FS5: Essentials additional gear?

M

mcbob

Veteran
Pricing out a good doc setup, for fs5 specific gear useable for full day shoots. Already have support (tripod), media, lenses, and audio gear (shotgun and lav). Planning on the FS5K kit. Also have a Nikon to E Metabones adapter and associated lenses.

First, how much battery will I realistically need? I'll likely get one more than that

what other small bits have you found essential in daily use of this camera?

Thanks
 
For batteries, I'd look at the SWIT FS-compatible batteries with the D-Tap connection. I've got two of them, and I can power the camera and a monitor/recorder for a good while. They're standard D-Taps, so you can power just about anything with them. I've used them to power small LED lights. Very handy.
 
I have to say though good set of lights is incredibly important for doc setups.

Probably more important than anything except sound.


I have a shoulder bag containing a Dedolight DLE4-Bi Colour, a DLED4-Daylight (much more punch), a DLED2 Bi colour and 3 small reversible lightstands.

Then I have stuff like Icelights and ringlights and some old tungsten for when needed.
 
And a monitor. I can't rely on the tiny lcd of the fs5 for any serious job where focus accuracy is not an option.
 
diegocervo said:
And a monitor. I can't rely on the tiny lcd of the fs5 for any serious job where focus accuracy is not an option.
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I'd have to disagree with this one. I find the sharpness of the viewfinder, combined with peaking and image mag, to be more than good enough to nail perfect focus in all shooting conditions. I can honestly say that I've never used a monitor for focusing with my FS5. There's no way I'd want to hang a monitor on the camera that would destroy the best things about the camera - lightweight, small size, and nimbleness. In fact, if I felt any camera wasn't good enough that it couldn't be focused without 3rd party accessories I'd send it back for a refund. But maybe that's just me.
 
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I never shoot anything that isn't wide open. Why even have a super35 camera if you aren't going to shoot wide open almost all the time? The variable ND is an amazing feature to make that possible.
 
What absolute bollocks. The majority of movies are shot with around a 2.8/4 split. Not everything is shot at 1.2. Plenty of reasons why you might want to control the size of the field of focus. Like, you know, wanting two things on different focal planes in focus at the same time.


Anyway back on subject, yes you can focus with the onboard monitor, but certainly with the FS7 it's a lot easier and more accurate with a better monitor.
 
Bollocks? I'm speaking about my own experienece -- not what others may do. I don't have any lenses that go to f/1.2. The fastest lenses I use on the FS5 are f/2.8 and I do use them wide open 100% of the time whether you agree with that technique or not. And I have no problems at all focusing at that f-stop. So in the future, when you say "wide open", for clarity sake, you may also want to define the max aperture of the lens you are speaking about. And BTW, I seriously doubt the OP is shooting "movies" or interested in such things as two different focal planes with an FS5. Let's get our feet back on the ground and focus on the basics. In my opinion, an extra monitor just to facilitate focusing is not necessary and would come with many unwwanted side-effects such as extra weight, power requirements, bulk, a change in center of gravity, the cost of buying it, etc.

Is it not better to learn to get along without an extra monitor if you can? Afterall, unlike lighting, better lenses, sliders, dollies, jibs, and other accessories, a monitor adds absolutely nothing to what the audience ultimately sees on the screen if sharp focus can be achieved without it.
 
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Sorry I didn't receive the memo with the list of the fastest apertures of your lens collection before I posted.

Clearly when I was talking about shooting wide open I meant shooting on faster glass when the depth of field is wafer thin, where a monitor comes in handy. Your particular experience and talking about always shooting wide open is not the norm for a lot of people and equally your lack of need for a monitor means little too.


At 1.4 on an 85mm the focal plane can be less than 1cm depending on distance, so ensuring things on two focal planes (eg two people in a scene that aren't side by side) are in focus is an everyday/every shoot consideration. Don't know why you don't get that or why you think it is so outlandish a concept that it sent our feet off the ground.

EDIT: I don't think I have ever been on a professional shoot, with the exception of small little run and gun 1-2 man shoots (Which in fairness I do a lot of too), that hasn't had monitors all over the place. For focus, for confidence and for clients... They make everything better.


EDIT EDIT: Apologies for my somewhat strident tone in my first response to you. No call for it on the last page.
 
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I'm not against monitors. I routinely have a 17" Sony OLED and/or my 7Q+ on set when I'm not shooting run & gun, but they aren't mounted to the FS5 and they aren't used for focusing. A 17" monitor mounted on a c-stand or light stand (not a monitor on the camera) is standard equipment for any network or high-end corporate shoot in the USA.

It's funny how I have to take s*%t because I think other people have the ability to focus accurately using nothing more than the camera without the extra bagage of a monitor. Apparently I have more faith in the skills of my colleagues then they have in themsevles. It's the same thing with auto-focus, auto-exposure, etc. I have to take crap when I tell people they can learn to do those things better than the camera can do them for them. I just find it so ironic that people argue with me when I try to tell them they can do it. Well, maybe they are right. Maybe the can't. I'm starting to see the light. Instead of a monitor, why don't they just hire a focus-puller to do it for them. Isn't that an even better solution? Afterall, that's what they do when their making "movies".
 
Or maybe you do a different type of work that doesn't benefit from it in the way other shooters do. I assume you're not suggesting your skills are greater than Cronenweth et al who all employ monitors for their ac to be focusing on.

If if it helps, I take the same amount of crap for slating AF.
 
Doug Jensen said:
And BTW, I seriously doubt the OP is shooting "movies" or interested in such things as two different focal planes with an FS5.
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I'm similar to you in that I rarely use an external monitor on any camera I've shot with. And, even on those "tiny" built-in screens I think judging focus accurately is not a problem even at wide apertures.

However, I think you either have misunderstood, and interpreted "two different focal planes" to specifically mean the use of split focus diopters, OR you are seriously wrong that dealing with subjects on two different focal planes is not an everyday problem for people shooting with the FS5, or any other large sensor camera. What about IV's or dialogue 2-shots where the people are not precisely the same distance from the lens? Or product shots which need to show the item as well as the person talking? Or a band frontman who leans back and forth to sing into the microphone (only one subject here, but still multiple focal planes). Or 2 or more moving players in a sports match? These are all every-day examples where subjects are on 2 or more different focal planes and will benefit from having a narrower aperture than the widest possible option. I'm not saying you're shooting wrong by always being at max aperture - if it works for you, great! - I'm just saying that your assumptions about what and how other people are shooting are wrong.
 
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In my case, I gave up with that monitor very soon.
I agree with Dough that it's small and lightweight, but I rarely have missed focus in my career and on a few clips I recorded I noticed that it wasn't spotted right, a little far or behind to where it should be.
My smallhd 501 is attached using their brilliant pan/tilt mount, so the overall weight of monitor and mount is kept to a minimum.
Besides, is nice to have waveform and vectorscope!
 
To reiterate and clarify, before Doug throws his toys out of the pram again..

FS7 (and I assume FS5) monitor is 'good enough' to focus on.
Good external monitor is 'better' to focus on.


Hardly rocket science. Hardly controversial, and hardly a slur on someone's work.
 
I'm very new to all this so take what i say with a pinch of salt but I am really enjoying the Zacuto Z finder for the FS5. I think it's a pretty essential purchase for the FS5. I have also bought a monitor to get a waveform but I am happy focussing with the LCD screen and the Zacuto finder.
 
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