FAQ Video kit we'd like invented or current workarounds/alternatives

To expand a little on what Mitch said... The weight rating on heads is also based on the CG(center of gravity) of the camera/payload. Most sites(at least for professional heads from the major manufacturers) have charts showing what payload the head can handle at a given center of gravity for the payload. The higher the CG, the LESS the head can handle and vise-versa.
 
just a niggle but center of gravity is abbreviated as COG - no sense in changing a long established engineering term.
 
plasticam said:
just a niggle but center of gravity is abbreviated as COG - no sense in changing a long established engineering term.
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Like many things in language, things evolve and sometimes the "wrong" term becomes used so much more that it becomes the ad-hoc "correct" spelling. I'm not an engineer but when I was a Steadicam operator that was a constantly-used term, and I only ever heard it as "CG". In doing a quick internet search it appears that is a more commonly used abbreviation.

I've seen quite a few terms pop up in recent years: one was "rails" instead of the classic film industry term "rods" or "iris rods". On every set I'm on we still call them rods but once all of us old fogeys die off, I'm sure it will change over.
 
CharlesPapert said:
Like many things in language, things evolve and sometimes the "wrong" term becomes used so much more that it becomes the ad-hoc "correct" spelling. I'm not an engineer but when I was a Steadicam operator that was a constantly-used term, and I only ever heard it as "CG". In doing a quick internet search it appears that is a more commonly used abbreviation.

I've seen quite a few terms pop up in recent years: one was "rails" instead of the classic film industry term "rods" or "iris rods". On every set I'm on we still call them rods but once all of us old fogeys die off, I'm sure it will change over.
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Sometimes a new competing abbreviation causes adoption of a different abbreviation. As is the case with "DP" becoming "DoP". [ http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dp ]

Possibly "CG" for center of gravity became "COG" as a result of "CG" becoming most known as shorthand for "computer graphics".

http://www.cgsociety.org

"Computer graphics are pictures and movies created using computers. It is often abbreviated as CG, though sometimes erroneously referred to as CGI."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_graphics

The city park where I live recently took the unfortunate step of installing park benches with the initials "CP" on them.
 
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If I start down that route* there will be no end to me correcting how you crazy cats enjoy spelling things incorrectly.


*pronounced 'root' obviously.
 
Has anyone got any tips for stabilising shots without resorting to gimbals/steadicams or where the body/lens doesn't have IS?
 
Balance the rig properly so fatigue doesn't set in too early.

Don't use too long a focal length.

Learn to walk while shooting properly.

Post production stabilisation can only do so much.
 
CharlesPapert said:
I am by nature not a brand loyalist but there are a few that I embrace (and have endorsed) and O'Connor is one such brand. I actually think their older heads are better, before the Vitec buyout, so worth poking around for a good used one.
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Same here, they are a cut above. So they should be for the price...although once you see what is involved in making them the price seems a little more reasonable https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKZ6gJucy84&t=13s
 
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Doug Jensen said:
I also have a Sachlter Caddy that I use for my B-cameras and when I want something smaller or lighter for travel. It's not as nice as the O'Connor but it gets the job done and I'm certainly not "fighting" as you are with your tripod. I bought the Caddy on eBay in 2001 for $4K and it's as good today as it was then.
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The Caddy is basically a Video 18, and it is indeed very nice. There's one on ebay in the UK with legs for £1,600 - you can find them really cheap and as Doug says they are very good and will last for ages.
 
Josh Bass said:
Don't you need a certain amount weight on the sticks to trigger the counter balance? Maybe that's the problem. . .it's all C cameras and EX1s for me.
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Many heads have a minimum load - this is the lightest spring setting for the counterbalance, meaning that if your kit is too light it will spring back. If you can disengage the counterbalance that's not so bad as you can still use the light gear, though of course with no help from counterbalance, but with light gear it's less of an issue. Many heads don't allow you to disengage counterbalance though, even things like the Sachtler "Plus" heads. Try an EX1 on a Video 25 Plus and you'll have a problem! With most Sachtler there are hidden grub screws under the top plate which can disengage 1 or 2 of the lightest counterbalance springs to lower the minimum payload range, though not by that much.
Another win for the O'Connors though, as they will go from zero counterbalance all the way to maximum payload steplessly!!! As has previously been said, it's the gold standard.
Steve
 
Back on topic of things we'd like invented, not my idea but someone suggested to me that there should be a viewfinder with built in recording - so like an Odyssey 7Q but in the form of a Zacuto Graticle. Doesn't have to be fully featured, so could easily fit the required processing in the smaller package - just need e.g. ProRes HQ / XQ or whatever. Just seems that a lot of folks buy am external recorder and an EVF, why not combine them?
Steve
 
I want a camera into which one can plug a consumer media drive. That way I could just plug a Seagate 1tb drive into the camera at the start of the day and upon wrap hand the drive to the client. No laptop needed for transferring files. Everything is instantaneously written to both internal cards and to the external drive. Unplug the external drive and the client is good to walk with their files. Client makes their flight, I am spared that extra hour+ and headache of having to xfer media on location after my Sound Op is long gone and likely already in a pub. ( so smug with their tiny sound files that only take less than 5 minutes to transfer, those Sound guys. :angry:)
 
steve phillipps said:
Just seems that a lot of folks buy am external recorder and an EVF, why not combine them?
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Currently I mount a Zacuto EYE to the outboard side of a viewfinder bracket, & the FS7's LCD to the inboard side. This is only possible due to a SmallRig bracket that has dual sets of NATO rails, with one on either side.

http://www.smallrig.com/SMALLRIG-rod-clamp-and-rail-combination-1856.html

The setup works well enough, but is slightly clunky, so I'd like to see a "Multi-Viewfinder" like AMIRA's that combined a EVF, & fold-out LCD, into one unit.

http://www.arri.com/camera/amira/technology/camera_hardware/amira_viewfinder/

Imagine Zacuto may be tinkering with a Multi-Finder, but one that also recorded ProRes would be a Killer Device.
 
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We're getting closer to that EVF / external recorder...
If my PIX - E5 were just a bit smaller and had a built in VF device to put over (similar to the small 502) - then this would be brilliant.
 
I use a Grid loupe on my Blackmagic Video Assist (the small one). It's big, but if you've got it all firmly mounted it does the job quite nicely.
 
Tim Sewell said:
I use a Grid loupe on my Blackmagic Video Assist (the small one). It's big, but if you've got it all firmly mounted it does the job quite nicely.
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Still be nice to have a compact option - can't believe none of the manufacturers have never considered it? Or maybe they have surveyed the market and decided there's no demand for it?

Steve
 
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