P2 classes vs SxS classes

[Ken Hon]

Aloha Derek,

The fig rig comes with a quick release mounting plate. What I did was get a longer mounting bolt for the KS-8 and bolted it directly into the bottom mounting plate using the larger threaded hole (I forget what size it is, I just took the plate to the hardware store and found the right threaded hex bolts). I think I used the same hole that the plate was attached to the fig rig with. The KS-8 “hangs” under the camera this way. I put some of that dark rubber pipe insulation on the lower third of the fig rig and just rest the whole thing in your lap. Works well and my wife can fly for a long time now. It’s not a Wescam, but the amount of usable footage we get went up by an order of magnitude.

Aloha,

Ken

[Derek Hall]

Ken, thanks for that, very interesting. I have a Fig Rig but your post was the first time I learned about the Kenyon gyro and it looks great. I’m keen to get one now. However, two questions:
I note in the online literature that when using the Gyro the camera is supposed to be handheld or ‘free’, i.e. not attached to a fixed support.
Is it the case that because the Fig Rig is handheld it is not a rigid support, allowing it to be used with the Gyro?
Also, if I’ve got it right (I have my Fig Rig beside me now) the long bolt you got for the Gyro goes up into the FigRig support plate, replacing the rubber handled bolt that normally holds the release plate support, with the gyro sitting below? AAnd you need to remove the circlip to release the FigRig support plate bolt.
The bolt for the FigRig support plate looks like 3/8-inch but it’s Italian so could be 10mm (1cm).
Trying not to look stupid but just looking at my FigRig and figuring out how it would work – I’m very keen to try it.
Thanks,
Derek

[Ken Hon]

Aloha Derek,

Sorry, it’s been so long I forgot about the rubber handled thingy, but that does get taken off and tossed in a box. You also have to remove the cool drilled bolt that comes with the Kenyon Gyro and replace it with a slightly longer one. I’m pretty sure it’s 3/8s, it’s certainly not 10mm as I got it at our home depot and the don’t have much metric stuff. The base plate of the Gyro comes off with 4 screws and you can switch out the bolt. You just need a thin open end wrench to tighten it (adjustable is too thick).

The Gyro works fine as it is really set up to stabilize front to back motion, though it works some with side to side. The fig rig in you lap is free to roll in both these directions so the gyro resists these movements. I also tried hanging it by a variety of bungies and heavy rubber straps, something we used to do pre-gyro. But with the gyro the camera bounces up and down, it’s much better in your lap.

A friend of mine actually did the bungy thing in one of those cool Russian helicopters that Steve showed (that was awesome Steve), but as I recall it had rotors that turned 🙂

Aloha,

Ken

[Derek Hall]

Ken, that explains everything, thank you very much. I’m keen to get the KS8 gyro. I’m in a 240V country but that’s easily solved.

I’ve found the FigRig really manouverable and can do small crane shots, tracking shots with feet, good POV etc. Usually the only way to get away with these shots is to shoot wide, but the KS8 will add a new dimension and probably be hard to distinguish from Steadicam. I guess the hard part will be strengthening my arms to use the FigRig with the heavier EX1 plus the gyro.

As for low-budget aerials, I usually harness myself as far out on the helicopter edge as possible, with a cinesaddle tied to my legs and the camera sitting on that. I don’t anchor the camera to the cinesaddle but have it independently tethered to the aircraft. That works fairly well in a machine with well balanced blades. The Jetranger often has too much vibration but bigger machines and 3 blade machines are great. Hope it’s not long before I can try this with the Fig Rig and gyro.

Thanks Ken,

Derek

[Ken Hon]

We fly in a Hughes 500 with 5 blades, mostly pretty smooth but that’s due to the really really good pilot we have. I used to stand outside the chopper with a full sized camera using a harness, but it doesn’t work well with small cameras. Also things were fine as long as you’re just looking at the B+W viewfinder, but the little cameras you have to look at what you are doing! I’m with Steve, too easy to leave a buckle undone. Anyway, this works much better. If you are handholding this thing, it’s quite a load. Some folks put these on steadicams and it evidently works really well.

Aloha,

Ken

[Alan Lacey]

I’m really pleased to hear that Ken, I for one am a great fan on my EX

Alan

[Joe Yaggi]

Hi Rafa,

How’d it go w the heli? I’m just back from extended shoots in Sumatra and Flores. The small heli’s are a real pain to shoot from in absence of a stabilizing system and with a small camera. I’ve found that, if we’re two people in back, I direct the pilot to fly towards the other side so the photog buffets the wind. Obviously you and the photog or extra passenger have to work together on this. The other thing is having the back seat to yourself and still shooting across. It obviously limits your view. The Kenyon, even at under 5k, seems a bit of a luxury unless your shooting aerials all the time! Then again, if you have it, you can advertise…

Love to hear about your EX and the system you’ve purchased. I’ve just put a deposit down.

Joe

Joe Yaggi
Creative Supervisor, Director, DP
Jungle Run Productions
http://www.jungle-run.com

[Rafael Amador]

Dear friends, sorry for the delay in reporting about the EX-1 “in the sky”. I’m back and with my Polarizer filter in pocket (sorry David).
Happy when I sow the chopper, a AS350B.
Disappointed about my pictures. The lao pilot didn’t let me open my window because I had not harness.
The photographer sitting in the left window had his harness so I had to shoot through his window and with him in between. All of my shoots end with his hairy arms and two big Canon EOS20 in my screen.
I went to film forests (45.000 hectares about to be flooded: http://www.namtheun2.com), what probably means one of the harder test for the EX-1. Apart of my very uncomfortable position, we had to flown really fast because the area to shoot was huge and 1 hour heli rental costs 1.500 US$ in this country (in the end 6.000 US$ for one hour shooting).
So taking in to account all those circumstances, together with my limited experience with the EX-1, I think that the camera did a GREAT JOB.
I shoot 1080/50i and I set the Shutter to 1/125. I haven’t appreciate nothing related with the “rolling shutter” issue. As Ken says no different of shooting with any other small camera in hands.
Hi Joe,
Indonesia and an EX-1. You will really enjoy it. Now is really worth to go to Color because the Color’s tools works with this footage as they can not do it with DVCam or so.
Here is “New Year” and I’ve just got the DVD of Vortex, so I will spend with it the next few days. Many things to learn.

Mac OX 10.5.2-FC 6.02-QT 7.4.1
G5 2x2Gh 4GbRAM-BlackMagic Extreme
PMBP 17″Core2Duo 4GbRAM-AJA ioHD
JVC DTV-17″
SONY EX-1 . SONY PD170
..and always a big mess on top of the table.