FS7: New job, help me build my kit.

Tim Miller

Tim Miller

Well-known member
Started a new job and I am a kid in a candy shop. Which to me, is a drug, because I will research till the cows come home and frankly I'm burned out. When I would buy my own stuff, it was a piece at a time.

I'm wondering if someone can help me build my kit, lights, tripod, etc etc etc. Yeah, I'm not here to start a huge debate and I'm here, because I've decided on a FS7. I was on the fence with C300 mkii, but the b-cam of a a7s ii is what sold me on sticking with FS7 (and the slow-mo).

My budget is "within reason," I'm trying to keep my first round around $30k. I'm looking for "light" and easy as far as the overall gear.

My position is so new that we aren't sure exactly what I'll be doing but I can get it's a lot of interviews/testimonies, talking heads, live events,some workers, well working in an industrial setting.

Here is what I have for my first run - https://www.bnh.com/wish/E44C187FCC/ - I'm thinking fs7 mk1 because I hear the locking E-mount for the mkii can be difficult for a one man band. I could use some help with some rigs - like a Zacuto, Wooden Camera, or Shape.

Here is my second run - https://www.bnh.com/wish/E2302DCF5D/ - the extra light is used for a flood type light

Once again, a lot to ask, I'm just burned the f*** out on looking at stuff and you folks have a lot more experience than I.

Feel free to message me and I can talk on here or via email.

Thanks all.
 
Last edited:
First I think you made a good choice with the FS7. It's the right camera to cover almost all corporate stuff.

I film mostly in a two person producer/videographer team so the more I work the more I appreciate something very portable. My advice would be to keep it as simple and compact as possible.

Don't start to gather a bunch of stuff that just slow you down. I think the FS7 is one of those cameras that need little if anything to be workable. Often I make do with just a Canon 24-105/4 IS L lens with metabones Speedbooster, batteries and XQD cards.

You would need a good tripod and I find the new Sachtler Flowtech tripod and FSB6 head to be a very nice combination for a bare FS7.
You can't go wrong with a Sennheiser EW112 G3 system and HD25 headphones and get yourself a good rolling bag that'll save your back and arms!

When it comes to lights I think a two light kit goes a long way. My favorite is a Aladdin Bi-FLex 1x2 and a Dedolight Dled7 Bicolor. With this two light setup I get a nice and soft key light and a hard spot light that can be used as fill, hair, back ground light or whatever you'd like. Add a 5in1 reflector and three light stands and that's it! But there are other great lights out there so this is just what I like to use and so many variations to do.
 
I'm currently set up to buy all native Sony lenses so I don't have to mess with adapters. One step toward easier. I have a Miller 1846 Compass20 carbon fiber tripod, had it in the past works well. Got a G3 in there.

I've not use Aladdin or Dedolight before.

So no rig?
 
Last edited:
The big question - what is your budget ?
Lens could cost the same as your camera, so is the tripod head
Also what is your budget for post processing computer and storage?
 
Definitely go for a speedbooster.

As far as lenses, I'd actually go with the two sigma Art zooms. The 18-35 and the 50-100. But that's personal preference, really.

You may want a monitor with exposure tools. I'd recommend the Odyssey 7Q. Plus, you can upgrade the back attachment for RAW later, if you want. But that's a kick ass monitor.

For lights, I'd look into the Litemats. A Litemat 4 and a Litemat 2 for your soft interior sources. For your hard kickers I'd look into a 500w Tungsten fresnel. Or even a 1k Tungsten, but then you start getting a little bigger. An alternate route could be to go for the hive 100-c. And if you really want to splurge, a Skypanel S30-C.

For support, a nice tripod, and maybe a light slider? I don't know do you like those parallaximg movements either during interviews or for b-roll? Also, a little glide-cam for your A7S for walk and talks.

Get a few of those pop-out diffusion/bounce/neg kits. Two 2x3' and two 4x8'. You can clip these to lightweight light stands.

Lastly, I'd get a good cart. Your size needs will depend, but get one that will be suited to your environments. Also get the sack that you put over the handles of the cart, for you to put your tripod and any stand like objects that are harder to fit on the cart.

This should keep you pretty light and mobile, but fully functional for corporate type gigs.

Oh, wireless lavs, if you do audio.
 
I haven't been given a budget but I'm trying to stick around $30k, they seemed comfortable with that. This doesn't include computer/storage.

jpham said:
The big question - what is your budget ?
Lens could cost the same as your camera, so is the tripod head
Also what is your budget for post processing computer and storage?
Click to expand...
 
A lot of good stuff here. Thanks.

I've always liked those sigma lenses, I'm also concerned getting bad copies of them.

I don't think I'm going the route of an external recorder.

Those Litemats look awesome!

I'm looking at a miller or sachtler tripod. Probably will pick up a slider or gimbal at some point.

Any recommendations for the pop-out kits and cart?

Yup, got a Senn G3 in the list.

Thanks again.


abreu-canedo said:
Definitely go for a speedbooster.

As far as lenses, I'd actually go with the two sigma Art zooms. The 18-35 and the 50-100. But that's personal preference, really.

You may want a monitor with exposure tools. I'd recommend the Odyssey 7Q. Plus, you can upgrade the back attachment for RAW later, if you want. But that's a kick ass monitor.

For lights, I'd look into the Litemats. A Litemat 4 and a Litemat 2 for your soft interior sources. For your hard kickers I'd look into a 500w Tungsten fresnel. Or even a 1k Tungsten, but then you start getting a little bigger. An alternate route could be to go for the hive 100-c. And if you really want to splurge, a Skypanel S30-C.

For support, a nice tripod, and maybe a light slider? I don't know do you like those parallaximg movements either during interviews or for b-roll? Also, a little glide-cam for your A7S for walk and talks.

Get a few of those pop-out diffusion/bounce/neg kits. Two 2x3' and two 4x8'. You can clip these to lightweight light stands.

Lastly, I'd get a good cart. Your size needs will depend, but get one that will be suited to your environments. Also get the sack that you put over the handles of the cart, for you to put your tripod and any stand like objects that are harder to fit on the cart.

This should keep you pretty light and mobile, but fully functional for corporate type gigs.

Oh, wireless lavs, if you do audio.
Click to expand...
 
I'm sure there is a reason to consider the eva1 - but I kind of forgot what it was!

Possibly that it is lighter/smaller.

--

Now this kit is being bought for professional use right?

Firstly low mass can be a real thing if you are with a camera for 12 hour shifts.

Next professional kit must work and offer redundancy where possible.

I'd see the Eva as having a big thing if you can write the same thing to two cards.

Your 701 should be a 702 SDi - this allows continued monitoring with a port failure on the momitor or camera - redundancy.
It also allows you to offer client momitor via hdmi or SDi. Big things.

Lpe6 canon batts are not professional.

I'd go vlock or bpu with ptap out or just BPU.

Glass
You basically need the 18-110 Sony or canon 18-80
Further primes should be manual - rokinon contax whatever
Af stills glass is the worst glass for focusing and overpriced too.
Not having a real iris sucks.
I can see no reason to want Sony stills glass and every reason to not want it.
To be continued I guess.. :)
 
Tim Miller said:
Nope
Click to expand...

Sony lavs go on the hotshot MI mount leaving the xlr free for two more inputs.

It's a dumb place to mount a receiver but 4 chan of audio can help lots.

One thing I love about the 7 is the ability to send 1 mic to two Channels at two different levels- giving your some safety if you record track two quiet.
 
Last edited:
Personally, I would steer clear of the Sennheiser G3 system. They're fantastic quality and work perfectly... for now. But with all the wireless spectrum auctions going on these days, UHF systems will go the way of the dodo sooner rather than later, and you don't want to get stuck with expensive paperweights when the frequencies for the G3 lavs suddenly don't work.

I'd personally invest in a more future-proof system like the Sennheiser AVX or Rode RodeLink digital systems. They work really well, and their frequencies will be available for many years to come. I went with the RodeLink kits and they're rock solid so far, and cheaper than the G3 to boot!
 
At my computer now and can post more guff.

I think the FS7 has some major flaws that mean one should consider the EVA, but the EVA may have worse flaws so I cannot recommend a camera I have not shot with.

Firstly the nature of your shoots really affects the setups that work. You only mention a desire for 'light'.

The FS7 'flaws' are thus..

1) the EVF cable is not long enough/the evf chimney is too long, LUTs are poor on the EVF.

Sounds small but if you want to build a shoulder rig the cable length and chimney length mean you will really never get a 'naked' FS7 to balance on the shoulder.. you just wont.. it is physics.

Commiting to a non balanced rig makes shooting a daily life of sore neck and twisted head.

--

So you are forced to get AND POWER, an external EVF or monitor. This costs and makes your rig start to grow. And as your rig grows, you need a bigger tripod head, which needs more solid sticks.

So one short lead design error expands everything!

does the EVA have this flaw.. maybe not

2) the lack of LUTs on the (FS7) EVF mean it is hard to use again pushing you towards an external EVF (which also loses you an image out channel for external monitoring)

3) A personal peeve of mine with the FS7 is that it 'forgets' cache record when you change settings. Lack of CR can cost you dear in data and force you to over-roll eating your edit time.

does the EVA have CR and does it work?

4) THe FS7 cant (I think) write to two cards at the same time. Fundamentally as a professional I want to write to two cards. End of.

5) Playback is slow and clunky on the FS7 - this makes you look an ar_se in front of clients.

MASS

The FS7 is quite heavy. And this drives you to bigger sticks and bigger legs. A camera that works on a 75mm bowl really will become a class more portable. Believe me here.

The EVA is specced at 2kg loaded while the 7 is 4kg loaded. Obviously both stats will vary hugely for your build. But that is maybe a really big deal.

--

Dont get me wrong I own an FS7 and it is great. But mainly I shoot with a small crew. I find it really hard to shoot solo with the FS7. (+ sticks + a light + bag of glass + spare batts) - the physical load is just to much for solo operation. Trimming back to 75mm and a smaller cam I believe I could crack a man portable package. Which is a big deal.

I would certainly consider test driving both cameras in a built form before committing to either
 
Buying today I would seriously consider..

EVA, Canon 18-80, Shogun Inferno.

This would break into..
-small solo op camera.
-high codec studio camera
As each shoot required.

S
 
Regardless of what things to get keep it simple! Speed of setting things up and pack down makes my days easier. I just look at all the pumped FS7 rigs and shake my head.
 
IronFilm said:
Panasonic EVA1 + Panasonic GH5 would also be a hell of a combo!
Click to expand...

I wonder how you come to this statement?
The EVA1 isn’t available yet, nobody has worked under real life conditions with it.
Maybe you are right but from experience I would never rate something because of future features.
Or even order such a product.

Btw I own the FS1 and the GH5 and it’s a great combo, proved in practice.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top