First, let me start off by saying the stock LCD mount for the C500 Mark II is a wonderful piece of kit in so many ways... if you're standing still. Begin walking, and the screen bounces like an Olympic diving board. So it's been a while that I've been looking for a new C500 MkII monitor mount. Upon first review, the options seem limited in terms of capability, only swiveling along the X-axis. For anything beyond that, you're looking at articulating arms. These are also great tools in the right circumstances. I shoot handheld and under time restraints a lot, so I wanted something with tension adjustment that I could maneuver with one hand.
Unexpected Solutions
That's where the Tilta Tiltaing EVF Extension Bracket came in. Marketed as an EVF mount for a completely different camera, the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera, it checks so many boxes to be a great C500 Mark II monitor mount. To use the Tilta Tiltaing EVF Extension Bracket, you'll need a body cage or at the very least, a NATO rail mounting point. I personally use the Shape Camera cage for Canon C500 Mark II and two CAMVATE NATO rails, as the Tiltaing EVF Extension Bracket uses two NATO clamps for mounting: one for your screen of choice and one for the camera cage. Note: longer NATO rails will give you additional flexibility.
On its own, this setup gives you so many options. The mount can expand in two dimensions and has three axes of rotation. If you need to relocate it to the other side of the camera, you simply need a NATO rail ready, and you're there in five seconds.
One Step Further
I wanted to take this mount one step further so I could have an X-axis pivot point right beneath the monitor. By adding the SmallRig swivel and tilt adjustable monitor mount (2904B) between the monitor and the Tilta Tiltaing Bracket, I felt like I had a greater resolution of control.
This additional hinge made it possible to relocate my monitor into unexpected places without relocating the whole arm. I could also go from a high angle shot above my head to a low angle shot close to the ground seamlessly. I simply lock off the Y-axis on the SmallRig mount and rely on the Tilta swivel hinge.
In Conclusion
The Tilta Tiltaing EVF Extension Bracket can get your screen to so many places, has one-hand operability through adjustable tension locks, and is relatively inexpensive compared to some of the other options. Not only that, but it's rock solid. No bouncing screen here. If you're looking for a new run-and-gun monitor setup, I highly recommend the Tilta EVF Extension Bracket.
One Last Thing!
If you’re not the type to use an external monitor on your rig but would like to mount the stock Canon touchscreen using this setup, consider securing your screen in the following way. We used a NICEYRIG double sided NATO rail with 15mm rod clamp across the bottom and a 6” NICEYRIG 15mm cheese rod along the side so we could have 2 contact points. We found that only having 1 contact point would cause the ¼” mount to constantly loosen while adjusting your angle of view.
Pixel Thick is a video production company based in Phoenix, AZ. See our services here!