C100 doesnt stop the DSLR pose

[Danny O'Neill]

A totally useless post but im bored.

Having a C100 doesn't seem to stop people posing for the camera thinking you have a DSLR. Even when it has a shotgun mic on top and is sitting on a monopod/tripod people still stop, pose and wait.

Sometimes Im nice and say "Thanks, ive got it". Other times I just like to wait and see how long it is before they get bored and move on.

[Noa Put]

A few weeks back I was shooting a group of people and suddenly one guy said, "how long does it take for you to get your photo?", technically he was right as I was holding a photocamera :) Whenever I say then, "I"m shooting video" they start laughing and turn away from me, glad I have my 75mm (150mm equivalent in full frame on my camera) with me to shoot from a distance, use it a lot for talking heads.

[Don Bloom]

I've had that happen to me even when shooting a full sized or compact full sized video camera like a JVC GY-5000 or a JVC HM700 with a shotgun mic, on board video light and receiver with 2 antenna hanging off the back of the camera.
I would always shake my head in disbelief.

[Matt Davis]

You nailed it, Danny. Absolutely and totally.

This is why, shooting candids, I have to hang back with a 70-200 and 'go fishing' for shots most of the time.

I'm glad that the 'oh no, you're shooting video!' reaction is fairly universal. I do tend to ponder the psychology of all of this stuff we do, and have built a hypothesis that our victims are reacting against their sense of us 'cheating' them.

So, like a bee buzzing around your drink, you'll accept it in the 'ignore it and it will go away' mode. But then you notice that it's not a bee, it's a wasp. We don't mind bees because they're useful and can only sting once and then it's dead, so it chooses its moment. We hate wasps because they don't go away, they will sting and sting again, and there's no honey. Everyone hates wasps, people will put up with bees. People put up with photographers, people hate video.

It's only a weak metaphor, but I'm sticking with it.

As a practical solution, if I'm not being a sniper with telephoto lenses (by far the best way), I do at least try to engage the victims in a conversation whilst I ply my craft. The audio's not going to be used anyway. LOL

[Robert Benda]

I've been considering hanging a little card with "video" printed on it from my camera, using the chain from glasses.

[Danny O'Neill]

It doesnt matter if Im using a C100 on a mono, on a tripod with 3 wireless units and a H6 hanging off it or even moving around on a Steadicam with the record icon visible on the monitor for all to see, they still pose.

I used to tell people I was doing video but when there drunk and its noisy you just end up shouting at them for no reason. So we decided the "Thanks" face was enough :)

[Mark Dobson]

Originally Posted by Danny O'Neill

A totally useless post but im bored.

Having a C100 doesn't seem to stop people posing for the camera thinking you have a DSLR. Even when it has a shotgun mic on top and is sitting on a monopod/tripod people still stop, pose and wait.

Sometimes Im nice and say "Thanks, ive got it". Other times I just like to wait and see how long it is before they get bored and move on.

Well the C100 does look like a beefed up DSLR which is one of the things I like about it.

When I'm getting shots of people in town centres and I'm noticed I often find it useful to ask people if they mind 'having their photo taken' it often saves a lot of explanation.

But as Matt describes it's often better to hang back with a long lens, I use the Canon 100-400, that way you stand a chance of getting natural shots although I often feel that people often have a 6th sense that they are being filmed, even from a long distance.

But for near invisibility, a reflective yellow jacket is often the best thing to wear.

[Bernard Lau]

Yup, it still happens, it's like deers (kangaroos for me), staring into headlights, no matter what car you drive. Guess the only way is to put it on a shoulder rig with a big ass light on top!
Then again, aren't their sudden reaction and smile way genuine than if they were posing for the shot?

[Jeffrey Butler]

I actually enjoy/prefer this behavior.

It keeps people from acting stupid. If they think you're "making a video" (I mean "Who Needs a Movie!") then acting up suddenly seems appropriate. For me, most people do seem too still hold still when taking a "photo". Kind of a neat moment to film. Like a portrait, but moving.

[Rob Cantwell]

sometimes i've had success with just pretending to be setting up or looking away and with a longish lens they don't realise that your actually filming them.

:-)