Right angle Lens attachment?

Brian Dzyak · June 18, 2009

Essentially I want the ability to put a lens through a chain link fence (through one of the 2x2x2x2 squares AND have the ability to pan up to 180 degrees.

What I have in mind is some kind of 45 degree angle mirror attachment that is small enough to go through the space AND have it on some kind of mechanism that allows it to be panned. Focus would still be done on the lens that remains behind the fence next to the camera body

Does anyone know if this sort of thing exists? Does it sound possible?

Chris Keth · June 18, 2009

That's a tall order, I don't think any of the snorkel systems I know if are less than 2 inches in diameter at the business end. When you tilt up would you want to see the fence in the top of frame?

John Sprung · June 18, 2009

How big/heavy is the camera here? I'd be inclined to look for a way to get it on the other side. Perhaps mount it upside down on a monopod, and dangle it over from parallels or a ladder. Operate using a video monitor.

BTW, what's on the other side of the fence that keeps you from just working over there? Guard dogs or something like that is my guess, but it might be helpful to have this backstory in solving the problem.

Another thought -- If 1/3" HD video is good enough, how about an Iconix camera? You could stick the whole camera thru the fence, very unobtrusive.

OTOH, if this is a bigger budget production, perhaps get a fence company to cut out a wild section for you, and replace it after the shoot.

-- J.S.

Chris Keth · June 18, 2009

John, I read Brian's goal as being able to, in one shot, push into and through the fence and tilt up rather than having some reason they must stay on one side of the fence.

John Sprung · June 19, 2009

John, I read Brian's goal as being able to, in one shot, push into and through the fence and tilt up rather than having some reason they must stay on one side of the fence.

Ah ---- In that case, just shoot it without the fence at all. Then shoot a matching push-in on a section of chain link against a green screen. It needs to be pretty well centered on one of the holes. Then composite the chain link over the head of the previous shot, blowing up the chain link element at the end to get the look of going all the way thru the hole. Once you're clear of that, the rest of the live action shot just plays straight. Of course it would be best if the head of the shot could be tight enough that we don't have to mess with getting the fence positioned correctly with the bottom at the ground, and so we don't need a terribly big green screen and piece of fence.

-- J.S.

Chris Keth · June 19, 2009

Ah ---- In that case, just shoot it without the fence at all. Then shoot a matching push-in on a section of chain link against a green screen. It needs to be pretty well centered on one of the holes. Then composite the chain link over the head of the previous shot, blowing up the chain link element at the end to get the look of going all the way thru the hole. Once you're clear of that, the rest of the live action shot just plays straight. Of course it would be best if the head of the shot could be tight enough that we don't have to mess with getting the fence positioned correctly with the bottom at the ground, and so we don't need a terribly big green screen and piece of fence.

-- J.S.

A question: Since you're (I assume) focused on a subject on the other side of the fence, the fence itself would blur pretty heavily. How well would that key?

Brian Dzyak · June 19, 2009

Thank you for the suggestions so far! :)

But no, it is a real fence and I am not doing a move through it. I can't be on the other side of the fence, so I would like to poke the lens (or a part of it) through the small opening and be able to pan once there.

Chris Keth · June 19, 2009

Thank you for the suggestions so far! :)

But no, it is a real fence and I am not doing a move through it. I can't be on the other side of the fence, so I would like to poke the lens (or a part of it) through the small opening and be able to pan once there.

What format will this be? There just might be a snorkel kind of thing for 2/3" that may have a diameter of less than 2".

Other than that, all I can think of is an icecube type camera.

Edited June 19, 2009 by Chris Keth

John Sprung · June 19, 2009

A question: Since you're (I assume) focused on a subject on the other side of the fence, the fence itself would blur pretty heavily. How well would that key?

Since the fence is the only thing in frame at its distance from the camera, we can cheat a little and keep it sharper than exactly matching DOF would dictate. That might be a good idea to help sell the point that we're dollying thru the hole in the chain link. Towards the final fly-thru it would have to go somewhat soft, you're right. I don't know exactly what's involved, but the digital composite folks are much better able to handle that now.

-- J.S.

John Sprung · June 19, 2009

But no, it is a real fence and I am not doing a move through it. I can't be on the other side of the fence, so I would like to poke the lens (or a part of it) through the small opening and be able to pan once there.

What format do you need for this? If 1080p/24 would be adequate, the Iconix camera would be just the ticket. It takes C mount lenses, and without the lens, the body fits in an ordinary coffee cup. I told Bruce Long that he should get a bunch of those give-away trade show coffee cups with a picture of the camera and the slogan "Iconix -- the camera that fits in this cup"

What I envision is a rig that's something like a yardstick with a pulley and string on one end, with the Iconix mounted to the pulley. It goes thru the fence straight, and you pan by pulling the string.

BTW, still curious, what's on the other side of the dreaded fence? ;-)

-- J.S.