You guys have actually found me out and my skills well! I liked it.
I am new to the Pilot. Yes! I am decently experienced (3 years) with both my XF300 and 7D. But when I was trying to balance the XF300, I thought I cannot handle it for the entire 3-4 hours with the weight it has. Here is my shoot scenario.
I am all by myself on the shoot. I have 2 cameras (Canon 7D and Canon XF300) , 2 tripods, a Steadicam pilot (AA model) and other stands for audio capture on location. The event is a Indian classical dance with only one person on the dais throughout to focus. First I though I can fix a tripod with XF300 with entire dais covered and move with the 7D flying with me.
Anyway since 7D is not good for a continuous shoot (I have a 256 GB card and a 128 GB and 3-4 of 32GB), I thought it needs manual intervention. On lenses, I have Canon prime 50mm/f1.8, Canon Kit 18-135mm f3.5-f5.6, Canon 100mm-400mm (L series telephoto). I am planning to use the Canon prime since the performance would be with limited fixed light. Example is here:
(check around 34th minute in the video). Since this is the way the student of Indian classical dance is graduated with her Guru's blessings. Of course, I may not be allowed to step on the dais, but I can go close from the first row (space thereof).
My client (In fact a friendly family) has no knowledge on the technical reasons or techniques I follow. Just they are resting on my own capacity. I had recorded several times in the past without a steadicam. Now I am either blessed with or cursed for this confusion. Though this is not a paid event, but since the performance is once in a life time for the performer, I do not want to take any chance.
Please take your valuable time and some trouble, to visualize and guide.
Thanks a ton in advance.