[rodi]

Originally Posted by Chewy734

rodi, that Zephyr Steadicam is SICK...

beta-testing the steadicam zephyr // first flight + bts


remember to watch it in HD.

i've watched it a thousand times.
i can't wait. as soon as i'm able to walk normally, i'm ordering it. at that point, you'll be seeing a lot of test footage from me, probably of me walking around my streets and the park. hahahaha.

[kamek]

Originally Posted by Activ

This is shot right after taking it out of the box/not spending much time balancing I'm also used to shooting a steadicam with a vest for short films with a ex1/3 attached so a glidecam with a fx1000 is a bit different.
But thanks for the tips.

No problem! Get some practice!

[Xios135]

Garrett Brown completly changed the way movies are shot. Check out the specs and price for the complete Pro film rig.

http://www.tiffen.com/userimages/ult...stPL_62910.pdf

[whyrms]

Originally Posted by UdubBadger

uhhhhh... that is me bro.

I fucken knew it....

[Rotorocious]

I've got the flycam. Meh its ok. A pain to balance. but I've gotten decent footage with it.
Still cant seem to get it to balance just right

[rodi]

alright, so the content is not there, but the only moving subject available. and boy, does she move around fast. perfect practice subject.
the humidity was outrageous and i was drenched in sweat the moment i stepped out the door.

i didn't spend any time putting it in dynamic balance, so it's pretty off there - you can notice in the pans. i had a custom weight plate made to weigh down the 5D without adding a bunch of accessories.

the main issue is my still-healing broken leg, i can't run yet. and after a while my leg starts bitching about the added 35lbs.

[UdubBadger]

not bad at all

[radiantm3]

Originally Posted by rodi

alright, so the content is not there, but the only moving subject available. and boy, does she move around fast. perfect practice subject.
the humidity was outrageous and i was drenched in sweat the moment i stepped out the door.

i didn't spend any time putting it in dynamic balance, so it's pretty off there - you can notice in the pans. i had a custom weight plate made to weigh down the 5D without adding a bunch of accessories.

the main issue is my still-healing broken leg, i can't run yet. and after a while my leg starts bitching about the added 35lbs.

I have a 5D Steadicam quesstion for you. Considering you can't focus while using a steadicam (at least not on a budget and while flying solo), any advice (what F stop, focal length, etc) on how to keep the subject in focus for most of a shot?

[UdubBadger]

well if you consider principles of photography the higher the fstop number the less depth of field you get so you can keep stuff in focus further away. so as if you shot at f/2.8 your in focus plane will be very thin, easily able to take a step in or out of focus. however if you shot at say f/16, your subject could take several steps and still remain in that sweet spot. it might not be RAZOR sharp but it'll be in focus.

[radiantm3]

Originally Posted by UdubBadger

well if you consider principles of photography the higher the fstop number the less depth of field you get so you can keep stuff in focus further away. so as if you shot at f/2.8 your in focus plane will be very thin, easily able to take a step in or out of focus. however if you shot at say f/16, your subject could take several steps and still remain in that sweet spot. it might not be RAZOR sharp but it'll be in focus.

Yes, I'm aware of the basic principles. I was hoping for some insider tips from someone who does video production.

[Chewy734]

Originally Posted by UdubBadger

well if you consider principles of photography the higher the fstop number the less depth of field you get so you can keep stuff in focus further away. so as if you shot at f/2.8 your in focus plane will be very thin, easily able to take a step in or out of focus. however if you shot at say f/16, your subject could take several steps and still remain in that sweet spot. it might not be RAZOR sharp but it'll be in focus.

You are right Badger, but I always found that when the aperture is pretty small, the video looks more amateurish because everything is in focus. Wide open though, you can get a nice bokeh going on in the background, but then you have to deal with the focusing issues when moving around or panning.

[.:bHd:.]

Originally Posted by Chewy734

You are right Badger, but I always found that when the aperture is pretty small, the video looks more amateurish because everything is in focus. Wide open though, you can get a nice bokeh going on in the background, but then you have to deal with the focusing issues when moving around or panning.

usually on a steadicam, the lens is going to be less than 20mm. Most 20mm lenses don't give you all that much of a bokeh and usually have a very wide depth of field. I usually never have a problem keeping it in focus. A bigger problem is going from light to dark. The auto exposure does a horrible job with that

[UdubBadger]

Originally Posted by radiantm3

Yes, I'm aware of the basic principles. I was hoping for some insider tips from someone who does video production.

haha, i wasn't trying to talk down to ya bro. Was just saying I've done some video work too and as a general rule you apply it the same way for both. I know you were probably looking for more of like "keep a 3ft distance" rule or some little trick like that... obviously I don't know of any so maybe someone else will chime in, however I think it is really just that principle that they would base that kinda stuff on. If you're shooting low aperture then you need to work on your footwork of trying to keep the same distance from your subject at all times for them to remain in focus.

[rodi]

most steadicam shots are wide angle (I use 24mm) unless you have a focus puller and all that that requires.
you just either set hyperfocal or work your depth of field.

often I have to open up to 1.4. that's when you really have to be careful.

[e92LuNaTiC]

Nice to see Steadicam talk! My Dad sells and repairs 3A's & Masters series arms. He's been in the industry for 25+ years, back when Cinema Products was still around, Pops name is Robert Luna. Definitely a cool thread from the normal Regional, Cosmetic, Photo Gallery, etc etc talk!

[rodi]

right on. that's so cool.

[rodi]

more "testing." was a tough day at work today.

couple of the shots are pretty sloppy if you watch the horizon. need to put in some hours before using it on anything real. those are all fake. ha. funny guy. ok bye.

[UdubBadger]

nice one

[.:bHd:.]

try not to tilt to the side when you're going around corners. I use to do this a lot when I first started too because it feels natural but in actuality doesn't look too good. Have you tried shooting with another camera? 5D is a pain to shoot with since it is so light. I couldn't believe what I was capable of with an EX3 lol

[rodi]

do you mean roll? yeah, the dynamic balance is off a bit, i didn't spend too much time with it as we were in a hurry to shoot. either that, or i haven't gotten used to the really massive diameter center post.
how much does your EX3 weigh?
i've got a custom weight plate made for my rig when I fly just the 5D by itself, with no FF or video transmitter or anything. so it comes out to about 10 lbs.

[Chewy734]

Originally Posted by rodi

couple of the shots are pretty sloppy if you watch the horizon. need to put in some hours before using it on anything real. those are all fake. ha. funny guy. ok bye.

nice video rodi. In regards to the sloppyness, it helps if you use both hands on the steadicam... and who the hell (besides Badger) is watching the horizon?

[.:bHd:.]

Originally Posted by rodi

do you mean roll? yeah, the dynamic balance is off a bit, i didn't spend too much time with it as we were in a hurry to shoot. either that, or i haven't gotten used to the really massive diameter center post.
how much does your EX3 weigh?
i've got a custom weight plate made for my rig when I fly just the 5D by itself, with no FF or video transmitter or anything. so it comes out to about 10 lbs.

I have no clue how much it weights, but with the 5D i have to push the arm down, but with the EX3 it just kinda levels itself. I stopped using the steadicam and started using a glide cam instead. Works a lot better with DSLRs

Originally Posted by Chewy734

nice video rodi. In regards to the sloppyness, it helps if you use both hands on the steadicam... and who the hell (besides Badger) is watching the horizon?

you don't have to look at the horizon to notice a tilting effect. Maybe I'm anal but every time I get a shot that isn't leveled with the horizon I have to fix it in post lol