Working with the Fuji XT3 on "Creating a Cure"

Cinematographer Cy Abdelnour recently took one of our first Fuji XT3 Cages, along with a full Polaris shoulder-rig system and Kameleon EVF, out for a real-world test to see how the gear would stand up. Take a look at his setup and final thoughts as well as the inspiring video he made featuring Cyndia Robinson and her new trade skills program for nail technicians in Detroit. Cy Abdelnour is a Peruvian-American cinematographer in Detroit, MI. He works for Academic Innovation at the University of Michigan as a Media lead on various online courses that go onto EdX (MIT) and Coursera (Stanford). Cy has a wide background of experience from Documentary, Music Video, Experimental, Fine Arts, and Commercial work. His work has been featured in Rolling Stone, Billboard, USA Today, The Daily Show, and much more.

Fuji XT3 Cage from Zacuto

Cy worked with our fully built Cage and shoulder rig system along with our new Kameleon EVF. Here's what he had to say... Fuji XT3 Cage PROS

WEIGHT! OMG this thing is stupid light. It doesn't even feel like you have it on. Big perk. Most people I come in contact that say "Cages are annoying" might change their minds with this.

Hand Strap is great coupled with the Wood Grip. Great handheld stability if you don't want to outgrow into the shoulder mount and Polaris accessories.

Metal Hand Grip by hand strap. The XT3 has a small grip so this is a great little add on to give the camera more heft.

Cold Shoe. Great add on and glad it doesn't affect other mounting points on the cheese plate design.

If you decide to upgrade there's tons of accessories and very useful ones at that. The top grip and side grip, thank you for putting NATOS on this Camera Cage!

Kameleon EVF After owning the Gratical Eye I can safely say this is a great option for anybody who wants to get into using EVFs. I didn't realize how much of a need it really was until I started using it more frequently. The Kameleon is different with its form factor being small like the Gratical but also having the ability to switch between SDI and HDMI. It's a huge perk considering sometimes you may need to move to a different camera system that doesn't have SDI. The monitor is bright and the tools inside the unit are straight forward and easy to navigate. I didn't even read the manual and I figured it out in less than 10 minutes. I highly recommend this unit. Polaris Baseplate The baseplate is easy to use, quick to change, and sturdy. I used it with the XT3 and switching the unit from shoulder-mounted mode to tripod was a breeze. It's an ideal choice when sticking to DSLRs because honestly the 501 Manfrottos weren't designed for DSLRs. The Polaris obviously is.

Creating a Cure

Founded by entrepreneur Cyndia Robinson, "Cure" is a nail technician trade skills program rooted in her local community. While nail salons are often big local business, Cyndia found none that truly represented and gave back to her community. Cyndia and Cure are here to change that. "I chose the name Cure because it derives from manicure, but beyond that, it's the solution to the problem. And, for me, choosing a name that is as powerful as that and as strong as that means that people feel confident that where they're going, they're going to get a service that they know they want." - Cyndia Robinson Cyndia has established a viable business plan and received a start-up grant; she is now working on establishing a headquarters to grow and build the Cure vision. This video is a first look glimpse at the early stages of Cyndia passion project and how she plans to bring it to life. With Cyndia's local focus in mind, projects like this video bring together local Detroit-based artists from multiple disciplines - models, photographers, make-up artists, nail technicians, and of course, filmmakers. Cure Nail House is in development but when social is complete with a website it will be at the following. curenailhouse.com Social @curenailhouse