Posted by Jeremy T. Hanke on Dec 16, 2013 | 3 comments

Equipment Review
All-Inclusive DSLR/DV Cinema BundleManufacturer: Flashpoint by Adorama
Website: Click Here |
Description: Kit that provides shoulder-stabilization, focus control, and light control for video DSLR cameras
Purchase/Rent: Purchase
Pricing: Kit: $599.99.
Individual Components:
—Shoulder Rig II: $299.95
—Follow Focus: $319.00
—Matte Box System $249.99
—Z-Shape Connector: $29.99 (for use with tripod or to offset shoulder mount)
Discounted Pricing:Click Here (Available until January 25th)
Demo Footage: Click Here
Expected Release: Available Now
Review Issue: Issue #94 (12/13)
Reviewed By: Jeremy T. Hanke
Final Score: 9.5

When we launched MFM, it was during the 35mm lens adapter era of video cameras, where companies like Redrock Micro, Zacuto, and LetUs were creating moving opaque glass screens that could take the image of a 35mm lens and allow it to be recorded by a video camera (upside down, of course). The idea was to create the look of film on a microbudget and there was no extreme we weren’t willing to go to in order to achieve that goal.

While we’ve explored that market thoroughly (and I’ve shot multiple films in both SD & HD with 35mm adapters), it was always a market that was destined to be an interim one.

Then, when Canon needed to add one more new feature to their $5K DSLR, the 5D Mark II, the video DSLR revolution was birthed and folks who wanted to shoot things that looked like film, with the gorgeous shallow depth of field and bokeh that goes along with it, traded out their video cameras and stepped into video DSLRs. (One of the notable examples was Mike Flanagan, who crowdfunded his 5D Mark II feature film, Absentia, which then got a rental distribution deal with Redbox. This success proved his marketability and allowed him to ink a studio theatrical deal for his next film, the feature version of Oculus, starring Karen Gillan, Katee Sackhoff, & Brenton Thwaites, which is due in April!)

Of course, one of the things that was readily apparent with video DSLRs was that they were still shaped like still cameras, which made them unwieldy to try to shoot any non-locked footage with. Folks like Zacuto and Redrock Micro quickly transitioned into making cinema gear for these new DSLR cameras, but their price point was pretty steep for the average indie filmmaker—with a full shoulder mount rig including follow focus and matte box going for $2,500 – $5,000.

Recently, however, Adorama has decided to launch their internal DSLR brand, Flashpoint, which makes products for DSLR users in both the still and cinema market. And because it’s being designed by a company that’s one of the most renowned photo/video sellers already, they have the ability to focus on features customers have requested, find a pricepoint that isn’t being served, and offer new innovations in a way that’s readily accessible. (Essentially, it’s the product development equivalent of Netflix creating original programming with all of its info on people’s tastes and search queries.)

The All-Inclusive DLSR/DV Cinema Bundle featured in this review is the first example of a Flashpoint product we’ll be reviewing here at MFM. (Future issues will cover some of the other Flashpoint gear, including lights and light modifiers for still photography, as media creators need to create more high quality photo art for publicity, marketing, and asset creation.)

Ease of Use

When I opened up the boxes for the Cinema Bundle I was impressed by how easy and effortless things were to set up—which is important, because there are NO instructions in any of the boxes.

While the overall setup process succeeds, there are two parts that are made overly complex without instructions. The first is the Matte Box—which I could figure out because I’ve assembled matte boxes before, but would be a little difficult for new users. The second is the Z-shape connector—which I could only figure out by going to their website and looking at pictures. (As I discovered, the Z-Shape Connector is designed to rig the shoulder mount “offline,” so that you can mount your camera to the left or right of your shoulder pad. This can be useful if you don’t have a rotatable screen or field monitor and wish to put the DSLR view screen more directly in front of your eye line. Amongst other uses, you can also use it to simplify mounting the system to a tripod so the shoulder mount doesn’t get in the way of your tripod controls.)

One area that seemed a little strange at first, from an Ease of Use perspective, was the L-mount Follow Focus setup, which mounts on top of the bars, rather than having the bars inserted all the way though a solid plate. While this was a bit different than what I’ve used in the past—aside from the placement of which knobs did what—I actually really liked how easy it made it to remove the follow focus if you needed to get it off the rods, since you didn’t have to remove everything in front of it—like the matte box! (Now, if only the Matte Box had a way to do that, as well!)

Depth of Options

Here we’re going to go through what each product allows you to do and then we’ll get into how successfully it pulls these things off in the following section.

The Shoulder Rig allows you to distribute the weight of your camera and accessories between your arms and your shoulder. By using a longer rod system than some on the market, this setup is able to work fairly well without a counter balance. You can adjust the location of the shoulder pad, which slides with a decent amount of resistance on the rods, and you can adjust the spacing of the handles horizontally across the front bar (unlike some manufacturers that have swivel handles that are locked with casters in one horizontal location).

To be clear, this is a shoulder rig system, as opposed to a cage system, so there aren’t options for a top handle or the sort of extra mounting places that you get with a cage system.

The Follow Focus allows you to set up a field of focus and then gradually (or swiftly) adjust between two extremes. Unique in the systems I’ve tested in the past, the Flashpoint system includes adjustable A-B hard stops which can span over 180 degrees. What this means is that there are two precisely machined wheels that each have a screw in them. By putting one screw at one end of the focus pull and the other screw at the other end, you can “blind” focus—using only your sense of touch to pull focus. That’s pretty brilliant and I’m shocked more companies aren’t doing it!

The Matte Box II system is essentially a no-frills system for blocking out extra light from hitting your lens and for adding in glass filters in front of your lens. (While you could screw in filters on your camera lens or add filters in post, adding things like ND filters or polarizers as slide in filters is much easier usually.) To help block light, they include three scaled neoprene donuts so that you can fit in all your lenses. (The other thing that a matte box does is purely psychological. It increases the production footprint of your camera and helps actors feel like they’re acting for a “real” camera. Actor Kiefer Sutherland is quoted as saying that he doesn’t act for the camera, he “acts for the matte box.”)

As it’s more basic, you won’t have some of the frills you find in things like Flashpoint’s Matte Box Pro, such as side wing flaps (vs. the side doors) or swing away arms, for fast lens changes.

All told, you have a lot of options that are available in this system.

Performance

The overall performance of this system is quite solid.

The Shoulder rig is surprisingly light with its solid aluminum construction without feeling flimsy and really did a nice job of distributing the weight of the camera. The fact that you can slide the grips along the horizontal bar means you can also put a grip right underneath the lens, which is helpful for allowing the other hand to leave the grip and adjust the follow focus. While I felt that the thin, fin-like rubber grips on the handles would likely fall apart after too much use, they held up pretty well through our testing. The mounting base for the rig also allows you to mount it on a tripod, which is an important option for times you don’t need to be in motion!

The Follow Focus movement was really smooth and felt well machined. I was really impressed with the A-B Hardstop system on the Follow Focus. Having worked with some different follow focus setups, I know that the most common practice is to have a visual system that’s designed for a separate focus puller. However, the use of this tactile system simplifies things so much for the shooter who is having to run and gun on their own! They include one lens gear with the system.

The matte box felt well-constructed, made of coated aluminum and fit pretty nicely with the lenses I tried it on.

Despite the great work that’s put into this system, there are a few improvements I’d love to see in the future.

Shoulder Rig Improvements:

• Include a shorter wing-span thumbscrew on the side of the quick release plate (as it currently is hard to get it to clear of the camera base for tightening the plate securely)
• Provide a locking mechanism for shoulder pad, so it can be locked in place
• Provide a counterweight for the shoulder pad to help make it more secure

Follow Focus Improvements:

• Swap the screws for rod clamping vs. horizontal clearance (as positioning a rod clamping screw on the bottom makes more sense for initial placement and has far less chance of getting twisted accidentally; the horizontal reposition slide is used far more often, so would make more sense on the size where it’s easily adjusted)
• Add a rubber bumper for the follow focus hard stop system, so there’s less likelihood of jarring stops when working by feel
• Include two lens gears, rather than just one

Matte Box Improvements:

• An L-Mount system like the Follow Focus, so you don’t have to unscrew end caps of your rods to remove the Matte box, which is already very difficult to remove due to the overly snug fit.
• An optional Swing arm accessory (like the one build into the Flashpoint Matte Box Pro, but that could be purchased like the Z-Shape Connector)

Value

For $600, this is way cheaper than the options from Zacuto or even Redrock Micro, which still tip the scales at between $2,000 to $4,000. While it is a bit more expensive than some of the smaller company releases which are advertised at less than $300, many of those looked to be made largely of plastic and didn’t have the reputation for quality that Adorama brings to the table.

Additionally, unlike many companies who give you only 90 days or 6 months warranty these days, Adorama gives a two year warranty with their system, which is an additional value here.

All told, I think that this is a great system for most micro-budget filmmakers—at least to get started on. (And if you decide to get into something a little heavier duty, you can upgrade the components that are the most important to you as you go.)

Plus, until the 25th of January, they’re doing special pricing on their equipment, with discounts as high as $100 off, to encourage you to make this set your special present to yourself this year!

Final Comments

While I was a bit skeptical with this system due to its overall price point, I have to say that I’m really impressed with what Adorama has been able to bring to the table with it. I would highly recommend that you check it out and see if it doesn’t fit your needs as a DSLR filmmaker!

Breakdown
Ease of Use	9.5
Depth of Options	10
Performance	9.0
Value vs. Cost	9.5
Overall Score	9.5