My Jag 35 straight rig finally arrived. I’ve attached four pictures of my set up with a smallHD EVF monitor attached.
Review: I was able to play around a little bit with my rig using my smallHD EVF last night. I have to say that smallHD’s DP4 EVF set up is going to be a life saving on hitting focus on the fly. Hands down it’s a great monitor(EVF) for the price. If you shoot news like I do sometimes - the EVF eyepiece will make you feel at home and even without the EVF - the 4.3 DP4 monitor is more than big enough for your focus pulls. If you’re considering this smallHD set up for your rig - just pull the trigger and get it. You won’t regret it.
SmallHD DP4 EVF 4.3 monitor - A MUST BUY.
As for the Jag 35 rig - It’s a little smaller than I expected but it feels really good on the shoulder with it’s sturdy build. Not to mention, the counter weight is a lot heavier than I expected - I’m glad about that. I only had a little time last night to use the rig in my house so my verdict might still be out until I get into the field for a production shoot but my gut tells me I will be very pleased with it. I want the rig to look very clean and not too cluttered so right now my only problem is figuring out where to put my Zoom H4N and wireless mic - I sure wish Jag 35 made a cheese plate that would mount off the back of the rig. This is my next project for the rig.
I also have the Jag 35 - SideKick friction follow focus attached to the rig - no gears needed. Again, I only had a little time to use this last night so the verdict is still out. It’s single rod mountable which is a huge help seeing that I have my smallHD on a single rod mountable as well - gives you a little room to be creative. As the the feel of the Sidekick - not bad - it attaches quickly and detaches quickly if you want to exchange lens which is a plus in a fast paced production environment. I did notice however that when using my Canon 50mm 1.4 - the follow focus wasn’t completely smooth. It would start out smooth but then it would have a sudden stop about midway through the focus range and then it would go back to being smooth. So I figured I’d try it with another one of my lens. I attached my 24-70 2.8 L and it produced an okay focus pull but there was a lag issue as well. I will be keeping an eye on it when I use the two again.
Overall, at the moment I’m very happy with my rig set up and looking forward to it’s first real action in the field.
Jag 35 rig - A sturdy rig that lends a great feel to it on your shoulder. Even though my verdict is still out until I get it into the field - I’m going to say for the price and build - it’s a great buy for the indie shooter.
Jag 35 SideKick follow focus - Verdict is still out only because of the slight lag issue I had with pulling focus. Of course I will update this once I’ve had a chance to use it more.
UPDATE: I had a chance to use the sidekick again yesterday and the results were not good. The lag was still there when pulling focus, a few times it would not even turn the focus ring on the lens at all. The friction wheel on the sidekick even locked up and would not spin. It left black marks on the inside of the focus knob. Jag 35 makes great products. I really like the shoulder rig I got from them but as for the sidekick - I think this particular one that I got from them is a lemon which can happen from time to time when a product is mass produced. I will be sending my sidekick friction follow focus back for a refund. So now the search begins to find a new follow focus to complete my rig.
A side note but very important one - Small HD and Jag 35 both have excellent costumer service - the emails I sent with questions were answered promptly. A big plus in my book for sure.
