DSLR CAT - Shoulder Rig
The DSLR Cat is designed to move the weight of the camera back and over the shoulder, thus making a more well balanced rig that requires less counterweight. The overall result is that the whole rig is lighter, and is less tiring to keep on the shoulder for long periods of time. The downside is that the screen on the DSLR is not visible, so an EVF or external monitor must be used.
The handle of the DSLR Cat is modeled after the handle used by the Aaton cameras, which gives good control of the whole camera rig using only one hand. The other hand is free to control focus, zoom, settings, etc. The handle is 3D printed.
The shoulder pad is made from comfortable leather. It's attached to the rig at the ends, and space is left between the leather and the rig, to suspend the rig over the shoulder, so that no hard surface is touching the top of the shoulder where the weight is bearing down.
There are 2 levels at which the camera can be mounted. The lower level mounts the camera ahead of the shoulder, and leaves more room above the camera. The upper level mounts the camera directly above the shoulder. This is especially useful for zoom lenses, as it balances out the weight better.
The DSLR Cat can also be used for other video cameras, like small handycams. The handcam is positioned further away, so that the flip out screen is visible. The top rail can be used to support a microphone, since most handycams don't have a full size hot shoe.
