My Sony FX3 Handheld Rig

Videography

Jan 3

This camera rig has been over 3 years in the making. Well, not this specifically, but the journey of fine tuning the rig to how how I shoot.

It started with many iterations with my Fujifilm XT3 to XT4 to XH2. Now, with my FX3, it’s my perfect handheld rig for long wedding days or commercial/interview shoots.

The biggest thing when it comes to building out your rig is to make sure you build slowly because these parts add up and can get more expensive than you think.

I recommend getting the basics, like a cage (Smallrig has been what I’ve been using on all my cameras) and a top handle.

From there, you can see what type of shooter and how much bulk you care to deal with depending on the type of shooting you do.

As I started to shoot more weddings, I learned that I prefer handheld rather than gimbals. Not only for the look, but because I can get more dynamic shots, I can shoot quicker and for battery/ergonomic reasons.

The monitor helps provide a larger screen to see my focus, but also helps reduce stress on my neck from craning down too much.

The v-mount battery gives me peace of mind knowing I don’t need to swap batteries as much during the wedding day, so one less thing to worry about. Given how fast things move on wedding days, you need to be sharp and catch the moments rather than worrying about gear.

Having the cage and battery extend the backend of the camera helps give me a base to rest or cradle against my Peak Design sling. This helps reduce fatigue during long sustained shots like ceremony, first looks or speeches. It also gives me another point of contact to help stabilize the shot.

And I love shooting with a top handle. Helps for low shots, giving a floaty, but stable look, and a good way to hold the camera as I move around during the day.

I go into more detail in the video, so I hope you find it useful!

Keep creating,

Tuan