DSLR video jib suggestions

H

himmelhok

New member
Hey everyone,
I'm a beginner when it comes to shooting video on DSLR and was looking at picking up equipment. I'm looking to get a jib and Ive read around but haven't come to any conclusions. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions. I'm looking for an 8' or 12' jib ideally with pan and tilt controls and some sort of locking system as well (I've read some reviews about jibs that didn't have any locks and heard that it was kind of a pain) A monitor would be nice too, but considering I'm looking in the sub-$500 price range, I'm not expecting that much.

I found this one on ebay, and it seems to have everything except for pan control- didn't know if anyone had something like this or bought this exact model, but any feedback would be awesome!
http://cgi.ebay.com/8-ft-Video-Camera-Crane-Jib-7-LCD-Monitor-New-/300573698999?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45fb96abb7#ht_2586wt_1398

And be nice to me- its my first post :)
 
Save your $$ for a Kessler - super product, great company. I started with the 8' model - with tool-free kit, a great case, and lock it came to about $700. Later added the short tip making it a 5' (you won't believe how handy that is). You can get a kit to make it a 12' as well. And you'll use it your entire career.

Keep in mind you need a decent tripod head as well.

And yes, you are going to need some kind of monitor - even a crappy VGA car-mount one - for framing with a crane. Chances are you'll be focusing at the crane head (since there's no decent remote focusing for DSLRs that I'm aware of) so a critical-focus monitor isn't that necessary.
 
Thanks for the feedback guys. After looking online, Kessler does seem to be the way to go. Budget-wise, the KC lite would be the best, but I've read online that there are some problems with stability being that there is only the single arm. Do you think this would still be true with a T3i since it is pretty light? I would love to get the KC-8 since it really isn't that much more, but then the weight becomes an issue and I would need a beefy tripod and head. I was looking at the Manfrotto 519 head with some sticks, but now I'm in the $1300 range. I know you get what you pay for, but I'm wondering if it would be better to go with the KC lite with a 501 head and sticks instead. thoughts?
 
A 501 is no where even in the range to carry a jib, any jib. Did I hear a crashing noise? A 519 might carry a light jib, but is still light for the duty. I don't enjoy being the grim reaper, but cranes carry expensive equipment and can crash on those in the general vicinities, so cheap support is a bad idea. If you have a limited budget, you might want to consider finding other ways to add camera motion to your scenes. For example, you can put together a nice DIY dolly for well under $500 or a slider for much less. Check the DIY section.

Regards,
Grant
 
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