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Eric Coughlin

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About Eric Coughlin

  • Birthday 03/20/1987

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  • Website
    http://www.twosensefilms.com

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  • Location
    Tampa, FL
  • Rig
    Steadicam Zephyr

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  1. So I got the Anton Bauer Universal Compact 3-Stud Battery Plate and I can't figure it out. There's no backplate to it; is it supposed to come with a back-plate or did I buy the wrong item? The installation instructions say, "NOTE: When custom mounting the Gold Mount bracket system it is necessary to support the shaded areas against a flat surface. A backplate is provided with each Gold Mount bracket for this purpose." So shouldn't there be a backplate? I bought it new from B&H. It says, "CAUTION: Open + and - wires inside bracket. DO NOT attach battery without terminating wires." I'm wanting to attach it directly to the Zacuto Swiss Plate, so there's nothing I'd be terminating it to, so what am I supposed to do with the extra wires? Also, the screw holes are not threaded on both the battery plate and the QRC holes on the Zacuto Swiss plate; the Swiss plate comes with screws, but the only way I can think to mount this is by using nuts (which I'd have to buy separately since neither come with any) to secure the screws in position since there are no threads. Here's a photo of what I got.
  2. Okay, so last night I bought the Zacuto Z-UB3 Universal Baseplate Version 3 and the Zacuto Zwiss Plate V2 with an Anton Bauer Universal Compact 3-Stud Battery Plate (different version than the original one I linked to but it seems to work better in terms of mounting and being compatible with digital run-time). I got the Zacuto plate used on Ebay for $160 without rails, but it came with three extra (so five total) screw pieces (a $54 value) so I'll be all set there and then I bought black (yay!) 12" rails separately on B&H, and I've already got a pair of 4.5" rails which together would make the length 16.5". Libor, do you find you sometimes take advantage of the versatility by mounting the Wooden Camera battery slide at an angle or slid down? Both the Swiss plate and Wooden Camera can be mounted horizontally with a rail block; to mount at all you'd need an additional rail block for the Wooden Camera and the ones on their site are $100; the Berkey Systems one I'm using on the Hyperdeck was around $50 and might be compatible with the Wooden Camera battery slide. Can you easily mount items on both sides of the Wooden Camera one? It seems the Swiss would make that easier since there are more threaded screw holes. I'm curious to see how big the Swiss is; I might prefer the smaller size of the Wooden Camera one. With the C100 the extra weight of the Swiss may be beneficial over the Wooden Camera, though with heavier cameras lighter would be better. With the setup I'm going for now I'm guessing I'd be around 15-16 lbs which I'd think should be fine without a weight plate. I already own four Glidecam weights (about 3.5 lbs) which could be attached to the Swiss plate if I needed more weight. I'll plan to post photos of the next setup after everything arrives.
  3. Would the Zacuto Z-UB3 Universal Baseplate Version 3 be a good choice for a rod setup? And perhaps a Zacuto Zwiss Plate V2 with an Anton Bauer - QRC-GOLD Gold Mount Battery Plate attached would work better than the iKan power dock?
  4. An extra adapter was added to the top increasing the camera height so an 11mm lens could gain clearance above the Hyperdeck which it does (at the expense of being further from the gimbal). I bought the Bracket 1 - Cradle mentioned in the previous post so have that (it came in a bundle I got on Ebay), but I find the Hyperdeck mounting plate in the image to be more secure and flush. The rail block for the Hyperdeck mounting plate in the picture can be mounted on the bottom or side of the plate as well, so it can be mounted vertically. The ikan Power Dock however can only be mounted about 75% vertically. Chris Loh said in this topic, "making your build longer and adding weight behind your camera will add pan inertia" and you're saying "I personally prefer having the accessories sitting vertically on the rods, it will shorten the camera setup." So shorter or longer? If I put the accessories in the back, then I'd need to push the camera sensor forward such that the senor is a good amount in front of the post. Don't I want the sensor close to the post to avoid pans looking arched or is a couple or few inches not worth worrying about that? If not the Zacuto Universal base-plate then what rod setup would you suggest? B&H gives me a month to return items, so I could still return it if it would be wise to.
  5. Here's the setup I've got now. Let me know any thoughts on it.
  6. Thanks again for the feedback. I had some longer shots in there but I took them out, but I guess nothing I'm particularly proud of; one of them was from a wedding and I took all of the wedding shots out which probably makes sense to do. The shot of the guy and girl walking together at the end I'm sure I have a long take of that, but it's pretty boring and straightforward. A lot of my work is for promo type videos which only need 3-5 seconds shots in their final edit. I might wait until I've got some better long takes before adding them in instead of scouring through what I have currently to find some.
  7. I was in the same position as you a couple years ago, owning a Glidecam (the 4000 model, which I find quite a bit better than the 2000) and trying to decide between upgrading to a Pilot, used Flyer, Scout, or Zephyr. I like to buy either expensive or cheap, because if I buy cheap I haven't lost a lot of money and can still buy expensive later when I can afford it. So, I bought a Steadicam Merlin/Pilot vest & arm for $500 used (it sells for $800 new) which I adapted to the Glidecam so I could start learning how to use a vest and arm system in general. For $500 (or $1100 if you include the price of an HD4000) you can't go too wrong. It's way better than the Chineese knockoffs or the $1400 vest that Glidecam sells. Then once the time came after a couple years when I found myself with $10k for a Zephyr, I bought that instead of spending a large sum on a lesser system at an earlier time. The Scout may be good if you fly lighter cameras for yourself, but I don't see many freelancers or Reds for example being flown on Scouts so they don't seem to be as good of a long term investment.
  8. The vest isn't great but the arm is probably the best arm out there for the price and in the class of 10 lb capacity. The arm and vest is only $800 so isn't expensive, while the Glidecam vest and arm, for example, is $1400 and not nearly as good.
  9. Thanks. I just trimmed the reel down from 4:50 to 1:49 and added one recent project in there. Happy to get feedback on the updated reel.
  10. I'm considering the Bracket 1 - Cradle Mount for Blackmagic HyperDeck Shuttle. Like this setup. Mount that with a cheese plate to the back of the Zacuto VCT Universal Baseplate. This way I'd have a secure and compact connection for everything. Do that look like a good option? Or is the ikan Power Dock with an AB battery on it and Hyperdeck Shuttle underneath via velcro a better option? I see a V-mount attachment plate available for Bracket 1 but can't find if an AB mount plate can be attached. Does anyone know if an AB plate could be attached to that? Or would an AB to V-mount adapter do the job well while also being able to serve other purposes?
  11. Is that the Zacuto Studio Baseplate for the C100 you have mounted there with a Zacuto - 7" (177.80mm) Male / Female Rod Set (Black)? Would that setup work well with a Red or Sony F55 type camera as well? Or would I be better off with the Zacuto VCT Universal Baseplate with a Zacuto VCT Tripod Plate as an all-in-one solution? Then I could attach the Zacuto - 7" (177.80mm) Male / Female Rod Set (Black) to the back, attach the ikan Power Dock to that with an AB battery on it, put the Hyperdeck Shuttle underneath of the ikan power dock, attached via velcro (dual lock) (if it fits in relation to how the weight plate is; otherwise I could put it on top...of the non-flat AB digital battery...hmm...), and it looks like the ikan power dock has a 12V DC cable, so I could plug right into that instead of needing to spend on a custom cable (at least for that configuration). Then I'd have around 6 lbs from all of those accessories, plus 7 for the C100, plus 6 for a weight plate, putting me at 19 lbs. As far as attaching a weight plate to the Zephyr's plate and to the camera or base-plate, what do you typically do for screws; Home Depot? I gather that the matte box is helping with pan inertia there as well, correct? I'm considering a Cinetronic or SmallHD Highbright as a replacement for the monitor that comes with it, but those would have to wait a bit as I'd consider them non-essential at this point and my budget needs to be prioritized for more important pieces of equipment. I was hoping NAB would have a 1080p high bright monitor but I haven't seen anything yet.
  12. Thanks for the help, Victor. I just bought a used T2 charger for $369 on Ebay. I see they just discontinued them yesterday on B&H. I wonder when the newer one will be available, but I don't think I want to wait for it and I could save by getting another used T2. I'm still trying to decide if I should purchase another charger; I saw on the link you posted to it said you should have enough charge positions for all of your batteries, so if I get three or four batteries I'd need another charger. The Marshall v-lcd70xhb-3gsid has a 12 watt power draw and I couldn't find the power draw of the Shuttle, I'd guess around 3-5 watts, so with just those two accessories it should get me around five hours per battery, 10 hours for two batteries. I probably haven't used a Steadicam for 10 hours on a shoot yet, so two batteries should get me through any of what I've been doing so far, plus I could charge on the shoot if I needed more. Of course I'd probably want more batteries if I'm powering other accessories such as a wireless focus, camera, etc., but for my own projects perhaps two would be fine to start with. I'll have to figure that out; I have money now and there are some discounts on the Digital Series on B&H now so perhaps now is a good time to buy everything I'll need battery wise. As mentioned, I have the Marshall v-lcd70xhb-3gsid HD monitor. Interestingly, I just found out the Marshall v-lcd70xhb-3gsid is only HD in regards to the HD-SDI connections for down-converting from an HD signal; the screen itself is 800 x 480 which is kind of lame. I'm really happy to see that expensive field monitors are finally catching up to tablets and smart phones in terms of having 1080p screens. Chris, would you say the battery and battery plate attached to the back would make the rig handle better than simply using a long weight plate like Janice Arthur's? For example, with the C100 at 7 lbs, would you say it would be better to have a 6.5 lb weight plate with a 3 lb battery setup on the back (so 16.5 lbs total) rather than having just an 11 lb weight plate with the C100 (18 lb total)? It looks like I'd also need to buy some kind of rail setup to mount that battery dock; any suggestions? Considering it costs $180 + shipping to recell an AB battery and the Digital 90 is selling new from B&H for just $242 unless there's a good reason not to buy the digital series those seem like a good deal as opposed to buying used batteries which I've gathered often also aren't much less than $242.
  13. Yeah, I should probably make a shorter reel. Corporate, doc, and event work is mostly what I do as a DP and I enjoy the faster pace of it compared to the slower pace of larger TV and narrative sets where a Steadicam operator may only be needed for a few shots and I gather may otherwise be standing around waiting a lot; I have very little experience on larger sets currently so don't really know how much the Steadicam op is typically working. I'd like to get on some bigger narrative and TV jobs but it's not my goal to make that my main gig; I like diversity in what I shoot and particularly enjoy fast paced sets where I'm working (having fun) constantly, and doc and live events tend to be like that. All of the shots were on the Glidecam; there were no handheld shots in the reel.
  14. Thanks for the answers, Victor. Yeah, I've got more questions. :) Batteries: I didn't realize the HC and the Dionic 90 were different batteries. I see on B&H the HC is expected to be available in 7-14 days and is $495. It seems to me that at $242 the Anton Bauer Digital 90 is a way better deal. Isn't the only advantage of the HC is that it is a bit more ergonomic in terms of stacking batteries for storage and it's .2 lbs lighter or am I missing something that makes the HC's worth it for twice the price? The T2 is a 70 watt charger and the TWIN charger is 60 watts. How is there a substantial difference in charge time between the two chargers? Is not the math along the lines of a 60 watt charger would take 1.5 hours to charge a 90 watt battery and a 70 watt charger would take 1.29 hours? Do the chargers charge two batteries at once or just one at a time? From what I've gathered if you're charging two 90 watt batteries at once on a 60 watt TWIN charger it would take 3 hours to charge them, is that correct? What are the advantages of the LP2 and any news on expected availability? Why couldn't you leave the batteries on a TWIN charger all the time and what does it mean to rotate batteries and do the battery cycles? Are you supposed to leave them fully charged when not in use and the way to do that is to keep them on a charger plugged into an outlet 24/7? So if I have three batteries I'd need at least three ports (so probably two dual chargers) to keep them on a charger when not in use? Weight Plate: Yeah, I was considering getting both a 6 lb plate and an 11 lb plate to as you suggested, have the lighter option for longer shoots or more run n' gun shooting, but of course that would be twice the cost over getting just one. I've heard different people say different things in regards to adding weight for inertia; some say adding weight is just making your job harder and is unnecessary while others say it is worth the improvement in steadiness. I'd lean towards the latter and agreeing with you but it does seem there is debate on the subject. Wireless Focus: For the past few years I've been using a Glidecam HD4000 with a variety of focal lengths (from 11mm-100mm, and typically around 18mm to 50mm) at apertures ranging from f/1.8 to f/16 (typically around f/2.8 to f/5.6 indoors) without a wireless focus and can still maintain in-focus shots for as long as I need to in most cases. Obviously there are limitations; you have to keep a set distance from the subject for a shot (which a lot of shots are a set distance even when a wireless focus is in use), or use the center framed auto-focus of the C100, but it's not like I'm limited to wide angle shots at deep focus apertures as a lot of beginners do. I'm not discrediting the need for a remote follow focus on higher end freelance jobs as a dedicated Steadicam operator but for lower budget one-man-band event and documentary work as a DP with a camera that has one of the best auto-focus systems currently available the need and practicality of a remote follow focus doesn't seem very high. Manually controlling focus from the gimbal is a cool setup which I wondered about but didn't know if something like that is available. Do you know the price of the Bartech "Gimbal mount hard wire focus module remote"? I suspect lens changes with the focus controller attached would take a little longer, but other than that it'd probably be beneficial for solo work in which case the only issue would be budget; I can afford it but right now I'd probably be better off prioritizing my budget toward a C300 Mark II which has substantial auto-focus improvements over the C100. Even when I'm doing handheld, tripod, etc., camerawork, I still often use the auto-focus on the C100 because even though I'm pretty good with manual focus, the C100 auto-focus is often simply faster and more accurate for unstaged work. Like I said, it's something I may eventually get in 6-12 months or so, especially if I have to turn down jobs if I don't have it, but at this point I'm already getting a lot of DP work using a Steadicam without any requests for wireless focus. To put in perspective some of the work I do with Steadicam, I do about 50 weddings per year as a freelancer (having used a Glidecam HD4000 with a Steadicam Merlin arm & vest) and I've never had a wedding company or bride ask me if I have a remote focus for my Steadicam and if I'm going to be bringing an AC with me down the wedding aisle. Converter: I saw you're mounting your Shuttle from the bottom of the sled which may be a good option if I'm flying an SDI camera and want the recording, but for the C100 I'd of course need the Shuttle at the top Any suggestions for mounting it on top? I'd figure either the Shuttle's mounting plate screwed to the rear of the base-plate or Velcrod there; should be enough room on the Zephyr base-plate for that. Getting the shot in focus is my job as a solo operator, and I would figure being in focus is generally more important than stability or proper Steadicam technique; I'd also figure that the monitor could be positioned in a way you could hold the Steadicam properly while still being able to glance at it before starting a shot to quickly check your focus. I've read various operators say the difference between a Steadicam monitor being HD or SD isn't that important, I assume because at that distance (at the bottom of the sled) it's difficult to tell the difference. For focusing, though, the difference between HD and SD on a monitor is very important, and so is the distance of the eyes from the monitor. I could definitely be wrong about it, hence why I asked, but I'm just saying that if your only choice is to focus yourself without an AC, and you have time before the shot starts to check focus on a monitor, that it may make more sense for that monitor to be 6-12 inches from your eyes instead of around 36 inches. Cables and power: 5V cable? Isn't the Shuttle 12V? I couldn't find a cable with Lemo 3-pin to the Shuttle's DC power on Media Blackout's site; should I contact Alan about that or could you point me to a link? I gather you use 3-pin lemo to multiple p-taps to power multiple accessories as opposed to doing the cable as a Lemo 3-pin directly to DC power. Then to connect the video feed of the Shuttle to the Zephyr, is this (which I saw you posted elsewhere) what I want? And for an HDMI cable, would this or this do well? Is coiled prone to shaking around and not good for Steadicam? On a side note, I wish I could edit the topic title to fix the typo of "thing" to "things."
  15. I'm looking for some feedback on my Steadicam reel. This was all shot using a Glidecam HD4000; about 60% of it was handheld without a vest and 40% was with a Steadicam Merlin arm and vest adapted to the Glidecam. As mentioned in the other topic I posted earlier I just upgraded and bought a Steadicam Zephyr.
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