Accessories Maketh the Camera: Building up Your Camera for Video

Recent years have seen the camera accessories market expand rapidly. Rod systems that were once obscure are now commonplace, and tools that enhance a camera’s functionality are more readily available than ever. Perhaps this has to do with the burgeoning interchangeable-lens camera market, but standard accessories existed long before that. Camera-system building goes back pretty far in cinema history, and today, the purpose of rigging up a camera with accessories remains the same, for the most part. Cinema-grade 35mm film cameras were often rigged up to fit their specific application. Sometimes the camera would be high up on a crane, or atop a tripod with a studio lens; each situation required specific tools and equipment to ensure that the camera operated properly and that the Director of Photography (DP) was able to capture the desired scene.

Today, the selection of camera accessories is extremely diverse, much like the filmmakers themselves who need to build up their cameras. Having such a large pool of tools to consider, building a camera system for the first time can seem to be a daunting task, which could be compounded by the fact that you may not even own a camera yet! What I’m going to do in this article is show how different camera types can be accessorized for different situations. Since this is subjective, not everyone will agree. But, these are only suggestions at which I have arrived on my own. Perhaps my suggestions might even inspire you to come up with something entirely different.

Mirrorless Cameras

One of the greatest strengths that mirrorless cameras possess is their form factor. Since no mirror box is required, mirrorless cameras can be made smaller than their DSLR peers and are great for rigging. Many major accessory manufacturers support the most common mirrorless cameras, including the Sony α7S II, Panasonic GH4, and Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera.

Because the cameras are so small, the rigging possibilities are nearly infinite. From minimal run-and-gun rigs featuring a handle and maybe a monitor or EVF, all the way to purpose-built studio rigs like the Wooden Camera Pro Mirrorless Accessory Kit. The kit uses a cinema-grade ARRI standard dovetail, 15mm LWS rods, and a quick release. Plus, it adds XLR inputs, a professional battery mounting plate, EVF support, and a top handle with mounting locations for articulating arms and other professional accessories.

With rod-based rigs, even the smallest mirrorless cameras can accept larger lenses with the help of lens supports; matte boxes can be mounted, and batteries can power the camera and attached accessories with a proper plate. Oh, and don’t forget your external recorder or monitor. If you keep going from there, you can even build out a mirrorless camera to be the same size as a full-blown cinema camera.

But you might say, “Aren’t mirrorless cameras supposed to be small? All these rigs just seem to make them into something they’re not,” to which I would respond with a nod to the available motorized gimbals. With a compact lens, a mirrorless camera atop one of these stabilizers will provide smooth video and open up tracking-shot capabilities previously only available with smaller cameras or expensive stabilization equipment. Some, like the Axler Gimbal, only require single-handed use, meaning your entire rig can be disassembled and stored in a small backpack or gear bag.

Cinema Cameras

On to the next order of business: a step up from the DSLR and mirrorless world, cinema cameras are already built for video production. Some, like the Canon EOS C series, up until the C700, are based on the DSLR shape, but most are meant to be rigged up and built out like the Sony PMW-F55. At this stage, many cameras take on the modular design that can be built up and broken down depending on the application. Using the F55’s design philosophy (which is followed exactly by the F5 and similarly by the Panasonic Varicams and Canon EOS C700, to a point), the lens mount can be swapped, a first-party raw recorder can be mounted in place of the standard professional battery plate, and other parts of the camera body can be removed or replaced to fit your workflow. Perhaps a unique feature of the F55/F5 is that the entire base of the camera can be transformed with the Documentary Dock to create a de-facto ENG camcorder, down to the toggle switches and comprehensive audio section. While other cinema cameras may not be able to replicate that trick, many of them have the requisite timecode, genlock, and SDI outputs for compatibility with studio equipment.

With cinema cameras, I generally recommend staying as first-party as possible with regard to accessories, but it’s very difficult to ignore the attractive options offered by third parties. Zacuto offers its new VCT Pro baseplate, which can enhance nearly any cinema camera ergonomically, even ones with integrated shoulder pads, while adding 15mm LWS rods for lens accessories. Vocas goes in a similar direction with its own shoulder-mounted baseplate. Chrosziel takes a different approach, designing baseplates for specific cameras, ensuring direct compatibility and proper rod height. A universal solution is also available.

Monitoring with cinema cameras is also relatively straightforward. In the cinema camera price range, the cameras themselves will usually have a built-in or specially designed high-quality EVF solution. While third-party EVFs like the Zacuto Gratical can be of very high quality, and relatively inexpensive compared to some first-party solutions, the first-party equipment will usually have convenient interface options and will functionally integrate into the camera ecosystem, so if you can afford it, go for the first-party solutions. However, there are more options yet for ancillary monitoring. Big bright monitors like SmallHD’s 702 Bright can be just as functional for affordable and expensive cinema cameras alike.

A Small Glimpse

It’s easy to be enamored with the options that interchangeable-lens camera systems offer. The level of configurability in modern camera systems is immeasurably large, and is only growing with more brands joining the fray. While you could use the camera on its own and achieve some solid results, accessories really take your camera to new dimensions. Above, I presented just a small glimpse into the accessorizing of a camera system. Everyone thinks differently, so feel free to leave a comment, below, to discuss how you’ve built up your camera to fit your workflow.