Just bought a DVX, have ?'s...

MasonFilms

MasonFilms

Member
Hey everyone... I just recently bought a DVX100B and am starting to get aquainted with it. I just have a couple of technical questions. First off, whats a monopod's capabilities, as in what is it suited best for. Secondly, would a wheelchair make a good dolly? I was thinking about a shopping cart but that creates too much noise. Third, whats the best way to pan a shot from left to right without holding the camera and eliminating shakiness? Sorry if these seem like ridiculous questions but Im new to the game and you guys seem like you know what youre talking about. Thanks for the time.
 
Monopod is a tripod with only one leg. Not very good for much, but more stable than handheld (plus it gets the weight off your back & arm).

Wheelchairs make lousy dollies, but way better than not having a wheelchair. Now that we've got kits like RoweCine's dolly, or homemade ones off the plans on the internet, there's not much reason to bother with a wheelchair anymore.

As for panning, the only way to do that properly is with a decent tripod.
 
Wow, my first reply on the website is from the legendary Barry Green!!! Kick ass. I actually ordered the dvx book and its on its way. Thanks for the feedback, its much appreciated. This is my first time on the forum although ive been looking thru the posts the people put up. This place is a goldmine. I love the way everybody praises and critiques in such a manorable fashion.
 
Your second reply is from the even-more-legendary bballplaya. Be proud of that.

You will learn tons of knowledge just from browsing this website. In my opinion the internet is better than any book out there.
 
When the monopod rests on the floor with the camera locked to the top, the motion of the camera pivots from the foot of the monopod resulting in an unnatural tilting motion that (in my opinion) doesn't look good on video. Its always rotating left to right or back to front, which cameras never do on a tripod.

When you pan with a monopod, the motion comes from a ball in the foot of the monopod and is translated up the length of the monopod to the camera. Movement is leveraged over the distance, so that tiny resistance between the ball and the cup in the monopod foot results in huge resistance up at the camera. The pan is jerky and discontinuous.

If you already have a monopod you can make a cheap stabilizer out of it by attaching a 5 lb weight to the bottom of it. (Remove the foot, add the weight, secure it with tape, and replace the foot). This puts the center of gravity below the camera and makes for smoother handheld shots.

If you don't have a monopod yet, then you can't beat the utility of a good tripod.
 
I think a poorman's steady cam is a good solution aswell atleast it was for me. Extreemly cheap also and you can build em ur self for like 20 bux or so using home depot eqipment. O wait i think thats what Andy is talking about. Yes it is the best andf cheapest solution.
 
Well, the monopod turned out to be useful for me in three ways. First, if you are going to walk into a crowd and carry your camera and you want it to not look handheld, then it can be useful. I took it to a street fair and got some great footage just stopping and planting the monopod and holding it steady. So long as I didn't move the camera or try to pan it was okay. Better than hanheld in terms of steadiness. And a lot better than trying to carry a tripod around for 2 hours. Second, you can tip the LCD down on the DVX and hoist the camera about 10 feet in the air with a good monopod. I shot some pretty cool footage at an event by using it this way to get the camera way up over the crowd. Again, its not ideal. But its a lot faster and easier than setting up a crane. Third, is I took the rubber foot off of my monopod and slid a 5 lb weight that I had laying around onto the bottom of the monopod, and then slid the foot back on. Then I put a large utility clip on the side to serve as a handle. Instant steadicam. The weight was too much for the rubber foot and kept pulling it off. But some gaffers tape fixed that.

For documentary and events the monopod offers some definite benefits. For narrative filmmaking, I've mainly used it as a cheap steadycam.
 
Barry_Green said:
Monopod is a tripod with only one leg. Not very good for much, but more stable than handheld (plus it gets the weight off your back & arm).

Wheelchairs make lousy dollies, but way better than not having a wheelchair. Now that we've got kits like RoweCine's dolly, or homemade ones off the plans on the internet, there's not much reason to bother with a wheelchair anymore.

As for panning, the only way to do that properly is with a decent tripod.
Click to expand...
Barry,

I'd have to disagree. I saw a short by Tyler Vanderwallen called "Backhand" and they did a dolly move with a wheelchair. Very professional looking and smooth.

It can be done especially if you're on a budget. KIts cost $$$ and not a financially sound decision if all you need is a couple of dolly shots that can be had with a borrowed wheelchair from a hospital.

IMO anyways...

Chris
 
andy_starbuck said:
Well, the monopod turned out to be useful for me in three ways. First, if you are going to walk into a crowd and carry your camera and you want it to not look handheld, then it can be useful. I took it to a street fair and got some great footage just stopping and planting the monopod and holding it steady. So long as I didn't move the camera or try to pan it was okay. Better than hanheld in terms of steadiness. And a lot better than trying to carry a tripod around for 2 hours. Second, you can tip the LCD down on the DVX and hoist the camera about 10 feet in the air with a good monopod. I shot some pretty cool footage at an event by using it this way to get the camera way up over the crowd. Again, its not ideal. But its a lot faster and easier than setting up a crane. Third, is I took the rubber foot off of my monopod and slid a 5 lb weight that I had laying around onto the bottom of the monopod, and then slid the foot back on. Then I put a large utility clip on the side to serve as a handle. Instant steadicam. The weight was too much for the rubber foot and kept pulling it off. But some gaffers tape fixed that.

For documentary and events the monopod offers some definite benefits. For narrative filmmaking, I've mainly used it as a cheap steadycam.
Click to expand...
Andy,

Another good use for a monopod is to help keep your camera steady when doing a dolly shot in a wheelchair. I plan to try this one when filming my feature next summer.

Chris
 
Not sure how to secure the monopod to the wheelchair, tho.

I like to use a 50lb sandbag with the camera wedged into the top. Although the cameraman keeps complaining that it makes his feet fall asleep.

I really want to use a Segway as a dolly replacement. But I'm afraid that if I hold the camera I'll fall over. Can you use a steadicam and a Segway at the same time?
 
imageonepictures said:
Barry,

I'd have to disagree. I saw a short by Tyler Vanderwallen called "Backhand" and they did a dolly move with a wheelchair. Very professional looking and smooth.

It can be done especially if you're on a budget. KIts cost $$$ and not a financially sound decision if all you need is a couple of dolly shots that can be had with a borrowed wheelchair from a hospital.

IMO anyways...

Chris
Click to expand...


Thanks for the reassurance on the wheelchair dolly. Im a student, so buying a dolly and a track or making one would probably be out of my budget as I am only doing a couple scenes where I need one.
 
Chris,

There is nothing wrong with a wheelchair. I have some friends that shot with a wheelchair and a couple of sandbags to hold the camera. The wheelchair provides a lot smoother ride and a lot less noise and vibration in many locations where a wheel dolly will just bounce around, or where there is no even surface to lay track. In one shot we used it to follow an actor running down a hallway and around a corner. And that would have been a lot of trouble with a dolly.

Also, you can tape the camera to a skateboard for some interesting low shots.

This is a link to Microfilmmaker.com. They are dedicated to "No Budget" filmmaking. And you might find some more ideas there.

http://www.microfilmmaker.com/

And this is the "tips page" at Microfilmmaker. Look about halfway down and you'll see a section on equipment about how to build all kinds of things for little or no money.
http://www.microfilmmaker.com/tipstrick/index.html

And here is a tutorial to help you get started with the DVX.

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=6721



at your service,

Andy
 
andy_starbuck said:
Chris,

There is nothing wrong with a wheelchair. I have some friends that shot with a wheelchair and a couple of sandbags to hold the camera. The wheelchair provides a lot smoother ride and a lot less noise and vibration in many locations where a wheel dolly will just bounce around, or where there is no even surface to lay track. In one shot we used it to follow an actor running down a hallway and around a corner. And that would have been a lot of trouble with a dolly.

Also, you can tape the camera to a skateboard for some interesting low shots.

This is a link to Microfilmmaker.com. They are dedicated to "No Budget" filmmaking. And you might find some more ideas there.

http://www.microfilmmaker.com/

And this is the "tips page" at Microfilmmaker. Look about halfway down and you'll see a section on equipment about how to build all kinds of things for little or no money.
http://www.microfilmmaker.com/tipstrick/index.html

And here is a tutorial to help you get started with the DVX.

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=6721



at your service,

Andy
Click to expand...

Hey thanks Andy, I just built a 14 dollar steadycam that works perfectly for what I need it for. Keep up the good word.
 
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