How to keep steady in informal setting

R

Rider

Active member
I'm basically very new to this, so I hope you understand if my questions are basic.

I've been perusing the options for keeping a camera steady, and see that there are many options geared to film making and the like.

In addition to those formal settings, I'd like to use the camera in informal, spontaneous settings. What options do you recommend for that?
 
What do you mean by informal settings? Like birthdays, parties, bar outings with your friends?

Probably the easiest, most transparent and portable setup would be something like this. Of course, that is probably the most expensive handheld rig out there; you could easily make something like it in your garage for $10. Any large C- or L-shaped piece of metal that you can screw into the bottom of your camera and grip without hurting your hands would do.

This is a better idea of what I'm talking about.
 
For Canons, an IS lens with a LCD Loupe like the Z-Finder help.

For a GH1, using the stabilized kit lens with the built-in EVF helps
 
I haven't even started and I'm becoming discouraged. I mean you have to spend all this money to get something that doesn't handle as well as a camcorder?

jscottprice said:
What do you mean by informal settings? Like birthdays, parties, bar outings with your friends?

Probably the easiest, most transparent and portable setup would be something like this. Of course, that is probably the most expensive handheld rig out there; you could easily make something like it in your garage for $10. Any large C- or L-shaped piece of metal that you can screw into the bottom of your camera and grip without hurting your hands would do.

This is a better idea of what I'm talking about.
Click to expand...
 
Rider, we're working pretty hard to come up with options beyond our professional line for guys just like you. At the basic side of things, our grip and focus lever are about as good as it gets at a very low cost:



The focus lever is here along with a video explaining how it works:



Coming very soon too (2 weeks) is a complete line of very smart gear that would be best described as lego for film-makers where the major development criteria was quality, cost, versatility and weight. The Cinevate team has been playing with the gear on the boardroom table for two weeks now so we're all very excited about debuting Uno Elements.
 
Smooth Cam

Smooth Cam

If you edit in FCP try the SMOOTH CAM filter in post. It seems to get out the handheld gitter while adding no noise or grain. It takes forever to render though.
 
Thanks Dennis; that lever looks promising. I can see it being helpful when a second person is pulling focus. I will want to try it with a solo shooter. I look forward to the Cyclops gear as well.
 
I use Adobe Premiere Pro; anything helpful in that package?

goetzpd said:
If you edit in FCP try the SMOOTH CAM filter in post. It seems to get out the handheld gitter while adding no noise or grain. It takes forever to render though.
Click to expand...
 
Rider said:
I haven't even started and I'm becoming discouraged. I mean you have to spend all this money to get something that doesn't handle as well as a camcorder?
Click to expand...

It would help if we knew what kind of shooting you're talking about. You also haven't specified if this is a 1DIV, 5DII, 7D, T2i, 60D, GH1, D90...that does matter some.

HDSLRs are meant for shooting stills, but they come with a beautiful HD video package inside a small form factor. That size can be either your clutch or your bane, depending on what kind of shooting you are doing - narrative, documentary/ENG, experimental, music video, or something for Facebook.

Give us a few more details, and there's a lot more we could give you.
 
Also, if the prices of the gear sold by fantastic brands like Cinevate are discouraging you, let's point you to the Do It Yourself thread. If you have some tools and are a bit of a handyman, that could be your best bet.
 
I am upgrading from a D90 to a D7000, so it will be a D7000. Looking at my D90 video from the last couple of years the thing that most annoyed me was the camera movement. Most of it is documentary: nature, street, family (and pets), interviews.

I tried a do-it-yourself approach; i.e. attaching a minitripod to the bottom and using it as a handle. It helped some, but focus and steadiness were still difficult.

Btw, even though I had the D90, I still consider myself a complete newbie when it comes to this stuff, so your help is appreciated.


jscottprice said:
It would help if we knew what kind of shooting you're talking about. You also haven't specified if this is a 1DIV, 5DII, 7D, T2i, 60D, GH1, D90...that does matter some.

HDSLRs are meant for shooting stills, but they come with a beautiful HD video package inside a small form factor. That size can be either your clutch or your bane, depending on what kind of shooting you are doing - narrative, documentary/ENG, experimental, music video, or something for Facebook.

Give us a few more details, and there's a lot more we could give oyu.
Click to expand...
 
The DIY looks interesting.

I guess a big question is where to start. What is the first thing I should have:

a good fluid head (already have a tripod and a ball head)
a good viewfinder (I'm thinking of using my loupe, that I used for slides)
something to brace the cam to my shoulder
some kind of flollow focus


jscottprice said:
Also, if the prices of the gear sold by fantastic brands like Cinevate are discouraging you, let's point you to the Do It Yourself thread. If you have some tools and are a bit of a handyman, that could be your best bet.
Click to expand...
 
If you want to be able to go handheld and still focus, you are going to need a follow focus. I spent some time trying to do handheld walking and focusing with my 7D with absolutely no rigging whatsoever, and I could only avoid skew/jello and unacceptable shake by using a wide angle lens with about 180 degrees of focus throw, and my arms were too tired after about 10 minutes.

You're too biggest problems will probably be shake/jello/skew and support. A simple handheld rig like I linked before with a follow focus attached would allow you to space your arms out further from the camera body, which will induce less shake and allow you to lock your elbows into your ribs. Also, the follow focus will be just a few inches away and allow for easy focusing.
 
Rider said:
The DIY looks interesting.

I guess a big question is where to start. What is the first thing I should have:

a good fluid head (already have a tripod and a ball head)
a good viewfinder (I'm thinking of using my loupe, that I used for slides)
something to brace the cam to my shoulder
some kind of flollow focus
Click to expand...

How about this setup?

Z-DCF.jpg



Link to their website: http://store.zacuto.com/Cross-Fire.html
 
Last edited:
Can you enlarge it a bit :)

Setting price aside, that looks like a nice setup. One thing it doesn't work for are children and pets (low to the ground). I forgot to mention needing to shoot low to the ground often.
 
Rider said:
Can you enlarge it a bit :)

Setting price aside, that looks like a nice setup. One thing it doesn't work for are children and pets (low to the ground). I forgot to mention needing to shoot low to the ground often.
Click to expand...

Why not? You'd have to kneel or sit, but that's not too different from filming pets and kids, anyway - based on the dogs, nephews, and nieces I've filmed with and without rigs.
 
That is awesome DIY stuff.

I won't be able to do this overnight. Having limited time, which piece of the rig would you concentrate your energy and/or cash on first and foremost?
 
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