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Under Water, Over Land
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Old September 7th, 2009, 05:49 AM   #1
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Moorhen Fight

Sony PMW EX3, Nikon 200-400 f4 G via Mike Tapa's Nikon G to EX3 adaptor, Flash XDR

Got this a couple of weeks ago over a few sessions. I was busy filming Flying Foxes when I saw these Moorhens fighting like mad. I only saw the actual fight on this occasion so I am pleased I managed to get it.

Critique and comments are welcome,

Video Gallery

Cheers,
Ofer Levy Photography
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Old September 7th, 2009, 11:02 AM   #2
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Looked like the moorhen equivalent of rut rivalry. good illustration of the uncuddly side of nature.

Very serious aggression; more kick-slashing than kick-boxing. Not much plumage detail but the action made up for it. I imagine you will hang on to the original footage until better web delivery comes along.
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Old September 7th, 2009, 11:48 AM   #3
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Just how vital is slomo for wildlife shots eh! Never ever buy a camera for wildlife that can't do at least half speed, that's my view.
That 200-400 always looks gorgeous, have contemplated getting one converted for my Varicam.
Steve
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Old September 7th, 2009, 12:22 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by Brendan Marnell View Post
Looked like the moorhen equivalent of rut rivalry. good illustration of the uncuddly side of nature.

Very serious aggression; more kick-slashing than kick-boxing. Not much plumage detail but the action made up for it. I imagine you will hang on to the original footage until better web delivery comes along.
Thanks for the input Steve and Brendon!
Resizing for web really weakens this as the original has lovely detail. Although, as can be expected it is not as detailed as when I shoot 1080p.
Cheers,
Ofer
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Old September 7th, 2009, 02:28 PM   #5
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Great sequence !
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Old September 7th, 2009, 06:16 PM   #6
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I love the last take-off shot. Was that shot in 60P?
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Old September 7th, 2009, 11:10 PM   #7
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Thanks for the kind words guys!
Caleb, yes this was shot in 720 60p, captured to the Flash XDR in I-Frame only, 160 Mb/s and conformed to 25 fps in Cinema Tools as per Steve Phillips excellent suggestion.

Cheers,

Ofer
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Old September 8th, 2009, 07:23 AM   #8
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Excellent footage Ofer...very well captured.
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Old September 8th, 2009, 07:43 AM   #9
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Hi Ofer,

As usual, excellent work and quick action to capture a rare event. I also use a long telephoto so am always amazed at your tripod work. Both this sequence and the osprey where you are moving at a diagonal from the horizontal are remarkable for smoothness and your ability to stay on target.

Best,
Alan
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Old September 9th, 2009, 03:14 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by Alan Emery View Post
Hi Ofer,

As usual, excellent work and quick action to capture a rare event. I also use a long telephoto so am always amazed at your tripod work. Both this sequence and the osprey where you are moving at a diagonal from the horizontal are remarkable for smoothness and your ability to stay on target.

Best,
Alan
Thanks for your comments and kind words guys!
Alan, I achieve this smoothness firstly because I use a decent support system - the Miller Solo CF legs and Miller Arrow 25 fluid head, always balance the cmera+lens combo before I start shooting and the last but very important thing is that I never touch the handle with my hand. I attach a rubber band to the handle and only pull it to get the movement. It takes some time to get it right but it is really great as I get smooth movement even with a 600mm lens (which is effectively nearly 3300mm on the EX3.)
Another important factor is getting the subject in the viewfinder with these monster lenses. Please refer to my thread, it works like a dream!!! (-:
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/under-wa...ing-vimeo.html

Hope that helps,
Cheers,
Ofer
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Old September 9th, 2009, 08:11 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by Ofer Levy View Post
.....I attach a rubber band to the handle and only pull it to get the movement. It takes some time to get it right but it is really great as I get smooth movement even with a 600mm lens (which is effectively nearly 3300mm on the EX3.).....
Could you please explain the rubber band trick in more detail. What size is the rubber band? How do you attach it to the pan bar? What is your teknique?

Thank you for your help,

Caleb
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Old September 9th, 2009, 09:51 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by Caleb Royer View Post
Could you please explain the rubber band trick in more detail. What size is the rubber band? How do you attach it to the pan bar? What is your teknique?

Thank you for your help,

Caleb
Hi Caleb,

It's pretty straight forward. I use a big balloon - yes, the kind you see in parties....(-:
I find the rubber to be soft which exerts the tension gradually. I tie one of these to the handle then another one to the first. I use the first one as I assume it eliminates some of the vibration.
See attached photos.
Best thing is to try it as maybe you will find better ways to do this so we can all learn.
Cheers,

Ofer
Attached Thumbnails
Moorhen Fight-1.jpg   Moorhen Fight-2.jpg  

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Old September 10th, 2009, 07:09 AM   #13
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Thanks a lot for the photos. I'll try that when I get some balloons.
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