from a V-mount battery since you can now power it via USB and have a minimal native battery power loss. However, I have two issues of concern. 1 - I've heard horror stories about frying your HDMI port when powering both the external monitor and camera at the same time from the same V-Mount battery. And 2 - I'm sure of the best way of powering from USB directly from the v-mount battery USB port or the port on the battery plate. Either way, I'm scared because I don't see how either power's down to the 8.4 volts (or 7.1 or whatever it is) to power the camera safely. I realize you mentioned USB power delivery in this video, but I didn't see an explanation of exactly how to connect it or what type of USB-C cable. I do know that if using a D-Tap to power the monitor, a regulator is suggested but I don't know how a regulator would work with USB if needed at all. I'm using the Maxoak 175 V-mount battery and the Tilta V-Mount Battery Baseplate TA-BSP2-V-G. Any ideas? Oh and next intro suggestion -:::- "I'm Gerald Undone, and I approve this message".
Did you ever find out an answer to this? I'm building a rig myself and I've heard the same stories - a friend of mine fried his HDMI port as he thinks he made a ground loop (he ran a D-Tap to Dummy Battery and then 12V to Ninja V, always worked fine for him until one day it didn't). Keen to hear what your resolution was if you found one!
@@josephgmediagot no answer so I dummy battery to camera and dtap to monitor. I think 12v power source is the problem. It should be no more than 8v but I'm guessing. With me so far so good.
@@TonyTone1000 The ninja accepts an input voltage of 6.2V - 16.8V and operates at 5.8 - 7.2 so I don’t think running 12V would be an issue. Tricky to find a good answer to power both though!
![Blox Fruits Dragon Rework Update [Full Stream]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EqDAp8udhm0/mqdefault.jpg)
The rig building guide starts at 2:24, but the awesomeness starts at 0:00. 👌
Thanks for watching! I love you 3000. 😃🙏
Awesome video!
Next time: I'll not speak any random shit
But I wanted to see his contraption. lol
........wait wait wait... you mean you didn't want an LED Jet Pack for the A7III?
MAKE. ART. NOW. Josh you gotta do this more often , you guys rock
I don't have a permit for that!
This right here, is the future of RUclips collaborative projects!
Josh, would love to see you make a video like this building a rig for the BMPCC4K!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Love Josh Yeo his video about setting up the sony A7iii in camera settings was the only resource that I felt like I could trust at a time I had no idea about dslr video and photography.
Everybody tells you use this and use that. Finally a video that shows you the what's what and the actual setup process.
Some great tips there, thanks, trying to get some more time out of my A7 iii with some external battery going. Looking for an upgrade Ideal world FX3 but will more than likely the A7s iii, not sure about fx30, what do you think Gerald?
I'm a huuuuuuuge fan of your videos and the lot of effort you put to make it more informative and yet simple .. thanks bro for this detailed video.
Thank you very much. Appreciate that. Cheers! 😃🙏
Strap hole securing method, mind blown/game changer.
So cool! Great job with the build Gerald!
Thanks, man! 😃 Like the new profile pic, by the way.
Love you man. Probably the 3 times I've seen this. I know it's old. Let see your updated rig.
Your channel is helping me so much to transition from stills photographer to making videos
Incredible video - entertaining and ridiculously jam packed with details. Great job.
Thank you very much!
since both sony a 7 ii and a 7 iii have pretty identical bodies, can you use this cage for both? The thing is, I still use my sony a 7 ii and I'm not really happy with design of the cages for this particular model
I love this. The only thing I would change is instead of the friction arms chosen here, consider the smallrig 2072 nato double ballheads arm. The primary advantage is that no matter what angle you use, it will never twist and loosen at the base attachment point. I’ve often been frustrated if I need to turn my monitor or other accessory counterclockwise and unintentionally also loosen the friction arm where it’s mounted to the cage. Low profile nato rails (2172) on everything gives you a bulletproof mounting solution that doesn’t fail in the field after several hours. Great video Gerald!
Thanks Ramon. You find that the rail stays attached to the recorder without spinning as well? It only has the one hole, so I figured the safety rail would turn in the recorder. Unless you put the monitor in a cage, obviously. But this is a good tip, thanks!
Gerald Undone yes, I feel with the low profile nato rail, it stays put rather well. This issue has always driven me crazy, so this current conclusion comes after trying out about a dozen alternatives 😊😊
love these two, my favorite channels on youtube
About how much is this rig would you say? Not including the camera and lens
Nice and informative video as usual, Gerald. I used the Meike battery grip extender on the Sony A7III for a Milky Way timelapse; I didn't hear the alarm and wake up to bring in the camera after 2.5 hours as planned. When I awoke, the camera had been taking 20 second exposures with a 2 second interval for over 7.5 hours! The second battery still had 56% remaining. Incredible!
Haha. Nice! Catch anything good in that time you weren't expecting?
@@geraldundone - The 12 AM - 2 AM were not very exciting aside from satellites and other flying machines. The timelapse from 2-4:30 AM was pretty neat. Milky way came into center of frame, then everything was blown out after 4:30. My only problem is, I'm a rookie in Lightroom/Photoshop. Someone that knew what they were doing would make it look beautiful I'm sure. I made a video of it have yet to post it because I was going to have a contest and give a $50 Amazon card to the winner of who made it look the best. Then I found out there are so many rules and laws it may not be worth it. Maybe I'll edit out the contest part/post it and then leave a link to the photos and hope someone wants do their magic. The hard part is, it's gets lighter over the timelapse, so I guess you have to process groups/sequences. Love your work and your channel! If you can just add to your intro "people say" he's crazy...
yeah! Love Josh! LOL (you too Gerald) And NEVER KNEW ABOUT THAT SMALL TRICK TO STOP THE CAMERA FROM WIGGLING!! THANK YOU!!!!
Its on many cages and l-brackets they started doing that a few years ago with the a6xxx cages.. best small update ever :)
Just want to mention that you're the first person I've ever come across on the internet that has had the same problem with the GH5 dummy adapters having the cable breaking because it didn't line up with the freaking hole. I bought 4 different ones untill I found a dummy that actually did the trick for me and worked fine with my LanParte batteryplate. Anyways, great video as always!
Oh and on a side-note, I always attach my Ninja V to my rig with a Smallrig 2100 Monitor Holder, I find it way more reliable and faster to adjust than losening an entire arm.
Agh! So they got you too, eh? Well, thanks for sharing and commiserating with me. I don't think I'll every buy a discount version again.
I love that you guys keep teaming up for these videos. Ultimate team!
Thanks, Jacob! I like it too.
Which camera and lens do you shoot yourself? Can you talk about the microphone and the light systems you use?
This video was shot on the GH5. I have videos on all these topics. I suggest you look through my videos.
Here's a good one for this though: ruclips.net/video/2ZETMw53hi4/видео.html
Great video, very practical and entertaining, thank you. How did you connect the Ninja V to the battery? What lead did you use please?
MY TWO FAVORITE CAMERA NERDS!!! 🤓📸 Awesome video!
late to the game on this one; I love your stuff man and always go to your channel 1st on the Sony alpha gear. I have a 6300/6400/6500/A7III and RX100MV....kinda a Sony Fanboy since living in Japan for 5 years. You really hit the wickets on this stuff. I am getting ready to start may year long series of a6400 shooting for amateurs. I have a small production business that does local business support, that is where your gear and experience really helps! Thanks Gerald!
Thanks for the kind words. I'm happy to hear that this content is helpful. Cheers!
Love those awesome collabs, Gerald!
Thanks, Oren! Cheers!
Sweet build! I love seeing how other set their rigs up so I can steal your ideas for my own!
For those not ready to put money into V-mount, here's an alternative all-day powering system. All parts cost $200 on Amazon + monitor w/ power DC-out if you want a monitor as well. I used dual NPF -> v-mount plate by Neewer that has a single D-TAP out. I use a D-TAP to NPF dummy battery powering my SmallHD FOCUS monitor, which subsequently powers my GH5s. I pair this rig with a Nikon 24-70 zoom and MBSB XL and have a pretty nice stabilized mass for handheld work and can shoot an entire wedding with 2 NP-970 batteries. It's all mounted using various Smallrig parts, rails, plates, etc to the camera.
If you don't want to have a monitor, or prefer a more minimal setup, there's a slick NPF plate by Ansso (~$38 on Amazon) that dslvideoshooter used on a recent build that provides two power outs from an NPF battery. So it could power your monitor and camera at the same time, and you would be switching out cheaper NPF batteries rather than v-mounts.
Two favorite You Tubers that know their shit at it again.
Question: Is it safe to use the USB charging method for longer shoots? And what kind of USB cables should i use?
Looks amazing. Very informative. Wanted to know how this works with a gimble. Thanks!
Niiiice, a collab with Josh Yeo! My two favorite
Yeah! He's a favourite of mine too!
Thanks, Gerald! How do you attach the full rig to a tripod. (Complete newbie to this sort of thing, so feel free to answer like I'm 5.) Thanks!
Thanks for this helpful video. A question do you have a recommendation for a rain cover for the completed rig?
Hi Gerald with this set up does your mic pick up the ninja v fan noise?
Whoa. That had to have taken forever to make, haha. That so so neat and I loved the skits at the start! Great job, dude!
Thank you very much, kind sir!
Sick setup man! Thoughts on added a quick release between the cage and the rest of the rig?
Thanks, dude! I put that alternate holder in the description which has a quick release, but I haven't tested it. I suppose it wouldn't help much if I have all that stuff screwed and velcro'd on anyway. Now a QR system to take the camera out of the cage completely would be pretty sweet. You ever see anything like that?
@@geraldundone tried that, unfortunately most QRs are too bulky to fit inside the small rig, you would have to change to a universal cage that has a high gap between the camera and top of the cage, if u figure this out let me know
Hi, could you please help me decide. If I shoot mostly video but sometimes I want to do a little bit of photography, would it be better to have one SONY A7s3 and one SONY A7R4? Or would it be better to just have SONY A1?
Does the battery plate stand vertically so that gives some extra room to see the lcd screen, or which is better : vertical or flat?
Thnks for the video like always 👍🏼 question: I have jib (crane) IFOOTAGE but how can I install v mount on a jib to the camera?
that's really cool setup.
thank you !
the only downside i see..
is the build time on location.
beside the camera in the cage that can go inside my camera bag
the rest of the stuff need to be put together..
so many times when i go to work i have few minutes to get ready
Thank you! I generally do all the rigging the night before a shoot and bring it to the shoot already setup. I wouldn't fly like that, but I'm okay with driving like that.
Andoer D-Tap battery coupler, is it good??
Hey Gerald - again, thank you for another amazing guide!
Quick question - I generally shoot at home, I have a whole tethered setup.
I'm concerned about keeping it plugged in all the time - which I've been doing.
Is it ok on the a7iii or does the battery automatically go into a trickle mode when the battery is full?
Very helpful guide for me. Thanks a lot. However, do you mind if I ask you to show us using a NPF type battery, not a v-mount battery? Because I want to set up as simple as I can. Thanks.
Thanks for the suggestion and the kind words.
What SSD are you using to record your weddings and events on the Atomos? I’ve ordered mine and would probably get the WD Blue 1TB SSD. What’s the largest memory capacity SSD does the Atomos take?
4:20 - mind blown. thank you!
Hi, is it possible to attach a tilta follow focus control to the side of the rig , I've seen similar setups here and there. Would like to know as I'm gradually setting up my rig with the sony a7iii.
Thanks man a lot of your videos have been of great help.
Really wish I could have seen the Josh build🤷🏽♂️.
Is there a certain routine to power your camera with you. Should you power the external battery then power camera on in that order if you are using a dummy battery?
Can you connect the battery with d-tap directly to a dummy battery? Will the dummy battery convert the 12v from the big battery to a 7volt for the dummy battery? By the way I use a canon m50
Good sound design!
is there hdmi cable holder for the 90 degree cables? Why am I having the hardest time getting the straight version within a reasonable time frame?
I wonder if you hear any ninja noise if the monitor is positioned to the left of the microphone ( not behind it)?
i can see your halo........ lol i don't use A7III but i love your videos , i will share it to my friend who jus bought aA7III.
I jus love your set up and work space.
Thanks for doing that and for the kind words. Really appreciate it! 😃👍
@@geraldundone anytime meng!!!
Lol.. Yes, I also don't shoot Sony A7, but could not stop watching. Will keep this in mind for those ppl I come across that actually does :)
I am at a loss. I have a rig around a v mount Shape D-Box power disruption plate. But I getting a TON of noise in my audio make it completely unusable. Here’s my set up: A Black Magic Video Assist 12g powered using the d tap. A Sony A7iii through a dummy battery to the 8v connector. And, a Sound devices Mix Pre 3 through the usb connection. I’m thinking this is a ground loop issue... but I have no idea. I’m super disappointed with the noise and not being able to use the d Box as advertised. Any advice?
It may be more convenient to connect every thing to the plate but I've had some issues with the battery moving just slightly and my entire setup up shutting off. It may be that I have a faulty plate but it's something to think about. I fixed that issue by connecting the most important pieces (Camera and Monitor) directly to the battery. Id much rather have my light shut off during a shot than my camera. Besides that this setup is amazing. Geralds List will have you shooting for daaaayyys. Thanks Gerald!
Btw way, I bought the indipro battery plate with the sony npz100 dummy battery attached, and I think Gerald was right to recommend the universal plate. When is hooked everything up to the battery, the unused dummy battery just got in the way.
Thank you! I didn't have that issue with the battery being able to move enough. Mine is locked in there pretty tightly. But thanks for sharing your experiences. Good notes. Cheers!
Really appreciated the use of spacial audio at 2:16.
Where can i Power directly all, without the battery. I have to power the v mount plate?
Wanted to throw something like this together so i can dabble in a bit of video without burning through batteries. Bless you sir. Now i have a 1 stop reference for every paycheck for a bit rofl.
Haha. Happy to help! 😃🙏
would a7iii overheat if external recorder is used and internal recording is off?
2:13 I wish I could see the exoskeleton your buddy Josh built.
😜😂👌
Hi, I saw some forums saying V mount dummy battery should connect to a 8v or lower to a sony A6500,instead of 12v or 14.8v, or else it would fry the camera. I am a Sony A6500 user, is this true? Thanks!
10:16 ... Can you actually Over-Power a camera? I thought you could only under-power them, wich may cause damage? Are you sure it's not a regulator for plus and minus? We hade cheap D-Tap cables for our Fs5 and C200, where you could, with ease, connect the D-tap side the wrong way, shorting both our cameras DC-inlets.. :(
I'm not 100% sure. I do know that v-mount batteries are rated much higher in voltage and current than the cameras battery slot, but perhaps it's to prevent under-powering. I'd have to check on that.
@@geraldundone I spoke to a gaffer and he told me "cameras/laptops usually take the power it needs.. If you have more then it needs, it doesn't matter.. But if you don't have enough power, it's gonna struggle, get hot and take damage.". I've 'destroyed' some powerbanks by charging them with old and week 500mA iPhone chargers. Maybee Camera Conspirecies can help us, he's sooo into tech!
Praise the man for using kilo's and pounds
whenever some just says pounds and omits kilograms, immediately switch off.
FloydTaylor whenever someone says pounds I think when will America join the rest of the world in the 20th century and use the metric system!
Josh always goes hard in the paint
You ask him to build you a camera rig and he sends you a time machine
Is that what that was? I feel bad taking it apart now. 😜
Did y’all see how smoothly he caught that battery? 9:20
😃💪🙏
if you just connect the ninja v recording , how long the battery last?
Very nice video, thanks. Building up my XT3 rig now and there are so many ways you can approach a build, it's very interesting to see detailed breakdowns of those already in use. I've been using V-mounts with Sony rigs on other shoots, so I've become used to that all-day, one-battery idea and really like it.
I have a quick question which may also help other Fuji shooters!
Re. Power Deliver via USB-C for Fuji X-T3, you touched on perhaps still needing the dummy battery as the Amp output might not be high enough from the USB on the V-mount or the D-Tap adapter. Just researching this, I see Fuji's own recommended power delivery (not just charge) is from Anker batteries, which have the following outputs:
Quick Charge 3.0 Output: 5-8V ⎓ 3A / 8-10V ⎓ 2.4A / 10-12V ⎓ 2A
Standard Output 5V ⎓ 2A
As I think the delivery comes from the standard output on the Anker, would this suggest it's possible to power via USB-C from the D-Tap, keeping a battery in the camera as you have here in the Sony?
Cheers as always, sooooo much useful stuff here with no rambling or waffle! That is a rare thing!
Thanks, James!
Yeah, PD is an option for Fuji. I have another video on this topic using an Anker PowerCore. And SmallRig actually has a grip (or will have one soon) for mounting a Power Bank to your cage.
Take some 3m picturing hanging sticky tape place it under camera and monitor and they will not turn. Allow you to put LESS pressure on that screw in your camera!
Can you also just get a v mount battery that has a d tap output on the battery and get the cheaper smallrig v mount adapter plate? I guess that one is not made for rod support though so you would need a rod adapter to attach the plate to the rods. Great video btw!
Yeah, most v-mount batteries will have d-tap on the battery itself.
Gerald Undone I also thought you mentioned there was a cable where you can leave the Sony battery in the camera. Do you have a link for that?
@@WeddingDocumentary It's just the USB cable that comes with the Sony. If you get the battery I recommended it has a USB port on it and you can just connect that to the Sony using the cable that came in your Sony box. Otherwise you can get an adapter for batteries with no USB ports: bhpho.to/2PWEL1D
Great custom buildout Gerald! Can’t wait to see future rigs 🤘🤘
Gerald, we need one of these for the A7s iii!
Delightful audio effects there, DJ Unddddddddone...
Thank you very much! I had fun with them.
I started salivating as soon as I saw the thumbnail.
Is there an AS7 iii
Love it, man! I basically built this exact same rig for the a7iii in January, only I opted for clipping a zoom h6 to the side to get phantom power for multiple mics. I also regretfully went for the wooden camera's dummy battery plate, and I've had nothing but problems with the dummy battery. First it was working fine, but then it turns out they had an underrated MOSFET that eventually popped on the plate. Then I sent it in and they replaced it with a newer dummy battery, but the camera now rejects the battery, and actually reset it to factory defaults. I've had a great experience with their dummy batts in the past for the a7ii. I'm temped to try to replace it again, but now (after watching this) I'm inclined to just remove the dummy chip from the plate (it would be easy), and use the batt's usb to keep the camera juiced for longer. Have you ever encounter a dummy battery reseting the camera or just outright rejecting it? I have a feeling that they may have just popped in one designed for the a9 because it uses the same battery type, and that is triggering the check/reset, but not sure... Figured I would get your thoughts before I void the warranty. 😁
Sorry for the long post. Here's a potato 🥔
Thanks, Jan! I haven't experience that myself. Most of my issues were with cheap cables. But the USB is definitely a viable option. I'd probably just do that.
Thank you for making this video! incredible information!!!
Thanks a lot!
this might sound dumb but can you put that rig on a gimbal?
this channel makes me sofa king happy
But what about a Manfrotto fixing knob on the right side?
Hey! What do you mean? Are you asking about clearance?
Gerald Undone about usability. It’s much faster to operate this knob with left hand, while using right hand to pan and pushing rec button
I also have some concerns about the top handle mounted to the cage and having to support the weight of the v mount battery and the rest of the kit. In essence it's just those two Allen nuts holding all that weight via the threads in the cage. Maybe I'm paranoid but I'd love to hear your well informed thoughts on this.
I did some stress tests. I'm able to carry around my entire rig AND the tripod it's attached to by that top handle. One screw can be concerning, but two screws is usually pretty hard to fault. I'd say you'd be well into the hundreds of pounds to break that handle free.
@@geraldundone oh wow! Thanks a ton! That's reassuring! I guess u just need to play seeing with my rig:s CoG then and I'll put in the to handle. So much more convenient.
Awesome video man! Seriously awesome. How well does this rig work for the a6400?
Hello, I'm following you from Iraq. I have a question for you. I have $ 900. I want to buy a camcorder for the filming in terms of isolation. It is sharp and beautiful.
Also I wanted to know your take on the potential hazards of charging and/or powering a camera via USB vs dummy batteries/9v adapters (aka Fuji x-t2 battery grip).
Theoria Apophasis strongly recommends against powering/charging via USB.
I actually happened to catch that video where he talks about the USB thing and I think the concerns are completely unfounded and aren't well supported in that video. Most modern lithium batteries can take a hell of a beating and will last you an acceptable amount of time. And I USB charge and operate all my batteries on USB power (which is manufacturer approved) and have never noticed a single drop in longevity or camera concerns. It's probably some minimal thing where using it perfectly gets you 3 years on the battery, and using it rougher with USB powering, etc. gets you 2 years 10 months. At the end of the day, same with phones, you should use it in a way that best supports your workflow and replace batteries as necessary.
@@geraldundone Excellent! And of course I respect him as I respect every other creator in this niche on YT, but perhaps you could consider testing those claims. Either way thank you so much for taking the time to respond. You're amazing!
most memorable video intro on RUclips~
YES!!! 🙌😃
Love Josh Yeo 3000
Great for some situations but to be fair the standard battery life is really good..
How do I use a French Flag when I need access to the variable ND filter at the same time. With a matte box you cannot turn the variable ND filter.
Hello Gerald, I know this is an old video but I have a concern about powering my A7iii & Ninja V on the same V-mount battery. I people I have talked to says that it is dangerous and I could fry my camera. There have been reports of this happening including the HDMI port being fried. What precautions do I need to consider?
Was that hum actually in the video you recorded? Or did you put a mic next to the camera?
It's in the recording, you can't really hear it unless you put headphones on when shooting. It does emanate outside the camera, it's from the electronics within.
Oh man I’m so glad you made this vid!
Great video, looks like a solid rig, I’ll definitely be looking into that battery. Awesome to see make art now on the channel as well !
Thanks, Alex! It was a lot of fun. Cheers!
@@geraldundone Yeah for sure, you think you guys will do more videos together in the future??
With regard to heat flow with or without lcd screen touching camera.... the lcd screen temp I’m sure is hotter and generates more heat flow into the camera if the lcd is touching. So not touching is better because heat flow can come out of camera, and cables might add just a small amount of insulating effect. The heat flow will just go around the cables to get out of the camera.
Awesome as usual Mr Undone.
I love the new format for this video! But it does beg the question, WHY DON'T YOU SEND ME ANYTHING??!! (LOL, tots jk, love it!).
Did he build the Flux Capacitor??
I love SmallRig!! I use them for everything!
(I'm live commenting btw)
Good idea, monitor w large batteries often just spins down :(
This is a great video! I love the assembalee vids, it's like a camera chop shop.
Does this mean you will add a matte box? AND make an entirely new ND video? Or filters? LoCon to increase dynamic range? Hollywood BlackMagic? (Can O' Worms)
Active side handle LANC/USB-C?
That hum!
Police light in place, ready for the next episode of COPS.
That's a great idea! Aim the microphone where you need it!
Silent Velcro? Also BongoTies.
That is a heavy rig, no need for a gimbal. Do the puppy POV shot!
I like the ATeam montage music.
Some Vmount chargers work best if you only charge one Vmount battery at a time, even though you can connect two (Looking at you RED! Not that your setup called for this, just annoying).
Still want to see that low shot; I could watch a whole video of just low shots.
Yep, Shoulder Pad 15mm rod piece and VCT quick release are good options, or a neck pillow...
Well this comment was too long :[] I should probably delete it later :/
Haha. Love the live commenting. Getting the live feed to your brain here.
Will this battery mod work with my Nikon "Z" camera?
i was looking at doing this but I'm not certain if that battery will overpower my "Z" camera and didn't want to take the chance
I have seen those Dummy batteries on Amazon for my nikon "Z"
Great Video
Thanks
In theory, a quality dummy battery should do the trick, yeah. The USB option is a no go for the Nikon Z, because they require that specific Nikon cable, but if you can find a decent Nikon Z battery to D-Tap you should be good.
The A7III is great as it is, you need a RED Cinema Camera, you'll have so much fun playing with all their mod configurations.
Slight difference in budget though. 😜
If you have a a6500 or a camera with small capacity batteries , and you power the camera battery over usb from the Indie large battery, then you could still possibly drain the camera battery and the camera would shutoff? Depends on your camera duration and also if you are recording internal or not. But I don’t know what the actual duration would be before camera shut off. Why not just power camera through a dummy battery and not worry about it? ( for cameras with small capacity batteries. A6500 has 1500 mamp hrs. Not sure what the battery drain is compared to the supply from large battery)
Does the dummy battery gets warning from the system like they do when use with third party batteries?
It does, yeah. You have to hit "OK" on the new Sony firmware to accept the 3rd party thing.
@@geraldundone is it safe tho? 😅
I had 2 third party batteries. And im scared the camera prompt me like that.
I'm confident in the part I recommended, yes, but I probably wouldn't use some $10 version from AliExpress.
I see.... I was about to buy those dummy batteries. but I was also concern it doesnt have the regulator. thanks Gerald.
Discovered your channel about 1 month ago and it’s by far the most useful to learn tech and gear related things about videography! Thanks so much dude!
BTW, is it possible to build it with longer rails at the bottom to attach a focus pull system to it? :)
Thanks a bunch! And yeah, I don't see why not. Longer rods should work nicely.
Josh Yeo is pretty awesome
Agreed!
AWESOME video! Just was I was looking for...I was wondering if this cage would work with my A7sii & its battery grip. The answer is no, but after a quick Amazon search, I found another, by the same company, that will work.
Good one! Made me laugh! Good job you two, Gerald and Josh!!
Thank you! 😃👍
Hi Gerald. I was wondering if you could answer this question for me. I'm building my first rig for my A7SIII with the idea in mind to power it from a V-mount battery since you can now power it via USB and have a minimal native battery power loss. However, I have two issues of concern. 1 - I've heard horror stories about frying your HDMI port when powering both the external monitor and camera at the same time from the same V-Mount battery. And 2 - I'm sure of the best way of powering from USB directly from the v-mount battery USB port or the port on the battery plate. Either way, I'm scared because I don't see how either power's down to the 8.4 volts (or 7.1 or whatever it is) to power the camera safely.
I realize you mentioned USB power delivery in this video, but I didn't see an explanation of exactly how to connect it or what type of USB-C cable. I do know that if using a D-Tap to power the monitor, a regulator is suggested but I don't know how a regulator would work with USB if needed at all.
I'm using the Maxoak 175 V-mount battery and the Tilta V-Mount Battery Baseplate TA-BSP2-V-G. Any ideas?
Oh and next intro suggestion -:::- "I'm Gerald Undone, and I approve this message".
Did you ever find out an answer to this? I'm building a rig myself and I've heard the same stories - a friend of mine fried his HDMI port as he thinks he made a ground loop (he ran a D-Tap to Dummy Battery and then 12V to Ninja V, always worked fine for him until one day it didn't).
Keen to hear what your resolution was if you found one!
@@josephgmedia Nah, I got no answer. At present, I'm using a dummy battery for camera power and D-Tap to the monitor. But it's less than ideal
@@josephgmediagot no answer so I dummy battery to camera and dtap to monitor. I think 12v power source is the problem. It should be no more than 8v but I'm guessing. With me so far so good.
@@TonyTone1000 The ninja accepts an input voltage of 6.2V - 16.8V and operates at 5.8 - 7.2 so I don’t think running 12V would be an issue. Tricky to find a good answer to power both though!