It’s expensive! At the cost of a 7D, you’ll find yourself asking if it’s really worth it. Manfrotto Sympla offset for camera positioning We’d just stick with a follow focus and follow zoom as the remote just seems a bit gimmicky. None of the three shooters could find a comfortable place to mount the remote where it didn’t interfere in one way or another. With three shooters testing the rig, the remote was the number one complaint.
The remote is roughly the size of an iPhone charger plug, and the button/knob locations were a bit awkward for us.
Also, the ergonomics of the remote itself left a bit to be desired. The zoom and focus just weren’t as smooth as we’ve come to expect from such controls on bigger cameras. Although we saw these results across all of our cameras to one degree or another, on the 7D especially we noticed stepping on zoom and focus. The remote control also met with mixed reactions and results. The overall weight brought this author back to his first days working at a TV station using a Betacam SP camera that we dubbed “the Beast.” We tested this with a C100, 5D mk iii and 7D mk i. In reality, it was even heavier than the cameras and lenses we used. So much for one of the major advantages of shooting with DSLR - lightweight and quick to relocate. This means that by the time you mount your camera, follow focus and lens, you’re looking at well north of 15 lbs. It’s heavy! The version we tested was 8.82 lbs fully assembled, not including camera and lens.
The problem though is always weight, and this system is no exception. From shoulder pads with back-weights to act as ballast for the camera weight, to quick release plates for nice fluid tripods, right down to viewfinders and even handles on top, the rig feels as if you can carry it like a bigger camera. These systems let you customize your camera rig to work and fit like some of the bigger HD camcorders and ENG cameras. Several rail systems hit the market, from the high-end RedRock systems to the economy IndiSystem rigs, not to mention the hundreds of cheap systems on Amazon.
When DSLRs first hit the market for shooting video, the biggest complaint was that you had to hold them as if you were shooting photos - not video. If you can just push past the psychology though, it is very easy to put together. The documentation is a fairly thick booklet, and again, intimidating. There are tons of parts in the box, and it’s a little bit daunting. However, you’ll need to get over your urge to just close the box right back up to fully enjoy it. Upon opening the box on the Manfrotto SYMPLA Shoulder Mounted Rig, the first word out of your mouth will likely be “whoa.” It’s pretty, and very well packaged.
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