I've built a fair share of rigs, but this one is brilliant. I also like that you show the journey of testing stuff that didn't work that well instead of just showing the completed rig.
Thank you very much! I thought it might be interesting to some people to see why I setup the way I did and the different options I went through to get there.
Dang, love the idea of this setup. Only thing that I wish this video had was a quick example of footage using this rig with some different focal lengths (I've got an XT3, so not having IBIS with handheld is a bigger deal).
The reason you need a full internal battery is because you're not providing enough power with the usb port. At 5v/2.1a you're only looking at a little over 10w. To reliably power the x-t4 fully you need a little over 20w. Every time the camera requires more power than you can provide over usb, it will pull extra power from the internal battery.
you're totally right! thanks for sharing this info. I finally got a v-mount battery with USB-C PD and it works perfectly to power the camera since it delivers enough wattage/amps. this one works well for me: geni.us/Power26800
Man I can’t tell you how much I love this setup, I’ve been looking at the xt4 ever since the rumors and for quite a while my dream camera, seeing this video just made me love it even more and how you got it set.... man! Wish I could afford it haha, for right now I’ll be borrowing my friends camera for my film or photography. Keep it up!
thanks man! It's honestly such a great camera and i've been really happy with the rig build out these past few months. Don't worry, keep saving up you're money and you'll get the camera and rig you want eventually. every paid shoot can roll back into investing in your self.
Thanks for the heads up on the Small Rig Swivel Plate and the tiny V-Mount plate. It's getting to the point where SmallRig has so many accessories and parts, it's hard to keep up with all that they come out with. Pretty much building your rig here with one of our X-T3s and you had a lot of good insights as to how and why you used specific parts.
yeah, it really is hard to keep up with all of the different parts they offer now! it's a good and a bad problem to have cause I keep buying more stuff haha! That's awesome, good luck on your X-T3 rig build!!
That was an AWESOME rig. Also, you did a great job of showing how you problem-solved your way to the solution. Even the details like putting the v-mount on the wrong way to illustrate why you like it the other way. Great video great rig!
hey thanks so much! I've been really happy with the way the rig turned out and how useful it's been. Yeah, i figured it might be interesting for some people to see why I did or didn't power the camera in different ways with the vmount.
Would swap my X-T3 for X-T4 just because of this new cheap smallrig cage. They've dropped the prices for the newer SKUs drastically. Chadwin, great video, as always!
Yeah! It’s so weird, SmallRig has been making all of their new cages much cheaper than they used to be. And their designs have gotten much better, I’m loving the new SKU’s too. X-T3 is still a great camera though, so I’d prob hang on to it 😎
this is really really good, wow, you're a genius with the v mount battery trick. this is one of the most practical build i have seen in a while. definitely need to try it with my eos r
Hi Chadwin. I went to purchase the SmallRig Mini V-Lock Assembly Kit (part MD2801) and they didn’t have it. I wound up getting the plate you had ( SmallRig V-Lock Assembly Kit. (part 1846)) and mounting it to the hinge. I found that it not only sits high enough so I don’t have to turn the Mini V-mount Battery upside down, but also allows me to use full size V Mount battery as well.
haha thanks! Trust me, even I was impressed with the setup once I was done putting it together. I've been wanting the a6600, it seems like the perfect youtube camera.
Really love how compact this is but I would warn you that the v-mount batteries can and will slip out of their lock if you accidentally apply pressure to them. You may be better off mounting the larger smallrig vmount plate to get the additional height you require.
Yeah man, this build out is just so small and compact, I've really been loving it! The other buildout you've been working from is great too, but for other reasons like using a powerbank.
I almost clicked away early in the video when it sounded like this was going to be tailored to the XT4 only. But by the end I can see this working with most any mirrorless setup!!
that's awesome! I'm glad to hear that the powerbank did work for you. there are a lot of ways to rig up and power the xt4, this is just one option haha
@@chadwin i have done alittle, i made a video where i had a green screen and i green screened a volcano behind me and talked about it in my best documentary voice xd 😆
Hi Chadwin! Thanks so much for your rig reviews. I was 2/3 of the way to something like this, trying hard to keep things compact, but did not know of this battery and plate so a huge thanks! Powering the Ninja V with large batteries has always been annoying as it makes the rig imbalanced, great to have one battery for all power! On that note - do you have to worry about power regulation from D-Tap to Ninja or USB to USB C on the camera? I know some cables come with regulators but if - in your experience - things are working fine then all seems well! Keep up the great work thanks again.
This video was super helpful, I know It was sent a long time ago now but will this battery work with the xt5, it would be great if there was a video for a compact xt5 rig!!
the camera battery will not "re-charge" per say while the camera is turned on, however it will draw power from the external battery source. Eventually both battery sources will be depleted. It's a little bit strange but that's how Fuji designed it.
Chadwin Smith gotcha! So even tho there is no indicator of it charging there is still power going to it👍🏾 and this is for any power bank or just a powerbank with PD?
The Orlando Guy 😂 yeah, I should start just rigging people’s cameras for a small fee of donuts and a mtn dew. 🍩 haha! If I ever get my hands on the EOS R5, I’ll definitely rig it out and share that with you.
Pat McDonnell thanks! I’ll keep making them as longs as people keep finding them useful. I’m just using a basic x mount to EF Mount adapter from Amazon, around $20. I usually record sound separately, but you can easily though a shotgun mic or lav mic onto the cold shoe
The name is Stefan. I'm searching for the meaning of life. I believe the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow is about 24 miles per hour. I do get the reference and I love you for it. Cheers for the awesome vid :)
I really like the mini vmount setup. Do you know of any similar hinge setups that would have longer rails? (suppose you want to add a follow focus setup that needed rails)
Hey Chadwin. I've returned back to this video many times - it's wonderful, thank you. A question - If I wanted to put an external mic on this particular rig, how would you suggest making space for it?
thanks! Yes, you can easily unscrew the 15mm rod connector adapters that go inside. but the actual 15mm rod stumps that stick out of the hinges cannot be removed
Awesome informative video - currently in the process of making a similar rig with a lot of the components you've incorporated here. Quick question, does that YINCHEM Mini Pocket Compact Battery 99Wh 14.4V V-Mount come with a charger included? If not, do you have a reasonably priced option you could suggest? Thanks in advance dude - killer content on here
Daniel Nathan thanks for watching! Sounds like you’re putting together a sweet rig. When I got the yinchem battery it did come with a d-tap charger, but I don’t see it listed on the Amazon description, so I couldn’t guarantee it. Most dtap chargers are pretty cheap, look up the Kastar one amazon, around $25
Leon Fontius Thank you man! Yes, it’s been a while since I’ve had time to make a short film so I really wanna make one again soon. Stay tuned, maybe this fall for Halloween 🎃 👻
I'm looking to do a similar rig with fewer attachments on my xt4. Gonna mostly shoot on a tripid with it and be buying more gear as i go throughout the year. To get me started, would you recommend getting the smallrig baseplate/quick release? The one you use here? Or another model? All that I'm looking to shoot with, for now, is going to be a cage, sidemount handle, and matte box and expanding with an external monitor and battery solution in the future. Just not sure how much stuff I really need to get started. Thanks!
Yeah, I made another rig where I powered the X-T4 off of a powerbank and it would recharge it while shooting! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-XRZmjohka9o.html
@@chadwin The FxLion Nano ONE or TWO both have USB-C PD out and in. Plus running your camera this way with an actual battery in it, while it is charged, allows for V Mount battery replacement without disruption. And now with A7SIII having a PD USB-C port, it can actually be charged faster than it can use the battery.
hey Chadwin, Thanks for this excellent guide. Can this rig be plugged into the wall, via USB-A, while powering the the XT-4 from USB-C and a monitor from the D-tap port?
Do you find that the 5v trickle from the external battery is enough to keep the camera running without draining the internal battery (even on longer takes)? I was also looking at using the andycine NP-F battery plate to use NP-F batteries with PD but I'm a little concerned about the trustworthiness of that piece of gear and don't want to fry the camera. So if the 5v trickle works fine I think I'll just stick with that.
The 5V trickle works, but does still drain your internal battery. Instead I’d get a v-mount battery with USBC-PD or a power bank with USBC PD, shouldn’t fry your camera since I think they only go up to 18v which is what Fuji recommends for USBC power I believe. But double check of course!
I’m looking to create a very budget friendly camera rig setup. I’ve seen several of your videos and am quite impressed with how you think all things through. I’m going to be doing run and gun style videography on the scenes of fires for the volunteer fire company I am a member of. I’ve always done photojournalistic work for them but want to change to video with a new setup and not affecting my current cameras. I was really liking this Fuji setup but was wondering if it could be adapted to less expensive camera models like the Canon M for example? Do you have a suggestion for a true low budget system to start from?
Hi, thanks for this nice video! I travel internationally and need the smallest set up possible. I use the Sony a6600 with assorted lenses and will be buying a weebill S. Thanks, again!
P F nice!! Having a small setup for traveling internationally is a must! You could definitely do this same setup but with the a6600. I really wanna try the Weebill S, I’ve seen such great things about it.
Bryan Murphy they’re worth it!! I usually use a d-tap charger through the d-tap port, but i also have a v-mount charger that sometimes I’ll slide them onto. Both work
Great video, thank you! Quick question - have you had any issues with the cable clamp? It looks like you need to bend the rubber flap back quite far to get it to fit, and I'm concerned about it breaking.
Thx for the video and the inspiring rig build. I just bought the x-T4 and now building my rig nearly the same as you. But I cant geht the small V-Mount battery anywhere. Any alternative small battery you can suggest to buy?
haha! Yeah, that handle is small and metal so it's not very comfy. I love how low profile it is though and it just gives me a nice place to hold onto. Luckily there are tons of other top handle options and I bet you can easily return it!
Alan Tutt yeah, I usually do most my audio recording separately on a Zoom, but if I needed a shotgun mic, I’d add a cold shot mount to the side or far end of that cage and throw my Rode mic on.
hey thanks! I hope it helps. Yeah, I use 2 different d-tap charges. This on for travel: geni.us/dtapCharger and this one for my home studio: geni.us/vmounts
@@chadwin Thank you so much, I am actually doing the same set up for FXT3 with the battery grip. I am definitely going with the travel charger first. FYI, with battery grip, when charging, the icon charger will not appear on screen but somehow the indicator green light appears showing that it is charging. But if I take the two batteries out from the grip and still has one inside the camera, the charging icon appears. Hope this will help for some folks who has the battery grip with the camera rigs. Thanks again.
Looking forward to the A7SIII which has a PD USB-C port and for the first time can be charged faster than it can deplete the battery. So even when I need to change V Mount Batteries, will still not stop recording. But your Ninja V will stop recording you say? Oh contraire mon frère, I use the Atomos (aka TCS) AtomX Sync for not just Timecode, but also it has a small battery in it, which gives you 5 mins or more of recording time on the Ninja V while you swap out your V Mount batteries (I went with the FXLion Nano Two battery btw, which has PD USB-C out). that way, I can be right in the middle of recording and not loose my camera or my Ninja V while I swap (I will be using the Sony XLR-K3M for 4 channel digital audio 24bit straight into the camera with no cables or batteries, so even my audio won't stop, which is 2 sets of Rode Wireless Go, Y split int the stereo in and 2 XLR mics the MKH-416 and the one that comes with that K3M as backup to the 416). Gotta give me credit if you pop out a video on this setup before me, lol. Will be Sept 24th at the earliest for me. If you don't give me credit, "I'll bite your leg off", lmao
you Can do it without, but your internal battery will slowly drain since the trickle charge isn't enough. I've since upgraded to a vmount battery with USBC PD
Love this rig! I'm working on something similar myself. Does the hinge mount have a thread in it so that you could extend it and have rods for a follow focus system on the front of the camera?
you can still had 15mm rod to this and add a follow focus. if you don't need wireless, than just use a manual follow focus. i dont know of any electronic ones that aren't wireless....
Can the V Mount battery actually power the camera though? I have an XT3 and the size and weight distribution looks perfect, but if it can't power the camera I'll stick to the anker powercore, even if it is more awkward!
Same question here! This setup is awesome but I'm concerned if powering up the XT4 with USB is reliable enough to take it on a paid shoot with clients. Do you know if there's any similar V-mount battery this size but with USB-C power delivery?
Between the X-T4 and the a6500, what camera do you think has better full HD? From what I have seen on the internet I have the impression sony's APS-C cameras have bad 1080p, would you agree? In that case, does it improves on full sensor Sony cameras? Thanks in advance!
I very rarely shoot in 1080p on the a6500. Only during livestreams and live events really. It performs fine, but the 4k is way better of course! 1080p is much better on full frame a7s yes. I've used 1080p on Xt4 a tiny bit, but not much so idk that I can make a good comparison yet.
Nice setup. But I have a question for you tho. What did you do with the HDMI rubber cover on the left side of the camera body? I purchased the same cage and the cable clamp but the HDMI cover seems to get in the way.
DKH ART thanks man! And yes, I ACTUALLY ran it for 4.5 hrs. I put it on my desk at work, Turned on the cam and ninja v and recorded in 24FPS 4k pro res continuously. The battery really lasted that long 👍🏻
Chadwin Smith That’s great! Because I also have xt-4 and didn’t have chance to record for that long. And I also thought that it might overheat. Thanks for letting me know 🙏🏻
Wait, since the 15 Mill rods are placed in the back. Does that mean you can’t add a followe focus on this set up since the rods are already in place for the battery
yes it should work. just out links in desc. though. should be a list of compatible batteries and cams officially from fuji there. id check compatibility and power output before ever plugging anything in.
I heard that the HDMI clamp isn't good cos the flaps are in the way, according to a B&H review. Will the clamp cause any stress on the flaps? Can I just keep the cage + HDMI clamp on at all times?
you can simply bend the rubber flaps back out of the way, then i attach the HDMI clamp over the top and its totally out of the way. works fine with the hdmi lock and cage if you do it that way
Hi Chadwin, thank you for these videos, i'm nearly done with how I wanna rig out my X-T4. Question though: As i like the battery setup from this setup A LOT! I'd like to combine it with the Nucleus Nano from your other X-T4 video. Will the 'SmallRig Baseplate with Dual 15mm Rod clamp 1674' be mountable underneath the Nucleus Nano baseplate with rod? I thought that might work: From top to bottom: X-t4 - Nano baseplate - SmallRig baseplate Rod clamp.
Brian da Graca awesome man! Sounds like you’re getting your rig all setup the way you want it. Yes, that should work fine! I’ve put the nucleus Nano baseplate under my camera and on top of many different baseplates without any issues. 👍🏻