There are many moments where you have to learn to pack light. That doesn’t mean you should sacrifice overall quality or capabilities of your rig.
If you want to see a good example of a minimalist rig – one that fits into a carry-on and camera bag you can bring on a plane—filmmaker michael tobin is showing off his setup featuring a Pocket 6K Pro and DJI RS 3 Pro.
We get a closer look at everything, including the case he packs it all into. If you are trying to figure out what to do with your gear for your next trip this is a good place to start.
Might as well start with the case itself. This is the LEVEL8 Full Aluminum Carry-On Luggage. It’s a slick-looking case and has some nice details that make using it a more enjoyable experience.
Image Credit: LEVEL8
Inside the bag are a set of LEVEL8 Packing Cubes to keep everything nice and organized.
Alongside all that is his drone – the DJI Air 2S Fly More Combo. The kit is fairly essential since it comes with extra batteries and everything.
Image Credit: LEVEL8
Tucked away in one of the packing cubes is the DJI RS 3 Pro. Taking off the mounting plate and then separating the handle and gimbal leaves you with a fairly compact set of components. To protect the gimbal he packed it with his socks and underwear.
Also packed with the clothes is the Insta360 One R Twin Edition for 360-degree imagery.
For everyday mobile accessories he has his iPhone 13 Pro Max and a MOFT Magsafe Wallet. Also, there is a Google Pixel 6 Pro. To charge his phone and watch there is the Apple MagSafe Duo Charger.
Image Credit: Anker
On his desk he keeps a mobile setup. There is the 12.9” iPad Pro with M1 Chip sitting on an Anker 8-in-1 Tablet Dock. The dock completes the setup with card readers, HDMI, USB, etc. He also uses it as an extended display for his MacBook Pro.
The computer in question is the 2020 13” MacBook Pro with M1 Chip. Plus, you have to have your various card readers and portable SSDs.
For rigging up the camera he has the Tilta Advanced Kit for the Pocket 6K Pro. Then building it up with some accessories, including a SmallRig 15mm to 12mm Rod to hold the follow focus.
Image Credit: Tilta
This all slides into the baseplate mounted to the RS 3 Pro and is well-balanced even though it is going to be maxing out the motors.
One thing that didn’t make the cut was the LiDAR Focusing System. The reason is that it burns through the gimbal battery quickly which doesn’t quite work for light traveling days.
Now for the camera bag. He uses the Peter McKinnon Backpack made by Nomatic. This is what holds the gear for the working days, including the laptop, headphones, and accessories.
Image Credit: Nomatic
The backpack has a bunch of pockets to safely store your other pieces like car keys, IDs, and similar stuff.
Inside there are some nice pouches which hold the various cards, readers, and hard drives. On the other side he keeps things in a zippered pocket. There is a compact Portkeys PT5 Monitor, battery charger, random cables, and the Beastgrip 1.33x Anamorphic Lens and Cage for the iPhone.
An essential accessory is the Peter McKinnon Multi-Tool. It has all the bits and pieces you might need on set for getting your rig together.
The main area of the pack obviously stores the camera and lenses, including a Canon EOS R with 18-135mm Lens next to the Pocket 6K Pro and a set of IRIX Cinema Primes.
To keep things powered there is the Zhiyun-Tech Power Pack. It’ll keep things juiced up.
[source: michael tobin]
Order Links:
- Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro (B&H, Amazon)
- DJI RS 3 Pro Gimbal Stabilizer (B&H, Amazon)
- LEVEL8 Aluminum Carry-On Luggage (Amazon)
- LEVEL8 Packing Cubes (Amazon)
- DJI Air 2S Fly More Combo (B&H, Amazon)
- Insta360 ONE RS Twin Edition (B&H, Amazon)
- Apple MagSafe Duo Charger (B&H, Amazon)
- Apple 13” MacBook Pro (B&H, Amazon)
- Apple 12.9″ iPad Pro (B&H, Amazon)
- Tilta Advanced Kit for Pocket 6K Pro (B&H, Amazon)
- SmallRig 12mm to 15mm Rod Clamp Adapter (B&H, Amazon)
- Canon EOS R Mirrorless Camera (B&H, Amazon)
- Zhiyun-Tech Transmount PowerPlus Battery Power Bank (B&H)
- Nomatic McKinnon 35L Camera Backpack (B&H)
- Portkeys PT5 II 5” HDMI Monitor (B&H, Amazon)
- Beastgrip Pro Series 1.33x Anamorphic Lens (B&H, Amazon)
- IRIX 45mm T1.5 Cine Lens (B&H, Amazon)
- Anker 8-in-1 Tablet Dock (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.
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