Tentative step into DSLR filming - some advice please?

[Peter Rush]

Test show they are 47 mb/s write speed so should be ok :)

[Brian David Melnyk]

i agree that DSLR video handheld can be painful.

living in Mali, i have access to great leather workers at a great price, so i designed this wide utility belt that i find really handy for run and gun. the center pocket supports a monopod or the top section of my velbon sherpa tripod with fluid head, and with the neck strap it is super steady and allows me a free hand for zoom/focus/variable ND exposure, and i can get pretty creative with angles/tilt/pan. the other pockets have quick access to batteries and memory cards, and the flat pocket is for filters/lens caps. the big pocket holds a blower and cloth (Mali is DUSTY!!) and when shooting photos holds a flash. i'm having another made so i can have quick access to the blower for photography also.

i find this system really fast to set up, ultra mobile, steady, saves back strain, and the quick access to accessories is invaluable. i don't shoot weddings, but i think this would probably work really well for them.

the one downside, if you can deal with it, is that you look like a raging geek...

[Nigel Barker]

The 5D3 & the 5D2 before it are very forgiving with CF cards. I am still using a couple of 16GB Transcend 133X cards that I bought with my first 5D2 four years ago. Don't but cheap no-name ones but any decent brand is good. I generally use 32GB Transcend 400X cards that work out at just over £1/GB. Transcen SD cards are half the price but take longer to unload to computer although it's handy to have a few in reserve.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Guys

On my shoulder mount cameras I have much the same system called an ENG rig (Don Bloom uses one too) It too has a waist belt and pocket but the rod has springs in it which also help absorb any bumps when you walk..I have also added a ball head (kept loose) so I have movement in all directions..replacing the top half of the upper tripod and head with a spring rod might be even better...On my cams it's great cos it takes all the weight off the front end of an 8lb rig!!

Chris

[Nigel Barker]

The pocket & spring rod idea is also found on the excellent DV MultiRig Support systems for DSLR/ DV/ HDV/ Camcoders that I own.

[Brian David Melnyk]

is the spring rod actually effective for walking? i may have to Macgyver one...

[Chris Harding]

Hi Brian

It effectively takes out all the jolts and as long as you walk like a cat and don't stomp your feet it's pretty effective. I was going to make my own too but I found it easier and cheaper to get the belt and rod from Cine City in India ...I just couldn't fabricate a dual sprung rod and a nylon belt for $49.00 ...It's part of their "Gliders" rigs but they seem happy to sell the belt and rod only if you ask them.

It's not as smooth as a stedicam of course but still works pretty well and doesn't take up the space that a dual stedicam arm and vest needs!

Chris

[Peter Rush]

Well my new 5D Mk3 arrived and my initial excitement was soon damped when I realized that the battery is a different type to the MK1 - I already have lots of genuine canon batteries for my mark 1!

So much for using it this weekend - slightly p*****ed off as I (foolishly) assumed would be the same battery type as the MK1 - oh well what's an extra few hundred quid :/

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Peter Rush

Well my new 5D Mk3 arrived and my initial excitement was soon damped when I realized that the battery is a different type to the MK1 - I already have lots of genuine canon batteries for my mark 1!

Your annoyance is a bit belated as while the battery may be different to the original 5D that was superseded four years ago & the LP-E6 battery is used in the 5D2 7D & 60D as well as the 5D3. The first non-Canon batteries on the market were pretty crappy & wouldn't even charge in a Canon charger but as it is now four years later the clones are pretty decent some even claim higher capacity than the Canon ones & they are a quarter of the price.

[Peter Rush]

Well I had a full day Asian wedding at the weekend so I thought I'd take along my new 5D as it would be the perfect opportunity to try it out and frankly I'm pretty blown away with the quality! - I mounted it on my Manfrotto NeoTec monopod so I could get quick height adjustments, and spent an hour when there was a lull getting some footage.

I normally film weddings hand held for maximum flexibility, so being somewhat anchored seemed for the first 10 minutes a pain but soon I was pleased with the stability and steady shots I was getting. Focus is the biggest issue for me - I was using my 24-105 lens and at F4 the depth of field was fairly shallow - you just get good focus on someone and they only have to move a few inches and they're soft again (must be a real struggle at 2.8 or 1.4). I found myself constantly refocussing as I shot - not a bad habit to get into I suppose -LCD screen peaking would help - I've heard much about magic lantern - would this help?

The room was fairly dimly lit so I had the ISO bumped up but the resultant footage is very pleasing to the eye - pin sharp, great colours that pop, hardly any noise - I was using Don Bloom's suggested profile settings of neutral with sharpness and contrast off - and bringing it back up in Premiere - seems to work a treat.

I do like an occasional Zoom but it's tricky to say the least using the barrel of an SLR lens! also when my memory cards were full it just stopped recording - a warning would have been nice. I'm also used to filming 50i and slowing things down occasionally but slowing down 25p doesn't look so hot - maybe time to look at Twixtor

If I can get used to the constant refocussing and lack of usable Zoom I'll be very happy and will be using it on future shoots

[Adrian Tan]

I think the Zacuto Z-finder is extremely good for helping with focus, though I've also been using it less and less as time goes on (something to do with the less buried in the camera you are, the more people can see your face, and the better the reactions you get from them).

If you press the "Info" button between takes, you get some idea of how much recording time you have left on the card. But, yep, card, battery and recording times are pains that never end with DSLRs. The MkII is particularly painful in the absence of warning it gives you when the 12 minutes are up.

[Peter Rush]

Adrian when cameras started having LCD screens I stopped using the CRT viewfinder for convenience
(love being able to swivel an LCD screen for odd angles) - I also don't like to become faceless behind a camera - in fact I quite often have conversations with people around me while filming - less easy with your face buried in your camera - for the 5D however as focus is so critical I've just (this morning) received my Swivi VF-3 that fits like a glove on the MK3 - I've 2 weddings between xmas and new year - can't wait!

I'm not too worried about filming time as the Mk3 will go for 29 minutes but I'm still going to use traditional cams for the ceremonies and speeches so I won't need it it run for so long

Pete

[Peter Rush]

Originally Posted by Peter Riding

I don't really see the point of feet on monopods, its not as if you can leave the rig standing unattended. For that you can use a small Cheetah lightstand which has legs which fold up on lifting and spread when placed down - a much neater solution. Use the C8:

https://www.cheetahstand.com/category-s/1862.htm

The C12 is much heavier but is man enough to be a full-on tripod replacement.



Pete

Peter where did you get your Cheetah stand? I've been trying unsuccessfully to source one from the UK - the postage from the US doubles the cost to nearly $170!

[Danny O'Neill]

Shooting DSLR does mean changing a lot of your habbits. Zooming is pretty much out of the question unless your using a follow focus rig connected to the zoom barrel. But then you also need to refocus as you adjust the zoom. The question to ask yourself is... Why do you show a zoom? Do you ever see them doing that on TV or in the movies? Usually... no. A zoom is something the human eye cannot do so for us to see it on screen it can leave the viewer feeling somewhat uncomfortable. If you want to use a subtle zoom then do it in post, you have a lot of pixels to play with at 1080p.

Also consider shooing at 25p for a really pleasing look. While you may be partial to a slow mo shot, the DSLR shooting could be a chance to try something new.

Other things to be aware of with DSLRs is never let the recording stop unexpectedly. Running out of time is fine but if you loose power either through a dead battery, popping off a lens, opening the battery compartment during recording then you will corrupt the clip you are currently recording.

Another suggestion is to change cards after each major part of the day. While you can cram a lot onto them you have to play it safe. What if the card becomes corrupt, damaged or lost? Thats a lot of the day to loose but if you change cards then you limit your loss. You also avoid the situation of the card filling up.

Eventually you get pretty quick at manual focus, you will rarely see myself or Julie with our hands off the barrel as best men tend to sway during their speech. Without peaking the best thing to use for focus is hair and why we dont turn our sharpness all the way down. Leave it up a couple of notches and you can see the hair clearly which aids focus.

[Peter Riding]

Peter, I got my 5 Cheetahs from a UK seller who no longer does them. 3 x C12 Air and 2 x C8.

I noticed that with the smaller C8 stand the shipping cost drops per item as you increase the quantity. But with the larger C12 Air - which is in many ways better than using a tripod when with a large cam - the shipping cost does not drop. Maybe best to contact Cheetah for a personalised quote if you are looking to get several.

My monopod of choice is the Gitzo GM5561T. Its beefy but lightweight and it collapses very short. I use it with either a Manfrotto 701 head - the arm of which can be used as a brace against the body for extra stability - or a quick release plate. Its pricey though at nearly £300.

Gitzo GM5561T Mountaineer Monopod - Carbon Fibre

Pete