Fitness filmmaking with Shinobi

Scott, based in Norwich, UK, spent 12 years as a personal trainer, working closely with clients across health, fitness and sport. Three years ago, he bought his first camera, and what started as a passion for photography also grew into videography. “The more I shot, the more I wanted to push the quality of my work,” he says. His background in fitness and sports continues to shape most of the projects he takes on today. “It’s an area I understand inside out, which I think really comes through in the content I create.”

Scott currently shoots on a Sony FX3, paired with a Sigma 24-70mm lens that adapts well across different environments. He also uses a SmallRig cage for build quality and rigging options, with the Shinobi monitor forming a key part of the kit. “It’s a compact but capable workflow,” he explains, “It suits the run‑and‑gun, fast‑paced environments I’m often working in.”

Before adding a monitor, Scott relied on the camera’s built-in screen, and it wasn’t long before he started noticing the limitations – details lost at the edge of frame, as well as inconsistent exposure levels. Sony’s built-in metering had served him well for years, but as production value became more of a priority, he started paying closer attention to contrast ratios and the way light and shadow moved across a frame. It was then he realised he needed a more precise tool.

After researching his options, he kept coming back to Shinobi as the best fit for his setup and the way he works. “What really sealed the deal was discovering it had EL Zone built in,” he says. “That was a genuine game changer for me. It helped me spot issues in the frame faster, focus more accurately, and expose my shots with a lot more confidence.”

Shinobi comes packed with professional monitoring tools, but for Scott, EL Zone has made the biggest difference to his work. “EL Zone gives me an immediate, visual read of exactly where my exposure sits, which means I can make informed decisions on the fly rather than finding out I’ve blown a highlight when I’m back at the edit.”

“What really sealed the deal was discovering it had EL Zone built in – that was a genuine game changer for me.”