GEAR MINI TESTS
Our round-up of the great kit we’ve tested in this issue includes a new flexible camera rig, a curvedmonitor and a set of professional headphones
WORDS ADAM DUCKWORTH, JULIAN MITCHELL AND TERRY HOPE
VOCAS FLEXIBLE CAMERA RIG FCR- 15 PRO KIT £1694/$2180 www.vocas.com
When kit is labelled ‘universal’ or ‘one size fits all’, often it should come with a warning that it’ll be a compromise, won’t actually fit properly or do a good job. That’s definitely not the case with the Vocas Flexible Camera Rig Pro Kit. Designed tofit cameras fromDSLRs and mirrorless right up to cinema cameras, the newVocas FCR-15 Pro kit is intelligently designed and easy to adjust. You can change the position of the shoulder pad using a parallelogram- style systemof joints, there’s an Arca-compatible sliding camera plate, moveable and optional counterbalance weight and lots of options formounting the top handle, viewfinder ormounting any accessories. You can customise the rig formost cameras, and how youwant to use or hold them. TheProkit consists of Vocas’ standard Flexible Camera Rig FCR-15, a top handle, rear rails bracket, a 1kg/2.2lb counterweight for 15mmrails and the leather handgrip kit. It can be stripped
RIGHT The Vocas Pro Kit is genuinely adaptable to a full range of different cameras.
down for smaller cameras, or fully rigged upwith the counterweight on the back for shooting in an offset position. The clamps hold everything in place solidly without any slippage. And there’s even a nice Allen key included that has its own slot and is held in place by a couple of magnets. So you’re never left hunting around for an Allen key. Many of the connectors have beautifully-machined quick-lock levers, such as the ones that help you adjust the shoulder padwhich is attached to the rig via an extender to a vertical 19mm tube. Just opening the quick lock lets you set the shoulder pad in lots of different positions. It can be used directly underneath the rig for a comfortable shoulder set-up, or as a chest support. It can also be set around 100mm further back for larger cameras with viewfinders, and its angle can be altered too. If you’re using an external monitor or EVF, the shoulder pad can be set in an offset position, too. And these quick lock levers enable you to expand and collapse the rig really quickly. There’s an optional 15mmclamping block that can bemounted to the back of rig, so you canmount any standard 15mmrail
SPECIFICATIONS Components as tested: Vocas Flexible Camera Rig FCR-15 Pro kit Material: Aluminium, cork, rubber, stainless steel Cameramounting points: 2,¼” and⅜” Bar system: 15mm Weight: 2.92kg/6.43lb
BELOW The kit comes with a follow focus and a counterweight.
accessory such as a battery, recorder, monitor or counterweight. The Vocas rigmight not be at the bargain end of themarket but will last for years, and is adjustable for filmmakers who not only swop between different cameras nowbut will still be good for future camera purchases. AD. PROMOVIEMAKERRATING: 8/10 Truly great kit that fitsmany different types of cameras Pros: Quality build, ease of adjustability for different cameras Cons: Not the cheapest, weight can be an issue
106 PRO MOVIEMAKER WINTER 2018
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