Shoulder mount (1 Viewer)

After 2 months in Africa bouncing around in the back of an open 4X4 I decided an alternative to a monopod was needed. Most of the images taken required grab shots of wildlife 360O around and above the vehicle. Or shooting in difficult situations like bush and jungle when there is no time or room for monopods. Camera needed constant manipulation of exposure and in and out of auto focus. After searching the internet for a shoulder mount I found no usable off the shelf solutions. Some would be steady but no ability to manipulate the camera, some too heavy, or unwieldy…… I inherited a chest mount for a video camera and added a shoulder support. It’s not ideal but its light and works well. Enables slower shutter speeds – steady shooting. Happy to take a look at any commercial mounts if some one knows of a workable alternative.

Stephen

Your rig looks functionally identical to my Kaiser 6004 shoulder mount. I doubt if they are still in product - got mine off e-Bay and the style of the photography in the instruction leaflet and on the box suggests it's circa 1970's but a quick Google hasn't thrown anything up although the company seems to still be in business - they have products listed on the warehouse express site, so you could probably contact them if you wanted to check this out further..

John

Do a search for "bushhawk", this is what many use in the States.
regards.

http://www.bushhawk.com/

The above site have all kinds of shoulder mounts as I4ani above said, they look quite good as well, I have one, which I got from a guy on here CLAYMORE It fits a either the 350D or 400D with remote shutter cable with trigger release.

Kaiser Shoulder pod

Hi Stephen,
Here's a photo of the Kaiser Shoulder pods i convert, they work best with lenses upto 500mm (Mine has my Sigma 50-500mm fitted in the photo)
I have also included a pdf file with instructions on how to do the conversion, you can convert them for many camera's providing they have a plug in socket for remote release. I buy the Kaisers if i see them on Ebay as they don't make them anymore (they also made identical ones using other names so its worth keeping an eye out for them) At the moment I'm selling a Kaiser pistol grip (not shoulder pod) which is converted for use with Canon 350d/400d/450d/1000d, these are great when used with a monopod.
They work a treat and I find the trigger is very smooth to use.
Your best bet is to find one on Ebay etc and buy the correct wired remote release from china (cheapest place to find them) and then use my instructions to convert it for your camera. If you need any tips regarding how to do it then give me a shout. You should be able to do it for less than £30.00 which is quite a bit cheaper than a Bushhawk
Hope this helps
Cheerio
BrianB

Thanks for the help. I found a shoulder mount similar to mine on http://www.cullmann-foto.de/en/products/tripods/travelpods/0080.htm.
The table tripods legs rotate to form a shoulder stock. The week link on my shoulder mount is the quick release attachment. It needs regular tightening. The Cullmann looks a bit more robust. I have inquired with Cullmann for a local agent but failing that I can import one from Scotland!!!
Thanks to Claymore for the detailed instructions. Tried to find Kaiser 6004 shoulder mount on Google and EBay with no luck. I will try again.

I took a look at the Bushhawk but one of the reviews I read raised a couple of issues. Weight and hands on the mount and not the camera. It struck a cord with me as I was making constant adjustments to exposure and focus. However I could use it as I do with mine with the added benefit of the hand grip when time is available.
Thanks to all those who added messages. It’s great to know that people around the world are prepared to take the time to help.

Finally got around to getting a Cullmann Shoulder pod. http://www.cullmann-foto.de/en/products/tripods/travelpods/0080.htm Solid construction and well made unit. Relatively light and allows a much steadier hold. Hands on the camera for fast adjustments. Comes quickly to sighting position and although a tripod or monopod might get crisper shots once they're ready, for grab shots they're not in the race. Would definitely take it on my next African Safari. Great for grabbing shots from a safari 4X4.