Need your advice!

[Paul Maxe]

I am buying 2 GL-2's to start a videography business. I am mainly going to be doing weddings and some concerts. What additional equipment would you recommend I buy?

I was thinking I would need:

wireless mic system(xlr adapter of course)
Wide angle lens?(is this necessary?)
shotgun mic?
extra batteries
hard case

Any suggestion on what brand/model mini dv tapes to get?
Also what brands/models of the above items should I get?

Thanks in advance!

[Darko Flajpan]

Well, the very first thing is to buy at least 2 BP945 batteries, that's a must for field work. Wide angle adapter is also very handy in situations like weddings. With audio adapters and microphones you will have lots of choices, try to find your solution here in forums. What I learned here about tapes is - find your favorite brand and stick to it.. I use Fuji's. BTW. have you considered tripod?

[Graham Bernard]

Best advice? Unless you need to do this "spend" tomorrow .. go work with an event videographer for about 5 or 6 times. I did, made my buying decisions faster, efficient and made from a background of knowledge .. . 2nd bit of advise, locate a videographer that ISN'T in the area/locality you might be working - yeah?

Look, you are gonna get a lot of help and assistance here . .that I am sure about .. first hand expereince? While working on the job . . . you can't beat it .. You have to "feel" and experience what WE are gonna be saying .. Oh yeah, do the sad bloke thing and go to many stores and cammie shoppes .. FEEL the equipment and ASK questions . .. . LOTS of them ...

My money would be the tripod thing with a fluid head .. PLUS a LANC controller .. yeah yeah yeah I can hear people sniffing at this .. but it sure as hell saved me a lot of nasty situations "searching" for the buttons and the zoom controller .. .

Good Luck!

Grazie

[Alex T. Hurter]

<<<-- Originally posted by Darko Flajpan : Well, the very first thing is to buy at least 2 BP945 batteries, that's a must for field work. -->>>

I'm not sure if you have anything like this in the US but here in Canada I found this wonderful device known as a " Motomaster Eliminator 600A PowerBox"
http://www.canadiantire.ca/assortments/product_detail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374303515779&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395348027&bm UID=1088181753522&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524443271701&assortment=primary

Basically it's a portable battery that can give about 20 hours of power. At $150 bucks Canadian it's one of the best investments in power sources that I have ever made.

[Don Palomaki]

Just remember that if you do event video, such as wedding, bar mitzvahs, etc., you work weekends and weekend evenings, and go to a lot of great parties with good food and music, but you don't get to dance, drink, or eat (well, at least in this area while the guests get prime rib or salmon you get a club sandwitch and some slightly stale potato chips).

If aht is to yoru taste, do a lot of reading of back posts here and other forums, and maybe even join WEVA .

Good luck.

Some important gear:
Second camcorder (for backup and B-roll)
Wireless mic (both lava nd handheld)
plenty of extra batteries
wide angle lens adapter (for small rooms)
video light (that can cover the range of 10-20 watts).
Good tripod
A monopod can be handy
Cases for camcorders and gear

[Graham Bernard]

[ . .. very good Don! ;-) ]

[Paul Maxe]

<<<-- Originally posted by Don Palomaki : Just remember that if you do event video, such as wedding, bar mitzvahs, etc., you work weekends and weekend evenings, and go to a lot of great parties with good food and music, but you don't get to dance, drink, or eat (well, at least in this area while the guests get prime rib or salmon you get a club sandwitch and some slightly stale potato chips).

If aht is to yoru taste, do a lot of reading of back posts here and other forums, and maybe even join WEVA .

Good luck.

Some important gear:
Second camcorder (for backup and B-roll)
Wireless mic (both lava nd handheld)
plenty of extra batteries
wide angle lens adapter (for small rooms)
video light (that can cover the range of 10-20 watts).
Good tripod
A monopod can be handy
Cases for camcorders and gear -->>>

Thanks for the replys everyone! Specifically what xlr adapter and what brand mics? We will have 2 GL-2's.

Any suggestions on brand of mics?

[John DeLuca]

Sennheiser of corse. Cheap mics sound muddy......you get what you pay for.



http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=324243&is=REG

Worth every penny(wedding vows/interviews/sound board at atfterparty), and will pay for itself if your doing weddings. I have the evolution 500 kit system(similar kit) and can key the voices at a wedding exactly how I want them in post. You can hook it up to the sound board at the afterparty if your not running solid wires.

[John DeLuca]

As for the adapters........... also if you have the money a vu meter and a good pair of head phones is a must.....the two links are my what I would get, but if you dont have the funds, there are other modles.

http://www.beachtek.com/


http://www.beachtek.com/dxa8.html



http://www.beachtek.com/svu2.html

[Paul Maxe]

Wow thanks for the advice John. Will I need 2 of those Seinheisser setups or can I just buy an extra lapel mic for that system?

[John DeLuca]

I personally have two recevers for each mic. I would call B&H and ask if you can run two transmitters to one recever with that kit. I mic the groom and the minister with omni mics. The omni mic on the groom picks up the bride and soft background noise of the people in the church with no reverb. This can all be keyed perfectly in post. Do a wedding or two for free, there is alot to learn from trial and error no matter how prepaired you think you are. I would recommend some of the following to note. Go early enough to get some opening footage. Leave most of your shots static as to much movement in the camera is not in your best interrest. At the wedding have one wide shot(most churches have a loft, and the GL2 has a mighty zoom), and one tight shot(leave some head and movement room within the frame). Have your wireless sound equipment on the camera closest to the bride and groom just in case. When you get to the after party of the wedding talk to the DJ, he will help plug you into his board(if you can run solid XLR wires into the beachtek left and right channels) and give you a flow of events so you can get to your GL2s in time (somtimes he will give you a print out of events), as each event is a scean in your movie. The DJ will also tell you about the lighting as the GL2 is poor in low light. If you can, talk him into leaving enough abient light to compliment your directional lighting. If the lights are turned off completely, I recommend bouncing a 1000 watt light off the celing or wall and keeping your shots alittle wide with your directional light. Learn that manual focus. Good luck




John

[John DeLuca]

BTW- If you belong to Sams Club, Maxell mini DV tapes(in a pack) are the best buy I have found yet(im sure you can get them online for cheap too). Dont change brands of tape as its not good housekeeping for your cameras. If your doing alot of weddings rechargable lithium ion 9 volts, although expensive, will pay for themselfs over time as the wireless mics eat batteries alive. Another thing to note is to stripe/blackout your tapes before use.



John

[Paul Maxe]

Thanks so much! Really helpful info!

[John DeLuca]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=185653&is=REG


The 501 head is decent, but I like the 503. Jack the tripod up all the way to get over peoples heads at the wedding, and use a sand bag to weigh it down if you want. You will also need a lanc controller. Bogen makes a good one for the 503 head/GL2. It gets expensive, belive me. ;)


John

[Graham Bernard]

. .. and an External monitor set at a comfortable height, twisting the LCD down to face me is a pain and isn't too good either. should have those LCD on a detachable cord . . . . I've found cranking UP anything needs an external monitor . .. aint got one yet .. got me eye open for a ruggerised one being supplied by a UK firm real soon . ..

Grazie