Rig Any Camera

w w w . w o l f c r o w .
c o m

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Read the online version of this guide here:

htp://wolfcrow.com/blog/comprehensive-guide-to-rigging-
any-camera-main-menu/

Copyright 2012, Sareesh Sudhakaran

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Table of Contents

Chapter Title Page
1 Introduction to Rigging 7
2 Ergonomics 15
3 Lenses 30
4 Matte Boxes and Filters 97
5 Follow Focus Systems 125
6 Media 134
7 External Recorders 145
8 Data Management 158
9 Signal Flow and Standards 183
10 External Monitoring 189
11 Viewfinders 240
12 Making the Connections 249
13 Audio 287
14 Power Supplies 326
15 Laying Out the Rig 368
16
Baseplates, Bridge plates
and Rods
432
17
Cages and Articulating
Arms
444


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18 Handy Tools for Rigging 452
19 Shoulder Rigs 472
20
Palmcorder and Steadicam
Rigs
485
21 Tripods and Tripod Rigs 496
22 Dollies and Sliders 509
23 Jibs and Cranes 521
24 Underwater Rigs 528
25 Aerial and Vehicle Rigs 539
26 Stereoscopy Rigs 548
27 Streaming Solutions 563
28 Bags and Cases 580
29
Miscellaneous Rigs and
Tools
597
30 Addendum (A) 608


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Image Courtesy: Daniel Figur, Jef McCoy, Josh Hamilton


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Chapter 1
Introduction to Rigging

Many of you might have read my Master
Guide to Rigging a Blackmagic Design
Cinema Camera and Master Guide to Rigging
a Nikon D800 or D800E. I thought it might
be a good idea to put together a bigger
guide that covers more cameras and
situations. This is it one guide to rule them
all.

This comprehensive guide outlines a road
map on how to plan, assemble and build
your own personal camera rig. If you dont
know what a rig is, fear not. All will be
explained.

The camera systems covered in this guide:

Panasonic GH2/GH3
Nikon D4/D800E/D800/D600
Canon
1DX/5D/6D/7D/60D/650D/600D/550D
Sony A99
Blackmagic Cinema Camera EF/MTF
Sony FS100/FS700/F3


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Canon C100/C300
Red Scarlet/Epic
Arri Alexa
Sony F65

By providing sufficient examples I hope I will
have given you enough information to
confidently build a custom rig for any type of
camera or project.

Who is this guide for?

This guide is written for the absolute novice.
Everyone has to start somewhere. I have
assumed that you are new to rigging and
videography.

Those with experience, including thorough
professionals, are also welcome to read this
guide. It could be used as a checklist of
things to go through for your own setups.
Maybe Ive missed out on something, and I
will be grateful for your valuable feedback.


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Is there a need for such a guide?

Only you can decide what you need. I felt
the need for a guide myself, so I sat down
and wrote it.

There are just too many cameras, codecs,
applications, systems and opinions floating
around. Its great that we live in a time when
all these options are available. But how big is
your net? How much time are you willing to
spend on research and foraging for
information?

What if there was a guide that explained the
basics, and gave examples and
recommendations? Would that empower you
to confidently tackle challenges unique to
your project?

I dont know. But I sincerely hope it does.

Warning:

This guide is only intended to be an overview
of my experiences in a nutshell, and should
not be seen as an encyclopedia of every
possibility under the sun. I havent used


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every system out there, nor have I
experience with every camera in this guide.
My goal is to present guidelines that I use,
which might throw light on your particular
case.

Many of my recommendations and
suggestions are from personal experience.
However, just because I recommend one
product does not mean another doesnt exist
that might fulfill the same function equally
well, or even better. We all hope for things to
improve, and it isnt necessary that your
thoughts will sync with mine. Thats not the
point. The point is to learn from one another
and improve together, not at the expense of
one another. The last thing I want is for this
guide to be seen as an item-by-item
shopping list of what to purchase. That
would be self-defeating, for you and for me.

This is my way. Read, understand, think for
yourself, take advice from other
professionals and peers for a more holistic
view, and accept responsibility for your
actions and choices.


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Do I make mistakes? All the time. Luckily, I
have readers who point out my errors, which
allows me the opportunity to correct them. If
you do find errors in this guide and Im
absolutely certain there are plenty please
bring them to my notice. Ill try to correct
them as soon as I can, so the next person
reading it will be that much better informed.

Knowledge is power. Be empowered, so that
you are no longer dependent on marketing
gimmicks, pseudo reviews, conflicting
opinions and flawed tests.

Whats the best way to use this guide?

Every journey starts with a single step. Start
with one thing it doesnt matter which, and
then ask the question: What next?

The order in which Ive laid out this guide is
what works for me. I feel my simple
methodology will get you to your goal the
fastest. If you are new, start at the
beginning and work your way in the order
this guide is presented in.


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What is a Rig?

Buying a camera is not really buying just a
camera. What youre really buying is a
collection of tools.

Copyright 2012 Red.com

Each tool is designed to fulfill a specific
function. No matter how good the tool looks


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or performs on its own, it is useless unless it
can work well with everything else.

This process of customization, the bringing
together of tools to fulfill a common purpose,
is called Rigging.

This synergy of tools is a Rig.

Why is it called a rig, like an oil rig, for
example? Because it is meant to be
temporary. It is understood that a rig might
need to change its components, shape,
orientation or function; and must be ready to
do so when required.

Thats the fundamental difference between a
tool and a rig the concept of being able to
change or be changed. You see, by building a
rig, you are already preparing to change it!

An improperly designed or assembled rig can
make life hell for all those using it. The
biggest mistake filmmakers make when
designing a rig is giving too much
importance to specific tools, while losing the
big picture.


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Imagine this scenario:

You walk into a car dealership to buy your
favorite car chassis. Then you walk ten
blocks to buy the engine. You go home and
shop online for a set of tires, and so on.
After youve bought all the parts from
different manufacturers, each with their own
two hundred page manual, you spend many
lonely nights in your garage trying to put
your car together, slowly going crazy. When
youve finally gone loony, you still dont have
a car that will get you to the hospital in
style.

You get the picture. Who needs the
aggravation?

Unfortunately in todays world, rigging has
become the norm. A filmmaker is expected
to know how to put a rig together, as if there
werent enough headaches already.

So lets not waste any more time, then. Lets
get rigging.


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Chapter 2
Ergonomics

Courtesy: Steadicam Operator John Fry with Master Steadicam &
Arri Alexa camera
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/
Steadicam_Operator_John_Fry_with_Master_Steadicam_%26_Arri_
Alexa_camera.jpg


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What is Ergonomics?

Ergonomics, also called Human Factors, is
the field that studies and describes how well
a tool can be used by humans.

Its scope is pretty wide. Consider a hammer.
From the width of its handle to the sound the
hammer makes when striking a nail; from
the alloy used in its head to the way the
manufacturers name is embossed on it
everything affects us, and therefore,
ergonomics.

Is ergonomics important?

Imagine walking for miles, day in and day
out, with a shoe that is the wrong fit.
Imagine working for months on your laptop,
at a desk that is not at the right height.
Imagine sitting on a 14 hour flight in a seat
not designed for your frame.

We all have to make compromises, right?

If you dont complain, your body will. If you
dont listen, your body will suffer. If it suffers
long enough, one day it will make you suffer.


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An incorrectly designed rig might shorten
someones career, or life.

You decide whether thats important or not.

How to start thinking about ergonomics

A great tool not only does its job well, but
also provides tactile pleasure, motivates and
inspires. Since time immemorial, humans
have designed their tools to look good and
feel good. Take a look at the 15 most
beautifully designed video cameras ever.

Ergonomics is a subjective set of criteria,
and what works for me might not work for
you. Why should it? We dont expect a shoe
to fit all sizes, do we?

Start by asking these questions of your gear:

How am I going to use this camera?
Am I comfortable working with it?
Do I feel a tactile pleasure while
holding and using it?
Are all the buttons in the right place?
Is the information I need easy to find?
Is it easy to carry and transport?


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Are the materials used safe, healthy,
non-hazardous, non-allergic, recyclable
and eco-friendly?
Is the camera shockproof,
weatherproof, waterproof and
dustproof?
Will I feel like a million bucks carrying
it around?

Some of these questions (or maybe all of
them) might sound downright silly. I can
understand that, but dont say I didnt warn
you.

I believe Ergonomics should be the first thing
you must consider after having decided
which camera you need. Its that important.
Thats why this chapter is here at the
beginning of this guide, and not at the end!

What is a form factor?

Form factor is the design and geometry of a
tool. It is one of the aspects of ergonomics.

The Form factor helps categorize tools into
standard patterns. One could theoretically


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define a form factor in infinite ways, so dont
read too much into it.

Image Courtesy: Frank Gosebruch

I havent seen a thorough independent study
of camera from factors to refer to,
unfortunately, so Ive made my own system:

Wide Body Camera body width is
largest
Tall Body Camera body height is
largest


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Long Body Camera body length is
largest
Modular Camera body is designed
specifically for modularity
Full body Camera body is designed
for handheld and shoulder use
Ovoid Oval camera body designed for
wall, vehicle or surveillance, etc.
Other Non-geometric shaped
cameras

Heres a table that shows cameras chosen for
this guide arranged according to this
classification.

Note: None of the cameras Ive chosen
resemble an Ovoid or Other, but Ive seen
examples of both.


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The advantage of classifying cameras is that
you immediately see where each camera
belongs physically.

From such a classification, you can start
asking questions on how a particular form
factor will contribute to the overall rig. The
following table lists a few generalized points
to get you started:

In certain cases, it is difficult to classify a
system. E.g., consider a camera like the
Blackmagic Cinema Camera (BMCC) and the
Red Scarlet. The Red Camera Company
clearly states that the Scarlet is a modular
camera, and was designed to work with
accessories.


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On the other hand, the BMCC looks modular,
but is it? The BMCC is designed for handheld
use right out of the box, without any
accessories. When in doubt, see what the
manufacturer says and use that as a
guideline. Thats what I did in this case.

A few points from structural
engineering

Cross-check your form factor classification
with the following rules of thumb:

The lower the center of gravity the
better. This is why taller objects are
more prone to falling down than flatter
objects.

The more evenly the weight is
distributed the better. This is why
platforms are rectangular the load is
balanced over a greater area.

Matte/rough surfaces are easier to grip
than glossy surfaces.


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Glossy surfaces reflect light, and draw
attention. Its harder to read off glossy
surfaces.

Matte surfaces attract dust and
particles, and are more difficult to
clean.

Tall bodies are the least stable
structurally, and need deeper
foundations.

The greater the weight, the greater the
stability. If we have two tripods
similarly designed, one made out of
carbon fiber and the other of
aluminum, the carbon fiber tripod will
be lighter, but offer less stability. It
might offer sufficient stability, but it
will always be lesser than the heavier
tripod.

The more the points of contact the
more stable the structure. Monopods
are the worst, bipods (or humans,
bikes, etc.) are better, tripods are a
good compromise, tetrapods (like the


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pyramids, cars, etc) are excellent, and
so on.

The lower the number of points of
contact the greater the need for a
perfectly load balanced structure.
Theoretically, one can balance a ton of
rock on a pin strong enough to take
the weight, if the weight is balanced
equally from all sides.

Rig designs are usually based on lever
principles, which well cover later.

Whats my favorite form factor?

I prefer full bodied cameras made for heavy
duty handheld or shoulder mounted use.
Only if budget or availability played
spoilsport would I choose another option.
Heres my order of preference:

Full bodied
Long bodied
Tall bodied
Modular
Wide bodied
Everything else


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What about your body?

I hope you realize a healthy body will give
you more mileage than an unhealthy one.

In short: Exercise, stretch, take a break, eat
healthy, sleep well and dont forget to smile
every five minutes!

Develop a keen awareness of your body and
how it works. Find out what conditions allow
it to perform at its best and what conditions
hinder it.

One suggestion: Take up weight training,
martial arts or formal dancing. These
disciplines will help you improve your
understanding of your body, and get you that
much-needed exercise as well.

Please consult a doctor before trying
anything!

For further information on ergonomics, check
out these Wikipedia entries:

Human Factors and Ergonomics
Repetitive Strain Injury


Page 26
Back Pain

Heres a decent video from Zacuto that gives
you brief overview on some of the things Ive
talked about, and will talk about (I do not
endorse all the opinions, products and ideas
in the video, but its a good watch for
beginners):

https://vimeo.com/15665332

If you like good books, try these:

Introduction to Humans in Engineered
Systems
To Walk Far, Carry Less
The Design of Everyday Things
Human Factors and Ergonomics Design
Handbook Third Edition

Please check out this workplace safety
infographic courtesy of Compliance and
Safety:


Page 27


Page 28


Page 29
A last word -

We all have to work hard to get something
done, so why not do it in style? Unless you
are reporting a historical event or recording
a crime as it happens, there is no scenario
where putting your or someone elses life
and health on the line is worth it.

Understanding your body, your tools and the
principles of ergonomics will help you attain
the highest efficiency possible. Its the same
as race cars the safest racing line also
happens to be the fastest.

Enough about ergonomics. Lets get down to
brass tacks.


Page 30
Chapter 3
Lenses

Image courtesy: Bill Ebbesen

The Image Sensor and Basic Lens
Selection

For better or for worse you have decided on
the camera you want to use. Your choice of
camera has a direct bearing on the
availability of lenses for it. The specifications
of your sensor provide some immediate
valuable information:


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Size
Aspect Ratio
Resolution
Pixel Pitch

The following table shows this information
for the cameras chosen:

Since many novices are confused by the
term Super 35mm, I have included one
version of it in the table. Yes, there are


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other versions of Super 35mm as well.
Unless youre shooting film dont waste your
time with it.

As you can see, APS-C sensors are designed
to be in the ball park of the Super 35 3-perf
format. Some manufacturers use the
terminology Super 35 like, instead. The
easiest way to get your head around this
problem is take the sensor dimensions from
the manufacturer, and compare it with this
chart. Done, now lets move on.

The chart is sorted in descending order of
the vertical line pairs/mm (lp/mm). This
information helps in choosing a lens with
similar or better resolution, so that your
images dont appear soft.

Important: Just because the theoretical
numbers line up doesnt mean they will in
practice. There are many factors that affect
sharpness.

If some of these terms dont make sense to
you, head over to Driving Miss Digital right
now and start reading.


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The Image Circle

Lenses usually have well defined image
circles. The sensor you have chosen must fall
within this circle, or the image will vignette
(have dark or black borders).

When a manufacturer designs a lens, they
do it keeping the image circle in mind. They
prefer to know beforehand which sensor the
lens is going to serve. E.g., lenses designed
for Micro Four Third (m43 from here on)
sensors will have smaller image circles than
lenses made for Super 35mm (S35 from
here on) sensors.

If youre using a small sensor camera, you
can adapt lenses made for larger sensors,
under certain conditions.

If you are using a large sensor camera, like
the Red Epic, e.g., you can adapt a lens
made for a smaller image area if you dont
need the full resolution of the sensor. It is
not uncommon for those only wanting 2K
from the 5K Red Epic to use lenses that only
cover a cropped 2K portion of the frame.


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This guide will not be covering such
scenarios.

Unfortunately, one doesnt have the luxury of
testing out all lenses on earth, so there has
to be certain criteria that bring down the list
of possibilities to a more manageable
number.

One such helpful concept is the crop factor.

Crop Factor

The most common film format is 35mm film,
which has an image area of 36mm x 24mm.
Many modern professional grade DSLRs offer
an image sensor of the same size. This is
called a Full Frame Sensor (FF from here
on).

In case youre wondering, there are formats
bigger than 35mm. If youd like to know
more about these, click here.

Since 35mm was the most popular format,
all the other film formats are compared to
this gold standard. This applies to lenses as


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well. The crop factor is one way to directly
compare lenses. How?

While comparing two sensors of different
sizes, the ratio of a particular dimension (like
length, breadth or diagonal) of one sensor to
the other sensor is the crop factor.

If youre comparing the BMCC camera sensor
to a FF Canon 5D Mark III, the crop factor,
based on the ratio of the diagonal, is
43.27/18.13 = 2.39.

It is a confusing term but luckily youll only
have to make these calculations once.

Take a look at the following table:


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The third column is the diagonal size of the
sensor, in mm.

FF has a diagonal of 43.27mm, and this is
divided by each sensors diagonal to get the
diagonal crop factor (d Crop Factor) for that
sensor.

When someone says so and so sensor has a
crop factor of 1.6, e.g., they are usually


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comparing the size of that sensor to 35mm
FF. In this case, the diagonal of this sensor is
1.6 times smaller than FF.

There is no law that says you have to
compare to 35mm FF. You can compare any
two sensors this way. Traditionally, though,
most people use this term in reference to FF
only.

Ive also added the horizontal crop factor (h
Crop Factor) because thats what I prefer. Ill
tell you why shortly.

Important: The diagonal of each sensor tells
you the image circle that a lens needs to
cover. Sometimes, even though a sensor is a
certain size, it wont use all the pixels for the
image. Furthermore, some RAW processing
algorithms take into account the last row and
column of pixels in their calculations, but
dont display them in the final image.

Before you can use the crop factor to start
looking for lenses, youll need to understand
why it matters. Lets start with the angle of
view of a lens.


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Angle of View

The coverage of a scene you want to see on
the final image is determined by the angle of
view a focal length provides on a given
sensor.

The angle of view is dependent on the focal
length and the position of the camera, of
course. But it is also dependent on the size
of the sensor.

If you want to know how Angle of View
works, take a quick look here:
http://wolfcrow.com/blog/notes-by-dr-
optoglass-angle-of-view-and-aspect-ratio/

As you can imagine, there are three angles
to cover the horizontal, the vertical and the
diagonal. Which is the most important is for
you to decide. When I think of coverage, I
give the greatest priority to the horizontal
width of a scene, and this is why I prefer the
horizontal crop factor.

For the sake of simplicity Ill stick to the
horizontal angle of view (AOV) from here on.


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Lets say a 50mm lens has a horizontal AOV
of 40 on a FF sensor. If I want to use this
lens on a Blackmagic Cinema Camera
(BMCC), I will divide this angle by the h crop
factor (2.28), which means the same lens on
this sensor will give me an angle of view of
17.5.

On a 35mm FF sensor, 17.5 corresponds to
a 110mm lens approximately. This brings us
to the next topic. Hang in there!

The 35mm Equivalent

Since the tradition is to compare everything
to 35mm FF, then why not lens focal lengths
too?

In our last example, a 50mm lens will give
us the same angle of view as a 110mm lens
if used on a BMCC camera. Therefore, one
says that the 35mm equivalent focal length
of a 40mm lens on a BMCC is about 110mm.

Instead of dealing with angles of view
directly, the most accepted method is to
directly multiply the crop factor to the focal


Page 40
length. In this case, 50mm x 2.28 =
114mm.

This is not an exact science, so you shouldnt
be surprised if the figures dont add up
precisely. The reason for this is that a 50mm
from one manufacturer might have a slightly
different angle of view than a 50mm lens
from another manufacturer, for various
reasons.

Remember, lens design is more an aesthetic
choice than a mathematical one. In the end,
the imagery a lens produces is the subjective
opinion of one person or a group of
individuals responsible for its design.

Its not a high-roller club, no matter what
marketing and fan boys will lead you to
believe. If the lens doesnt get the image
you want, in the way you want it, dump it.

For me, the aesthetic quality of a lens, which
is notoriously subjective, is of prime
consideration. In fact, it might be more
important than the sensor Ill be using.


Page 41
One more thing: 35mm equivalent
traditionally refers to lenses compared to a
FF sensor, and never to Super 35 or any
other variant. When I speak of 35mm
equivalent, Im always comparing it to FF
35mm.

Long story short:

Crop factor is a method of comparing
the sensor of your camera to 35mm FF.
The 35mm equivalent is a method of
comparing the AOV of a lens on your
sensor to its AOV on a 35mm FF
sensor.
From sensor dimensions find the crop
factor.
Sometimes lenses are rated in 35mm
equivalents. When they arent, use the
crop factor on the focal length to find
the 35mm equivalent focal length.
Using knowledge about AOV on a FF
35mm sensor, estimate the AOV for
your sensor.

If you dont want to go through so much
trouble, then you can use a mobile app, like


Page 42
the Artemis Directors Viewfinder for IOS and
Android.

The lens mount

The lens mount is a construction that allows
a lens to be attached to the camera body, so
that it is correctly aligned to the sensor, at
the right distance, to take full advantage of
the combination.

Image Courtesy: Nebrot


Page 43
A lens mount can also have other useful
features, like electrical contacts (the gold
contacts in the image) that pass on lens
information to the camera circuitry, or a
holder for filters (the square groove in the
middle), etc.

Flange Focal Distance

The distance from the lens mount to the
sensor is called the Flange Focal Distance.
Since any given lens is designed to have a
fixed image circle, any change in the flange
focal distance will change the size of this
circle.

Therefore, the flange focal distance is a fixed
property as far as a lens mount is concerned.
Sensors and lenses come and go, but lens
mounts are meant to last forever.

Yet, there have been cases of major camera
manufacturers changing or abandoning their
long entrenched lens mounts, causing untold
grief and suffering on countless souls who
invested in them over the years.


Page 44
Heres a table that shows the cameras
chosen for this guide, and the lens mounts
on them:

Heres information on each mount, in
increasing order of the focal flange distance:

Mounts
Focal Flange Distance
in mm
C C-Mount 17.526
E Sony E-mount 18


Page 45
FZ Sony PMW-F3
mount
18
m43 Micro Four
Thirds mount
19.25
M Leica M mount 27.8
FT Four Thirds
mount
38.67
FD Canon Manual FD
mount
42
EF Canon EOS EF
mount
44
EF-S Canon EOS EF-
S mount
44
A Minolta/Sony A-
mount
44.5
K Pentax K-mount 45.46
F Nikon F-mount 46.5
R Leica R-mount 47
PL Arri PL mount 52
PV Panavision mount 57.15

Lens Adapters

What do you do with the flange focal
distance? Simple, the rule of thumb is: the


Page 46
lower this distance, the more universal your
mount. What does that mean?

E.g., You cant use Canon EF mount lenses
on a Nikon DSLR like the D800, because the
F-mount is designed so that the mount sticks
46.5mm away from the sensor; while the EF
mount needs 44mm to work the way it is
designed to. One will have to break the F
mount to the get the lens 2.5mm closer to
the sensor.

On the other hand, you can use Nikon glass
on a Canon EF mount with an adapter whose
width will make up the difference.

You might be able to use a lens not designed
for your camera, if the focal flange distance
of the lens is greater than the focal flange
distance of your camera mount. However,
this is not universally true.

There are other factors which determine
which lenses can be adapted to which
mounts. One of these is the fact that some
lenses have protruding elements that move
when focusing or zooming, etc. This
protrusion is acceptable because the flange


Page 47
focal distance the lens is designed for will
take this into account. However, using such a
lens on a camera like the Sony FS100, with
its 18mm flange focal distance, might cause
the protrusion to scratch the sensor.

Just because a smaller flange focal distance
is more universal doesnt mean it is always
ideal. One of the advantages of having a
large flange focal distance is that the sensor
is safely tucked away in the camera body,
protecting it from dust and the elements
while changing lenses, etc.

The device that allows a lens designed for
one mount to fit another mount is a Lens
Adapter:


Page 48

Other than the physical nature of the
connection, adapters can also provide
electrical contacts to pass on information
from the lens to the camera.

However, this does not always work well in
practice, because a camera circuitry is
usually only designed to read and
understand the data coming from lenses by
the same manufacturer. There are also
patent and licensing issues on cutting edge
technologies like auto focus, image
stabilization, sound dampening, etc. The


Page 49
trend in the digital age has always been of
protecting proprietary information rather
than sharing it, so assume incompatibility
until proven otherwise.

Using a manual lens (with no electronic
circuitry or wizardry inside) is easy if the
physics allow for it. In some cases, an older
manual lens encased in metal is a much
better alternative for video work when
compared to the plastic digital equivalent
that the manufacturer provides.

When buying an adapter, always check to
see if the lens focuses on infinity; if your
intention is to make the lens work exactly as
it would on the mount it was designed for.

Study the adapter to see what optical
compromises it is making to make the
physical connection possible. Sometimes
adapters only work well over a limited
aperture range, or dont pass on the full
contrast range, etc. Make sure what youre
getting into, especially if the adapter costs
more than the lens!


Page 50
Ive had limited success with adapters,
especially cheap versions, so if you just want
a manual dumb adapter, they might be
good enough.

Considerations:

Precise machining
Strength to handle heavy unbalanced
systems
Infinity focus
Electronic compatibility using CPU
contacts
Aperture control
TTL metering

Here are a few established manufacturers
who sell a range of adapters:

Mount Adapters/Manufacturers
Sony E-mount
Sony, Voigtlander,
Cinevate, Metabones, MTF,
Novoflex, Leitax
FZ Sony
PMW-F3
mount
Sony


Page 51
Micro Four
Thirds mount
Fotodiox, Novoflex, Zeiss,
Voigtlander
Canon EOS EF
mount
Fotodiox, Novoflex, Leitax,
Schneider
Canon EOS
EF-S mount
Fotodiox, Novoflex, Leitax
Sony A-mount Leitax, Fotodiox
Nikon F-
mount
Leitax, Fotodiox, Schneider
PL mount
MTF, Engineers who
specialize in custom-made
solutions for adapting
Medium Format lenses

The bottom line is, unless you are
experienced enough to have strong
preferences for certain third-party lenses, I
suggest you stick to the lenses directly made
for the mounts of your camera body. It is not
uncommon for Hollywood DPs to have
custom mounts made to adapt specialized
lenses for a certain effect. They have the
budgets, so why not? The ultimate example
of this is Stanley Kubricks use of a Zeiss lens
made for NASA, with an f-stop of f/0.7!


Page 52
Only when direct options are unacceptable
should you consider adapting lenses. Why?

Youll probably need one adapter for each
lens you intend to use. Constantly switching
the adapter might loosen the adapter, or chip
the adapter or the mount. Plus, youll be
carrying two rear lens caps. Not fun.

I will have to stress that you do your own
research, read reviews written by others and
perform your own measurements and tests
before purchasing any adapter for a
professional shoot. The selection of an
adapter is as critical as the selection of a
lens.

Extension Tubes

A good lens will focus about a foot away.
Sometimes, though, that isnt enough. If
youre shooting insects, product shots of
small objects, etc., youll need to focus a lot
closer.

For this reason we have adapters that extend
the distance between the sensor and the


Page 53
back element of the lens. These are called
Extension Tubes.

Extension tubes come in various lengths,
depending on the effect you want. They are
also designed to be stacked together for
greater length. These tubes are a cheap way
to make a lens a macro lens.

When in doubt, buy the extension tube made
by the manufacturer of the lens you are
using. Canon, Nikon and Sony all supply
extension tubes for their mounts, and theres


Page 54
usually no reason to opt for third-party
systems. Third-party manufacturers known
to make cheap but reliable extension tubes
are Kenko, Fotodiox, and Zeikos.

If youre doing a lot of macro work, then it is
much better to get a macro lens instead.
Increasing the distance after a certain point
reduces the light falling on the sensor. Also
remember what I said about the image
circle.

Bottom line: Dont go crazy with extension
tubes. Use them sparingly, and with full
intent.

Aperture

I dont consider any lens with a maximum f-
number greater than 2.8 (f/2.8) a
professional lens for video.

Whoa! Its just my preference. Im sure
there are many who disagree with me. Im
not talking about image quality!

There might a shot where youre absolutely
certain youll have enough light to shoot at


Page 55
f/5.6, say, but due to unforeseen factors you
are forced to wait till dusk to shoot the same
scene. If you brought along a lens with a
maximum aperture of f/4, and if that isnt
enough for the light you have available, then
youre in trouble.

Similar problems can happen in controlled
lighting scenarios as well. Contrary to
popular belief, you can exhaust all your
lights in a truck and still have insufficient
light for the exposure you want.

Tough luck? No, plain unprofessionalism.
Ever heard the phrase: Failing to plan is
planning to fail? A professional has to take
into consideration any contingency.

I can understand cash-starved indie
filmmakers making such compromises. Ive
done it, too. But a professional can never
afford to make such a compromise.

It doesnt mean the other lenses cant get
the job done, if you have enough light
available. What do you think Greg Toland
and Orson Welles would have done if they
hadnt been able to achieve deep


Page 56
photography? Would they have abandoned
Citizen Kane? Of course not, they would have
shot at a larger aperture with shallow DOF.

Video production is too expensive to subject
it to whims and lucky breaks. Directors and
Cinematographers dont have that kind of
luxury.

ISO

Many modern-day sensors are rated at about
ISO 800. Some DSLRs are rated at ISO 100
or ISO 200, and will behave differently when
compared to the Arri Alexa, which is rated at
ISO 800. Heres a list of cameras and their
full range of ISOs:


Page 57


Page 58
We all pine for the day when well have full
control over our depth of field, and dont
have to stop up or stop down due to lighting
issues.

However, at the time of this writing, ISO
1600 is still the limit for usable professional
videography. This makes having a lens with
an f-stop of at least f/2.8 almost mandatory
for professionals.

If exposures and f-stops and ISOs dont
make sense to you, now would be a good
time to read Driving Miss Digital.

How I select lenses for Long Form
Projects

A long form project (its a word I cooked up)
is one which will have several shots spread
across many days and locations under many
different lighting conditions. These could be
features, documentaries, a wedding video
business, etc.

The key problem with long form projects is
that you might not always be able to switch


Page 59
your gear midstream. If you havent packed
it, youll have to make do without it.

If you have an unlimited budget, you could
buy all the lenses in a particular range (like L
glass from Canon) and lug that around. But
not all of us have an unlimited budget, or a
spine made of steel.

This is the critical point that all working
professionals face. How much is enough?
The preceding section talked about planning
for contingencies, but just like it doesnt
mean all lenses should be f/1, you dont
have to carry every lens on planet earth.

Sometimes the choice also boils down to
prime vs zoom lenses. If you are strictly
after aesthetic quality a simple test might
decide it. But if your usage scenario is more
vague (maybe youre making corporate
videos and you dont know where the client
will send you), then it becomes a nerve-
wracking exercise.

If it comes down to that, my methodology
might help:


Page 60
1. List all the shots you are likely to take (or
need). This is mandatory on most
productions anyway. For each setup or shot,
I list the focal length and the f-stop. If you
cant decide, write down more than one. Its
okay. This is what it may look like:


Page 61
I use Microsoft Excel for all my spreadsheet
work, but you can use a pen and paper too.
The advantage of spreadsheets is that the
next step becomes easier:

2. Sort the list according to focal lengths,
and then do a second sort of f-stops within
each focal length.

It should look something like the table on
the left:

3. You could convert that into a graph, but
its not necessary. The idea is to see which
focal lengths are used the most, and what
the maximum f-stop requirements are, for
those focal lengths.

Important: Sometimes productions happen
in schedules, and it might be a good idea to


Page 62
limit your lists within each schedule so you
dont lug everything around unnecessarily.

4. From the chart or graph, youll be able to
tell which focal lengths are critical, i.e., youll
find your bread and butter focal lengths and
apertures.

Heres a rule of thumb:

Invest more in your bread and butter focal
lengths and apertures.

You will need all your lenses anyway. The
point is to find out how to distribute your
time, attention and budget for maximum
productivity and efficiency.

This evaluation will also point out any lenses
or apertures that are used for only one or
two shots do you really need them? Can
you make do without them? It forces you to
streamline your thought process, and to be
more objective in your selection.

5. Lets say youve considered all
possibilities, and you have a final list that


Page 63
you are sure will cover your particular usage
scenario.

Nows the time the list will tell you whether a
zoom lens or a prime lens might be a better
investment.

Aesthetic criteria aside, heres the rule:

If you have a range of bunched up focal
lengths with similar maximum apertures,
then get one zoom lens that covers this
range.

Corollary:

If your focal length stands alone, or has a
unique aperture requirement, get a prime.

6. Rinse and Repeat eliminate every
redundant possibility. You can ask all sorts of
questions with this method. It is flexible
enough to adapt to many scenarios or
projects.

7. Finally, if there are still any more doubts,
comparing these characteristics should give
you your winners:


Page 64
Focus Mechanism
Aperture Control Mechanism
Weather Protection
Bokeh
Acutance
Contrast
Aberrations
Distortions
Flare Characteristics
Replacement and Warranty
Resale Value
Budget

Budget is last because it allows you to focus
on your art. How? You will appreciate why
the look you want requires an expensive
lens. You will also have a clear idea of what
compromises youll have to make to get a
lens within your budget. Otherwise youre
just prey to clever marketing.

In the end, youll know exactly what lenses
you need and at what apertures.

Will this make you perfect? No. Will it give
you confidence? Yes, you bet it will.


Page 65
I use this line of reasoning and analysis even
on smaller projects. Why not? Its fun, and
faster with a spreadsheet. With enough
experience under your belt, you will be well-
set on the road to lens mastery!

Recommended Lenses

This is not meant to be lens compendium,
only a pointer a nudge in the right
direction.

If you have followed by methodology, or if
you are experienced, you will challenge
many of my suggestions. Thats a good
thing.

An explanation before I start: Ultrawide is
anything wider than 18mm (in 35mm
equivalent). Wide is between 18mm and
35mm. Medium is 35mm to 70mm.
Telephoto is 85mm to 300mm. Anything over
300mm is Super Telephoto. These are just
generalized demarcations.

The millimeter count in brackets is the
35mm equivalent of the listed lenses.


Page 66
m43 Mount Panasonic GH2/GH3,
Blackmagic Cinema Camera MTF

Lets start with the BMCC, since at the time
of this writing, it only offers a dumb MTF
mount. It also has the smallest sensor from
among our chosen cameras, so finding wide
angles for it is tough.

The BMCC sensor is too big for C-mount,
Super 16mm, 16mm, 2/3? CCD, 1/2? CCD
and 1/3? CCD lenses most of these lenses
will vignette. You might find a freak lens
that has a large enough image circle but Id
say thats a long shot.

As mentioned earlier, by using Super 16
lenses, you could crop the image to a 2K or
1080p format but Im not covering such
scenarios.


Page 67
The beauty of m43 is it can take many kinds
of lenses with adapters. There are excellent
choices available. Youll find many old world
manual lenses, each with its own charms
and quirks.

Blackmagic Design Cinema
Camera MTF

Primes

Ultrawide Sunex 5.6mm f/5.6
Fisheye with Adapter
(13mm)
Rokinon 7.5mm f/3.5
UMC Fisheye (17mm)
Both will need fixing in
post
Wide SLR Magic HyperPrime
Cine 12mm T/1.6 (28mm)
Medium Zeiss Distagon T* 15mm
f/2.8 ZE with adapter
(35mm)
Voigtlander Nokton
17.5mm f/0.95 (40mm)
Voigtlander 25mm Nokton
f/0.95 (58mm)


Page 68
Voigtlander Ultron 35mm
f/1.7 (80mm)
Zeiss CP.2 Primes
Telephoto SLR Magic Noktor 50mm
f/0.95 (115mm)
Leica M 90mm f/2.5 with
adapter (200mm)
adapter (300mm)
Super
Telephoto
Canon Super Telephoto L
Series Primes with
adapter

Zooms

Wide Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 with
adapter (25-37mm)
Medium Zeiss LWZ.2 15.5-45 T/2.6
(35-100mm)
Panasonic 14-150mm f/3.5-
5.6 OIS with adapter (32-
350mm)
Leica Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-
21mm f/4 with adapter (37-
41-50mm)


Page 69
Telephoto Vivitar series 1 70-210mm
f/3.5 with adapter (160-
480mm)
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L
IS II USM with adapter
(160-460mm)

Lets move on to the Panasonic cameras.
There are better options here, especially
because the aperture can be controlled
electronically.

On the flip side, lenses made specifically for
m43 tend to be smaller, lighter and harder to
use for focus pullers, especially when not
rigged with a follow focus system.


Page 70
Panasonic GH2/GH3

Primes

(13mm)
Rokinon 7.5mm f/3.5 UMC
Fisheye (17mm)
post
Wide SLR Magic HyperPrime
Cine 12mm T/1.6 (24mm)
Olympus M. Zuiko Digital
ED 12mm f/2.0 (24mm)
Voigtlander Nokton
17.5mm f/0.95 (35mm)
Medium Panasonics Leica DG
Summilux 25mm f/1.4
(50mm)
Voigtlander 25mm Nokton
f/0.95 (50mm)
Voigtlander Ultron 35mm
f/1.7 (70mm)
Zeiss CP.2 Primes
Telephoto SLR Magic Noktor 50mm
f/0.95 (100mm)


Page 71
adapter (180mm)
adapter (270mm)
Super
Telephoto
Series Primes with adapter

Zooms

Wide Panasonic 7-14mm f/4.0 (14-
28mm)
Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 with
adapter (22-32mm)
Medium Zeiss LWZ.2 15.5-45 T/2.6
(31-90mm)
Panasonic Lumix G X Vario
12-35mm f/2.8 (24-70mm)
Leica Tri-Elmar-M 16-18-
21mm f/4 with adapter (32-
36-42mm)
Telephoto Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8
Lumix G Vario (70-200mm)
IS II USM with adapter (140-
400mm)


Page 72
m43 sensors are the most demanding when
it comes to resolution, and lenses made
specifically for m43 need to be the best
possible.

F-Mount Nikon D4/D800E/D800/D600

The beauty of the Nikon F-mount is that its
quite old, and Nikon has an excellent line-up
of lenses, both old and new, that will
perform sufficiently well for video work.

Nikon D4/D800E/D800/D600

Primes

Ultrawide Nikon 10.5mm f/2.8G ED
AF DX Fisheye
Wide Nikon 24mm f/1.4G ED
AF-S RF SWM
Zeiss CP.2 Primes


Page 73
Medium Samyang 35mm f/1.4
Nikon 50mm f/1.4G SIC
SW
Zeiss CP.2 Primes
Telephoto Nikon 85mm f/1.4D AF
Zeiss CP.2 Primes
Nikon 200mm f/2G AF-S
ED VR II
Super
Telephoto
Nikon Super Telephoto
Primes

Zooms

Wide Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED
AF-S
Medium Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
AF-S
Telephoto Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G ED
VR II AF-S

Nikon recommends these lenses in the
technical guide as being acceptable for the
Nikon D800 and D800E (for stills, all lenses
AF-S):


Page 74
1424 mm f/2.8G ED
2470 mm f/2.8G ED
70200 mm f/2.8G ED VR II
1635 mm f/4G ED VR
24120 mm f/4G ED VR
200400 mm f/4G ED VR II
24 mm f/1.4G ED
35 mm f/1.4G
85 mm f/1.4G
200 mm f/2G ED VR II
300 mm f/2.8G ED VR II
400 mm f/2.8G ED VR
500 mm f/4G ED VR
600 mm f/4G ED VR
Micro NIKKOR 60 mm f/2.8G ED
VR Micro-Nikkor 105 mm f/2.8G IF-ED

According to Nikon, diffraction effects are
visible at f/11, beyond which images will get
softer. Its strange not to see a single 50mm
on this list!

Note: Nikons list is only for the D800, not
for the D4 or D600.


Page 75
EF and EF-S Mount Canon 1DX/5D
Mark III/6D/7D/650D/600D/550D

One could argue that the Canon EF mount is
the hottest mount of this decade.

Look at its scope from the small BMCC
sensor to APS-C sized sensors that resolve
700 vertical lines (DSLRs 1080p) and 1000
vertical lines (C300/C100 1080p), to the
same sized sensors resolving 5K (Red Epic),
to FF sensors resolving 700 vertical lines
(DSLRs 1080p).

This ubiquity and exposure gives EF mount
users the greatest options when it comes to
adapters and lenses, not as much as m43
mounts, but close enough.

Obviously this also means my suggestions
for this mount will be the most controversial.


Page 76
Keep in mind, FF cameras cannot take EF-S
lenses, only EF lenses; and APS-C sensors
are more demanding in terms of resolution!

Canon 550D/600D/650D/60D/7D

Primes

Ultrawide Rokinon 8mm Cine T/3.8
Fisheye (13mm)
Canon 10mm f/2.8 EX DC
HSM Fisheye (16mm)
Will need fixing in post
Wide Samyang Cine 14mm
T/3.1 (22mm)
Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L
UD Tilt-Shift (28mm)
Zeiss 18mm f/3.5
Distagon T* ZE (29mm)
Zeiss CP.2 Primes Set
Canon EF 20mm f/2.8
USM (32mm)
Medium Rokinon 24mm f/1.4
(39mm)
Samyang 35mm T/1.5
Cine (56mm)
Canon TS-E 24mm f/3.5L


Page 77
II Tilt-Shift (39mm)
Zeiss ZE Series Set
Telephoto Zeiss ZE Series Set
Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II
USM (135mm)
Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L
IS USM Macro (160mm)
Super
Telephoto
Series Primes

Zooms

Wide Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 (18-
26mm)
Medium Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II
USM (25-56mm)
Tamron AF 17-50mm F/2.8
XR Di-II LD SP (28-80mm)
USM (39-112mm)
Telephoto Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L
IS II USM (112-320mm)


Page 78
Canon 6D/5D Mark III/1DX

Primes

Fisheye
HSM Fisheye
Samyang Cine 14mm
T/3.1
Wide Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L
UD Tilt-Shift
Canon EF 20mm f/2.8
USM
Rokinon 24mm f/1.4
II Tilt-Shift
Medium Samyang 35mm T/1.5
Cine
Zeiss ZE Series Set
USM


Page 79
IS USM Macro
Super
Telephoto
Series Primes

Zooms

Wide Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II
USM
Medium Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L
USM
IS II USM

In the next part well look at EF lenses for
the BMCC and the Red and EOS Cinema
cameras.

EF and EF-S Mount Blackmagic Cinema
Camera, Canon C100/C300/C500, Red
Epic, Red Scarlet

A lot of people are complaining about the EF
mount for the BMCC sensor. The widest non-
distorted lens for the EF mount is the Sigma
8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM FLD AF, which at


Page 80
the wide end is about 19 mm in 35mm
equivalent.

The thing is, even regular B4 bayonet lens or
C-mount lens goes only as wide as about 8
mm on average, and the really wide ones (4
to 5 mm or so) are so expensive one is
better off shooting with a Red Epic. Also,
dont forget that the electronics on these
lenses might not work as required.

Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera EF

Primes

(13mm)
post
Wide Zeiss Distagon T* 15mm
f/2.8 ZE (35mm)
(55mm)
Rokinon 35mm f/1.4
(80mm)
Zeiss 25mm f/2 Distagon


Page 81
T* ZE (58mm)
Zeiss 35mm f/2 Distagon
T* ZE (80mm)
Zeiss CP.2 Primes
Telephoto Zeiss ZE Planar T* 50mm
f/1.4 (115mm)
Zeiss 85mm f/1.4 Planar
T* ZE (196mm)
Zeiss CP.2 Primes
Super
Telephoto
Canon EF 135mm f/2 L
USM (310mm)
Series Primes

Zooms

Wide Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC
HSM FLD AF (18-37mm)
Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 (25-
37mm)
Medium Tamron AF 17-50mm F/2.8
XR Di-II LD SP (39-115mm)
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II
USM (37-80mm)
USM (55-161mm)


Page 82

You might want to know why I havent
mentioned Nikon or Leica R glass for the
BMCC. As far as I know, the performance
differences of 35mm SLR lenses are only
visible when used with sensors that demand
perfection across the entire image circle.
Most of these differences vanish with sensors
like the one BMCC has, which only
challenges the center portion of the circle
the strongest part of most high-end lenses.

The lenses for the BMCC must resolve at
least 50 lp/mm in practical terms thats a
high quality lens indeed. Luckily, most good
EF lenses resolve that much in the central
portion. You dont have to worry much about
corner distortion or vignetting.

Now we come to the 4K+ Super 35mm
sensors, which demand the best lenses.
These cameras are not very forgiving when it
comes to focusing mistakes or lack of
sharpness. Im using a general crop factor of
1.5x.


Page 83
Red Epic/Scarlet, Canon
C100/C300/C500

Primes

Fisheye (12mm)
HSM Fisheye (15mm)
Samyang Cine 14mm
T/3.1 (21mm)
Wide Canon TS-E 17mm f/4L
UD Tilt-Shift (25mm)
Zeiss 18mm f/3.5
Distagon T* ZE (27mm)
Canon EF 20mm f/2.8
USM (30mm)
(36mm)
II Tilt-Shift (36mm)
Samyang 35mm T/1.5
Cine (53mm)
Zeiss ZE Series Set


Page 84
USM (128mm)
IS USM Macro (150mm)
Super
Telephoto
Series Primes

Zooms

Wide Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 (17-
24mm)
Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II
USM (24-53mm)
Medium Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L
USM (36-105mm)

E-Mount Sony NEX FS100/FS700
The biggest complaint about E-mount lenses
is that there are too few of them. As we


Page 85
have seen, there are good adapters for other
mounts so you wont notice it too much.

Sony NEX FS100/FS700
Primes
Ultrawide Sigma 10mm f/2.8 EX DC
HSM Fisheye with Adapter
(15mm)
Wide Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 with
Adapter (21mm)
Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T*
E 24mm F1.8 ZA (36mm)
Zeiss CP.2 Primes
Medium Sony 35mm f/1.4 G Series
with Adapter (53mm)


Page 86
Zeiss CP.2 Primes
Sony 50mm f/1.8 (75mm)
Telephoto Sony 85mm f1.4 Carl Zeiss
Planar T with Adapter
(128mm)
Sony 135mm f/1.8 Carl
Zeiss Sonnar T with
Adapter (203mm)
Zeiss CP.2 Primes
Super
Telephoto
Primes with Adapters
Sony G Series 300mm
f/2.8 with Adapter
(450mm)
Sony G Series 500mm
f/4.0 with Adapter
(750mm)
Zooms
Wide Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 with
Adapter (17-24mm)
Sony 16-50mm f/2.8 with
Adapter (24-75mm)
Zunow Super Wide Angle 11-
16mm f/2.8 (17-24mm)


Page 87
Medium Sony 24 -70mm f/2.8 Carl
Zeiss Vario Sonnar with
Adapter (36-105mm)
Sony E-mount 18-200mm
f/3.5-6.3 OSS (27-300mm)
Telephoto Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 SSM
with Adapter (105-300mm)
A-Mount Sony SLT-A99
With the Sony A99 Sony has entered the
video DSLR (or DSLT) game. Sony A-mount
lenses are second to none.

On the negative side (if you want to call it
that) Zeiss CP.2 lenses are not available for
the A-mount.


Page 88
Sony A99
Primes
Ultrawide Sigma 10mm f/2.8 EX DC
HSM Fisheye
Wide Rokinon 14mm f/2.8
Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T*
E 24mm F1.8 ZA
Medium Sony 35mm f/1.4 G
Series
Sony 50mm f/1.8
Telephoto Sony 85mm f1.4 Carl
Zeiss Planar T
Sony 135mm f/1.8 Carl
Zeiss Sonnar T
Super
Telephoto
Primes with Adapters
Sony G Series 300mm
f/2.8
Sony G Series 500mm
f/4.0
Zooms
Wide Sony 16-50mm f/2.8


Page 89
Medium Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 Carl
Zeiss Vario Sonnar
Telephoto Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 SSM

PL Mount Red Epic/Scarlet, Arri Alexa,
Sony PMW F3, Sony F65

Shooting with the PL mount means you have
access to the best Cinema lenses money can
buy. Some would argue whether these are
any better optically over still camera lenses.
After all, still camera lenses need to resolve
higher detail, especially in medium format
systems and FF DSLRs.


Page 90

For me, the biggest advantage of PL lenses is
their construction. They are made for heavy
duty video use, and are designed to last a
lifetime. On the flip side, they are expensive
as hell.

For simplicity sake, Im assuming a crop
factor of 1.4x.

One of the oddest things is that the Arri PL
(Positive Lock) mount has the most options
when it comes to lenses! One could say it is
the most universal mount. However, some
lens manufacturers place their electrical
contacts differently, so make sure your
adapter or mount is the right orientation.
Im going to change my system just a bit:

Red Epic/Scarlet, Arri Alexa, Sony F3,
Sony F65

Primes

Top of the
Line
Arri Master Primes T/1.3
from 12mm to 150mm (17-
210mm)


Page 91
Cooke S5/i Primes T1.4 from
18mm to 135mm (25-
190mm)
Other
great
options
Arri Ultra Primes T/1.9
(except for a few) from
8mm to 180mm (12-
250mm)
Zeiss CP.2 15mm to 135mm
(21-190mm)
Red Pro T1.8 18mm to
300mm (25-420mm)
Cooke S4/i T/2 12mm to
300mm (17-420mm)
Schneider-Kreuznach Cine-
Xenar 18mm to 95mm at
about T/2.0 (25-135mm)
Panavision Primo T1.9
10mm to 150mm (14-
210mm)

Zooms

Wide Angenieux Optimo 15-40mm
T/2.6 (21-56mm)
Fujifilm 14.5-45mm T/2.0
(20-63mm)


Page 92
Medium Zeiss Master 16.5-110mm
T/2.6 (23-150mm)
Angenieux Optimo 19.5-
94mm T/2.2 (28-132mm)
Fujifilm 18-85mm T/2.0 (25-
120mm)
Telephoto Angenieux Optimo 28-
340mm T/2.8 (40-475mm)

When you compare the best lenses, theres
hardly anything technical to distinguish
between them. I personally dont have the
experience or eye to see any tangible earth-
shattering differences, and Ive seen many
tests.

You will do well to remember that an exotic
lens might perform extremely well in tests
but will it be available to you? There are
thousands of cameras sold every year, yet
the number of exotic lenses are limited. Why
waste time running after unicorns, unless
you have millions of dollars to spend on your
feature film?

Frankly, let me stop here with a few thoughts
on testing. You can test a lens quantitatively


Page 93
(using charts, projectors, etc) or qualitatively
(prints, monitors, eye, etc.) There is no
universally accepted system of judging the
aesthetic merits of a lens.

Let me repeat: There is no universally
accepted system of judging the aesthetic
merits of a lens.

Unless you show people the same frame side
by side, nobody will know or care what you
left on the table. Do people think about the
words you erased from your script? Do they
think about the actor you didnt cast? Do
they think about the f-stop you didnt use?
So why spend your valuable time over
comparisons? It takes years of experience
just to be able to make a proper comparison.
And it takes an equal number of years to
judge a proper comparison!

My advice? Its not worth getting into if
youre starting out. When starting out,
choose a solid, reliable option, using my
methodology if that suits you, and start
working!


Page 94
Wisdom will come. Just not on a fixed
schedule.

Dont wait for it.

Lens and Body Caps

Every lens should have a Front Cap and a
Rear Cap. I strongly recommend having both
caps for each lens in your kit. Resist the urge
to play passing the parcel.


Page 95

The other important cap is the Body Cap:

You might be surprised how many people
forget this while packing gear. Those who
dont forget usually lose them! Make a habit
of always storing lenses with their caps on
either end and you should be okay.


Page 96
Body caps protect the sensor while youre
transporting the camera without lenses; or
while youre changing lenses.

Camera mounts usually come with a turret
body cap these are screwed on tightly to
the mount, similar to how you would lock on
a lens. I recommend having at least two of
them.

Before winding up this section, here are
some excellent resources for more
information:

Driving Miss Digital
Wikipedia Camera Lens
Wikipedia Camera Lens Design

Check out these videos too:

A Basic Introduction to Lenses
10 Lens Shootout between Red Scarlet
and Canon 5D Mark II
Making Leica Lenses

For excellent books on selecting and working
with lenses, click here.


Page 97
Chapter 4
Filters and Matte Boxes

Ideally, one would want the light to pass
through a lens directly onto the sensor,
without bouncing around anywhere. To this
end, the interiors of lenses and sensors are
painted jet black. The lens mount is designed
to be a twist-lock (screw or bayonet) system
so that it is not the weak link in this chain.

Yet, there is one weak link in this chain.
The weak link is the front of the lens. Light
falls into the lens from the scene you are
aiming at, but it also spills in from the sides.

In general, this effect is called Flare.


Page 98

Image Courtesy: Photograph by Linus Lvholm 2003

Flare

Flare always happens. Sometimes it
manifests itself as solar or lens flare, a bright
spot of light with circular bands, and is easy
to see. Mostly, though, it is not very obvious,
and the effect reduces the contrast of an
image.

Rule of thumb: You only want a loss in
contrast if youre aiming for it. Otherwise,


Page 99
you generally want the best contrast possible
from a lens.

To cut down on flare, you need to cut out
unwanted light hitting the front element of a
lens. Sometimes it is unavoidable, especially
if youre shooting directly at a light source
like the sun or a bulb, etc. Most of the time,
though, you can do a lot to minimize its
effect.

Lens Hood

The simplest way to cut unwanted light is to
screw on a lens hood:

Each lens usually has its own corresponding
lens hood. These are designed differently
according to the AOV and other optical


Page 100
characteristics of a lens. Stick to the one the
manufacturer recommends.

Its effect is hard to monitor on a tiny LCD
screen or optical viewfinder, but it helps
nonetheless. Photographers might prefer to
leave it behind, considering what image
processing software is capable of nowadays.

Filmmakers though, dont want to sit and
tweak each frame, especially when there are
24 or more of them per second of footage!
For this reason I recommend you use a lens
hood all the time. It wont hurt your image,
and it will also protect your lens if you
happen to drop it head first.

So youve cut out unwanted light. Good.
Lets talk about the light entering your lens-
sensor optical system.

Filters

One of the most important pieces of gear
that enhances, improves or modifies the light
is the filter, usually made of glass or plastic.


Page 101

Image Courtesy: Ashley Pomeroy

Filters can be placed in front of the lens or at
the back. Its a question of whether you want
to modify the light prior to its entering the
lens of after it has left the lens.

E.g., many cameras have ND filters between
the lens and the sensor. As we have seen
earlier, some camera mounts have slots for


Page 102
filters if you want to manipulate the light
that has left the lens. Sensors themselves
have color filter arrays (CFA), etc.

In this guide, Ill only cover filters that
manipulate the light before it hits the lens. I
use the term Filter to signify a device that
can be removed by the professional and
used when necessary.

Filters can do many cool things, but for the
purposes of this guide, Ill stick to these
major types:

Ultraviolet (UV) Filter
Polarizing Filter
Neutral Density (ND) Filter
Diffusion Filter

The key thing to do at this point is to decide
whether you need filters or not.

UV Filters

UV light might cause haziness in the sensor.
A UV filter tries to cut out ultraviolet (UV)
light, while passing everything else.


Page 103
There are strong UV filters that cut out haze,
but with side effects. Most of the time,
though, UV filters are harmless filters usually
left on the lens forever.

Why would anyone want to do that? UV
filters, because they dont negatively impact
the image, are usually left on the lens
permanently to protect it from the elements,
or from being scratched due to incorrect
cleaning practices or the occasional bump or
drop. A scratched filter is cheaper to replace
than a scratched lens. Some lenses also
need a UV filter to complete its weather
protection system.

Are there any negatives?

Some argue that having an additional optical
element unnecessarily degrades the image,
especially if it is a cheap UV filter. If you use
a good filter, this point is a non-issue in my
experience.

One important negative is that people tend
to forget they have a UV filter on a lens, until
its time to remove it. A filter can get stuck
to the lens thread if not regularly removed


Page 104
and cleaned. As long as you dont forget this
important step youre gold.

Polarizing Filter

There are two kinds of polarizing filters
Linear and Circular. Both of them do these
things:

Darken the sky
Remove reflections from water,
mirrors, shiny surfaces, etc.
Take the gloss off shiny surfaces
Increase color saturation

Ill keep it simple stick to circular polarizers
(CPL). They do everything linear polarizers
do, and they are not hard on your cameras
exposure meter.

Neutral Density Filters

These work like sunglasses. They cut light.
For outdoor video they are almost a
necessity.


Page 105

Image Courtesy: Robert Emperley from Strasbourg, Alsace,
France

ND filters are measured in stops of light:

ND
Number
Optical
Density
Stops of Light
Cut
No ND 0.0 0
ND2 0.3 1
ND4 0.6 2
ND8 0.9 3
ND16 1.2 4
ND32 1.5 5
ND64 1.8 6


Page 106
ND128 2.1 7
ND256 2.4 8
ND512 2.7 9
ND1024 3.0 10

Finding it hard to remember? Use my
method of 1-2-3:

One stop of light =
Two Power ND (2
Stops
) =
0.3 Optical Density.

If you want to cut four stops, then:

4 stops of light = ND16 (2
4
) = 1.2 Optical
Density (0.3 x 4).

Not that hard anymore, eh?

There are three broad classes of ND filters:

Fixed value ND filters
Variable ND filters
Split or Graduated ND filters


Page 107
Fixed value ND filters offer the greatest
precision, with the downside that youll need
many filters to cover all scenarios. What
happens if light is changing constantly?

Variable ND filters often cover a limited
range. If youre going for this kind of filter,
get the best. You change the density by
rotating the filter. Sometimes its effect is
almost imperceptible on small viewfinders or
LCD screens.

Split or Graduated filters are ND filters with
the ND over a limited area only, like if you
want to stop down only the sky, for example:

Obviously, if you have moving elements in
your frame, or if youre moving the camera,


Page 108
a graduated ND filter might not work the
way you want it to.

Diffusion Filters

These filters soften the image, which can be
a good thing when dealing with skin, etc.

Like ND filters, diffusers have different
powers, depending on the intensity of the
effect you are after. E.g., The Tiffen 77mm
Glimmer Glass Filter has numbers 1, 2, 3,
etc where 1 is the subtlest effect and it
goes up from there. Test thoroughly before
you use.

Filters form an integral part of any
cinematographers arsenal of tools. Its so
much easier and cheaper (and not to
mention more artistically satisfying!) to get
certain effects on camera rather than in a
color grading suite.

Considerations for professional use:

Quality of materials and construction
Uncompromising optical quality
Constant performance, no vignetting


Page 109
Negligible difference between different
samples of the same glass
Easily available and replaceable
Scratch, water and dirt resistant if
possible

Choose your filters wisely. It is the height of
stupidity to spend a lot of money on a
camera and lenses and then ruin it all with
cheap filters. At the end of this chapter I will
give you my recommendations.

Circular Threaded Filters

Filters can be divided into two broad groups:

Those that screw directly on to the
lenses, and
Those that are used on matte boxes.

This is an important consideration. Which
type you choose will depend on whether you
need a matte box or not (if you dont know
what a matte box is, dont worry. Ill get to it
soon).

A circular filter is screwed on to the front of
the lens. Sometimes, circular filters


Page 110
themselves have threads so that you can
screw another filter on it, forming a filter
stack.

What are some of the disadvantages of
circular filters?

One problem with screw-filters are that you
might have to buy different filters for each
lens filter thread. E.g., the Canon EF 24-
70mm f/2.8L USM has an 82mm filter size
while the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II
USM has a 77mm filter size.

You can overcome this problem by using
adapters called Step up rings or Step down
rings to match the filter with the thread of
your lens. Talk about the tail wagging the
dog.

Secondly, circular filters are difficult to stack.
Lets say you youve stacked three filters and
have now decided to remove the closest one
to the lens. How many filters will you have to
unscrew to get the job done?


Page 111
Traditionally, circular filters have been a good
fit for photography. They are light, and along
with lens hoods, are easy to carry around.
What if we can combine them? Are there any
advantages to such a system?

Matte Boxes

Before I begin, lets start with the
disadvantages:

Matte boxes are big and heavy. One of the
reasons is that they have to hold a large
piece of glass, and must be of more sturdy
construction. The second reason is that
matte boxes have flaps to control flare, and
these flaps have to be sturdy to withstand
daily abuse. For these reasons matte boxes
are made of tougher material than lens
hoods.

Tougher materials, like metal and carbon
fiber, are difficult to machine and refine. So,
when a manufacturer designs and builds
them, a lot of thought goes into it.

This makes matte boxes more expensive.
This is what a matte box looks like:


Page 112

Image Courtesy: Reinis Traidas reinn / Silverstar99 at
de.wikipedia

A matte box serves two major purposes:

It cuts flare
It helps mount filters


Page 113
You can immediately see that having flaps
means you can use it for many kinds of
lenses, instead of having to use one
standard lens hood for each lens.

The second advantage of using a matte box
is that you only need one set of filters of the
same size for all your lenses. Stacking filters
is also easier.

There are two basic kinds of matte boxes:

Lens mounted for light plastic matte
boxes that wont put pressure on the
lens or lens mount
Rod mounted for heavy matte boxes

Not all video applications need a matte box.
When in doubt, decide if your rig is going to
be mainly handheld or on a tripod. If theres
a lot of camera motion, the flare-cutting
abilities of the matte box are reduced, since
you cant move the flaps continuously.

Also, if you are in control of your lighting
situation, or dont need any filter other than
an ND or a UV, etc, a matte box might be
more trouble than it is worth.


Page 114
Dont forget to take into account your lens
choices, too. If the filter threads of your
lenses vary, youll need different adapter
rings for lens-mounted matte boxes. If
youre going to be using many lenses, get a
rod-mounted matte box instead.

Still confused on whether you need a matte
box?

Rule of thumb: Ultimately, most people
avoid matte boxes for reasons of size,
weight and cost. If none of these bother you,
use a matte box. Its worth it.

Considerations What to look for in a
matte box:

Build quality, preferably of metal
construction
Light weight
Movable flaps (barn doors) on all
four sides
Ability to hold multiple filters, rotatable
if possible
Can take many thread sizes

Contrary to popular belief, run-and-gun


Page 115
shooting also means the system will take a
lot of abuse, so going cheap isnt a good
idea.

Matte boxes made of plastic have two
serious disadvantages:

The flaps can break or get warped; or
might even come off entirely with
regular use.
The matte itself might warp, putting
your expensive filters under strain, and
they might decide to jump ship.

Matte Box Recommendations for lens
mounted, lightweight running-and-
gunning, etc.

For simple no-frills use, try the Genus GL
GWMC Wide Angle Matte Box:


Page 116

For flagging, youll need the Genus GL
GFFW French Flag Assembly.

If you know the filter size of your lens, you
could use the Genus GL GAR77 77 mm Lens
Adaptor Ring.

If you have lenses with varying filter thread
sizes, you could also use Genus GL GARD-NK
Lens Adaptor Ring with Nuns Knickers
these are like bellows that can take any filter
size 72mm and up:


Page 117

Beware: Nuns knickers cant be used in a
lens-mounted mode, unless you want a
droopy matte box.

Heres a video from Genus with a brief
introduction to this system.

Want something more versatile? Try the
Manfrotto MVA512W Sympla Flexible
Mattebox:


Page 118

Both these hold rotatable 44 sized filters
and can also be adapted to rods.


Page 119
As a general rule of thumb: Always mount a
matte box on rods unless there is no
alternative.

Matte Box Recommendation for Rod
Mounted Systems

Most matte boxes are simply too heavy for
the lens and lens mount to support. For this
reason, they come with attachments at the
bottom (or any side depending on the
orientation of your rig) to take two rods.

Well look at rods later, but for now know
that the weight of the matte box should be
entirely supported by the rods.

Here are two great options:


Page 120

1. Chrosziel 450W Matte Box Kit
2. Arri MMB-2 Matte Box kit

The MMB-2 matte box has a 114mm filter
thread size which fits perfectly to a Zeiss
CP.2 lens. If youre using other filter sizes,
youll need adapters.


Page 121
Heres an excellent video by AbelCine on the
Arri MMB-2.

Matte boxes might look like complicated
pieces of gear but theres nothing to them,
really. Once you know which filters you need,
how many of them youll be stacking, and
what lenses youll be using, you can narrow
down your choices quite easily.

If you dont have the money for a good
matte box, you can always make do with a
folded newspaper, but dont buy cheap
systems. In my opinion, its a waste of
money if you do.

Back to Filters

We started with filters, and were going to
end with filters. As you may have noticed,
matte boxes dont have a universal standard
for filter sizes. Some take both rectangular
and circular filters.

Common sizes (in inches) for rectangular
filters are:

44


Page 122
45.65 (Panavision size)
55
5.655.65
6.66.6

Before buying, check the filters to see if they
are compatible with the lens or matte box
you have chosen. A standard size will give
you more options.

As a general rule of thumb: Lenses with
smaller thread sizes will work well with 44
filters and matte boxes. PL mount lenses
tend to have large thread diameters and
need bigger filter sizes.

Suggestions for Filters

I will list both screw mounted (mainly 77mm
filter size) and 4 x 4 Matte box mounted
filters.


Page 123
The principle is the same for any size. Its
basically somewhat of a chicken and egg
problem. Your choice of filters, lenses and
matte boxes all form part of a single system,
and that is how they should be put together.

Filter Type
Circular
(77mm)
Rectangular
(4 x 4)
UV
B+W 77mm
UV
Tiffen 77mm
UV
Tiffen 44 UV-
2A Haze UV
Polarizing
B+W 77mm
Kaesemann
CPL
Schneider
Optics 4x4
True-Pol CPL
Fixed ND
Tiffen 77mm
ND 0.9
Schneider
Optics 4x4 ND
0.3
Variable
ND
Singh-Ray
Vari-ND
Variable ND
Fader ND Digi
Pro-HD
Grad ND
B+W 77mm
Grad ND
Schneider
Optics 4x4 ND
0.9, Soft Edge
Graduated
Filter


Page 124
Diffusion
Tiffen 77mm
Glimmer
Glass
Tiffen 44
Gold Diffusion
Special Effects
(FX) Filter #1

Click here to search for more filters on
Amazon. Dont forget to read reviews from
users and experts. If some defects are
common among all reviews, then take it
seriously.


Page 125
Chapter 5
Follow Focus Systems

One of the cheapest and most versatile lens
in any manufacturers repertoire is the
50mm lens. Look around, almost every lens
buying guide will recommend you to get a
nifty fifty.

Here are the ones from Canon, a 50mm
f/1.8, followed by the 50mm f/1.4 and the
50mm f/1.2L:


Page 126

The f/1.4 and the f/1.2L have similar sized
focusing rings, while the f/1.8 has a thin
flimsy ring also known popularly as a joke.
The major draw for all these lenses is their
aperture. Assuming an APS-C sensor
focusing at 10 feet:

At f/1.8, the depth of field (DOF) is
about 0.8 feet (10 inches).
At f/1.4 the DOF range is 0.65 feet (8
inches)
At f/1.2 the DOF range is 0.54 (6.5
inches).

If youre shooting video at these f-stops, and
your subject leans, turns or moves, youll
have a hell of a time using the focus rings on
these lenses to follow them around. On a
large display or cinema screen, any focusing
mistake cant be hidden.

So, whats the point of a cool 50mm f/1.8
lens if you cant shoot at f/1.8?

One way to get around this problem is by
using auto focus (AF). However, filmmaking


Page 127
is not always about documentation. You
might want to rack focus (move focus from
one point to another) at any time for various
reasons.

In the professional video world, you need a
system that is consistent enough to deliver
at every turn. The bigger the production, the
greater the cost of each take. How many
takes can you screw up before you are
kicked out?

Traditional high-end lenses made for film
cameras have good focusing rings. Older
manual still camera lenses also have good
focusing rings (there was a time when auto
focus didnt exist and people still got the
shot). Newer lenses, especially the smaller
semi-plastic variety, have the worst focusing
rings seen in history.

If you are okay using autofocus, fine. If you
are zen master who can pull focus day in and
day out on a 50mm f/1.8 plastic lens at
f/1.8, respect.

For everyone else, theres the follow focus
system:


Page 128

Author: HidalgoStudio

Simple two-finger focusing (your hands only)
gives two points of contact on the lens.
A follow focus system has the same two
points of contact (there still is a ring to
turn), plus at least two more the contact of
the mechanism on the lens, and the gear
that allows this system to work.

This doubles the chances of instability. The
only way this can be overcome is by using a
precise mechanism that is also rugged


Page 129
enough to work smoothly, without error, for
years.

Want a cheap follow focus system? Youre
better off without one.

Rule of thumb: Never, ever, settle for a
cheap follow focus system that does not
guarantee perfection over years of daily use.

A good focusing system improves the throw
on the ring. E.g., if it takes a 3 turn to rack
focus over 1 feet, a follow focus system can
get you over 1 feet with, say, a 30 turn.
This allows for precise movements. The finer
this precision the better. The best systems
also provide choices of gears so you can
control the amount of throw.

How do you decide if you need a follow
focus system?

Are you shooting at large apertures
with shallow DOF on a regular basis?
Is your production devoid of an
external monitor with good resolution?
Is there a lot of movement, either by
the talent or by the camera?


Page 130
Are you shooting for broadcast or the
silver screen?
Are you using cheap semi-plastic
lenses with poorly constructed focusing
rings?

If the answer is yes to any of the above
questions, your production will greatly
benefit from a follow focus system.

Considerations:

Geared focusing mechanism for finer
focus throw
Rigid construction to limit vibration
Allows a second person (focus-puller)
to pull focus by standing out of the
camera operators way
Clear white area for erasable markings
Precise machining with no bumps in
the movement

Suggestions:

Digital Shoulder Rig and Follow Focus, for
the most non-critical jobs:


Page 131

Genus G-SFOC Superior Follow Focus
System, a good all-round system:

You can see the difference in materials used
in the first and second choices. In regular
use, the difference in ergonomics is very
noticeable.

Remember: Solidity gives you confidence.

Arri MFF-2 Follow focus system, top of the
line:


Page 132

Courtesy: Arri

The MFF-2 has interchangeable focus knobs
and is available in two different bases: a cine
style base and an HD version that utilizes a
1:1 gear ratio for lenses with a shorter throw
(such as EF lenses).

Heres a video from AbelCine that explains
this.

Without real-world experience it is almost
impossible for anyone to understand why the
pros use expensive gear. Nobody wants to
pay more for something that can be
accomplished for less. Its the little things
that newcomers miss. Hunt for them!


Page 133
If you are committed to years of digital
cinematography, why not invest in a good
matte box and follow focus system? These
are meant to be long term investments, and
the good ones will fit most lenses you throw
at them.


Page 134
Chapter 6
Media

Hopefully you have made the right choices
about what needs to come in front of your
camera. Once the light has hit the sensor,
you are at the mercy of what the camera
circuitry decides to pass on as footage.

Whatever its quality, it must be recorded.
Most cameras offer some form of internal
recording system.

Typically, the two broad categories that
footage falls into are:

Compressed Footage
Uncompressed Footage


Page 135
A second type of classification is:

RAW Footage
Debayered/Raster Footage

If you dont know what Im talking about I
strongly recommend you read these posts on
wolfcrow.com before proceeding:

About Containers and Codecs
The Costs of Working with 2K and 4K
Deconstructing RAW, Parts I, II and III

Heres a list of cameras chosen for this
guide, along with information on the data
rate and type of media used to record
internally only:

Cameras
Maximum
Data Rate
in MB/s
Media
Sony F65 None None
Red Epic 150 SSD
Red Scarlet 150 SSD
BMCC 150 SSD


Page 136
Arri Alexa 41.25 SxS
Canon 5D Mark
III/6D/1DX
11.25 CF, SD
Panasonic GH3 9 SD
Canon C300 6,25 CF
Canon
550D/600D/650D/
60D/7D
5.5 SD, CF
Sony PMW F3 4.375 SxS
Sony A99 3.5
SD,
Memory
Stick
Sony FS700 3.5
SD,
Memory
Stick
Nikon
D4/D800/D800E/
D600
3
XQD,
CF, SD
Sony FS100 3
SD,
Memory
Stick
Panasonic GH2 3 SD
Canon C100 3 SD
The table does not claim to be accurate, only indicative.
SD includes SDHC and SDXC when required.


Page 137
Dont take the data rates literally. Sometimes
a lower data rate looks and holds up better
in post-production than a higher bit rate.

Yes, data rates can be rigged. You can have
bits that dont mean anything. To know how
and why, you might find Section One of
Driving Miss Digital interesting.

It is important to listen to the camera
manufacturer on recommended media. You
might find exceptions, but it takes time for
viable options to emerge (or for the
recommended options to prove useless!).
You might as well trust the manufacturer.
After all, you bought their camera!

The specifications of your camera should tell
you the exact bit rate for the format you are
shooting in. From this figure, it is quite easy
to calculate how much storage youll need.
Start with this formula to find the maximum
card size:


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Coverage per
day (in
minutes) =

Total Footage Time
(in minutes) / Days
in Production

E.g., if a 2 hour movie is shot at a shooting
ratio of 5:1 on a Canon C300, then the
storage required in total will be = 6.25 x 2 x
3,600 x 5 / 1024 = 220 GB.

This does not mean you need 220 GB of CF
Cards!

If you have a 32 GB CF Card, then you can
record about 87 minutes of 1080p footage
on a C300 at broadcast quality. Thats about
1.5 hours, and in our example the total
hours of footage is only 10.

Once Ive calculated the total storage
required I look at my production schedule
and see how many days of shooting I have in
total.

E.g., say my low budget indie has to be
wrapped up in 15 days and I have to shoot
10 hours of footage. That means I have to


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shoot 10 x 60 / 15 = 40 minutes of footage
per day.

At the end of the day Ill be offloading all this
data to external backup storage (Ill cover
that soon).

If I keep up my average coverage per day, I
could get by with only one 32 GB CF card. If
I double my speed and shoot 80 minutes per
day, Ill still only need one 32 GB CF Card.

Does that mean one 32 GB card will suffice
for the entire production? No, of course not.

In this case Ill choose three or four 16 GB
cards instead, or even three or four 8 GB
cards. Why? Because that allows the data
wrangler the chance to offload data after
each setup. If a full 32 GB card fails at the
end of the day, Ill lose the entire days work.
Its important to strike a balance.

In our example, Im shooting 40 minutes of
footage per day, which is 14.7 GB. Lets
assume Im covering 5 scenes per day (or 5
setups, it doesnt matter. Just divide into
chunks that work for your production).


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Use this method to find the lowest card size
per day:

Card
Size
(GB) =

Total Footage per day (in
GB) / Average setups or
scenes per day

Continuing with our example, the lowest
card size works out to be about 3 GB.

Cool. Now we know our sweet spot is
somewhere between 4 GB and 32 GB.

What I end up choosing will depend on the
budget. I will consider the possibility that if
all my media is lost or stolen, and Im only
left with the one in my camera, then it
should get me through to the end of the day.

This is why for this particular example I
chose 16 GB. Its smaller and more
manageable than 32 GB. Its cheap enough
and Ill still have enough storage to get me
through to the end of the day in case every
other card is lost.


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This 16 GB card is then multiplied by
whatever figure thatll give me piece of
mind. As a rule I always carry three cards
two for rotational work and the third as
backup. The third card is not kept with the
other two.

As cards get cheaper, one can avoid the
fuzzy mess of having to choose the right
card length and just get multiple copies of
the maximum size required per day. In our
example, it would mean at least 332 GB
cards.

Why do I do it this way? Simple. Once Ive
covered a scene or setup, theres almost
never any time (or money) to go back and
redo it. Can you imagine a production
grinding to a halt for lack of a memory card?


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Rule of thumb: You cant afford to lose
footage, so the smart thing to do is backup
at every opportunity; or at least after each
scene is done and before youre moving on
to another location or setup.

Finally, after youve determined the right size
of memory card and how many of them
youll need, you can look at options.

Considerations:

Write speed of card should be at least
one thirds faster than the maximum
data rate
Read speed must be as fast as your
backup system, if possible
Recommended manufacturers only
Tried and tested over new untested
technology
Easily available and replaceable

Suggestions

SD, SDHC, SDXC and CF Cards: Theres no
need to debate here. Sandisk reigns
supreme, and towers over everyone else.
Ive also used Transcend with equal success.


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For SATA SSDs: Unless the manufacturer
stresses proprietary technology (like
SRMemory, SxS, Redmags, etc), I
recommend Intel and OCZ.

For the rest: Sony makes them all!

Cases or Pouches

Memory cards, like coins, need wallets.

My personal preferences:

Hard plastic for physical protection
Non-metallic to avoid shorting
Transparent so I can read whats on it
For cloth, only micro-fiber
Silica gel/Desiccant for moisture
control


Page 144
Album-style, so I can see every card at
a glance

When Im looking for cases, I always look
first at what the card manufacturer offers,
like this one from Sandisk. If Sandisk can
make and ship millions of cards, one hopes
they know how to store them, too.

If there is something that a manufacturer
stresses, do it. If for nothing else, do it for
warrantys sake. They might not always offer
the perfect solution. At worst, their advice is
conservative, and thats not a bad thing.

To search for memory cards on Amazon,
click here.


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Chapter 7
External Recorders

Courtesy: Sony

In very general terms, this is what happens
inside your camera:

Light falling on your sensor is focused
by tiny lenses on the photosite.
This light passes through a color filter
array (All the cameras in this guide


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have Bayer sensors) to separate Red,
Green and Blue information.
The sensor converts light into an
analog electrical signal that is sampled
to form a digital signal.
The sampling might also include
compression, conversion and other
data management.
The digital signal is passed to the
circuitry for wrapping, transcoding,
compression, and other proprietary
activities. Being digital, all these
channels of data should have the same
source. On cameras that output raw
files, the debayering step is omitted.
The data is funneled through various
pipelines for different kinds of
recording or ingest. Internal media
records the signal meant specifically
for it.
External signals are usually encoded
and packaged to a standard like SMPTE
or HDMI. Some use proprietary
technology like T-Link, SR Memory,
etc., because existing standards dont
have provisions for these special data
streams.


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External signals are transmitted via
standard protocols so that the systems
reading it can understand the signals.
The signal that leaves the camera is
ready to be read by an external
recording device.

Why would you want an external
recorder?

If the signal recorded internally by the
camera is not of sufficient quality to satisfy
the requirements of your production, you
might be able to get a stronger signal with
an external recorder.

Notice, I didnt say better, but stronger.
Very rarely have I seen an uncompressed
HDMI or HD-SDI feed that is noticeably
different visually from the internal recording
on a camera. This is especially true of the
lower-end prosumer camera models in our
list.

The following is a rant. I feel its important
enough to share but if youre not in the
mood, you can skip it.


Page 148

About Misinformation

Do you honestly think there is a hidden
super-video in your camera that the
manufacturer doesnt want you to see? If
that were the case, they wouldnt put
SDI or HDMI connectors on their
cameras. They give you the option of
uncompressed video to stream to
monitors or to record to external
recorders in a codec of your choice, not a
better codec.

Yes, this is a controversial statement. Let
me explain:

Many people assume and propagate the
notion that having an uncompressed or
higher bit rate version of the original
(like an intermediary codec) actually
makes their footage better in some
vague sense.

If a sauce doesnt taste good, adding
more of it isnt going to make it taste
any better.


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Your footage can never be better than
the system that created it. A lot of
compromises happen in the transduction,
sampling and handling of data within the
camera, and this is where the men are
separated from the boys.

Most videographers dont know anything
about sampling and signal processing.
Why should they? But these same people
assume they know about these
disciplines based on what manufacturers
tell them. If somebody shouts out
something long enough, people start
believing in it.

Rule of thumb: The only way to know for
sure whether you need an external recorder
is to test its signal with the signal recorded
in camera.

I wish I could tell you theres an easier way,
but there isnt. I have seen too many
anomalies between claims and actual real-
world performances to believe what is
written in marketing brochures.


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Be very conservative when you tread this
ground. Dont assume your camera and
recorder will give you the best video just
because somebody says it is so. There is no
free lunch.

There are situations where the stronger
signal (not better, let me remind you again)
is required for data manipulation down the
workflow chain, like if you need to heavily
color grade or pull information (like chroma
keying, match moving, etc.) from your
footage.

Rule of thumb: Only use an external
recorder if you anticipate heavy (more than
one level of) data manipulation. Most
internal codecs are quite capable of at least
one level of data manipulation.

What do I mean by this? Think of codecs as
paper. Some kinds of paper can be folded
only once. If folded again, they might tear.
The tougher kinds of paper can be folded
many times before they tear. Both papers
are equally capable of being written on.


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This is exactly how codecs work. Two codecs
might look the same visually, but one may
be ten times the data rate than the other.
The codec with the higher data rate could be
said (but this is not universally true) to have
the resilience to be folded (manipulated)
many times.

An external recorder gives you this option. It
does not offer you any visual advantage
with two similar signals. However, with
dissimilar signals, like e.g., 8-bit 4:2:0 and
10-bit 4:2:2, the difference will be
noticeable. But take a look again at which
cameras in this guide offer this option.

I hope Ive made this clear.

If you want to know further about sampling
and how digital signals are generated, please
read the fictional love story Driving Miss
Digital.

Heres a list of some popular external
recorders:

Atomos Samurai
Atomos Ninja


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Sony SR-R4
Codex Arriraw
S.two OB-1
Convergent Design Nanoflash
Convergent Design Gemini 4:4:4
Sound Devices Pix 240i
Aja Ki Pro
Aja Ki Pro Mini

Important: Not all signals are read by all
recorders. Sometimes, like in the case of Red
cameras, the best signals are not even
passed through for external recording. In the
case of the Arri Alexa or Sony F65, the best
signal is only passed through via the
external connectors.

Rule of thumb: Just because you and I speak
the same language doesnt mean well
always understand each other. This is true of
external recorders as well.

Heres a simplified table showing data rates
that can be expected from external recorders
(The table might be incomplete or incorrect.
Ask the manufacturer for exact details):


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Cameras/Data
Maximum
Data Rate
in MB/s
Media
Uncompressed
4K 10-bit RGB @
24 fps
720 Various
Sony F65 4K 704
SR
Memory
Arri Alexa 3K 384 SSD
Uncompressed
2K 10-bit RGB @
24 fps
190 Various
Uncompressed
1080p30
10-bit 4:2:2
SMPTE
292M/HD-SDI
150 Various
Prores 4444 41.25 Various
Prores/DNxHD
HQ 220
27.5 Various

Now would be a good time to read these, if
you havent already:

About Containers and Codecs


Page 154
The Costs of Working with 2K and 4K
Deconstructing RAW, Parts I, II and III.

The common trend among the cheaper
external recorders is that they dont record
uncompressed video. These recorders
transcode the footage internally to either
Prores, DNxHD or Cineform, etc.

This is not done to cheat anybody or to cut
corners. Manufacturers of such systems
know that the filmmakers opting for their
products (instead of the higher end
recorders) probably dont have the budgets
to work with uncompressed footage.

The recorder that stands heads and
shoulders above everyone else is the Sony
SR-R4, made specifically for the F65. It
records at a phenomenal 5.5 Gbps
sustained, and that even beats SATA III (6
Gbps) in real-world performance. No wonder
Sony had to make something proprietary to
read this monster torrent.

Arri Alexa is another camera that pushes a
heavy data stream through dual HD-SDI


Page 155
ports (Ill be covering connectors later),
under the proprietary T-link technology.

These data rates are murder for a cash-
starved indie filmmaker.

Rule of thumb: Dont shoot RAW or
Uncompressed unless you have the muscle,
money, time and manpower to handle such
streams.

Playing with a few minutes of uncompressed
footage is one thing. Handling hours of
uncompressed data is another thing entirely.
I suggest you test your readiness to work
with such data before you dive in for a full
shoot.

Considerations:

Frame rate and signal protocol match
Interlacing, psF, progressive signal
match
Options for transcoding to many
codecs
Option of uncompressed recording
Cheapest media possible
As many connectors as possible


Page 156
Ability to connect to monitor for live
feed
Full audio capability
Good LCD Monitor for video/format
display
Simple no-frills controls layout
Rugged construction
A good friggin manual, and 24/7
support!

If you dont understand some of these
terms, read the Understanding Terminology
series on wolfcrow.

Since most recorder-camera combinations
are unique, its hard to give universal
recommendations. Sometimes your options
are really limited. However, just for fun, the
recorder I find the most versatile is the
Convergent Design Gemini 4:4:4:


Page 157

Here are a couple of good videos that explain
how external recorders work:

Gemini 4:4:4 explained
AVCHD vs Prores on the Atomos
Samurai


Page 158
Chapter 8
Data Management

In the last two chapters weve looked at the
options for recording data to internal and
external media.

So, what do you do with all this data on a
set?

Many things! You could:

Make backups.
Transcode to different versions for
dailies, post production, broadcast,
streaming, etc.
Grade it and view on an external
display.
Study it with scopes or other devices.
Delete it. Just kidding!

No Im not. You can delete it, and if you
work long enough in this industry, you will
delete it. Its never fun.

Memory cards are not tapes. They have a far
higher failure rate, and have many


Page 159
compatibility problems, depending on the file
system used, formatting applied, physical
structure of the media, and a million other
things we dont really want to know. Even
with all this unreliability, many professionals
shoot on memory cards without copying the
files to a more reliable storage solution. I
have seen projects where the shooter shoots
for weeks without backing up. I find this kind
of workflow irresponsible and unprofessional.
But then again, its their life and career.

Lets look at our options one by one:

Making Backups

One of the first things you should do as soon
as you have recorded media is make
backups of it. There is no excuse for not
doing so.

Youll need to figure out early how many
backups youll need. Some thoughts:

Are you using a bank guarantee or
insurance?
Will your footage be archived for many
years?


Page 160
Will you need to read this data years
from now?

If youve answered yes to any of these
questions, youll appreciate a tape backup
solution, the most common being the LTO
(Linear Tape-Open) standard.

Image Courtesy: Andrew Dodd

LTO tapes are not meant for regular reading
and use, so this backup will go directly to
storage unless theres a catastrophe with
your other backups.


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LTO tapes are marked from 1 to 6, and the
most widespread as of 2012 is LTO4 and
LTO5. LTO6 has just been ratified according
to Wikipedia, and youll find tapes hitting the
market soon, if not already. The difference
isnt too great to get excited about. These
tapes are meant to last for about 15 to 30
years.

What? Only 30 years? Want more? Then
archive to film. Even though there are many
claims of media storage products being able
to survive for centuries, film is the only
solution that has actually demonstrated its
ability to last for at least a century under
proper care. Even writing a 2K file over
16mm is possible, if one wants to save
money on film.

Personally, I find LTO tapes a waste of time
and money. My old cassette tapes still play
great, twenty years after I bought them. I
bet a properly cared for DVD will last at least
20 years, if not more. A well-maintained
hard drive solution will offer greater
reliability. Its just like the natural world
Nothing lasts forever, so make copies to keep
it going.


Page 162
But what if you dont need LTO tapes and
long term archival solutions? Most
productions have a shelf life of only a few
months, let alone years.

Your post production facility might be
anywhere from a million-dollar-an-hour
boutique facility to a laptop in a corner of
your apartment. Either way, it needs your
footage in one chunk to get started. This
means, you need a storage solution that has
all your footage in one physical location. For
simplicitys sake, Ill call this Source Footage
Storage (SFS).

The SFS could be:

One drive
Many drives in JBOD
Many drives in basic RAID
Many drives in a nested RAID
A NAS or SAN cluster, usually in RAID
The cloud, etc

If some of this doesnt make sense, read
AFRAID, a RAID Primer.


Page 163
Considerations for an SFS:

Good read speed
Acceptable Redundancy
Good drive space efficiency

Rule of thumb: On average, if your total
footage is X (e.g. 300 GB), your SFS will
need to be a size of at least 2X (600 GB).
This means you should have at least one
backup of your source footage, either as two
drives with the same information or as a
mirror (RAID 1) or as parity (RAID 5/6).

Do you need RAID? Yes, if you can afford to
set it up. The point of RAID is that you can
keep working even if a drive (or more,
depending on your RAID level) fails. If that
isnt a concern, then just copy (duplicate)
your source footage manually to another
drive system and wait for the day when it
will become a concern.

Good, so you know you need at least two
copies of your source footage for post
production. Is that enough? No!


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I recommend at least one more backup
stored in a different physical location. Your
SFS might be destroyed in a calamity, or
stolen, or might decide to die, etc. Having a
cloud backup wont hurt either, if you have
the connectivity. Remember, upload speeds
are typically much lower than download
speeds, so it might take ages for your
footage to be beamed up.

To recap, heres the rule of thumb: Always
have at least 3 copies of your source footage
two in RAID for uninterrupted working, and
the third in a different location as safety.

To give you an example, lets say you have
10 hours of 50 Mbps source footage. Thats
roughly 220 GB of data. Going by my rule of
thumb, your SFS will need to be at least 440
GB (Actually 30% to 50% more for overhead
and drive efficiency). And youll need a third
drive which can hold 220 GB of data in a
different physical location.

220 GB in the cloud? I dont know. At a
nominal speed of 2 Mbps, it will take about
11 days (24/7) just to upload all this data. I
find it more sane (not to mention cheaper


Page 165
and faster) just to buy another reusable hard
disk and store it in a third physical location.

Are we done? Maybe. Or maybe not.

Your Producer might need a Producers copy.
Your VFX Supervisor might need a VFX copy.
Your spouse might demand a copy to see
what youve been up to all day. Whatever it
is, multiply, and arrive at a fixed figure.

Knowing how many backups you need is only
the first step. The second is to build a
system that will take care of all these
backups in the chaotic environment of a
production set, reliably. Traditionally, this job
description falls under the name: Data
Wrangling.

The data wranglers office is a computer
and storage bay that Im going to call a Data
Station.

Data Station

The data station is the nerve center of the
on-set backup system.


Page 166
The first thing youll need for your data
station is a Media Reader. It can be as simple
as an SD card reader, which usually comes
in-built on most laptops; or as complicated
as a Codex Vault, specially made to ingest
and work with Arriraw data streams.

Heres a table listing media and examples of
readers for that format:

Media Reader
SD/CF
Kingstons USB 3.0 Media
Reader
XQD
Sony Media XQD Memory
Card Reader
Memory
Stick
Sony Media 21 in 1 External
Multi Card Reader/Writer
Redmag Red Station
SATA SSD
2.5
Thermaltake Docking Station


Page 167
Codex
Drive
Codex Transfer Stations
SxS
SONNET QIO QIO-PCIE Media
Reader
SR
Memory
SRPC4 Data Transfer Unit

Rule of thumb: Card readers must be better
than the cards they are meant to read! Many
novices buy good cards and then hunt for a
crappy reader.

The card reader takes the data-responsibility
off the cards hands. Its a good idea to keep
the card on standby and use another card for
the next setup, as Ive mentioned earlier.

As you keep shooting, youll need a bigger
storage solution to accumulate all this data.
This responsibility typically falls on hard
drives. Whether you use consumer grade
hard drives or enterprise drives is up to you,
but the common goal for both is reliability.
Ideally, they shouldnt fail, but we all know
they will.


Page 168
For this reason, the data station will include
an SFS of its own, with either redundancy or
duplication (copying data without RAID) built
in. RAID 6 probably offers a great
compromise between safety, drive space
efficiency and speed. I personally prefer
RAID 10.

Considerations for on-set SFS are more
stringent than the post-production
variety:

Good transfer speeds, especially while
writing
Compatibility with card reader and file
system
Redundancy
UPS (very important)
Checksum and backup management
software
Good ventilation and air flow
Low Noise
Enough storage space for
contingencies
Warning systems for quick
troubleshooting
Easy access to drive bays, etc. for
maintenance


Page 169
It is not uncommon for data stations to hold
all the footage from a production, just in
case somebody wants to refer to it. Imagine
that, you dont need to worry about
continuity anymore!

After all the data for a particular scene or
shot has been backed up, the original card is
ready to go back into circulation if necessary.
No matter what your data needs, the basic
principles are the same.

A data station that is just meant to copy files
around isnt very cool, is it? Hey, as long as
you are carrying a computer around, you
might as well get more work done:

Transcoding

If a data wrangler moves files around, a
Digital Imaging Technician (DIT) knows how
to manipulate it. One of the bread-and-
butter functions of a DIT is transcoding the
conversion of one video format to another
format, and so on.


Page 170
How do you know if you need transcoding on
set? Here are a few questions to get you
started:

Do you have multiple collaborators
who need to watch dailies?
Maybe your uber cool producer or
director wants to watch his or her
dailies on an ipad?
Does footage sent to a VFX facility or
post house need to be in a different
format to the one shot?
Do you want to do some quick editing
on set?
Do you need to debayer to view files
(like Redcode, CinemaDNG, Arriraw,
etc.)?

If you need to transcode files on set, your
data station or DIT should be ready to
handle it.

Converting data from one form to another
requires computing power, and this duty falls
mostly on the CPU. In some cases, a GPU or
other hardware (like a Red Rocket) can
speed up things. A good data station
demands human supervision, preferably by


Page 171
someone who understands computers,
networking and video.

Most data stations are custom built by
knowledgeable computer engineers who
know what they are doing.

Diving in head first without a clue will lead to
bottlenecks on set thats when data stops
moving when you dont want it to.

For this reason, manufacturers make turnkey
data solutions, like this excellent one from
Codex:


Page 172


Page 173
The Codex Arriraw recorder (top) connects
directly to the Arri Alexa and records to
Codex Datapacks (Middle). This is moved to
the Codex Vault S Process + Storage +
Archive (bottom left) which includes 8 TB of
internal storage, dual LTO-5 drives and
archival tools. For dailies, editing, etc., data
can be transcoded and copied over to
Transfer Drives (bottom right), LTO tapes,
etc.

We have enough information to now build
our own data station. Lets start with the
component that brings it all together: the
Computer.

There are four major decisions to be made
when choosing a computer for a data
station:


Page 174

Laptops or Desktops?
Server or PC?
Rack or Tower?
Mac, Windows or Linux?

Laptop or Desktop?

Todays laptops are no slouches. They are
more than capable of everything you could
throw at it, except for a few considerations:

Do you need extra PCI slots for cards
like the Red Rocket, ingest cards, etc?
Do you need the biggest graphic cards,
or dual graphics?
Do you need more than one DVD or
Blu-ray drive?
Do you need multiple hard drives for
whatever reason?


Page 175
Will you be processing tough codecs
like RAW files on a regular basis?
Will you need the capability to drive
multiple displays all at high resolution?
Will you be customizing your computer
from time to time?
Do you prefer upgrading your
computer as and when required?
Do you live in a country where laptop
servicing/replacement/RMA is
unreliable?

Most times, the answer should be clear to
you. On the rare occasion when it isnt, I
recommend desktops over laptops for heavy
data work and the other way around for light
data work the boundary line being about
100 Mbps.

For desktops, I suggest a custom-built (self-
assembled) PC or an Apple Mac Pro with
dual OS.

For laptops, I highly recommend Acer and
the Apple MacBook Pro


Page 176
Server or PC?

In general terms, servers have components
that are supposed to last longer, and work
reliably under the most strenuous of
conditions. Servers from reputable
manufacturers also come with better service
and warranty to back their higher price.

Ten years ago, the choice was more clear-
cut. With the advance of technology, server-
class capabilities of various parts have
trickled down to consumer-grade parts as
well. Unfortunately, due to the rapidly
changing landscape of computer technology,
it is extremely difficult to make
comprehensive tests regarding durability. By
the time a test is complete, the technology
might become obselete. Today, we are in the
crazy age where by the time someone
reviews gear, the manufacturer has released
a new firmware update that might radically
change many features!

Whats going to happen ten years from now?
A firmware update every day, like how anti-
virus apps update their databases every
day?


Page 177
Rule of thumb: Choose servers over PCs if
your budget allows for it. If it doesnt, dont
worry too much. But be very afraid if your
entire project depends on one computer, and
you dont have money for a plan B.

For tower servers, I suggest the HP
Workstation Z Series .

Rack or Tower?

This choice has similar issues in comparison
with the laptop vs desktop argument. Its a
question of space, simply put. Do you have
many devices to fit into a small cart? Then
youll appreciate a rack unit. For a better
understanding, read AFRAID, a RAID primer.

For rack servers, I suggest you look at the
HP ProLiant series.

Mac, Windows or Linux?

The answer, as far as Im concerned, is very
simple: Why not all three?

If one is going through all the trouble of
making a data station, it makes sense to


Page 178
give it the greatest functionality. Having
multiple operating systems on any computer
doesnt add much to the overhead. What you
get is your choice of programs and file
systems, and maximum compatibility with
the most number of hardware devices.

Ideally, a data station should have at least
two computers. What if one fails? It doesnt
take much to bring a computer to its knees.

Having multiple computers and peripherals
does not mean you need multiple keyboards
and mice. You could get by with just one, by
using what is called a KVM (Keyboard, Video,
Mouse) switch:

If youre buying a server, get a KVM switch
from the same manufacturer.

Finally, dont forget the all-important UPS. I
highly recommend APC . Choose your UPS
power rating wisely, and always leave a 30%


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overhead for those unforseen devices
someone will want to plug in to your
beautiful data station.

Here is the bare bones setup:

Computer
Media Reader
SFS
KVM Switch (for multiple computers)
UPS
Cart
Monitor

If putting together a data station seems like
a lot of work, you could always take the help
of readymade solutions, like this one from
the brilliant guys at Bigfoot Mobile Systems:


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Such a data station (also called a DIT Cart)
will include a computer, terabytes of storage,
an LTO backup system, a UPS, ingest and
other computer peripherals including
readers, broadcast quality monitors, a KVM
switch, etc.

As you may have noticed, data stations have
wheels so they can be moved around quickly


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on set; and some have the occasional coffee
table. Thank goodness for small mercies.

Can we add more?

Of course. I have barely scratched the
surface of what you can put in a data
station. Your data station could be as simple
as a laptop with an in-built SD card reader
and hard drive, or as complicated as the
solution above.

You might be wondering: What about the
monitor? I havent forgotten. A data station
is usually tied to the monitoring
infrastructure of a camera system.

It makes sense, because some codecs, like
Redcode, etc., need to be debayered and
have LUTs (Look Up Tables) applied to them.
Think of LUTs as recipes that convert raw
food (raw footage) into cooked food edible
by humans (an image that we recognize as a
full color image).

The proper viewing of raw footage requires a
thorough understanding of color spaces,
encoding systems and LUTs. Traditionally,


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this falls in the purview of the DIT, though I
have no clue how being a master in color has
anything to do with being a master in
computer data wrangling. If youre a data
wrangler whos sitting comfortably at your
data station, you will soon be the go-to-guy
for the weirdest requests, including providing
services like gaming, photo transfers, wi-fi,
movies, music, you name it. Appear busy.

Monitoring also includes studying the
technical aspects of the footage using
software and scopes. Ill cover monitoring in
the next chapter.

I have given you a general overview of what
data stations entail. These are complicated
systems, and you should consult a
professional or established company for
advice. For further research, I highly
recommend these excellent articles on the
net:

Vincent Laforets Red Workflow
A DIT tells all, on Creative Cow


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Chapter 9
Signal Flow and Standards

Luckily for most of us, camera
manufacturers try to make it simple by
processing all the signals within the camera.
These signals are then written on to various
media. Sometimes, as in the case of the
Sony F65 or Arri Alexa, the choices of
external recorders are clear cut.

But there are cases where the manufacturer
provides a signal, usually uncompressed, via
different ports. These signals are not thrown
out haphazardly, but are arranged in a very
specific way, in the same sense letters are
arranged according to the rules of grammar
and spelling. This is called a Protocol.

The three most common family of standards
that youll find on many cameras are:

SDI/HD-SDI/3G-SDI
HDMI
Component YCbCr (Digital)


Page 184

Since most of the cameras in this guide dont
use component Im not considering it. But it
still exists on many cameras, and provides a
perfectly acceptable video signal, provided
you remember my caveat in the External
Recorders chapter.

The standards are precisely defined, and are
very important indicators of compatibility
between external recorders, monitors and
other devices, and the video feed out of the


Page 185
camera. Its supposed to make things easy,
right?

Wrong. Even within the standards, you have
different versions, and then theres the
problem of differently shaped connectors.
The following table tries to provide a brief
overview of these standards:

You might be forgiven for thinking: If a
camera has a specific standard, say SMPTE
292M (HD-SDI), and an external recorder
has the same standard in its specifications,
then theyll be compatible, right?

Sorry to disappoint again. Manufacturers are
notorious for providing incomplete or vague
information in their specifications. Dont
believe me? Download the manuals and try
sorting through the technical specifications.


Page 186
Rule of thumb: Just because a signal is in a
specific standard doesnt mean youll get the
best out of it. These standards are just
packaging, nothing more. More often than
not, it hides the dirty sampling and
inefficient digital voodoo within the cameras
themselves.

Think of them as egg crates. An 8-bit video
feed has 8 slots, and a 12-bit feed has room
for 12 slots. You can have 8 great eggs in an
8-bit crate, and 12 rotten eggs in a 12-bit
crate. To know more, I strongly recommend
you read Driving Miss Digital, so you are no
longer prey to all this BS.

The chart should tell you that HDMI is
geared for 2K and 4K, while HD-SDI is only
good enough for 1080p60. On the other
hand, an SDI connection, using a BNC
connector, locks on to the port, ensuring
there are no unwanted disruptions.

Furthermore, SDI is designed for long cable
runs, like about 100 meters (328 feet) for
HD. HDMI can only go up to 30 meters
(about 100 feet) without an extender. With a
good extender, it can equal SDI. But imagine


Page 187
how many HDMI connections does that
make? The more the HDMI connectors, the
greater the chances of one being dislodged.

Rule of thumb: Choose HD-SDI over HDMI
whenever possible. It is designed for rough
professional use. HDMI is designed as a
consumer standard.

If youre an Alexa user, youll be asking: How
is it that the Alexa can output 3K out of dual
HD-SDI? Well, they dont use the SMPTE
standard. They treat the two ports as just
cabling, and have their own circuitry and
protocol, called T-link.

The burning question at the end of the day
is: If all this is murky, and information is
scarce, then how does one select the right
camera-recorder-monitor combination?

If the answer isnt made plain by the
manufacturers, then ask friends or your
peers. If youre still confused, then write to
the manufacturer asking for specific help. If
they dont answer, or if the answer only
makes it worse, then avoid that
manufacturer.


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Rule of thumb: If the service at sales is poor,
imagine what service youll get once you
have parted with your cash.

The most common reason for incompatibility
within standards is the mismatch between
field rates and frame rates, namely via
interlacing, progressive feeds and psF feeds.
To know more about these, please head over
to my Understanding Terminology series and
read the chapters that deal with these
standards.

To keep it short: psF is a progressive feed
split up into halves to mimic an interlaced
feed, so that devices that cant read
progressive frames are fooled into reading
them. These legacy devices were designed
at a time interlacing was king.

Rule of thumb: When in doubt, stick to
progressive video. Only consider interlacing
if shooting specifically for broadcast. Luckily,
though, most broadcasters have begun
accepting progressive video directly.


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Chapter 10
External Monitoring

External monitoring can mean two things:

Monitoring for aesthetics
Monitoring for technical validity or
merit

Rule of thumb: A good external monitor, or
display, should be capable of both.


Page 190
To judge aesthetics, one looks at the image,
namely the colors, the framing, the focus,
and hopefully the performance.

To judge technical merits, one looks at data
from the image, reinterpreted as waveforms,
graphics or other information. This
information is critical to keeping the video
within the boundaries of the agreed-upon
standard for delivery.

How do you judge a shoe at a shoe store?
First you look at what excites you. Then you
might want to see if it fits you, and whether
its material, stitching, etc., will work with
your lifestyle. Video is no different.

Sometimes the video just looks wrong. With
experience, youll come to understand the
quirks of your system and will know the
exact setting to change to fix the problem.
But when youre using a new system, a good
understanding of monitoring a video
technically will help you fix it faster. Or you
could just flip switches in trial and error
mode, while everyone else waits.


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The goal of your external monitor is to show
you exactly what youre shooting. If it
distorts the signal (or jazzes it up, as
consumer grade or cheap monitors tend to
do) for some reason, then you might want to
reconsider what youre monitoring.

Considerations:

Your monitor must ideally:

Have the same resolution, frame rate
and aspect ratio as your video feed
Have compatible connectors and
standards
Have a separate battery/power supply
Be visible in sunlight
Be rugged and, most important
Be better than the in-built camera
LCD/LED display

In what respects can the external monitor be
better than the in-camera display? The
most immediate difference is one of size.


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How to find the right size monitor

What is the ideal size of an external monitor?
5, 7, 9, 15, 24 or more?

Some productions are able to afford more
than one monitor, so everyones happy. Most
productions though, cant afford or dont
need more than one.

Heres my system of arriving at the right
size:

Its not rocket science. Im not going to
explain it in detail because most of it is
already covered in Driving Miss Digital. But
here are few notes:

The maximum size I find practical on a
rig is 14. And even thats pushing it.
The reason why theres a maximum
size is that once you go over this, the
perceptible resolution decreases.


Page 193
When more than one person is viewing
a monitor, they wont always be at the
same distance from it.
The tendency of most individuals is to
always approach the monitor to be as
close as possible, just like moths.
Even though director/client egos might
demand the biggest screen possible,
the resolution will not support it at
close distances.

With this system, Im no longer bogged
down by display size. And now, you neednt
be, either.

The next thing youll need to look for is
whether the signal standard, connector and
specifications match. This is where the
preceding chapter will be of assistance.

Rule of thumb: If the monitor cannot display
the feed as is, it is useless, in my opinion.
Once youre guaranteed an accurate signal,
you can now begin to look for tools that will
help you manipulate it:

Brightness
Contrast


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Gamma
Internal Calibration
Color Space/LUTs/Profiles
Color Gamut
Bit Depth

The skys the limit. With RAW files, you
might have two additional steps before the
signal is ready: De-comprsession (Redcode)
and De-bayering. This ready signal will have
to be passed through a LUT for correct
display.

Theoretically, a monitor can be designed with
rigid standards baked in. Wont that make
things simpler, you might be wondering? No.
Why? Because what looks like good color to
one might look like too much to another.
What might appear sharp to one will appear
fuzzy to another. So whose eye will the
monitor be designed for?

Rule of thumb: A good monitor should
provide enough controls to please your eye.

The next important consideration is the
signal standard. E.g., the most common


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standard youll find today is the SMPTE 292M
standard, as follows:

10 bit 4:2:2
Maximum 1920x1080p30 at 1.485
Gbps
Interlaced or Progressive (psF masked
as interlaced)
Rec. 709 color space (ITU-R
Recommendation BT.709)
4 channel audio at 24-bit 48KHz
Both video and audio can be
compressed or uncompressed

This standard is delivered via an HD-SDI
BNC connector, as we have seen earlier. The
monitor must be capable of understanding
this signal without adding its own juice.
Sometimes, cheap monitors and recorders
add their own juice to fill up things they are
not designed to understand (somewhat like
how frog DNA was inserted between dino
DNA in Jurassic Park).

Rule of thumb: If you are unable to find
information on whether a monitor is fully
compatible with the signal delivered by the
camera, assume it does not match.


Page 196
Before I move on to suggestions, heres my
personal take:

When it comes to data inspection, Ive
observed one curious peculiarity: The eyes
dont lie. If it looks good on a big bright
broadcast monitor you are okay.

Rule of thumb: Usually the numbers should
match what you see visually. When in doubt
between data and vision, always rely on your
eyes.

Unless your audience is an army of data
wranglers or signal processing engineers.
Ask any DP who has shot on film prior to the
digital revolution.

How did they judge exposure?
How come they were so certain?
How did they realize their vision on
celluloid?
Did they use calibrated monitors on
set, with 10-bit displays and LUTs?
Why is it that with all this technology
on set many DPs still cant make great
images consistently?


Page 197
Rule of thumb: If you know your camera,
lighting and lens inside out, you dont need
an external monitor.

I find its effect more therapeutic than
essential. Seeing your image in its final form
is a relief. Only you can tell whether you
need an external monitor or not.

Rule of thumb: If you still dont know, even
after having read this chapter, whether or
not you need an external monitor, you dont
need one.


Page 198
One of the most important properties of an
external monitor is its ability to analyze the
technical merit of the signal.

A signal can be interpreted and analyzed in
many ways, but here are a few established
methods:

Waveform Monitor Displays voltage over
time, and the shape of the signal
commonly used to study luminance.

Vectorscope Displays the relationship
between two separate signals in X-Y form
commonly used to study chrominance.

Histogram A graph showing the
distribution of discrete data (for digital
systems) over a defined range commonly
used to study luminance of each channel
(RGB) separately, or the overall luminance of
the signal.

Zebra/Exposure When turned on, the
zebra stripes are seen over areas that are
overexposed beyond an established
threshold. On professional systems, this
threshold can be selected by the user.


Page 199
Test/Control Signal This is a standard
signal with known characteristics that can be
used to check for problems. Even if a
monitor has this, I recommend getting a
good signal generator with different kinds of
signals for a more impartial test.

The key difference between these technical
methods and the controls one finds to
manipulate the aesthetic image (brightness,
contrast, etc.) is that these dont allow for
variation. They show the signal as is, or at
least are supposed to.

Having a professional grade monitor with
these capabilities, for both analog and digital
signals, is like having your very own truth
serum. If you know what youre doing, it will
tell you how good your signal really is,
regardless of what the brochure or manual
says.

Properties to judge monitors:

Resolution Must be able to take the
native resolution and aspect ratio of
the signal


Page 200
Pixel density Must meet your viewing
distance criteria
Refresh rate Should be 120 Hz if
possible, or at least 60 Hz
Luminance Should be a minimum of
200 cd/m
2
and the higher the better
Color All the standard color spaces
selectable as presets, with LUT
capability if possible
Contrast ratio Should be as high as
possible, the really good monitors can
show more than 10 stops or 1000:1
Viewing angle As close to 180
o
as
possible
Color depth - 10 bits if possible, but
theres nothing wrong with 8-bits only
for viewing purposes.
Precision 10-bit processing minimum
Weight, Power Consumption and Heat
As low as possible
Ports At least two 1.5Gbps BNC ports
(for dual HD-SDI), an HDMI port (1.4)
and Displayport

Not all monitors will have all of these
features. If you want everything, expect to
pay more than what you paid for your
camera body.


Page 201
In fact, you dont need the best monitor on
earth on a production set. Using technical
tools will keep your image within the
acceptable ball park. Thats what they are
for!

Calibration

When one puts so much thought and anxiety
into getting as precise a monitor as possible,
this question soon follows: Who will monitor
the monitor?

Keeping tools in top shape is the job of a
calibration tool. Good external monitors have
in-built calibration tools, but if you cant rely
on the design of the monitor, why would you
rely on the design of the calibration tool? For
this reason, no matter what, I always
recommend a third party calibration tool.

A calibration tool checks whether the image
displayed by the monitor is what it claims to
display. E.g., is red red?

Next well take a look at suggested monitors
for each size and camera, and the calibration
tools to keep them in good shape.


Page 202
Monitor shortcomings are never marketed.
Ultimately, even the perfect monitor on
paper might prove inadequate in the field.
All said and done, you will find yourself
relying on your eyes and intuition.

Note: It is ideal to have a monitor that
matches your video signal, but most small-
sized monitors dont offer full HD the logic
being that if youre close enough, you dont
need the resolution. Dont forget to make
your own monitor size/resolution vs viewing
distance vs ppi measurements.

Here are a few suggestions for each size and
connector type, from the simplest to the
best:


Page 203
3

Focusing and framing only

Use Viewfinder or LCD


Page 204
Monitoring

BNC Use Viewfinder or LCD, or something
like the Marshall Electronics V-LCD4PROL 4

HDMI Use Viewfinder or LCD, or
something like the Zacuto Z-EVF-1F EVF

As far as I know, nothing exists that
matches the stringent requirements Ive laid
down earlier. In fact, at this size, its better
to stick to a good viewfinder for
everything.

5


Camax 5.6 Pro HD Field Monitor


Page 205
I personally feel a 5 monitor isnt worth the
trouble only for framing and focusing. But
you might have sharper eyes, and it might
make a difference to your work.

Monitoring

HD-SDI Astro Design Inc DM-3105
HDMI Marshall V-LCD50-HDMI 5
HD-SDI and HDMI Marshall Electronics V-
LCD56MD

7


Page 206

HD-SDI Blackmagic Design Smartview
Duo Rackmountable Dual 8 inch LCD
Monitors
HDMI Lilliput 7-inch LCD monitor

Monitoring

HD-SDI Marshall V-LCD651STX-3GSDI-SL
6.5
HDMI Marshall V-LCD651STX-HDMI-PM
6.5

Top of the line CineMonitorHD8
Evolution


Page 207
What does a top of the line monitor get
you? Full resolution, robust monitoring and
excellent quality all round. Maybe someday
the retina technology will trickle down to
cheaper monitors, but it is not here yet.

9

The big challenge for the 9 sized monitor is
to match the retina display, which is
undoubtedly a great benchmark. I feel
manufacturers must surely get their act
together and upgrade all their monitors to
at least 1080p.


Page 208

HD-SDI Manhattan LCD HD089B2-S-
3GSDI
HDMI Manhattan LCD HD8900 8.9

Special Mention The Apple iPad with
Retina Display. How? You can use
something like the Livestream Broadcaster
and an account at Livestream.

Other tablets can also be used this way.
What will be great is for tablets to be able to
take HDMI in directly so one can use
something like the Actiontec My Wireless TV
WiFi / HDMI Kit.

Ill look at wireless in more detail in the
Streaming chapter later on.

Monitoring

Both HDMI and SDI Marshall V-LCD90MD


Page 209

Top of the line

Transvideo CineMonitorHD10 SB Evolution

14

This is where things get slightly murky. Do
you opt for a laptop with a device like the
Blackmagic Design Pocket UltraScope -


Page 210
Or should you stick to a professional-grade
monitor?


I see no reason to spend money on a
professional-grade monitor in this case. On
the flip side, consumer grade monitors are
not built for outdoor use, and dont have the
most robust of connectors.

My suggestion? Stick to a laptop.

Monitoring

HD-SDI Marshall Electronics V-LCD15SB-
AFHD-DT
HDMI Sony LMD1510W

Dont forget many monitors can take both
HD-SDI and HDMI inputs via an optional
adapter, if not directly.

It is extremely frustrating to not find value-
for-money monitors that will display 1080p.
I find it shameful that even in the 14
range, major manufacturers havent
upgraded to 1080p. For this reason, I have


Page 211
no hesitation in recommending a Apple
MacBook Pro -

or even something like an IdeaPad Yoga

Top of the line

Transvideo CineMonitorHD15 Studio
Evolution


Page 212
17

The 17 size is interesting. Most laptop
manufacturers have somewhat settled on
this size as the upper limit of portability.
Ive owned a 19 laptop and I can tell you it
is anything but portable.

Luckily, this size has the most options for
cheaper displays, along with its bigger
cousin, the 24 incher.


Most Consumer-grade Displays will do,
provided it is robust enough.

A professional-grade monitor in this size is
serious money, and not worth it if you ask
me, only for framing and focusing.


Page 213
Monitoring

HD-SDI Marshall V-R171X-DLW
HD-SDI and HDMI Sony PVM-1741

24
A

24 monitor usually has to deal with color.
More often than not a director or client


Page 214
makes decisions from what they see on this
monitor.


For the reason mentioned above I wont
recommend the cheap consumer grade
monitors. However if you dont have money
for a good monitor but still need a 24
display, take a look at the Dell UltraSharp
U2410

For slightly more money, take a look at the
excellent Sony LMD-2110W which can also
take HD-SDI with an optional adapter.


Page 215
Monitoring

HD-SDI JVC 24 Studio Monitor (DT-
V24G11Z)
HDMI Sony LMD-2110W which can also
take HD-SDI with an optional adapter.
HD-SDI and HDMI Sony PVM2541

Top of the line

Sony BVM-E250 Trimaster

What does one do about 4K?

Large monitors are tough to carry around
and set up, so it is highly unlikely youll find
them on a film set. Where you can find one,
though, is in a temporary dailies/rushes tent
or room.

First, lets take a look at the unique demands
of 4K monitoring.


Page 216
4K the curious problem of too close
and too far

Every monitor is constrained by resolution
and its size. Both of these are always
constant. For the observer, the only practical
factor that affects the perception of
resolution is viewing distance.

There is always a distance at which the size
of each pixel is at the limit of visual acuity.
Lets call this the ideal spot.

If you step closer to the monitor, you will
begin to see the individual pixels. If you step
further away, there will come a point where
the resolution advantage of this monitor is
lost, and a monitor with a lower resolution
might suffice.


Page 217
Why does this happen? Individual pixels will
seem to bunch up to form bigger pixels as
you step away. To learn more, and to make
your own calculations, please read Driving
Miss Digital.

To give you a few examples, let us consider
the Retina Display as standard, at 264 ppi
(printing is ideally set at 300 dpi). At 1-2
feet, for the average observer (which is the
majority of us), this is great for reading.

If youre watching 4K on a 24 monitor, the
ideal distance is at 1.5 feet. You might feel
this is too close, so you step back, also
allowing others to take a peek. If you step
back to about 3 feet (which is not that far
back at all!), you will be watching 4K at the
same resolution as it would appear if you
were watching 1080p! Crazy.

Heres another example. If youre watching
4K on a 42 monitor, the ideal distance is at
about 2.5 feet (that close?). If you sit back
to about 6 feet, youve wasted your money.
You could have the same feel with a 1080p
monitor.


Page 218
What does this tell you? There is a very
small window of opportunity for 4K on a set.
99 times out of 100, youre better off with a
standard 1080p monitor. Just view it a few
steps further back. If you want presence, get
a bigger monitor!

You could get a retina display kind of feel at
6 feet away from a 55 monitor showing
1080p. Who needs more on a set?

Consider this before asking for a 4K monitor.


Page 219

Large monitors for 1080p

Production monitors at these sizes are
expensive, so if you have an HD-SDI feed
you might want to consider an HD-SDI to
HDMI converter (or the other way around)
like the ones Kramer, Blackmagic Design or
AJA makes.


Page 220

32

Focusing and Framing Dell UltraSharp
U3011

Professional-grade Sony PVML3200

32+

Most professional-grade broadcast monitors,
with all the bells and whistles, stop at 32.

Focusing and Framing Any cheap
monitor will do.

Higher grade Sony FWDS46H2 Pro
Display and Barco LDX-55

Top of the Line - Sony Bravia XBR KDL-
70XBR7 70-Inch 1080p 120Hz


Page 221
One shouldnt expect the kind of color
quality from large monitors as one would
find on smaller monitors.

2K

I personally feel you shouldnt worry too
much if youre forced to watch 2K on a
1080p monitor. Most people will be hard
pressed to tell the difference.


Page 222
What makes it even more complicated is the
fact that the cameras chosen for this guide
that shoot 2K have their own resolutions,
aspect ratios and file types. However, what
they do have in common is support for
1080p monitoring. Take the hint.

For everyone else

Focusing and Framing - Dell UltraSharp
U3011

Monitoring - Eizo ColorEdge CG275W

4K


Page 223
It is plain that if you want 4K, you want the
best image quality possible. There are no
cheap solutions available, unless you want
to create a 22 video wall but why?

For consumer level 4K, try Sony VPL-
VW1000ES 4K

For professional grade 4K, try the Sony
SRXT105.

For the price of a 4K monitor, one could
potentially make a movie.

Testing Gear

Whats the use of oscilloscopes (scopes) and
other testing gear? Dont you already have a
broadcast monitor or laptop with everything
in it?

Yes and no.

Rule of thumb: If youre doing a project for
the web or DVD, then expensive testing gear
is probably overkill, not to mention
financially nonviable.


Page 224


Page 225
But-

What if you have a multicam setup in a
broadcast environment?
What if youre streaming or
broadcasting live?
What if you have many monitors and
devices along with switchers and other
gear?
What if color and signal accuracy is
paramount (as in film, scientific,
medical or broadcast work?)

You see, when you have one monitor, you
have no option but to trust it. When you
have two, showing dissimilar images, which
one do you believe? This happens more often
than not. The more the devices, the worse it
gets.

For these reasons, when a lot of signal is
flowing around on set, the only way to keep
everything under control, is with signal
testing equipment.

This rigging guide is for the novice filmmaker
or videographer, so theres no point going
into details. Only a trained engineer can


Page 226
operate and fully utilize all the information a
scope provides. For everyone else, lets stick
to the basics, as outlined earlier.

These are some important tools that
comprise a testing system:

Digital Oscilloscope
Signal Generator (with Sync Pulse
Generator)
Digital Multimeter

Note: All the cameras used in this guide are
digital in nature, but analog signals are still
found on some broadcast cameras.

For a single SDI feed, with a laptop for
display, the ideal solution is a Blackmagic
Design Pocket UltraScope:


Page 227

If you want a PC setup for your data station,
you could use the Blackmagic Design
Ultrascope Card instead.

These are okay tools, and probably good
enough for simple testing. When everything
is hunky-dory, they work. But when signals
misbehave, they are lost. Personally, I find it
more beneficial to trust the in-camera
monitors over cheap solutions.

For professional grade testing systems, look
at the products made by Leader and
Tektronix.


Page 228

Scopes

Scopes are the bread and butter of a video
signal testing system. Waveforms,
vectorscopes, you name it. If youre feeling
adventurous, download one of the manuals
and try reading.

All-rounder

Take a look at the Leader LV5382. This is a
top-of-the-line product that gives you the
best of everything, and a whole lot more:

HD-SDI dual channel and HDMI
support (with SDI to HDMI
conversion)
3D/Stereoscopy support with
anaglyph display and parallax
checking


Page 229
Can be used as a broadcast monitor
(1024768)
Waveform, vectorscope, audio, error
detection and gamut error detection
Picture controls like color
temperature, brightness, contrast,
gain, bias, monochrome, safety, etc.
Screen capture to USB drives
Audio monitoring in stereo

Note: HDMI is a difficult standard to
monitor, simply because it only specifies
how a signal should be packaged, not
what that signal should be unlike HD-
SDI.

In fact, it is surprising that technology has
gone miles ahead, while those making the
standards are still scratching their heads.
Cant blame them. Its changing too fast!


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Portable

Take a look at the Tektronix WFM2200. The
more the systems, the more running around
an engineer might have to do.

Full PC Picture Quality Analyzer

Try the Tektronix PQA600 system.


Page 231
What if youre shooting RAW?

RAW means the signal only contains data in
a specific format. There is no color space or
ISO attached to it, even though it will have
a gamut (which is defined by the sensor-
sampling system within the camera).

Furthermore, RAW might also be
compressed, as in the case of Redcode. For
these reasons and more, RAW monitoring
needs software to interpret the signals
correctly. Heres a list of some software for
the cameras chosen in this guide:

Red Epic/Scarlet Redcode Redcine-
X Pro
Sony F65 F65 RAW Colorfront On
Set Dailies
Arri Alexa Arriraw DVS Clipster.
For a full list, click here.
Blackmagic Design Cinema Camera
Cinema DNG Blackmagic Design
DaVinci Resolve

For more information on RAW, check out my
series on Deconstructing RAW.


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Other Gear

Signal Pulse Generators

You need these to test systems against a
standard known type of signal (a good
generator will give you many options), and
to generate a pulse to synchronize systems
perfectly, like in the case of live broadcast
switching or stereoscopy.

Check out these signal pulse generators
from Tektronix.

Digital Multimeter

Tools to check other tools? If you want to
keep your testing system sane and healthy,
and have the knowledge to do so, you
should always have a multimeter in hand.


Page 233

Check out these digital multimeters from
Tektronix.

What Ive outlined here barely scratches the
surface. Testing signals, be it in file form
(RAW or otherwise) or signal form (HD-SDI,
HDMI, etc.), is not an activity to be taken
lightly. It is a good idea to rigorously test
products often, so that you know they are
performing to their utmost.

For further research, I highly recommend the
Tektronix Learning Center.


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Color calibration system

The most important color space, common to
all the cameras in this guide, is Rec. 709,
which is the world-wide standard for HDTV.
This space corresponds to sRGB, the
universal standard for consumer monitors.
Anything beyond this is called wide gamut.

A wide gamut monitor is capable of
displaying colors outside this norm.


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Note: A wide gamut monitor does not mean
it can show every color, just a few more
colors outside Rec. 709 (assuming it is the
base standard they chose for their
marketing).

Heres a colorfully bleak picture:

Youll find a lot of information on wide gamut
color profiles and monitors, and blah blah,
but they are not all wide in the same place.
Let me explain:

A camera sensor is made of real physical
material that interact with light. The
resulting electrical signal is sampled via
internal circuitry. This process reigns in the


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colors under an established color space, like
Rec. 709, while discarding the rest. A good
HD camera will have a sensor system
capable of producing color far greater than
Rec. 709, so that eliminations can be made
without penalty.

This is where RAW comes in. By delivering
raw, camera manufacturers are giving you
the power to choose your working color
space. How do you know RAW has more
color than a baked image? Check out my
Dynamic Range comparison of RAW v/s
video mode on the Canon 550D article for
starters.

Eventually, be it raw or cooked, an image will
be delivered to the monitor, and the monitor,
being an object made of real atoms and
molecules, will have its own color gamut. A
wide gamut monitor will usually
accommodate most of Rec. 709 (or even
100% of it). It also has space for additional
colors that one hopes is within the raw file
gamut. But who can say for sure?

The above diagram is not to scale, so dont
get too worked up over it. A well designed


Page 237
system keeps things within the ball park, so
to speak.

To know more about color, please read
Driving Miss Digital.

Considerations for a good color
calibration system:

As wide a gamut as possible
Manufacturer must have pedigree
Ability to discern and study ambient
lighting conditions
Excellent software to make sense of all
the color data
Can work independently


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Two excellent systems for your external
monitor are the Datacolor Spyder4Elite and
X-Rite i1 Display Pro .

To ensure color accuracy, you will do well to
also use the color charts that come with the
calibration system.

To test focus, I suggest the LensAlign MkII
Plus Focus Calibration Tool .

For white balance, you could use a foam
board, or a more robust tool like the
Lastolite 12-Inch Grey/White Card :

If you want to check for sharpness, you will
also need a resolution chart, like the ones
made by DSC Labs. You could print your own
copy of the 1951 USAF resolution test chart
and its variants, if you want to save money.


Page 239
One accessory which is a must have for an
external monitor is the hood, like this one
from Compushade (fits 15 to 22) :

Always have black cloth handy for those
really troublesome days. At least no one will
see your tears of joy on achieving the
perfect shot.


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Chapter 11
Viewfinders

When the monitor is small and can only be
observed at a small distance, like in shoulder
mount or handheld mode, e.g., the operator
needs a viewfinder to look at what he or she
is shooting.

Considerations for a good viewfinder:

Full coverage, or at least above 90%
Excellent contrast
No latency, and up to 60p if possible
A nice Eye-cup which is sweat-resistant
and allergy-proof
Diopter adjustments
Good color


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Camera and Exposure settings
Markings for different aspect ratios
Robust and flexible in movement
Have universal connections (like HDMI
or HD-SDI)

There are basically four kinds of
viewfinders:

On-camera Optical Viewfinder (OVF)
On-camera Electronic Viewfinder (EVF)
Directors Viewfinder
Loupes

Optical Viewfinders are inextricably linked to
the cameras main optical path, like in the
case of DSLRs. The DSLR viewfinder, though
great for still photography, is really useless
for videography. Under some cases it might
work, but most of the time, it wont.

The BMCC, on the other hand, has no
provision for an OVF, and most cameras now
come with EVFs only. It is much easier for a
manufacturer to re-route a video signal than
to design a good optical viewfinder, so I
believe, for videography at least, the days of
the OVF are numbered. This is currently


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being driven by a phenomenal improvement
in pixel density of EVFs, without a large cost
burden.

For this reason, if an OVF comes with your
camera (which is getting rarer by the day),
then use it, otherwise stick to EVFs.

Are there any benefits at all to OVFs
over EVFs?

In 2012? Only for high-resolution video,
going 4K and beyond. EVFs have about 300
ppi or so, but a good optical viewfinder will
only be limited by the lens, and should
provide at least twice the resolution,
depending on the optical path, mirrors and
other compromises made.

E.g., I find it a travesty that only 400 ppi is
available for the Sony F65, which is
supposedly geared to shoot 8K. But its just
my personal opinion.


Page 243

EVFs

Being electronic in nature, EVFs are
fundamentally similar to external monitors,
and use similar signal standards.

DSLRs and Prosumer Cameras

For the DSLRs in this guide, try the Zacuto
Z-Finder EVF Pro or the Cineroid EVF4C.

For the prosumer cameras in this guide, try
the Cineroid EVF Metal Viewfinder.


Page 244
The Cineroid Metal version has options for
HD-SDI, HDMI or even HD-SDI/HDMI loop-
throughs, which is really handy when you
have a camera like the BMCC with only one
BNC port.

Both Cineroid and Zacuto versions have a
horizontal pixel density of about 290 ppi,
which is acceptable for HD work.

For even better HD experience, try the
Cineroid Pro EVF4RVW with Retina Display
(350 ppi).

The best HD experience is using a Sony
HDVFC30WR 2.7 viewfinder, with
something like the AbelCine ProVFM
Viewfinder Mount Kit for Sony PMW-F3. This
provides a pixel density of about 400 ppi.
However, the price difference for the extra
50 ppi is phenomenal!

High-end, 2K+

As mentioned, even 300 dpi wont match
what an OVF will be capable of, especially
with 4K+ resolutions. For these reasons, I


Page 245
highly recommend sticking to the EVFs the
manufacturer recommends:

Red Epic/Scarlet Bomb EVF OLED
(about 600 ppi)
Arri Alexa Arri Optical
Viewfinder/Arri EVF-1 (about 600 ppi)
Sony F65 Sony HDVF-C30WR,
HDVF-C35W (400 ppi approx.)

Note: When making ppi measurements,
Ive only considered the horizontal size,
keeping with the trend Ive set earlier.

Even the best EVFs dont come anywhere
near the brilliance of a professional-grade
OVF, but many people question why it is
necessary to see the image in full resolution


Page 246
in a viewfinder anyway. That isnt the
viewfinders purpose, is it?

Or is it? If you are from a photography
background, especially with exposure to
medium format or large format systems,
youll hate EVFs. Dont worry, its not your
eyesight.

Directors Viewfinder

If you are using a DSLR, I highly
recommend using it. If not, get a DSLR with
a sensor that matches the camera you are
using. If you are using a PL mount lens,
then get an adapter or alter the mount
(there are companies specializing in this).

Finally, use a loupe with frame markings for
various aspect ratios and you have a
highly capable directors viewfinder that can
also shoot stills and video!

For everyone else


Page 247
Cheap Option

Use a Mobile Phone with the Artemis
Directors Viewfinder for IOS or Android.

Proper Option

Take a look at the Alan Gordon Enterprises
Mark Vb Directors Viewfinder.


Page 248
Loupes

Loupes fit LCD/LED monitors to convert it
into a viewfinder. Loupes are handy when
theres a lot of light noise (harsh light) and
you want to closely study the image. It can
also be used as a cheap viewfinder.

Look at the Hoodman HCKP H-LPP3 which
also has magnification and focus
adjustments.


Page 249
Chapter 12
Making the Connections

Heres a list of cameras considered in this
guide along with the connectors:

Note: This list does not claim to be accurate
or complete. For a complete and correct list,
please refer to the materials provided by the
manufacturer.

One of the big surprises is the fact that even
though HDMI and HD-SDI are the solid
standards, one finds most manufacturers
using proprietary connectors, usually BNC for
various other duties, like TC (Timecode),
LANC (Control), Ethernet, SYNC/GENLOCK,
etc. Sony PMW-F3 is probably the winner,


Page 250
with so many options that one wonders
whether all of them have been used at all.
We will look at audio options later. In this
chapter, well look at:

Adapters
1
and Cables for video HD-
SDI, HDMI, DVI and DisplayPort
Splitters
Extenders
Vision Mixers/Production Switchers
LANC and Remote Control
TC Devices
Sync/Genlock Devices

1
I will look at file-based converters
(hardware transcoders) in the chapter on
streaming later.


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Video Adapters and Cables

A video adapter isnt a dumb device. It has
the unenviable task of converting one
format to another, and must serve many
signal characteristics. Its not easy building
a universal adapter, simply because camera
manufacturers dont play ball. Luckily, some
manufacturers see these issues as
challenges.

Considerations:

Must handle many kinds of signals
Must include audio if possible
Ideally should have a loop through so
a connector isnt wasted
Must be rugged, light weight and as
small as possible
Ideally should allow for firmware
updating
Low power draw
Should not introduce signal noise
Must be compatible with as many
hardware devices as possible

Rule of thumb: If you have more than one


Page 252
adapter in a signal chain, theres probably
an easier way.

Note: Between HDMI, DisplayPort and DVI-
D, a signal might not need conversion. More
often than not, signals dont change, so a
dumb adapter will do. What decides this is
the hardware at both ends.

Important: Dont forget that many
consumer-grade standards have both male
and female versions, which are sometimes
mixed up by hardware vendors for only
reasons they know. Keep this in mind. Once
youve gone through the trouble of all this
adaptation, youll begin to appreciate the
simplicity and ruggedness of the BNC
system.

HD-SDI/3G-SDI HDMI

From HD-SDI to HDMI, try the Blackmagic
Design Mini Converter, SDI to HDMI.

From HDMI to HD-SDI, try the Blackmagic
Design HDMI to SDI Mini Converter.


Page 253
Both of these also handles 3G-SDI, which is
an important feature to have.

For HD-SDI and HDMI cables, check out
Monster Cables.

HDMI DVI-D*

Important: HDMI has many types of
connectors, and it might be necessary to
find an adapter for an adapter, if you cant
get a direct connection. Im giving examples
of adapters as cables and otherwise, only
for reference.

If youre looking for an cable-adapter, try
the Monster Ultra Series THX HDMI-to-DVI
Cable.


Page 254
For just the adapter version, try the Monster
Cable Dvi-Hdmi Sl Mkii Adapter.

HD-SDI DVI-D*

From HD-SDI to DVI-D, try the AJA HDP2
HD-SDI/SDI to DVI-D and Audio Converter.
From DVI-D to HD-SDI, try the Blackmagic
Design HDLEXT-DVI DVI Extender.

*Note: Some monitors are DVI-I and not
DVI-D. D stands for digital and I stands for
Integrated, which means Analog+Digital,
which means you can connect DVI-D to
DVI-I, but you might need an adapter.


Page 255

To quote Wikipedia:

The long flat pin on a DVI-I connector is
wider than the same pin on a DVI-D
connector, so it is not possible to connect a
male DVI-I to a female DVI-D by removing


Page 256
the 4 analog pins. It is possible, however, to
connect a male DVI-D cable to a female
DVI-I connector. Many flat panel LCD
monitors have only the DVI-D connection so
that a DVI-D male to DVI-D male cable will
suffice when connecting the monitor to a
computers DVI-I female connector.

HDMI DisplayPort

DisplayPort, like HDMI, has different
connectors, so be careful when choosing
your adapter.

For the cable-adapter version, try the Digital
Life Mini-DisplayPort to HDMI Cable.

For the adapter version, try the Monster
Digital Life Display Port to HDMI Adapter.

HD-SDI DisplayPort

I couldnt find any. Luckily, most devices
that come with DisplayPort also supports
either HDMI or DVI so were not too badly
off. Is there any option? Yes. This one


Page 257
Everything together?

For HD-SDI, 3G-SDI, HDMI, DisplayPort and
DVI all rolled into one, take a look at the
Blackmagic Design HDLink Pro 3D.

Whats the ideal cable length?

Trick question. There isnt one. But if you
are getting a cable, I recommend getting at
least 6 feet of it.

For all kinds of cables, including mini-XXX
to XXX and other connector types, check
out Monster Cables.


Page 258
Splitters

A splitter duplicates the incoming signal into
two or more versions.

A good splitter should:

Reproduce the digital signal perfectly,
without introducing noise or errors
Have almost zero latency
Must be plug-and-play

HD-SDI

Try the Gefen 1:4 3G-SDI Splitter.

HDMI

Remember to avoid HDMI 1.3 splitters.
HDMI 1.4 can go up to 4K and 12-bit color.
Try the excellent Sewell 14 HDMI Splitter
v1.4.


Page 259
DVI

You could go to 2 devices or more,
depending on how many monitors you have
on set.

For 2 monitors, try the Gefen EXT-DVI-
142DL 12 DVI DL Splitter.

For up to 8 monitors, in full 1080p60, try
the KanexPro DVI and HDCP 18 Splitter.

DisplayPort

Again, we see very few options for
DisplayPort, being a new technology. For a
14 splitter, try the Atlona Technologies
14 Mini DisplayPort Splitter.

Ethernet

In networking language, this is called a
Router. You could go the consumer-way,
which is to get a decent Gigabit Router.


Page 260
Or you could also use a switch, like the
Cisco-Linksys EG005W Gigabit 5-Port
Workgroup Switch.

Just make sure you invest in a gigabit
(10/100/1000) device for the optional
uncompressed video. One useful feature
about some HDMI systems is that it allows
Ethernet as well.

Extenders or Repeaters

Consumer-grade protocols like HDMI are not
intended for large cable runs. On a set,
though, you might occasionally find yourself


Page 261
needing to feed monitors a hundred feet (or
more) away.

An Extender amplifies the signal so it can
travel farther. The great advantage of the
HD-SDI standard is that it can go up to 300
feet (100 meters) without an extender or
repeater.

Instead of the regular (usually coaxial)
cable, one could always opt for the more
expensive fiber optic cable, which will
provide longer runs.

HD-SDI

What if you want to stretch HD-SDI over
300 feet? Youll need something like the
Gefen 3G-SDI Extender which can stretch
up to 1.25 miles (2 km):


Page 262
HDMI

HDMI, with the best cable, can go up to 50
feet. Usually, though, the average is less
than 20 feet.

For this reason, you have the option of
running HDMI over CAT5, like the HDMI
RS232 Over CAT5 Extender, or opt for a
wireless device, as well see in the
streaming chapter.

DVI

DVI, at full 1080p resolution, can probably
be stretched up to 15 feet.

Try the Gefen DVI RS232 Extender N.

DisplayPort

At full bandwidth, DisplayPort is rated for a
maximum of 6 feet.


Page 263

Try the Gefen DisplayPort Extreme
Extension Cable 100 ft.

Converters, Vision Mixers and
Production Switchers

Often, youll want to convert data from one
form to another (transcoders or converters)
and then route it to many devices
(splitters), which might be far away
(extenders).


Page 264
When in such an environment, youll also
appreciate having the ability to switch
between multiple streams to select the one
you want for whatever purpose it may be.
It could be for monitoring or testing
purposes, or any other. Such a device is
called a Production Switcher or Vision Mixer.

In essence, its the reverse of a splitter
you have multiple streams coming in and
one stream going out; and the switcher
allows you to choose which one you want.

For an excellent all-round switcher, try the
Blackmagic Design ATEM 1 M/E Production
Switcher.

The next level up is something like the
NewTek TriCaster Studio which is geared for
live telecast with an in-built titler and keyer.

Go even higher with the NewTek TriCaster
8000.

For top of the line, check out the For.A HVS-
5000 system:


Page 265

Switchers come in all kinds of permutations
and combinations, depending on the
industry you are in, and the kind of
workflow you have. I have given a few
examples so you see the scope of the
technology involved in live broadcast.

On a simple production set, a switcher will
allow you to route your video feeds to
multiple devices without the extra burden of
a data station. However, if youre working
with RAW files, then these switchers are
useless.

Ill repeat what I mentioned in the Data
Management chapter RAW files need
capable software, and debayering is more of


Page 266
an aesthetic exercise than a technical one.
In this case a data station makes more
sense.

Ill deal with stand-alone converters in more
detail in the chapter on streaming.

LANC and Remote Controls

LANC (or Local Application Control Bus
System), is used to synchronize video
cameras. To know more about what a LANC
controller does, try this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lHThI9
vlt8&feature=player_embedded

The DSLRs in this guide have no option for
LANC control, but have other solutions. The
higher end models in this guide have


Page 267
proprietary (or you could call it semi-
standard) LEMO pins, USB or BNC ports for
sophisticated control.

At its most basic, a remote control must
have start and stop recording capability.
Obviously, the more the features the better.
The trend is to go wireless, and expect to
see many apps that can run off tablets or
mobile phones directly. The great advantage
of an app is you get the entire menu
interface on a remote device, whereas a
remote control is just a bunch of buttons
and maybe a scroll wheel.

Canon DSLRs

Try the Canon RC-6 Wireless Remote
Controller. For the wired version, try the
Canon TC80N3 Timer Remote Control.

These are bare-bones controllers, offering
limited functionality. For control over many
more video functions, try the Okii FC1 USB
Focus Controller.


Page 268

For focus control, you could also use the
Cinematics Pro USB Focus Controller.

If these solutions are too expensive, there is
a cheaper DIY solution: the BT Receiver with
the Android DSLR Remote Controller App.
Last but not least, Canon provides the EOS
Utility software with all their DSLRs for
tethered control via USB.

Nikon DSLRs

For a wired cable release, try the NIKON
MC30 Remote Cable Release (31.5 in). For
the wireless version, try Nikon ML-3
Compact Modulite Remote Set.

For tethered control, try Nikon Camera
Control Pro 2.


Page 269
Panasonic GH2/GH3

This is one area where the Panasonic
cameras lag behind Canon or Nikon. Try the
Professional Timer Remote Control or the
Hahnel Giga T Pro II Wireless Timer
Remote.

Sony A99

Sony has its own jazzy remote control for
the Alpha series, the Sony Alpha RMT-
DSLR1 Camera Remote.

BMCC

The BMCC has a 2.5mm TRS (Phone jack)
connector for start and stop recording, iris
Control and focus control.


Page 270
Not all LANC controllers are compatible with
the BMCC. BMD currently recommends the
Manfrotto MVR901EPLA Pan Bar Remote for
LANC and the Bebob LANC ZOE-DVXL Zoom
Control .

Important: Always plug in your LANC
controller before switching on the camera,
and switch off the camera before removing
the pin.

Sony FS100/FS700


Page 271
For excellent LANC functionality, try the
Sony LANC Remote Controller. For an even
better option, try the Sony RM-1000BP
Multi-Functional LANC Remote Commander.

Sony PMW-F3

The F3 has a proprietary 8-pin connector for
the top of the line Sony RMB750 Remote
Control Unit.

The F3 also comes with an Infrared (IR)
Remote Control for basic operation.
As you can see, Sony has LANC down to an
art.

Canon C300/C100/1DX


Page 272
Using the Canon WFT-E6A Wireless File
Transmitter you can control the camera via
any tablet or mobile device. Heres an
excellent resource to learn more about this:
http://blog.abelcine.com/2012/07/16/using-
the-wft-e6a-adapter-c300-wi-fi-remote/

Note: Even though the C300 has a 2.5mm
TRS jack like the BMCC, not all LANC
controllers offer more functionality than just
start/stop.

Red Epic/Scarlet

For complete operation, Red provides the
Redmote.


Page 273
For extra functionality, including wireless
access to tablets and transcoding proxies,
use the Meizler Module.

Arri Alexa

When using the Alexa Plus, use the WMU-3,
WCU-3 or WCU-4 directly. With non-Plus
models, the camera will need to be
connected to the UMC-3 or UMC-3A
Controller via the EXT port.


Page 274

For basic remote control, use the RCU-4,
which offers full cabled control.

Sony F65

When the Sony CBKWA01//C USB WiFi
Adaptor is connected via the USB port on
the camera, the Sony F65 can be operated
by any mobile browser connected to wi-fi.

To know how this works, check here:
http://blog.abelcine.com/2012/07/24/f65-
remote-control-using-the-f65-remote-ipad-
app/

If you dont want to deal with browsers, and
want iPad functionality, download the free
F65Remote App from iTunes.


Page 275
TC Devices

Timecode is what you get when each frame
(or field) is tagged with its own identity, a
number, by a reference timing device (a
clock). You could have all kinds of coding
systems, but the most commonly used is
the SMPTE 12M-1 and 12M-2 (12M)
Timecode, usually as Linear Timecode (LTC).

It looks somewhat like this: HH:MM:SS:FF
(Hours:Minutes:Seconds:Frames), where
the limit of FF is the frame rate of the video.

Why do we need timecode?

Identification in space, so we know
where each frame is in relation to all
the other frames, assuming the shots
are logged correctly.
Identification in time, so we know
where each frame is, in relation to a
standard reference clock.
Synchronization, so we can sync
video, audio and anything else to a
reference clock.


Page 276
A lot of people find timecode confusing,
similar to an airline flight-schedule display
board or a twitter feed. The key to stay on
top of timecode is to set it up right. If you
do that correctly, the rest will take care of
itself.

Think of it as buying a high-quality watch.
Once you adjust the time perfectly, you
have reliable time until the batteries run
out at least!

What makes a basic timecode system?

A Master Clock that knows the time
already.
A Sync and/or timecode Generator
A timecode Translator
A timecode Reader
Genlocking or Pulse-locking System


Page 277

Image courtesy: German Federal Archive (Deutsches
Bundesarchiv, Thaler E.

The conductors brain is the clock. His
movements are the sync generator, and the
brains of each musician have an in-built
genlocking system capable of understanding
the conductors code.

Most prosumer and professional cameras
come with in-built timecode, which is in the
form of metadata for digital video. The
DSLRs on the other hand, dont have SMPTE
timecode (though they have something),
except for the Canon 5D Mark III, that is.


Page 278
Your requirements of timecode depend on
which features of timecode you want. Do
you just want a reference, as in when youre
shooting with one camera you log the
footage and then get to editing (EDL)
directly, where your only problem is syncing
audio and video?

Or, do you have a multi-camera setup that
needs to be synced precisely, maybe for
stereoscopy, HDR or broadcast, etc?

DSLR timecode is okay if youre recording
audio in-camera. For professional audio,
youll need to find a way to generate SMPTE
timecode and add that information to the
video somehow. The HD-SDI protocol is
excellent for timecode delivery, along with
audio and video.

Timecode generator

All in all, the simplest timecode generator
that is also reliable is the Ambient Recording
ACL 204:


Page 279

It includes a sync generator and timecode
display, and supports up to 1080p60.

For more control, you will need the Ambient
Recording Clockit Controller ACC 501; or if
you prefer LANC, try the Lanc Logger
ALL601.

The simplest way to sync everything


Page 280
The el-cheapo method, which also happens
to be more than a century old, is to use a
slate/clapperboard, like the Cavision
Professional Production Slate .

For the electronic version, check out the
Ambient Recording Time Code Slate ACD
301.

If you prefer wi-fi and a tablet for a slate,
try the Clockit Timecode App:

For a full understanding on how everything
works together, check out this video:

https://vimeo.com/ambientrecording/ambie
nt-clockit-network

All this is just an introduction to the world of
timecode. Like with everything else, the
more devices you add, the more
complicated things become.


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A full studio setup is beyond the scope of
this guide, but for basic production work,
even for live broadcast, the above systems
should suffice.

Timecode Logging

Remember, no matter how good your
timecode hardware, if someone isnt logging
it right, then the entire exercise is basically
pointless. Its like having a dictionary that is
not sorted alphabetically.


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For this reason, one uses a timecode reader
or logger like the Katamount Scriptlinc.

Hopefully this would make the life the AC
and editor easier.

The last thing on the timecode list is the
translator. A translator converts timecode
from one timecode format to another, and is
not within the scope of this guide. But Im
mentioning it so you know such a thing
exists.

SYNC and GENLOCK Devices

What if you have multiple devices that need
to work in tandem with perfect frame
accuracy? Such a system demands a
master clock. Big broadcast studios have
more than one master clock, in case one
fails. Everything depends on it.

Generator Locking (Genlock) is the
technique of synchronizing each device to a
master clock or signal generator. In
broadcast, achieving perfect genlock is


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critical so there are no gaps between
switches to different signals imagine a
quick black jump every time it cuts to a
different angle while watching your favorite
show or sport! With the advent of HDTV,
things have become a bit easier.

Genlock is also used for syncing cameras
perfectly for stereoscopy, so that the
images captured are at the exact same
point in time. This makes 3D a whole lot
easier to watch. The added benefit of
perfect synchronization is the ability to also
sync lens movements, like zooms or focus
pulls.

A simple genlock system can include
the following components:

Tri-level signal generator (HDTV
SMPTE 240)
Frame synchronizer
Time Filter (optional)

The DSLRs and low-end cameras in this
guide dont support Genlock. The cameras
that do are:


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Sony PMW-F3, via HD-Y
Canon C300, via Timecode Output
Red Epic/Scarlet, via SYNC and CTRL
Ports
Arri Alexa, via RS Port (no tri-level
genlock)
Sony F65, via HD-Y

For signal pulse generators, try the
Tektronix SPG8000.

You might be wondering what a tri-level
signal is. In very simple terms, a bi-level
genlock signal is like holding on to dear life


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with two arms, while a tri-level signal has
three arms. This makes a tri-level signal
lock stronger, in electronic terms, and the
signals stay locked.

Frame synchronizers are usually found in
good production switchers, but for a semi-
stand-alone solution, try the Grass Valley
ADVC G1 Multi-Functional Converter with
Frame Sync :

One cool tool compatible with all the
cameras providing genlock in this guide is
the Tessive Time Filter.

It eliminates the judder and temporal
aliasing caused by 180
o
shutters. It works
with all the cameras that support genlock
as listed above.


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This brings us to the end of this chapter. You
might be feeling quite overwhelmed by all
these devices and possibilities. Luckily, the
future will entail simpler and more widely
adopted standards (HDTV, Ultra HD or 4K)
that should make life a whole lot easier.

Special fields like streaming, stereoscopy,
etc., will be dealt with in later chapters.

We have also come to the end of the image
part of this guide, which, as we all know, is
only 50% of any video. The other 50% is
audio. Lets get to it.


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Chapter 13
Audio

Image Courtesy: PRA

Most novices to the video industry give
priority to images. Nothing wrong with that
even poets and philosophers have
traditionally given eyes more importance.
Were they right? Think about this:


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Firstly, audio can exist alone, and can be a
pleasurable experience by itself. Video
without audio is a pain to watch. If sitting
through a few hundred family vacation
photographs is tough, imagine watching 24
images per second of it!

Secondly, from the moment we are born to
our last breath our ears are always hearing;
which means for some reason our body
thinks its super important to have ears that
last a lifetime, working 24/7. On the
contrary, eyes are shut for at least 30% of
any average persons life.

Thirdly, storytelling started with audio.
Stories were passed on over thousands of
generations via voice alone. We still do it
today.

Finally, audio has a powerful ally, called
music. One might like or dislike it, but few
will deny its influence.

So, are we taking our ears for granted just
because its always open?


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Whatever the reason, one of the big lessons
any filmmaker learns over the course of a
career is the importance of audio. Some give
it a 50:50 importance. I give it a 60:40
advantage over imagery, but thats just my
opinion.

Whatever you do, respect audio from the
beginning. It is important. It is powerful. It
can lift your video up a few notches.

Ill go so far as to say: if youre shooting
your first movie or short, find the best audio
workflow possible and allocate a budget for
it. Spend whatever is left on your camera.

As we have seen in the last chapter, the
cameras used in this guide have four broad
kinds of audio connectors:

3.5mm jack
RCA jack
1/4 inch TRS jack
XLR inputs (various pins)


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Image Courtesy: Michael Piotrowski

What are the advantages of XLR?

Just like HD-SDI has many superior features
geared for rugged professional use, XLR is its
equivalent in the audio world. Its advantages
over every other type of connector are:

Lock-in connector
Ability to supply power
2 to 9-pin configurations, for various
applications

Some cameras, like the BMCC, have two
1/4 TRS jacks for professional balanced


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analog audio, switchable between mic and
line levels.

Heres what it looks like:

The right-most is the 1/4 jack, and the two
in the middle are 3.5mm jacks.


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Whats a balanced analog audio signal?

The 1/4 TRS has two conductors, called the
tip and the ring. The pyramid-shaped tip is
the tip, and the space between the two black
rings (insulators) is the ring. In an
unbalanced system, the tip is the left
channel and the ring is the right channel
which means each connector is capable of
stereo sound.

However, on a balanced signal, the 1/4 TRS
connector only gives mono sound, which is
why BMCC has two of them.

What are some advantages of the 1/4
TRS?

TRS connectors are usually used in
professional audio systems in the studio, so
dont let anyone tell you they dont offer
professional audio quality.

They save space on a console, and are easy
to plug/unplug when you want to keep
switching between connectors.


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What are the disadvantages of 1/4 TRS
connectors?

From Wikipedia: The socket grounds the plug
tip and ring when inserting or pulling out the
plug. This causes bursts of hum, cracks and
pops and may stress some outputs as they
will be short circuited briefly, or longer if the
plug is left half in.

So it is critical that the connectors arent
touched during operation which brings us
to the second disadvantage: There is no
lock as in XLR connectors. Its easy for
someone to step on the microphone cable
and ruin a take. Lastly, TRS connectors
cannot give phantom power (which means
supply power to) to the microphone so
youre going to have to depend on batteries.

1/4 TRS connectors are smaller than XLR
connectors, so it is clear why BMD decided to
use them on the cramped BMCC side panel.
Most prosumer and high-end cameras have
XLR inputs, and the DSLRs have the least
professional kind.


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In fact, the kind of audio connectors a
camera manufacturer provides on their
camera is a clear indicator of what they think
of their own cameras!

For Headphones

For headphones, almost universally one finds
the 3.5mm jack. It is simple and reliable,
and only needs to supply stereo audio. But
dont make the mistake of connecting it to
external speakers, because that might not
work.

Its a question of power. To know more
please read Driving Miss Digital.

Classifications of an Audio Production

Im going to use a system of categorizing
audio productions that I made up:

Level One Recording audio in camera
Level Two Routing audio through a
device and feeding to camera
Level Three Recording audio
separately with timecode and/or
clapperboard sync


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Level three is the only way to get the best
audio quality perfect for broadcast and
feature film work. This setup gives as much
creative freedom to a sound recordist as the
camera does to a DP. If I had a choice, Id
always choose level three.

Rule of thumb: The worse your audio options
in-camera, the more you need additional
audio gear.


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What is the minimum acceptable audio
for professional applications?

This is a tough question to answer, and most
people have their own ideas. Ill share mine,
and maybe youll find it useful. Here are the
minimum requirements for a few delivery
standards:

Quality of audio CDs 16-bit, 44.1
KHz, Compressed, 2 Channel
Quality of DVDs 16-bit, 44.1 KHz,
Compressed, 2 Channel
Quality of Blu-rays 16-bit, 48 KHz,
Compressed, 2 Channel
Quality of Broadcast HDTV 16-bit, 48
KHz, Compressed, 2 Channel
Quality of DCI 24-bit, 48 KHz,
Uncompressed, 2 Channel

Id say 16-bit, uncompressed or lossless
PCM, sampled at 48 KHz is the minimum
acceptable standard for recording audio.

Your mix will be based on how many
channels you are supplying to. The standard
today has become 5.1 (6 channels), but


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dont forget that this is specific to the final
mix, not the recording format.
Uncompressed audio at the above
specification will have a bit rate of
approximately 1577 kbps (1.5 Mbps).

Want to know something cool?

Footage shot on high-end cameras like the
Red Epic will have a bit rate of 150 MB/s
(1200 Mbps or 1.23 million kbps). A 2 hour
movie in this native format will have an
image-only size of approx 1 TB.

The audio, according to our standard, will
have a total size of 4 GB approximately for
5.1 channels.

The ratio of video to audio in this ideal
scenario is 256:1.

Now what happens when someone wants to
transfer this to DVD? The maximum bit rate
of an average DVD is about 9 Mbps (1.125
MB/s), which includes audio and video. If the
audio has to fit in 1/256th of 1.125 MB/s,
then it should have a data rate of 36 kbps.
Thats small.


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And this is shooting in compressed Redcode.
If I wanted uncompressed video I might only
have 10 kbps or less for audio! Does
encoding work this way? Of course not.
Clearly, our DVDs have better audio than it
does video. In fact, all our delivery formats
demand better specs for audio over video!

Why? I dont know, but I have a theory. Our
ears can sense minute imperfections easily,
while our eyes can accept a larger degree of
error. The eyes accept and forgive
temporal and spatial aliasing more often. But
if we hear a false or discordant note, the
psychological effect is more painful.
I make a full argument of what I feel about
audio in Driving Miss Digital.

LEVEL ONE

Bare bones kit for professional quality


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How to find which level you belong in

The first question you need to ask yourself
is:

Am I happy with the audio specifications of
my camera?

Actually, all the cameras in this guide
(except the Sony F65) record to the
minimum acceptable specifications, so the
more pressing question is:

Does my camera have enough in-built
controls to help me manipulate sound in any
way I want?

Some cameras, especially the low-end
DSLRs, only offer basic volume controls, if
at all. Cameras geared for broadcast, like
the Sony F3 and the Canon C300, offer
many more controls, anticipating their use
for documentary and low-budget film
shoots.

If your camera has sufficient audio controls
to your liking, the next questions to ask
yourself are:


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Are the controls in the right place, and will I
be able to get to them consistently on a
shoot, without unwarranted inconvenience?

If the answer is yes, then the last question
you need to ask yourself is:

How many channels will I need to record at
one go?

Most cameras have provisions for 2
channels. The higher-end cameras can have
2 XLR inputs supporting 4 channels; but
then youll need to find a way to split four
microphones between 2 XLR connectors.

If the number of microphone inputs are not
enough, youll need more. This means level
one isnt for you.

For everyone else, welcome to level one.
There are many applications, like
documentaries, corporate videos, etc.,
where level one is good enough or the only
option possible. I was forced to shoot a
whole movie like this, for budgetary
reasons, and Ill never work this way again.


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In level one, youre down to the basics:

Microphone with accessories
Headphone

Thats it.

There are two broad kinds of microphones:

Shotgun or Boom microphones
Lavaliers or lapel microphones wired
and wireless

Shotgun or Boom Microphones

For an excellent list of budget shotgun
microphone options, read 5 Budget Boom
Microphones That Wont Let You Down.

Heres an example of a decent
shotgun/boom microphone:

Rode VideoMic with Fuzzy Windjammer Kit


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A shotgun microphone usually needs a few
accessories:

Shock or Suspension mount for isolation


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This suspends the microphone in space, so
that any vibration or movement of the
whole system will not be picked up by the
microphone.

Cage or Zeppelin for physical protection

A zeppelin is a cage that usually has a shock
mount in the middle. The microphone is
suspended in the center.


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Zeppelins come in various sizes, so choose
one that can comfortably hold the length of
your microphone, while leaving at least an
inch of space on either end.

Windjammer (or Windscreen or Dead cat or
Fur) to suppress wind noise
A windjammer is a fur covering that traps
wind and suppresses the noise around the
microphone. Together with the zeppelin and
shock mount, it provides excellent isolation
for the microphone.

Sheath or Foam cover to smooth out
explosive sounds

When youre indoors, a zeppelin and fur is
overkill. In such circumstances, a great and
simple alternative is to use a microphone
sheath/foam cover, usually provided by the
microphone manufacturer.

It is still ideal to keep the microphone in a
shock mount, but if its guaranteed to be


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stationary, a simple holder will suffice, like
this one:

Boom pole

Unless your boom operator is Mr. Fantastic
you need a boom pole so he/she can stay
out of the shot.

You could get a cheap but workable option
like the Rode Boompole , or a top-of-the-
line system like the K-Tek 3 to 12.8 5-
Section Carbon Fiber Boom Pole .

Considerations:

Light weight, carbon fiber if possible
Has at least three sections so it is
portable


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Comes with an option to support
cables
Has a decent grip
No sagging in the pole when a full
zeppelin is used

Ive used aluminum and steel curtain rods,
Ive used a bamboo pole, and Ive used the
K-tek system. You wont fully appreciate the
value of an excellent boom pole until youve
tried it.

For the full kit, zeppelin, fur, shock mount
and boom pole, I prefer and use K-Tek .
These will probably last a lifetime.

Adapters and Cables

If youre using a 3.5mm system and need to
adapt to 1/4 TRS, try the Monster Mini 1/8
Stereo Female to 1/4 Stereo Male Cable
Adapter .


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To adapt XLR to 3.5mm, which is very
handy when recording audio to a computer
or laptop, try the HOSA XLR Female
3.5mm adapter .

XLR can also be adapted to USB via the
Shure X2U XLR-to-USB Signal Adapter :

Audio cables tend to run longer than most
other types. For XLR cables, try GLS Audio
Cables .

Finally, to adapt male to female XLR
connectors, try the Audio-Technica XLRF-
XLRM cable .

Its critical that you dont blunder and get
cheap adapters and cables. Rule of thumb:


Page 308
Always get adapters and cables of at least
the same quality and pedigree as the rest of
your audio gear.

Lavalier Microphones

Lavalier microphones, or lavs, or lapel
microphones, are designed to be small and
inconspicuous. I dont like wired lavs,
period. I prefer the sound quality of a
shotgun microphone for dialogue, so if Im
forced to use cables I prefer to go that
route.

For wireless systems, look no further than
the excellent Sennheiser G2 Wireless
Lavalier Microphone System or the
Sennheiser G3 Wireless System :


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A wireless lav system includes a microphone
that plugs into a transmitter. A receiver
receives the signal and is connected to your
camera or recorder.

Lavs are great when you have two or more
talking individuals, and want to record their
voices separately. They are also great when
the talent is far away (like in a long shot)
and you still need to capture dialogue.

Generally, I use a boom microphone
exclusively unless I cant for practical
reasons. The sound from a shotgun
microphone feels fuller and richer, whatever
that means to you. I have friends who
prefer the audio quality of lavs over booms.
Go figure.

Shotguns have one disadvantage you
need a boom operator to really take
advantage of it. Not many productions can
afford an extra person. And no, your
assistant or better half is not a boom
operator. Contrary to popular belief, a good
boom operator has great presence of mind,
knows a great deal about sound, and loves


Page 310
sound. If only upper body strength was
required, one might as well use a stand.

Therefore, for professional reasons, I always
insist on having both booms and lavs on any
shoot.

Headphones

Ideally, you should get noise-cancelling
headphones, so you can concentrate on the
sound. Youre not just hearing, but listening.
Avoid consumer-grade headphones at all
costs.

Secondly, a good headphone will not color
the sound, and will try to provide it as is.
For low-budget monitoring, this should do
nicely:

Sennheiser HD 580 Dynamic HiFi
Professional Headphone


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If some of the prices in the Level One list
surprises you, remember that audio gear
lasts for many years, and dont have the
short shelf life of modern day cameras.
Today, a camera is obsolete within 2 years
(in some cases, one year!), so in effect
youre not spending that much.


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LEVEL TWO

Minimum level for flexibility and
professional quality

Instead of controlling audio in camera, you
can use a device (or a bunch of devices)
that goes between the microphone and
camera to do a variety of tasks like
record, mix, amplify, etc.

Once you have your audio the way you want
it, you can route that into your camera
audio system and record it in the format
your camera dictates.

The advantage of this method over level one
is that you get to control your audio
precisely.

The advantage (sometimes huge) of this
method over level three is that you can
record your audio along with your video, in
sync, for a faster editing and post-
production workflow. This is perfect for
talking shots.


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The disadvantage is when you need to mix
in other kinds of audio, like effects or
looping, etc. Thats when you relish the
prospect of total control, which only level
three provides.

Recorder, Preamp and basic Mixer

This little baby is all rolled into one, and is
my choice:

Zoom H4n Handy Portable Digital Recorder


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One could argue that level two is recording
independently of camera. But level three is
something else.

If youre not that budget conscious, Id
easily recommend my favorite shotgun
microphone, the one I own and use:

Sennheiser ME66 Professional Shotgun
Microphone with K6 Dual Powerd Module

Obviously, youll need the rest of the boom
kit as explained under level one.

You could also split up your devices, as well
see in level three, and then route that back


Page 315
to the camera instead of recording
separately. Perfectly acceptable, and is
probably the fastest way to work.
Everything else is as recommended in level
one.

LEVEL THREE

Ultimate flexibility and professional
quality

This is to audio what camera and lenses are
to video. This is you telling your audio
person that you trust, appreciate and want
his/her creative juices, and you are willing
to let him/her take total control.

Its not easy for a filmmaker or producer to
relinquish that control. Its easy for any idiot
to look at a production monitor and
comment on a shot, making the DPs life
hell. But only a master of sound can
understand the quality of a piece of audio
recording, and its ultimate place in the final
mix.


Page 316
Fascinating, that theres a level of mastery
here that few filmmakers appreciate, even
though digital audio technology has been
around longer than digital cameras.

This is what I would recommend for such a
shoot:

Slate/Clapper board

Now you know youre in the big leagues!
Ive already made my recommendations in
the chapter Making the Connections.

Recorder

This is the audio engineers version of a
camera, so to speak. Only the best will do.
This will give you four-track recording:
Sound Devices 744T Recorder


Page 317

A portable backup:

Marantz PMD661 Portable SD Recorder


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Mixer

To make use of four track recording, youll
need a mixer that is up to the task:

Sound Devices 552 Production Mixer

A mixer is like a musical instrument. This is
where the magic happens.

Microphones

For shotgun microphones, try the reigning
world champion: Sennheiser MKH60P48
Super-Cardioid Microphone


Page 319
Dont forget to add the K-tek boom kit listed
in level one. These are a perfect match!
For wireless lavaliers, try (You might need
at least 2 or 3 kits):

Sennheiser G3 Wireless System


Page 320
Headphones

Sennheiser HD800 Over-Ear Circum-Aural
Dynamic Premiere Headphone


Page 321
Technical Monitoring

If you want a laptop solution, check out
Wave Agent. With it, you can view and edit
metadata, monitor up to 12 tracks in real-
time, correct timecode, batch edit, etc.

To know more about audio monitoring using
the Wave Agent, check out this video:


If you want to go fully technical, the
Tektronix AMM768, other than providing
everything you could possibly need
including Dolby support, provides a full
surround sound 5.1 display, so you can see
your audio:


Page 322

Such a system provides solid monitoring,
especially in an HD-SDI pipeline. One of the
cooler things about HD-SDI (the surprises
just keep coming, dont they?) is that it can
output excellent audio, and this is great for
routing audio to a system like the AMM768.

HD-SDI audio, precisely SMPTE 299M, offers
up to 16 channels of 24-bit 48 KHz PCM
audio. With Dual HD-SDI or single 3G-SDI
you can have 32 channels!


Page 323
Keyboard/Remote Interface

If you like to have a single control point,
especially when dealing with software, then
a keyboard and remote control interface like
the CL-1 is beneficial.

Racks/Carts

See, by the time you rig your audio gear,
youll need a cart. You can set it up with
rack mounted units, like those used in
servers, or any other way you like.

HD Mixer & Audio Transportation & Storage
Rack


Page 324

This is what a full production audio cart
might look like (Mark LeBlancs setup, click
here for his gear list and to contact him):


Page 325

Rule of thumb: You know your audio is on
par with your camera gear when they weigh
the same!


Page 326
Chapter 14
Power Supplies

If only things were this simple:

IMPORTANT! Tinkering with electricity is
dangerous, and can be fatal to you or your
gear if you dont know what youre doing.
Instructions presented here are just broad
suggestions and are not to be copied. Please
consult a certified electrician or engineer for


Page 327
practical use. Im not responsible if you
follow my suggestions and something bad
happens.

Heres a list of cameras in this guide with
their average power consumption and rated
voltage:

This chart isnt intended to be accurate.
Dont use it to make your calculations.
Please refer to the manufacturers
documents.


Page 328
Lets start with Voltage

In electrical engineering, it is traditional to
keep the voltage constant, for two major
reasons:

Firstly, current (flow of electrons/ions, rated
in Amperes) is what drives or operates
things. The more complicated the device, the
more variable the current required will be.

Every electrical device will have a maximum
current draw (maximum Ampere) rating. If
more current than this flows through the
circuitry, something is bound to blow. The
major cause for this is the heat generated by
current.

Secondly, you need a way to make devices
work in tandem. By having a constant factor
like voltage makes it easy for engineers to
design objects that will work with the same
power supply. This is how alternating current
(AC) was designed, and the tradition has
trickled down to all consumer devices,
including batteries.


Page 329
Fortunately, there are only two major AC
standards:

220-240V, 50 Hz
110V, 60 Hz

AC Supply

Every camera in this guide comes with an
AC adapter to run the camera, so why not
use it?

The disadvantages:

The camera is tethered to a supply, so
its not as mobile as a wire-free setup.
If every device on the camera needs
power this way, youre talking many
cables on the floor!

The advantages:

Constant supply when available.
Youre using AC anyway to charge
your batteries!
The AC system is already in place for
use, so it could be argued it is more
environmentally friendly.


Page 330
Rule of thumb: If youre indoors, and dont
need a mobile setup, aim to supply power
through AC.

The adapter that connects to your camera
offers some degree of protection, but not if
theres a lightning strike or a surge in
current. For this, youll be wise to carry a
surge protector/extension cord:

For extension cords that provide surge
protection to many kinds of ports, I use
Belkin exclusively. Aim for a 80 Plus Silver
or Gold Rated device, which offers excellent
protection with good efficiency. Some of
these surge protectors come with a lifetime
warranty and insurance against damage.


Page 331
If youre in an area with non-uniform or
unreliable AC power, I strongly recommend
a UPS from APC:

A UPS has the benefit of supplying power to
the system until the mains is back on again.
The higher the rating of the UPS, the more
time you get. This is a crucial backup to
have when powering devices that are
recording while the power is cut. If the
supply is cut mid-way, you might lose
critical information.

If youre traveling internationally, or working
with devices that have been sourced from
countries with different AC systems, then
you will need a travel adapter or a voltage
converter (transformer).


Page 332
For a general adapter that will take both
voltages, try the Kensington International
All-in-One Travel Plug Adapter:

This adapter can take about 250 Watts so
your camera gear is covered.

Two other adapters are the Targus World
Power Travel Adapter and the Travel Smart
By Conair with Surge Protection.

If you need more wattage, then a simple
adapter wont do. For that youll need a
step-up or step-down (depending on which
way you are traveling) transformer, like the
VT-1500 Step Up and Down Voltage
Converter Transformer.

Even if youre planning on using batteries
exclusively, dont think you can escape


Page 333
working with AC! You still need to charge
your batteries using the mains, so dont
take AC protection lightly.

Occasionally, youll find yourself working in
factories or industrial sites with a 3-phase
connection. You should get in touch with the
electrician on-site to get a single-phase
supply.

If one isnt available, there is a quick
workaround. Caution! This is extremely
dangerous and please dont attempt it
without professional help!

Switch off the supply and isolate the circuit
by turning off the breaker. Remove the
socket and youll find four wires 3 for each
phase and the neutral. In a country with
strict electrical regulations the neutral will
be clearly marked. Pick any phase and
neutral and connect it to a regular single-
phase socket. Let me repeat, this is
dangerous if the circuit isnt completely
turned off and isolated. When in doubt, use
an industrial grade tester or multimeter, and
wear shock-proof shoes like the ones
Caterpillar makes.


Page 334
How to begin selecting an electrical
device

The voltage is the center of the universe.
Find a device that matches the voltage rating
of your gear.

From the above chart youll notice that most
cameras have a range of acceptable DC
voltages, like the BMCC which accepts 12V to
30V. If youre looking for batteries to power
your camera, youll need to first isolate those
models that are rated to work within this
voltage range.

Sometimes youll find a battery with, lets
say 7.4V, but the rated voltage for batteries
is 7.2V. Other times a battery system is
rated for 14.4V but your gear is rated for
12V.

Even if a manufacturer specifies a voltage of
7.2V, there is usually a tolerance range so
7.4V might work without issues. However,
only the manufacturer can confirm that, so
ask them. Of course they wont reply to your
emails, and phone support is non-existent.
What do you do?


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You could buy a voltage regulator like the
Elenco Variable Voltage Power Supply Kit:

This kit can output DC voltage from 1.25V to
15V, and that covers every camera in this
guide. The input is 120 V AC.

A handy tool to have: Multimeter

One tool to always have in hand, whether
youre dealing with AC or DC devices, is a
multimeter:


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For a simple but excellent multimeter, try the
Fluke 27B 27 B Analog Digital Multimeter.

For a top-of-the-line industrial kit, try the
Fluke-289/FVF FlukeView Forms Kit.

Heres a video that explains how multimeters
work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bF3OyQ3
HwfU&feature=player_embedded

DC Power

For DC systems, the formula for power is
given by:


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Power (Watts) =
Voltage (Volts) x Current (Amperes)

Most cameras specify the rated power
clearly. Some include the power that
additional devices (like the LCD, lens, etc.)
draw, besides the basic camera body. When
in doubt, take the highest rating specified
just to be on the safe side.

Just because one power rating is specified
doesnt mean the camera will constantly
draw that. As we have seen, current varies
according to how youre using the camera.

The minimum current rating will be during
idle or standby mode, and the maximum
current will be drawn when all the circuits in
the camera are running simultaneously.

The only way to know how much power your
camera is actually drawing is to test it with a
multi-meter over time. But for general
calculations, the maximum rating specified
by the manufacturer is fine. The most


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precise values are usually found in the
operating manuals of each device.

Capacity Watt hours (Wh) and Ampere
hours (Ah)

Your monthly electrical utility bill is
calculated according to how much current
your devices have drawn over the last 30
days. Batteries are rated similarly.

To calculate the maximum ampere draw
(Capacity) of your device over time, use
these formulas:

Capacity in Ampere hours (Ah) = Maximum
Ampere rating (Amperes) x hours of use
(hours)

Capacity in Watt hours (Wh) = Maximum
power rating (Watts) x hours of use
(hours)


Page 339
For example, if youre using the Arri Alexa
for one hour, youll need a power
source/battery that can supply 85 Watts x 1
hour = 85 Wh. If you need to run it for 4
hours, youll need 85 x 4 = 340 Wh.

Some battery manufacturers specify capacity
in mAh instead of Wh. mAh stands for milli
Ampere hours or Ah/1000.

Lets say you are using a 12V battery to
power the Arri Alexa, and you need that
battery to supply 4 hours of operation. As we
have calculated above, youll need a 340 Wh
battery.

Using the formula given above for power, the
amperes capacity Ah

= Wh/Voltage (in Volts)
= 340/12
= 28.33 Ah, or 28,333 mAh.

Thats a lot. On the other hand, the BMCC,
with the same 12V battery, will run for about
16 hours!


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It is great to see modern Sony and Canon
cameras aiming to draw less than 20 W. The
FS100/FS700 only draws about 6.7W, which
is in DSLR territory. Thats a phenomenal
achievement, often overlooked. One 50 Wh
battery will provide 8 hours of operation!

As a comparison, the new iPad 4 has a 42.5
Wh battery which supplies 9 hours of
operation under ideal conditions. This gives a
power draw of about 42.5/9 = 5 Watts.

A camera with 5W of power draw and 10
hours of operation on a single small battery?
Were getting there.

The ideal battery size

Ill give you my system, and you can decide
whether that works for you, or use it to find
your own method.

Image Courtesy: Del arte

I always plan for each battery to run for 4


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hours, including intermittent recording and
standby time.

Why 4? Is it an astrological thing? Nope, just
an old-fashioned idea that advocates meal
times to be spread four hours apart (8am
breakfast noon lunch 4pm tea 8pm
dinner). In a production environment, each
battery will last for the entire session
between meals or breaks. Make sense?

Obviously, youll also need backup. All things
considered, heres my rule of thumb for
maximum reliability:

Always have 24 hours worth of backup in
hand.

This is for maximum reliability. So, if I have
one battery that supplies 4 hours, then Ill be
covered with 6 batteries. However, youll
always carry a charger, hopefully a dual
charger that can charge your battery at a
speed of at least 1:1 (4 hour battery will
charge in 4 hours or less). In this case, you
can be okay with 4 batteries.

Heres the system spelled out:


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Two batteries 8 hour shooting day
Third battery when shooting is
pushed to 12 hours
Fourth battery Backup in case one
battery fails
More than 12 hours charge the first
two batteries

Considerations and philosophy for a
battery system:

Ideally, the battery system should also:

Power other devices on the rig
Balance the front-heavy load of the
camera and lens
Provide a constant voltage for as long
as possible
Be rugged enough to withstand the
production environment (temperature,
pressure)
Come with a fast robust charger

Dont take the power other devices on the
rig too literally. Its not always possible or
practical. Different devices are made to run
at different voltages, and having additional


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voltage regulators and adapters for each
device is a real pain.

The common thinking is: if I have one
battery to power them all, isnt that simple?
Yes, only if they are all one voltage, and
have similar electrical characteristics. In
reality, its simpler to keep track of different
batteries than troubleshooting electrical
problems on set.

Remember, a set is a place to tackle creative
problems, not technical ones create a
system that is easy to fix and control, and
youll be most productive. Doing things in a
convoluted way might seem cheaper and
smarter but youre really shooting yourself in
the foot. Having said that, if you are in
control and can make it work, go for it.

I also am a firm believer of the battery being
a device that balances load on a shoulder
rig. If your spine isnt that valuable, no
worries. If you are smart, you can spend a
few days designing the perfect rig for your
body type and save yourself years of pain
and medical bills later. Ill cover this aspect
later.


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In a nutshell simplicity, safety, convenience
and weight over cost. A good battery system
is a long-term investment.

How to find the ideal battery system for
your gear

Make a list of all the items in your rig
that need external power.
Prepare a table of power draws,
voltages and ampere draws, as I have
shown in the last chapter. Sort it from
high to low or whatever.
Against each device note down the
kind of connector it uses to draw
power is it a DC jack, XLR input, USB
or custom port?
Look at the battery systems you are
interested in (coming up next) and
figure out how many devices it can
support.
Imagine scenarios where you might
have to add or remove devices on the
fly is the system capable of being
adapted conveniently? Dont forget to
factor in special setups and
circumstances.


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Is everything portable? Is this the
simplest setup possible?
After filtering down your list you will be
left with a few options, or at least one
option. If you dont have any options
youre expecting too much. At this
point, you might want to rethink your
ideal battery size (as Ive shown
above) and find the systems that
provide the exact Wh or mAh that you
need for your rig. You can always have
two systems or more if the production
really warrants it.
Stick to the manufacturer that offers
the best value for money and service.
Consider the manufacturers pedigree
in video. When in doubt, choose the
more conservative option. Price should
be your last consideration.

If you do everything right, youll be blessed
with a flexible battery system that will last
you through many cameras and productions.


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Battery System

The primary purpose of a battery system is
to provide power to the rig. In addition, a
system has to:

Connect physically to the camera/rig
Allow for adapters and cable
management
Provide charging, testing and display
Provide voltage and power
management

Let me outline the basic building blocks of a
battery system. Lets start with the battery:
Anton Bauer Dionic HC Digital Interactive
Lithium-Ion Battery


Page 347
The battery is mounted on a battery plate or
bracket: Anton Bauer QRC-Gold Universal
Compact Gold Mount Bracket

Wait a minute. Why do we need a plate?
The bracket is screwed on to the rig, so that
every time you need to change the battery
you dont need to bring out the screwdrivers.

Also, when a battery dies for good, which it
will at some point, you dont need to pay for
the plate again.

This kind of modularity has great benefits on
professional rigs. Every project is different. A
race car changes tires depending on track
conditions you dont force someone to
change the whole car every time you need to
change tires! Some companies have the
opposite philosophy. I avoid these companies
for professional setups.


Page 348
Sometimes the bracket can also charge the
battery:

Anton Bauer Tandem 70 Gold Mount Single-
Position 70 watt InterActive Battery Charger,
On-Camera AC Adapter

If it doesnt, youll need a charger to charge
the batteries:

Battery Charger for ANTON BAUER Dionic 90


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Professional battery systems have a
proprietary P-tap or D-tap connector, from
which you run a cable that connects to your
camera. Usually, when youre buying a plate,
it is custom-made to fit the DC port of your
camera, like this:

Anton Bauer QRC-EPIC Gold Mount for RED
EPIC

Another example:

Anton Bauer Gold Mount for Canon EOS
5DMkII, 7D, 60D


Page 350

If you want a solution that isnt custom-
made, you could try something like this:

Switronix XP-MAGIC-12 Powertap BlackMagic
Converter Cable

If necessary, you can split P-taps to power
multiple devices:


Page 351
PowerTap Multi Male PowerTap to Four
Female PowerTap Receptacles

The system is designed to provide for one or
more D-tap connectors, so it can power
more than one device. Since each device
might have its own connector (DC, XLR,
LEMO, P-tap, etc.), youll need an adapter
cable:

Anton Bauer PowerTap D-Tap to 2.1 DC 12v

For D-tap to XLR, make sure to have the
same pin configuration as your gear:


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Marshall Electronics 4-Pin XLR Power to
Anton Bauer Power Tap

To convert DC voltages, youll need
something thats called a buck-boost
converter, to raise or lower the DC voltage
according to the device used. Take great
care, as an error here will destroy your gear.

If you dont know what youre doing, dont
do it. This is what it looks like:

DC-DC Converter Module Step up and down
In 3.5-28V Out 1.25-26V Adjustable


Page 353

Some battery manufacturers make direct
converters from one voltage to another. If
you have access to it, buy that instead of
DIY solutions.

See how the system works? If you need to
upgrade batteries, you can, without changing
everything else. The charger can take many
kinds of batteries, too. When you change
your camera, all you need to do is change an
adapter cable and the voltage.

What about balancing a rig? Yes, it does that
too:


Page 354

A typical battery on a broadcast camera
helps it become center-back heavy. A
smaller, lighter battery does not provide for
much support. Well look at this in depth
later, but you get the picture.

These components make the foundation of a
battery system. On the opposite end, the
simplest rechargeable battery system is:

Energizer Smart AA/AAA Charger with 4 AA
NiMH Batteries


Page 355

For all things related to professional battery
systems, I prefer Anton Bauer. To know how
to put together an Anton Bauer battery
system, check out these resources:

Anton Bauer: How to Choose page.
The Video Battery Handbook PDF
Anton Bauer videos

One last piece of gear to consider is the
DSLR battery grip, like this one from Nikon:
Nikon MB-D12 Multi Battery Power Pack


Page 356

This fits at the bottom, and comes with two
trays one for the original battery and
another for 8 AA batteries. The battery grip
is more of a photographers necessity, but it
has the advantage of taking another battery:

Nikon EN-EL18 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery

Each DSLR camera type has its own battery
grip, and I recommend using the grip the
manufacturer provides, if you want to go
that route.


Page 357
We now have enough information to put
together our own system. Lets put it to the
test!

For practice, lets see how we can build a
battery system for the Canon EOS C300.


Page 358
We know that the Canon C300 needs 11.7
Watts, so for every hour well need to supply
the camera body with 11.7 Wh of juice.

I like my battery to have 4 hours worth of
juice, remember? So Im looking at a battery
with capacity of 46.8, or roughly 50 Wh
(about 5,500 mAh).

Now, I want to use the following devices with
my camera:

AJA Ki Pro Mini Recorder
Marantz PMD661 Portable SD Recorder
Marshall 9 V-LCD90MD Monitor
Cineroid Pro EVF4RVW
Sennheisser ME66/K6 Shotgun
microphone
Sennheisser G3 Wireless lavalier Kit

For simplicitys sake, Im neglecting the
power drawn by the lens for Image
Stabilization and Autofocus, etc.

This rig of mine is lightweight but of
professional quality. On the field I use the
viewfinder on the camera, a 20 Panasonic
monitor and record to the internal 50 Mbps


Page 359
4:2:2 codec. But lets complicate matters a
bit.

I have a major choice to make
Separate batteries for each component
or one universal system?

I have already told you how Im a big
supporter of the battery being able to
support the rig with its weight and
placement, but there is one caveat:

Only opt for heavier battery systems if it
simplifies your power needs. If separate
batteries are good enough, dont get a heavy
system just to balance out a rig.

Rationale? A heavy battery is just dead
weight anyway in this particular case, so why
spend money for an expensive dead weight
when you can just buy weights!

Lets tackle the problem of our battery
system now. Ill show you my way. Heres a
chart showing these components with their
power draw, voltage and connector type:


Page 360

I have also listed the battery option listed
with each device. For the monitor and EVF,
Ive listed the Canon LP-E6 battery since it
is common between the two, so Ill only have
to get one charger if Im going that route.
The better option is the BP-911 or BP-915.

The C300 has four battery options, of which
Ive listed two options. The best option is the
BP-970G, which gives about 5.8 (5 hours
and 48 minutes) hours.

The first thing I look for are the things I
cant control. The Ki Pro mini has no option
for batteries, so itll need an external battery
system supplying power to it through its 4-
pin XLR port. If Im forced to use a brick, I
might as well power the camera with it, too.

Both the Marshall monitor and the Cineroid
EVF has the same option, of being connected
to the brick, so why bother with the LP-E6 or
any other battery system?


Page 361
It becomes pretty obvious that all the four
devices can be powered by one brick, and
that would be the most convenient option, as
long as the budget doesnt play spoilsport.

What about audio?

The Marrantz will provide phantom power to
the shotgun mic, so thats covered. The G3
can only take AA batteries, and is connected
to the Marrantz via a 3.5mm jack. The
recorder itself has a DC jack with a voltage
rating different from every other component
already on the brick.

For this reason, I decide that the audio
solutions will have its own power. Ill get 5
hours with AA batteries anyway, and Im
covered. I can always go to the nearest store
and get more AA batteries if Im in trouble.

For audio options, I decide to use
rechargeable AA batteries. Ill still carry a
bunch of alkaline spares just in case.


Page 362
Putting together the system

So, were set. The total power on the rig is
47.6 W, or about 50 Watts. With a 50 Wh
brick Ill get one hour. For 4 hours Ill need a
200 Wh brick.

Oops. Anton Bauer makes a line of high
capacity batteries called the Cine Series, but
thats overkill, not to mention huge for my
particular rig. The best option I have is the
HCX with 124 Wh. Ill get 2 hours with it.

One way to improve this is to run the
monitor on its own battery. I could use a BP-
970G, which will give me 4 hours. The same
battery will also power the C300 if
necessary. If I go this route, whats the
improvement I get? Another hour, on
average. Is that worth the trouble of juggling
two battery systems?

Not for me. Im already paying for the Anton
Bauer, so why not stick to it?

So, 2 hours it is. To reliably run this system,
Ill need at least 6 Dionic HCX bricks (12
hours worth).


Page 363

Thats about $3,500 at the time of this
writing. To charge these bricks, Ill need a
dual charger, the Anton Bauer Dual 2722
Charger . It will also give me 70 Watts of
supply when connected to the mains.

The compatible gold mount plate for the
C300 is the Anton Bauer QRC-CA940 :

This gives me three Power tap outputs one
for each of my three devices. Were looking
good:


Page 364

Image Courtesy: Anton Bauer

To connect to the monitor, I use the free
Marshall Power tap to XLR adapter. For the
recorder, I opt for the Power tap to XLR
adapter from Anton Bauer. The length
depends on the rig, but usually I go for 3
feet (the maximum). This gives me the
greatest flexibility if I want to place my
monitor, recorder or EVF further away for
some reason.


Page 365
The Cineroid comes with a free D-tap to
mini-XLR adapter so I dont need to buy
anything extra.

Heres the final list:

6x Dionic HCX bricks $3,500
1x Dual 2722 Charger $1,200
QRC-CA940 Gold Mount $330
2x Power Tap to XLR adapters $130
1x Power Tap to mini-XLR adapter
$75

I have two additional adapters just in case
the ones provided by the manufacturer fails.

Total? $5,235, or about one-third the price of
my camera body. Is it expensive? Of course.
Is it worth it? You bet it is.

Lets consider another possibility: What
if we eliminate the Ki Pro Mini?

The Marshall monitor is compatible with a
Canon BP-970G , which is 7,200 mAh at 7.2
V. This same battery can power the C300 for
6 hours almost, and only costs $145 per
brick.


Page 366
One battery at full charge will power both
camera and monitor for 1.75 hours (1 hour
and 45 minutes). Thats similar performance
to the HCX! Not bad, Canon. What did I tell
you about lower power draws being the
future, eh?

So, I could buy 8 of these for only $1,160,
and a couple of Pearstone Compact Chargers
for $60. To power the Cineroid, I could use
the same charger or the Dekcell Camcorder
Battery Charger to use BP-911 batteries,
since that mount comes for free with the EVF
package.

I could put together a fully functional battery
system without any cables for less than
$1,500.

$1,500 or $5,000? You decide:

How much are you earning from your
productions?
Are you changing rigs often?
Do you own many cameras and types
of gear?
Are you often working under tough
conditions with a minimal crew?


Page 367
Are you comfortable juggling many
batteries and keeping tabs on charging
them?
Is luggage weight a concern? Do you
have to trek for hours?

What do I use when I rent the C300? The
Canon batteries of course. I dont need the
Anton Bauer setup for my workflow.

I hope this example has given you ideas on
how to assemble the right battery system for
your production.

Lets get to the business end of this guide,
shall we?


Page 368
Chapter 15
Laying Out the Rig

If things are left to themselves, they tend to
lump into a spherical form:

Bubble Image Courtesy: I, Brocken Inaglory

When nature cant lump up, it groups
isolated spherical lumps into circular
patterns:


Page 369

Storm image courtesy: University of Wisconsin Cooperative
Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies

If I leave my gear lying around, neither of
this is going to happen, unless I have a few
hundred million years to spare. And the
clients are not going to wait that long.
Therefore, I have the unenviable task of
finding the right way to lump my gear.

The spherical shape has two interesting
properties:

The force at one point is exactly equal
to the force at the opposite end.
Every point on the sphere has the
same force and direction, so youll
never feel any different from anyone
else.


Page 370

For practical reasons, we cant get our gear
into a spherical shape, nor is it ideal in more
circumstances. But we can try to sneak in its
advantages into our rig. Why bother?

The Moment

Its not the meaning we are accustomed to.
In scientific terms, especially the field
dealing with mechanics, a moment is:

Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci; Image Courtesy: Luc
Viatour / www.Lucnix.be

Moment (M) = Force (F) x distance (L)


Page 371
With so many forces acting on his arms, its
no wonder our Vitruvian Man is upset.

Look at the left side of the image. Imagine a
waiter holding a plate with his arm
outstretched. The weight (for simplicitys
sake Ill disregard the difference between
force and weight) bearing down on his arm
multiplied by the length of his arm is the
Moment.

Since his arm is fixed at the shoulder, the
force has the effect of trying to push his arm
downwards in a spiral arc. This is similar to
how a ceiling fan works. This fixed point is
called the Fulcrum.

If a force is applied in the opposite direction,
the arm will try to rotate in the upward
direction.

The other kind of force is when it comes in at
an angle, like the red force line in the
middle. In simple physics, to make
calculations easier, we break this force into
two directions one along the path of the
arm, and the other wherever it may fall,
always 90
o
from the first.


Page 372
Imagine someone standing in a subway
train, hanging off the top rails. Her body
forces a downward force at an angle, and
this force has the effect of pushing the body
downwards (which is why she stays down!)
and sideways. Try it yourself.

If the force is outwards, as in the right-most
example, with the green force line, the same
principle applies, except the direction
changes. The force is split into two parts,
one along the length of the arm, and the
other 90
o
away. The force along the arm
tries to pull the arm outwards, while the
other component has an upward effect.

Were not interested in the science and
formulas here, just the overall feeling of
how this works.

Our body isnt this simple, though. Other
than the shoulder, we also have an elbow, a
wrist and fingers. Each of this is a possible
fulcrum. Take this for example:


Page 373

Courtesy: Schweizerhaus, Vienna, Austria photographer:
Clemens Pfeiffer, 1190 Wien


Page 374
Not the beer!

If he is holding the tray at a slight angle, one
component of the weight is distributed along
the line of the elbow. The second is pushed
inwards. Where do you think this force acts?
On the elbow, where else? The elbow can
take the force along its length, but the other
component puts a strain on it that it isnt
designed for.

Imagine, then, what might be happening to
his wrist and forearm.

How many of you hold camcorders this way?
How does it affect your wrist, forearm, elbow
and shoulder? You dont need a camcorder to
learn all this. Hold your arm out without any
weight, in every position you can think of.
The natural weight of the arm will act as a
force How long can you take each position?

Assuming your feet are firmly on the ground,
try these rules of thumb:

When your arms are above the height of
your shoulders, its better to hang than to
push upwards.


Page 375
When your arms are below the height of
your shoulders, its better to push than to
pull (think about carrying shopping bags)

When your arms are straight out sideways or
front-ways (like supporting yourself on a
vertical post in a subway car), its better to
push than to pull.

The idea behind balance

Image Courtesy: Wen-Yan King

If a load must be carried at all, its better for
the body to center that load directly over the


Page 376
spine Im not a doctor so dont hold me to
that. Each individual is different some of us
slouch a bit, we have different muscle and
bone structures and different shoulder-head-
eye positions.

Its better for a force to act directly along
any particular length (wrist, forearm, elbow,
arm, shoulder, etc.) than to split into two
forces. When we slouch or change the angle
of the force along the spine, the spine will
take one force down its length (the natural
way), and another in an outwards direction
(the dangerous way).

Keeping your spine (back) straight is a
defense against this happening. No matter
how the forces act on the arms
weightlifting, pull-ups, carrying, pushing,
pulling, arm-wrestling, racquet sports,
writing, holding a camera, whatever
protecting the spine and the neck is crucial.
A force can always come in at an angle
against the spine, but a correct posture at
least tries to avoid the regular day-to-day
strains that it is forced to take.


Page 377
A supreme example of this in practice is
formal dancing or gymnastics. The right
posture also happens to look graceful in
motion. There are many techniques that
attempt to teach correct posture, but Im not
going into details. None of this is meant to
be medical advice, so please consult a doctor
before trying any of this.

Ok, enough of the basics. How does all this
meet the two properties of spheres we are
trying to emulate? And how does all this tie
in with the things weve covered in the
chapter on Ergonomics?

Take a look again at the cameras chosen for
this guide, along with their form factors, in
the chapter on Ergonomics.

The tendency of each camera to move in any
particular direction when in its natural state
is what we need to consider as the starting
point. Here are the three major forces you
need to look out for:


Page 378


Page 379
F
1

What happens when one end is heavier than
the other? The force that acts upwards and
downwards due to the difference in moments
from the shoulder point will cause the whole
rig to tilt forwards or backwards. Front-
heavy rigs will push downwards in the front.

This force exerts pressure on the hand,
forearm, wrists and elbows. The force should
ideally act in line with the position of the
forearm.

F
2

What happens when the lateral forces arent
balanced? E.g., if you have an EVF and
monitor on one side but no counteracting
weight on the other side, you get a force
that acts seemingly in a rotational manner.

This force exerts unnatural stress on the
wrists, forearms, fingers and elbows.


Page 380
F
3

What happens when the rig has to tilt a bit
(which it will, when its always in motion in a
handheld production)? This force causes the
rig to slip forwards or backwards depending
on the angle in which it is held. The greater
the angle, the more the force.

Most cameramen shoot downwards for
various reasons, and this force exerts undue
stress on the forearms, wrists, elbows and
shoulders.

How do you know when youve got a
perfect rig?

The objective is to eliminate or at least
reduce as much as possible every unnatural
force. This can only be achieved with:

A balanced rig
Correct posture
Graceful technique
Healthy lifestyle

Each force is counteracted by your body.
Youll need arm, triceps and wrist strength to


Page 381
counteract an unbalanced F
1
load. Youll need
wrist, finger and forearm strength to
counteract F
2
. Youll need your biceps, back
and even leg muscles to struggle with F
3
.

Think sport, dance, martial arts, whatever.
To keep performing at your peak you need to
seriously invest time, thought and energy in
perfecting the points listed above.

Before doing anything, please check with
your physician first.

Before using a new handheld rig on a field
production, test it thoroughly at home. You
could walk all day with it, even take it to the
loo (no kidding), dance with it, watch
television with it, whatever you feel like
doing.

By the end of the day you are bound to have
aches in places you didnt know existed. This
is where weight training comes in. If you
have been consistently training with weights
for a few months, youll begin to recognize
the difference between the pain a muscle
gives when not regularly exercised as


Page 382
opposed to an unnatural pain caused by
incorrect force or motion.

What does a perfect rig feel like at the end of
the day? It feels like a solid workout.

Have you noticed: when you complete a
good gym session you are in great spirits
and are rearing to go again? Do you feel the
same way? Or do you dread another day
with your rig? If its the latter, go back to the
drawing board.

The Lever

In effect, every camera rig is essentially a
lever:


Page 383

The blue triangle is the Fulcrum. For a tripod
setup it is the point where the tripod head is
connected to the camera base plate. For a
shoulder rig it is your shoulder. For a
handheld DSLR grip its your lower palm.

M
1
and M
2
are masses (you can substitute
weight for it). The values M
1
xa and M
2
xb
are the moments. For an ideal rig, M
1
xa
must be equal to M
2
xb. In such a setup, the
full weight is distributed over the fulcrum
and the rig is perfectly balanced.

There are essentially three classes of levers:


Page 384

Most professional broadcast cameras are
designed to operate like class-1 systems, like
this one:


Page 385

Notice how the body and battery parts are
heavy enough to balance the weight of the
lens. Even though one hand is used to
steady the lens, it ideally shouldnt take any
stress from the camera. What it does provide
is directionality (so you can point to
something quickly), zoom ability (using a
rocker), and quick start/stop functionality.

Heres how a single hand setup relates to the
levers weve looked at:


Page 386


Page 387
The red lines are the weights (resistance).
The green lines are the effort lines, and the
blue lines are motion lines. On a balanced
tripod or shoulder rig, the motion should
ideally be zero. On the other hand, you can
see how palm-corders, handheld camcorders
and DSLRs always have an unbalanced force
that the hand must fight.

Note: I indicate motion in the opposite
direction as the traditional lever diagram, to
reinforce the point that the camera is always
fighting to go in that direction.

The numbers in circles are the lever class
numbers associated with each setup. For
shoulder mounted rigs, you can see how
having an unbalanced rig changes the
system from a class-1 system (balanced rig)
to a class-2 system (unbalanced).

A front-heavy system, like most modern
video cameras with large aperture lenses,
matte boxes, etc. puts a lot of stress on the
hands and elbow joints (in the case of a
shoulder rig), and on the rods (in case of a
tripod mounted rig). This is the worst


Page 388
possible scenario. This system is a class-2
system. This is what it looks like:

As you can imagine, anyone desperate
enough to use such a rig for long hours for
days on end is in serious contention for early
retirement with large medical bills.

Front-heavy systems can be supported
somewhat by using body support, as in the
case of Steadicam rigs, via belts or straps,
etc. Steadicam is preferable to free front-
heavy systems. This is what it looks like:


Page 389

Steadicam can be considered a complex
design that incorporates at least two lever
classes, if not three. In real world use, a
steadicam setup is almost never a balanced
system, so I tend to classify it under level 3.
From this I give you:

My classification system for rigs

Best Class One - Tripod rigs, balanced
shoulder rigs, jibs/dollies, etc.


Page 390
Not so good Class Three - Carrying,
steadicam rigs, etc.

Worst Class Two - Palm-corders, single
handed rigs, unbalanced shoulder rigs, etc.

A major portion of any kind of rig design can
be explained by one of these three systems.
However, dont make the mistake of
assuming this classification explains
everything. Even the engineers who design
rig systems cant account for every scenario.

A working professional only has to know the
basics, and thats all weve covered here.
Eventually, a lot of fine-tuning must take
place. What works for one person might not
work for another.

Rule of thumb: Design or buy a rig that can
be tweaked the more possibilities the
better. Such a rig is your best bet for years
of trouble-free use.

Now that weve covered the basics, its time
to put what we learned to practical use.


Page 391
One of the most complex cameras to rig
together is the Red Epic, and that is what Ill
use as an example. Lets rig up our fictional
Red Epic!

An off-beat project

Client wants a two hour cinema-quality
docu-drama (similar to my movie The
Impossible Murder), stressing on the
documentary aspect. They need the best
quality. Of course they cant afford IMAX. We
compromise at 4K.

Well be shooting flat out for a month in the
country, sometimes in tough weather
conditions. Client needs high-quality stills,
but cant afford a photographer. The
thousands (millions?) of images he has seen
on Flickr has convinced him photography is
something anybody can do. We keep our
mouths shut, because this misinformed
client is only one step away from applying
the same logic to our profession.

True to what Ive said earlier in this guide, I
start with audio. I know my sound engineer
is precious, and he needs his boom operator.


Page 392
Ill be directing, interviewing and wrangling.
My DP will operate the camera, of course,
and hell need an assistant to rack focus. We
cant afford to take any more people on
board. If anybody is expendable, its me.

Most DPs tell me to let go the sound guy.
Any DP knows how to record audio, right? I
take a deep breath. Its not just the clients
who thrive on misinformation. I have half a
mind of retorting: Any 10-year old can shoot
video, too, so why do I need a DP?

But he has a point, its going to be super
tough lighting and operating the camera at
the same time, so I promise him Ill try to
get local help.

Good enough isnt good enough. We make
some quick decisions:

We need handheld and tripod shots
DP will need 120 fps at full resolution
Well need to account for at least 12
hours a day
We will need tracking shots, and the
occasional jib/aerial shot


Page 393
We need a rig that can be set up and
dismantled in minutes
We need the least number of
components on our rig
We need both prime and zoom PL
lenses
All data management will depend on
one laptop
DP likes viewfinders, wont work
without them
We might need proxies on set for quick
editing, but have no access to a data
station

For better or for worse, we choose the Red
Epic-X. Its small, can be used as a still
camera, has the Meizler module for quick
proxies and dailies, and 5K can be cropped
and zoomed in.

List your components

What do you do when faced with putting
together your rig for the first time? You
make a list.

Whats the point of writing a guide if I dont
follow my own advice? Here goes:


Page 394
Ergonomics

From the chapter on Ergonomics, I learn
that the Red Epic is a modular camera,
which means Im pretty much on my own,
and will need all my experience to make it
work. The Epic is probably one of the
toughest systems to put together. Its cool
modularity is also its Achilles heel.

Personally, I find the Red website confusing
and frustrating. Information is hard to find,
if it exists at all. Since the Epic-X brain is
only a module Ill need to put together a
list of components that are mandatory for
operation. Try finding that information on
their website.

The Core

The Red Epic brain does not work by itself.
It needs a lens mount (we opt for PL) and
an SSD recorder/module. Immediately we
are presented with a choice: Do we go for
the SSD side module or the rear module?
We dont know, so we include both in the
list.


Page 395
We opt for the side handle module so we
can use it as a stills camera and hold a
spare battery. Our core camera looks like a
medium format DSLR:

Lenses

Well be shooting interviews and lots of
landscape, environmental portraits, time
lapse, you name it. We wont always have
time to change lenses, so DP picks two
hero zooms:


Page 396

Zooms:

Angenieux Optimo 15-40mm T/2.6 and
Angenieux Optimo 45-120mm T/2.8

Prime Kit:

Red Pro Primes 18mm, 25mm, 35mm,
50mm, and 300mm

Filters, Matte box and Follow Focus Kit

From the lens diameters I realize my matte
box will need to support 114mm and Ill also
need an adapter ring for the 110mm Red
Primes. The 300mm is the odd one out with


Page 397
a 117.4mm diameter, so we decide well
hack our way when we get to it.

We opt for the Arri Red Epic lightweight kit,
with its MMB-2 4 x 5.65 Matte box, and
assorted filters. We also get the 110mm
clamp-on ring.

The kit also includes the excellent Mini
Follow Focus MFF-2 system.


Page 398
Media, Recorder and Data Management
Recording

We agree on two recording formats for this
production:

1. 5K FF (5120 x 2700) at 8:1 (24-60
fps) approximate data rate of 60
MB/s.
2. 4K HD 16:9 (3840 x 2160) at 10:1
(120 fps)

Our delivery master is 120 minutes in
1920x1080p25 16-bit TIFF, and we expect
our shooting ratio to be 20:1.

This means well have to plan for 40 to 60
hours of footage at the end. This translates
on a daily basis to about 1-2 hours of
footage.

Calculating the media card size

Using the formulas Ive given in the chapter
on Media, 60 hours is 12 TB of data, or
about 211 GB per hour (one days worth). I
realize Ill need to plan for 512 GB per day.


Page 399
I feel we should clear about 10 setups or
more per day. Using the second formula, I
get the card size per setup as 51.2 GB.
From the Red website, I get the lowest card
size: 64 GB. However, Im not going to back
up every setup as it happens, simply
because thats not how documentaries work.
Its not rare for us to rush through 2 or 3
setups without stopping and we dont
have a dedicated data wrangler on set.

I feel the best size is either 128 GB or 256
GB. Before I make my final decision, I
decide to look further at my data workflow.


Page 400
Data Management

From the chapter on Data Management, I
know, to read Redcode files Ill need the
1.8 Red Station.

Which Laptop? Acer Aspire S7 running
Windows 7 Professional:

Hard drives? Ill need at least 24 TB of
drives for this project only for the source
footage. We cant carry too many drives
with us, so we decide to mail each days
work to the nearest post facility for backup
and conforming. I calculate each days drive
should be 1 TB, including audio and images,
etc. Some days we might shoot more than
512 GB, and a 750 GB size doesnt seem
like a good price advantage over 1 TB. Why
skimp?


Page 401
Therefore, it looks like well need 15 (12+3
for backup) x 1 TB drives just for the post
house.

For location backup, we decide 3 TB drives
are fine, so we decide on a 15 TB JBOD
setup 5 x 3 TB drives.

The shipment cannot be overnighted, since
there isnt a reliable service in the area we
are shooting in. The best we can do is 3-7
days. That means well have to account for
5 days of backup in case the drives dont
reach on time.

For this reason I decide to opt for 256 GB
1.8 SSD Redmags 12 of them. This will
allow me to shoot for 5 days (+1 backup)
without erasing any card.

Proxies

Now I have to deal with the issue of proxies
for dailies. The client is expected to show up
occasionally and hell need to see some
graded material. Well need a quick
solution for dailies creation.


Page 402
I vacillate regarding the Meizler module. Its
an added expense, but real-time proxies will
save us a lot of trouble. We add that to our
list.

Note: At the time of this writing, the Meizler
module hasnt started shipping yet, and
information is incomplete or subject to
change.

So if the Meizler module isnt available in
time for this project, we will need to
consider a backup strategy.


Page 403

My choices are either a Blackmagic Design
HyperDeck Shuttle 2, the Sound Devices
PIX 240i, or the Atomos Samurai

Assuming Im using the Shuttle and
recording to 220 Mbps DNxHD MXF, I will
end up with proxies worth 6 TB! I need a
recorder that can record to the lowest
possible proxy, and the Pix 240i can go as
low as 36 Mbps on DNxHD. This will lower
my total footage requirement for proxies to
1 TB. I decide to opt for a RAID 1 2-drive
system for proxies. The data transfer rate is
low enough for easy editing on the Acer via
USB 2.0. I opt for the G-Technology G-RAID
4 TB Dual External Hard Drive.

For proxies Ill need about 32 GB per day, so
I dont see the point in carrying 2.5 SSD


Page 404
drives for it. Luckily, the Pix can record to
CF cards, so I use the same principle Ive
mentioned earlier and opt for 16 GB cards.
Wow, this is how it looks:

5 x 3 TB drives stays with us till the
end
15 x 1 TB drives goes to the post
house for backup to LTO, etc
256 GB Laptop partition temporary
storage for fast transfer if necessary
12 x 256 GB Redmags
6 x SanDisk 16GB Extreme Pro CF
Cards
2 x 1.8 Red Station for Ingest (1
backup)
G-Tech. G-RAID 4 TB in RAID-1 for
proxies

In case youre wondering, thats about 40
TB total. One set might go to the client for
backup (if it is part of the agreement).

It usually takes about an hour to transfer
one 256 GB Redmag, so Im assuming Ill be
spending three to four hours daily for data
wrangling, backing up and editing.


Page 405
Hopefully, I might get 5 or 6 hours of sleep.
You can appreciate how shooting 5K on a
Red Epic can get scary!

Note: If Im using the Meizler module, Ill
be using mini Redmags and an adapter to
ingest them via a Red Station, or whatever
else Red comes up with. But there is no
information regarding all this for now.

EVF and External Monitoring

For the EVF, I opt for the Bomb EVF OLED,
which comes with a 5 arm and 18 cable.
The catch is that the Epic-X has only one
BNC port for either an EVF or the LCD. Since
for this production the DP demands an EVF
for every shot, it gets first priority.

So where do I plug in the LCD? My choice of
the Meizler module also included this
contingency. What if Im not using a
module? In that case Ill need to monitor
the progressive SMPTE 292M HD-SDI feed
off the camera.


Page 406
Unfortunately the Epic has only one HD-SDI
port. Luckily, the Sound Devices Pix 240i
has an HD-SDI out so I can loop-through
the signal to an external monitor.

The Epic-X outputs a clean feed in
PROGRAM mode. Can I use the recorder as
an external monitor? The Pix 240i is a 5
monitor with a resolution of 800 x 480,
which gives me a horizontal resolution of
185 ppi approximately. From the chapter on
External Monitoring, I realize this monitor
wont do for critical focus pulling (which is
really important when youre shooting 5K at
T1.8!).

For this reason, I settle on the brilliant
TVLogic VFM-056WP 5.6:


Page 407

One downside is it only outputs 300 nits,
which I think is on the lower side for
outdoor focus pulling. So I get the sun hood
as well. On the flip side, it has a good focus
assist feature, so overall Im not too
concerned. Im getting retina-like 262 ppi.
Doesnt get much better than this.

The choice of power adapter Ill hold off
until I get to deciding the battery system for
this rig.

Audio

Obviously, this production is Level three,
according to my chapter on Audio.


Page 408
The two things I need to be concerned
about are timecode and sync. If done right,
I want audio with my proxies for easy
editing.

My sound designer uses the Sound Devices
744T Recorder:

A quick check with my sound guy and I
know Im covered. The slots on the recorder
reinforce my belief in him!

Making the Connections

So far, Im glad how straightforward putting
the pieces together has been. The order in
which this guide is written is designed to
keep things simple. As you can see, I follow
my own advice. Most of the time, anyway.
The next step is to take a piece of paper
and outline the connections, just to make


Page 409
sure youve planned everything well. This is
how mine turned out:

The Red Epic has an internal clock, but I will
override it with the Ambient Lockit Genlock
from the Pix. This will also sync the 744T
audio recorder via a 5-pin LEMO. The video
timecode and metadata from the HD-SDI
feed will be read by the Pix. The Epic will
record 5K (and 4K HD) to Redmags and the
Pix will record proxies with audio and
metadata on CF cards. This setup is geared
for a delay of only half a frame every 24
hours. Cheaper recorders have larger
delays, which is frustrating for a guy who is
barely getting any sleep as it is.


Page 410
The uncompressed audio is recorded on
separate CF cards by the Sound guy. He
doesnt like anybody touching them. Fair
enough. I wont let him touch the Red Epic.

For cables, other than the ones Ive already
suggested in the chapter on Making the
Connections, Ill need a LEMO-4 to BNC
SYNC cable, like the Remote Audio
CATCBNCL4M. Everything else is pretty
much standard.

Power Supply

Now that we know we have a system that
works, its time to calculate the power
requirement. I quickly forget my hope of
including the Meizler module in this project.
What Ive come up with instead rocks.

Remember I said in the chapter on Power
Supplies I always try to get 4 hours worth
of juice in one go if I can? Im not sure I will
in this case, but lets see how much we can
get.


Page 411

The total power draw is about 110 Watts,
which means for each hour itll run I must
estimate for a 110 Wh battery. Obviously,
most of the time the power draw will be less
than half, but I always estimate for the
worst.

The battery system Im choosing for this rig
is Anton/Bauer, and the gold plate mount is
the QR-EPIC. It has two Power tap (D-tap)
connectors, one for the Pix and the other for
the external monitor. The EVF gets power
from the EVF/LCD connection.

To connect the Pix, Ill need the XL-AB D-tap
to Hirose 4-pin connector. To connect the
monitor, Ill need the VFM-CBL-DTAP-L D-tap
to mini-XLR connector. I also throw in a BB-
056AA 6xAA battery unit with the monitor
just in case I need to take it off the rig. All
devices come with an AC to DC adapter, but


Page 412
since I will be in areas with unreliable
power, possibly with fluctuating voltage, I
also carry a few surge protectors as Ive
shown before. Ill need them for the
chargers anyway.

I dont need to remind you that I keep
spares of every connector one failure can
ruin everything.

This is as simple as any setup can be. I
have the option of the Dionic 160 or the
Hytron 140 as my main battery. I choose
the Hytron 140 because it charges faster
than the Dionic.

140 Wh will get me one hour and twenty
minutes at full power. If Im lucky, itll last


Page 413
me 2 hours. Ill need about 7 of these on a
12-hour shoot, because theres no way I can
assume Ill find a charging point during the
day.

I plan to carry two Dual 2722 chargers. Why
not the Quad charger? What if it fails?

Each battery will charge in about 2.5 hours,
and I can charge 8 batteries overnight. I
plan to carry 10, not more. Thats a lot of
weight in batteries alone. The extra
batteries, other than being backup, might
also be needed if I plug in any more devices
that I havent planned for already. On some
days, I might not wake up in the middle of
the night to change the batteries. One thing
that will have to be charged without fail is
my alarm clock.

Finally, Ill be carrying 4 Redvolt 37 Wh
batteries for those still photography
moments.

Note: A Redmote will be connected to the
back of the Epic brain directly. Once
charged, it can run for 8 hours. It can be


Page 414
charged while being connected to the brain
or via a USB port.

Dont forget there are many accessories that
are not mentioned here because they are not
significant enough to influence the layout of
the rig.

Look how far weve come in such short time.
I estimate if you follow the order this guide
recommends, you should not have to spend
more than a day rigging a camera system
this complicated.

We have the core elements of the rig, and
now it is time to put Humpty Dumpty
together.


Page 415
Finding the center of gravity

Dont worry, its not as hard as it looks!
When you have objects of different sizes and
weights, the first thing you should do is find
the center of gravity of each object.

Luckily, the devices used in videography are
usually symmetrical, which means you
wouldnt go too wrong in assuming that the
center of gravity is in the exact middle.

The second step is to fix a spot from which
you want to start measuring the lengths. It
can be anywhere, but a good place to plant
your flag would be at one end of the train, so
to speak. This point is called the Datum, as
you can see from the above drawing.


Page 416
Each object has a weight, W1, W2, W3, etc.
Correspondingly, the distance from the
datum to the center of gravity of each object
is d1, d2, d3, etc. Simple, right?

Now all you need to do is multiply each of
them and add the results: (W1 x d1) + (W2
x d2) + (W3 x d3) and so on. If youve read
the section on Moments, you will have
guessed that W x d is the moment of each
individual object.

To find the Center of Gravity, use this
formula:

Center of Gravity =

[(W1 x d1) + (W2 x d2) + (W3 x d3)]
[W1 + W2 + W3]

Thats it! The result you get is the center of
gravity of the entire system, taken as a
whole. If you try to place the system on a
needle at the center of gravity, it shouldnt
fall.


Page 417
On a shoulder rig, the center of gravity
should fall on the shoulder/spine. When you
take your arms off the rig, it shouldnt fall
forwards or backwards.

Many people like to use chest pads to help
support a front-heavy rig. If it works for
them, thats fine. But what if the operator
wants to tilt down or up? What if you want to
smooth pan by twisting your torso while
keeping your legs firm? How do you get your
rig off your shoulder without killing yourself?

For these reasons and more, I always try to
keep things simple and elegant, unless it is
impossible. Rule of thumb: When something
impossible comes up, its always because of
an unreasonable human expectation.


Page 418
Balancing the Red Epic

Did I scare you? Never fear, its super easy.
Lets take it one at a time:


Page 419
Start with what HAS to go together

The brain, SSD module, Side handle,
Redmote, Redvolt, PL mount and Redmag
always go together. Ive bunched them
together as the red box, weighing in at
3,515 grams. Ive selected the back side of
the Epic as my datum, and the distance to
the center of the box is about 111 mm.

Note: The values in the schematic or in this
guide might be incorrect or assumed. Please
consult the manufacturers documents for
actual figures, and make your own
calculations.

The big numbers are the weights in grams.
The small numbers are the distances in
millimeters. The colored dots represent an
approximate position of the center of gravity
of each object.

Add everything that has a FIXED place

The lens obviously goes in front of the PL
mount, but we have a bunch of lenses for
our production. Either the length of the lens


Page 420
changes or the weight changes, and one
does not correspond exactly to the other in
our case. E.g., the Red Pro wide angle
primes are heavier than the Zooms.

In any case, by varying the length or the
weight, the difference is minimal only in
our special case. It is safe to assume an
average distance of 303mm from the datum
and a maximum weight of 2,932 grams.
This is the blue box.

The matte box goes in front (green box),
and Ive taken an average length, because
the actual length will vary depending on
how many flaps there are and how much
they are opened. Again, you dont have to
be precise here, youre not designing a rig,
just putting together one.

The follow focus goes to the right or the left,
as shown as the yellow box. Either way its
effect on the rig is negligible.

What isnt negligible is the Bomb EVF, which
weighs in at 600g (grey box). Its exact
distance varies based on the operators
comfort and physical features, so Ive given


Page 421
it a general location in relation to the
shoulder pad.

Underneath all this, are two 15 240mm
steel rods, 60mm apart, centered along the
optical axis. Its weight isnt negligible, and
is shown as a white rod with a black border.
As you might have noticed, everything
below the datum line is in front.

Where do you place the shoulder pad?

If you try to calculate the center of gravity
of the above front-heavy system, youll see
that itll take a lot of weight at an
approximately equal distance at the back to
balance this rig. Sometimes, theres no
other way than to do it this way, but we
should first consider the easier alternative.

The ideal way is to bring the center of
gravity (the middle of the shoulder pad,
approximately) as forward as possible, and
for this reason, I recommend getting it
underneath the camera body directly. This is
what Im aiming for, as indicated by the
grey line that runs right through the middle


Page 422
of the camera (red) and shoulder pad
(orange).

If you look at camera systems designed for
shoulder use, like the Alexa and the F65,
youll see they have deliberately designed it
this way. In the case of the Red Epic, if and
when further modules are added to the
brain to extend the length of the camera
system, it might be okay to push the
shoulder pad back, but not here. Why?

The further you push the shoulder pad
backwards, the tougher it will get to balance
this system. If you have studied the formula
for moment carefully, you might have
noticed that the larger the length, the more
the impact of the weight. 1 pound over 4
feet is the same as 4 pounds over 1 feet.
The further you push your front-heavy
system forwards and away from the
shoulder, the longer youll have to stretch
back to counter its effect. If you dont, the
amount of weight youll need to add will be
heavier than your camera system!

You cant solve every problem by adding
weights at the end. Remember, adding


Page 423
weights will also increase the total weight of
the rig. Its okay if your operator is a green
monster; mine isnt.

Keep the images of the earth and bubble in
memory. Try to keep distances as short as
possible.

Placing the external recorder and
battery

It doesnt take genius to know that the bulk
of the counter weight will be provided by
the battery system and external recorder.
Here is where the Pix scores over a
Hyperdeck Shuttle or another recorder. Its
weight isnt negligible.

The orientation of the recorder is important.
I can rig it standing up, like an external
monitor, or lying down. The former will give
it a slightly more advantage for counter-
balance, but not by much. I have this option
whenever I dont want to use the external
monitor. I decide the simplest way is to
have the Genlock and SDI ports facing the


Page 424
rear of the brain. Easier cable management,
this way.

The battery goes underneath the rod, so it
can be removed and loaded quickly. For
both recorder and battery, I can use this for
an extra push:

The beauty of a tilt-able battery/recorder
bracket is that it can be twisted for that
extra fine tuning (remember forces acting in
an angle?) Just like a follow focus system!


Page 425
The same 240mm rods on the front wont
be enough to counter-balance the rig, so I
opt for 15mm rods instead. Not only will it
provide a longer distance, but also
additional weight.

Furthermore, I can replace the 15mm front
rods with carbon fiber rods, for that slight
reduction in weight.

Calculate the Center of Gravity

Now that you have the schematic and all the
major components in place its time to
calculate the center of gravity. Heres a
simple chart:


Page 426

Please dont take these calculations at face
value. It might be wrong, or inapplicable in
your case. Make your own calculations its
easy and fun!

Ideally, Id want my center of gravity in the
middle of the shoulder pad. I find that my
rig barely makes it its off by about a
centimeter from the datum and 8mm (in
orange) from the optical center (due to the
EVF).


Page 427
The latter problem is negligible. It is
preferable to have the rig leaning in slightly
than twisting out.

To make this balance happen, I had to
factor in a 1.5 kg counter-weight. Ive also
added the external monitor at the end.

But what if the external monitor needs to
move to the front? It can. Its impact on the
rig is minimal. The Redmote can be taken
off the front to the back to counteract or
add weight to the end, but even this is
negligible.

Is there any way I can avoid the use of
counter-weights? Yes, if I can manage to
push the shoulder pad even further forward.


Page 428
Maybe I can. All I need to do is adjust the
EVF accordingly thats why it has an arm
and an attachment to the matte box.

Important: You are not looking for
perfection here. Theres always fine tuning
that happens on a rig.

What weve accomplished is confidence in
the general layout of the rig. We know were
close! We followed a straightforward
method, and didnt waste our time on any
wild goose chases.

Disadvantages and What-ifs

How do you get the rig on a tripod?

Luckily, the shoulder pad adapter plate
(which can also be used by itself to mount a
recorder) can be removed in less than five
seconds without disturbing anything else on
the rig. This gives me direct access to the
tripod base plate or head.


Page 429
How is the lens and matte box supported?

We arent using any heavy zooms so we
dont need 19 rods or lens support
systems. The matte box will be supported
by the rods, with bellows for the zooms if
required.

What about height of the lenses in relation
to the rig? The Epic base plate by Arri is
designed to have front rod connectors
higher than the rear connectors. This gives
the front rods a height of 85mm from the
optical center. The maximum radius of the
biggest lens (the 300mm) is well below this
mark.

What about Handle bars? Dont they add
front weight?

I dont like handle bars too much. Most rig
systems have two of them because the
systems tend to get front-heavy (really
heavy) usually due to poor planning. I
dont envy anybody who has to hold such a
system for days on end.


Page 430
Ideally, youd want your elbows against your
torso, exactly how DSLR still photographers
are advised to hold their cameras. Your
forearms are best used parallel to your body
(perpendicular to the rig). Large handles
force the forearms to be at an angle or
perpendicular to the body. Not good.

Either way, the custom handle can be tilted
for the perfect position, or the shorter
handles can be used instead whatever the
needs of the operator.

If and when my DP hands over the rig to his
assistant, the entire ergonomic factor of the
handles changes. For this reason Ive added
counter-weights at the end. It gives that
extra freedom to balance the system if it
gets a little front-heavy.

The top handle can be screwed on to the
brain and were ready to roll!

What is the Full weight of this rig?

From the chart you can see the rig of the
core system is about 12 kg (26 lbs). I
estimate with all the cabling, handles and


Page 431
other things one might add in the future,
the rig shouldnt breach the 15 kg mark
(about 33 lbs).

What does 15 kg feel like? The easiest way
to find out is head to the gym. Imagine
lifting a 3-year old or a Beagle; or even
$1.5 million in hundred dollar bills thats
what it feels like. But we aint getting paid
that much.

Heres an excellent video that explains
rigging the Epic in detail.

If all this talk of rods, plates, and rigs seem
like too much information too fast, dont
worry. I introduced some concepts in this
chapter only because it was key to
understanding how to lay your gear together.

Next, well look at all the support systems
one by one.


Page 432
Chapter 16
Baseplates, Bridgeplates and Rods

A plate is an interface which means its a
thing that comes between two devices that
cant be connected to each other directly.

The interface works like glue:

Considerations:

Should be able to handle the weight of
both devices if necessary.


Page 433
Must provide sufficient friction at every
face to reduce play.
Must be compatible with all the
common screw thread standards.
Must have the least number of moving
parts
Must be as light and small as possible

Base plate

A base plate is what comes at the base of
any device, which usually is the camera.
Most cameras have tripod screws at the
bottom, so why do we need plates?

A base plate makes it easier to insert and
remove a camera rig from the tripod. This is
usually true of the smaller cameras in this
guide, like the DSLRs, BMCC, etc. Whatever
tripod head is used will also have a standard
base plate that can be screwed on to the
bottom of the camera.

As weve seen in the last chapter, a base
plate also acts like an anchor to rods.

Sometimes, though, a little bit of complexity
is necessary.


Page 434
Bridge plate

A bridge plate tends to be bigger than a base
plate, but it serves the same basic function.
A bridge plate has a larger base, and is
designed to hold more weight than a simple
base plate.

Think of it in this way: If you had to place
the camera on the ground for some reason,
youd rather it sit on a bridge plate than a
base plate.

Note: Many manufacturers interchange the
terms base plate and bridge plate. You
dont have to follow my definition too closely.
Just understand the basic difference.


Page 435
Quick release plate

A quick release plate is a base plate
designed to be slid off and on a mount. Once
the plate slides in, it is locked.

To remove it, you just need to pull a lever
(or turn a knob) just like how a door knob
works.


Page 436
Right angle plate

This is usually found in photography, when
one wants to quickly change the orientation
of a camera from landscape to portrait, and
vice versa, without moving the tripod head.

A well-designed right-angle plate will keep
the optical axis centered over the tripod
head.

However, it can have some surprise uses on
the field, like when youre on a barebones
DSLR rig and need to attach an external
sound recorder somehow.


Page 437
Cheese plate

A cheese plate is, well, a plate with holes
(which is why it looks like cheese). This plate
is a one plate for anything kind of deal, with
enough options to fit all kinds of gear.

Most rig manufacturers make custom base
plates for each camera, as we saw in the Red
Epic example in the last chapter.

Anton Bauer makes cheese plates for its
systems, like this one:


Page 438

Rod Connector or Support

Most plates are used with rods on a rig,
which means they need an interface of their
own:

Some connectors allow the rods to move in
relation to the base plate (mainly the height
and the spacing between the rods). A good
connector must be as robust as the plate,


Page 439
and must be strong enough to securely hold
the rods in place without any play
whatsoever. Thousands of dollars worth of
gear depend on its strength.

One important type of rod connector is the
Rod Raiser, which changes the height of rods
in a more secure way than just through
screws:

Another important type of connector to the
rod is the lens and/or matte box support:


Page 440
Another version of the lens support:

Having a lens support is crucial with heavier
lens. You dont want to put too much strain
on a lens mount.

The last rod connector Im going to single
out is the single connector:


Page 441
A single connector is a quick way to latch a
small piece of gear (like a remote, GPS
device, etc.) on to one rod.

Rods or Rails

Rods are rods! But almost never solid for
cost and weight reasons. The three materials
used to make rods are carbon fiber, steel and
aluminum. Like Ive shown in the last
chapter, you could combine two kinds of rods
on a rig if you felt like it.

To keep people sane, rods come in standard
diameter sizes, marked in millimeters. The
most common sizes are 15mm and 19mm.
The lengths of the rod can be from 4 inches
and upwards, sometimes up to 24 inches.


Page 442
The insides of the ends of each rod are
usually screw threads to take in extensions.
If you want to make the rods stretch further,
thats the way to go.

Rod Extensions

Rod extensions or couplers come in different
lengths. Keep the male/female thing in mind,
and get all possible combinations when
youre buying gear. You never know when
youll need the help of the opposite sex.

Rule of thumb: If you need more than one
rod extender per rod, theres something
wrong in your design.

Screws

The two screw sizes found universally on
camera and rig systems are:


Page 443

1/4-20 UNC
3/8-16 UNC

If you look carefully at most of the
connectors and plates in this chapter, youll
notice quite a few of them having support for
both of these sizes. Dont buy plates or
connectors that dont have support for both.

Rule of thumb: Use the bigger screw size for
bigger gear. When in doubt, take a look at
what the manufacturer of the device
provides on the body thats a good
indicator of what it needs!

Never skimp on any of these systems, be it
plates, connectors, rods or screws. The best
of these will last you a lifetime.

As you can see, this chapter has been about
interfaces. These are most of the common
ones. In the next chapter, well take a look at
a few odd-ball but useful interfaces that
combine many of these simple features.


Page 444
Chapter 17
Cages and Articulating Arms

A cage is what you get when you have
cheese plates all over your camera:

You could have a simple square cage, like
the Opteka CXS-500 X-Cage Pro:


Page 445
Or you could have a full tactical cage like this
one from Red:
Whatever your purpose, the primary aim of a
cage is protection. If your rig happens to fall,
the cage takes the impact, or it is supposed
to.

Ill be honest, Im not a fan of cages. There
are very few scenarios where a cage might
protect a camera (at best it can only offer
protection on three sides out of six). No
matter which way the camera falls, the part I
would be most worried about is the lens
mount, after the lens itself; that is.

Furthermore, for good protection, the cage
must be at a certain distance from the
camera, as shown in the second image


Page 446
above. I dont know about you, but I find
this kind of design limits the ergonomics
considerably. Can I use it on a shoulder
mount? Is it really going to fall when on a
tripod? Why not just spend the money on
getting a better tripod instead?

On the other hand, a cage provides
interfaces for those cameras that dont have
provision for connections, like the DSLRs for
example.

Another advantage (if you want to call it
that) of the cage is that, when designed well,
it provides a ready interface to connect
handles, rods and the like. You dont have to
keep track of many plates and adapters. But,
this same advantage becomes a
disadvantage if you want to move something
away from the vicinity of the camera body.

Good cages must be sturdy and offer both
1/4-20 and 3/8-16 UNC threads. Some of
them even provide multiple power
connectors. If your rig is constant, then it
might be a simple way to manage cables. If
your devices keep changing, youll be
running after adapters to suit your cage.


Page 447
One use of a cage is you could hold it like a
steering wheel, like this one from Zacuto:

Look! You dont even need an external
monitor, since the cage is already framing
the scene for you! If youve read everything
Ive written about ergonomics and balance
on a rig, you already know my thoughts on
the matter.

Finally, cameras arent the only devices that
can take cages. You could wrap yourself in
one, or maybe just an external recorder or
two with this cage from Genus:


Page 448

If you want to protect your production, buy
insurance and bring spares. If you want to
protect your camera, buy a good case and a
rain/dust cover. If you have spent your last
dollar on that new camera, I bet every part
of your rig is precious. What are you
planning to do, get a cage for everything?

Who likes to be caged? Enough said.

Rule of thumb: If you anticipate connecting a
myriad of devices to your rig, get cheese
plates and adapters for maximum flexibility.
Forget cages.

Articulating Arms

An articulating arm is meant to behave like
an average humans arm, except this one
can fold in many more ways.


Page 449

To make this possible, the arm, like the
Zacuto Zamerican V3 12 inch Articulating
Arm, has chrome balls for smooth
movements with maximum flexibility.

Usually the ends of these arms have support
for 15mm or 19mm rods, or at least 1/4 or
3/8 screw threads. Sometimes, adapters
are available, like the ZicroMount III
(screws) and the Z-mount II (rods).

As we saw in the chapter on Laying out the
Rig, the arm is very handy to change the


Page 450
position of the EVF so it sits perfectly in
relation to your eye. The arm can also be
used for external monitors, and is a cool way
to mount them on a rig for quick
adjustments.

The advantage of this kind of system is
evident when you compare it to cameras
with fixed viewfinders, like the Canon C300
or a DSLR, for example. On a shoulder rig,
the location of the viewfinder is in the worst
possible spot.

The top end cameras in this guide Red
Scarlet/Epic, Arri Alexa and Sony F65 all
have separate viewfinders, and articulating
arms make things very convenient for ever
changing rig configurations.

It goes without saying that when buying
arms buy the best.

One important point to consider is the length
of the arm. Too long and it will hinder you;
too short and it will be useless. Get a variety
of sizes. Theyre worth it.


Page 451
Weve covered the most important
components of any rig. Before looking at rigs
for specific scenarios, we need to take a look
at one more thing: the tools that make
rigging fast and fun.


Page 452
Chapter 18
Handy tools for Rigging

Most well-made rigs and accessories can be
attached and detached without tools, but
having a basic tool kit with you at all times is
mandatory. Why?

Because tools are lifesavers. Many dont
realize their importance until theyre in a
situation where it could have saved them
precious time and money. Here are a few
tools that I think should be part of every
production:

Change in your wallet

Everyone carries wallets, so its not a tall
order to carry a few coins in them of
every kind in circulation. Coins make
excellent screw drivers, especially for tripod
plates and gear. On set, its faster to reach
for your wallet than wherever it is youve
stashed your tool box in its pretty casing.


Page 453

What else can they do? Coins are very
versatile. You could:

Use it as a spacer or riser
Use it as a scraper to clean dirt or
dust
Use it to check the balance of a
surface
Use it in vending machines
Toss to see who does mule duty
Stop a bullet

Swiss army knife

Get the best one you can afford, and get it
from the people who do it best:


Page 454
Victorinox Swiss Army Champion Plus
Pocket Knife

Flashlight

Dont assume flashlights are only for nights.
You could be in a room, under a hood, or
whatever. A powerful LED light makes
finding what was not meant to be found a
lot easier.

It can also be used for reading in low light
or as a signalling device:


Page 455
Energizer Weatheready Compact 3-LED
Safety Flashlight

When its really night, you need:
Dorcy 180 Lumen Flashlight

Screwdriver Set, Pliers, Allen Wrenches
and Spanners

DEWALT 10 Piece Screwdriver Set


Page 456
Boxer 30 Pcs 4mm Precision Screwdriver
Set

Dewalt 3 Pack Compound Pliers


Page 457
30 Pc Allen Wrench Set

GearWrench 7 Piece Wrench Set

Hand Gloves

Keep your hands safe and clean, and keep
grease off the rig. Dont forget to get the
right size. If its too loose you cant get any
work done.


Page 458
Mechanix Wear Glove

Ruler, Measuring Tape and Protractor

To go straight:

Komelon Monster MagGrip 30-Feet
Measuring Tape

Without a tape:


Page 459
Bosch Digital Distance Measurer Kit

To bend around corners:

Leica Disto D5 Digital Laser Rangefinder

And to find those angles:


Page 460
Starrett ProSite Protractor

Weighing Scale and Weights

American Weigh Scale


Page 461
Cylindrical Calibration Weight, 1000 grams

Hammer

Stanley Fiberglass Hammer

Gaffer/Duct tape

Hang something, join something, hold
something together, rig something. Gaffer
tape does it all:


Page 462
3M Scotch Duct Tape

Cable ties, Scissors and Rope

8 Plastic Cable Zip Ties 100-Pack

Sometimes nothing beats the convenience
of good old-fashioned scissors:


Page 463
Fiskars Titanium Nitride 9.5 Shop Shears

3/8 Inch 50 Foot Rope

Apple Boxes and Foldable Step Ladders

Want to step over something or get to a
better vantage point? These are the
quickest ways to do that:

Advantage Gripware Apple Box Set


Page 464

Multi-Purpose Multiple Position 12 Step
Aluminum Folding Ladder

Tags

When you have lots of gear, its good to let
people know whose stuff it is.

Other than personalized branding, these are
the simplest ways:


Page 465
Scotch Bag Tags

Black Direct Thermal Consignment Style
Tags

Plastic Sheets and Yoga Mat

Want to sit on dirty ground and have a
picnic? Or just need a safe space for your
rig?


Page 466
Warp Brothers Roll Black Plastic Sheeting

ProSource Premium 1/2-Inch Yoga Mat

Utility Belt

Carry spares, cards, batteries, water or
mint.


Page 467
Lowepro Utility Belt for Photographers

Eye Protection Goggles and Binoculars

DEWALT Anti-Fog Safety Goggle

Nikon Action Zoom Binocular


Page 468
Clamps and Clips

TEKTON 6-Inch Heavy Duty C Clamp

Cosmos Heavy Duty retractable Reel with
Belt Clip


Page 469
Scotty Tarp Clip Black

Cloth to wipe off sweat

Carry as many as you can:

Aqua Sphere Aqua Dry Towel


Page 470
Lubricant

Lubegard Universal Lubricant

A Smartphone and this Rigging Guide!

What can I say? A smartphone does it all
GPS, calculator, apps, weather, time and
phone calls:


Page 471
Apple iPhone 5

Dont forget to upload the PDF version of
this guide, as soon as it becomes available
in a few weeks!

We have completed all the bits and pieces
that go into putting a rig together. Its time
to take a look at each scenario one by one
shoulder rigs, camcorder-style, tripod rigs,
jib and crane rigs, dolly rigs, stereoscopy
rigs, underwater rigs, aerial rigs lets do
them all!


Page 472
Chapter 19
Shoulder Rigs

When you invest in a rig, you probably have
two prime considerations, one of which is
whether or not it will go well with everything
you have to put on it.

As we have seen, a shoulder rig has to be
flexible to changes over time. A rig could
change during the course of one project, or
the course of several years. If youve
selected the components of your rig wisely,
you wont have to purchase additional gear
every time something changes.

One of the advantages of having this guide is
that it helps you foresee problems you might
not have considered, and this helps
immensely when choosing a rig.

The other, equally important consideration, is
one of cost. If you dont have the budget for
an expensive camera setup, then youre
obviously not going to buy the most
expensive rig.


Page 473
For this reason, I have divided this chapter
into the following areas:

DSLR Rigs ($1,000 to $3,000 camera
budget)

Prosumer Rigs ($3,000 to $10,000
camera budget)

Professional Rigs ($10,000+ camera
budget)

In addition to everything weve covered so
far, there are two more things you might
want to look out for, both particular to the
shoulder mounting problem:

The slant of the shoulders (actually
Trapezius muscles)

The shape of the shoulder pad


Page 474

Image Courtesy: sv:Anvndare:Chrizz, 27 maj 2005

Very few individuals have traps (trapezius
muscles) that are straight. This makes every
shoulder rig tilt outwards. Not only are all
the forces acting downward, but a
component pushes outward, always trying to
slide the rig off your shoulders.

One way to tackle this problem is to make
the rig inside-heavy, by placing the follow
focus, EVF and/or the monitor, etc., inwards.
It might help slightly, but it will contribute a


Page 475
component to the sliding off force. It just
makes it worse!

In my opinion, mis-balancing the rig isnt
the right way to go about it. The right way is
to tackle the second point the shape of the
shoulder pad. Get a good shoulder pad to
level out the rig. If a tripod head needs to be
leveled, then why not a shoulder pad?
Is there such a shoulder pad?

I havent found any. I find it strange that
there isnt a single manufacturer offering a
shoulder pad that will account for the slant in
the trap muscles. Its a shame, really.

The other consideration for a shoulder pad is
its shape. Curved pad or straight pad? A
straight pad is universal and can be shared.
A curved pad wont fit all sizes, but it holds
the rig in place so it wont accidentally slide
forwards or backwards.

The more I think about it, the more Im
convinced a customized rig is preferable to a
box kit.


Page 476
DSLR Rigs ($1,000 to $3,000 camera
budget)

Cameras in this guide: All the DSLRs and
the BMCC

Have less than $100? Dont buy any
package. Make your own:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl
ayer_detailpage&v=RNCwPDXODMs

Less than $200? Try this:

Opteka CXS-300 Dual-Grip Video Shoulder
Stabilizer Support System


Page 477
Less than $1,000?

Genus GL GCSMK Camera Shoulder Mount
System

More than $1,000?

When using the LCD or a loupe:

Zacuto Z-DDB Double Barrel

Otherwise, try the Arri kits:


Page 478

For the tall DSLRs on the list, namely the
Nikon D4 and the Canon 1DX, try this:


Page 479
As we seen in the chapter on Ergonomics,
the DSLRs weigh from 392 g (GH2) to 1,700
g (BMCC). A 50mm f/1.8 weighs about 150
g and a 70-200mm f/2.8 weighs about
1,500 g. Your rig could be as low as 1 kg.
With matte box, follow focus system and
everything else, a typical maxed-out DSLR
rig is front-heavy by 5 kg. The DSLRs
without HDMI or SDI output for an external
EVF will be monitored over the rear LCD or
a loupe; both of which I dont recommend
on a shoulder mount.

Heres a video that describes how to
customize a rig (Im not a fan of all their
products, nor do I recommend them all.
This is just for instructional purposes):


Prosumer Rigs ($3,000 to $10,000
camera budget)

Cameras in this guide: FS100, FS700, C100

Prosumer cameras are getting smaller and
smaller. If I have a choice between the


Page 480
longish FS700 over the tall C100, Ill choose
the former. As Ive said already, I find the
tall body form factor the poorest in terms of
overall ergonomics.

Some of the rigs mentioned above can be
used with these cameras. However, please
note that these cameras are all above the 1
kg mark, and you will always be front-
heavy.

Less than $500?

Assemble your own rig, as shown above.

Less than $1,000?

Genus Video Camera Shoulder Mount
System


Page 481
More than $1,000?

Flashpoint HD Video Pro Supreme

Another option:

Lanparte Pro Camera Rig


Page 482
The only reason this is a separate category
is the budget. More expensive cameras are
not necessarily heavier. If you have the
budget, you can use the rigs mentioned in
the next section.

Professional Rigs ($10,000+ camera
budget)

Cameras in this guide: C300, F3, Red
Scarlet, Red Epic, Arri Alexa and Sony F65

For all professional rigs, I suggest the Arri
kits:


Page 483

Red users can also try the Clutch:


Page 484
Both the Alexa and Sony weigh over 5 kg,
body only. Imagine what they would weigh
fully loaded!

If money is no bar, I suggest the kits
available from Arri for most of the cameras
in this list. The huge advantage of the Arri
system is its compatibility to other camera
configurations. Your rig wont be obsolete
anytime soon.

In the next chapter well look at handheld,
palmcorder and steadicam setups.


Page 485
Chapter 20
Palmcorder and Steadicam Rigs

None of the cameras in this guide can be
used like a consumer camcorder, i.e.
palmcorder style. Due to the enormous
differences between lens designs, it is almost
impossible for a third-party manufacturer to
make a universal zoom rocker or (servo
zoom) that can be used broadcast style.
Having said that, Im confident well see a lot
more options soon, like the Sony SELP18200
18-200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS:


Page 486
Here are some options:

DSLRs This looked promising for a
while, but the videos have been
removed and the site is still under
construction at the time of this writing.
E-mount - Sony SELP18200 18-
200mm F3.5-6.3 OSS
PL-mount up to Super 35mm - Fujinon
19-90mm Cabrio / T2.9

Some of these solutions show promise. For
an excellent article on zoom rockers for
DSLRs, check this article from
StreamingMedia.com.

The biggest advantage of the DSLR form
factor is its small size and weight. Even
though for ergonomic reasons these cameras
are hard to rig, there are many situations
where their size helps:

News and sports
Run and gun work
Tight spaces
Aerial and jib work
Crash cams


Page 487
Whatever the purpose, I only recommend
these rigs (collectively called Palmcorder)
for short bursts of shooting.

Palmcorders or Run and Gun Rigs

Less than $100

ePhoto Premium DSLR Rig Movie Kit


Page 488
Less than $200

ePhoto DSLR Rig Chest Camera Stabilizer

Less than $500

Zacuto Z-DTS Target Shooter


Page 489
Less than $1,000

Zacuto Z-DSLR-TS DSLR Gunstock Tactical
Shooter Gorilla Kit

More than $1,000

Zacuto Z-DCF DSLR Cross Fire Video
Stabilizer


Page 490
For steering-wheel setups, try these:

Less than $100

Fancierstudio FL01 DSLR Rig

More than $100

Zacuto Z-DZWC Zwiss Cage


Page 491
Stabilizers or Steadicam Rigs

Single hand DSLR stabilizers

Opteka SteadyVid PRO Video Stabilizer
System

This stabilizer can take up to 2.2 kg, which
is quite handy for light DSLR and BMCC
setups.

For a more well-known solution:


Page 492
Steadicam Professional Video Stabilizers
Merlin 2

Prosumer-level stabilizers

For prosumer cameras, as well as DSLRs or
the BMCC with heavy lenses, youll need a
rig that can take up to 5 kg (10 pounds
approx.):


Page 493
Glidecam HD-4000 Hand-Held Stabilizer

Holding 10 pounds is no joke. For long use,
youll need a full system to go with the
above stabilizer:

Glidecam X-10 Body Mounted Stabilization
System


Page 494
Heavy, up to 10 kg (22 lbs)

Basson Steady System

Heavy, up to 16 kg (35 lbs)

Basson Steady System Constellation


Page 495
If you remember, our Red Epic rig weighed
in at 15 kg. An Alexa with a big zoom will
almost double that.

An average operator cant take a lot more
than that. If its any consolation, a well-
fitted soldier carries about 25 to 50 kg (50
to 100 lbs) of weight!

Weve completed handheld setups. Its time
to put down our rig. Next, well look at
tripods and heads.


Page 496
Chapter 21
Tripods, Heads and Tripod Rigs

A tripod must be heavy enough not to topple
over or vibrate when touched (like when an
assistant is using a follow focus system). The
head used must be able to support the
weight of the full rig easily, and must be


Page 497
super smooth for steady pans, tilts, etc. The
tripod legs must be able to handle the
weight of the rig, the head and any
additional stuff like bags, equipment, etc.

I prefer heavy tripods, especially made of
aluminium or steel. Light carbon fiber tripods
are great when youre sure nobody is going
to touch them during a shot.

There are four classes of systems here:

One leg Monopod
Three legs Tripod/Hi-hat
Three legs and a stiff arm Tripod with
Slider
Three legs and a long free arm
Tripod with Jib

Monopods

If youre a one-person crew in the trenches,
youll be thankful for every gram you can
shed. Just dont kid yourself that a bamboo
pole can hold the weight of a basic rig (well
actually it can!) and give you professional
functionality.


Page 498
All said and done, Id prefer at least a
monopod over the DSLR grip or the BMCC
handle bar.

There are a few things you could add to the
basic leg to take it up a notch:

Manfrotto 561BHDV-1 Fluid Video Monopod
with Head

This has a load capacity of 4 kg (8.82 lbs),
can reach a maximum height of 78.74
inches (6.5 feet) and a minimum height of
30.12 inches (2.5 feet). It weighs 1.9 kgs
(4.21 lbs).


Page 499
Tripods and Heads

Tripods come in many materials and
designs. Generally, other than three legs, I
like my tripods to have:

Spreaders so they dont fall flat
Twist locks I find them sturdier than
flip locks
Optional Studs for outdoor work
Zero play especially for pans and
tilts

Considerations:

Good reachable height
As heavy as possible
Great fluid head, bowl attachment
With spreader
360 degree panning
Illuminated Level
Quick release
Zero play in all parts

Dont choose a tripod that barely meets the
requirements. Your requirements will mostly
increase, and most users who buy cheap


Page 500
gear almost immediately pine for the next
bigger model.

For DSLR, BMCC and Prosumer setups:

Manfrotto 504HD+546BK Video Tripod Kit

This head can handle up to 7.5 kg (16.3
lbs), and the tripod can take up to 20 kg


Page 501
(44 lbs). It gives a maximum height of 59
inches (5 feet).

For heavier Prosumer setups:

A full prosumer rig with a heavy zoom lens
and all the bells and whistles will weigh in
between 5 to 10 kg (11 to 22 lbs).

If youre aiming for such a rig, you might as
well aim for a tripod that can also handle a
mini jib arm or slider. E.g., a Glidecam
Camcrane 200 is about 9kg (20 lbs) and can
support a fully rigged BMCC setup. In this
case, it might be a good idea to get a tripod
that can take 18kgs (40 lbs) or more.

For such heavy-duty use, try this:


Page 502
Sachtler 18 S1 SL MCF, with Speed Lock CF
HD Tripod

Youll find cheaper solutions and more
expensive ones. The important thing is to
fully realize why a tripod needs to be what it
is. A good tripod will last a lifetime.

Cinema lens and camera systems, like the
Arri Alexa and Sony F65, will easily reach
the 20 kg mark when rigged up. Such
systems demand the best tripods and heads
available, like these:


Page 503
Up to 40 kg (88 lbs)

O Connor 30L Carbon Fiber Tripod

O Connor Ultimate 2575D Fluid Head


Page 504
For a more versatile fluid head capable of up
to 50 kg (110 lbs), with geared pan and tilt
movements, try this:

Arrihead 2

And if youre ever in a situation where you
want to use a specialized motor head or jib
arm with a heavy camera (or if you just
want a place to sit on):


Page 505
100 kg (220 lbs) +

O Connor Cine HD

O Connor 120EX Fluid Head


Page 506
Hi Hat or Low Base

A Hi Hat or Low Base is a mini-tripod that
can almost go to ground level. A fully rigged
system usually has a height of about a foot
(12 inches) to three feet (36 inches)
including the head, so to really be at ground
level youll have to dig.

For a general purpose hi-hat, try the:

Bogen Imaging Manfrotto 529B Hi Hat


Page 507
For a heavy-duty system, you might want to
look at the:

O Connor CineHD Baby

Finally, dont forget to factor in sandbags,
like these:


Page 508
ePhoto Sand Bags

These can take 10 kg (about 22 lbs) of sand
and hold your tripods rock steady.

Weve looked at two of the four tripod
systems in this chapter. Next, lets look at
sliders and dollies.


Page 509
Chapter 22
Dollies and Sliders

Slider

DSLR rigs are mostly about a minimal crew
working quickly. Corporate videos, wedding
videos, music videos and short films this
is where these systems are used the most.
A dolly is heavy and needs extra manpower
to rig. But you want to have a
dolly/tracking/trolley shot in a confined
space. What do you do? You get a slider or
table-top dolly.

A slider is a stationary dolly, where only the
head moves (slides).

Considerations:

Perfect machining with zero
bumps/deformations
Zero noise while moving
Can take the load of your camera
system and tripod head
Balance/Spirit level


Page 510
Geared if possible, with varying
speeds
Motorized if possible, for controlled
smooth movements
Portable and as light as possible
Can take universal tripods 1/4 and
3/8 UNC
Enough length for practical utility

Less than $100

Glide Gear Slider-23-Inch

$100 to $300

Konova Slider Dolly K2 120cm (47.2 Inch)


Page 511

$300 to $500

Glidetrack HD 39 inch (1m) Heavy Duty
Slider


Page 512
Konova Slider K5 120 (47.2 inch)

$500 to $1,000

Kessler Stealth (Standard Length) Slider

The above can take about 7 kg (15 lbs).
This is fine for DSLRs, the BMCC, and the
prosumer cameras.


Page 513
$1,000 +

Kessler CineSlider

For motorized sliding, add an ElektraDrive
Oracle system to your slider.

The CineSlider can go up to 5 feet and can
take a load of 36.3kg (80 lbs). And it only
weighs about 5 kg.

If you want to go even higher in weight, this
can take up to 90 kg (200 lbs):


Page 514
Cinevate Atlas 200 60-Inch

Heres a video with more info:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mvvsS
KZGuM

Be careful of cheap sliders. If not machined
well, theyll have tiny bumps that will show
up such on your cherished footage. Cheap
knock-offs also use poorly made alloys, and
are usually thinner as well. These deform
easily.

There is one potentially serious
disadvantage to sliders you might need
two tripods to support a slider at both ends.
If youre working off a flat surface, like a
table, then this might not be a problem.


Page 515
Table-top Dollies

For quick movements in places you
otherwise cant reach, a table-top dolly
might be useful. The disadvantage is that
you have no control over the level you are
entirely dependent on the surface you are
moving on. Furthermore, your range and
speed of movement is limited by
ergonomics.

Pico Flex Skater Camera Dolly

Theyre cheap. Do I recommend them? Hell,
no. If Im moving the camera, I want


Page 516
absolute control over it. Anything less is
unacceptable.

Studio Dollies

Studio dollies usually have to support an
operator, focus puller, etc., in addition to the
camera system/rig.

There is the tripods on tracks solution, but
I find that useless now that sliders are here.
Like I said, without full control dollies are
more trouble than they are worth.

If you have no money, then nothing beats a
wheelchair:

Invacare LightWeight Tracer EX2 Wheelchair


Page 517
If youre embarrassed to use a wheelchair
or want more control, you can build your
own dolly. Heres a video that helped me
build one a few years ago:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcMPhu
hqVO4

I used two layers of plywood with aluminum
V-frames/grooves and skateboard wheels.
For tracks I experimented with PVC,
aluminum and steel rods.

I found that both steel and aluminum work
well, with steel being the best. This dolly
could support two individuals and a full
tripod rig, easy.

Heres a production still:


Page 518

If you need total control, youll appreciate a
professional camera dolly. Professional film
studio dollies usually have a hydraulic arm
that raises or lowers the camera on the
vertical axis. These dollies can also be
rigged to operate on wheels instead of
tracks. The dollies are controlled by wheels,
usually geared.


Page 519

Image Courtesy: Schlaier

Tracks can be straight or round/curved.
Tracks have two main advantages:

Repeatable movements.
They can be used over uneven terrain
or surfaces.

Two companies making world-class dollies
are J L Fisher and Panther. Heres a video
from Panther showcasing their Tristar
system:


Page 520
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCt8zlul
0TU

The key word for dollies is: Smooth. If its
not smooth then why use it over a
steadicam or stabilization system?

As you can see, it takes a whole lot of
engineering expertise to move a camera rig
smoothly over three axes.

Next, well look at Jibs and Cranes, and finish
our round-up of tripod rigs.


Page 521
Chapter 23
Jibs and Cranes

A jib or crane extends the height and reach
of a camera. A good one also gives you
remote control and precise movements.
There are all kinds of jibs and cranes. Most
of the time youre better off renting.

Here are examples that might be a great, if
your intention is to actually buy one.

Less than $500

ProAm DVC210 DSLR Camera Jib Crane


Page 522
Pan/Tilt Head

What if you want to control the movements
remotely? For that we have a motorized
pan/tilt head:

Bescor MP-360 Full 360 Motorized Pan and
Tilt Head

A cheap motorized head will also be noisy
with jerky movements. Obviously, as cool as
this jib setup is, it wont cover all situations
so think thrice before investing.


Page 523
Less than $2,000

Kessler Pocket Jib

Less than $5,000

Libec Swift Jib50 Kit


Page 524
Less than $10,000

Varizoom VZSNAPCRANE16-100 Snapcrane

Greater than $10,000

Jimmy Jib Triangle:


Page 525

The Jimmy Jib Triangle is probably one of the
most versatile jibs out there. it can reach 40
feet and can hold a maximum of 22.5 kg (50
lbs). Its motorized head can do dutch angles
and the whole thing can be packed into a 3
feet container!


Page 526
If you want to go old-school, and need the
reach of a brontosaur, then take a look at
this 85 monster:

Akela Crane

Image: CameraCraneSpecialists.com

Heres a video showing the Akela in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMUGKk
HFYBc


Page 527
Jibs are good to look at, but are not very
economical to own if youre a filmmaker with
other important priorities on your plate.
Maintaining a full jib system with a
motorized head and remote control is no
childs play. Some things are best left to the
professionals.

We have completed the last of the tripod
rigs. Yes, in essence all the rigs have a
tripod model as its base. Dollies have four
wheels, but lets not quibble over that.

Next, well look at specialized rigs, starting
with underwater rigs.


Page 528
Chapter 24
Underwater Rigs

Can everyone become a good underwater
filmmaker? No, not really. Im no expert, but
I know youll need to be a highly skilled and
certified diver who feels right at home in the
ocean. If youre always worrying about your
diving technique, you cant focus on your
video skills.

Any rig must, at the very least, allow the
camera to perform at its full potential. This is
even more important of underwater rigs. An
underwater rig must:

Protect the camera over many dives
Provide full functionality on the camera
Let the camera do its thing

Considerations:

Must work at a depth of about 300 feet
Resistant to sea water and corrosion
Solid watertight body
Must give access to all buttons and
functions


Page 529
Must show LCD display or provide for
external display
Good grip
Option to connect to operators body
Tripod support for macro work
Able to take as many lenses as
possible, both wide and zoom
Light weight
Must have reusable or replaceable
parts

The components of an underwater rig

An underwater rig consists of different parts,
each serving a unique and important
function:


Page 530

Housing the waterproof compartment
in which the camera body sits.
Arms used to attach lights, strobes,
etc.
Port a transparent viewing area, of
which there are three main types:


Page 531
Flat Port used mainly with telephoto
or macro lenses. Not preferred for
high-end work.
Dome or Standard Port used mainly
for wide angle lenses to prevent
distortion. In general, this is the most
preferred type of port, regardless of
lens.
Rebikoff Port used to correct
refraction, like when youre shooting
between air and water at the surface.
O-ring the gasket-like seals that stop
water from getting in.
Tray provides stability to the housing
so arms or other stuff can be attached
to it.

If you look at the image above, you can see
the knobs and screws that are custom made
for each camera type. The same housing
most likely wont work on a different camera
if the buttons are in the wrong place.

For the smaller DSLRs, try these rigs:

Ikelite Canon 550D/T2i
Ikelite Canon EOS Rebel T3i/600D
Ikelite Canon EOS Rebel T4i/650D


Page 532
Ikelite Canon 60D
Gibson Pro Panasonic GH2

For the bigger DSLRs, try these:

Aquatica for Canon 7D Underwater
Housing
Sea & Sea MDX-5DMKIII Housing for
Canon 5D Mark III
Sea & Sea MDX-D800 Housing for
Nikon D800

The more expensive brands have been
around longer, but that is no guarantee they


Page 533
are better than their cheaper brethren. Like
everything else on your rig, these need
testing too.

For the prosumer cameras, try these:

Equinox HD10 Underwater Video
Housing for SONY NEX-FS100U/FS100
Equinox HD10 Underwater Video
Housing For Sony NEX-FS700


Page 534
BMCC fat chance. The touchscreen
makes it very difficult to design a
housing rig. Well need something
similar to this for the iPad.
Gates Housing for the Canon
C300/C500
AquaVideo for the Sony PMW-F3

For the Red cameras, try these:

Equinox for Red Epic
Equinox for Red Scarlet


Page 535
For the Alexa try Hydroflex:

If you dont want to buy a housing, then you
could make one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pla
yer_embedded&v=w1EYwoXlO5k

Finally, here are three important accessories
to consider:


Page 536
External monitor casing

Take a look at the Wahoo Monitor Casing for
the Sony CLM-V55 5-Inch LCD Monitor.

The high-end housings come with support for
external monitoring, even if you want to
monitor above the surface via HD-SDI.


Page 537
Tripod

If youre shooting the ocean floor youll
appreciate a tripod made especially for the
sea. Check out the Xit 404 DSLR Housing
Tripod.

For something that looks like its cousin on
land, try the Aquatica tripod.

White Balance Card

Finally, if youre under water, everything
appears blue (or whatever color the water


Page 538
is). Many newbies forget this vital piece of
gear, and miss the brilliant colors of the sea
as a result. Take a look at the Gates White
Balance Slate. You could also get something
cheaper, like the Digital Image Flow DGK
Balance Card, as long as its waterproof.

There are excellent resources on the
internet, and this is one field of activity that
is a world on its own. For starters, if youre
new to all this, I urge you to participate in
the WetPixel.com forums for some solid
advice.

Now that weve spent enough time
underwater, lets resurface to try the other
elements. In the next chapter well look at
aerial and vehicle rigs.


Page 539
Chapter 25
Aerial and Vehicle Rigs

Vehicle Rigs

You can rig a camera on a vehicle in a
million ways, and high-end productions
make custom-made rigs for specific
purposes. A basic car rig consists of the
following parts:

Suction Cups or Clamps
Arms
Base plates
Leveling heads/plates

The suction cup is the most important part
of the rig. If these are either of poor quality
or not used correctly, say goodbye to your
gear. Heres a PDF guide on how to maintain
cups:

http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/cinemasupplie
s/vacuumcup.pdf

Heres an example of a single-cup design
that can hold up to 68 kg (150 lbs):


Page 540
Alan Gordon Enterprises Super Grip 2
Support System

With lightweight cameras weighing less than
7 kgs (15 lbs), you can try the:

Varizoom Ultimate Auto Rig Kit


Page 541
For heavier cameras, take a look at the
Filmtools Medium-Weight Professional
Camera Mount Kit:

Heres a quick video explaining how this is
done:

ayer_embedded&v=eXplMdHQLAc

Please dont try to rig a system on a car
without professional help! Theres nothing
easy about it, and its not worth the risk.


Page 542
Heres an example of a company
specializing in vehicle rigging. Think twice
before you plan that cool car or bike shot.
For in-vehicle stabilization, check out the
next section on aerial videography.

For more information on gear and rigs for
grips, check out The Grip Book, by Michael
Uva.

Aerial Rigs

Kites, gliders, balloons, airplanes,
helicopters, cables, UFO you can rig a
camera to anything that flies, as long as the
weight and aerodynamics of your camera
wont interfere with the operation of your
aircraft.

The prime consideration of aerial
videography is speed. If your aircraft is
faster than a certain threshold (governed by
its aerodynamic design and engine) it will
fly smoothly without a lot of turbulence,
assuming clear skies that is. If the speed
falls below this threshold, the aircraft will
begin to shake.


Page 543
Shakes are magnified on camera. Theres no
way to speed up the aircraft if youre
shooting a particular landscape or event
from a low altitude. This is why helicopters
are the most preferred method for high
altitude aerial videography. But they almost
always introduce camera shake, even on
clear days and the best pilot in charge.

To stop vibrations and shakes from affecting
footage, one uses a Gyroscope:


Page 544
This is the same principle used in
steadicams or other camera stabilization
systems. The objective is to isolate the
camera from the moving parts around it.
The device that completes a gyroscope is a
Platform.

A platform is any device that holds the rig in
place. It could be a mini copter, a tripod,
whatever. The big disadvantage of regular
helicopters and aircraft flying low is that
regulations usually dont allow for it,
especially in densely populated areas. Check
with your local regulator to see what the
rules are in your area.

For this reason, under special conditions,
one might be allowed to fly smaller radio-
controlled Unmanned Aircraft Systems
(UAS) to cover certain events or areas.
When this system takes the design of a
copter, depending on the number of rotors,
it can become an Octocopter (8 blades),
Quadcopter (4 blades), and so on.


Page 545

Image Courtesy: Wildnrg

These systems, called Multirotors, are
mechanically simpler than helicopters, and
they have less vibration and better stability.
The more the rotors, the greater their
payload capacity and redundancy (if one
rotor fails, theres a lot more left for control,
etc.).

This platform has two major subsystems:

Flight control system level, speed,
power, pitch, yaw, roll, etc.


Page 546
Navigation control system
information on position, pressure,
altitude, etc.

The multirotor is controlled via the radio
control system, with a range of many miles,
depending on the specifications and design
of the system.

For DSLR and prosumer work, all you need
is a simple gyroscope platform, like this one
from Aerial Exposures:

Such a system is also used in vehicles to
minimize vehicle shake.


Page 547
For heavier cameras like the Arri Alexa, try
the Cineflex Elite or the Aerial Exposures
LSG-2 system.

For work in tough conditions, or if you want
to rig directly on to a helicopter or aircraft,
check out the systems from Wescam, often
also used in military applications.

For a good introductory book on aerial
photography, check out Small-Format Aerial
Photography, by James Aber.

Weve covered land, air and the sea. Now
lets do double of everything, with
stereoscopy rigs.


Page 548
Chapter 26
Stereoscopy Rigs

To understand the basics of stereoscopy,
depth, parallax, the inter-ocular distance,
convergence, fusion and the challenges in
reproducing stereopsis in cameras and
displays, please read Driving Miss Digital. For
an excellent primer, take a look at A
Beginners Guide to Shooting Stereoscopic
3D, by Tim Dashwood.

Setting the Interaxial distance

So the inter-ocular distance is 2.5, or about
63 mm. This means that the distance from
the vertical optical axis (the middle of the
lens) to the edge of a camera body should be
no greater than 32mm. From the chapter on
Ergonomics, youll notice that none of the
cameras in this guide can be placed side by
side to be within this distance.

The closest are the Red Epic and Scarlet,
which can be placed about 3.5 apart. At this
interaxial distance the closest object you can
shoot at will be about 10 to 12 feet away


Page 549
from the camera. If youre shooting narrative
fiction, this is tough to pull off.

In any case, the first thing youll need to do
is figure out what the distance of the subject
will be in relation to your camera. For more
than one setup, you need to figure out the
closest and the farthest distance and
focusing points. From this data you should
be able to calculate the interaxial distances
youll need to set for each setup depending
on the 3D effect required.

This is critical. Once you set the interaxial
distance, you cant change it. There are
some productions that try to shoot with
three cameras, but Im not covering that in
this guide. I wont be covering 3D
attachments either.

Convergence or Toe in

The next thing youll need to figure out is
whether or not youll be toeing in for each
setup, and how much youll need for the
effect you want to create.


Page 550
Toeing in is a controversial subject. Not
everyone agrees whether or not this is
necessary on set. Some feel its better to
make convergence adjustments in post.

Genlock

It is critical for good stereoscopy to have
perfectly synchronized frames. The
underlying technology that allows this on the
cameras in this guide is genlock. Sometimes
this might be known by another name. The
cameras in this guide that have genlock were
covered in the chapter on Making the
Connections.

Obviously, I dont recommend shooting
stereoscopy with any camera incapable of
receiving and locking on to a genlock signal.
However, if you desperately want to shoot
3D with DSLRs, heres an ingenious solution
from Peter Clark at Attic Studios.

HFR High Frame Rate

It is a well-known fact that increasing the
frame rate increases the perception of
resolution. This is covered in Driving Miss


Page 551
Digital. Keeping its aesthetic merit aside, it is
extremely beneficial in avoiding temporal
artifacting and motion blur in stereoscopy.
Some cameras in this guide only go up to 30
fps, while others go to 120 fps and beyond.
If HFR is part of your workflow, you need to
know the limits of your sensor at the
resolution you are shooting in.

Zoom/Focus Control

If youre using a zoom lens on each camera,
theyll need to have synchronized
movements so they are at the same focal
length.

For lenses that need focusing, a follow focus
system that simultaneously controls both
lenses precisely is extremely important. A
slight variation in the speed or accuracy of
the focus or focal length will result in almost
unusable stereo images. It is also important
to get lenses that are as close to each other
in all respects, if possible with consecutive
production batch numbers (thought that is
not a guarantee of anything).


Page 552
For a brief overview of 3D solutions
pertaining to zoom and focus control, check
out this PDF.

Rules of thumb:

If you are happy with the interaxial distance
in a side by side configuration, you should
shoot on a side-by-side rig, as it is the most
simple to set up. If you need to shoot at
interaxial distances shorter than what is
physically possible side by side, then opt for
a beamsplitter rig.

Side-by-Side Rig

A 3D rig needs to offer the following:

Perfect leveling of both cameras in all
three axes
Precise height and interaxial distance
adjustment
Zero play in connections
Simple method to control interaxial
and/or convergence
Precise markings for interaxial and/or
convergence measurements for
repeatability


Page 553
For a bare bones setup, if youre not varying
the convergence at all, you could do with a
rig on rods with a couple of base plates.
Youll just need a precise tech level to check
if the cameras are aligned perfectly:

Stabila 24-Inch Electronic Level

For greater control, youll need a setup that
gives you maximum flexibility:

3D Film Factory SS Pro Rig

For a top of the line system that can take
the Alexa and F65, check out the:


Page 554

3alityTechnica TS-4

Beamsplitter Rigs

Beamsplitter rigs are more complex beasts.
The most important component being the
beamsplitter mirror itself:

Image Courtesy: Tamasflex


Page 555
The big disadvantage of the beamsplitter
setup is that the amount of light hitting the
lens is reduced, and this needs to be
accounted for. The mirror is placed at an
angle of 45
o
usually, and has a transmission
ratio of 50/50.

It is critical for each camera to be on the
correct optical path, at exactly the same
distance, precisely leveled and genlocked.
To change the interaxial distance, one
camera is moved laterally. A beamsplitter
can hit 0mm and above, depending on its
specifications. The 0mm setting wont result
in stereoscopy, but it can be used for HDR
imagery.

To toe-in, the camera is turned at an angle.
For most prosumer setups, this is an
excellent rig:


Page 556
Hurricane 3D Camera Rig

For the Red cameras, the 3alitytechnica
Atom is perfect.

For the best possible flexibility, the top of
the line solution is:


Page 557
3alitytechnica Quasar

To take the beamsplitter underwater, check
out the Gates Deep Rig for the
3alitytechnica Atom/Pulsar systems.

Monitoring

Monitoring is a very frustrating problem for
stereoscopy. The interaxial and convergence
values are selected based on a certain
display size assuming a fixed viewing range.
If your final delivery is television, you can
opt for different sized 3d monitors on set.
But if your final delivery is for cinema, its
tough to gauge the actual effect on set.


Page 558
Then there is the problem of what viewing
method to adopt: Autosteroscopic (no
glasses), anaglyph, polarized, etc. Every
method has its pros and cons, and slightly
alters the perception of stereoscopy on the
set itself.

Finally, there is the issue of data conversion.
If one is recording on RAW, how does one
pull data in real time for monitoring?

There are solutions to many of these
problems (but not all of them). Usually all of
them get in the way of the creative effort,
and are not fun to use unless you throw a
lot of money and hire people to do the dirty
work, and trust their judgment. But that can
throw up nasty surprises in the viewing
room, and by then its either too late, or
youll need additional money or time to fix it
in post (assuming it can be fixed at all).

You can appreciate why not many
professionals shoot narrative 3D. It just
feels like a chore.

For autostereoscopic monitoring, try this:


Page 559
Marshall 3D Monitor

For a general system that is versatile, try
the 3D Indie Viewer:


Page 560
For basic data processing up to 2K on set,
try the:

Davio 3D Processor

If you want to process HD-SDI Left/Right
data in real-time and create dailies, take a
look this solution:

Matrox MC-100

The MC-100 multiplexes dual streams to
one SDI stream and one HDMI stream that
can be fed into the:


Page 561
Matrox MXO2 LE Max with Thunderbolt
Adapter

This system can be used for monitoring or
creation of dailies.

For an excellent calibration and analysis
solution, take a look at Stereo3D Cat from
Dashwood Cinema Solutions.

For a top of the line image processing
system, try the:


Page 562
3alitytechnica Stereo Image Processor
system

We are done with rigs, believe it or not. Next
well look at the particular problem of
streaming.


Page 563
Chapter 27
Streaming Solutions

When data flows, it is already streaming. In
the context of video, this chapter deals with
two specific kinds of streaming:

Wireless transmission within a set or
studio
Live transmission over the internet

In very basic terms, this is how
streaming works:


Page 564
Your camera produces data. This data is
encoded (transcoded or converted) into a
format suitable for wireless streaming. A
device capable of producing a wireless
hotspot is necessary to stream this encoded
video. Such a device is called a router.

The solid lines in the image are cables. A
broadcast monitor usually does not have wi-
fi built in, so it needs data the traditional
way, as we have already seen.

The router can route data two ways
wireless or via cables. The wireless stream is
received by a device capable of wi-fi, either a
receiver, a tablet, mobile or computer.

If this video stream is to be passed on to the
internet, you need a modem. A modem is
the gatekeeper between a device and the
internet. In many ways, it is just like the
encoder. Its job is to convert data into a
format that the internet understands.

If you dont need wireless, you just encode
your data and then route it via a modem to
the internet for live streaming.


Page 565
For wireless on set, create a wi-fi hotspot or
zone, and the data will be confined to this
region.

Since our wireless system is confined to a
limited area, our wireless system falls within
the WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network)
classification, under the specific standard:
IEEE 802.11

Henceforth, whenever I mention wireless I
mean IEEE 802.11 and nothing else.

The main challenges of any wireless
setup

Before moving on, you should be aware of
the major issues regarding wireless:

It doesnt have the bandwidth that
cables have
The latency of wireless transmission
tends to be greater than cabled
transmission, all things being equal.
But I feel this is a temporary problem,
since radio and microwaves travel at
the speed of light, while electrons are
much slower!


Page 566
Maximum data rate falls with distance
Flaky Security

As I have discussed in my post on
uncompressed footage, the data rates over
cables are extremely high. On the other
hand, the most common wireless protocols
and their maximum data rates are as
follows:

802.11a 54 Mbps
802.11b 11 Mbps
802.11g 54 Mbps
802.11n 600 Mbps
802.11ac* 1300 Mbps

*The current king is 802.11n but 802.11ac
routers are already out and are the future
In real-world performance, one can expect
802.11n to provide an average maximum of
300 Mbps (37.5 MB/s).

Now take a look at the data rates of the
cameras in this guide, covered in the chapter
on Media. How many file formats fall within
the limit imposed by 802.11n?


Page 567
Except for the cameras recording RAW,
uncompressed and Prores 4444, all other
codecs fall within this range.

Whats the catch?

The catch is, if youre streaming wireless on
a set, you want it to be real-time. This
means, theres no time for somebody to take
the media out of the recorder or camera, and
then put it into a reader, and then stream it.

To get real-time streaming, youll need to
read data off the SDI, HDMI or Component
ports of a camera (or recorder or external
monitor looped through). Problem is,
uncompressed HD-SDI is 1.5 Gbps, so there
has to be a way of compressing this data in
real-time (just like external recorders do),
but for the specific purpose of streaming it.
Enter the encoder:

Wireless Transmission

For a general purpose HD-SDI or HDMI
encoder+router, try the:


Page 568
Teradek Cube HD-SDI and Teradek Cube
HDMI

The Cube compresses data in the H.264
codec to up to 10 Mbps (only 5 Mbps for wi-
fi) and can create a wi-fi zone with a
maximum line-of-sight range of 300 feet
(91 meters).

It can also record this compressed proxy to
an SD card for quick editing.

If you only want to transmit wireless data to
a decoder, you could use the:


Page 569
Teradek Cube HD-SDI Encoder/Decoder

This way, an SDI monitor can be used to
monitor your feed remotely. Of course, it
goes without saying that the feed youre
getting is heavily compressed.

To view video off the Cube on an iPad or
iPhone, youll need an app called
TeraCentral. Unfortunately, it is only
available for Apple devices.

If you want to use this with a camera like
the Red Epic (with only one BNC), it might
be better to get the Teradek Brik, which has
an HD-SDI loop through.


Page 570
Is all this in real-time? No. The latency
introduced by this system is around 1/8th to
1/2 a second. If youre shooting 24p, thats
about 3-12 frames. Thats pretty good, even
for a task like focus pulling. Imagine the
first AC with his or her own iPad or wireless
EVF!

Zero Latency

What if you want the absolute best? Check
out the Teradek Bolt:

https://vimeo.com/teradek/boltmanu

The Bolt is a wireless 3G-SDI system
capable of sending 4:2:2 1080p60 video at
up to 300ft, with zero delay. It does not
encode like the Cube. What youre getting is
uncompressed monitoring.

There are more solutions out there, like the
Boxx Meridian, but the Bolt really hits the
sweet spot.


Page 571
Cheaper alternative for DSLRs

What if you have HDMI but cant afford a
professional solution? Check this out:
brite-View Air SyncHD (BV-2322)
Uncompressed 1080p Video/ Audio Wireless
Transmission Kit

Heres a video of how this works:

ayer_embedded&v=X1gtO5SA97Q

However, dont get your hopes up. HDMI is
a very slippery standard, and just because
everything looks good on paper doesnt
mean it might work in practice. If youre
going this route, be ready for many hours of
hacking and/or trouble shooting.


Page 572
Actually this advice is applicable for any
wireless solution in general. Even the most
expensive solutions disappoint sometimes
on the field. Unlike home wireless networks
this one has to move around, sometimes in
tough conditions.

Were not there yet, technologically. I would
warn anyone from relying solely on a
wireless solution. Always have a backup.

Streaming live over the Internet

Streaming over the internet is a far bigger
problem than streaming wireless on set.
Why?

According to Akamais State of the Internet
report for 2012, the average broadband
speed of the world is 2.6 Mbps. The US
averages about 6.6 Mbps. The key word
here is averages.

This means that there are as many people
under the average as there are over it,
simply put. Even if somebody has access to
an 8 Mbps broadband connection, there are


Page 573
times when the traffic forces the actual
speed to be much lower.

For these reasons and more, I put a 1 Mbps
cap on the video data rate to ensure
maximum viewership. Think about this:
DVD has a maximum bit rate of 9 Mbps
approximately. The average is somewhere
around 6 Mbps or so.

So the hard-hitting truth is, if you want
maximum viewers, with no buffering
interruptions, you are not going to get DVD
quality. Wait a minute. DVD is SD, not HD.
1080p under 1 Mbps? Thats tough. But its
being done, and these challenges will be
overcome as technology and broadband
improves.

There are two broad ways to stream over
the internet:

Do it yourself with a CDN
Use an OVP


Page 574
Do it yourself with a CDN

CDN stands for Content Delivery Network.
Its a service that holds your data and
distributes it to all your viewers. Let me
explain:

Your hosting provider for your website
restricts the maximum file size that you can
upload, or the total bandwidth that you can
consume. A CDN is such a provider, but for
large files. You store your large files with
them, and you know many people will need
access to those files at some point.
Lets say you upload a video that is 100 MB
in size. Thats about 10-15 minutes of video
at 1 Mbps.

If only one other person watches your
video, the bandwidth you have used is 200
MB (100 MB to upload and 100 MB for
download).

What if a thousand people watched your
video? The bandwidth is 100 MB + 1000 x
100 MB = about 100 GB!! Can you imagine
what will happen if a million people watched
your video, at the same time?


Page 575

Whats your data plan per month? Whats
the fair use policy of your internet provider?
Do you understand now that you cannot
stream video professionally on the internet
from a small server via a consumer
connection? You could do it to a small
group, but professionally? Forget it. Your
ISP and/or hosting service will shut you
down.

Thats why CDNs exist, and the undisputed
world leader (and not the cheapest either)
is Akamai.

The parts of a DIY solution are:

Encoder
Software
Website/Player
CDN

You encode because you have to drastically
bring down the data rate. You need a
software that will take this stream and
connect to your CDN. Your CDN distributes
your content to a website/player so
everybody can see it.


Page 576
Rule of thumb: The advantage of DIY is that
you have total control over how your video
is encoded, packaged and distributed. If you
are guaranteed many consistently paying
viewers or subscribers this is the way to go.

For a general encoder, try this:

Blackmagic Design H.264 Pro Recorder

For excellent software, try the world leader:


Page 577
Telestream Wirecast

Use an OVP

OVP stands for Online Video Provider.
Youtube is one, but doesnt exclusively
stream live yet. There are many vendors
who offer live streaming, but the two power
houses are:

Livestream
Ustream

The OVP takes care of everything. They give
you the encoder, the software, the CDN and
the web interface and player a turnkey
solution.


Page 578
For a simple encoder for basic live
streaming, try this:

Livestream Broadcaster

For a full professional setup, try this:

Livestream HD500 All-in-one Portable Live
Production Switcher

Rule of thumb: Use OVPs when you dont
have a good idea of how many viewers
youll get, or if your start-up budget is low.
For low data rates, CDNs tend to be super
expensive. In fact, some CDNs wont


Page 579
consider your business if your data is not in
the order of Terabytes per year.

Whether DIY or OVP, choose your solution
wisely. Its not easy to change midstream.

It is time to pack everything into bags and
cases.


Page 580
Chapter 28
Bags and Cases

In this chapter Ill cover Bags, Cases and
Transportation for your gear.

I choose bags this way:

I look at all my current gear
Figure out surprise additions like an
extra lens, cards, tablet or laptop, etc.
Choose my bag options and list them
(By now you should know Im a big fan
of lists!)
Sort the list by order of price and
features
Narrow down my list to two or three
options that feel the best
Look at the manufacturers reputation
Estimate the climate and storage
conditions that the bag will be used in.
To know more, read my post on
Weather Protection for your Gear
Test them out at a store for
ergonomics
Last: Consider the exterior aesthetic
design or style of the bag. Face it: If


Page 581
youre a working professional your bag
is going to get jaded pretty fast.

Which way should your camera point?

Theres a lot of confusion going around the
internet about how to place your camera
with lens in a bag. Should you place it facing
down, up, sideways, or what?

Answer: It doesnt matter.

Camera bag manufacturers perform the
toughest tests on their gear, and none of
them have been able to demonstrate
conclusively the advantage of one method
over another.

Rule of thumb: When in doubt, follow the
manufacturers instructions. They have
designed a bag or case in a particular way
after a lot of thought and testing (hopefully).
Your real world use is unlikely to be as tough
as their testing scenarios, so quit worrying.


Page 582
Bagonomics, or What goes where in a
bag?

Rule of thumb: Place your center of gravity
in the bottom middle.

Where did that come from? Its simple,
really.

For backpacking:

Lets say your heavy stuff is placed at the
top. When you lean forward or backward,
you pivot on your hip. The distance of the
weight from the pivot increases the force
that tries to push you forwards or backwards
as the case may be.

If this weight is at the bottom, it is closer to
the pivot (fulcrum) and does not contribute
any force.

For rolling:

The same applies when youre rolling bags.
The lower the weight, correctly centered, the
easier it is to pull. When the weight is placed


Page 583
higher up, any small change in your
movement will make it tougher to pull.

For carrying:

If youre carrying a bag that does not have a
centered weight, it will try to tip forward or
backward, just like an unbalanced rig.

If youre carrying two ways, which way do
you go? E.g., if you want to roll it and use it
as a shoulder bag hung from one side, what
do you do?

Choose the solution to the one that troubles
you the most. But for heavens sake dont try
to find the average spot. In the latter case,
youre making it difficult on yourself 100% of
the time; but if you choose one correct way,
at least you wont suffer half the time!

Types of travel

It is likely that your gear and travel falls into
one or more of these broad categories:

Quick and light
Backpack


Page 584
Single person airline
Full cargo

This is a highly generalized guideline you
can always make things easier or harder for
yourself. Mix and match as you please.

Quick and Light

A quick and light trip usually lasts for just a
few hours. You arrive quickly, shoot for a
couple of hours, and get back home for tea
(substitute your favorite drink here).

Guerrilla

My favorite for one DSLR or BMCC camera
and a couple of lenses is:


Page 585
Think Tank Retrospective 10, Pinestone

Videographer

Of course the previous example will hardly
do for video. Video always needs more cubic
inches. I recommend the Lowepro 350 AW
DSLR Video Fastpack:


Page 586
This bag will do perfectly from DSLRs to
prosumer cameras all the way up to a Red
Epic or Scarlet.

Backpacking

Backpack travel might include many days
worth of trekking. It is cool for
photographers to do on weekends, but hell
for videographers. Forcing yourself to trek
alone carrying the entire load by yourself
means compromise, even if you are an
Olympic athlete.

Trekker bags have to be soft and
comfortable to carry, yet be strong enough
to bear the load without sagging or having
your gear mixed into electronic cocktail.


Page 587
Lowepro Pro Trekker 600 AW Camera
Backpack

Single Person or Airline

This is for a one-person crew who travels
alone with gear, but luckily doesnt have to


Page 588
carry it on his/her back. We can go two
ways:

Carry-on baggage

Think Tank Airport International V 2.0
Think Tank Airport Security V 2.0

Use the former link for international travel,
and the latter link for travel within the US.
An airline bag must hopefully fit into cabin


Page 589
baggage racks, so please check with your
airline before you pack any gear.

Check-in baggage

These bags better be sturdy they might
get dropped from uncomfortable heights.
And they are bigger: Tamrac 694 Camera
Rolling Case


Page 590
Yet, they have to be rolled in airports for
comfort. At this point, it might be a good
idea to go sturdier with a different design:

Portabrace CAR-2B Cargo Case

Its the classic box vs bag conundrum. Youll
have to figure out for yourself which style
suits your body, gear and workflow. There is
no such thing as a perfect bag for all
scenarios.


Page 591
Heres how I do it:

Airports and/or client trips hard
cases or formal bags with wheels
Car travel Soft but tough bags with
a great shoulder strap

In the next part well look at full cargo,
shipping and transportation.

Full Cargo

Full cargo cases tend to be packed and
forgotten while they travel through many
hands. I would rule out soft covers entirely
I just dont want people feeling up my
bag!

Minimal Gear

For long distance travel, and absolute
protection, I fully recommend:


Page 592
Pelican 1650 Case w/Foam

Pelican 1659 Lid Organizer


Page 593
Pelican makes them in various standard
sizes. These can also be custom built.
Having your gear in these little tanks takes
a load off your mind while you focus on
more creative things. Why compromise?

Lots of Gear

To ship racks, mounts and other gear, it
might be a good idea to use a specialized
service like Fedex or DHL, with specially
made rack server cases like these:

12 Space (12) ATA Rack Amp Road Case
(20 Deep) with Casters


Page 594
Usually rack cases are custom-built based
on each projects requirements.

The options given above should be a great
place to start hunting for your perfect travel
companion. Heres a good video from Ketch
Rossi as he packs all his Red Epic gear to
take from one country to another:


I dont agree with many of his methods. But
then again, I break my own rules from time
to time, sometimes because Im under
pressure or rushed, or maybe Im just lazy.
Its important to make good habits early in
your career. Then it will seem effortless.

Production Vehicles

You could shoot on a bicycle or the bat
mobile, but a production vehicle is custom
made or rigged to uniquely support your
work. One company specializing in custom
vehicles is TV Pro Gear. I wont go into any
detail here because theres no such thing as
a perfect vehicle for all scenarios.


Page 595
But theres something close. My choice for a
small crew would be the versatile van:

This isnt new. Most production, OB/ENG
vehicles are vans. Here are the advantages
I have personally enjoyed with vans:

Ability to sort and organize gear
You can shoot a tracking shot via the
side door or the back door
You can lie down in it
If you have a safe garage you can
store your gear in it
You can brand your company on it
It can hold many people comfortably,
along with gear


Page 596
Its top is a solid platform with many
uses, one of which you can see in the
above image!

Before you do anything, please check local
laws, rules and regulations concerning
vehicles.

In the next and final chapter well take a
look at some miscellaneous gear like
Teleprompters, Snorri rigs and other cool
stuff.


Page 597
Chapter 29
Miscellaneous Gear

Teleprompter

A teleprompter is a device with a
beamsplitter mirror that reflects text off a
page or monitor to a person facing the
camera directly:

(1) Video camera (2) Shroud
(3) Video monitor (4) Clear glass or beam
splitter
(5) Image from subject (6) Image from video
monitor
Image Courtesy: grm_wnr


Page 598
The camera records the talent, but the
talent does not see the lens. He or she sees
the printed material reflected off the
beamsplitter mirror. This gives the
impression that the talent isnt reading off a
script, but speaking from memory or even
impromptu.

Low budget

A cheap teleprompter can be constructed
with a beamsplitter mirror and a tablet:

iPad Mini Teleprompter


Page 599
Less than $2,000

EyeDirect Focusing Device

Heres a video from EyeDirect explaining
their unique system:

ayer_embedded&v=IbB0RmaaAD4


Page 600
More than $2,000

ProLine Studio-19 Teleprompter

The ProLine version includes free prompting
software and can be read up to 27 feet
away.

SnorriCam

Dont let the name throw you off. Youve
probably seen footage from it a million
times, and by now its probably a cliche.

A SnorriCam, chest cam or body cam is a
rig connected to the body of the talent in
such a way that the camera faces him or
her directly. When the talent moves, his or


Page 601
her position relative to the camera remains
constant, while the background moves.

Heres a video of how it works:

ayer_embedded&v=cMKg12YXNCo

Such rigs are usually custom made for
specific shots, using arms and rods from
existing rig setups weve covered already.
When the weight of the camera is large,
vests and belts support the rig and spine.

Light Meter

Heres a tough lightmeter thatll last you a
lifetime:


Page 602
Sekonic L-398A Light Meter

Want a free light meter? Check out the Free
Exposure Meter.

Neck and Wrist Straps

Itll be a rare person who loves to hang a
video camera of his or her neck. For anyone


Page 603
who enjoys having dead weight hanging
from their necks, a good neck strap is a
must.

OP/TECH Pro Strap

If youre planning on shooting your camera
still photography style, a great wrist strap is
a safety net as well as some relief from
wrist fatigue.


Page 604
OP/TECH SLR Wrist Strap

Cleaning Kit

Zeiss knows how to make lenses, and Im
sure they know best when it comes to
cleaning them, too!


Page 605
Zeiss Ikon Complete Optics Cleaning Kit

Anti-static bands

Were not usually in a sensitive
environment, and circuitry is enclosed
within a protective shell. But there are
occasions when you might need to open
computer equipment for troubleshooting, or
maybe youre just using a device you
soldered together yourself!

For a simple strap:


Page 606
Belkin Anti-Static Wrist Band

To place gear on the ground: StarTech
Desktop Anti-Static Mat

A demagnetized toolkit:

Belkin 36-Piece Demagnatized Computer
Tool Kit


Page 607
Were done!

We started with a camera body. We added
components to it in a methodical fashion,
until we had our workflow figured out. Then,
we put the tools together to form a rig, our
very own. Finally we learned how to rig up
for special applications and how to pack and
ship our gear.

This ends the comprehensive guide to
rigging ANY camera. We did it all: DSLRs,
prosumer cameras, modular cameras and
high-end cinema cameras. You now know
everything you need to get started.

Now, go forth and produce something
brilliant. See you in the field.


Page 608
Chapter 30
Addendum (A)

This is just a place holder for future updates.
To see the latest additions, please visit:

http://wolfcrow.com/blog/comprehensive-
guide-to-rigging-any-camera-main-menu/


Page 609
Thanks for Reading!

I hope this monster guide has given you the
confidence to put together your own rig. Now
you are empowered.

How can you help wolfcrow?

As you can guess, this guide took a long
time to write. Hey, I believe knowledge
should be free, and information
unambiguous. I hope you have felt its power.

If this guide has helped you please visit:
http://wolfcrow.com/blog/please-support-
wolfcrow/ and buy me a cup of coffee, a case
of beer or a fancy dinner.

At the very least, give me feedback. Tell me
how you feel. Help me improve!

Share this guide and the site with your
friends or readers. Tell everyone! You should
also share this via Facebook, Google+,
Twitter, Pinterest or any other social
networking site.


Page 610
For the latest updates, friend us on:

Facebook
Google+
Twitter
Pinterest

This ebook includes a number of affiliate
links, from which I get a small percentage of
anything you buy. This percentage comes
out of the stores pocket, not yours. In fact,
if you want to support wolfcrow at no cost,
one of the easiest ways to do so is to buy
anything from Amazon (just click on the link
below):

If you have done any of the above and
supported wolfcrow, a big THANK YOU!

For all things workflow, visit
http://www.wolfcrow.com

Rig Any Camera

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