Camera Crane question

New_Zealand

New_Zealand

Veteran
Is anyone using Crane - Jibs? I'm looking at a 20ft one. It can be used anywhere from 12ft, 16ft to 20ft. This will be my first real adventure with one so would like to get some feedback. We are also shooting a scene in the water. Shooting from a pontoon boat at a John boat.

Thanks,
 
Is it a crane or a jib? There's a big difference in how they handle. A crane is a rock solid piece of gear vs the more lightly designed jibs that has usually 3 guy wires to stabilize it. At those longer lengths, the jibs, depending on design, may not handle fast moves well due to their lighter design. A good crane can be swung around fast with no issues.

I have a 6/10/14/18' jib. It takes a while to set up. I use a two-stage tripod for it. Of course, the higher it is set up, the higher the range of the jib. But its center of gravity gets higher. So it becomes less stable. Depending on design, it may easily tip over if the center of gravity moves.

A 20' jib on a pontoon? That sounds dicey even on flat water. Just how big is this pontoon? If the jib/crane tripod gets off its center of gravity, there she goes!

Wind can also be an issue depending on the design of the jib/crane.
 
You can help prevent the tip over by anchoring the tripod to the ground/structure. Most good tripods have a hook just below the head attachment point. And many heavier jibs use a non-leveling head attachment (Mitchel, etc.), the claw ball mounts are not good enough for most jibs.

If you can not anchor the tripod, you can strap it to a set of heavy weights, it will help to make sure one of the legs doesn't lift.

Make absolutely certain the leg locks work well if you are going to extend them, make sure the spreader is in good shape too.
 
Budget? I have a Jimmyjib Lite that can be assemble to 6', 12' and 18' (though in theory it could also go to 9' and 15', just need some new cables). I like it very much (though it doesn't get use a lot). Jimmy jib is pretty much the standard. Easy to get parts. But they are quite pricey depending on the options you add (dolly, pneumatic wheels, etc.) to your jib.
 
There is something to be said about a tried and proven product that is used by a large number of professionals.

I've been thinking of making a jib arm, and attaching 3 axis gyro system to the end with electronic controls to handle the needed motion of the camera. Something simple like a parallel beam jib arm are easy enough to make, and plenty of 3 axis system to attach to the end.
 
I've got the 8' Kessler and also have the short tip; it doesn't have 8' reach, it's 8' from counterweight to head, more like 5' from the tripod. Pretty sturdy though. Very solid construction and I've owned it maybe 5 years.

I've had music video shoots where I left it assembled, just took it off the sticks and removed the weight, left it cabled up and stuck it in the truck or van, so setup can be a matter of minutes.

Indoors, I use Manfrotto sticks on their wheeled dolly, it's a decent heavy dolly with brakes, so it's much easier to move around - often I use it as sort of a cross between handheld and a tripod and sort of "float" the head end; that can be pretty cool. It's also the best "tall tripod" I've owned - add extra weight and sandbag the rear to the floor, lock everything and your camera/head can be 7' or so up.

Very decent piece of gear - if you get one with the case (kind of a must) it's under a grand and decently portable.

Keep in mind that adding a fluid head or motion control to the business end means lots of weight on the back. Everything you put on there needs more-than-equivalent weight on the back.

They make a 4' extension that relies on cables for it, haven't tried that.
 
I have to agree with Michael, Kessler make a good, simple jib (crane) I used one for years and sold it as my direction changed. Jimmy Jibs are excellent but more costly as are several other brands but dollar for dollar Kessler is a great deal and does a great job. For small work nowadays I use a lightweight Konova slider/jib with a light camera. While travelling in the Arctic I used a three foot fixed jib and portable camping shower bags that I could fill with water for counterweight.
 
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