Review on 🎥 FILMCITY Shoulder Rig Kit for Cinema Camera / Production Camera 4k (FC-05) with BMCC Cage Rig, Matte Box, and Follow Focus Accessories by Serotonin Collazo

So far I am quite impressed and satisfied with the installation. I just bought a BMCC 2.5k and wanted a setup, looked at everything and decided to give it a try based on the price and all you get with it. Below are my initial thoughts and experiences as I assembled my rig. I'm new to this so experienced people probably won't rely on some of the things I've made, but I see this as a setup for beginners like me to start and learn as they go. So here's my experience, it only took me about 30-45 minutes to put it together and the instructions were pretty accurate. Only hang up was I didn't realize at first that the rails were threaded but came with protective caps and the instructions didn't tell me to remove caps. I was a bit confused when told to plug them in, but it only lasted a few minutes. a minute to find out. Build quality seems pretty good. The only place I'm worried about is the flat joint where the main offset rig connects to the shoulder rest and battery. This piece is plastic and once it's on the ground it looks like it might break eventually so I have to be careful when lowering it to ensure it's properly supported. I bought a Switronix PB70-BMCC to go with it as it is listed as a package and seems to have good reviews but I still haven't figured out how to attach it to the plate. The instructions don't cover this, which I noticed, so I'm guessing I'll have to buy something else to achieve this. Also, the battery cable that comes with the battery is not long enough to reach the camera when attached to the shoulder plate. I had to order an extension cord to make that distance. You'll notice in my picture that I've just strapped the battery to my shoulder pad while waiting for my power strip to arrive. Also, my Rode video mic is not plugged in as I also need to buy a 3.5mm to 1/4" mic. I'm impressed with the quality and feel of the tracking focus. However, I must say that due to the overall weight of the rig, it is very difficult to adjust focus when resting on the shoulder. If you let go of one of the handles, it will become unbalanced and not stay straight. One more thing. I bought a Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 to work with this camera as the BMCC is a crop sensor and I needed a wider shot. I plan on having this as my primary lens, but when used with a matte box and follow focus it gets cluttered because there just isn't enough room. Therefore, the same problem can occur when using shorter lenses. The only other thing with the matte box, and I couldn't figure out what the problem is, is that after I assembled everything, the camera/lens wasn't exactly centered in the matte box's hole, it is just so slightly to the right. If it's close enough to the matte box it's not a problem, but getting the lens that close exacerbates the hood sticking problem. I hope I just misunderstood something and it's not a design issue. I'm pretty short at 5ft 7in so my reach is short. Where this comes into play is when used as a shoulder rig. If the shoulder pad is pushed further back to get a better view of the screen, my arms are stretched quite far and my arms wear out pretty quickly. back to see the screen better so my eyes and neck get tired. I think that's just a small person's problem, and I think I'll find a middle ground.