The Quick & The Release (Part 4)

Tilta BS-T03 Baseplate Review

 This is the best VCT solution I have seen.  I'm sure something better could be made, since we've sent man to the moon, but I have yet to see any proof that it exists (yet).

The reason I love this is that it is a 15mm rod camera baseplate; shoulder mount; & a VCT adapter all in one.

Essentially it can make nearly any handheld camera (or DSLR, or GoPro, or whatever) into an ENG style shoulder mount style camera.  Granted you need a crap load of accessories (EVF, battery plate, etc.) to make that fully happen, but this baseplate is the foundation to make it all possible.

So lets start with the tour of the Tilta Baseplate & my favorite part: the VCT connectivity...

On the underside you have the VCT style wedge, shoulder pad & rear locater pin dock.  If you loosen two silver screws, you can shift the shoulder pad forward or aft about 20mm.

In case you haven't drank the VCT-14 kool-aid, there are 1/4" 20 & 3/8" 16 threaded holes on the wedge to attach standard tripod adapter plates.

On the top you have a quick release plate with about 80mm of sliding range.  The giant knob is easy to loosen / tighten, & surprisingly doesn't jab you in the neck.  The plate can slide off the back when you hit the blue button, but I find it easier just to loosen it enough to pull it up & off at a slight angle.

If you wanted to remove the entire quick release assembly to mount a different quick release plate or the camera directly to the baseplate, you're probably going to have to drill some new holes.  The two screws that are used to mount the quick release assembly are smaller than 1/4" 20 screws.  So any DIY customization is going to be destructive.

The quick release "T plate" comes with a 1/4" 20 & 3/8" 16 screws along with two more extremely tiny screws.  The 1/4" can go in the "single hole" or in the "trench," the 3/8" screw can only go in the "trench."

There are four holes (two for each of the two tiny screws) that can be used as an anti-twist guide for DSLRs.  (This works on my Canon 7D, but I don't know what other cameras this would or wouldn't work with).

The "T plate" has two patches of rubber for gripping the camera, but it could really use more.  You can swap the "T plate" out & replace with a Manfrotto 357PLV, but when I tested this out, I didn't feel like you could slide the Manfrotto plate well.  It locked in place nicely, but it didn't have that forward / aft motion.

The baseplate comes with a pair of 15mm rods.  On the front & rear you have standard 15mm rod mounts.  Each has about a 30mm range of vertical movement.  You will have to flip the front over to get the full range.  On the rear there are three positions the screws can be set.

The tightening knobs can ratchet (they have a small spring inside) so they won't jam up against something & can be positioned them at your desired angle.


There are only two real negatives I have with the Tilta basepalte.  The first (as mentioned above) is the lack of ability to mount a camera directly to the baseplate w/o the quick release assembly.

The second is availability.  Tilta is a young, growing Chinese based company.  There are a few online retailers around the globe selling Tilta products & some people have ordered direct from the company.  Based in the US, ordering from these international retailers is pricey.

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8/15/2013 Edit: Team Tilta is no more.  The site was here one day & gone the next.  No one responded to e-mails.  No one responded to tweets.  I do not know what happened to them.  I have heard no reports of any of buyers being short changed or of orders being un-fulfilled.  I have read some statements reportedly coming from Tilta on online forums, but I don't believe that they tell the entire story because it doesn't add up with the things that I know.

The good news is ikan is now the exclusive North American Tilta dealer according to ikan's blog and you can purchase some Tilta products directly from ikan or from some of the many official ikan resellers, or at least just B&H Photo.

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In the US, the official dealer is Team Tilta, where I purchased my baseplate.  To be able to browse & order from TeamTilta.com you need an invite from a Team Tilta member to create an account.  This is the reasoning on posted on their site:

"Currently, availability would not be able to support demand if we went with a reseller distribution channel.  It’s been decided we would first offer the product through a direct sale site in hopes of later offering the product line to a broader audience."

If you want an invite to TeamTilta.com send me an e-mail at blog/at/1080z.com & I'll hook you up.

While there are a few products that Tilta makes that not currently on the Team Tilta site, I highly recommend checking them out.  Everyone I've interacted with has been extremely pleasant, they offer free UPS shipping & have very good prices.  I paid only $280 for this baseplate.

Full disclosure: I do not work for Tilta, Team Tilta or any of their associates.  I was not asked, nor compensated to write this review.  However, I did participate in a promotion, open to all Team Tilta members, where I produced a 60 second video review of this baseplate for Team Tilta (where can be found on their site or on my YouTube channel) to receive a 50% off coupon.

The Quick & The Release (Part 3)

Libec AP-1 Review

I stumbled upon the AP-1 at the Libec booth at NAB in 2011 & with a show special going on for the AP-1, I made sure to have one in my bag for my flight home.


It is a very simple adapter that you can connect any camera with a 1/4" tripod screw to mount the camera to a VCT-14 plate.

There are a bunch of similar competing adapters out there with street prices up to $340:

Libec AP-1 - $83
Varavon ENG Plate Adapter - $115
Genus GAP - $115
("Sony") Pro Tech ST-1 - $145
Triad VPA-14 - $340


I haven't tested out any of the competition, so I can't comment on their build, form or function.  But I will say the AP-1 is extremely well made, solid & sleek.  Coming in at 25% less than the next cheapest adapter, I think the Libec AP-1 is an easy choice.  (And I got mine for even cheaper!  Gotta love NAB specials.)

Nearly the entire top of the AP-1 is covered in soft rubber that does a great job gripping onto the camera.  The 1/4" screw & VHS locater pin can slide a generous 3.25" to accommodate proper balance of your camera if it is a little more front or back heavy.

If you need a 3/8" screw, you should be able to swap the 1/4" screw & VHS pin out.  But I haven't tested this out myself.  (From the product photos, the Varavon looks like it has a 3/8" in addition to the 1/4" screw, possibly in the right spacing now found on the newest of Panasonic cameras like the AF100 or AC160.)

Overall, this is a great, straight forward, adapter that is an easy purchase for anyone looking to mount their camera to a VCT-14 plate.  Look for it at Libec's NAB booth or from your favorite camera retailer.

Full disclosure: I do not work for Libec or any of their associates.  I was not asked, nor compensated to write this review.  However, I did receive some free swag from their booth at NAB: t-shirt, note pad, tiny screw driver set that was confiscated by TSA.  I'm a little bit of a sucker for free swag.

The Quick & The Release (Part 2)

Canon TA-100 Review

Chapter 1

In short: The Canon TA-100 adds the capability to attach to a VCT-14 plate to Canon's professional video cameras & a good option for DIY rigs.

With the introduction of the Canon XL2 in 2005, Canon brought along the TA-100 & has continued support with every professional video camera since (even the growing EOS C#00 line).

  XL2 
  XL H1 / H1a / H1s
  XH A1 / A1s / G1 / G1s
  XF100 / 105
  XF300 / 305
  EOS C100 
  EOS C300 / PL
  EOS C500 / PL

The Canon TA-100 is made up of two main components: wedge & quick release plate.

The wedge is similar to the wedge found on the bottom of a shoulder mounted camera, except for the two pegs sticking up that line up on the bottom of supported Canon cameras (and cover the standard 1/4" tripod mount) with four small screws.

The quick release plate is similar to a VCT-14, except it is only 2/3 the length & doesn't have the rear guide pin.  While the rear pin is necessary for shoulder mounted cameras, I have found smaller cameras stay locked & steady without it.  On the bottom side it has four VHS pin holes, four 1/4" 20 & three 3/8" 16 threaded holes.

At a street price of $150, the TA-100 is half the price of a VCT-14 which doesn't include a wedge.

Right now I want to take a moment to show some appreciation to Canon for the creation & continued support of the TA-100.

[appropriate length pause]

Next, let us take a moment & say a little prayer that: Sony, Panasonic & JVC recognize the awesomeness of the TA-100,  & that they add similar capabilities to all of their future handheld cameras.

Chapter 2

Now I have never owned, nor shot with, any of these fine Canon / TA-100 cameras, yet I own multiple TA-100s.  Why?  Because I was left to create a DIY solution to the VCT problem for my Sony Z7U.

I first discovered the TA-100 in 2008 out of an empty wasteland of VCT / handheld solutions (a wasteland that thankfully no longer exists today). I was very excited by the price, compact sized & mostly the fact it included a wedge too.

I paired the TA-100 with a cheap wireless mount I got off eBay for $30.  Took some measurements, double checked the measurements, drilled a few holes, took out my tap & die set, & then made my very own custom VCT / wireless mic mount for my Sony Z7U.

I absolutely loved the ability to attach my handheld Z7U to a tripod in the same manner that I attached a shoulder mounted camera, as well as having the combined capability of attaching a Lectrosonics UCR-201 wireless mic receiver.  This combo enhanced the usability of my Z7U & it became a great compact run-n-gun ENG camera.

If you're looking to buy one, I've seen a few used ones pass across ebay or video classified forums, or you can find one at your favorite camera retailer, mine being B&H Photo.

Full disclosure: I do not work for Canon or any of their associates.  I was not asked, nor compensated to write this review.

The Quick & The Release (Part 1)

The Handheld Camera VCT-14 Quick Release Problem (& Solutions)

In 2007 I got my first taste of shooting professionally with a handheld camera, after years of shooting with shoulder mounted cameras.

While these handheld cameras have nowhere near the same "character" of shoulder mounted cameras, modern day cameras like the Panasonic HVX200 & Sony EX1 have been able to make nice pictures & have many of the professional features of the larger cousins.

Though one major thing that I missed from shoulder mounted cameras was the VCT-14 style quick release tripod plate.  The VCT-14 plate works with shoulder mounted cameras across brands (Sony, Panasonic, JVC), mounts to any tripod head, has extremely quick camera on / off action & is just a real pleasure to work with.



With a handheld camera I was left to the mercy of whatever tripod head I was using.  Each brand of tripod has a slightly different interface & proprietary quick release plate (none of which are as quick as a VCT-14).  And even sometimes the plates or styles aren't consistent within a single brand.

A Manfrotto 503's plate slides in the front or the back & can be a little difficult if you don't have the camera / plate coming in perfectly.  The knob to tighten the plate is on the right & the release button is on the left.

The Manfrotto 516 has a nearly identical user interface, but uses a different sized quick release plate.

A Sachtler FSB6's the tightening knob & release button are both on the right side.  The plate comes in at an angle, which is easier than sliding in, but you have to make sure the latch is in the unlocked postition.

A Vinten Vision 3AS & Vision Blue both use the same quick release plate, but the plate comes in at an angle on the 3AS & is slid into a Blue from the back of the head.

etc. etc. etc.  Any & all of these work just fine, but I missed the VCT-14 action.

The posts to follow are is the solution(s) I found for myself & three short reviews of these products:  The Canon TA-100, Libec AP-1 & Tilta BS-T03 baseplate.

Magnavox MHL1600 Headphones

 These are my - go to - throw away - field headphones.

  I've purchased & still own two pairs of Sony MDR-7506 professional headphones; I've purchased at least four pairs of these MHL1600's & still own only a single pair. (Hmm... Maybe I have an extra set in the trunk of my car?  So I probably still own two pairs, excellent.)

 Audio quality compared to 7506? Complete muddled garbage. But it isn't a fair fight at all if you're comparing these on their sonic capabilities. So why have I purchased & used these?

 They're cheap; light weight; compact; & not ear buds.

 I've picked these up for (if my memory serves me) $5.99 at Target; they only weigh 2.0 oz; fold up small enough to take up minimal space in your gear bag, yet big enough that they're still easy to find.

 Lastly, they're not ear buds. I like ear buds when I want something for easy iPod listening, but when I'm on a shoot I find ear buds get in the way & over the head headphones are easier to manage.

 Overall, if you're looking for some quality headphones for professional audio monitoring - look for something else. If you want some cheap, throw away, headphones that are good for confidence audio monitoring, these are an excellent buy.

A year ago...

A year ago I was clocking 30 hours of OT, and spent two weeks feeling like I was living in a "Green Zone."

Today I have grease under my finger nails from working on my car so I don't have to spend more money at the shop.

What a difference a year makes.

NPPA style nat-pack

This is something I shot & edited a couple months ago for the Chicago Headline Club's 32nd Annual Peter Lisagor Awards for Exemplary Journalism.