just got new dslr, what else

scottthurlow

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i have got myself a canon5d mkii, im really interested into starting film work, but what do i need essentially to get going?

just a nd adjustable filter, and a viewfinder?

any tips, help products, advice woudl be great aswell as essential software for mac id need for editing etc
 
Depends on what you want to shoot? You could need to buy nothing potentially.. or you could have to spend a bomb..
 
ermm. to start with, stationary cars, my doing the moving round etc. out of focus into focus etc. few rollign shots and drivng past etc. just to start with.
 
read the OP .. can't believe nobodies said... a lens? :)
 
Hi

Just one other thing even I have found out, and that is make sure your computer has a processor fast enough to deal with video work. At the moment my computers just can't handle HD video and tend to "stutter" when playing back panning shots. This is due to the computer having to miss out frames to keep up.

Realspeed
 
ye i need to get myself some cards lol.

so cards
viewfinder
and variable nd filter

all musts but anyhtign esle depends on budget and what im filming?

also any particualr lenses i should use
 
Hello and welcome to the world of DSLR video.

in my opinion the first thing you need is a clear vision of what you want to achieve.

Having one lens that covers most of your requirements is very handy. ( I use the canon 24-70 f2.8 L lens or a fixed 50mm )

A tripod with a half decent head for panning

i movie or FCP or adobe or whatever

Actually the best advice I can give is for you to just try stuff out. There is no magic formula for anyone I'm afraid.

DSLR cameras are a bit of a bitch to use for moving stuff.

Good luck. Wishing you the most beautiful shots in the world

Roy

www.royriley.co.uk
 
steady-cam would be my choice for video...there are plenty of options available and the results are astonishing.
 
steady-cam would be my choice for video...
... that depends what you are trying to achieve creatively and budget of what you are shooting

some of the cheaper rigs (and more expensive) are tricky to operate and often hand held or an improvised grip/shoulder mount with dSLR can achieve better results than a cheap stabiliser. Not always, but its personal taste and I would have a practice but to begin with you can get started with what you have

Shoot of a tripod, have a go hand held, maybe even a skateboard!, get Final Cut Pro and review your results, later maybe try out rigs like the glidecam see what you think with weight of your camera and lens, etc. Expos like BVE (just gone unfortunately) are a brilliant place to try out all the options

Back to your question:

- fluid head tripod
- if you need sound I would get a Rode Videomic Pro (20db boost comes in very handy)
- Viewfinder is useful, hoodman do an ok one but optically the Zacuto Z finder is far better (external screen if your shooting bellow waste but becomes more expensive)

hope Ive helped, happy shooting
 
Bumping this thread because I was about to ask the same question. Specifically regarding tripods, are the friction ball type heads from Redsnapper suitable for filming, or do I want a completely different type of tripod for filming/panning as opposed to for still photos.
 
Thanks for the tip. Are these also a good choice for the average photographer, or would you only suggest it for video work? Any particular examples I should consider (on a budget)? Thanks again!
 
I've always used a pan and tilt head on my tripods, the only ballhead I have is a cheapo one on my monopod for when I need to poke it in odd places.
 
A pan and tilt head is much better than a ballhead for video, unless you are just taking static position shots.

Gotta agree.... for static shots where there's no movement required then they're fine (and for the moment it'll do) but trying to pan and tilt on them requires skills that belong on the Krypton factor :lol:
 
Either are pretty rubbish for video tbh. What you want is a 'fluid head' tripod, which has a mechanism for providing drag when you pan or tilt the camera, enabling you to make much smoother camera moves.
 
Either are pretty rubbish for video tbh. What you want is a 'fluid head' tripod, which has a mechanism for providing drag when you pan or tilt the camera, enabling you to make much smoother camera moves.

I saw some really nice Giottos heads at Focus2012 that were predominately for photography but doubled up very well as video head. Had that geared, draggy feel that you get from fluid head. Obviously not ideal for big old video cameras, but for a standard DSLR and a sensible lens they seemed a pretty good investment - think they were about £70 for the head.

EDIT: This is the kiddie.... http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-giottos-vh6011-658d-2-way-video-birding-head/p1518593

1518593.jpg


The two small thumb levers adjust the amount of lock but it's not just on/off.... you can fine-tune the amount of drag
 
Last edited:
specialman said:
I saw some really nice Giottos heads at Focus2012 that were predominately for photography but doubled up very well as video head. Had that geared, draggy feel that you get from fluid head. Obviously not ideal for big old video cameras, but for a standard DSLR and a sensible lens they seemed a pretty good investment - think they were about £70 for the head.

EDIT: This is the kiddie.... http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-giottos-vh6011-658d-2-way-video-birding-head/p1518593

The two small thumb levers adjust the amount of lock but it's not just on/off.... you can fine-tune the amount of drag

Looks pretty nice.

More money, but I was very very impressed by the new manfrotto 502 head. Great stuff.
 
Oh yeah - that looks pretty sexy. £140 isn't that bad really, considering Manfrotto does some quality gear :)
 
I saw some really nice Giottos heads at Focus2012 that were predominately for photography but doubled up very well as video head. Had that geared, draggy feel that you get from fluid head. Obviously not ideal for big old video cameras, but for a standard DSLR and a sensible lens they seemed a pretty good investment - think they were about £70 for the head.

EDIT: This is the kiddie.... http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-giottos-vh6011-658d-2-way-video-birding-head/p1518593

1518593.jpg


The two small thumb levers adjust the amount of lock but it's not just on/off.... you can fine-tune the amount of drag

I bought one of these recently for video use, very nice smooth action, I'm very pleased with it.
 
Has anyone ever tried one of the cheaper plastic ones on ebay from HK?

HERE

Are they usable for someone having a dabble, or a bit of a waste?
 
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