Hi

I have a Canon 8-64 super 16 zoom and an Aungenieux 10-150 that arent being used so maybe I will adapt one or both to the XL2. Should be good for telephoto work at least.

Both have Aaton mounts.
Anyone know where I can have an adaptor made up, or buy one, from Aaton to Canon.

Thanks
Geoffrey

Shoot an e-mail to Christine at ZGC (http://www.zgc.com) as they deal with a number of adapters and would probably be able to answer your question.

i was just watching the DVD extras for m. winterbottom's "in this world" and spotted the cool (durable/tough) looking carry/mount rig they used for their sony PD-150 dv unit. it mounts the audio gear up top and has a nice foam hand grip. anybody familiar with this set-up? thanks!

Is there such a thing as a copy stand that can support a camcorder but is light enough to cart around and set up on location? I am looking for a good way to copy client photos with my PD170 at the client site. Currently I shoot the photos handheld or from my tripod, and am looking for a way that produces better results.

Yes, there are light, easy to assemble copy stands. Start at about $125 and go up. I've got a really nice Olympus stand that does this. I also have a Nikon stand that is OK for the task. Nikon used to make on that mounted on it's carrying box. Don't know if they still make it but it was very expensive.

There is at least one tripod that will do this. Plus any number that can have the center post reversed so the camera can hang between the legs of the tripod. The only problem with this approach is that the legs may cast shadows you don't want.

Here is a link to some pics of my stabilizer
http://steadycam.fotopages.com/

Hi Sam,

Great job! I love it when people stick it to the Hollywood Man.

dan
www.DVcameraRigs.com

Even if this question seems to be repeating similar ones, I did a search on what was available over this matter and not much came out.

What I want to know is which stabilizer support, be it wrist supported, body supported or elastic supported, is more user friendly.

That is which allows a quicker learning for going out and doing something like a "one man show".

A friend of mine made this question to me, as he is planning on a job where it's quite likely it will be him only. So he thought of a stabilizing system that he can perhaps lay down on a bench when the interviewed person sists down, then can be picked up again and follow the subject around.

The ones I have been reading mostly of here are the Glidecam 2000 and the Varizoom Flowpod.

But I have also seen systems like the Marzpack, that seem easier to setup but also seem a bit more "obtrusive", as they park in front of the camera-person. Which might be a bit "threatening" to the person up front, if you know what I mean.

OTOS, simpler systems like the Steadicam Jr do not seem to be planned to "sit down and watch", and to help on the move situations.

Any suggestions on which way to go?


Carlos

flying a rig laying down. can you do that?

ed

Well it ended up being a $23 steadicam but it will be worth it. A buddy and I picked up all of the parts at True Value and the weight at Walmart. I still haven't drilled the holes into the end caps. I will post pics and video when I am done. For those of you who dont know what I am talking about.

http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/steadycam/

-alex

I just picked this up off ebay.

http://ourworld.cs.com/G%20MO%20314/IMGA0004.jpg
http://ourworld.cs.com/G%20MO%20314/IMGA0005.jpg
http://ourworld.cs.com/G%20MO%20314/IMGA0006.jpg
http://ourworld.cs.com/G%20MO%20314/IMGA0007.jpg

This was at a local auction house so I didn't have to pay $30 shipping. I've tried to reseach the company to no avail. Anyone know anything about it?
I can't wait to build my crane. :D

Good Lord! Of course it's worth $20 bucks. That looks like a little O'Connor fluid head on there. Plenty good enough to hold a DV camera. Good luck on the crane!

Dan
www.DVcameraRigs.com

check out these 3 camera rigs from ben wilson design , i love the inflatable one...

it flash chose option 2 on teh second row

http://www.benwilsondesign.co.uk/

I stumbled across a Bogen 3126 head. It's surprisingly smooth, but lacks a quick-release plate. My question is...Is there such thing as a quick-release adaptor I could attach to the head?

Many choices...

The inexpensive one : Bogen 3299 http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=149686&is=REG

A better one: Bogen 3273 http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=5566&is=REG

You could also consider the Manfrotto 577 adapter (but pricier):
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=241139&is=REG

for the price of an FS-4, i can avoid the $1684 purchase price (from B&H) of a deck altogether. or can i?

for those of you working with the FS-4, does this logic make any sense? do you use it enough and is it flexible enough to eliminate the deck.

i shoot a lot of nature doc footage and outdoor adrenaline sports (climbers, kayakers, skiers runners, etc) with a GL2 and try to travel fairly fast and light--is it light enough and handy enough for this type of usage?

I think you are in the wrong forum.

All aboard, next stop "Direct-to-Disk (Tapeless) Recording Solutions"...

Chaz (pardon the familiarity) in particular, I remember downloading a clip a year or so ago, I think it was Ted and Jerry demonstrating the EFP, it was only a quick clip, the start section of the tape. I’ve had a quick look through the board with no luck; can anyone point me in the right direction…anyone know what I’m rambling on about…?

Just thought I’d do a bit more research before I go ahead and take the plunge buying my own rig.

Cheers,

We are missing the charger for the Marshall Monitor from our Glidecam. The specs state 12v DC, 500ma. We have a variety of other chargers and are wondering if any others will work.

Any thoughts?

12V 500ma is a generic specification.
That means there is a converter somewhere in your monitor, charging the batteries. If you provide 12V , at least 500mA with another power supply, there is no reason to have problems.

I was looking for a tripod to handle my 19-21 lb setup. I wanted a fluid head.

I was originally looking at a Manfrotto/Bogen 516 Pro head and 3246 legs for $706.95 at bhphoto. I believe this was the least expensive M/B setup that handles 20+lbs and hit 70+ inches without the column.

Then I saw something I couldn't believe...a Smith Victor Propod V Aluminum 2-stage Tripod with Pro-5 2-way fluid head that could support 25lbs...$188.95.


I compared the specs. They are very comparable. The SV actually does a +/-90 degree tilt which I needed for a special effect in one shot (the M/B does +60/-90).

The biggest difference I see is that the SV weighs in at 9 lbs where the M/B is 13.6 lbs...that might be telling. Also, I've never seen SV before and I have had a chance to play around with M/B fluid heads.

Does anyone know anything about these SV "propods?"

The link is:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=329000&is=REG

The link for the M/B is:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=191749&is=REG

Thanks for any input.

Kelly

Kelly, my experience has shown that you get what you pay for. Depending what you use these support systems for, you will probably find them lacking for doing much in the way of panning and tilting while zoomed in greatly.

Jay

I curently own a DvRig Pro, and love it.

The other day I was looking for some information on the Paglight C6 lighting system and went to their website, when I got there I saw an add for their new stableizer system, the Orbiter.
I don't know about you, but it looks alot like the DvRig to me, what do you all think?
Any feedback or comments on it?

http://paguk.com/orbitor.htm

Michael
LVProductions

I was wonder what the best portable backdrops were for a reasonable price? Any suggestions?
thanks

I was wonder what the best portable backdrops were for a reasonable price? Any suggestions?
thanks
Do a search online for green screen or chroma key and you'll find more than you know what to do with.

Jay

Got a question about the tripods that are made for most of the lighter weight DV cameras. I am seeing that most of them that are under $1000, the drag for pan & tilt are fixed. So does this mean there is no way to fine tune these settings? $599 is a lot to spend on a tripod for a DV camera and I'm just surprised that companies like Cartoni and Miller leave this option out at this price.

Well that is indeed the case with the Miller DS-5. The DS-10 adds these features but of course it costs more. My inexpensive Manfrotto 501 has adjustable pan and tilt, but the action is nowhere near as smooth as the DS-5.

Hi! I'm brand spankin new to these forums, and stabilizer stuff in general. Fourth year student up in Canada, about to start production on my grad film.

I've built myself a Glidecam style stabilizer for an XL2, and unfortunately it seems that its right on par with the Glidecam 4000 reviews as far as being virtually impossible to use without an arm brace.

Therefore!

I am wondering if anyone has any links to designs for homebuilt forearm braces? I'm assuming the basic idea is simply the gimble grip is attached to a rigid object that runs along the under part of your arm, which basically hangs/is secured from/to your arm by a fabric mesh. That said, I'm pretty sure there would be some finicky little details that somebody has probably already sorted out?

Any tips/links/philisophical direction/guidance/enlightenment would be supermuchappreciated!

Thanks!

I know some have found at least modest relief by purchasing a wrist brace from a well stocked drug store or sports store. Get the beefy kind with the plastic splints built in as opposed to the plain elastic wraps.

Does anyone have any experience with this tripod adapter?
http://www.tripodadaptor.com/about.htm

I have an HC1 and I wanted to know if it'll be sturdy with this between the camera and the tripod

I also heard the Samsung SCD5000 comes with a tripod adapter that might work on bottom loading cameras. Anyone have any experience with that or any other adapters?

thanks
min

I would be interested in this solution as well, as I was looking into the Sony A1U, but was very hesitant, because of the bottom loading problem.

Hello,
I'm building a jib arm and am looking for some good LCD options to attach for viewing from the weighted end. Hopefully something relatively innexpensive.

Appreciate you pointing me in the right directions!
Best,
Jeff

I just bought the little Marshall 4" LCD, comes with a battery pack & the necessary cables to hook up to my old VX1000. I attached it to my Glidecam 2000 pro and the picture isn't bad for the price/value. It's my first monitor though so I can't compare the image to others.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=161517&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

Sorry if this is already been posted but I thought it was pretty neat!!!! Check out the demo video. Seem like a semi-fair price too.
http://www.dvmoves.com/products/bodycrane/index.cfm#

Hi
I'd be interested to hear if anyone's used a polecam and what they think of it. The web link is http://www.polecam.com ...

I haven't used one. I had a good look at the site last week and it seems that it would be a great tool but at £15000 for SD - no way!

Someone should make a program that allows users to input what kind of camera they have, how much it weighs and any accessories it has. It then processes the information and determines what tripods are compatable with the user's setup. Heck, it could even arrange them in different orders (ie- price, manufacturer) and give links for where people could go buy them.

That would be neat.

Hello
I know there's a lot of people is Canadian in this site so may be they can help me for my question , I bought DRAGANFLY from RC TOYS its wireless camera fixed on wireless helicopter so you can shot a very high area , we will use this product for some drama shooting and also for some documentary film , the problem that we are surprise for it that is Canadian government detain this product when the company send it to my country by FEDEX they said its not allowed to ship some thing like this product !!!! the product is Canadian and the price is only 1.600 USD and its will go out of Canada not enter to it , I wander how and why Canadian government do some thing like this and how supposed this company work
You can see the product at http://www.rctoys.com/draganflyer5tipro.php

Could always have it drop shipped to someone in canada and have them re-mail it to you. But before you do that did you try contacting the company and see if they could declare it as something else when they ship it. I don't see a logical reason to keep this from moving between borders so I don't see a reason to block it and not find a way around the problem.

Hey Everyone,
I bought a $5 "Mini Tripod" at walmart the other day so I could use my camera as a web cam. I then picked the camera up with the tripod using my left hand, and thought to myself "Wow, I could take much better footage but using my right hand on the camera and my left hand on the mini tripod". Lo and behold it works.

Anyways, Just thought someone might find this useful -

Has anyone found a good combo for a good teleprompter and tripod for the XL2? I'm about to get the tripod, but waited to see what teleprompter I was going to get and how much it would weigh to know what kind of tripod to get. Anyone have a good combo they are using for their XL2? THANKS!!

I've got a sony HC1 HDV camera that has one of those new proprietary AIS shoe/plugs on the top of the camera. Has anybody made a piece of gear that can convert that to a standard hot shoe (Like on the Sony A1)?

Teleprompters are a pain in the ass! But they sure are helpful. They're a Godsend, regardless of the experience/ability of the person in front of the camera. Insist on getting the text of the speech before the shoot date so that you can input it into the prompter before the shoot. This way, you can format and set the type for their use before you get onto the set. Better yet, if they own the prompter, that's their job. They should have all that loaded before the day of the shot, so you're not held up.

Check out the particular model prompter if you can. I always have some 3/8 - 16 and 1/4 - 20 screws, bolts, wing nuts and fender washers, so I can mount my camera on almost anything. Washers can help raise up the prompter so knobs don't interfere with sliding the rig on and off the head. Washers are good to put between the prompter and a nut.

The prompter will be very front heavy, since that's where the computer and plexi will be. The XL2 is already front heavy, so you'll probably have the plate mounted somewhere between the body and the computer. You may need some time to find the right center point. Budget a lot of time for set up, since you'll want to find the center. It's really gonna suck if you're off and the front end completely nose dives. Be sure to put a sandbag on the spreader, if you have a ground spreader, or on a couple of the feet, if you have a mid level spreader.

Adjust the counterbalance on the tripod head because the center of gravity will changed dramatically.

Get a head that can acommodate around 30-50 pounds. Check out Vinten, Sachtler, Cartoni, Miller and O'Connor and see what meets your needs. You'll probably want a head and tripod with at least a 100mm ball.

Be sure that the prompter's glass is clean. I have a client that has their own prompter and the plexiglass has a lot of scratches and gouges in both sides. I remind them to buy a new one every time and I'm always moving it to see if I can see any bad spots.

If you can get a couple of 1/4 - 20 knurled thumbscrews, those are helpful for mounting the camera to the whole rig.

ok i got a real nice studio tripod and head setup, heavy duty stuff, i cant remember the model numbers off the top of my head, the head on this thing is big, i think its a 116 or a 3066 or something like that, i get confused with those number things, the legs are i think 3016 or 3068 or something like that, anyways, i can tell its been sitting unused for awhile so i was wondering what the best way to clean/oil or 'tune up' this tripod and head, i got it off ebay for a great price, also the levels on it are dry with no water, any way to fix that?

If you have never seen how it works behind the scenes this is a demo of how Steadimove and probably other stabilization software does it.

The software basically places your video on a virtual gimbal to adjust the X, Y and Z axes. You ordinarily wouldn't see the borders because it performs a slight push or zoom to crop out the border as it corrects for X,Y or Z axes motion. This correction looks as though a slight zoom has been added to your footage to hide the border. When viewing, open your player to it's largest frame to see the dramatic correction taking place. There is a setting to reduce that zoom effect but more cropping is applied to offset it. To see the smooth result of this demo, simply mask the edges with a piece paper so you can't see the border or just cup your hand and look through the hole, like a monocular, to see how stable the image really is. You can do this in Steadimove with your footage by choosing none as the edge handling value.

How it works
http://161.58.78.36/asx/dvinfo/production/stabilizersoft/STABILIZERFRAME.asx

I inherited a large angenieux zoom and while it has a matte black support ring that is off to the left (arri brand?) it has no bracket for me to attach to my 15mm rods... any ideas how to make one? It seems to buy one new would run me over $200... and since I have to get a PL adapter and a mount I'm running outta cash. Ideas?