Overhead Camera Shots

S

Sam1487

New member
Hi all

Good to see this forum is still going!

I'm looking in to building a rig that would allow me to attach a camera to a horizontal beam so the camera hovers above something looking directly down on to it - a bed, a table, etc.

I've thought about a crane / jib but I was looking for something that would be set up and left there. The set up might also be able to double as a way to hang lights off it.

I've never put something together before like this, I've always bought kits that you piece together rather than (what I imagine is the most likely option with this idea of mine) buying the individual pieces and putting them together.

Weight wise at the moment I'm looking at C300/C500/FS100/FS700 type cameras.

Have any of you put things together like this? What did you use?

Thanks a lot :)

(Apologies if this is in the wrong place)
 
David W. Jones said:
Dana Dolly in under slung mode?

Speedrail on junior stands?

Lots of ways to do this. Did you ave a budget in mind?
Click to expand...

The Dana Dolly could work quite nicely. I'll need to do a bit more research of my own to fully understand the speedrail stuff - this is a whole new area for me after all.

I've not got a budget in mind, I like to find a number of options in different price brackets and then make a decision from there. Money isn't unlimited, but it's there for the right purchase.

ectobuilder said:
I've used a slider upside down with a tripod head on two heavy duty light stands. This setup would work better on a C300 since the Sony's you mentioned protrude out in the back too much and would hit the slider.

Here is a sample of the shot I've done...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpEdwldUtF4&list=UUAiH2uBeJmJkZ7bLtgAHPhg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCGmdtrRofQ&list=UUAiH2uBeJmJkZ7bLtgAHPhg
Click to expand...

That sounds like it might work, especially being able to slide the shot - though I was just thinking of keeping most of the shots static, the element of choice is pleasing. As long as it can be pointed straight at the ground / table etc then it'll work for what I need.

The shots you've got look really nice. What slider did you use? I assume you shot with a Canon?

morgan_moore said:
For a hombuild I would consider one of the aluminium extrusion sytems, or aluminium scaffolding.

View attachment 90925
Click to expand...

Please forgive my ignorance but I have no idea how the picture you posted would help. I assume the camera would fit to something that sits in the 'divets' on the sides of the piece?
 
Yep if you are handy this extrusion stuff would offer mounting the camera on any of the four sides. Various companies make systems like this selling corners and other bits.
 
Sam1487 said:
That sounds like it might work, especially being able to slide the shot - though I was just thinking of keeping most of the shots static, the element of choice is pleasing. As long as it can be pointed straight at the ground / table etc then it'll work for what I need.

The shots you've got look really nice. What slider did you use? I assume you shot with a Canon?
Click to expand...

I used a Cinevate Atlas 30, upside down with a Manfrotto 701HDV tripod head and two heavy duty light stands. The camera I used was a Canon T3i. For a C300 you can use the same slider as it supports up to 30 lbs. They also have the Atlas 200 which supports up to 200 lbs.

Keep in mind, the higher you go and the wider the lens, the longer your slider/bar has to be or you'll see the light stands. So a truss of some sort should be considered if you need to go really high. Something like this: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/407164-REG/On_Stage_LS9790_Lighting_Stand_with_10.html
 
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