If you've worked with ARRI cameras, you can already appreciate ARRI's line of rugged pro camera accessories for ARRI ALEXA, ALEXA Mini, and AMIRA cameras. But what about when you're using other cameras? ARRI also makes support rigs and mechanical and electronic accessories compatible with other popular digital cine, broadcast/ENG, and mirrorless cameras. Use these top-notch components to streamline your workflow when mixing cameras on the same shoot or to lend ARRI durability and precision to your third-party camera. This guide will help you configure your camera rig to best suit each of your setups.
How to Choose Your Support Set
When choosing an ARRI accessory set for your camera, it's like building a house—it's always a good idea to start with the foundation. Your choice of a base plate system will very often determine the selection of components that are added on to complete the rig.
1. Choose Your Base Plate—19 or 15mm Studio or 15mm LWS
What's your shooting style—smooth and steady, or run-and-gun? Features and studio-based episodic series and commercials will benefit from the use of a cine-style, sliding base plate system. Both 19mm Studio and the more compact 15mm Studio base plates are designed for heavier cameras, larger lenses, and/or teleprompter rigs. Turn to 15mm LWS (Light Weight Support) systems to lighten the load for handheld or stabilizer use while retaining the flexibility of a sliding bridge plate and dovetail combo. The sliding plate system provides quick balancing as you change to a lens of a different weight and add or subtract accessories from your rig. Note that 15mm Studio systems are not commonly used—without delving too deeply into rod standards, know that most 15mm rod-based accessories will be configured for LWS use where the rods are spaced 60mm apart. 15mm Studio rods are placed 100mm apart and are offset from the camera's optical center.
2. Match Your Tripod Head—Cine-Style or Broadcast/ENG
What type of tripod system do you use—a quick-release plate mounted on a dovetail plate (cine-style) or a Sony VCT-style (broadcast) head? Again, your choice will probably be based on how mobile you want to be, but ARRI has shoulder supports for some cameras that combine the balancing of a cine-style system with the quick mounting of a VCT-style broadcast tripod mount.
3. Opt for Either a Dedicated Rig or Universal Components
When it comes to choosing the right ARRI set for the job, the process is simplified for users of some popular cine-style cameras. ARRI offers dedicated cine- and broadcast-style support rigs for select pro cine camera models. ARRI also has other cameras covered with a selection of universal accessories including handgrips and top handles, shoulder supports, matte boxes, and follow focus systems.
Dedicated Support
Trick out select cameras with tailored Canon, Panasonic, RED, and Sony sets and components from ARRI.
ARRI Cine Sets
Cine sets range from simple rod-and-plate combos for adding rod-based accessories to your camera to more complete basic sets and pro sets.
Basic Cine Sets generally include:
- Dedicated cine baseplate—compatible with BP-8 and BP-9 bridge plates for balancing your camera on a tripod
- Set of rods (15 or 19mm)
- May also include one or more components like a top handle, top plate, or shoulder pad
Pro Cine Sets generally include:
- Dedicated cine baseplate—compatible with BP-8 and BP-9 bridge plates for balancing your camera on a tripod
- Cheese-plate style top plate—for mounting accessories like mics, wireless receivers, etc.
- Top handle with accessory threads
- Set of rods (15 or 19mm)
- Shoulder pad
ARRI Broadcast Sets
These sets are based on dedicated baseplates that are VCT tripod-plate compatible and incorporate both 15mm LWS rod brackets and handgrip rosettes. Broadcast sets are designed for quick switches from tripod-based shots to handheld capture.
Basic Broadcast Sets generally include:
- Dedicated VCT baseplate
- Shoulder pad
- Set of 15mm rods
Pro Broadcast Sets include a dedicated VCT baseplate, shoulder pad, and 15mm rods plus some or all of the following items:
- 19mm rod set or second pair of 15mm rods
- BP-8 or BP-9 bridge plate
- Cage-style brackets
- Dovetail plate
- EVF bracket
- Lens adapter support
- Monitor bracket
- Shoe adapter
- Top cheese plate
- Top handle
- VCT-style tripod adapter
Universal Components and Accessories
In addition to base plate systems, rod supports, and protective cage-like sets, ARRI offers a wide selection of mechanical accessories like matte boxes and follow focus systems that can be used with most cine-style and pro video cameras. Many of ARRI's electronic accessories can be configured to work with your choice of camera, too. Popular ARRI components include the WCU-4 lens control system, the SXU-1 Single Axis Unit, and the perennial favorite LMB 4x5 Matte Box. Used to capture impressive dynamic shots, ARRI's full line of stabilizer systems is camera agnostic, as well.
Now that you've gotten a glimpse at ARRI components for third-party cameras, explore the entire ARRI universe on the B&H Photo website. For a hands-on look at select ARRI components, stop into The Studio, located within the B&H SuperStore in NYC.
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