Sam Morgan Moore

any footage? S

5d is a sharp camera IMO! 5d workflow.. clip to prores at 25 FPS using mpegclipstream edit in final cut output as 720-25p using H264 open 720-25p in Quicktime pro 'save for web desktop 1.5 mbs' creates as folder wth m4v file upload m4v file to vimeo typically 10-20mb for 2-3 minutes --- do you have the arm - who do you like it - does it bob ? S

Another week on (!) So I got a canon 5d - great little camera Im now far better than THIS But then I bought a vest and arm ! The thing seems to bob no end and any booming skills I was getting have dissapeared I adjust the tension so it sits at a nice height but the rig now just seems so attached to my body and reactive to it in a really bad way Ive read all the posts and PDFs I can find and have been practicing no hands - which seems like keeping a ballbearing on a tray - fine Ill get that sussed by christmas (2010) But the bobbing I try a light touch (or no touch) and a strong grip and everything in between Could the camera be too light to be able to tension the springs enough to fight horizontal movement - or do I just need to learn to walk more smoothly - in fact a whole new way of walking S

That is a very fair point :) S

I guess I am a guilty party - asking about flying a $800 DSLR of all things - how low can you go ! I would suggest that technology is going wild The next generation of Reds or DSLRs will probably hammer the quality that a lot of current cameras weighing 20lbs Steadicam is opening up to everyone Maybe you dont want to be part of that game - then the forum should be renamed 'feature steadicam' or something I can see the appeal for you amazingly dedicated guys and gals of not dealing with people who are just passing through and not dedicated to thier particular art/craft/business I personally am extremely serious about my work which has been the aquisition of journalistic stills for the top news publications in the UK for nearly two decades - I dont like to blow my trumpet but am in this case Those same publications are now creating 'journalistic motion' and need people to aquire it (you will note that that art has most definitely not been mastered !) - light weight steadicam looks to be a superb tool for those who are looking to aquire it in a creative and artistic manner Do you think us people are somehow 'not serious' or 'cheapskates' Rarely does cost come into the kit equation for me, (check out the prices of ealy digital stills cameras) I dont, however, have ambitions to work in the 'movie feature industry' - Im interested in recording reality I have bought the cheapest and smallest Steadicam product and considered more expensive models but dont think that they will work for me, not because of thier cost, or lack of my commitment to the art, but because I have made a decision that small and nimble will enable me to get to places and see things I couldnt get to or see with a full rig This is a development in technology in the same way that the steadicam was a development over the dolly and track or the 'sat-phone' is over the 'sat truck' I also see a lack of existant products and skills based at 'flying small' which there will be a revolution in and if the traditional manufacturers are not with that program they will get hit On the workshop front I am resistant there too - not because of lack of commitment or cash, but because I dont think established skillset is the same as the skillset that is required for 'flying small' - learning to fly a traditional boradcast camera is just not relevant to me A new skillset, mindset and kitset needs to be developed - if that is not on or around this board then just make that clear - but remember we new kids may get the hang of flying the new 2lb RED (in 2010) from in a canoe or off a mountainbike before you guys do - exciting times for all Just a thought or two SMM

I am a steadi newb so read with a pich of salt the 'naked' Ex1 seems to be right at the top of the pracical limit of the merlin I got it nice with the 'kit' battery but the larger battery on the camera seems to make balance very hard - of course you could go 'out of spec' with another weight or two on the bottom but that may shorten the life of the rig I would imagine some clever mounting of a microphone low down could help because the standard mic mount is quite far up and will have a big influence on balance I would imaging that getting a bigger steadi Pilot/Flyyer would be far better - you could actually add some more weight (more inertia/smoother) and some accesories The naked ex1 on the merlin was my smoothest flying experience yet compared to the ultralight, ultra low CofG, DSLRs I have been playing with Also to use Merlin/Ex1 for more than a few minutes you need a vest unless you have back and arms of a gorrilla Personally I would choose between spending your money on.. An EX1/Expensive rig An EX1/Cheap/light second camera/cheap rig I went for option 2 which I see as being more flexible for MY needs because I like my EX1 with a Letus adapter on it which pushes the wight and CofG up into the realms of no on the merlin, maybe on the Pilot and yes on the Flyer S

I have read the primer and searched the forums Is my understand of DB correct.. Simply If you hang a brick from a rope it hangs vertical : perfect static balance. When one spins round fast enough the brick sits horizontally out during the fast spin due to the centrifugal forces created by that spin The ulitimate example of 'out of dynamic balance' Dynamic balance is creating a situation where centrifugal forces are in balance and the 'brick effect' wont happen --------- If one had a rig with just 2 centres of mass - say camera and a weight If the camera was 2kg and the weight 1kg then static balance with 'infinite' drop time would be acheived by putting the camera L cm from the Gimbal and the Weight 2*L cm from the gimbal But if that rig was spun it would end up tilted absolutely horiztal ie the lens facing the floor or sky because the centrifugal forces would pull the rig into that position Hence the need for a third centre of mass positioned in some way that the centrifugal forces can be equalised (while keeping static balance of course) -------- The merlin is either designed where DB is hard to acheive because ther is no adustment of the wieghts in the horizontal plane OR designed so amazingly that the arms closes around a cicumference changing the ratio of the front and mildly rear masses making DB possible but not simple to grasp especially with the added confusion that not all of the cookbook settings includ a front weight, knowing of GB probably the latter...

A week on I flew my EX1 for the first time yesterday - which is right at the top of the merlin weight range if not over The experience is utterly different from the very light little dslr which also has a very low CofG Being very short and stubby the mass in the DSLR is also arranged not to fight rotation wall The difference - it is orders of magnitude easier to pull off stable shots And also easy to trim by changing the angle of the EVF ! I need to build in some more mass into the system somehow to use it with the DSLR Also it became apparent that the EX1 and all the weights and no vest is not a pleasure for those who have a non robust phisique - that addition of mass will therefore have to be distributed (high) to maximise its affect on stability while keeping the overall weight down S

with more mass ... test 2

Look and laugh :) ... test

indeed im all over steadishots too../...

Im not disagreeing I am aware that money does not buy skill Ive been whatching that video again really carefully I promise Now this video appears to be the same guy, he appear to have a vest and arm, something I could stretch to but dont have right now, and also a Z1 or something in the 5lb range at the very top of the merlin spec My D90 is less than half that weight so possibly 4 times less stable - im not sure of the math - (that was the original enquiry BTW) If I had the vest I could carry more weight and at that point weighting the camera/rig could be an option that would not be a physical killer Interestingly to me I have been thinking about the advantages of light weight camera/rigs - I may post a little demo soon ! The film I have been studying is Lock Stock - Peter Wignall seems to be the steadi operator BTW Thanks for your interest S

I wasnt criticizing the operator for that clip - Im sure he/she is a great operator certainly better than me ! It just doesnt look like proper film/broadcast steadi work (like yours !) Lets face it $50000 rigs would not be popular if you could do it perfect for $1000 Thanks to the help of those on this board I am tayloring my expectations of what I can and cannot aspire to being able to pull off with this neat little gadget And clarifying that I have a basic grip of the physics Thanks again SMM

Thank you both for your comments - I wasnt expecting this forum and big rig users to be too interested in users of the D90 and Merlin - you do get 35mm cine perspective though and a great look with the 14 2.8 - I am a pro photographer dipping my toes into the moving image - If I get hooked I will get a way to fly something else This thread could impact pros though - future Reds may have similar issues if rigged with minimal kit I think you have confirmed about my understanding and expectations of the system the You tube opens with a vague lock off but all the rest they cut into motion - I see all the usual problems of drunken horizon in that reel - better than me but Ive only had it for a week ------------ Another thing - I read that dynamic balance PDF - super interesting - lead me to re-weight the rig very carefully But unless my physics is getting confused again am I correct in thinking that smooth pans really rely on having the pole (?) vertical I note that proper rigs have a tilting head whereas the merlin you tilt by trimming and make the pole non horizontal ---------- Ill be fine if I understand the limitations - but knackered if Im fighting a wrong set up seems like - and this is not widely published - the merlin even when set up correct is.. difficult to 'lock off' only for horizontal pans ---------- A further question - acceleration I am finding when moving from a 'lock off' into walking that the 'nose' tends to dip and the 'nose' rises when pulling to the end lock off - I assume this is a function of bottom heavy and why a long drop time rig is more controllable to the skilled operator although harder to use by the 'newb' Is this physics again that must be battled by the experienced operator both by accelerating smoothy and subtly fighting the dip ? S

Further thinking If the lens is close to the gimble then a small anglular movement will translate to minimal horizontal movement So I should keep the camera as close to the possible to the gimble Raising the camera would therefore be a dumb idea but adding weight above it (say a small piece of lead on the hotshoe) would not... S

Hi Ive just got a merlin and am finding it hard to use - unsurprisingly I have been trying to start with a tripod steady composed shot perfect horizontal , make a transition and end at a second tripod steady composed position - maybe with a bit of tilt in the composition Now I have been thinking If you jump onto a rowing boat you can flip it over If you jump onto a cruise liner the wobble is very marginal Using this theory it would appear that the light merlin is actually very hard to use because the 'control hand' (as I call it - the fingers that touch the gimble) is incredibly sensitive Is this a correct theory - can anyone do the shot I describe with such a tiny rig? Further to this thought I am using a Nikon D90 with a 14 2.8 which is light (2.5 lbs) has a very low centre of gravity and therefore needs not much weight to balance Now if I raised the camera on a spacer the CofG of the camera would move further away from the gimble and require more weight in the set up Effect - more cruise liner less rowing boat Is this correct thinking and worth persuing I figure that this lack of mass may reduce the set of moves that are smoothly acheiveable with the rig in all but the most expert hands what should be my expectations Thanks SMM