who shoots w/naked fs100 -no rails/rigging/matte box/monitor?

[Rob Katz]

who shoots w/ naked fs100 -no rails/rigging/matte box/monitor?

anyone shoot w/the fs100 but NOT rigged out?

i'm drawn to the image the fs100 produces but not the big/busy-ness of the rigging.

i often work on docs w/non-professional talent, folks who might not be english speaking and have never ever been filmed.

it has been my experience that a big rig intimidates these folks who step before my cameras.

anyone shoot with "just" a fs100 and adapter/lens attached?

is the feeling that an adapter and 35mm film lens will put too much strain on the fs100 lens mount?

if the rigging is due to the need for nd filters, much of my work is in interior locations.

but for exteriors, i was also thinking along the lines of a cokin p nd holder rather than the variable nd i have read on these threads.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...l_Density.html

lastly, can you catch focus using the fs100 lcd/evf or is an external monitor a must?

i know i have plenty of questions that i perhaps should have posted separately so to re-cap:

-anyone shoot with a "naked" fs100-no rigging?

-anyone use the cokin p screw-in filter system for their nds?

-anyone find focus quickly and on a regular basis "just" using the fs100 lcd/evf?

as always, thanks in advance to those who care to share.

be well

rob
smalltalk productions

[Glen Vandermolen]

I shoot naked - so to speak.
i don't have any rigs, matte boxes, etc. The only thing I add to my FS100 is circular filters and a wireless receiver, if I run audio.
The FS' viewfinder is perfectly fine for focusing. I've used a lot of cameras in my career and the FS' VF is one of the best, right up there with the EX3's. You can use peaking and extended focus as well. I have no issues with focusing.The FS100's VF was one of its big selling points for me.

[Frank Glencairn]

I have probably one of the biggest monster rigs out there, and I love it, cause it´s still lighter less bulky and more versatile than the ENG cameras I used to hulk around for years.

But I don´t use it all the time.
One of the things I really love on the FS100 is the modular approach.
You set it up in a way the job calls for it.

Stealth shooting in a subway - strip it down to the bare bones and the size of a Hasselblad.

Narrative production - just add all the balls and whistles to the exo-skelleton.

And anything in between. That´s the beauty of this beast IMHO.
No reason to get religious about any setup, just take what that particular job needs and you are golden.

Frank

[Matt Davis]

Originally Posted by Frank Glencairn

Stealth shooting in a subway - strip it down to the bare bones and the size of a Hasselblad.

Well said!

I think this is the essence of FS100. You're not buying a lego toy, you're buying a lego brick.

I did a shoot in an urban street in London at 21:00, just an FS100 and a Samyang 35mm f1.4, and nobody was interested. Fire station kept on rehearsing their moves, police cars just kept on patrolling, ambulances ignored us, security from nightclubs just glowered, we filmed outside restaurants, on park benches, all the places that you get moved on PDQ in London. Why? Cause it's a little cute 'pet Hasselblad'. Actually, it's a 'Box Brownie' to most people.

It's a 'nuffing' camera in nude form - innocent, discrete, inoffensive, engaging if pointed out. Yes, it can be big and macho, but I'm loving it in its most basic form.

And so do my interviewees - and that's where the magic is, that's why I love it.

* ask a child what they're doing (when they're doing something fun but illicit) - the answer is 'nuffing', to which the inner teacher in me screams "nuffing? That is the gerund - conjugate the verb 'to nuff'!" - but hey...

[Dan Asseff]

The only problem of shooting with it in its simplest form is my back. For some reason holding it like a Hasselblad kills my back for long periods of time. I have to say people don't think its a video camera, and you get better natural reactions while filming.

Dan

[Frank Glencairn]

Yeah, same here (I´m getting old, i guess) - I use a blasphemous Canon neck strap in those situations, looks even more like a tourist with a medium format camera ;-)

Frank

[Glen Vandermolen]

It's not just the FS100 - I can get bad back pains from holding any of the smaller sized cameras in front of me at about eye level. I did a reality shoot with PD170s and after a while, my back was a mess.

[Scott Caplan]

Seems to me a manfrotto Fig Rig (gathering dust in my closet because my Z7U was too heavy for it) might be a good working solution for the NEX, no?

Scott Caplan
GKCCOC

[Ben Fullerton]

Speaking of the modular design of the FS100, how do people feel about the handgrip piece on the right side, for shooting handheld? I remember hearing people complain early on that it was kind of flimsy feeling, but figured they were just nit picking. But I finally go a chance to play with one last weekend, and it has baseplate, rails, matte box and follow focus, so it was more weight than just an FS100. But even so, I had my right hand in the hand grip and was just supporting the baseplate with my left hand, and I was actually afraid to let go with my left hand, because I genuinely thought the handgrip was going to tear off the camera. I understand that this isn't a a setup that you would typically shoot one handed, but it just felt like that connection should be much, much stronger. Thoughts?

[Glen Vandermolen]

Meh, people complain about anything.
I always use the side handle. It feels great and hasn't fallen off. Not even close.
I really like it. It reminds me of an Arri SR. Or a Hasselblad. I like the full adjustability. Just set it to whatever is comfortable for you.

[Ben Fullerton]

Thanks for the reply, Glen! That's why I asked. I know that there a big difference between "feels like it isn't strong enough" and "isn't strong enough". I'm a climber, so I'm used to dealing with hardware hat you look at and think, "Theres no way in hell that thing will hold me." Only to find out that that litle 23oz carabiner is strong enough to hold up a car.

Glad to hear your positive experience with the FS-100 handle and ergonomics!

[Bruce S. Yarock]

Hi Rob,
I use mine "naked" for simple events and shoots, and rigged out when I need . On the one hand, I miss my old trusty Canon XLH1, which I had rigged with a wirelss, Frezzi mini fill w abauer,hd wide angle lens w zoom through, etc. Just grab it out of the case and throw it on my shoulder. But I love the image and looks of the FS100, and also enjoy the intuitive and easy to use Sony menus system.

I still would like to find the ideal shoulder rig with waist support for the FS100, especially when rigged out. I find myself using my manfrotto monopod with the 3 feet ( forget the model number) and a 501 head for smooth panning and tilting.

I have a wedding today ( so why am I up posting at 3:40 am ??), and I have the FS on rails with a ffocus, but mainly with the Sony 18-200 lens. I also have the Zacuto evf attache to the rails. But if I wnat the rig to be lighter, for example to use with the slider, I can just llosen the ffocus and slip the camera out of the rail/w Zacutto set up. I'll put an led light onto the shoe, and I velcroed my wirless receiver to the rear part of the handle.
The camera is also balanced so that I can fly the camera and light on an indicam ( no rails because of weight and balance).
So the conclusion is that
1- I miss a simple to balance, run and gun shoulder camera
2- Love the look and menu of the FS100
3- Accept it's ergonomic limitations while appreciating it's modular capabilities.
4- Can go from naked to loaded, depending on the shoot. I love the flexibilty.
5- And after seeing the price on the new Canons, I'm happy with my FS100 decision. I don't have jobs that would support such a huge investment.

Could you pm me your info again? I'm comming up there in the next couple of weeks.
Bruce Yarock
yarock@aol.com

[Bruce S. Yarock]

Forgot to mention that I'm using my 7d less. Long recording time and excellnt audio on the fs100, makes it easier to work with, especially for longer events and interviews.. Still waiting for the birger adapter so that I can use my Canon lenses.
Bruce Yarock

[Glen Vandermolen]

Notice that the Canon C300 uses the same style of side handle as the FS100? I think Sony is on to something!