gimbal use with a video camera that doesnt have good LV F-AF ?

R

rocketman122

Active member
I am a complete newbie for video. but what if the camera doesnt have responsive or snappy full time af? how can that work with a gimbal?

I saw a friend shoot video with his 5dIII and he doesnt use a gimbal. so hes using this shoulder rig or monopod or handholding

unless you have a follow focus added, how can one focus on things when its on a gimbal?

just curious what are requirements to use a gimbal? im guessing you cant use mf...?
 
Related to your other post...there has been a lifetime of development in video AF in the last 5-8 years.

People use Canon or Sony and have a wide range of settings and choices on how to use the system, like being able to track and register faces, eyes, animals, certain areas, speeds, distractions, etc.

The results from these systems on gimbals are practically flawless with the right camera, the right operator, and a decent gimbal (at least with enough light but even without, it still works pretty good).

No Nikon or Panasonic, etc. though. At least not yet, maybe never.
 
But to also further answer your question, you'd either use a gimbal which you could control the focus with your thumb by using a follow-focus system attached to it (and gears on the lens, or cinema lenses), or you'd use manual focus with a lens stopped down (obviously adds complications of its own).

You might be able to get away with some AF on a subpar AFing camera, but it can't be anything critical and it would usually be for when you can shoot slow-motion and pull some seconds here and there for b-roll.

Definitely no subpar AFing for moments like a bride walking down the aisle (at least not with one camera on location).
 
gimbal use with a video camera that doesnt have good LV F-AF ?

manual 20 (fullframe) 16 (apsc) lens

f8 focus at 8 foot, maybe grab the ring and twizzle it to 3ft
 
You can't trust even the best AF. Stopped down wide at the distance you usually shoot with a gimbal you don't have to. AF can be useful, if you're going to use a gimbal my solution is buy an additional camera with good AF - something lighter than your A cam, keep it on the gimbal and you don't need to rebalance (my suggestion would be a6400, kit lens is wide enough).
 
I wouldn't use a mechanical gimbal. Those manual focus dials don't work well. They're only compatible with a limited number of cameras, it's too difficult to pull focus while operating a gimbal and photo lenses don't adjust focus smoothly.

There are ways to get around cameras with poor af. If you use a fixed manual focus on a wide angle lens that is stopped down the large dof will make it easier to keep the subject in focus. Then if you maintain roughly the same distance from your subject you'll be good. Eventually most people will get a dedicated camera for gimbal use.
 
For a few years I did manual focus on ronin-s gimbal with Canon 5dmk3, then lumix gh5, using the dji focus motor driving a strap-on gear on the lens. I ran video to a 7" on board monitor and turned the focus motor with the wheel on the gimbal. The system worked flawlessly, it's just very challenging to operate and to nail focus at shallow depth of field. Now I use Sony cameras with auto focus. There are some drawbacks to using auto focus, but mostly massive advantages
 
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