2010Brackets/Widgets forum
Low mode mounting solutions for HDSLR cinema rigs using cage systems
16 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- A cage equipped with a Bogen universal plate and sturdy rod-mounted motor can support low-mode shooting by designing the top rod mounting to allow dovetail positioning.
- Complete rebuilding of certain MK-V style rigs may be required to switch between normal and low mode configurations.
- Poor man's low mode involves flipping the image in post-production rather than physically inverting the camera.
- A dual-dovetail design with nut caps creates enough clearance to place the cage on the ground while keeping bottom plates elevated, allowing quick mode switching by detaching only the video cable.
- Flipping video images in post without embedding orientation metadata into traditional video formats results in a lossy process, whereas raw formats like Redcode preserve orientation information losslessly.
Depends on
- Poor man's low mode requires post-production image manipulation, which may be undesirable depending on workflow and format requirements.
- Some cage designs prioritize normal mode operation and rely on post-production flipping as the low-mode solution.
- The discussion references specific equipment from 2010 and may not reflect current mounting systems.
- Specific practical details about rebuilding MK-V rigs remain unclear from the discussion.
Parts
Same gear or parts
- 2026Eliminating vibration with the ARRI ALEXA 35 on Steadicam®: rigid mounting plate options to bypass the dovetail systemFacebookThe Steadicam Group
- 2026Vest drops: what lowering the arm socket actually buys, and what it costs at the topOperator practice
- 2026Low-mode monitor selection for Volt Brain rig: latency performance of Transvideo Starlite versus current alternatives.DisputedFacebookThe Steadicam Group
- 2026Rig setup for 180-degree immersive camera operation with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive: minimizing rig and monitor visibility in ultra-wide field of view.FacebookThe Steadicam Group