Jeff Wayne
Posts: 2,759
Los Angeles, California, US
I finally got my d800 a few months ago and im getting ready to start diving head first into video. Im looking for a few items to start with. In particular im interested in getting a camera rig that is stabilized with a gyroscope or whatever works well. i also want this rig to have a follow focus setup.
Im no stranger to this recession, so budget is a big concern. Im open to quality DIY projects i just have a very very basic set of tools. most of the good looking diy rigs i seen require some serious tools
Also please feel free to drop and tips,advice,resources to help me along my journey into video. At this moment i know next to nothing.
Jeff Wayne
Posts: 2,759
Los Angeles, California, US
budget somewhere between 150-300?
I have a 100% gift coming from my girlfriend for my bday. i was going to get a knockoff grip for my d800 but now im thinking a rig would be a better idea
probably going to have to sell my electric guitar to pay for the difference
Jeff Wayne wrote: budget somewhere between 150-300?
I have a 100% gift coming from my girlfriend for my bday. i was going to get a knockoff grip for my d800 but now im thinking a rig would be a better idea
probably going to have to sell my electric guitar to pay for the difference
The rig like you've shown is about $250, and that's with the follow focus. Yes, you CAN do it for a lot less, but it requires having "almost" what you want. And if looking like you're pro is important to you, a cobbled together thing with PVC pipe might not be for you. After you buy a mount, and then do a DIY follow focus setup that won't look awesome, you're still spending over $100. So, having something purpose built and looking good might be worth the extra $150.
But if you're going to do video outside, you're also going to want an eyepiece. I wasted half a day shooting video out of focus because it was so bright I couldn't see if my wide angle was in focus or not. That's another $130. And if you want to do any kind of sound, you're going to want a directional mic. Add another $90.
Since I'm not super serious about it yet, I'm still exploring the DIY avenues. But as soon as I get a little more serious, I'll be following you down that expensive "buy moar stuff" road.
There are several common accessories for video shooting: Shoulder rig, microphones, lights, matte box, follow focus, viewfinder, monitors, digital recorders are the most common. Your budget is extremely limiting, and at that price point you will have to forget many options.
You talk about a "gyroscope" that is really called a steadicam, but at $300-2000 is above your budget.
You will only be able to add high end features such as a follow focus, LCD monitor, high quality mics, filters, good lenses, and a digital recorder when your budget expands.
DC Chavez
Posts: 317
Redondo Beach, California, US
The "Gyroscope" you are talking about is called a steadicam. You can get a similar type of look with something like a Glidecam 4000- its perfect for a lightweight DSLR setup. They run about $375 new. I have one sitting around here if you are interested in buying one that has minor use. I can even show you how to balance it.
I used the Glidecam in this video for a opening shot at the 0:07 mark. I had a 5D MkII with a 16-35L lens on there:
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