A7s and Gimbles

P

paulcurtis

Veteran
Are many using the A7s on a gimble? I've been eyeing the Defy G2X which i don't think has shipped quite yet, so probably no feedback on it.

My question, aside from generic 'are there many problems', is whether i could mount an O7Q on the bars and run that HDMI cable down to the camera. Whether the cable will be enough to upset the balance on a practical level with these lighter gimbles?

cheers
Paul
 
Only having used the m10 the HDMI cable has never been an issue. I'd suggest finding the thinnest most flexible HDMI cable (get standard connections then 90° adapter for the camera), about 3ish feet should be fine (wrap the excess up top) and you should be good to go.
 
caseywilsondp said:
Only having used the m10 the HDMI cable has never been an issue. I'd suggest finding the thinnest most flexible HDMI cable (get standard connections then 90° adapter for the camera), about 3ish feet should be fine (wrap the excess up top) and you should be good to go.
Click to expand...

The m10s payload is about twice that of the G2X, i'm wondering how much more sensitive the G2X is to weight and things being attached. I wonder if the fact that it takes a lot less payload (half the cost too) means it's that much more delicate with cables. I do remember seeing some very thing hdmi cables though, so that's a good sign.

thanks
Paul
 
I use the a7S on a Nebula 4000. It works great... as long as you use a very light lens (in my case, the Sigma 19mm f/2.8 and 30mm f/2.8, which BTW are some very nice and very cheap NEX APS-C lenses).
 
Yes, I've got my eye on the Defy G2X also. My FS700 and 7Q+ for tripod work, and A7S + Defy G2X and 7Q+ for gimbal. Sounds like a great set of solutions to me! Will be looking out for tests on the G2X to see real world usage.
 
I have the original G2, I don't have an external monitor, but I'm thinking about a 7q+ as well. I balanced it with a cable attached and wrapped around the handle bar to see if it would funk up the balance and it was fine. Haven't bought the 7q+ yet as I'd have to part with the G2 to fund it and I can't decide which will add more to my productions.
 
Samuel H said:
I use the a7S on a Nebula 4000. It works great... as long as you use a very light lens (in my case, the Sigma 19mm f/2.8 and 30mm f/2.8, which BTW are some very nice and very cheap NEX APS-C lenses).
Click to expand...
How is the autofocus on these lenses? The problem with the Nebula is the weight limit and how you cant have a wireless follow focus and that can be limiting. That plus I havent seen footage I am 100% happy with as there is still a decent amount of bobbing up and down in the few clips I have watched (I am still looking into the nebula though so the clips I saw may of just not had a completely balanced gimbal).
 
I don't use AF, just manual, which is definitely limiting, but well, it's all I can do.

My N4000 performed king of OK... but not great. All the slow-motion stuff looks great, but all the 24p stuff is jerky. I have to work on the pan balance and settings.
 
Samuel H said:
I don't use AF, just manual, which is definitely limiting, but well, it's all I can do.

My N4000 performed king of OK... but not great. All the slow-motion stuff looks great, but all the 24p stuff is jerky. I have to work on the pan balance and settings.
Click to expand...

Dang and I would be using mine at mostly 24p....and yeah that jerky motion is whats putting me off from getting the Nebula 4000 (which sucks because there is a film where it would work great on because of its size because even a regular gimbal like the ronin or movi are to big for one location).
 
Thanks for the feedback, i've decided to get a Nebula 4000 to see. Seems like a bargain and at the very least it's so small and compact perhaps i will find myself using it for various small moves. I also like the idea of sticking it on a boom and having a mini crane.

Wireless follow focus isn't going to happen, so manual lenses with lots of DoF i guess. Rangefinder lenses seem ideal. Of course perhaps AF and face detect would work with some electronic lenses. I have petitioned Sony to open up their SDK to allow access to wireless focus via the remote API (which you can't do at the moment). If that was possible then you could focus these lenses by wire via your iPhone...

Maybe if this doesn't work out then a G2X, i'll see once the reviews start coming in.

Samuel, i was just reading the big thread about the N4000 and you debating whether to buy one because you had your DIY project. I guess you've given the ending of that thread away now!

cheers
Paul
 
I think my N4000 can do a lot better than it is doing right now, it just needs some parameter tuning and more careful balance than I used this past weekend (for some reason it lost balance at some point, and I didn't stop to fix it, just kept shooting).

And yes, it wasn't an easy decision for me, since I was already invested in a DIY gimbal that was showing steady progress... but was still very far from working decently. My experience with the N4000 should help me better develop my DIY thing, which should take at least 5 times the weight.

Oh, and BTW: the N4000+boom crane idea is not easy to pull out with an a7S because the camera is too big and you don't have 360º motion, it hits the back and the floor if you tilt or roll more than, say, 45º.
 
Last edited:
Here is my first a7S+sigma19mm+Nebula4000 video from this past weekend. As you'll see, it's kind of hit and miss (though there are two fast shots that are actually handheld, without the N4000, which was already packed).
 
powervideo said:
I'm using the A7S on my Letus Helix gimbal all the time, mainly with the SEL2870 kit lens in auto-focus. I haven't fine-tuned the balance properly yet but I'm very happy with the dynamism it gives to shots. Plus it is way more practical to use than my F5. Here are a couple of quickie A7S gimbal videos I've done.

https://vimeo.com/116913843
https://vimeo.com/117710207
Click to expand...

How are you finding the Helix, i've not found that many write ups about it. There're no long shots in your samples, what's there looks great, but how do you find the panning modes and feeling of it. One of the biggest complaints i have of the 4000 is that the panning is very mechanical and electronic. I believe this can be changed but even so most of the samples i've seen don't have feathered moves. I think one of the differences between all these gimbals is perhaps that control over a move.

cheers
Paul
 
The problem I have with the N4000 and the a7S is that I want to use a quick release plate, and this makes the camera taller. That means it falls out of the vertical adjustment range of the N4000, so I had to add some weights in the base, but now it's a bit overweight. And of course that my lovely Leica-R lenses are too big and heavy anyway (even without the quick release).
 
Currently trying to configure the a7s+Helix+Odyssey.
Getting close, but I think I need to fine tune it via the GUI now.

O7Q mounted to cold shoe on the body of the Helix. Advice welcome.
 
bill totolo said:
Would love to see it, curious how well the auto-focus holds up.
Click to expand...

The 10-stop ND was too much for the F3.5-6.3 28-70mm in overcast conditions. The seed-sowing part of this video used the ND1000 (10-stop), but I had to switch to a 6 1/2-stop for usable shooting in Slog. If I* had used a faster lens, the 10-stop would have been fine.

 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top