Jacob Van Balen Posted June 28, 2007 Share Posted June 28, 2007 My production studio uses tripod mounted cameras and cannot afford dolly and track :( . We need a reletively stable moving shot but the cameras cannot be put on a shoulder, again :( . I am the DP and was wondering(the camera operators are inept when it comes to this) if it is possible to take the lightweight camera and mount it onto my lightweight aluminum tripod, turn it 90 degrees and put the tripod on your shoulder. This seems to work, but if it were possible to use a safer method that might not end up costing a lot of money, we would love to know :D. Thanks in advanced for all of the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Brad Grimmett Posted June 28, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted June 28, 2007 I'm a bit lost as to what your question is. Maybe you can state it clearer? Also, it's a rule on this site that you need to use your real first and last name as your user name. Please change it. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacob Van Balen Posted June 28, 2007 Author Share Posted June 28, 2007 I'm a bit lost as to what your question is. Maybe you can state it clearer?Also, it's a rule on this site that you need to use your real first and last name as your user name. Please change it. Thanks. Sorry if my question was unclear. What I am asking is if my current method of using a makeshift shoulder mount is safe for the camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member Frank Barrera Posted June 30, 2007 Premium Member Share Posted June 30, 2007 Sorry if my question was unclear. What I am asking is if my current method of using a makeshift shoulder mount is safe for the camera. the problem is that the only thing keeping the camera from smashing on to the floor is the wedge plate. unless you're using a quick release plate that is then connected to a wedge plate. either way you are asking the tripod to do something it was not designed to do and unless you devise some type of additional safety method you are taking a risk. The bolt that attaches the camera base to the wedge plate could very easily snap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Irwin Posted July 5, 2007 Share Posted July 5, 2007 How big of a camera are you using, and are you looking for movement that is closer to a dolly or a steadicam? If it's a really lightweight camera like a PD-150, I've made/used a PVC pipe rig for doc work that is essentially a rectangular "cage" with handles. The camera sits in the center and the pipe provides handles in virtually any position you want. If you float the camera with your arms and practice a bit, the look can be somewhere in between handheld and steadicam. You can also build a skatewheel dolly from hardware store parts and speedrail (or other metal/plastic pipe) fairly cheaply. Just put the sticks on the dolly, and away you go. Under budget constraints, good craftsmanship and flat black paint can make anything look official! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacob Van Balen Posted July 5, 2007 Author Share Posted July 5, 2007 How big of a camera are you using, and are you looking for movement that is closer to a dolly or a steadicam? If it's a really lightweight camera like a PD-150, I've made/used a PVC pipe rig for doc work that is essentially a rectangular "cage" with handles. The camera sits in the center and the pipe provides handles in virtually any position you want. If you float the camera with your arms and practice a bit, the look can be somewhere in between handheld and steadicam. You can also build a skatewheel dolly from hardware store parts and speedrail (or other metal/plastic pipe) fairly cheaply. Just put the sticks on the dolly, and away you go. Under budget constraints, good craftsmanship and flat black paint can make anything look official! Yeah, we were kind of looking for a stedicam. Our camera is really lightweight. We already know how to build a dolly, but I got mine from the Mythbusters. They had 2 peices of PCV pipe, 16 wheels with bearings, they attached 4 wheels at each corner and it could hold about 220 pounds or so. They used it to shoot a human analog through a window, and as a dolly(for the camera work :P .) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie Lewis Posted July 6, 2007 Share Posted July 6, 2007 You said you already know how to build a dolly but here's one I recently built. Total cost of the build is easily under $100. It works really well and can support a great deal of weight. There's also a PDF in the link that are the plans and supply list. http://www.digitaljuice.com/djtv/segment_d...show=all_videos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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