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Manuel Rennwanz - Japan

4 years ago

VOCAS @ A DEEP WINTER DOCUMENTARY IN JAPAN

For me as cameraman, two things are particularly important in my work when it comes to equipment: Comfort and longevity. When a day of shooting lasts twelve to sixteen hours, what makes every cameraman happy is when his work material is of excellent quality. This makes his work as comfortable and pleasant as possible. Since I mostly work in very extreme conditions, such as deserts where the sun mercilessly beats down, mountains covered with ice and snow or tropical, highly humid rainforests, it is always important for me that I can rely on my equipment 100%.

My last film project took me to the island of Hokkaido, in the northernmost part of Japan for a month earlier this year. The Siberian-like winds there and the resulting snow conditions are a wonderful endurance test for any camera equipment. For these conditions I had the opportunity to test a Vocas set-up. This consisted of a MB-436, a V-lock mount battery plate, a MFC-2S, wooden handgrip, handgrip extender and a USBP-15 MKI

As weight always plays a paramount role on such a trip, I had to concern myself with how much gear I could travel with. My goal was to take as much technology with me as possible, as long as it did not exceed a certain limit because too much weight would only curb the work on the project. Therefore, step one was to assemble and weigh all equipment. The weight of the parts assembled was four kilograms. The total weight of my camera, including viewfinder, lens, monitor and battery was six kilograms. So I had a base weight of ten kilograms and still enough scope for various additional equipment, which was a real delight.

Excitement to work with the equipment rose even further after a closer look at the high quality processing of the parts, which are made out of very light aluminium. The wooden handle and the knob of the follow focus are not just a nice eye-catcher, but also have the purpose of making the material last longer under harsh working conditions. So here is another plus point, which in my opinion plays a decisive role in the aspect of longevity.

The first week on the slopes was an absolute endurance test for the equipment, as we had snowstorms for almost seven days straight and I had to film continuously at -20 degrees Celsius. I had slight concerns about whether the equipment would really make it through such a storm, but I simply trusted my intuition, which meant trusting the material. Eventually both proved to be right since my intuition and material were utterly able to deal with the extreme weather. The aluminium got very cold, but did not deform on any of the pieces.


The two filter frames of the matte box MB-436 did not warp. Changing the filter worked perfectly throughout the day ad the swing-away bracket for the matte box was always easy to open and close. Another advantage of the MB-436 are the two, already integrated "eyebrows" which actually guarantee the reduction of possible "lens flares". The simple but effective solution helped me to work much faster and more intuitively, and I didn’t had to make any compromises. In addition, the lightness really makes it stand out from other large manufacturers, despite all the additional functions.

With the USBP-15 MKII, working on my shoulder was no problem at all. At first glance the shoulder pad looked very firm, but it nestled perfectly against my body. There were no pressure points and no need to use an additional camera comfort cushion. An important and not negligible advantage for me was the relatively large range of movement of the camera adapter plate, since I often work with larger telephoto lenses. Through the eleven ¼” threads on the shoulder plate, I had the opportunity to add more equipment without using additional rigs. The option of being able to attach 15-millimeter tubes at the back and front was also a valuable asset for me. Especially in connection with the extra V-lock mount. This is definitely something that I do not want to go without in future shoots.



The handgrip extenders were under constant stress during the entie four weeks. Some, from other manufacturers I’ve tried in the past, often did not stand the weight when they were pulled out and started to slag away. Fortunately, this was not the case with these. The handgrips are extremely robust, even at full length. Nothing wobbled or became loose and I dare to say, Vocas did everything right here The wooden handgrip was something very special as I usually work with leather handles. Wood was something that interested me and was perfect for testing in the snow. Since it is not painted, I wondered whether it might draw moisture too quickly and become brittle, or in the worst case break up due to the constant temperature changes. But none of this happened, the handle just got a little rougher. The wood is really pleasant to work with and is extremely hard-wearing. The shape of the handle nestled perfectly in my hand, so that I did not get cramps, even after working for a long time. Only the locking screw of the handle is in need of improvement. If you have to go fast the handling is, unfortunately, not very practical. Certainly not if you are wearing gloves.

However, the MFC-2S made up for it with its absolute sovereignty and lightness. A follow focus that I really learned to love because it just works and looks awesome. The gear unit ensured that I had the maximum transmission power when focusing on each lens, because I could not just adjust the position of the entire follow focus but also perfectly match the inclination angle of the drive gear to the respective lens. The wooden knob can be turned infinitely, which gave me significantly more leeway than others which have installed a lock.

My personal conclusion: I can highly recommend everything that I have tested to everyone. The equipment does exactly what it is supposed to, especially in extreme situations. Everything can be assembled quickly and the mix of comfort and high quality materials has ultimately convinced me of Vocas.