Even though the latest URSA Mini in all its flavours is significantly smaller and lighter in comparison to the original URSA camera, the former still brings a lot of challenges to the table, especially when it comes to rigging and mounting the unit on a gimbal such as the popular DJI Ronin.
Right after getting their hands on the URSA Mini, the Gril Visual’s director Tim Jones and his team stumbled upon the first serious challenge with the camera while trying to mount it on the DJI Ronin. It turned out that when you put a V-mount battery on the back of the camera, the unit becomes too big and too long to fit on the Ronin.
Further, the V-Mount battery adds even more weight to the URSA Mini, which makes balancing the unit almost impossible. Fortunately, the team managed to find a quick workaround and be able to mount it successfully on the gimbal.
Because the camera comes with a four XLR power adapter interface on the back, the team decided to test if they can power the camera by using this port while utilizing only the DJI Ronin’s battery pack. So, they’ve just used a PowerTap Plug (Male) to 4-pin XLR Right Angle (Female) cable to connect the camera to the DJI Ronin’s P-tap connector. Surprisingly, this solution worked like a charm.
Keep in mind, though, that with this setup you won’t be able to open the side monitor of the camera, yet it still can be accessed to switch the camera on. Further, you can use the side buttons to control the URSA Mini and get an external monitor attached to the top of the DJI Ronin to be able to frame properly your shots and see what you’re filming.
By utilzing this setup you will be able to keep both the camera and the gimbal up and running for about an hour, so make sure that you have a bunch of extra batteries for the DJI Ronin if you plan to shoot for a longer period.
Another important consideration is the weight of this combo, so be prepared to take a lot of breaks when shooting as the gimbal and the camera together can be quite hefty. Besides that, this DIY solution seems to be a viable option for users who want to capture some smooth cinematic shots and get through a whole shooting day.
Meanwhile, if you don’t have a PowerTap Plug to 4-pin XLR Right Angle cable you can order one by using the link below.
[via: GritVisual]
B&H Order Links:
URSA Mini 4K Digital Cinema Camera (EF-Mount)
URSA Mini 4.6K Digital Cinema Camera (EF-Mount)
DJI Ronin 3-Axis Brushless Gimbal Stabilizer
Anton Bauer PowerTap Plug (Male) to 4-pin XLR Rt. Angle (Female)
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