Compact mirrorless cameras have revolutionized the video world, packing massive sensors into small bodies and making professional-level production accessible to budget-minded creatives. Aspiring filmmakers can now achieve a level of visual detail, color fidelity, and exposure control that previously could only be achieved with cameras that cost six figures. But that doesn’t mean these devices are perfect. Their smaller size comes at the cost of a variety of physical features and ergonomic advantages that are standard in larger cinema camera bodies.
By using additional accessories and rigging equipment, we can transform these mirrorless cameras into advanced production-ready models ready for rigorous on-set demands. Many of the necessary accessories have become standardized over the last few years, so while this article will be focusing on Kondor Blue’s offerings, the majority of these items come in other forms to fit a variety of different gear. What follows is a guide to building your cinema rig, but also an overview of basic rigging components that you should familiarize if you’re shooting video with small DSLRs or mirrorless cameras.
Cages and Baseplates
The core of any video rig is a camera cage. These tough, form-fitting exoskeletons, typically made from aluminum alloy or stainless steel, serve a few purposes. They provide an extra layer of protection for the camera itself, shielding it from light drops, bumps, and scratches, but the main benefits are the mounting points they include for the accessories we’ll discuss in the rest of the piece.
Out of the box, your mirrorless camera will likely only have one hot shoe on top and one threading on the bottom for a tripod plate. That’s never going to be enough for the video accessories you might need on a shoot. Not only does a cage give you more cold shoes, ¼-20” and 3/8-16” threads, it spreads them out across the camera body for maximum flexibility. Cages are custom designed for each generation of every major camera model, so double check if it’s built for yours before clicking the buy button.
Baseplates, on the other hand, are much more universal. Think of these as a layer between your camera and whatever you’re mounting it to, be it a tripod, gimbal, drone, etc. What they do is standardize the plate that you’re screwing into the bottom of your camera so that you can switch it between different set-ups without having to unscrew anything. That way it can slide on, lock in, and fit tight. No screwdrivers, no delays.
As you get into higher end baseplates, you’ll find additional features like clamps for 15mm rods and grooves on the bottom of the baseplate for use with Dovetail clamps and other cinema standards. At their core, baseplates are a simple way to standardize taking the camera on and off multiple mounts. Any baseplate with QR in the name features a quick release system, while non-QR baseplates are designed to be left on your camera long term.
Top Handles and Side Handles
Holding a camera against your face and looking through the viewfinder is a fantastic way to take photos, but it’s often not ideal for video, introducing micro-jitters and locking you to one perspective. The key to getting the camera away from your face and keeping it steady is adding points of contact that let you tightly grip the body from multiple angles. The easiest way to do this is with a top handle and side handle.
A top handle will attach to the top of your cage and allow you to get steady, low angle shots. If possible, avoid attaching them directly to your camera’s hot shoe, as they can pull at and damage the shoe over time (another reason to get a cage). They also make the camera significantly easier to use handheld as it’s a great point of contact to grip while moving between setups. Certain top handles include run/stop controls for compatible cameras, and Kondor even sells PRO-BLADE SSD Recording Handles that can hold your recording media for cameras like the Panasonic Lumix S5II.
Side handles, as the name implies, attach to the left or right side of your rig. These are essential if you’re holding the camera more level with your face or upper body but don’t want to stick a viewfinder up against your face. Many include run/stop buttons and additional mounting points for accessories like follow focus controllers. Cages are essential for mounting side handles, and it’s important to think through your shooting style before you lock in your side handle purchase. I typically have my left hand on the lens, so a left side handle would only get in the way, while a right-side handle has helped me nail countless run-and-gun shots.
Monitor Mounts, Magic Arms, and Battery Plates
So, you’ve got the cage, the baseplate, and some handles for holding, now’s the time you can start adding those accessories we mentioned earlier. If you’re using an external monitor, monitor mounts are custom built to give you the most flexibility and ease of use with adjustable tension. Use them to mount your monitor to the top or sides of your rig, and swivel and tilt it to your heart’s content or tighten the mount to lock it in place. Some feature quick release systems for easily removing the monitor, others save space and weight with a direct screw-on system.
If you’re mounting other accessories like transmitters, receivers, lights, or microphones, magic arms are a more universally compatible way to attach them to a rig. Get a short one if you want the accessories close to the camera or go with a longer arm to give yourself a little more distance and maneuverability. Mounting accessories directly to the cage can quickly clutter your setup and block important buttons, while using magic arms give you much greater flexibility to move pieces on the fly and customize your ergonomics.
As your production days get longer and your accessory collection grows, you’ll quickly find that standard-issue batteries inside your camera simply aren’t cutting it anymore. When that happens, it’s time to explore high-capacity options like Gold Mount and V-Mount styles. These batteries have a much higher capacity and multiple outputs for powering additional accessories like monitors and FIZ control units. Mounting them directly to your camera can be tricky without a dedicated battery plate. These typically mount to 15mm rods, so it’s important to have a baseplate with 15mm rod clamps. The battery plate provides you variable mounting angles and additional outputs, so you don’t have to unplug and re-plug all of your accessories while swapping batteries. In addition to industry-standard D-Tap ports, I’d look for battery plates that include USB-C Power Delivery outputs, the go-to for modern filmmaking tools.
Cables, Mondo Ties, and Quick Releases
We’ve covered all of the major bases, but there are a handful of additional smaller pieces that shouldn’t slip your mind. HDMI cables are essential for monitoring and transmitting video, just make sure to double check whether your camera’s output is Mini, Micro, or Full-Size HDMI. USB-C cables are a must for many modern power and data transfer tasks, especially with cameras that can record straight to an SSD. Thank goodness, they’re reversible, but sadly there’s no universal standard for quality or speed. Some of the advantages to getting these cables from a video-focused brand like Kondor Blue are high data and power benchmarks, a variety of sizes, and the choice between straight and right-angle connectors. Right-angle connections can be essential for avoiding unintentional pulls and bumps when dealing with non-locking on-camera connections like HDMI and USB-C.
Coiled cables help reduce clutter on the rig, while straight cables can be hidden or tucked away creatively with cable management clips like Mondo Ties. These little cable tie-downs screw into your cage and give you flexible mounting and routing options while also cleanly securing cables to protect them from accidents. I like to fully build my rig up then search for any potential risk points for each connection, fixing problems through cable management add-ons, swapping the length of the cable, or rearranging my components.
If there are pieces of a rig you find yourself having to frequently take on and off, mini quick release systems like the Mini Lock can be an invaluable purchase. Add them to any mounted accessories or the magic arms mentioned previously and save major time on set. There are a ton of other components that might end up on your camera rig at some point in the future, but these should cover your most frequent needs.
What are some other tips and tricks you think people should keep in mind when they’re building out their rig? Let us know in the comments section below! And for more information on Kondor Blue's rigging equipment, including additional features, specs, and highlights, be sure to check out their detailed product pages.
1 Comment
I want everything illustrated on the brochure