SLIDER**MICROPHONE**MONOPOD** LED LIGHT for use with D750 and D5300

R

rocketman122

Active member
I need to purchase a few items to be able to shoot video as Im now a pro stills photog. I also want to learn video and offer that as a service for more income. in my country (europe area) there is a higher demand for good VDSLR shooters for weddings.

I work with many pro videogs all the time. yesterday one I know well, uses an A7s and an A7 (its his backup and uses it on a tripod for 3 shots. slow dance, ceremony and the BG first meet in the afternoon)

Sliders- he uses a konova slider. dont remember the model but 80CM. its quite a chunk of money at $400. he had the compressed edelkrone one and said its crap. is it really necessary for that much money to get a slider? we can talk about things like tripods and I can tell you that you dont need $300 legs for a steady shot. ive taken my 3221 manfrotto all over the world with no issue. or even flash. no need to buy the nikon Sb910 at $550 to get a great flash.
saw a slider by commlite thats sells for $120. im not a brand snob so it doesnt matter for me what name it says on the gear. just wonderfing what im missing with paying 3x as much to shoot some makeup hair prep shots of the bride and some shots of the venue.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/301254247287

recorder- not sure what I need. basically I need to hood up to the Dj console with either with a phono plug or rca. not sure what specs I need but he said a "good one" costs $300. is it possible to find one at $150? not sure about the 4 channels I saw some have.

monopod- he uses the manfrotto 561bhdv1. how does this look?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/121465275465 would be used for ceremony walking in of parents BG, dance floor shots. most heaviest combo would be the 70-200VR1 and D750 with grip. with larger LCD screen.

led light. saw some leds from yongnuo. would prefer without the led but certain venues are just too dark. just dont know what id need really. saw some videogs with smallish 5" ones and saw others with 10" ones on light stands that make the place look from night to afternoon. thats too extreme. maybe with the heavy setup I plan on using, its best for something small and light. just not sure what though

lcd screen. saw a photog use this small slider (2 tubes) and he mounts the camera on it and then has a lcd (im guessing 7") that he uses to fine focus when he shoots. I liked it very much and would like to use that setup. how this one?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/191386056309

Lenses I have
8mm rokinon fisheye 3.5 AE
tamron 17-35 2.8-4 will upgrade to the tamron 15-30 2.8 VC when its announced
nikon 28-70 AFS 2.8
nikon 70-200 VR1
nikon 85 1.8d
nikon 105 VR
nikon 50 1.4d

Im trying to cheapen out on buying much more expensive gear for the next year because I dont have much funds and I want to get into it and upgrade as I go along.

I cant afford a glidecam 2000 like he has (although hardly used throughout the wedding)

can someone recommend support systems besides the two shoulder setup I saw where you look likegoiing to launch a double bazooka off your shoulder. I saw one with a suspension rod that sits in a piuch that goes around you waist and that look like something id like to use. just dont know what theyre called.
 
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MONOPOD - the 561BHDV is discontiued and has been replaced by http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/945109-REG/manfrotto_mvm500a_pro_fluid_monopod_with.html Remember that panning is built in to the base and NOT the head. I personally use the Benro equivalent. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/967701-REG/benro_a48fbs4_a48f_classic_aluminum_monopod_s4.html This has pan built into the head too and is cheaper. Look at a few links to get stable shots with monopods.

For a recorder you can go with either the Tascam Dr-40 or the Zoom H4n. Both are 4 channel recorders and both are available for $200. I won the Tascam. The advantages of the Tascam over the Zoom are that you can plug in line level inputs so you can record line level from a console throuch RCA to 1/4" and it can be powered by a USB powerbank. I got mine for $125 and usually one gets good deals in the month of November.
 
Rocketman, these are what I can recommend based on my experience when I was starting up (and on a tight budget)

For sliders I had this http://kamerar.com/products/slider-wheel (Kamerar SD-1 Slider/Dolly).. it works great because you can use it a Regular Slider, or when there is a smooth surface, use it as a dolly. Good thing about it is that its light, its portable, and the wheels can be angled which can help a lot with creative shots. I personally find 24" to be more than enough for sliding. Currently, I use a Cinevate Duzi - http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1010735-REG/cinevate_inc_ciduzi02_duzi_camera_slider.html, which of course costs more.

Recorder. Honestly? I used a rode stereo mic (not the shotgun) (I know, some people are so anal about it but as long as you know what you are doing, you can still get great audio from it). Most of the weddings that I did were inside a church so that made it even more convenient. Otherwise, what dafreaking said is great. If its available to you though, I'd recommend renting a pair of Sennheiser EW100 G3. For weddings, they are the best that I have used and they only cost me $15 per wedding to rent (with full price deposit).

For the monopod, I can totally recommend the Benro S6 Monopod - http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1083922-REG/benro_a48fds6_video_monopod_kit.html. You can pan with it and it has great counterbalance options. I still use mine up to now, but I very much prefer my tripod over any monopod.

*Monitors. Personally, I prefer not to use them in weddings. They are heavy and need battery power, which adds even more weight to your setup. Plus, the smaller and lighter ones (better ones), cost above $500. Make use of your screen. You'll soon appreciate how light your setup is when you cover an 8-12 hour wedding.

**This kit, along with a D800 and the Trinity Lenses worked really well.

Hope this helps.
 
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rocketman122 said:
we can talk about things like tripods and I can tell you that you dont need $300 legs for a steady shot. ive taken my 3221 manfrotto all over the world with no issue.
Click to expand...

For a locked down static shot with a light camera? Sure you don't need much for a tripod. Panning smoothly? That's a whole other story. Fluid heads are not all created equal. You'll find this out soon enough.
 
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