Rigs
One of the many benefits of shooting video
with a DSLR is that they’re relatively lightweight and portable. But, like any
camera, they’re going to shake the more mobile you are with them and this
doesn’t make for recording good footage (unless you’re going for a Blair Witch
Project style film). A rig is one of the best ways to stabilize your camera,
giving you multiple points of contact when shooting.
There are a number of different rigs
available for prosumers and indie filmmakers with a tight budget. Zacuto’s
Target Shooter ($475) is a great entry-level set-up, offering three points of
contact (four if you’re using a viewfinder), with both hands on the camera and
a gunstock in the chest. You attach your camera to the Target shooter via
Zacuto’s Gorilla plate, which is also compatible with tripods. It has a quick
release mechanism allowing for speedy transfers between handheld and static
filming.
Zacuto’s
Target Shooter 1
Bigger rigs are more expensive, but do offer
more options. Redrock (redrockmicro.com) have a good range of shoulder-mounted
rigs and their eyeSpy Deluxe Bundle DSLR unit ($989) comes with a follow focus
(great for efficient and precise focusing). Or you could level-up and get
Zacuto’s excellent Crossfire ($2,256.25). It might be a tad on the expensive
side, but it has a reassuringly solid build and great functionality – it can be
used as a shoulder-mount or a gunstock chest-supported rig, and it also has a
follow focus and an expandable baseplate, which allows for upgrades.
Sound
Rode
Videomic
While DSLRs thrive on creating high-quality
video, they struggle with sound. The lack of a headphone jack (Canon, we’re
looking at you) means it’s difficult to monitor sound levels. To get around
this you wire up an external audio recorder or an XLR box to your camera. But
you’re also going to need an external mic. The good people at RØDE
(rodemic.com) are one of the market leaders and rightly so – they’ve produced
some superb products that are compatible with DSLR cameras. The VideoMic and
VideoMic Pro ($103 and $185, both from Amazon) are a pair of excellent
lightweight, on-camera directional shotgun microphones. They both use a shoe
mount to attach to the top of a camera and the Pro version has easy access
filter and level controls on the back of the unit, as well as a +20db level
boost designed specifically for use with DSLRs.
Lenses
One of the best thing about shooting video
on DSLR is the lens choice. Why settle for a fixed lens camcorder when you have
thousands of SLR lenses to choose from, all with different qualities,
capabilities and limitations? Plus, you’ll be hard pushed to find an unwanted
prime lens for a camcorder hidden among the old jeans and (shudder) unwanted
foot spas at your local car boot sale. But that’s part of the fun of searching
for lens sometimes you don’t know where you’ll find a gem.
A kit lens isn’t perfect for filming – it’s
not great at anything, but is acceptable at everything. That said, it’s better
to have a kit lens than no lens. When you do want to upgrade, you’ll have to
choose what kind of lens you want. There are no steadfast answers to this, and
the best way to go about it is to decide what you want to shoot and then pick
lenses to meet your requirements.
A good starting point is getting hold of a
decent fast prime lens. Those low f-stops will give you the low light
performance and shallow depth-of-field that filmmakers crave, while also
allowing you to take it easy on the ISO. If you’ve got a full-frame sensor
camera, like the Canon 5D Mark II, then a 50mm lens, like the Canon EF 50mm
f1.8 is a solid starter; for those who have cameras with APS sized sensors,
then the Sigma 30mm f1.4 EX DC HSM is a good choice.
The
Canon EF 70-200mm f4L IS USM is a great performer
If you’re looking for a zoom lens, then
it’s best to get one that will maintain constant aperture throughout the length
of the zoom. If the lens cant’s sustain the same aperture, then your image will
get darker as you zoom in. it’s also a good idea to get a lens with image
stabilization. The Canon EF 70-200mm f4L IS USM is a great performer, or, if
you’re looking for a quality short-range zoom lens, the Tokina 11-16mm f2.8
AT-X 116 Pro DX is an excellent choice for cameras with cropped sensors.
The price of these lenses might make your
wallet gasp and groan, but it’s always worth investing in good quality glass,
not least because they’ll probably outlast your camera. But researching into
the lens that’s right for you and what you want to do is vital. A tilt and shift
lens is great for certain things, but you might not want to end up with one if
you’re filming your friend’s wedding. Then again…
Sliders
Tripods and monopods offer excellent
stabilization solutions, but they tend to offer limited amounts of shots. Monopods
offer decent movement, but for a real pro look it’s worth getting a
slider/dolly. These will give beautiful, smooth, controlled horizontal and
vertical (depending on the quality of the slider) moving shots, as you slide
your camera along a track. They’re basically composed of a carriage (that
carries the camera either directly or via an attached tripod head), which
travels along two linear glide rods, with buffers at each end. Most sliders
attach to tripods, or can be used independently (on tables, floors or other
flat surfaces), and they are, by nature, very portable pieces of kit. Longer
rail lengths are more expensive, but give more shot options. You can create
sweeping lateral shots, or turn it vertically for a crane like effect.
The
Glidetrack HD Hybrid Slider is a precision built piece of kit that has a
carriage running on four self-lubricating, dry running roller bearings
Like all camera kit, the better sliders are
the most expensive ones. Kessler (kesslercrane.com) do some excellent products,
but their high-end ones – the CineSlider and the Philip Bloom Pocket Dolly will
cost upwards of $1,000. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t good, affordable
entry-level products. Glidetrack (glidetrack.com) produce some exceptionally
good sliders for under $600. The Glidetrack HD Hybrid Slider ($540) is a
precision built piece of kit that has a carriage running on four
self-lubricating, dry running roller bearings, meaning you have to use a lot
less force to slide the camera down the rail. It comes in lengths varying from
0.5 to 2 metres but be warned, the longer the rail the higher the price.
There’s also the Glidetrack Hybrid SD Shooter ($504), which comes in 0.5 and
0.7 metre lengths and doubles up as a shoulder supported rig, making it a
well-built, lightweight, multi-functional device geared towards DSLR
filmmakers. If you’re on a tighter budget, than Hague (b-hague.co.uk) offer
some options. The Cam-Slide Traveller ($252) is a 0.5 metre long slider that’s
got a solid, portable design.
