IS Lens vs. Z-Finder vs. Rapid Fire - Ultimate Test

chris f

chris f

Veteran
I looked and looked and looked for a test like this before ponying up and purchasing my Zacuto gear and couldn't find anything, so I took the leap and bought all the gear I needed to test my thesis which is:

With the combination of an IS lens, Zacuto Z-Finder, and Zacuto Rapid Fire I'll be able to use a DSLR for run-and-gun handheld documentary work that will produce jello-free, aesthetically pleasing video and still be a rig that is lightweight and small enough to go unnoticed during filming.

*Side note: I naturally have pretty shaky hands.

Personal Rig Requirements:
*No jello or micro-jitters in footage
*Be able to keep both hands on camera for control and pulling focus
*Must be a small, light rig to go unnoticed for guerilla style documentary shooting


Yesterday I finally got a hold of a Canon lens with IS and was able to do some testing and here are my results, you be the judge and hopefully this will help you in your DSLR accessory purchasing decisions:

Test #1:


Best Results in order for Test #1
17mm
1. Z-Finder + Rapid Fire + IS Lens On
2. Rapid Fire + IS Lens On
3. Z-Finder + IS Lens On
4. Z-Finder + Rapid Fire + IS Lens Off

85mm
1. Z-Finder + Rapid Fire + IS Lens On
2. Rapid Fire + IS Lens On
3. Hand Held + IS Lens On

Test #2:


Best Results in order for Test #2
17mm
1. Z-Finder + Rapid Fire + IS Lens On
2. Z-Finder + IS Lens On
3. Rapid Fire + IS Lens On
4. Z-Finder + Rapid Fire + IS Lens Off

85mm
1. Z-Finder + Rapid Fire + IS Lens On
2. Rapid Fire + IS Lens On
3. (probably Hand Held + IS Lens On, but forgot to test)
4. TIE Z-Finder + Rapid Fire + IS Lens Off
TIE Z-Finder + IS Lens Off
TIE Rapid Fire + IS Lens Off


**Update with Canon 70-200 IS f/2.8**
 
Last edited:
Your going to deep into this, I just had a shoot with a spider brace and IS and my shoot was damn near perfect.

IMO all of this money spent on stabilization is not needed , all you really need are some steady hands.

500+ for a rig and 300+ for a lcd magnifier, no thank you that's waist of money.
 
Chris, my friend - you have some BAD luck starting threads.

Using a DIY Loupe + Rapid Fire + IS/VC lens, I get similar results to Chris, though unfortunately I haven't had the time to post them.

I do not have steady hands and as far as I know, I can't buy them anywhere. What I can buy, is stabilization equipment.

I purchased a Spiderbrace a few years ago when I was shooting with my DVX and it worked for its purpose - the Rapid Fire for my shooting style/DSLR works better for me.

People, if you have nothing to contribute to the thread because you either a) can't afford the equipment or b) don't see a use for it, don't bother posting - it just clutters the thread of a good test, meant to help others choose a solution that works for them.

Kegan
 
Hunter007 said:
Chris, my friend - you have some BAD luck starting threads.

Using a DIY Loupe + Rapid Fire + IS/VC lens, I get similar results to Chris, though unfortunately I haven't had the time to post them.

I do not have steady hands and as far as I know, I can't buy them anywhere. What I can buy, is stabilization equipment.

I purchased a Spiderbrace a few years ago when I was shooting with my DVX and it worked for its purpose - the Rapid Fire for my shooting style/DSLR works better for me.

People, if you have nothing to contribute to the thread because you either a) can't afford the equipment or b) don't see a use for it, don't bother posting - it just clutters the thread of a good test, meant to help others choose a solution that works for them.

Kegan
Click to expand...


It seems like people here are sensitive to posts with actual common sense. How about you guy and buy a $30K camera and hire assistance on every shoot since money is not an option.

There are several people who visit these boards and think they need all of this equipment for steady shots and I am here to say that this is not the case. Life is balance and both sides must be explored in order to understand. If my shoot would have not worked then I would agree, but using a simple cheap stabilization like a spider brace and it actually working amazed me.


If someone wants to spend their hard earned money in a troubled economy then more power to them, I believe camera personal spend too much time buying things that are not needed.

Forums are ways for people all across the world to share their experiences , stop having tunnel eye vision and explore other options and why those people post them.

good bye
 
Did I say money wasn't a problem? It's common sense to use what works. You have steady hands, so you can get away with a Spiderbrace - I cannot. Whatever the case is, great for you - but post your own thread regarding your results. Why contaminate his thread which didn't ask about what works better than his rig?

I didn't spend $400 on a Z-Finder, but do you hear me saying you don't need it? What you NEED depends on what you're shooting and your shooting style/abilities.

I agree with your statement about what forums are for, but there are specific threads and sections for organizational purposes and to avoid arguments such as this.

Kegan
 
N.E.S. said:
Your going to deep into this, I just had a shoot with a spider brace and IS and my shoot was damn near perfect.

IMO all of this money spent on stabilization is not needed , all you really need are some steady hands.

500+ for a rig and 300+ for a lcd magnifier, no thank you that's waist of money.
Click to expand...

I'm only trying to help.

I own a spiderbrace and have used it for gigs with the 7D but it was far from ideal and on multiple occasions the pvc glued arm has come right out of its socket when I've grabbed it to pick it up.

Ps. I've updated the thread with my personal rig requirements (you probably didn't read them on the vimeo page) which would disqualify the spiderbrace because A) I can't have both hands on the camera and B) having any kind of shoulder mount would bring too much attention to myself
 
Chris,

Thanks for putting this together. I've certainly had the same results as you using my rig, which includes IS-lenses, the Z-Finder and the Tactical Shooter. To push it to the extreme, I shot quite a bit of footage for a recent project using the Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS lens, on my rig, at full telephoto. The shots looked amazing.
 
I shot quite a bit of footage for a recent project using the Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS lens, on my rig, at full telephoto. The shots looked amazing.
Click to expand...

Care to share the footy? The 70-200 IS lens is the next test I want to tackle with this rig.
 
Well, I'd have to go back to the project to edit some of the 70-200 specific footage together. For now, here's the finished product. It's 18 minutes, so it's a big long, but everything after the 4-minute mark was shot on the 7D, using either the 70-200 lens (much of the fishing footage), the 17-55 f2.8 IS lens or the 10-22 f3.5-5.6 lens.

 
Bravo to your efforts - tis pointless haveing a lovely frame full of jello and shake

Some thoughts..

-such tests are useful but shooting real is better - humans in your shot moving (like the second) hide your wobbles because you are watching the action

-IS is fine until you pan

I think you will get better results with a two handled rig - such as a spider brace !

here is an edit of my efforts - note the long static shot with a focus pull

(the opener is a dolly not HH)

The shots of static items look worse than the ones with human distraction





shot with two handles..

smmNandrea.jpg


S
 
Last edited:
morgan_moore said:
Bravo to your efforts - tis pointless haveing a lovely frame full of jello and shake

Some thoughts..

-such tests are useful but shooting real is better - humans in your shot moving (like the second) hide your wobbles because you are watching the action

-IS is fine until you pan

I think you will get better results with a two handled rig - such as a spider brace !

here is an edit of my efforts - note the long static shot with a focus pull

(the opener is a dolly not HH)

The shots of static items look worse than the ones with human distraction





shot with two handles..

smmNandrea.jpg


S
Click to expand...
Nice solid shooting.
While I agree that certain accessories are needed to shoot with these DSLRs, most of important is a loupe of some kind for focus and follow focus for smooth focusing, the rest is highly subjective.

In many cases nothing beats simple accessories such as a tripod or for small footprint a good monopod. Now for run and gun units such as the Cinevate and Zacuto are great due to their small form factor. But require more effort on the part of the shooter.

I'll take a monopod or tripod for rock solid shooting any day. But if I want to go run and run with a small form factor I'll take something like my DVMulti Rig any day. You name it, and I can configure it, ahdnheld with rails 1 grip/2 grips, shoulder support etc. And for me even most important is any configuration with the 2 section support pod. Shooting steady is effortless and moving camera shots even easier. I swear by it for my video cameras and even more so for my DSLR shooting. Teh only thing about the rig, is that it isn't as sexy as other rigs out there by Zacuto, Cinevate, Red Rock etc. But it more versatile and works for me.

BTW, Morgan, is that a home made rig you're shooting with?
 
To the OP I dont think you will get smaller than my rig configuration - the right handlebar could go as seen in the pic

You need some distance from the cam - because say you wobble 5mm that will move the cam less if your hand is further away (pythagorus)

Ie a 5mm woble 10cm from the cam will translate to a lens rotation of X degrees while a 5mm wobble 20cm from the cam will translate into a rotation of Y degrees - Y being far less than X probably inversly sqare less if you do the math

others are trying '16mm style' a single hand right under the CofG of the camera + viewfinder

-----

Vegas - read the comments on the vimeo page - was homemade - no longer

S
 
Got my hands on a Canon 70-200 IS f/2.8 lens today and did a quick IS test with the full rig, pretty impressed with the results:

 
thats pretty impressive for a tele. what millimeter were you zoomed into. no doubt IS does settle down the jerkiness quite a bit. i agree with another poster though that at times panning can be a little weird with the IS on.

thanks for taking the time to do these tests. no test is the end all test but i found out some tangible information from what you did which made it very worthwhile IMO.

morgans clip look very nice too. bottom line is there are lots of way to "get it done". i still just use my Multirig and am content for the moment. someday i may pop for another shoulder rig of some sort but in no hurry.

david
www.davidprobst.com
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top