Building Out Your Camera Rig

If you’re a videographer then I’m sure you are familiar with a “camera rig”. These can come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes they are so kitted out it may be hard to see the actual camera body in the midst of all the accessories. Regardless of the build, rigging out a camera can really enhance the video creation process and can allow you to get the most out of your camera.

The Essentials

At the core of almost every rigged out camera is a cage. Depending on the make and model of your camera you may find several options. These will be the foundation of your build as they provide you the necessary mounting points from which you can customize your setup.

Right off the “top” I'd recommend adding a top handle to your cage. This will serve multiple purposes. First, having a top handle will allow you to more easily shoot handheld. Rather than gripping the camera from the side, holding it from the top handle puts your hand in a more natural position for certain camera angles and movements. The handle can also double as a mounting point for your monitor or other accessories. I’d recommend attaching your monitor here as it will be centered on your camera, providing better balance.

Monitors are, in my opinion, a must have. For those of us that are filming on cameras such as the Sony FX3, Canon C70, or anything of the likes, you know how difficult it can be at times to see the screen, making framing and exposing shots more challenging. Adding a monitor into the equation can greatly improve the filming experience. A bigger screen allows you to get a better understanding of your frame and can help you dial in your exposure. While not all monitors come loaded with the same features, many will offer zebras or false color to help with the exposure process. Along with those you are often able to upload viewing LUTs to further aid in exposing your LOG or Raw footage.

For those of you shooting with a mirrorless style camera these would be my top starting points for rigging out your camera. Get yourself a cage, add a top handle, and throw on a monitor and you’ve got a great start.

Further Build Outs

From here you can really take your build in any direction and it will all come down to what you are planning on shooting. Some of the common next steps when looking to build out a camera rig would be to add a set of 15mm rods. 15mm rods are a staple of the video/filmmaking game as they allow you to add additional accessories to your camera like a follow focus or a v-mount battery plate. While incredibly helpful and sometimes necessary, I find that rigging your camera with rods, especially for solo shooters can be a bit of a slow process and can get in the way. For example, when you need to break down your camera quickly for something like a gimbal shot where you want a more lightweight package.

At the same time you’d like to be able to run your camera for an extended period of time along with your monitor. A great way to do so is by running power from a v-mount battery. V-mounts are essentially just a large camera battery designed for prolonged use. In my personal use, I have found the most convenient way to mount them is by using the Smallrig v-mount battery plate mounting system. The benefit of this system is that it does not require any 15mm rods and is extremely compact. Better yet, both the removable plate and the bottom plate of the system are arca type making this a breeze to use with various tripods. Or you can easily screw a video style plate into the base for larger setups.

Matte boxes are another popular addition you’ll see on build outs. In short they help reduce unwanted flares from incoming light and can be used in conjunction with drop-in filters such as ND or mist filters. Barn doors on the matte box provide you further control when managing light, a feature that screw on filters do not offer. Although subjective, they do add a level of “production” value to the set as they enhance the professional appearance of your camera. With that said, I almost always default to screw on filters for their convenience and naturally compact size. Having several HGX Prime VND filters on hand is a must for me. These allow me to more effectively dial in my exposure without sacrificing image quality.

The style of production you are on will really be the determining factor here. Will you be using strictly manual focus lenses or spherical lenses? Will you need additional power to run your setup? And how will this break down when changing locations or when you need to go lightweight? These are all questions you should ask yourself when setting up your camera. Don’t forget that being able to stow your camera in a bag fully rigged up is a major win. Keep that in mind!

My Personal Setups

The go to set up for me is a Sony a7siii as my base camera with a Smallrig cage. On top of the cage I have a nato rail which allows me to take my top handle on and off within seconds. You’ll notice I also have a Smallrig Arri monitor mount attached to my handle which allows me to screw my monitor to the handle while maintaining a relatively flush profile. The benefit of the Arri monitor mount is that once in place it will almost never come loose on its own. At a glance this is my most simple setup for quick run n’ gun filming.

When I’m looking to step things up a little and get an enhanced audio experience, I will adapt my XLR handle to the a7siii (shown here on the sony FX30). Although not originally designed to be used in tandem, they work quite well together with the right mounting plates. This allows me to get several audio inputs when needed. My monitor can also be attached to the XLR handle but I would recommend taking a look at a handle extension kit if you are using the same system. This will provide additional mounting points and makes the handle easier to grip. I will also use one of our 95wH V Mount batteries which can power my camera via USB-A to USB-C. I can also use the dtap-out port to power my monitor with a dummy battery. Very helpful for longer shoots!

The last setup you’ll see me running isn’t really a rig at all. In fact, the goal with this setup is to reduce weight to help achieve a more well-balanced gimbal. I mention this because although gimbals can be a bit of a nuisance at times to bring along, they allow you to get shots that you simply could not pull off otherwise, at least not in such a small form factor and without a crew. I’ll often run my RS3 with my a7siii and a Tamron 28-75 g2. Of course I’m always rocking my HGX Prime VND as well. This is an awesome combination and accounts for a great deal of the footage I have captured.

These are just my personal preferences but if you find yourself shooting solo or with small crews you’ll probably notice some similarities. Here’s a list of my must haves:

Top handle
Nato Rail
Monitor
Monitor Mount
HDMI Cable
Vmount battery with power cables
Small Rig Vmount battery plate
Shotgun Mic or XLR Handle
Wireless Lav Mics

In Conclusion

With endless ways to set up a camera there really is no wrong or right video rig. Once you have some of the staples you are pretty much ready to rock. From here you can begin to build out your setup for whatever your next job calls for. Oftentimes, however, less is more! Anything you can do to help streamline the process will be a major benefit and will make you want to grab your camera and create something!