Canon Run and Gun Rig

Canon 1D Mark IV Rig FrontHalloween night we got a chance to get out and work with the Canon 1D Mark IV extensively. The city, as you can well imagine was filled with colorful people and we had a small group of friends along for the wild ride dressed in costume. So, needless to say, we had a fun night filled with the chaos of a Manhattan Halloween parade with 2 million or so spectators in every costume imaginable. Of course, then the rain set in which made it even a little more wild.

With little time to prepare, we needed to outfit the Canon 1D Mark IV with some audio solutions and since we would be trekking the city for hours on end also needed to have a run and gun rig that would allow me to carry the system. At 6.2 pounds with everything on it including the 24 1.4, the Beachtek DXA5D audio device, and two Senheisser wireless receivers the system was complete. It is hard to believe that a camera this small, lightweight and portable will soon be at the fingertips of thousands of visual artists.

We brought the Glidecam HD4000 along, but once the rain set in, it was fruitless to try and work that way. So, we simply thought more shaky in terms of look. Think Cloverfield as an example. While I love still footage captured on tripods, Glidecams, etc... The other side of me is drawn to the opposite perspective of cinema where you see a dizzying array of camera movements. Each time I create something hand held, there are always a few who comment about how nice it would look on a tripod. Agreed, it's nice, but that isn't always possible, and doesn't always convey the message to the viewer. I don't think there is a right or wrong here, I think it works both ways.

First let me talk a little about some of the clips we captured. We worked in 24p 1920x1080 and 60p 720x1280. The footage is transcoding in the background as I write this and hopefully soon, I will be able to post and share a little short, trailer, or something from the evenings events. Takes time to edit you know, especially with a schedule as demanding as ours.

The camera makes light! I don't know how else to put it. With no additional lighting carried, we were able to film/photograph in any situation we encountered with a clarity noise ratio that goes beyond anything I expected. While a little heavier and bulkier of a camera system, I didn't find that it was more difficult to hand hold than the 5D Mark II. On the contrary, I found holding the base of the camera instead of the lens to be more forgiving. Of course, I do have big hands and spend a lot of time at the gym, so I am not speaking for everyone, it just fit my shooting style very well.

Canon 1D Mark IV Rig BackThe DXA5D fits perfectly on the bottom. Initially it comes with to pins on the bottom which fit it to the 5D Mark II, but those are simply unscrewed and then it fits on the 1D Mark IV with no problems. We ran a wireless Tram mic to one subject and with an occasional Sennheiser shotgun mic on a boom wirelessly into the system on channel two. This allows the operator or a sound technical to monitor the audio coming into the camera and adjust accordingly. Obviously, affording a sound technician would be nice, it isn't always feasible, but even working alone, it makes a huge difference to be able to hear and adjust audio levels.

With that said, we have a few more projects lined up this week. So, we will share as soon as we can. I feel like a kid again. This is just too much fun!