Carbon Fibre Car Rig Bulk Buy?

rG-tom · 14 Apr 2011 at 00:23

Hey guys,

I'm in the middle of sorting out a car rig for myself, and hit a stumbling block; I can't find a decently priced, carbon fibre telescopic boom for use in this. I don't want aluminum as it bows too much unless you go to large enough diameters to make it inportable (ie i did a shoot this weekend and all my gear had to fit in a porsche 911....a 5x1m telescopic pole fits, the equiv needed in alu wouldnt).

The cheapest purpose made boom i could find was £490, which is more than i want to spend on just the pole.

I work for an engineering company and have contacted a trade supplier and managed to get a decent price on one custom made for me, but with one hiccup; There is a minimum order qty of 20, which is a little overkill for me!

SO basically, I'm wondering if there'd be much interest.

I'd be thinking of doing 2 options, just the pole, or a full kit, as i know a few of us already have the clamps and suction cups etc.

Option 1:
The full kit would comprise of: 2x manfrotto pump suction cups with swivel spigots, 3x manfrotto super clamps, a manfrotto magic arm and the 5m 5 section CF pole. All told, it'd be about £500 (need to firm up prices and see if i can get any bulk buy discounts)

Option 2:
Second option would be the pole on its own, and pending a final quotation it'd be about £200 by the time id got them to me and back out the door again.

So, anyone interested? I need 19 people (going to be scoping other places too as it's unrealistic to think 19 people here would need a 5m CF pole

)

EDIT: List of interested parties:

1) Tom (rG-tom): Full kit
2) Jake (Phate):Full kit
3) Andy (GSXRMovistar) : Full kit
4) Gaffer: Full kit
5) Ken (Schizophonic): Full kit

Tomsk · 14 Apr 2011 at 08:44

If your workplace can manufacture suitable brackets, why not double up on smaller diameter aluminium poles?

rG-tom · 14 Apr 2011 at 08:45

because it's messier, a single collapsable carbon fibre pole is going to be the lightest, most elegant solution thats the quickest to set up

Phate · 14 Apr 2011 at 08:59

Well you know I would be interested.

List starting:

1) Tom
2) Jake

Stupot_ · 14 Apr 2011 at 13:27

I can't say I've seen any DIY rigs made from carbon fibre...

I know it's not as elegant but couldn't you just brace it? Lots of people just put an angle in the pole and then brace with cable. Would be a hell of a lot cheaper and if you get it right could take seconds to put up!

Edit: or get creative with string

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18115822

rG-tom · 14 Apr 2011 at 13:37

thats it, i dont want it to be DIY crap. I'd only save ~100 from the price by going for alu, so why not get the CF when you're spending this much anyway. Also, the one you've shown there is $950, so my rig is cheaper.

Also that isnt a collapsable pole, so it takes 4x more space to carry, and you have to faff bolting it together at location. my pole will twist open like a monopod and lock into place.

GSXRMovistar · 14 Apr 2011 at 13:49

Hmm price is a little steep but I am interested so,

1) Tom (rG-tom)
2) Jake (Phate)
3) Andy (GSXRMovistar)

Stupot_ · 14 Apr 2011 at 14:22

rG-tom said:
thats it, i dont want it to be DIY crap. I'd only save ~100 from the price by going for alu, so why not get the CF when you're spending this much anyway. Also, the one you've shown there is $950, so my rig is cheaper.

Also that isnt a collapsable pole, so it takes 4x more space to carry, and you have to faff bolting it together at location. my pole will twist open like a monopod and lock into place.

All I was saying is that I haven't seen any CF ones. This suggests that aluminium would be perfectly adequate.

The one I showed you was an example of how it could be braced, not how much you need to spend. Having an angle could make it a lot more versatile than a collapsible pole, i.e. you could hinge it and shorten/lengthen the cable to raise/lower the camera.

rG-tom · 14 Apr 2011 at 14:33

hmm i see what you mean on the hinge PoV. The brackets do have balls on them anyway, so you can alter the angle of the pole via them, but having a hinged piece would be a nice idea, perhaps a sheath could be developed to hole the extending pole.

will have to think it through, but obviously adding complexity = more fail points and more ££

rG-tom · 14 Apr 2011 at 14:33

GSXRMovistar said:
Hmm price is a little steep but I am interested so,

1) Tom (rG-tom)
2) Jake (Phate)
3) Andy (GSXRMovistar)

Please say if you want option 1 or 2, ie full kit or just pole so i can get an idea

PS for saying it's expensive, ive just added all the bits to basket on warehouseexpress and my estimates were about right £296 of parts before the Pole. Hopefully with a bulk buy ill be able to knock 10-15% off this to bring it down to say £450

glitch · 14 Apr 2011 at 15:04

rG-tom said:
I don't want aluminum as it bows too much unless you go to large enough diameters to make it inportable (ie i did a shoot this weekend and all my gear had to fit in a porsche 911....a 5x1m telescopic pole fits, the equiv needed in alu wouldnt).

Are you always going to be travelling in a 911? Assuming that's not your car, wouldn't you have your own vehicle for transporting you to and from the shoot and doing any chase/follow/motion shots from?

In which case, why spend hundreds on something ultra-portable when the 'work' car is going to be taking the strain?

Gaffer · 14 Apr 2011 at 15:08

Mark me down as "very interested" in the whole kit.

I would like to understand the spec of the boom. There might be other applications (and therefore, other buyers...)

Andrew

rG-tom · 14 Apr 2011 at 15:09

glitch said:
Are you always going to be travelling in a 911? Assuming that's not your car, wouldn't you have your own vehicle for transporting you to and from the shoot and doing any chase/follow/motion shots from?

In which case, why spend hundreds on something ultra-portable when the 'work' car is going to be taking the strain?

even my car can't take anything longer than 1.5m due to it being a saloon

rG-tom · 14 Apr 2011 at 15:10

Gaffer said:
Mark me down as "very interested" in the whole kit.

I would like to understand the spec of the boom. There might be other applications (and therefore, other buyers...)

Andrew

Will let you know once ive got it back from the manufacturer.

Schizophonic · 14 Apr 2011 at 15:31

Interested

1) Tom (rG-tom)
2) Jake (Phate)
3) Andy (GSXRMovistar)
4) Ken (Schizophonic)

Got any pictures to show what it might look like?

rG-tom · 14 Apr 2011 at 16:50

2x

3x

1x

and then imagine a 5m telescopic carbon fibre pole!

Esentially this kind of idea:

But with a pole that doesnt deflect like that.

Tom.

Gaffer · 14 Apr 2011 at 16:50

Oi! Get in line!

1) Tom (rG-tom)
2) Jake (Phate)
3) Andy (GSXRMovistar)
4) Gaffer
5) Ken (Schizophonic)

rG-tom · 14 Apr 2011 at 16:52

Guys, all full kits?

mcc49 · 14 Apr 2011 at 17:04

1) Tom (rG-tom)
2) Jake (Phate)
3) Andy (GSXRMovistar)
4) Gaffer
5) Ken (Schizophonic)
6) mcc49

full kit, depending on price £500 might be stretching it abit too much

Gaffer · 14 Apr 2011 at 17:10

rG-tom said:
2x

But with a pole that doesnt deflect like that.

I think that a carbon pole in 5 sections will also bend like that.

I'll bet this stuff is light, very stiff and reasonably priced:

http://www.lattix.net/

Andrew