Urban Taxi/Subway Kit. The ultimate SPC challenge.

Imagine being a shooter in which the only viable option is what you can hand carry into a taxi cab or up/down subway steps.

What would your kit include?

Currently I have:
Sony EX1 with shotgun
Sachtler Carbon Fiber tripod with FSB6 head
Sennheiser G3 100 wireless lav or handheld (base and mic).

This alone weighs me down before I even consider a small light kit.
Although I have Litepanels Sola ENG and two Digital Juice Miniburst 128 and stands.

I have plenty of other gear but that goes beyond SPC limits.

Currently I can replace the Sony EX with Canon 60D which would mean taking a couple of lenses and a sound recording device. Ideally I'd prefer a real large sensor video camera such as a Canon C100 but I may want to avoid the expense.

Some restrictions to keep in mind (for me at least):
Many taxis in my area balk at picking you up if it looks like you can carry your gear into the back seat.
Subway steps can be a real killer in some areas.
Most of these are just interviews.

So what kind of kit or changes would you recommend.
Both weight and bulk matter.

Couple of lights and a couple of stands. You can fit them in a bat bag. (Amazon.com: Easton Easton Tote Bag, Royal: Sports & Outdoors)

Outside of that... nothing, really.

I use a Manfrotto 501HDV with 190XB legs (not the best, but lightweight) with my EX1R and I pack everything minus lighting equipment (since I don't own any) into a Cinebag backpack. (When I rent these out,) Wireless and shotgun mic (disassembled) even fits.

And because it's a backpack, it's less "heavy briefcase carrying" and more like a "camping trip" workout.

Interview? Manfrotto CF Tripod, 5diii, Wireless kit, have lens(s) picked ahead of time, manfrotto nano stand, and a couple little battery LED panels. You can fit all that in (tripod strapped to) a backpack.

Might need some help with the exact stipulations here... not fully understanding the whole thing about taxis balking at picking up people with baggage... does that mean they prefer you to have enough baggage that you'd probably want to load it in a trunk?

With steps, I assume that means that even a rolling case enough be light enough to lift easily.

For interviews, I like to have a minimum of two lights. YMMV.

I have a number of easily portable kit variants for interviews - I don't use public transportation often, but regularly have jobs in cities, universities, and hospitals with far-flung parking.

Kit#1: Pelican 1610 w/ padded dividers + tripod bag
P1610 fits: AF100, 3-6 lenses (m43 lenses are a godsend for portability), DP6, 2x Lowel Pro-Lights, shotgun mic, XLR cable, ECM44B, 2x Sennheiser wireless lavs, 3x Lowel light stands, inline dimmer, batteries, AC converter, spring clamps & other small grip gear, diffusion & CTB gels, small hand tools, lens cloths, other small bits

tripod bag fits: Tripod, RIFA 55, 2x 5-in-1 collapsible reflectors


Kit#2: Tamrac camera backpack (carry-on size), tripod bag
Tamrac pack fits: 2x Lowel Pro-Lights, HVX or 3 lenses + AF100 or GH2+Marantz 660 (each package roughly size-equivalent), wireless lav set, shotgun, collapsible reflectors, grip clamps, cards, batteries, and other small bits

tripod bag fits: smaller tripod, RIFA 55, dimmer, Lowell light stands, light umbrella

Kit#3: Messenger bag and a small tripod bag
messenger bag fits: GH2, 3 lenses, wireless lav kit, batteries, a few grip clamps, cards

small tripod bag fits: Tripod, RIFA 55 with stand, collapsible reflector

I do five camera concert shoots with equipment that I carry in a backpack. And I get to my venues via the "L" and bus.

As I get everything together for this weekend's shoots, I'll take some photos of my rig.

Kevin, I've found that if it looks like I have stuff that needs to go into a trunk, the taxis will pass me by. It's illegal but it's a common problem since they feel it slows them done (seriously like the extra minute is going to make a difference!).

BTW I heard of the "taxi kit" at a recent local meeting where a DP with significant major broadcast credits mentioned he has a "taxi kit" and said hand carry into a taxi.

I should state these are Yellow Cabs as car services don't care if you pack the trunk. They also cost significantly more. At the point I'd use a car service it would pay for me to hire an assistant (I have a regular for those circumstances).

Chris, 5 cameras in a backback? It must be a lot smaller than a Sony EX1 (and why I'm thinking of using DSLR) but even 5 of those would be a challenge. I suspect you're not bringing lights. Back in the day, I had no problem doing 3 or 4 cameras concert shoots with backpacks but each person carried their own gear. Again this is SPC. Just me going to a shoot and back. I'd certainly be curious how you manage 5 cameras, not that I'd use that solo.

Evan, when you say LED Panel do you mean a 1x1 or something smaller? 1x1 seems bulky (although not heavy).

Jack what you're doing isn't dissimilar to what I'm doing now. What it comes down to is the need for lights becomes the straw that can break this camel's back as it were. Once I consider lights everything has to come down a notch it weight and bulk.

Chris, 5 cameras in a backback? It must be a lot smaller than a Sony EX1 (and why I'm thinking of using DSLR) but even 5 of those would be a challenge. I suspect you're not bringing lights. Back in the day, I had no problem doing 3 or 4 cameras concert shoots with backpacks but each person carried their own gear. Again this is SPC. Just me going to a shoot and back. I'd certainly be curious how you manage 5 cameras, not that I'd use that solo.
1 Canon XH-A1, 3 Canon HF-S100s, 1 Canon HF-200 (and 2 GoPro HD Hero 2s). I'm running two manually, two on remote pan-tilt heads and one fixes wide. The Heros go on the drums. I monitor all except the wide via a quad split. The backpack includes cables, tripods, mini-clamps, mic stand, audio mixer, quad-split. mics, etc. The only things not in the backpack are my laptop and monitor, that I have in a laptop bag.

It's a very big backpack, but I can take it on the bus and train. It weighs a lot, but it's much less hassle than a cart.

Here's one of my five camera solo shoots. But it was from before I added the GoPros:

http://youtu.be/4fV-sVbb2_k

Hey Chris, I was going to say it had to be a pretty big backpack! ;-)

Durty Nellies is less than 10 minutes from my house. I used to be over that way a lot. Next time you're around let me know, if I'm available I'll swing by. Like to see your set up!

I don't have the whole schedule nailed down yet, but I'm shooting and editing approximately 23 concerts over the next three months. I loved shooting at Durty Nellie's, but I might be shooting this season's shows at a different venue. I'll let you know.

sounds good. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Here's my kit.

There are two flaps covering the tripod compartment. The outer one is filled with quilted compartments that hold a dozen vibration absorber pads to decouple the tripod feet from the floor. The inner flap has pockets for bags that hold mic cables, power cords and video cables. The three inner compartments of the body hold tripods, the mic stand, clamps, two pan-tilt heads and other things.

The upper compartment holds three bags - one for four cameras and power supplies, the other for a tiny Rolls mixer, a quad split, my GoPros, clamps and power supplies. The last bag holds my XH-A1 (the microphone broke before the bag was built.)

The whole rig weighs 65 lbs.

Chris, you certainly are a master at packing gear. I've done shoots not too dissimilar to yours in the past.... with three people though.

Chris, you certainly are a master at packing gear.
Thanks, although the design and construction of the backpack and the bags was done by a friend of mine. It's built on an external frame backpack that I've had for years.

The advantage of this format is that I can walk the equipment for a five camera shoot (seven if you count the GoPros) through a CTA turnstile.

I've done shoots not too dissimilar to yours in the past.... with three people though.
Labor is the biggest cost of a shoot. The only way I can service my market and make a profit is to do as much of the work as possible by myself. And, like a lot of people here, finding someone who frames well, adjusts exposure properly and keeps things in focus is difficult...and it's easier to just go ahead and do it myself.

My joke is that I've managed to find a business model for ADHD.

I have been shooting interviews in NYC on my own as well, car service from Brooklyn to Manhattan and hail a cab back, no problems. My set up is:

- Pelican case with wheels, containing two dslr's, 4 lenses, extra batteries, sd cards, lens cleaning kit, GoPro, and small tools.
In a duffle bag I carry:
- small 'laptop' size hard case with two sets of Lav mics, Tascam portable recorder, zoom H1 and audio cables
- two 'on-camera lights' and batteries
- slate
- chewing gum
And a third bag with two and half tripods, a Manfrotto, Sachtler Ace, and a Gorilla pod for the GoPro

All together is heavy indeed. going up and down the steps and loading in the trunk of a cab in the middle of a busy rush hour Manhattan Ave. in the rain ... pricelss! But I get it done, I charge cab fares to the client and the interviews come out quite good.

Erick, very interesting since you seem to be dealing with the exact same logistics I am. I'm impressed you can hail a cab back to Brooklyn. I've found that when they see me with my gear and ask where I'm going, they tend to drive on. It's illegal for them to do that but I've had it happen enough times that it's frustrating.

Interesting that you use the GoPro though. I guess you're finding the quality good enough for a "C" camera"
Two DSLRs make sense for portability.

It must be a challenge to monitor all that audio as an "SPC" or maybe you're just very trusting of the levels.

Are you happy with two on camera lights?
In my original post my situation isn't much different as it's two on camera lights and a Sola ENG (giving me some more control) but I have to use three stands of course. Are your "on camera" lights really just used on camera?

You do give me some good ideas where to go with my kit though.

I'd love to see what one of your interviews look like if you have a link?

I shot two concerts in Chicago this last weekend. I had my wife's help on both, so I don't know if that disqualifies me for this SPC forum, but in my defense, I was carrying, setting up and packing up all the gear.

The first was The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band at the Cubby Bear:

Shut the Screen - The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band at the Cubby Bear - April 6, 2013 - YouTube (http://youtu.be/uSbtL5QAQrg)

The second was for the Adult Program of the Chicago School of Rock at the Ace Bar:

The Late Stakes - Led Zeppelin - Kashmir - YouTube (http://youtu.be/QUSh8aVbq50)

The Cubby Bear has wonderful lighting! And the Ace Bar....does not. Same cameras, vastly different results.

I only used three cameras on the Cubby Bear shoot because I didn't have time to set all of them up, and it was only three players. I used seven on the Ace Bar shoot because there were a lot more players and a tiny stage. 1 XL-A1, 3 HF-S100, 1 HF-200 and 2 GoPro HD Hero 2. I'd love to use Neat Video on the Heros, because the lighting is so bad, but I think I'll have to finish editing the whole show, then extract only the clips I need, concatenate those into a single clip, process that, then split it back out into the clips and drop those back into the timeline.

We traveled to both shows via CTA trains and buses.

Ain't those little HF cameras amazing! I have one of each...in terms of bang for the buck and 'inconspicuosity,' very hard to beat. For concerts, have you considered the Raynox .7x snap-on converter...it has a certain kinda look that might fit for a few seconds of B-roll in tight spaces. I also shoot the T3i and 5DMkII for DOF.

I have an older version of the Patagonia Freewheeler that I load up, including sandbags occasionally. I haul the tripods in bags over the shoulder. Shooting outside, the luggage is more weatherproof than not, so there is a peace of mind if the rain starts. I'm in more of an urban setting lately, so I will be interested to see if the workflow transfers from riding a gondola to a train or bus. I'm thinking I'll need to get the tripods in the Freewheeler somehow, or on my back, or avoid crowded buses.

Ain't those little HF cameras amazing! I have one of each...in terms of bang for the buck and 'inconspicuosity,' very hard to beat. For concerts, have you considered the Raynox .7x snap-on converter...it has a certain kinda look that might fit for a few seconds of B-roll in tight spaces. I also shoot the T3i and 5DMkII for DOF.
For the most part, shooting concerts I am relegated to the back and sides of the venue. So reach is my main issue - rarely do I get the opportunity to get cameras in close where a wide-angle lens would come in handy. Hopefully, I can upgrade the HF-200 to an HF-S200 so I can get a LANC interface and purchase another Bebob Zoe-DVXL for my extra operator.

Here is the setup, 2 Seinheisers lavs hooked to a Tascam D-40. One Zoom H-1, Canon Light, VidPro LED light, Canon 60D and 550D, various lenses, two tripods. I hook everything to a cage i got at Adorama quite cheap and well made (well enough) where I attach the audio recorder, both receivers and one light, monitor the audio with headphones. I have the H-1 sitting somewhere near the speakers and out of sight as a back-up. The lights are enough under certain circumstances, sometimes not at all, but client is aware of shortcomings and is willing to compromise with high ISO (although I had one instance where each subject was under different light conditions, one of which is window lit and the other lit from the back, face is dark, nothing I could have done in that particular case. I wish I had a strong light then.) Normally when I have the option, I arrange the subjects under the best lighting conditions. Some cases I was able to detach the camera light and place it facing one of the subjects from a near by vase and out of frame.
The set up, once packed consists of both tripods in their respective bags, a Pelican case with the cameras and lenses and a tote bag with the audio gear, slate, cage and cables. Bag on one shoulder, tripods on another, roll the Pelican through Manhattan like a delivery guy. Cabs do stop, I do not tell them where I'm going until I'm inside the cab, they can't kick me out then, but I'm also very polite.
As for the GoPro, I haven't being able to use it properly as of yet.
Craig, we can get a cup of coffee sometime in Brooklyn.

Urban Taxi/Subway Kit. The ultimate SPC challenge.

Imagine being a shooter in which the only viable option is what you can hand carry into a taxi cab or up/down subway steps.

What would your kit include?

Currently I have:
Sony EX1 with shotgun
Sachtler Carbon Fiber tripod with FSB6 head
Sennheiser G3 100 wireless lav or handheld (base and mic).

This alone weighs me down before I even consider a small light kit.
Although I have Litepanels Sola ENG and two Digital Juice Miniburst 128 and stands.

I have plenty of other gear but that goes beyond SPC limits.

Currently I can replace the Sony EX with Canon 60D which would mean taking a couple of lenses and a sound recording device. Ideally I'd prefer a real large sensor video camera such as a Canon C100 but I may want to avoid the expense.

Some restrictions to keep in mind (for me at least):
Many taxis in my area balk at picking you up if it looks like you can carry your gear into the back seat.
Subway steps can be a real killer in some areas.
Most of these are just interviews.

So what kind of kit or changes would you recommend.
Both weight and bulk matter.

Craig, I'm wondering where you went with your kit. Thinking mostly about what you're shooting with and the lights you're using. I shot an interview the other day where I wasn't looking forward to lugging a diva light and a 2 bank 2' kino. When I got to the person's house I had the choice between their outside garden (too noisy) or inside, way too small to do a proper lighting setup so the kinos never came out. Fortunately there was lots of ambient light so I got away with just using a lite panels micropro to give a little spark in the eyes. I feel like I got away with it this time especially because, at least up until now, my A camera has been an XH A1, not so good in low light. But earlier this week I picked up a GH3 and with the right lens, once I'm comfortable with it, it'll be much easier in lower light.

All that said, I've got a chance to pick up a nearly new Sola ENG at a good price. So wondering how you find that as a key. How well does it match the 128s or rather the other way around, I'm guessing a 1/4 minus green is in order for them but maybe not.

This is the same reply from the "Re: lugging your gear"


"I use a few different sized generic suitcases w/rollers depending on the shoot complexity. I live in a city where I take a taxi to every shoot and every thing needs to quickly fit in the back seat or trunk.

They stack inside each other easily when not in use. They're cheap.

My basic kit: The smallest suitcase can fit my
- rails/monitor/cam accessories
- three 4 CFL bulb soft boxes or three red heads w/stands,
- grip accessories/gels
- audio rec, boom/mic, lab
- laptop
- ac cables/electric stuff

My tripod, camera bag and glider get attached to outside of the case.

Its big, but easily manageable."

As you can see from the post above, I use taxis for every shoot so generic suitcases are perfect, and taxis think you want to go to the airport so they're a little more likely to pick you over another one of the teaming millions who are also standing on the street waving for taxis.