SHAPE’s New Dovetail Shoulder Mount & Compact Quick Handle (HSMDV)

On the list of new arrivals from SHAPE is the release of a dovetail shoulder mount with the addition of new compact quick handles. Built and sold in a sleek black aluminum, this shoulder mount has an integrated ARRI-style dovetail plate with a shoulder pad attachment, and rosette mounting points at the front, to make it easy to attach handgrips. This product offers videographers a great option for a shoulder mount system with a dovetail already built directly into the rig.

 

If you've never had the chance to use a dovetail plate, it allows for easy camera adjustments forwards and backwards to help with balance. Users can simply unlock the side lever on the bridge plate and slide the camera back and forth, and the same can be done with the actual shoulder pad underneath. The dovetail plate also comes with spring loaded stoppers at the front and back to prevent the top bridge plate from fully sliding out, but can be released easily by pushing the button while sliding the plate.

 

SHAPE's dovetail plate section is 12.5 inches long and allows for around 10.5 inches of travel up and down the bridge plate, allowing for lots of variation in setup and balance.

With the release of this new dovetail shoulder rig, SHAPE have also released new handgrips to go with it. Now these handgrips are compatible with any rosette locking system and can be used directly on cameras or camera support hardware. SHAPE has been well known for these types of articulating hand grips, which offer three adjustable pivoting points on each arm. All you need to do is push in the locking button, adjust the arm to whatever orientation you desire, and when you release the button, the arm will automatically lock into place. These handgrips are all you should ever need with most camera setups, and can be oriented in almost any configuration that you may need to fit your shooting requirements.

Starting at around $990 USD for both the dovetail shoulder rig and the handgrips, this system is by no means a cheap option in the market, although SHAPE have been known to produce great quality products that are durable. I haven't personally used this system myself, but I have had the pleasure to operate quite a number of SHAPE products over the years and have always been quite happy with the results.

 

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*Buy the SHAPE Dovetail Shoulder Mount & Compact Quick Handle in Canada at Lumio Marketplace.