Shooting with compact cameras – or Blackmagic’s so-called 4K and 6K “pocket cameras” in this case – usually involves building some kind of rig. You could build the Ultimate Rig with every little bit you may need or want. Or, you could opt for a more lightweight and still effective minimal setup.
As videographer Arber Baqaj points out, once you start building these rigs up you end up with a camera that is not so “pocketable” anymore. Baqaj takes some time in this video to show off his minimalist setup that works in run-and-gun situations.
Building a rig with a smaller footprint and still keeping your kit doing everything you need is still a challenge. To start, instead of opting for a full cage, Baqaj uses a lightweight plate with a few key accessories. One thing to think about adding onto that is an SSD holder. For easier moving around, he also picked up a handle that slides into the cold shoe.
This should be a good essential kit that provides a ton of mounting points for customization later on.
Next on Baqaj’s list is perhaps not surprising to anyone who has used a Blackmagic Pocket Camera: a new monitor. The camera’s rear screen is good for a lot of reasons, but is also lacking in some key ones, such as brightness.
Mounted via the handle’s cold shoe, the FeelWorld LUT7 featured in the video is a nice bright and large screen with a variety of features.
For power, he uses a Fxlion adapter to fit a V-mount battery to the L-series mount on the monitor. The Fxlion NANO ONE battery pack he uses will power the screen and can output enough power over D-tap to power the camera.
Briefly mentioned earlier, Baqaj moves onto his storage. Going for the Angelbird Match Pack for the BMPCC 6K gives you a 1TB SSD, 512GB CFast 2.0 card, and a mount that slides into any cold shoe. If you get this kit you won’t even need the extra SSD holder.
That is just about it. Obviously you’ll need to decide what kind of lens setup and other specific accessories you will need for your shooting.
What essential accessories would you add to your rig?
Order Links:
- Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K (B&H, Amazon)
- Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K (B&H, Amazon)
- SmallRig 2510 Lightweight Top Plate for BMPCC 6K and 4K (B&H)
- SmallRig BSH2343 Universal SSD Holder (B&H, Amazon)
- SmallRig 2094 Cold Shoe Handle (B&H, Amazon)
- FeelWorld LUT7 7” 4K HDMI Monitor (B&H, Amazon)
- Fxlion NANO ONE V-Mount Battery (B&H, Amazon)
- Fxlion V-Mount to L-Series Battery Adapter (B&H)
- Angelbird Match Pack for BMPCC6K (B&H, Amazon)
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate partner and participant in B&H and Adorama Affiliate programmes, we earn a small comission from each purchase made through the affiliate links listed above at no additional cost to you.
