Because the Ergorig made such an impression during Cinegear 2019, I was itching for any opportunity to put the camera support system to the test. Luckily, during a recent Alexa LF shoot, I was able to get my hands on the new support rig to check out the impact when operating the 30 lb. camera. Details below: Anyone who has spent hours working a large camera or even a medium-sized one knows the toll it can take on hands and shoulders. You may love the job and adrenaline might buy you time, but after a while, you’ll start to feel discomfort, maybe even pain. There are several devices on the market to help with this. They range from simple shoulder pads to the Ready-Rig, Iron Man, and Easyrig. All are designed to lessen discomfort, but each excels in a different area. Anyone who uses an Easyrig for long duration knows that when you move the rig, it tends to inject a bounce into the camera move. If you’ve used the Ready-Rig, you know you’re all set with a gimbal like the Ronin 2, but that’s where its usefulness ends. Ergorig has a “why didn’t we think of this before” feel to it. To some degree it resembles a Steadicam vest, but where a Steadicam vest moves weight to the waist from a Steadicam arm and sled, the Ergorig moves shouldered or underslung weight to the waist. A simple idea on paper, but as with any device it’s all about performance...
Published By: CineD - Monday, 17 February, 2020