Solution for elevated shooting?

F

firehawk

Veteran
Been wanting an alternative to a 4'X4' platform riser to stand on to get above the crowd.

What do you think about this ?

46"X20"32" (LXDXH) work platform to stand on
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-4...rm-with-330-lbs-Load-Capacity-30125/302785365

Tall tripod, manfrotto 536
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...MI7vmtrem14gIVAtbACh2QrghYEAQYAyABEgLASPD_BwE

15" camera riser
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...MIoaq8o-q14gIVm7rACh03ZwIsEAQYASABEgIGC_D_BwE

As well all know the problem with putting the camera on a platform with the operator is transferring unwanted movement to the camera.
So this idea would keep the camera tripod standing on the ground, separate from the operator.

I already have the tripod but some of my camera ops are not tall and they need a boost in elevation. Plus in some events I need to be higher too.
So this seems like an easier way than trying to haul around a 4X4 platform.
Thoughts?
 
Thank you. I agree the Spider Pod looks like a great solution. But for my limited use, $2900 is a hard swallow. I was hoping my plaform and tall tripod idea might also work by separating the use from the camera and save me about $2700 :)
 
firehawk said:
Thank you. I agree the Spider Pod looks like a great solution. But for my limited use, $2900 is a hard swallow. I was hoping my plaform and tall tripod idea might also work by separating the use from the camera and save me about $2700 :)
Click to expand...

I would never buy a Spider Pod, why not rent when you need it? Lots of rental sources carry them. I only need it perhaps once or twice every few years, I try to avoid shooting live events like the plague. But if I did more of them, like a lot, I would buy one.
 
Thanks. Yeah renting would be the way to go. No rental houses around here though. May be a possibility to have one of those rental places that ship one and you ship it back afterward.
No way I'm buying one unless I needed it a LOT which I don't
 
With all of the stuff I've spent money on over the years and never batted an eyelash, the SpiderPod is still one of those things that I look at and say "Are you guys f*cking crazy?! How much?! You guys are f*cking crazy".
 
Thank you Dan.

Yeah Run&Gun, it looks like they have a patent on it and I suppose in the meantime they want to get as much $$ as they can. I think it's a great product but it seems really high priced to me as well. Yet how many potential customers are there for a product like that, even if it were $1000 instead of $2800?
 
I know some people who have built their own personal versions of SpiderPods. Nothing too fancy, all from Home Depot type stuff. Think of folding ground spreaders with stilts on the bottom.
 
Here is a thought.. get some sort of hothead.. even a gimbal with a remote operator facility.
Have a camera with remote FIZ. (can you demo that on the Cx350 yet mitch?)

Place your camera on a tall tripod or whatever. Get a big comfy chair and monitor, and a beer/cocktail/stream of coffee sit back and chill while operating.

One of the reasons I 'interact' with Prolyte kit is that not only could I rent a prolye truss to mout the camer on.. I could also rig the camera to other odd positions.. most stages are prolyte.. so I could offer for example a remote camera from 20m up on the stage procenium arch etc.

For a tall rig Id suggest prolyte truss.. if you have a local rental house for that - which I do.

S
 
morgan_moore said:
Here is a thought.. get some sort of hothead.. even a gimbal with a remote operator facility.
Have a camera with remote FIZ. (can you demo that on the Cx350 yet mitch?)

Place your camera on a tall tripod or whatever. Get a big comfy chair and monitor, and a beer/cocktail/stream of coffee sit back and chill while operating.

One of the reasons I 'interact' with Prolyte kit is that not only could I rent a prolye truss to mout the camer on.. I could also rig the camera to other odd positions.. most stages are prolyte.. so I could offer for example a remote camera from 20m up on the stage procenium arch etc.

For a tall rig Id suggest prolyte truss.. if you have a local rental house for that - which I do.

S
Click to expand...

Thank you for more great input. Yes. I have a remote controlled camera that I use atop a tall stand/etc. The two things about that system that I don't like so much:

1. these are usually fast paced, low budget events and setting up the remote control camera takes some time to balance, rig etc and then then we may need to move to a different area of the venue where the remote system is no longer used and we switch to other cameras (such as wedding ceremony switching to reception).
That is why I thought that maybe a foot platform/tripod/camera system would be faster. When the first part is done we fold up the foot platform and then just take the tripod and camera to the next location of the event.

2. I love using the remote system but my operators tend to do better using a traditional tripod/camera. This is no fault of the system but a limitation of the users. And they always need my help setting it up.

I tend to get stuck looking at things narrowly so it's always good to hear input from you more capable people. Often someone will suggest what should have been an obvious solution, haha. My mind is always on many projects at once.
Learning more about Prolyte will be good as I'm always wanting to rig some camera up in trusses, etc. So I have a stash of various clamps and mounts where I've done that before but never took the time to get familiar with it.
 
Run&Gun said:
With all of the stuff I've spent money on over the years and never batted an eyelash, the SpiderPod is still one of those things that I look at and say "Are you guys f*cking crazy?! How much?! You guys are f*cking crazy".
Click to expand...

Yep, right there with you. But they do work well, great rental. One of my clients, who I only shoot for very occasionally, has three of them. We use them once or twice a year for live events.
 
puredrifting said:
Yep, right there with you. But they do work well, great rental. One of my clients, who I only shoot for very occasionally, has three of them. We use them once or twice a year for live events.
Click to expand...

If the clients buying, I'm all in. Lol.

I was on a shoot a few months ago(roast for a retiring high-profile athlete) and they decided at the last minute during the set-up, that they wanted to put me in the back of the room and shoot over everyone so I could get the "stage" and the big "room shots". They had a big set of Ronford-Bakers with them that went way up(higher than my Flowtech 100's) and they found some sort of wooden platform/box outside the restaurant and drug it in for me to stand on. Not exactly the prettiest thing to have at a roast in a room full of multi-millionaire athletes and celebrities, but it worked.
 
firehawk said:
Been wanting an alternative to a 4'X4' platform riser to stand on to get above the crowd.

What do you think about this ?

46"X20"32" (LXDXH) work platform to stand on
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-4...rm-with-330-lbs-Load-Capacity-30125/302785365

Tall tripod, manfrotto 536
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...MI7vmtrem14gIVAtbACh2QrghYEAQYAyABEgLASPD_BwE

15" camera riser
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...MIoaq8o-q14gIVm7rACh03ZwIsEAQYASABEgIGC_D_BwE

As well all know the problem with putting the camera on a platform with the operator is transferring unwanted movement to the camera.
So this idea would keep the camera tripod standing on the ground, separate from the operator.

I already have the tripod but some of my camera ops are not tall and they need a boost in elevation. Plus in some events I need to be higher too.
So this seems like an easier way than trying to haul around a 4X4 platform.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...

+ 1 on the Manfrotto. One of my favorite sticks when height is required. 6' 6" tall and and surprisingly rigid and twist free. I use it with a Vinten 100mm fluid head but it comes with a 75mm reduction insert if you need to use it with a 75mm bowl head. A lot of folks can actually stand under these sticks when fully extended. It takes most camera viewfinders up to around 7' 6" to 8'. I use it in conjunction with one or sometimes two folding platforms that can give me a very solid working base of about 30 x 24 inches for longer jobs or even a stiff milk crate if I'm not on it for long such as at presser sahoots. Not these exactly but very similar. If I'm using two of them I just tape the legs together. Folded down they go on the bottom of my Remin-Tri-Kart-800 along with the rest of the kit on top of them. This combo gets you well above the crowd with a safe sturdy platform for all sorts of shoots.

https://ebay.to/2JKe00e

I've also seen other shooters using something shorter and lighter like these RV steps.

https://ebay.to/2W9saia

Chris Young
 
Run&Gun said:
If the clients buying, I'm all in. Lol.

I was on a shoot a few months ago(roast for a retiring high-profile athlete) and they decided at the last minute during the set-up, that they wanted to put me in the back of the room and shoot over everyone so I could get the "stage" and the big "room shots". They had a big set of Ronford-Bakers with them that went way up(higher than my Flowtech 100's) and they found some sort of wooden platform/box outside the restaurant and drug it in for me to stand on. Not exactly the prettiest thing to have at a roast in a room full of multi-millionaire athletes and celebrities, but it worked.
Click to expand...

That's the first warning sign. When all of a sudden they see you as "the big wide shot guy" and stick you on a wonky crate in the back of the room. :undecided
 
Well, the camera was on a rock-solid platform: a set of Ronford-Bakers with a big Oconor 2560 head(supporting my F55 w/17-120). The stix were on the floor. The platform was just for me to stand on. Sometimes even three letter networks have to improvise. ; )
 
i have a couple of the Miller Solo VJ tripod legs which always get me above a crowd although and the Manfrotto legs linked even goes higher and are cheaper. honestly its pretty hard to beat these crazy high tripod legs unless your standing in front of a mosh pit of course.

ive never seen the spider pod and they are a cool option but no thanks for me personally. i like quick and mobile. YMMV.

david
 
Maybe the Glide Gear TST 100, 10' tripod would be an option... I have a ProAm USA 8' - 12' jib that has been a real solution to get over the head of a crowd, but it does take some setup time and you also need to control the space around the jib, depending on how much movement you will be doing (sometimes it just locked down, but others times I am moving it horizontally and vertically, while tilting the camera platform also).

And another interesting option is the Glide Gear 15" riser, BTR 150 (both flat and 75mm or 100mm bowl versions) that can get a nice boost to height on a tripod...

Both options call for a platform to stand on...
 
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