parallactic-pictures
Active member
Hello all,
Well, I'm about 2 months now into my love affair with the Canon 7D. I've already shot an original short film with it and then worked as a B-Camera operator on a kickass television pilot. Before I had purchased the 7D, I had never shot anything on my own. I was exclusively a writer/director. Now, I'm consumed with getting better at shooting. Every place I visit has suddenly become an opportunity to shoot test video footage or do some fun photography.
In this spirit, I'd like to begin expanding my equipment list. I have shorts planned for the future that are going to require more tools. And I've already learned a lot from the two things I've already shot. So here are some of the items I'm thinking about getting. I'd love some feedback on these, as well as maybe suggestions for other models, etc.
- Sigma 50-150mm 2.8 fs Telephoto lens:
Right now I have the Sigma 18-50mm 2.8 fs wide angle zoom lens, and I love it. In fact, this thing never left my camera the entire time I was shooting that pilot. But the director very often wanted me to get very tight on the subject, so we literally had to have my 7D on a tripod, about three feet away from the interviewee's face. Regardless, I love Sigma now. It's a sharp, quiet, light-weight lens. And I like the fact that they this zoom starts where my wide angle zoom ends off... at 50mm. I know Tamron and Canon have great equivalents, at 70-200mm, but they very often are more expensive when scouting about on eBay.
- Zacuto Z-Finder 2:
I've heard that Phillip Boom rated this his #2 product of 2009, right behind the 7D itself. It has a 3x magnification, which I can see being crucial for focus. On the pilot I shot, I had my Macbook Pro set-up as a playback monitor in Live Remote View. But that's not showing me true HD. And many times, it's tough to bounce between the camera and the laptop (in the middle of a live interview!) and check focus. Especially when your tight on their face, maybe wide open on your aperture, and the subject is constantly moving in their chair. So I can see this Z-Finder being essential. Here's the link for it, as well as a handy video tutorial.
http://store.zacuto.com/Z-Finder.html
Can anyone here attest to this thing, that has one?
- Handheld / Stabilization Device:
For this one, I don't have a specific item in mind. I know these Zacuto style guerrilla / run-and-gun mounts can get quite pricey. Even upwards in the $700-$1,500 range. But God, they just seem so essential if you're going to attempt handheld with these dSLR's. I shot a test with my girlfriend last week in Hollywood, just following her down the sidewalk as sort of a tracking shot. I'll upload it soon to show. But yeah, it's very jittery. So I think it's time I invest in some stabilization.
I'd like something in the $300-$500 range. Or, there's always the DIY option. Has anyone here seen this video that shows how to make one of these rigs for about $30?
Or view it externally here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvPHSd4zjZg
That's it for now. Please chime in if you have any advice on the matter, or feedback for the items listed above.
Thanks, all.
Well, I'm about 2 months now into my love affair with the Canon 7D. I've already shot an original short film with it and then worked as a B-Camera operator on a kickass television pilot. Before I had purchased the 7D, I had never shot anything on my own. I was exclusively a writer/director. Now, I'm consumed with getting better at shooting. Every place I visit has suddenly become an opportunity to shoot test video footage or do some fun photography.
In this spirit, I'd like to begin expanding my equipment list. I have shorts planned for the future that are going to require more tools. And I've already learned a lot from the two things I've already shot. So here are some of the items I'm thinking about getting. I'd love some feedback on these, as well as maybe suggestions for other models, etc.
- Sigma 50-150mm 2.8 fs Telephoto lens:
Right now I have the Sigma 18-50mm 2.8 fs wide angle zoom lens, and I love it. In fact, this thing never left my camera the entire time I was shooting that pilot. But the director very often wanted me to get very tight on the subject, so we literally had to have my 7D on a tripod, about three feet away from the interviewee's face. Regardless, I love Sigma now. It's a sharp, quiet, light-weight lens. And I like the fact that they this zoom starts where my wide angle zoom ends off... at 50mm. I know Tamron and Canon have great equivalents, at 70-200mm, but they very often are more expensive when scouting about on eBay.
- Zacuto Z-Finder 2:
I've heard that Phillip Boom rated this his #2 product of 2009, right behind the 7D itself. It has a 3x magnification, which I can see being crucial for focus. On the pilot I shot, I had my Macbook Pro set-up as a playback monitor in Live Remote View. But that's not showing me true HD. And many times, it's tough to bounce between the camera and the laptop (in the middle of a live interview!) and check focus. Especially when your tight on their face, maybe wide open on your aperture, and the subject is constantly moving in their chair. So I can see this Z-Finder being essential. Here's the link for it, as well as a handy video tutorial.
http://store.zacuto.com/Z-Finder.html
Can anyone here attest to this thing, that has one?
- Handheld / Stabilization Device:
For this one, I don't have a specific item in mind. I know these Zacuto style guerrilla / run-and-gun mounts can get quite pricey. Even upwards in the $700-$1,500 range. But God, they just seem so essential if you're going to attempt handheld with these dSLR's. I shot a test with my girlfriend last week in Hollywood, just following her down the sidewalk as sort of a tracking shot. I'll upload it soon to show. But yeah, it's very jittery. So I think it's time I invest in some stabilization.
I'd like something in the $300-$500 range. Or, there's always the DIY option. Has anyone here seen this video that shows how to make one of these rigs for about $30?
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Or view it externally here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvPHSd4zjZg
That's it for now. Please chime in if you have any advice on the matter, or feedback for the items listed above.
Thanks, all.
