Cinema Camera set up speed?

[Max Field]

As I get more freelance shooting jobs, I become more and more concerned with the time it takes me to just set the camera up on a tripod alone. I work better when aiming towards a concrete goal so I was just curious if there was an "industry standard" time for getting a camera body ready to roll.

 

Assuming all necessary gear is dis-assembled and in their cases:

-Camera body with output

-external monitor/SSD receiving camera output on israeli arm

-A zoom lens

-Shoulder rig

-follow focus

-that rig onto tripod

-setting up the tripod to desired height

 

How long would it take you to assemble all of that?

Perhaps we could make a contest out of it, lol.

[Simon Wyss]

90 seconds?

[Bill DiPietra]

"Safely and efficiently" is a good rule of thumb...

[Robin R Probyn]

Just do it at the speed you need.. never rush anything setting up the camera.. that will end in tears one day guaranteed .. you sometimes have directors sort of looking over your shoulder.. really annoying.. but never let it make you hurry and make mistakes.. thats when camera,s start falling off tripod,s.. lens mounts get forced.. wrong stock gets loaded,cards misplaced.. it takes how long it takes.. why are you even worried about it.. some major cock up and then you will really look bad.. and your name will be remembered .. take your time.. do it properly and safely..

[Aapo Lettinen]

I usually keep the camera halfway built if possible so that it is much faster to get it ready.

eg. rods, tripod plates, matte box, ff, etc. in place and usually lens removed if it has to be transported for short distances by car etc. and there is a change it may get vibration or bumps which might damage the lens or mount.

If going from outside to inside with a digital camera in a hurry I may remove the lens outside and let it to warm up separately but keep the camera otherwise assembled with the mount cap in place and the camera with power on so that its own heat generating overwhelms condensation.

 

keeping the camera halfway built is especially handy with something like Epic in its own transport case which requires the camera to be completely disassembled to fit there. lots of work to put it back together compared to transporting it halfway built with only the lens and battery removed.

 

with film you can load the first magazines beforehand so it is much quicker to set up the camera. depending on temperature/humidity/other conditions of course ;)

[Aapo Lettinen]

there is also lots of factors to consider like what kind of tripod you use and is the head transported separately or attached to it, how complicated the camera menus are and is it adjusted beforehand or do you have to reset and adjust all the settings from start and format the cards. if you are using external recorder or monitor it may also need tweaking which takes time. but you can transport the camera in a way that it can be set up in couple of minutes if needed and still be relatively safe to transport without risking it too much. Quick release plates and other accessories save lots of time and if you can transport the monitor/recorder as fully assembled as possible, maybe attached to the camera already if that is an option