Purchasing A DSLR w/equipment

[Richard Harrington]

Buying a steadicam won’t make you an operator. Stick with a slider.

Richard M. Harrington, PMP

Author: From Still to Motion, Video Made on a Mac, Photoshop for Video, Understanding Adobe Photoshop, Final Cut Studio On the Spot and Motion Graphics with Adobe Creative Suite 5 Studio Techniques

[Frank Giardina]

Hi…

Just wondering, did you look at the 60D?

Wide angle lens – Take a look at the Tokina 11-16mm or the Canon 16-35mm

Tripod – look at the Manfrotto series, there are many models to choose from.

Steady Cam – Glidecam makes a great product

Happy Shopping!

Frank Giardina
17 Video Production

[Frank Giardina]

Richard is right… the slider would be a better choice!

Frank Giardina
17 Video Production

[Phil Balsdon]

Shotgun Mic; Take a look at the Rode range, if you are not using a mixer of some sort than can supply phantom power you’ll need one that can supply its own or doesn’t need power.

Wide angle lens; I’ll second the recommendation for the Tokina 11-16 f2.8. For real estate you’ll need the fast f stop and the wide angle, this lens is about the only one that will do both for your camera.

Tripod; I own a Miller DS10 system, it’s a good value for money tripod, very robust and quite smooth. Last year I was given a Manfrotto 504 & 536 tripod and asked to evaluate it and do a talk on what I thought of it for the distributor. I’m under no obligation to keep using it but I now use the Manfrotto as my first choice for all my HDSLR work. The tripod can raised very high lens height which may be a big advantage in real estate shots.

Steadicam. I’m guessing you want this for real estate “walk throughs” which is an excellent way of showing the interior of a house as it gives the same geographical perspective as a person walking through. However good steadicam operating requires skill and practice, your main issue will be keeping level horizons which will be much more of obvious if your are not following a foreground person. Take a workshop, it’ll teach you the techniques you need to operate well in a very short space of time. For equipment the Steadicam Merlin is well made unit and can be purchased with a vest and arm option. The Steadicam Pilot uses the same vest and arm so you can upgrade later, or just start with the Steadicam Pilot which is perfect for HDSLRs.

In the USA Peter Abrahams conducts regular 2 day workshops for operators with lightweight rigs.
https://www.thesteadicamworkshops.com/

Spend well on these “accessories” and they’ll outlast the technology of your camera but a number of generations.

Cinematographer, Steadicam Operator, Final Cut Pro Post Production.
https://philming.com.au
https://www.steadi-onfilms.com.au/

[Mike Jones]

Thank you for your insight, Richard

Frank, I haven’t looked at the 60..I’ll take a look now, thanks for your support.

Phil, that’s why I want the steadicam exactly, walk throughs. I appreciate your help and will look into the workshop as well.

[Jonathan Ziegler]

Try the stuff from Audio Technica -the have a hotshot mounted mic that uses a 1/8″ jack that works great. I still use external audio though (h4n). $30 via Amazon I think.

For the cost for now, I’m still not impressed with LED lights versus CFLs. I like a good daylight balanced CFL in a cheap clamp light. $20 with light, but get more bulbs. Look up the 150W 5500k CFL on Amazon.

Wide angle lens – skip it, get a converter instead. They run like $15. If you plan to do a whole lot of wide angle shooting, then get an actual lens otherwise I say use a converter.

Until you know exactly what you need, try a cheap tripod before you buy all kinds of expensive equipment you don’t know you’ll need. DSLRs are really small and a high-end tripod is overkill most of the time. Then again, I build my own camera mounts and rigs.

Why does everyone want a steady cam? It’s like people think it’s the only way to get a shot. After you spend weeks getting used to shooting with it, you won’t want to put it on unless you reall have to. Try a shoulder rig before a steadicam, or any of a wide variety of other rigs (DIY or otherwise) before you “settle” on a steadicam. I honestly think of steadicams as specialized equipment and they require a ton of practice before you can really get a good shot – they don’t work great out of the box, they take a subtle, gentle hand, lots of patience, etc. Really think hard before you buy all the equipment that makes you look like like you know what you are doing – get in the shooting practice so you can be a great shooter no matter what equipment you have. Seriously, forget the steadicam for now.

Jonathan Ziegler
https://www.electrictiger.com/
520-360-8293

[Brent Dunn]

lcd4video.com has some great deals on lights and other gear.

Glidecam.com (steadicam is overkill for realestate videos)

I think you are better off on a tripod for real estate. Not much movement needed. Sliders will give you that big budget look at a low cost and simple operation will a quick learning curve. Good steadicam shots don’t come quickly.

Brent Dunn
Owner / Director / Editor
DunnRight Films
DunnRight Video.com
Video Marketing Toolbox.net

Sony EX-1,
Canon 5D Mark II
Canon 7D
Mac Pro Tower, Quad Core,
with Final Cut Studio

HP i7 Quad laptop
Adobe CS-5 Production Suite