Beginner Videography Equip question!

nicknackgtb

Hi Guys,

First time posting in this forum. Not sure whether it is the right one or not so just said Id ask the question!

What equipment would you recommend for starting into videography? I am about to get a Canon 7d (Have been shooting photography for few years) and am getting this for its photo capabilities but also with the intention of making videos. These will be car related videos which will entail standing in the middle of a track, walking around paddocks, general static videography also.

I'm thinking that a Stabilizer of some sort would be Ideal and also the Follow Focus contraption. so far thats what I think will help me out into getting steady shoots.

Am going to start off with Imovie for now until I figure out which other program will suit.

Excuse if I'm posting in the wrong forum but would appreciate if someone could point me in the right direction (or forum!!!)

Thanks,

Paddy

ScumLord

I built this cheap steadycam , while it does improve things it requires some practice and skill to make the most of it, it's still an improvement on handheld but it can be fatiguing over time as your carrying a weight around.

Choosing a program can be a though one, adobe programs obviously have the benefit of working well together so if you already have photoshop it'll work well with première or after effects.

If your just editing your videos together première would be enough if you want to get any more advanced After effects is like a cross between première and photoshop.

reece

nicknackgtb wrote: »

Hi Guys,

First time posting in this forum. Not sure whether it is the right one or not so just said Id ask the question!

What equipment would you recommend for starting into videography? I am about to get a Canon 7d (Have been shooting photography for few years) and am getting this for its photo capabilities but also with the intention of making videos. These will be car related videos which will entail standing in the middle of a track, walking around paddocks, general static videography also.

I'm thinking that a Stabilizer of some sort would be Ideal and also the Follow Focus contraption. so far thats what I think will help me out into getting steady shoots.

Am going to start off with Imovie for now until I figure out which other program will suit.

Excuse if I'm posting in the wrong forum but would appreciate if someone could point me in the right direction (or forum!!!)

Thanks,

Paddy

Make sure you get fixed focal lenses. Youd deffo need stabilization equipment for the 7d.

reece

Youll need a zfinder pro aswell. Audio options arent great. Maybe zoom h4n, and shotgun mic or u can get an external mic for the 7d but theres no gain control

m83

reece wrote: »

Youll need a zfinder pro aswell. Audio options arent great. Maybe zoom h4n, and shotgun mic or u can get an external mic for the 7d but theres no gain control

He's going to end up spending a lot of money following your advice. Not the ideal way to start any new hobby. There are workarounds for all of these expensive pieces of kit. Hope you are aware of this OP.

ScumLord

reece wrote: »

Youll need a zfinder pro aswell. Audio options arent great. Maybe zoom h4n, and shotgun mic or u can get an external mic for the 7d but theres no gain control

You don't need any of those things. They're nice to have but not essential.

reece

ScumLord wrote: »

reece wrote: »

Youll need a zfinder pro aswell. Audio options arent great. Maybe zoom h4n, and shotgun mic or u can get an external mic for the 7d but theres no gain control

You don't need any of those things. They're nice to have but not essential.

Dont need audio, but maybe scumlord you can post some walking around footage u shot with your dslr without the aide of a z- finder. Be interested to see shots with the appeture wide open. I own a 7d and it's difficult to shoot out side using the lcd display. OP start small and if you experience the issue then you know what to get.

reece

m83 wrote: »

He's going to end up spending a lot of money following your advice. Not the ideal way to start any new hobby. There are workarounds for all of these expensive pieces of kit. Hope you are aware of this OP.

zfinders are €270 on ebay. Not quite breaking the bank.....

m83

reece wrote: »

zfinders are €270 on ebay. Not quite breaking the bank.....

Speak for yourself. I can get incredibly steady footage with a technique that involves a small cheap tripod. If it's ever bad I can always call upon motion tracking in AE.

reece

m83 wrote: »

Speak for yourself. I can get incredibly steady footage with a technique that involves a small cheap tripod............

do you even know what a zfinder is????? :rolleyes:

ScumLord

It's a really expensive mount from the looks of it. Fair enough I use a video camera but it's barely any bigger than a dslr.

I would say a good tripod would be more important to have if you don't have one. You can use the tripod as a make shift stabilizer as well.

I'm sure that Zfinder is great but it is expensive for what it is.

nicknackgtb

Change of plan now! Seen's as I'm spending my monies on a pricey camera, I'm veering heavily towards the 5d MKII. Also going to get a LCDVF for now and then think about a lense to go with it. Have my Sigma 70-200 that I might sell to try fund an 85mm.

I have a brutal tripod now but might think about investing soon in a new one.

What are the mics like on these? I know there is no input volume adjuster on them so would I be good to try getting a Rhode for now? or just hold off and get a better one? not sure what they are like!

I'm also getting a canon Speedlite 320ex, does anyone have any views on this? reason I'm getting this one is that it has the LED on it for video also. Is it gimickie or any good? need a flash anyway so thought this might just help in combining the two together!

m83

reece wrote: »

do you even know what a zfinder is????? :rolleyes:

I know all about them, probably more than you :rolleyes:

briano.de.rhino

For the price of a dslr plus all the bits you could prolly stump up the price for the new Panasonic af101.(cheapest place I find is usually eurotek.ie out in Sandyford, Dublin) All the advantages of slr but no disadvantages such as rolling shutter etc. Its savage. adaptors can let you use canon lenses with it too.worth checking out.

Also, the gopro hero costs €350 and is a hd, waterproof, fisheye camera.fits in ur pocket, suction mounts for cars etc. I used one in the shot coming out of the water in my latest video here....http://youtu.be/bYfTFMkW2Bo

Nearly forgot...your computers gonna need to be a beast to handle hd. I have 16gb, i7 processor and a good card. Anything less and I cant imagine it being plain sailing.Also, you will need adobe cs4 or later to use the footage straight from a Canon eos camera without converting to another wrapper for the footie. I tried looking into it on the net but got very confused.Luckily it works natively in premiere cs4. Actually I think windows 7 and moviemaker might take it now too. Worth considering all these factors b4 u get a fancy camera and no money left to buy equipment to edit it on.

ScumLord

briano.de.rhino wrote: »

Also, the gopro hero costs €350 and is a hd, waterproof, fisheye camera.fits in ur pocket, suction mounts for cars etc. I used one in the shot coming out of the water in my latest video here....http://youtu.be/bYfTFMkW2Bo

I want to get one of those if only for the high frame rate, don't know if it should be the first camera someone should buy it's great and everything but far from practical. Is it fisheye only or is there adapters to make it look more normal?

Bodhan

nicknackgtb wrote: »

Hi Guys,

First time posting in this forum. Not sure whether it is the right one or not so just said Id ask the question!

What equipment would you recommend for starting into videography? I am about to get a Canon 7d (Have been shooting photography for few years) and am getting this for its photo capabilities but also with the intention of making videos. These will be car related videos which will entail standing in the middle of a track, walking around paddocks, general static videography also.

I'm thinking that a Stabilizer of some sort would be Ideal and also the Follow Focus contraption. so far thats what I think will help me out into getting steady shoots.

Am going to start off with Imovie for now until I figure out which other program will suit.

Excuse if I'm posting in the wrong forum but would appreciate if someone could point me in the right direction (or forum!!!)

Thanks,

Paddy

Hi Paddy,

There's nothing like a vague answer with lots of technical stuff attached. I do most of the stuff you're about to get into (Check the youtube channel in my sig) You'll be happy with the 7D, it's hard to work with it in Video at first but you'll soon get used to it.
Get a decent tripod but check the weight as you'll find the camera is heavy already. Get a polarized filter to cut the reflections on the cars and that will get you going.

You'll find your level soon enough and you'll notice whats missing.
A decent Zoom lens and a 50mm plus stock lens will do you to begin with. You can get sound with a Dictaphone so long as you watch for wind noise.

If you need anymore help shout as we will be in the same business....cars

Average-Ro

ScumLord wrote: »

I want to get one of those if only for the high frame rate, don't know if it should be the first camera someone should buy it's great and everything but far from practical. Is it fisheye only or is there adapters to make it look more normal?

I have the GoPro version 1, but I use it as a specialised camera for some cool shots to compliment my Z5. It's a great little camera, and I'll be buying the version 2 next month for the high frame rate capabilities (I'm shooting a promo for an adventure centre and that high frame rate will get some awesome use!)

I agree, not a practical first camera to buy, but compliment it with something else and you have a nice combo going.

nicknackgtb

Bodhan wrote: »

Hi Paddy,

There's nothing like a vague answer with lots of technical stuff attached. I do most of the stuff you're about to get into (Check the youtube channel in my sig) You'll be happy with the 7D, it's hard to work with it in Video at first but you'll soon get used to it.
Get a decent tripod but check the weight as you'll find the camera is heavy already. Get a polarized filter to cut the reflections on the cars and that will get you going.

You'll find your level soon enough and you'll notice whats missing.
A decent Zoom lens and a 50mm plus stock lens will do you to begin with. You can get sound with a Dictaphone so long as you watch for wind noise.

If you need anymore help shout as we will be in the same business....cars

Ah good stuff, cant see your signature for some reason?? can you post a link?

My kit will consist of the 5d mkII,Sigma 70-200 F2.8, Nifty Fifty F1.8, stock lens and going to get a Gradual ND Filter and a LCDVF. New tripod hopefully soon after then.

I may want to sell some of the lenses to get some fixed focal's soon, thinking 85mm and 14mm, and eventually down the line the canon 300 L lens. soon but its all monies!

as I said, gimme a link to your stuff mate!

Lemmewinks

OP - good tips here:
http://www.filmmakersnetwork.ie/content.php?20-DLSR-kit-for-filmmaking

Bodhan

nicknackgtb wrote: »

Ah good stuff, cant see your signature for some reason?? can you post a link?

My kit will consist of the 5d mkII,Sigma 70-200 F2.8, Nifty Fifty F1.8, stock lens and going to get a Gradual ND Filter and a LCDVF. New tripod hopefully soon after then.

I may want to sell some of the lenses to get some fixed focal's soon, thinking 85mm and 14mm, and eventually down the line the canon 300 L lens. soon but its all monies!

as I said, gimme a link to your stuff mate!

www.thenextgear.com or http://www.youtube.com/smokerspack for just the videos.

Sounds like a right set up you have now, 5d Mark II is about as good as it gets with video in SLR

oshead

Here's a list of very cheap items you will find on ebay and will be useful to get you going. Some will suit, others and you'll probably upgrade the item after a while.

#1. LCD view finder. The Zacuto mentioned earlier is good kit but too expensive IMO. The product LCDVF is a nice viewfinder for around a $100. You can find cheap chinese knockoff of it called the LCD-v1 for around $20 with free shipping if you look hard.

#2. Shoulder support. Search ebay for the Cowboy Studio shoulder support. A really nifty piece of hard plastic for around €25 that lets you mount your camera on shoulder with a hands free option.

#3. If you've got a tripod already then you should get a cheap fluid head. The Weifeng 717AH can be got for about $70 inc shipping. Get the one with the flat base not the bowl. If you don't already have a tripod then get the EI-717 Bowl with tripod for around €150.

#4. A decent follow focus will set you back a few quid and you'll need to opt for all the supporting rig to go with it. You're probably just better off for now getting an adjustable gear belt to see you over till you find the right piece.

Anyway.... good luck with this.

nicknackgtb

oshead wrote: »

Here's a list of very cheap items you will find on ebay and will be useful to get you going. Some will suit, others and you'll probably upgrade the item after a while.

#1. LCD view finder. The Zacuto mentioned earlier is good kit but too expensive IMO. The product LCDVF is a nice viewfinder for around a $100. You can find cheap chinese knockoff of it called the LCD-v1 for around $20 with free shipping if you look hard.

#2. Shoulder support. Search ebay for the Cowboy Studio shoulder support. A really nifty piece of hard plastic for around €25 that lets you mount your camera on shoulder with a hands free option.

#3. If you've got a tripod already then you should get a cheap fluid head. The Weifeng 717AH can be got for about $70 inc shipping. Get the one with the flat base not the bowl. If you don't already have a tripod then get the EI-717 Bowl with tripod for around €150.

#4. A decent follow focus will set you back a few quid and you'll need to opt for all the supporting rig to go with it. You're probably just better off for now getting an adjustable gear belt to see you over till you find the right piece.

Anyway.... good luck with this.

Thats a great help mate! I am thinking of getting the LCDVF when I buy my camera, it seems to be the best one from talking to others also!

The shoulder support I'm not sure about, I think I would rather spend money on a proper rig unit, although that may be good for now alright! Thats later on down the line though!

I need to get a new tripod before I think about different heads but I think im going to spend my time thinking about editing and use what I have for now!

The Follow focus would be ideal to get also but will ave to wait for the rig then!!

Am thinking about lenses atm also, looking out for a Samyang 85mm, apparently a great little lens for the money! Another ebay job but it's a good one! and eventually a nice 14mm I think should cut it! Have some zoom lenses and the nifty fifty so they will have to do for now!

Thanks again for your advice, very helpful!