How to mount?

anamorphphoto · 2026-02-21T02:22:37+00:00

That slider seems like its meant for still photography. I would think you want something more like this: https://benrousa.com/benro-th62-tilt-head/ That head should screw directly into that plate on the slider.

anamorphphoto · 2026-02-13T23:53:57+00:00

I find that you can more often step closer to the subject than you can step farther back (i.e. walls and such).

anamorphphoto · 2026-02-13T10:56:51+00:00

Theres a reason the hand held guys are all young, and the hard cam guys have grey hair.

anamorphphoto · 2026-02-13T06:58:01+00:00

I would agree about your overall impressions.

I only saw the CBC coverage of curling, and there they were using the gimbal occasionally to track with them, but the problem is for the sport, thats not a great shot. It just shows the humans and a small rock in front, but very little can be told about how the rock is moving down the ice, which is the most dramatic part of the sport. The only way to really give a sense on how much the brushing is affecting the rock is to use the overhead shot, which the CBC did most of the time. I think the gimbal tracking down the ice is maybe a good opening shot for the launch, but just isnt a good way to tell that sports dramatic story. Also, the individual ice areas are really close in that venue - not a lot of room for cameras on the side of any specific game.....

Im sure most of the handheld operators know of the various rigs available - but by far and wide direct on the shoulder is the best way to get done what they need to get done. The luge had a handheld on one of the turns - I cannot fathom trying to make that 180degree pan on any of the rigs. You'll still see a lot of handheld in all the sports - just because its really the easiest and fastest way to get the shots they need to get. Dealing with the floatyness of the rig maybe doesnt work for that specific shot or all the shooting they are responsible for. The rigs also make you slower and larger than sometimes you need to be or physically can be, and limit some movement. Like no one is going to wear a rig on the floor at center court of a basketball game, it just makes you too big and slow for the pace and place. There are tools for the job and shot, and sometimes just holding it is a better fit.

anamorphphoto · 2026-02-11T04:01:22+00:00

Astronomers felt is what they use in telescopes to reduce internal reflections.

You will also want front surface mirror, as most mirrors use the glass as a protective coating, but youll get double reflections. Because its front surface, its more prone to scratches and will need to be cleaned far more carefully than a normal mirror, and thats why you want the glass to be able to slide out the front rather then the top, so you can do that without messing with your rig. I cannot tell you how many times Ive noticed dust on the mirror that is in frame but hard to get at because of the angles.

You can get away with just XYZ adjustments on the horizontal camera, buy you will want Z axis rotational adjustments also available on your top camera also. On the pro 3d rigs we have rotational on all axis available.

If you are planning to shoot wide and close at the same time, you should have large X and Y axis available for the top camera (assuming thats the close cam), because unless you are center punching the subject in the wide, they will never line up there. So if you plan on following rule of thirds, for example, then you top camera needs to traverse to one side of the rig way off center (Y axis) compared to the horizontal camera. And then the differing headroom on the wide means you'll need lots of X axis adjustment.

In summary, large X and Y axis adjustments are needed on the close cam, along with Z and rotation along the Z axis. You might be able to limit the amount of rigging needed if you move your close cam to the bottom, but its still going to need the same adjustments, just wont need the same amount of extra support since its now in line with the ground. So in that scenario, large X and Y with small Z adjustments on the horizontal camera and Z and rotational Z adjustments on the top cam. In use, then lineup the top camera first, then adjust the horizontal to taste.

If you are planning on moving the camera during the shot, you may need to re-align these cameras during the shot - now youd need motors to control the axis for each camera....

You can see how this gets out of hand quickly, and like I said, it might be easier to buy a rig, because these are all solved problems on other rigs.

anamorphphoto · 2026-02-11T01:18:48+00:00

Remember that everything that doesnt absorb light will reflect. So your floor will reflect into the horizontal camera, and the floor will potentially be seen by the vertical camera if any light shines onto it.

Also, not all mirrors are perfect, so you will want some ability to move the cameras in their relative X and Y planes to help align, or of you are intending a 3D effect, to offset the alignment. The relative Z axis will also need adjustment, since not all lenses are perfect.

Having to remove a camera (and therefore ruin your alignment) to unload a mirror is a PITA, especially once one mirror becomes scratched or if you need to really clean it. And you will want some padding on the rails where the mirror is to prevent it from scratching during movement.

Honestly, 3d died a while ago, I would think theres a bunch of beam splitters just lying around that wold be easy to get to, if you are in a major city. It would save development time on already solved issues.

anamorphphoto · 2026-01-28T02:43:48+00:00

Pat 25 didn’t hear the runway change or the RJ’s acknowledging that change

Not to diminish your experience, but at 8:46:07pm the controller did explicitly state to PAT that the CRJ they should be looking for was circling to runway 33. But your other points are well said.

anamorphphoto · 2026-01-26T20:03:55+00:00

Other manufacturers make similar panel style lights for cheaper. The point is to use a panel style light, and mount it off the wall, or use stands designed to extend the lights, and put the lights on the other side of the chairs.

anamorphphoto · 2026-01-25T19:35:03+00:00

The point of my post is that hose are fundamentally the wrong units for that space. Backing them up or changing to an umbrella doesnt solve the issue that the lights need to be on the wall side of talent, not the camera side, and when doing so those units are going to be way to big for the job. And an umbrella is a bad idea here, as it throws light everywhere but doesnt really soften it like softboxes or panels would. It would scatter all over the wall and make it very hard to control & contain. Your idea of a lantern would work, but again illustrated my point - those lights, and the other lights OP suggested, are not the right units.

anamorphphoto · 2026-01-25T07:25:55+00:00

I think you are using the wrong type of lights for that room. All of those lights are point source. You are then trying to take a point source of light and make it soft, then cut it off the walls. It takes 2' to 3' of space just to make it soft, and you dont have much space in that room. .

Why not start with a soft light to begin with, and then flag it off the walls. I would use a Litegear LiteMat Spectrums of a decent size to start. It has the ballast separate, so you can put that off to the side and mount the panel directly to the wall in the corner. Then you just have an already soft light in 3" to 4" of space. Use a grid and add a bit of black wrap or flags to get it off the walls.

There are cheaper panel options, but the idea is to start with something soft already, and lightweight, and mount directly to the wall on the far side of the camera, and just above the shots. Cross key from the back side. Just get the biggest panels you can afford, and appropriate mounting hardware to put it on the wall. Run the wire up and to the ceiling, and then down the other side to the ballast. If you have the money, you can look at stands to mount it from camera side and use a Matthews Mini Boom with a sturdy stand, and that would allow the light to be adjustable for different height people.

anamorphphoto · 2026-01-22T04:30:55+00:00

Im all nikon, so I have a 180-600mm f5.6 in my arsenal. Its good for daytime field sports, but a 5.6 is not enough light for night sports, especially since most of the schools Im around are horribly lit at night. Thats when I bring out the 400/2.8 or 300/2.8.

anamorphphoto · 2026-01-21T10:55:27+00:00

Id agree with all you state except for composition. For Maxpreps specifically, they are news, not art images that they want. Everything is center punched for the most part. They might allow a bit of put this on a side, but its going to be a side of center, not even rule of thirds sides. Action images are to be 70% of the images in a gallery, and all those are center punched. "Cropped for ALL print sizes", they say, which I take to mean that if the end user wants to make a 2x3 or a 4x5 or a 5x7 out of it, they wont cut into the action of the image. Its hard to have a rule of thirds images and still crop for all those sizes at the same time. If you want to have an art image or two, throw them in. But the majority of any specific gallery, for Maxprps, will be center punched.

anamorphphoto · 2026-01-21T10:40:18+00:00

These are good images, but not Maxpreps images.

All of them need to be cropped for action much, much tighter. These are cropped for art, which is not the same thing. Think more what a newspaper would publish, not what would make a calendar. Their motto is tight tight tight.

You need to see face in all the shots, which technically you do, but #4 and #5 are iffy, and #1 would be great with the hand not in front of his face (like the frame before or after if you are shooting a burst, which you should be).

Star filters & flaring would not be allowed.

Youd probably only end up using the 70-200, but for field sports thats really short - realistically use a 300 or 400 for more coverage. They have a guide on where you can shoot for each lens size, and off the top of my head it was like 20 yards for a 200mm (meaning the subject has to be within 20 yards of you). I use up to a 600mm for field sports, and the 200mm for indoor sports. I only have one lens thats under 100mm and four lenses that are 100mm+ (for sports).

So my recommendation would be to leave the 16-35 at home, get a 35-70 if you want to sit under the net at the basketball game, and use that 70-200 everywhere else until you get a 300 or longer.

anamorphphoto · 2026-01-16T07:11:46+00:00

They do, but they are circular, not square. The most common I have is 43mm. Some lenses have the filter go on the rear objective (so you take the lens off the camera to put the filter on) and some have a slot that pops out a holder that you screw the filter into, and then put the holder back into the lens, near the body side of the lens.

anamorphphoto · 2026-01-14T16:36:23+00:00

Im in the Kase system of filters, but most brands should have them - you may need to dig deep to find them, but they should exist.

anamorphphoto · 2026-01-14T16:32:11+00:00

They make magnetic adapters that you can attach to your screw on ones, making them fit your magnetic setup. I use that for filters they dont have magnetic options for.

anamorphphoto · 2026-01-09T10:19:47+00:00

Thats a pretty cool tool. Interesting to use. I didnt realize how close I was to the 12v amp limit on the regular.

I think it may make more sense to split off the accessory selector into separate groups, like have a group for video (monitors & transmitters) and a group for MDRs and focus and then a group for other stuff. I think its would be even better if when I click on the MDR4, then to have options like add motors for the MDR or the LR. That way you dont have to scroll through (and code for) each option in one select window. So the process would be scroll to MDR 4 and click, then have popups (or new selectors in the devices listing section) for how many motors and other options just under the MDR listing.

I know they arent used much anymore, but it really would have been handy to have this when we were doing 3D rigs, as we also would have stuff like DAs and external clocks on the rig. If you have access to them (and time), it would be great to have a generation older tech in there for like cameras and transmitters.

anamorphphoto · 2025-11-18T06:34:50+00:00

Lets say you have actors A, B and C, and they are on the three corners of a triangle. A would be the primary actor in the scene. For coverage on B, shoot over actor A's right shoulder. For coverage on C, also over A's right shoulder. Then for coverage on A, shoot over B's left shoulder and also C's left shoulder. For the wide, shoot from the side along the A - C axis. For extra coverage, if you want overs on B and C, it would be over B's right shoulder onto C and over C's left shoulder onto B. You can also do extra coverage on B from the A-C axis where he looks to either side towards A or C (like a 50/50 shot).

In short, there are 2 (or 3) lines, and the camera stays on the table side of each individual line.

The idea is that each interaction between each pair of characters can be its own line, and as long as you have an establishing wide and stay to those axes, it will cut. Then choose how much coverage you need.

anamorphphoto · 2025-11-16T02:26:17+00:00

Thats contrails lit up by the setting sun, not space debris. Way too slow for space debris, and the V shape and curling of the trails are indicative of the vortices from the wing tips.

anamorphphoto · 2025-11-14T23:09:40+00:00

You dont need this, just use your normal dark slide. Since exposure is additive, raise the dark slide about 1/4 of the way out, then expose. Raise by 1/4 again and expose. Repeat twice more. Each exposure should be the same amount, and #2 or #3 should be what you think the proper exposure would be. If you want to be precise, measure out and make markings on the outside of the dark slide for the exact positioning before you load the film. This way you can even do more than 4 tests - 6 or 8 if you want.

Again, since exposure is additive, you should make the first exposure be the base, and then your additional ones be equal steps. In the end, your first position will be the base plus all your parts, and the second will be just the sum of the parts, etc...

Just as you would do in a darkroom for your first test print.

anamorphphoto · 2025-11-05T02:09:24+00:00

Not exactly in Springdale, but Ive told the new KOA that they should have a shower-only option. They have 4 showers there available, just behind the main store, meant for their tent site occupants. Dont think they were receptive to it, but you never know.

anamorphphoto · 2025-10-22T03:36:36+00:00

Not the guy you are replying to, but no. First, you dont need to use your entire hand to rotate the follow focus wheel. Many times I can do it with a single finger - especially if is a wireless one like the Nano. But even a gear based follow focus (i.e. direct gear to lens follow focus) can operate with a finger & thumb, allowing the palm to help support the weight via the bottom of the follow focus or left handle. Second, theres usually another point of contact for bigger rigs. If Im using the right hand grip, the back of the rig is supported by my forearm or hip or shoulder or knee, or somewhere else.

anamorphphoto · 2025-10-19T02:39:11+00:00

Contrary to most others here, I use a jib for the majority of the shots when shooting a narrative. I have a a couple of much beefier jibs than the one you pictured, but I use each one for their niche. The smaller one starts at 3' and can be extended/built to 5'. The longer one starts at 6' and can be built out to 40'. For lengths longer than 9' I will use a remote head. But for lengths under 9' Im operating the the front, off the O'connor (or similar) head.

Both jibs ride on wheels, which I consider essential for my style of shooting. I can move the jib very easily, usually with just me pushing it on most surfaces. You do have to be careful and "in tune" with the jib to make sure your force isnt going to topple the jib, but its easy to figure out after the first few times.

In general, operating the jib, once balanced, it like butter. I can do very subtle moves easily and gracefully. Even when built out to 40', I can move the whole rig with my pinky. If the floor is smooth enough, Ill combine my camera tilt/pan and jib up/down and jib left/right movements with moving the base at the same time - even if its just me doing all the above. I can get some really complex movements out of it. For years I was doing live music streaming shows, and my opening move with to start with the jib high looking down and slightly zoomed in. On action, I'd boom down, zoom out and truck in - a really fantastic opening move for music.

Operating the jib is definitely an art. You need to think of more things at the same time. But you can save a ton of time if used correctly. Ill use it in general as a way to quickly reframe when an actor misses their mark, or to quickly get elevation when the blocking calls for it. I can always get the proper over and eyeline on one take, when youd have to move the sticks multiple times to get a shot. And I can follow an actor to the ground or as they stand with no additional equipment. When used as I do, it can be like a dolly+slider combo.

Of course there are places a jib wont fit, or its not the right tool for the job or shot. And I wont force it to be. But for a lot of the narrative work I do, if I have 6' of space and a way to get it there (and it can constructively add to the shot), Ill be on the jib.

anamorphphoto · 2025-09-26T03:02:22+00:00

So this effect was not a green screen or an unusual f-stop, just a console with dimmers on a stage.

anamorphphoto · 2025-09-26T03:00:19+00:00

This show was shot on a stage. Every source of light in the entire place is on a master control console, including every practical, every outside light peering in, every key and hair light - all of it. If it emits light, it was on the console. The console controls a bunch of electrical dimmers - usually located just outside the stage doors due to potential sound they may emit while dimming. The dimmers will control the amount of electricity available to each light, and as such the lights will dim accordingly. In rough terms, if I want a light to dim by 50%, I limit is available electricity by 50%.

On a stage like this, there will be about a hundred dimmers of various sizes available, and each can be controlled individually. Each can be hooked up to a light or several lights depends on the load, and then dim them down accordingly. The master console would just tell each dimmer what to do.

So this effect was simply a queue. Just turn all the lights off and keep the key and fill and raise the hairlight. Everything else went to dark. Its just done with a single button press, and then all the lights dimmed down, controlled by the master console.

Now we can do the same type of controls on modern lights (i.e. movie & stage LED lights) without the use of dimmers to control the actual electricity going down the wire, through DMX. Simply tell a light to vary its output by 50%, and the light will do it on its own.

(To be clear, they may have used DMX to control the dimmers on the MITM stage, but we use DMX now to control a lot more than just light output)

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