Tele Lens and Tripod - stabilizing

M

moxrox

Active member
Iam doing video as a hobby and try to go as light as possible since Iam carrying it sometimes for hiking/trips/vacations/events, therefore Iam using the Magnesit 522 Tripod (payload 5kg) which is in the weight range similar to the carbon series with around 1.6 kg. Iam using it for photography with my D90 and with the GH2 for video.

I noticed that already with a 100m lens you have to be very carefully otherwise the whole cam starts to shake especially with pans, with an older heavier weight 200mm lens it is getting worse of course and I imagine 300mm will be hard.

What are your suggestions here how to stabilize it more, of course a more heavier video Tripod would be a better solution but I cant carry it around for longer..its just too heavy. Anyone is filming with i.e. 100-300mm lens and with a similar Tripod for photographer, how is your expirience ?

Thank you
 
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Video is going to be tough on that light rig at those extreme focal lengths. The easy answer is sandbags, but assuming you don't want to lug those around.
 
Identify what's shaking first - is the head stable but the camera/lens is shaking? Head shaking? Legs shaking?

You might try a set of rails with a support for longer lenses added on - for something like an 80-200 2.8 (very long and heavy) this could be a big help, if the tripod itself is stable.

A baseplate, camera plate, rails, and lens support won't add much weight... but they do make a camera harder to pack, much harder. And having to assemble a rig for every shot is a nightmare - I'm a firm believer in a case that holds a rig fully assembled.

Can you balance a heavier setup by moving it for & aft? A lot of weight hanging out the front can add to the shakes.

For video, very long still lenses can be rough as they're not designed for video - pulling focus or zoom can make lens elements move in relation to each other and even a microscopic movement will be apparent (not an issue for stills). Even rack focusing on a high-end DSLR lens can give you a noticeable jump.

You could look into the zippered sand bags and fill them with sand/rocks at your location, then dump 'em out. I've used those for beach shoots. Take a little plastic camping trowel (they're made for burying your poop and are available at camping stores).

I said poop!!!
 
Thank you very much for the posted ideas, a sandbag would be a solution but only for shots without panning or following an object. I guess i just reached the limit with the gear (tripod) I use and it seems the shaking is mainly comming due to the lenght of the lens. Maybe the idea about a rail for the lens, which is used aswell in photography for the more heavier lenses, could help here. I have to check it out and will also try to put some weight on the tripod column like suggested, otherwise there is probably no way around to use a true video tripod. It is always fascinating if you watch outdoor films/documentaries with the second thought that these guys have to carry a lot of weight, especially if they need to walk a little further, but if you are alone you cant have everything.
 
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