C100: Success Story: C100 on a Jimmy Jib with 17-120 Servo!

[DannayZay]

Yesterday was a pretty daring production: 500 people inside a tent with THREE jib placements -- yes we had to move this rig indoors -> outdoors -> indoors. We managed to move this 12' jib like a well-oiled NASCAR crew. Anyway, I just wanted to share that it IS possible to use a C100 Mark II on a Jimmy Jib with full Iris, Servo-Zoom, and Focus control!

After a bit of research with my jib guy, we figured out that the only EF servo lens capable of wide to tight range with a servo zoom and connection is the Canon 17-120mm lens. We had to buy a $250 20-pin cable for the Servo connection, but WE GOT IT RIGHT and worked without renting the lens for a test run! Iris and focus was controlled with a separate rig on rails that connected to the jib's brain box. Powered the servo and camera with the V-mount battery, which also helped counter the lens weight.

Since our C100's close-up cameras had to be placed in the back of the tent, I was also faced with finding a >200mm EF lens that wouldn't be as heavy as the 17-120. My second solution that also worked was a 70-200mm F2.8 and 2x Extender III, supported on rails and Sachtler DV12SB's. Probably could have benefitted from being on a beefier head for 400mm...but it did the job in the REALLY TIGHT tent.

Thought I'd share some pictures below! We had 5x C100's deployed:



Can't wait to share the recap once its done

 

[puredrifting]

Very impressive. Hope your insurance provider was up to date?!?!? This one, as a producer, would have made me nervous as hell. Inside tents with relatively low ceilings with heavy camera/lens/head combos flying over people's heads. Yes, I would be a stress case if was producing this. Post some shots if and when you can. Looks great from the setup.

 

[DannayZay]

Very impressive. Hope your insurance provider was up to date?!?!? This one, as a producer, would have made me nervous as hell. Inside tents with relatively low ceilings with heavy camera/lens/head combos flying over people's heads. Yes, I would be a stress case if was producing this. Post some shots if and when you can. Looks great from the setup.

Thanks! Oh you bet my insurance AND the jib operator's insurance was up to date. We had 3 hours to make the judgement call of 6, 9, 12, or 18 foot jib arm. We went for 12' because 1) it fit in the dry-run of wheeling the jib between spaces, 2) we didn't want the camera low enough to bump heads (high enough to walk under), and 3) we wanted the most reach. Everything was bolted down super solid and all wires were gaffed as efficient as possible.

We've flown this thing with an Ex1 out of an opera box in the Plaza Hotel in NYC, so I was confident we could fly in the tent:


Will post shots soon! The fireworks were absolutely epic with One World Trade in the background.

 

[scorsesefan]

Yes, very impressive given the logistics...

 

[Eric Coughlin]

Here's some photos of my C300 Mark II on a Jimmy Jib. We didn't need a cine lens and wireless follow focus because we had the C300 Mark II's face detection auto-focus. Well...okay, a cine lens with wireless follow focus probably would have been better, but the autofocus did work quite well for what we needed. The jib guys were impressed with it.

 

[DannayZay]

Here's some photos of my C300 Mark II on a Jimmy Jib. We didn't need a cine lens and wireless follow focus because we had the C300 Mark II's face detection auto-focus. Well...okay, a cine lens with wireless follow focus probably would have been better, but the autofocus did work quite well for what we needed. The jib guys were impressed with it.

That looks pretty awesome! Did you just set the focal length and go?

Another great feature of the C100 Mark II was using the wifi to adjust white balance and iso when changing between locations (we had to remove the side grip to balance it properly).

Curious to see other people using C-series cameras on jibs now!

 

[Eric Coughlin]

Yeah, we set the focal length and went.

I still haven't tried out the wifi on my C100 Mark II. I should probably try it out some day. I had a shoot where they asked if I had the wireless adapter for my C300 Mark II (since it doesn't have internal wifi) for some jib shots they wanted to do, but I didn't have it. I thought that the Canon WFT-E6A Wireless Transmitter gave wireless control of the camera like the internal Wifi on the C100 Mark II does, but in reading about it just now it seems to be more about data transfer and camera syncing. Is there not a device that can give wireless control of the C300 Mark II (asking anyone who knows)?

Anyway, I told them I had a C100 Mark II which had wireless, but they wanted to stick with the C300 Mark II for the jib shots. So we just resorted to bringing the camera down every time we wanted to start and stop recording or needed to change other settings.

Here's a couple photos from that shoot. On that one we did have a wireless follow focus with a cine prime lens. The J.L. Fisher pneumatic dolly is pretty cool, and mounting a jib on it was cool too.

The shot 10 seconds in has the jib shot in it.

 

[Eric Coughlin]

Also, here are some more photos from a shoot some guys I've worked with did with the C300 Mark I on a jib with a Canon 15.5-47mm cinema zoom lens and follow focus.

 

[scorsesefan]

Thanks! Oh you bet my insurance AND the jib operator's insurance was up to date. We had 3 hours to make the judgement call of 6, 9, 12, or 18 foot jib arm. We went for 12' because 1) it fit in the dry-run of wheeling the jib between spaces, 2) we didn't want the camera low enough to bump heads (high enough to walk under), and 3) we wanted the most reach. Everything was bolted down super solid and all wires were gaffed as efficient as possible.

We've flown this thing with an Ex1 out of an opera box in the Plaza Hotel in NYC, so I was confident we could fly in the tent:
View attachment 113534

Will post shots soon! The fireworks were absolutely epic with One World Trade in the background.

Fireworks pic looks like BK waterfront. Wburg? Brooklyn Heights?

 

[Doug_EX]

Wonder how you installed the 2 motors (focus and iris)...is this custom? I have the same exact jib and I was looking for a solution to rig the iris motor on the 15mm rail. I already have the focus block that make it possible to rig the focus motor to the rail.

Do you have more photos showing the set up?

Thanks!

 

[DannayZay]

Fireworks pic looks like BK waterfront. Wburg? Brooklyn Heights?

Hoboken waterfront.

 

[DannayZay]

Wonder how you installed the 2 motors (focus and iris)...is this custom? I have the same exact jib and I was looking for a solution to rig the iris motor on the 15mm rail. I already have the focus block that make it possible to rig the focus motor to the rail.

Do you have more photos showing the set up?

Thanks!

I believe its the Jimmy Jib focus/iris motor rig (mounts on one 15mm rail)-- with the gears adapted for Canon ENG lenses. Don't have pictures of the whole setup because I was managing camera placement.

 

[Doug_EX]

I believe its the Jimmy Jib focus/iris motor rig (mounts on one 15mm rail)-- with the gears adapted for Canon ENG lenses. Don't have pictures of the whole setup because I was managing camera placement.

Thanks

 

[Karl Anthony]

Super impressive!

 

[Jim Martin]

Well done!

 

[coutard]

I believe its the Jimmy Jib focus/iris motor rig (mounts on one 15mm rail)-- with the gears adapted for Canon ENG lenses. Don't have pictures of the whole setup because I was managing camera placement.

why don't you use classic ENG zoom and focus control ? i mean, wired directly under the lens, like the old TV multi camera configuration.
That way you don't need any external motor, but use the ones inside the lens.
I've done it with a C100 and 17-120 and it worked perfectly.

any way I'm still impressed how this lens looks fantastic. too bad there's this little loss of light in the very long end.

 

[70Deep]

Awesome thread guys. The photos and stories were quite fun to check out.