IndiSystem's UlTRAcompact: Product Review

When I was researching different shoulder rigs to mount my Canon Rebel T2i, I came across the Ultra Compact Shoulder rig, produced by IndiSystem. I however couldn't find any reviews on the product, so I thought this might be helpful to many people.

Preface: When I review products on my blog, the opinions provided are souly mine, and not influenced by any affiliations with companies or individuals. I will not endorse a product which I would not personally recommend or use. Now, on to the review.

Introduction

If your in a hurry, here's the quick and dirty review: I'd really like to reccommend this product, because it is very affordable, I like to support small businesses, which IndiSystem seems to be, and the design is great on paper. However, in practice, it doesn't live up to my expectations. Although I have learned how to work around specific failings of the original design, I often find myself wishing I had saved some more money and purchased a better rig. It's possible that I received a product with defects, but based on some comments I've seen on other blogs, I think it is the quality of manufacturing overall, not my specific item.

For those interested, I will list the good and bad features of the Ultra Compact, and you can then decide for yourself if it's for you.

The Good

At $300.00, the Ultra Compact is by far one of the most affordable, and reconfigurable DSLR shoulder mounts available on the consumer market. The system includes two adjustable forward handles, an adjustable shoulder pad with mounts for counter weights, a "C" handle for mounting accessories, or doing low angle hand held shots, carbon fiber rails, a proper video plate with forward/backward adjustment for balance, and an adjustable base plate for mounting to a tripod or rasing and lowering the camera body in relation to the support rails (nice feature when using a follow focus and different sixed lenses).

The rig folds rather small, and although heavier then I expected, when in use, the weight is not noticible, and helps make for a smoother shot. The camera mounts quickly to video plate, and stays secure to the rig. There are many adjustments which can be made to make room for a follow focus or a matte box, and the camera can be easily positioned to mount and LCD viewfinder.

Once you get the rig adjusted to your body, it really makes a difference in shooting handheld footage, Minimizing a large amount of shake.

The Bad

It took nearly three weeks for me to receive my shoulder rig, as opposed to the expected one week estimated in my confirmation email. I called customer care several times before getting a hold of someone. Jim, the man I spoke to was very kind and apologetic, but I got the sense he is opporating a one man business out of his garage or work shop. I commend him for his efforts, but think he needs some help to meet the expectations of DSLR film makers.

The quick release knobs are nearly impossible to securely tighten, and the forward handles always seem to have a bit of wobble in them. I've been building bicycles for 10 years, so I'm pretty sure it's not my grip that's the issue. The inability to securely tighten these knobs means that parts of the rig shift during opperation. At times it's a bit frightening because it feels like your about to drop the entire rig.

The baseplate meant to mount to a tripod comes with the standard 1/4 20 threading, however, if you only use a single 1/4 20 screw, the rig will rock back and forth on the tripod, even if the tripod is locked down. I tried using two screws on the tripod quick release plate, but the holes on are so close together that they screw heads end up brushing against eachother and loosening up over time. Had the two 1/4 20 mounts on the rig's base plate been spread slightly further apart, this wouldn't been an issue.

The shoulder pad looks like it would be comfortable, but something is just not right. I can't put my finger on it. I think if it were a little longer, and a little wider, it would rest comfortably on your shoulder, but now, I find I'm readjusting in between shots to try and find the sweet spot.

Conclusion

The IndiSystem Ultra Compact shoulder rig proves the saying true; "you get what you pay for".

Although it is very affordable, and many of the issues can be dealt with, you will always feel the desire to have a better, more solid rig to work with. Rather then buying the Ultra Compact, it would be best to save your money and buy from a larger, more established company like Zacuto.

When you purchase from a larger company, there will be plenty of reviews and opinions to help guide your purchase, and you will have more people to help you out should you have a problem.

I really hate to give this product a bad review. Jim strikes me as a very nice person, and he has a lot of good designs, it just seems that he needs some help in the manufacturing department, as well as quality control. If this article get's back to him, or any one at IndiSystem, I hope they will use it to produce better quality products.

Furthermore, if anyone else has purchased this product or similar products from IndiSystem, please let me know about your experience with it. As I haven't seen any other reviews of their products, I can't yet be sure that this review is based on a flawed item, or if it reflects the overall quality of their product. Should I discover that I got the oddball wobbly shoulder rig, I will seek to exchange mine for a new one, and rewrite this review.

Adrien Brody and a Murderous Band Of Multicultural Miscreants, A Review Of Preditors

Preface: I will not be revealing any specific details about the plot, merely critiquing the film in general, so no spoiler alert needing.

Predators: "When Adrien Brody and a murderous band of multicultural miscreants find themselves in an extra terrestrial game preserve, it will be a battle for survival that's truly out of this world"

It is an action packed sequel which remains true to the precedents set by the original 1987 movie staring Arnold Schwarzenegger, while being modern enough to invite a new generation of fans.

After seeing the last two Alien vs. Predator movies, I was pretty skeptical, but Robert Rodriguez, if nothing else, did 5 things that made this an awesome addition to the Predator collection.

1. He Brought Back the Original Music: One thing that ruins sequels for me is when a new director picks up the franchise, and decides to change the theme music. Terminator Salvation did it, as well as many others. Robert Rodriguez did not! The scoring in Predator, staring Arnold Schwarzenegger, worked. It brought you to the edge of your seat, got your heart pumping, and got you standing up to cheer for the good guys at the end. As the saying goes "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Sitting in the theater last night and hearing that music, brought back all the memories and feelings from when I saw the first movie, which was an awesome feeling. Using the original score was a good choice.


2. the Plot was True to the Original: Much like Predator, and Predator II, this film was about some badass guys, who while in the middle of doing their job, encounter some mean alien hunters, and now have to load up the big guns and kick some ass. Even though most of us aren't badasses like Arnold or Danny Glover, we can relate to a guy trying to do his job, and trying to save his life.


3. The CGI was Tastefully Done: One of the most amazing things about the original Predator was how real everything was. With the exception of the predators cloaking device everything was real. The monster was a tall guy in a well built rubber suit. The explosions where actual explosions, and the guns fired blank rounds. It was immersing because there wasn't anything to remind you that you were watching a movie. Many times CGI can be in your face and distracting. This was not the case in Predators. There are some moments when the CGI is apparent, but they are few and far between, and blend well with the movie.


4. Callbacks to the Original: A lot of modern sequels are starting to include the iconic/now cliche one liners from the original. For example, Terminator Salvation's use of "I'll be back" and "come with me if you want to live". Some times it's cute and funny, most times it's causes everyone in the theater to proclaim "ugh!" Predators makes similar callbacks, but with less cliche lines. It reminds you of where the film has come from, without making you think "Arnold said it better"


5. Adrien Brody vs. Arnold: There's no denying that Adrien Brody has nothing on Arnold in terms of body build. Although Arnold was savvy in Predator, there's no denying that being built like a refridgerator was is main advantage. The character development for Adrien was brilliant. To make up for his lack of muscle, he is very witty, and one step ahead of the game. Well, it seems that he's done some bulking up too, but it's his wit that is his best tool, not his strength.

Conclusion: See this film. It will not disappoint. The interplay of the characters is well done, and often humorous. If you were a fan of the 1987 movie, the soundtrack will delightfully remind you of the Arnold setting boobie traps and covering himself in mud. The CGI is present, but not overwhelming. Adrien Brody sets the bar for the new class of hero; steroid free, lean, fast and intelligent. All and all, a great movie going experience, which is so rare these days.

If you've seen the movie, let me know what you think in the comments down below.

A look at the New Zoom H1

While browsing the web today I saw that Zoom is releasing the new H1 at the end of the month. Being that I'm not a super cool tech reviewer, I haven't gotten my hands on one yet, but from reading the specs on it, here's my two cents.

It looks like a great option for the novice, or budget film maker. For $100 you are able to record audio separately from video, a huge advantage for any film maker, particularly when recording to a tape based media. Why you might ask? Because the motors and gears in tape based camcorders tend to leave a lot of hum and buzz in your audio which is a pain in the butt to clean up. Having someone else record audio also means you have someone to monitor sound levels.

There's 3 things which should be considered before running out and buying this. Believe me, at that price, it's easy to just drop the cash. First, figure out what mics you already have. If they are all mini 3.5mm jacks, then your in business as that's what the mic input is on the H1. Secondly, do you think you may use XLR mics in the future. Sure you could find ways to adapt your gear in the future, but I'm of the mind set "buy once, buy right". In short, I try and buy products that will grow with needs. Third, how do you feel about the Micro SD card medium? Personally, I'm not crazy about it. Working with the T2i, I'm using SD, and SDHC cards, and many of my other gadgets also use SD/SDHC cards, meaning I have tons of cards laying around that I can use interchangeably with my gear.

Granted, it wouldn't be much trouble to stock up on some Micro cards, but, they would only be used for that device. If I'm going to spend the money, I'd rather it be on something I can use with my other gear.

Well, thats my rant for the day. If you guys have some thoughts on it, I'd love to hear them. Just drop me a comment down below.