Gearing Up
Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 5:45PM 
Nothing profound here, just some fun new gear mixing well with some trusty old gear into what for me is a “where have you been all my life” rig.
Pictured here is the Canon 7D with the venerable Canon 50mm f/1.4. It’s sitting on the skeleton of the Redrock Micro “Captain Stubling” rig, handles removed, and slipped into Redrock’s tripod platform plate. That’s sitting on a crusty old Bogen fluid head that I had lying around (the current equivalent in size would probably be the popular Manfrotto 701HDV).
That’s mounted to my new slider rig from Glidetrack. It’s the Glidetrack HD to be specific, and I chose the 1M length, which feels like the right balance of utility and portability for me. I’m more likely to use it for push-ins than for side-to-side motions, and when you’re using it for the “slow creep,” there’s only so long a slider can be before it shows up in your shot. There are a number of terrific options out there for slider rigs, but the Glidetrack was the right choice for me because of its minimal weight and mechanical simplicity.
Hovering above it all on the Noga arm is the Ikan V5600, which is a comparatively inexpensive, lightweight HDMI monitor. It doesn’t have quite the full 720p resolution the peaking features of the Marshall V-LCD70P, [CORRECTION, Mitch below pointed out that the Marshal is not 720p—in fact it has a lower resolution than the Ikan!], but it’s still quite usable for focus. The photo above lies in its streamlined simplicity—the power and HDMI cables for the monitor make it quite a bit messier in practice.
Speaking of focus, the Redrock Micro whip makes that a little easier when back-panning on the slider. The whips come in sets of three — shown below is the shortest of the bunch. The build quality on the Redrock whips is very good.
What’s missing obviously is a good set of sticks, or possibly two, to properly support the Glidetrack. I’m still shopping and open to suggestions.
Gear porn shots like these requires bokake, here courtesy of the Canon 50mm f/1.2L on my 5D Mark II, the price of which was recently lowered.
Disclaimer: I contributed to the design of the Redrock Micro Captain Stubling rig, which recently received a glowing review on episode 53 of the always awesome Red Centre podcast.
As always, I am grateful if you shop through any of the above links, or at the ProLost store 7D Cine page!
Reader Comments (32)
A Glidetrack equivalent can be made DIY style using the same parts for much cheaper.
You can read about it here:
http://www.canon5dtips.com/2009/11/diy-igus-slider/
I also have a 1 meter glide track and have found that two Manfrotto 055xb photo tripods are great support for this setup. They go for $150 at Amazon. Even just one of these tripods and a light stand works well. It's just more stable if you use 2 tripods.
http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-055XB-Classic-Tripod-Black/dp/B000UH7X1C
I'm looking for a good solid video tripod. Has anyone used this tripod system?
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/496825-REG/Manfrotto_503HDV_351MVB2K_503HDV_351MVB2K_Aluminum_Video_Tripod.html
Nice setup, Stu! I'm looking at getting at getting a track, and saw that Phillip Bloom used the Glidetrack recently at his 'Skywalker Ranch' shoot - thanks for the detailed info - much appreciated.
We've been thinking of picking up a slider for a while. Just yesterday one of our favorite gaffers mentioned that he was getting one for his kit big enough to hold our Red One which makes me very happy!
Stu,
Why don't you have canon 17-55mm in your store but only tamron? Is it better buy than canon for 7D? I read canon focus is better and USM.
Alain, thanks for the link. A DIY approach will be right for some. Personally, I don't have the time, skill, or equipment to drill and tap the various mounting holes that the Glidetrack has. I also like the padded stoppers at the end. Glidetrack's prices are more than fair given the work they put in to creating something that's production ready right out of the box.
David, the Canon 17–55 is a fine lens, but the Tamron 17–50 is about half the cost. Tamron zooms compete favorably with Canon's non-L offerings. Personally, I would not get either though, I would opt for the Canon 16–35L, which will also work on larger sensor cameras such as the 5D Mark II and the 1D Mark IV. I'm not interested in these wide zooms getting close to 50mm — if you're desired shot is anywhere near 50mm, then you should really use a prime. The Canon 50mm f/1.4 is just too great a deal for any Canon shooter not to own it.
Hi!
Stu, how do you have the monitor attached?
Excellent post Stu as always.
So higher shots with the glidetrack require2 tripods? No way of mounting it from a single point like the Pocketdolly Basic or the Glidetrack?
thanks
jas
Max, that's the Noga arm that I mention above. It's an articulating arm with three joints that freeze in place with the tightening of one knob. Quite handy.
Jason, thanks! And yes, you absolutely can mount the Glidetrack to one stout tripod, but the 1M length starts to make that feel a bit less than 100% stable. I was thinking I'd opt for slightly lighter-weight sticks. Whatever I wind up getting, I may just keep my old crappy plastic fantastic tripod around to hold up the other end of the track.
Thanks Stu. Im sure just a monopod at one end will work too. Who'd have thought id be interested in a dolly track shorter than the average film dolly itself, but for something so cheap and portable these things can really give a great subtle look
jas
Exactly. A friend came over yesterday and saw the rig, and his first question was "So, you find yourself often wanting to do very short dolly moves?" The answer is a resounding yes.
Glidetrack will happily sell you a 2M version too. They have a cool demo video that shows them dollying through the interior of a car, the track spanning through the two open doors on either side.
Charles - I am personally not a huge Manfrotto tripod head fan. I just think putting the tilt lock on the til axis is a really bad idea, and prefer a head with an independent lock. That said, the 503HDV looks somewhat better designed. Somewhat...
I have a client that has older Manfrottos mated with nose-heavy cameras and using them is very...unpleasant.
I realize price is a consideration, though tripods should always be seen as long-term investments. I still have my main tripod, though I've used multiple cameras with it.
Hey Stu,
I know you didn't include a loupe here but every time I go to your ProLost store I notice you have the hoodman as your choice of loupe. I've heard bad things and at the very least I think you should check out the lcdvf...i just got one and it's brilliant. Not as expensive as the Zfinder but still enough magnification and a better solution than those rubber bands...
Stu - you mention the Marshall LCD70P as 720p, but the 70P isn't 720p at all, unless you're talking about the pixel-to-pixel mode. Am I missing something here?
The Marshall does, however, have peaking and exposure capabilities built-in that contribute significantly to its value and its higher price tag - and make using it on something like the 5D or 7D a very attractive option to make up for features that some video cameras like the Sony EX1 have already (i.e. peaking and zebras).
Thomas, you're right, and in fact I have the LCDVF myself and I love it. I wanted something for the store page and the Hoodman was the only thing Amazon had, but I should probably just remove it and link to the Jag35 site.
Mitch, thanks for the correction, I'll update the article!
Alan, thanks for the tripod wisdom!
Thanks Stu, I read the article like 3 times or so.. and just didn't get that Noga Arm!
From Germany...
Max
Very welcome, Stu.
A tripod really ought to be looked at as a long-term investment. Stable shots are always useful and we ought to think about one or two cameras down the road for the purchase. I'm fortunate - I'm not likely to be using anything as hefty as either of my now-gone Betacams on my 'pod in the near future. So I'm future-resistant for a while now.
Thanks for developing the Captain Stubling with Redrock. I was going to do the whole shoulder mount thing until I started playing with the 7D by itself. I really liked the small form factor and with the Stubling I can get very stable hand held stuff, and it's so small!
Thanks Burk, that was totally the idea—let the camera stay small but take stability and focusing seriously.
Stu:
Checking for aliasing - are either of the monitors good enough to catch aliasing/moire?
Thanks again for the recommendations - very helpful.
Dear Stu, I couldn't find online any video demonstration or precise info on the Captain Stubling RedRock rig. I'm planning to get it for my 7D and i'm really wondering how versatile its design really is regarding a possible use with my ZFINDER. Can you somehow use those grips to make it more suitable for eye level use and follow focus enabled at the same time?? Huge thanx in advance if you have time for some tip! all the best Stu .
Stu, ya owe me a beer!
Seriously, thanks for putting all the gear in an easy to buy from online store. We got the 7D and some other stuff, along with a Stubling rig from RRMicro. It's pretty amazing, but then who's surprised to hear that?
Hey Stu,
I love the Capt. Stubling. However... I do have an issue with it.
When using the camera's screen (not an external monitor) and shooting above eye level., the marker is hard to see because it is on top (at 12 o'clock). Ideally, the focus marker would be rotated towards the operator so it's at 3 o'clock, but unfortunately it doesn't rotate. How have you been dealing with that issue?
By asking Redrock to consider a back-facing (or adjustable) focus marker! I was just commenting about that to them last week—the same issue affects use of their excellent shoulder-mount rigs such as the EyeSpy.
Stu,
How do cameras like the 1dIV, 5d or 7d process footage compared to an EX3 or an HPX 300 or HVX 200. 4:2:0, 4:2:2 ? What is the compression like? From my current understanding, besides the form factor, the 1D Mark IV is superior in capturing HD footage, with superior glass. Am I mistaken?
I have this great book, about making Killer Action Movies On The Cheap, where they made a camera stabilizer out of a two-by-four!
Gear, gear, gear. Anybody can whip out plastic and go shopping, and plenty do. The best thing about Stu's book is the DIY, "I'll make it my own way" approach. You want a DV Rebel follow focus? How about $6 hose clamp padded with a rubber band?
http://gizmodo.com/5454640/canon-7d-loaded-with-6-diy-follow-focus
Or if you wanna get fancy:
http://www.hv20.com/showthread.php?t=10418
Just think: with the money you didn't spend on widgets and knobs, you could buy a lot of coffee for when you're rewriting your script to make the STORY better, because like everybody says: STORY FIRST.
Nice monitor, though. I wonder if I could make one out of the screen from my old PowerBook 1400?
Hi Stu, me again...
Got me a Nogaarm... not the one you have.. one that the screws are interchangeable...
Where did you mount yours? On to the cheeseplate?
Cheseplate: If I use the cheeseplate as the buttom plate.. there is some play along the end of the rods... are you having the same problems? The are it covers on the rods is to small, to support the full lenght of the rods.
DSLR Baseplate: How did you mount the 7D to it? The tiny screws that come with it, to keep the camera from rotating just wound fit...
Do you just tighten the main screw alot?
Max
Here's a nice DIY follow focus rig
http://gizmodo.com/5454686/dslr-follow-focus-mods-taken-to-their-inevitable-conclusion
I'd love to make something like that, but unfortunately I still haven't been able to actually make the 2x4 stabilizer from 'the guide' so this is way out of my league
Any pics allowed here, I have the most tricked out Pilot/7D rig, I will post pics. Stu did you color Nocturne?
There's no way to post photos in the comments, but you can post links to photos. Yes, I did color Nocturne.
Charles, I use the 503HDV. I like it in most respects, fairly solid and light. My only complaint so far is the screw holding the hinge at the top near the bowl has come loose and I have to manually tighten it. It's a $600 tripod after all.
ikan monitor has focus help like the marshall?