Need better fluid head for airshows & rocket launches!

A

Airwolf

Active member
I filmed some footage at an airshow last night, following an F-18 around. It didn't turn out as well as expected because my motions were so jerky. I don't know if it's because i'm not good at following, or if my Manfrotto 501 head just sucks. I'm also going to be filming a number of rocket launches (not model rockets) over the next year or two, so I need something that can handle a long zoom. Therefore, what is a good fluid head for following planes, and rockets, at lengths of 200-500mm? Shooting with DSLR's or small video cameras like an XF100, nothing very heavy except for the lens.

Some sample footage to illustrate my issues: https://vimeo.com/50418138

Thanks,
 
Hi,
I watched your video. I think you have several things you can improve. I don't know what you used
for a camera but some of the zooming was at issue. Also focus.

I have Manfrotto 503s, pretty similar. You didn't say what tripod you were using but I like my 3246s.
Bigger tripods won't wind up as much as smaller ones.

What I have found helps a lot for me is always having my left hand on the zoom (manual zoom always) and
my right holding the arm with thumb and first finger. While I'm not shooting jets/rockets it really comes down
to angle rates and anticpating where the action is going. It may help to weigh down your tripod.

Given the world we decided to live in this may be problematic, but I'd suggest going to a busy airport
and practicing. For the rockets you might want to go to something like ROCStock and practice videoing
the bigger hobby rockets.

Everything I've seen with anything physical with eye/hand coordination is practice, practice, practice.

thanks
jim
 
Yep that's pretty well what some of my air footage looked like, a few years ago with the 503.

We use Canon XH-A1s cameras so ..

After much checking around my solution was to buy a Miller Compass 15 on Solo CF sticks for the A1s camera. After much practise with cars on the highway etc, the pans are much smoother.

Then I added the Manfrotto 523PROi Lanc with its pan handle extended for leverage, the LCD for monitoring (with a hood) and by standing back from the camera, footage is much smoother. Zooming with the Lanc is much easier. We use Rode NTG-3 mono shotguns to isolate the jet sound in busy airshows.

After much practice, we find that we can stay ahead of the game with our mindset and it improves to the point where we automatically know where to locate, how fast the aircraft is going to be, the duration of the display, how close we should zoom, and how to step around the tripod while panning smoothly.
That's a neat trick, you need to step around the legs while concentrating soley on the picture .. practise that.

If you're going to sell your DVDs, adding music becomes a bone of contention with the air buffs, many hate it, they want the pure jet sound.
Including multiple audio tracks with a menu to select the jet with or without music is another option that helps sales. Hope this helps in some way.

Cheers.
 
Yes, stepping around the tripod became very difficult, towards the end of the flight I just stopped doing it all together and tried to find better shots, very difficult to do when it moves so fast.
This was just a practice deal, not selling any DVD's, adding lipstick with the music basically.

Would something like a Sachtler FSB-6 or Sachtler Cine DSLR head be a major improvement here?
 
Yes I'd say so, but for your particular use and because tripods are such a personal thing, can you go and rent each of those rigs separately to try them out?
Even go to a local shop and talk to some specialists?

Miller has a cheaper Compass 12 out now, I'd definately look at that too.

You gotta be in shape to shoot airshows, picking up the tripod and running around the field can knock you around ending up with shaky pans.
We all carry water, sun screen, energy bars, umbrellas, ponchos and a small tool kit .. adds to the weight we carry.

Balancing the cams on the tripods is also very important, epsecially when you add heavier accessories. We've run a small strip of white adhesive tape low
along one side of our cams, with marks to show where to lock them on the tripod with various things like heavy wide angle convertors fitted on the front.

One rule to follow if you're serious is, when buying a tripod, add up your cameras fully loaded weight, double it and add 50% to cope with future rigs.

The saying goes .. camera bodies come and go but a great tripod will last a lifetime :)

Cheers.
 
Last edited:
Airwolf said:
Yes, stepping around the tripod became very difficult, towards the end of the flight I just stopped doing it all together and tried to find better shots, very difficult to do when it moves so fast.
This was just a practice deal, not selling any DVD's, adding lipstick with the music basically.

Would something like a Sachtler FSB-6 or Sachtler Cine DSLR head be a major improvement here?
Click to expand...

Absolutely. Going from the 501 to a Sachtler / Vinten / Miller is a world of a difference. What's your budget?
 
As far as going to a local shop, I live in a small town and the closest professional video retailer is 5 hours away. So, I'm all about reviews and forum advice.

I don't have a set budget, but something like an o'connor is way out of my price range for example. I'd like to stay in the 1,000-1,500 range for a complete tripod set up. Not sure if I need to upgrade my 546B sticks, or only replace the head? But I wouldn't be opposed to upgrading to a more solid set of legs to go with a better head. I'm also planning on doing a lot of flying in the next 2 years so I need something that can take a beating, is easy-ish to travel with, but also can handle these tricky situations like airshows and other zoom-heavy situations.
 
jimi90501 said:
Everything I've seen with anything physical with eye/hand coordination is practice, practice, practice.
Click to expand...

I've worked thousands of hours on a tripods and I've trained several folks on their use. Way too many folk think they can do something with just a short amount of time and look smooth. I did not see anything in your video that made me think your tripod was the problem. I agree with the above posts about the need for serious practice. By your video and your determination you probably will be fine with just more practice. I am not talking about a few hours either, I am talking about days, if not a week or so of practice until you will be doing things automatically without thinking. Yes sometimes the gear is a problem (I've found that is true on sub $500 tripods). Here is a simple test you can do on your tripod, use a fish scale on it and see what the tension is to tilt and pan. If they are not the same even a ½ pound off then how can you be smooth when you are doing a combination tilt and pan. If you can't adjust the tripod to what you feel is the best setting for your camera, then of course the tripod is part of the problem. BTW you are shooting with a very light weight camera, which in quite a few ways works against smooth work because all your movements need to me more delicate than with a heavier camera with more physical inertia.
 
Steve, i've worked with large rolling studio rigs before, old set ups that are 10+ years old, and they move much more smoothly than what I have now. If it is an issue of weight, how do you get smooth movements from a DSLR? Even if I got someting like a C300 the weight difference is not that significant.
 
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