ARRI Forum

Hi there,

I'm trying to compare different options to power an Alexa Mini. One of the way that I see pretty often it to have 15mm rods going through the bottom MAP-2 and to mount the D-Box in the back of the camera, as shown in the following picture.
However, I've been looking at the Alexa Mini Studio Set which instead uses a RAB-1 + RAB-1 clamp in order to secure the D-Box in the back of the camera, as shown in the following picture.
Because I've never used the RAB-1 set-up, I had a few questions:

- Does the RAB-1 make it difficult to access the C-fast card and SDI ports?
- Does the RAB-1 set-up feel balanced for handheld work?
- Does the RAB-1 set up adds a significant amount of weight?
- Any other pro and cons for each set-up that would be worth sharing?

Thank you in advance for your help.

Luc Ung
New York City
http://www.lucung.com

Hey Luc,
please note that camera rigging is very subjective thing. If you are at a rental house you should try out different options to find the one that suits your needs best. However from my experience i'd answer your questions in the following way:
- Does the RAB-1 make it difficult to access the C-fast card and SDI ports?
In my experience no - it is roughly the same amount of fiddling as with a BAP on rods.

- Does the RAB-1 set-up feel balanced for handheld work?
Since the RAB is dead center the only object offsetting the camera is the MVF. With a Video transmitter on the 'assistant side' the whole rig is pretty balanced.

- Does the RAB-1 set up adds a significant amount of weight?
In a normal setup you still need rods for your motors and / or mattebox. Therefore the RAB and the RAB Clamp do add some weight to the camera. As for the significance of that added weight everyone has to judge for themselves. For a documentary abroad where every gram counts I'd personally leave it at home. For a commercial with frequent breaks I'd put it on.

- Any other pro and cons for each set-up that would be worth sharing?
The RAB offers a quick way to mount the BAP on top of the camera if you need to get close to a wall. Also it is very sturdy so in a handheld situation the camera can take a hit. With a rod setup you might be tempted to rest the camera on the battery which can dislodge a V-Mount battery. The RAB setup has steel underneath so that risk is reduced.
Also the RAB has a fixed mounting point - therefore the cable lenghts are always the same. This is something I appreciate since I can fix cables to the cage. With a rod setup this has to be flexible and the cables can come loose.

I hope I could help with some of your questions. Feel free to ask if you have any more.