C100 on the way! PLEASE help me compile a kit...

[John Yingling]

Hi all,

Very excited to dive into the C100 family. I am new to this level of filming and have a lot to learn. I film underground music scenes around the world. Noisey, crazy. It's fun!

I'll be running around with this camera in cramped, low-light situations. Busy venues.

Let me get right to it. I am wondering if there are any "one-stop shop" plates or additions I need to make this rig work. the idea is ease and speed. Here's what I'm working with.

C100 w/ 24-105 L f4.
XF100
Zoom H6 w/ Shure KSM141 mics (XY) + stereo bar.

That's it. I was thinking what would be best is a combo of a Libec RS-250RM Tripod + a Manfrotoo 561BDHV Monopod.

My idea would be to use both pod solutions with each camera, depending on the situation. Whatever camera is on the tripod in the back of the room, I would like to set up my H6 + Stereo bar to that piece. Then I would run around with the monopod + a mic on top of whatever camera I'm using on there.

Is that feasible? I don't have a store where I can go in and say "help me get the pieces of connect this all", so it's tough for me.

Are there any catch-all clamps of pieces I need to connect all of this stuff together?

Is there anything I direly need with this setup?

Wanting to back up this footage anyway, would you advise the NINJA? Working in FCP 7 and really sick of re-encoding footage to work with it.

Thanks for looking. Really looking forward to diving into this thing.

[Les Wilson]

This is still for sale as a backup in the field solution:
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/private-...ml#post1802416

[David Dixon]

Originally Posted by John Yingling

Hi all,

Very excited to dive into the C100 family. I am new to this level of filming and have a lot to learn. I film underground music scenes around the world. Noisey, crazy. It's fun!

C100 w/ 24-105 L f4.
XF100
Zoom H6 w/ Shure KSM141 mics (XY) + stereo bar.

Thanks for looking. Really looking forward to diving into this thing.

Are you sure the 24-105 is going to be wide enough? My understanding is that given the crop factor on the C100 that will give the full frame equivalent field of view of a 38-168 zoom...all depends on your shooting situations.

[John Yingling]

Originally Posted by David Dixon

Are you sure the 24-105 is going to be wide enough? My understanding is that given the crop factor on the C100 that will give the full frame equivalent field of view of a 38-168 zoom...all depends on your shooting situations.

Arrrghhh. I really, really wish that new wide-angle IS L lens was out, but I leave in 12 days. Think they'll launch it in time? Ha.

I shouldn't buy another L, but I think I'll kick myself for not having a good wise-angle for those 20% moments. Yes. You're right.

I'm considering the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8.

All this hub-bub about the wide angle L lenses, I keep jumping between 2....would like IS, but would the L's really out-gun the TOKINA completely, for the C100? Mind you, I will be filming raucous performances and am used XF100 quality low light! :)

It'll be more than enough for a start. This is soooo much more camera than I'm even remotely closed to used to, it'll be a kick just to bring it across China, South Korea, and Japan.

Again, I was amazed at the XF100, so this even with the 24-105, is gonna be way more machine than I have ever remotely used.

Stoked!

[Brian David Melnyk]

If you travel a lot, you should maybe look at a MeFoto globetrotter tripod. Super small, solid, and it also converts to a monopod...

[John Yingling]

While that seems cool, for my purposes, this Manfrotoo 561BDHV seems to be a must for me with that great head and all.

Tripod, I may just wait on, or get a 1-200$ cheapy just to hold my XF100 up in the back of the room w/ my Zoom H6 on top of it. I can always ghetto-rig my XF100 and put my mics on a spare mic stand or something.

Trying to maximize on all fronts, obviously.

I'll wait until my first lens gets here, but I have a feeling I'm definitely going to want that Tokina. Especially considering I have a 60D i could always rig somewhere crazy on stage, too. :D

This is going to get real cool!!!

[Gary Huff]

Originally Posted by David Dixon

My understanding is that given the crop factor on the C100 that will give the full frame equivalent field of view of a 38-168 zoom...all depends on your shooting situations.

Hey David, how wide do you find 24mm on your 5D Mark II/III?

[Gary Huff]

Originally Posted by David Dixon

All this hub-bub about the wide angle L lenses, I keep jumping between 2....would like IS, but would the L's really out-gun the TOKINA completely, for the C100? Mind you, I will be filming raucous performances and am used XF100 quality low light! :)

I found the Tokina was more than wide enough at 16mm, never really shot with it lower than that on the APS-C sensors, because it got, in my opinion, ridiculously wide.

Have you considered the EF-S 17-55 f/2.8? It's only 1mm difference and it will fully work with Dual Pixel AF and has IS on it.

[David Dixon]

Gary, if you were talking to me, I don't have a 5D, just a 60D, which has the same crop as the C100.

John, Adorama (via Ebay) has this deal currently on the Tokina:

Tokina 11 16mm F 2 8 ATX Pro DX II Lens for Digital SLR Cameras | eBay

I also have a 60D although I don't use it much for video. With it I have the Canon 15-85 - a 24-135 equivalent. Although it's only 3.5-5.6, it has excellent stabilization and I use it all the time wide open. I find its 24mm equivalence at the wide end plenty wide for my needs.

Then there's the 17-55 (27-88) which costs more but is a constant 2.8. I wish Canon would make an L lens that's 15-70 2.8 or something.

I also have the 70-200 L f4 IS - I'll bet that's a beauty on the C100.

Anyway, good luck with your project. You're going to have a ball doing it.

[Gary Huff]

Originally Posted by David Dixon

I also have a 60D although I don't use it much for video. With it I have the Canon 15-85 - a 24-135 equivalent. Although it's only 3.5-5.6, it has excellent stabilization and I use it all the time wide open. I find its 24mm equivalence at the wide end plenty wide for my needs.

So neither the op nor yourself have a photographic full frame in your experience, and yet you felt that you needed to point out the crop difference. Why is that? If you feel that 24mm on the 60D is wide enough for your needs, then why be negative about the crop? The only place that has a legitimate reference is if the OP was coming from a 5D or other photographic full frame camera.

[David Dixon]

What?

I think you have to take the crop into consideration. If the OP is expecting 24 mm to be very wide on a C100 he's going to be disappointed. To get the equivalent of a 24 mm wide-angle look, on my 60D I have to use a 15 mm lens.

He may not need something that wide but I was just pointing out that factor for consideration.

I make no apology for the 35mm SLR equivalent reference. The first 20 years I did photography was with film SLR's so that is still my standard. For example, I don't know what a 20 mm lens would look like on a micro 4/3 camera, but give me the "35mm equivalent" (as B&H photo does on all non-interchangeable lens cameras and camcorders) and I know exactly what to expect.

And it sounded like John understood what I meant.

[John Yingling]

I'm definitely with you.

It may not be wide enough, but with a 60D in my kit (coupled with the fact that I've never taken the 24-105 kit lens off of it, a crying shame) I think getting a ultra-wide is a no-brainer. Then I can run around with the C100 + 60D, swap the lenses, etc. With the XF100 in the mix sitting in the back of the venue with an H6, it turns the whole package into a crazy good bundle.

Now, back to the original question! Ha. What is the easiest way to mount all of those things together? I'm new to this, and have no store here, so any sort of catch-all plates or things I can order blindly would be good. I'd love the XF100 in the back of the room to have the H6 w/ the Shure KSM141's on a stereo bar. the 60D i'll have in a side-bag, ready to grab in between shots from the C100 on the Manfrotto mono-pod.

Cheers, guys!

[Edward Calabig]

The Tokina 11-16mm 2.8 II is a must for the C100. It produces absolutely gorgeous footage as long as you stop it down.

[Don Platon]

24-105 is absolutely not wide enough on APS-C sensor and is not as easy to focus as the 17-55. Go with the 24-105 if you bought the bundle then add the 11-16 Tokina. The alternative is to go with a 17-55 but then you don't have anything on the long end. I have all three lenses and use the 24-105 the least.

[Gary Huff]

Originally Posted by Don Platon

I have all three lenses and use the 24-105 the least.

The 24-105 is on my camera nearly 90% of the time. I had a Tokina and sold it. Have the 17-55 as well, and use it about as much as I stick a prime on there, given how little reach it has compared to the 24-105.