AF100/Lumix 14-140 for aerial?

take2visualmedia

take2visualmedia

Well-known member
I have an aerial shoot coming up and was just looking to see if anyone has done much aerial shooting with the AF100. I have the Lumix 14-140, the Voightlander 0.95 35mm, and a Canon 50mm. I will be using a gyro stabilizer but as for the lens, I figured I'd use the 14-140 (widest FL I have). Anyone have any insight. We will be shooting seaplanes that will be flying below us over an island range.
 
Do you know what altitude you'll be flying? How far away will the seaplanes be from the camera ship? How many? How high will the targets be above the islands? How much area do the islands span? The way I'd approach it would be to diagram everything to scale to determine those altitudes and positions. Only then do you know what field of view you need.
 
I have done a lot of aerial work but never with the AF100 or that particular lens.

But...if I was to consider using them, I would ensure that I could control the zoom and the focus and the ON/OFF from the hand grips. If that were not possible...I would absolutely not use that camera lens combination.

I would go to a PL mounted cine zoom lens with focus and zoom motors. The ON/OFF switch would be the easiest issue to overcome. (Dont like the thought of fumbling around for the awkward AF100 switch in the air...especially if wearing gloves)

Using a zoom lens is kind of going to be essential to what you are filming. I have done many similar shots chopper to aircraft and chopper to vehicles (boats, cars etc). It gets pretty chaotic and as an operator ...you need to be very organised hardware wise.
 
take2visualmedia said:
I have an aerial shoot coming up and was just looking to see if anyone has done much aerial shooting with the AF100. I have the Lumix 14-140, the Voightlander 0.95 35mm, and a Canon 50mm. I will be using a gyro stabilizer but as for the lens, I figured I'd use the 14-140 (widest FL I have). Anyone have any insight. We will be shooting seaplanes that will be flying below us over an island range.
Click to expand...

I have done aerial shooting with the AF100 and many other cameras in both fixed wing and rotary aircraft. It sounds at though you would be using the camera from inside the ship rather that some sort of external mount?
 
First thing, what are you flying in? That's the biggie.

+1 on the Kenyon(s). They're awesome for removing higher-frequency vibrations. If you rent 2, then put mount them below the camera 90 degrees off axis to each other, you'll get the best stabilization. Be aware that this will be HEAVY. And it resist fast movement not only by the environment, but by you as well. It also will be quite cumbersome. Note that they won't do squat for turbulent air... if de plane bounce, you bounce. Your best bet will be your door off, with the rig suspended from bungies (assuming that door off still keeps you & rig out of windstream). WIDE angle usually. But yeah, zoom is the deal. FORGET about swapping lenses around once you're up. Good way to get your gear into the evening news. Decent off-camera monitor with lots of mounting options. I wouldn't worry about focus at all, unless you're trying to get close-ups, with the aircraft fairly close - otherwise, just stop it down & infinity focus.

MOST IMPORTANT - bring back pics to post of you and the rig!
 
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