Expensive Cinema Gear That's Worth Every Penny
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 พ.ย. 2023
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Some camera gear may be expensive, but if it allows you to do better work or work more efficiently, it just may be worth it in the long run.
Today, I go through 7 items that are relatively expensive, but have allowed me to do better work or work faster.
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0:01: Intro
0:54: A Really Nice Tripod
2:11: A Gimbal
3:13: A Really Bright Light
4:10: Aputure Bulbs
5:18: Tentacle Sync Timecode Device
7:03: SSD
7:49: Rear Filter NDs
9:36: Final Thoughts
FULL GEAR LIST:
- Flowtech Tripod: amzn.to/40YzAD4
- DJI RS3 Pro: amzn.to/3MZPWp5
- DJI RS3 Mini: amzn.to/47rFKxR
- Smallrig 450D: amzn.to/3RgVoqj
- Aputure 600D: amzn.to/46qMPxr
- Aputure Dome III: amzn.to/46qdLxa
- Aputure B7c Case: amzn.to/3ReLFAv
- Aputure Accent B7c (single bulb): amzn.to/3uEPw0T
- SanDisk 2TB Portable SSD: amzn.to/3R3bZN0
- SanDisk 4TB Extreme PRO: amzn.to/3QNuuVq
- SAMSUNG T7 Shield 4TB, Portable SSD: amzn.to/3QYBQFs
- Tentacle Synce E: amzn.to/3RfKwI3
- Tentacle Synce Track E: amzn.to/47SWjmd
- Breakthrough Filter VND: breakthrough.photography/
- Mofage VND: www.mofage.store/
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Subscribe: www.youtube.com/@CurrenSheldo...
My website: currensheldon.com/
Instagram: / currensheldon
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Gear I Use
Favorite Cinema Camera: amzn.to/3Gi1Erg
Perhaps The Best Lens Ever Made: amzn.to/3GluCXa
Wireless Lav: amzn.to/3Gi1L6a
Gimbal: amzn.to/3GfV4BD
Drone: amzn.to/3SYRYK2
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#documentary #careeradvice #filmmaking #cinematography #cinematic #directorofphotography #film
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Yes! This is the kind of advice people need. Cheap things are everywhere, the long term purchase goodness is really where it’s at. 👍🏼
Love this, Curren. Keep these going!
Correction in terms of the Smallrig 450 performance. With the hyper reflector it does outshine the 600d in the center, but as soon as you use it barebulb, with a fresnel or a softbox, the aputure wins by up to a factor of 2.5x the output! Barebulb 5m 414 lux on the smallrig 450d vs 1020 lux on the aputure 600d
Exactly. I don't like that many manufacturers seem to be moving to shipping hyperreflectors that create a really harsh hotspot (which makes sense as it results in a higher number for their specs and marketing material)
Great point. Still, for the price, the Smallrig 450d is incredibly bright.
I believe the Smallrig 450D can be seen as an upgrade over the Aputure 300D, but it doesn't surpass the 600D (Pro). There are three crucial factors to consider, which often hold more significance in professional environments than raw output:
1. System Integration: With the 600D (Pro), you can use a single app, especially if you're working with Aputure B7C lights. You can safe so much time.
2. Rental Availability: It's much easier to find Aputure equipment for rental, ensuring consistency in color and handling while still using one app.
3. Build Quality: The 600D (Pro) excels in build quality, including the robust metal handle. Its design and the strength of the Bowen's mount allow you to handle heavy and large modifiers like the Lightdome 150 or F10 Fresnel.
Output isn't the only factor to consider. In amateur or semi-professional settings, it might seem so, but in professional contexts, factors like system integration, time savings and handling become more important.
Yes, dont look at lux, the wattage is more relevant for a COB light. There is no way around it, the electronics may have 2-4% difference in efficiency, but anywhere over that, the light would burn up. So a 600w light from one manufacturer is just as bright as another 600w light from another. Just look at the rated output in watt. I think the 600d is a bit over 600w in rated output.
@@LennertKHyper reflectors are great for shooting through a scrim or creating a book light though. It’s far from useless, but I agree that manufacturers are being really sketchy with how they advertise output to the uninformed.
The Sachler operation looks so smooth. I'm really liking it
Unreal quality and experience and only 3k subs! I can tell you are a pro that spends more time in the real world shooting client work instead of focusing on building a TH-cam channel. Great video. You have a new sub👍🏻
Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed it - growing slowly but steadily!
This is really cool Curren. Really enjoyed this. Keep um coming! T.
Thank you!
Great job on King Coal. I saw it at Camerimage in Poland the other day and really enjoyed it. Keep up the good work!
Thanks so much! I was at Camerimage, so I'm glad you got to see it there. It's an incredible film festival.
Really solid video! Thanks for sharing.
Really torn between the flowtech and the Sirui now that I owned them both
Thanks for watching! Do you think the Sirui is a pretty worthy substitute to the Flowtech? I'm definitely intrigued.
@@CurrenSheldon honestly the legs, not really. I prefer my flowtechs by a mile but that fluid head…. Woah! It’s so good.
I actually prefer it over my aktiv 10 and that’s saying a lot! I’m thinking about getting some flowtech 75s and pairing them with the Sirui head.
My gripes with the Siriu leg is that the feet folding constantly and the latches can be stiff at times and slightly awkward. I’ve already pinched my thumb in the latch, which drew blood, and that was within 2 days of ownership. The flowtech latch are golden and so easy.
I’m going to be making a comparison video of the smallrig, sirui & flowtech tripods pretty soon!
Thanks, Curren. I've got Tentacle sync boxes but not any of the Track E's. I may give them a try for the doc work I'm doing. Also, I've heard others rave about the Sachtler Flowtec. Glad to know the 75 version works for you. Thanks for doing this.
Of course! Happy to do it. The Flowtech is life-changing in that, once you use it, you won't want to use any tripod that doesn't function like it. Luckily, there are some cheaper options coming on the market: www.yconion.com/products/pineta-peak-tripod - and the Tentacle Track Es are great for when you need to lav a bunch of people up for a scene or even just to toss on someone as a backup audio source.
great recommendations. First time ive heard about those filters. I might get the purple one for my GH6 lol. Subbed.
Thanks for subscribing!
Finally, a TH-camr talking real stuff. Earned a sub.
Thanks for watching and coming along for the ride.
Love the big light strategy
Thanks for the Rear ND Filter tip - a product I hadn’t seen yet and would love for my S1H, especially since I don’t plan on upgrading beyond that cam for a good long time :D
It's PERFECT on the S1H. Since that camera has timecode and an XLR solution, ND filters really are one of the last big upgrades compared to cine cams.
this was a super insightful list, thanks so much Curren! For the tentacles, is it easy to sync in post even if you have audio bleeding into each other i.e. 2 people mic'd with lavs and sitting next to each other? had no idea anything like those existed so that would be a game changer for saving time in post!
Yep, very easy to sync in post. Every Tentacle Sync comes with a free software to do all automatic syncing almost instantaneously. Then you can choose whatever mic/camera/recorder sounds the best at any given moment. I'm going to record a complete workflow video soon with the Tentacles/Timecode being a part of that, so keep an eye out and you'll see how the software works.
@@CurrenSheldon awesome thank you for this! Just subbed and can’t wait to see that workflow video you’re working on! 🙌🏽
Very informative video.
Glad it was helpful!
We used a high end tripod similar to that one during vocational film school. It truly spoiled me, and any other tripod I’ve had in my hands after that bugs me a lot. It’s truly wonderful to not worry about multiple levers when using a tripod - saves a bunch of time and makes it feel like you can lock your camera wherever you want mid-air. It also helps “squeezing” into complicated positions, as each leg simply lands where you need them to be when you release them.
100% - it also makes simple level-adjustments a breeze without having to level the head. I have a hard time using anything else now, as well.
Yo, I was recommended this video today and started watching it and you mentioned your doc "King Coal" and I had a flashback. I was hanging out with some knoxville production people just last night at Shultz Brau and someone mentioned it and your boxing doc and had a lot of high praise. So when you mentioned it i was like, "is the the same guy they were talking about?"
The way the world works is weird sometimes.
Haha that's wild. Are you Knoxville based? Nice to know people are out there saying nice things about me - haha
@@CurrenSheldon Yep! Almost all my shoots are automotive clients out of state so I rarely actually work locally. But yeah, people had super nice things to say.
TH-cam put this video on my main YT page, and I thought, "This is a good idea for a video." And then I realized you shot King Coal, which I saw last week. What a great looking and great film. So nice to see you on TH-cam sharing your experience. Thanks!
Aw thanks for seeing King Coal. Where did you see it? I'm planning a few BTS videos about the making of KING COAL, so look out for that. Any questions you had in particular about the film?
@@CurrenSheldon I missed King Coal when it was on big screens here (SF Bay Area). So I ended up seeing it via a link from IDA or some such (maybe Doculink?). I also filled out the form to get the Blu-ray when it comes out. As for questions, I really like the interview with you where you talked about equipment, and especially how you and Elaine formed the visual language you wanted for the story. I'm looking forward to your BTS posts. Thanks!
@@JimFeeley Glad you were able to see it. Thanks for watching! I've got a few videos planned, so definitely keep an eye out.
In the last couple of days I discovered and watched the 2 docs on Netflix (recovery boys & Heroin (E), and then found out that you also have this channel! Great work on the movies and lots of interesting information here!
May I ask what camera did you use for the Netflix docs? Especially in Heroin which was more on-the-run filming situations...
Looking forward to watching King Coal. Keep up the good work!!!
Thank you for watching the films! We shot Recovery Boys and Heroin(e) concurrently over the course of two years. We shot both of them on the Sony FS5 (a camera you can get for like $900 now). Maaaaybe 5-10% of the shots in Heroine were shot with a Sony A7r II, I believe. The few shots that were on the gimbal. And our lenses were: Canon EF 24-70mm f2.8 and Sigma EF 24-105mm f4, both speedboosted. And then the Sigma 18-35mm f1.8 for most of the nighttime shoot in Heroin(e).
Great stuff!
Glad you enjoyed it
Great video.
LMFAO dawg I was watching this like "man this guy looks so familiar, name sounds familiar too" and then you mentioned King Coal and I was like "Ooohhhh RIGHT, podcast guest" 😂
Great vid bud!
You do enough zoom calls and they all start to blur together... haha!
I can agree with every one of these. Good stuff!
I would add one of the Sachtler Aktiv fluid heads to your list. Especially for larger camera setups, it’s so much easier to level the camera than unscrewing a through-bolt below the bowl. Plus you can make near instant fluid head moves from sticks to a slider. If at all possible, buy the set.
Ugh don't tell me that. I've been toying with buying an Aktiv head for a couple of years, but the price has always put me off. But maybe I should take my own advice and take the plunge.
@@CurrenSheldon Any camera package above 10lbs, you’ll notice the difference. When you get up towards 20lbs, it’s major peace of mind because you have much better control when leveling the head, and the side-view bubble seems like a little thing, but when you extend the sticks to full height? What a difference. No searching for a chair or apple box so you can get the bubble centered. Described in words maybe it doesn’t sound like much, but on a busy shoot day the Aktiv features keep you in the flow.
@@PeaLoopdid you consider the 8T? Why did you decide on the 8?
There is a meme that proffers "Your should marry your lenses, but only date your camera". Camera makers are full of it. Good lenses are everywhere.
Stealing this quote.
Very true. I married my tripod and timecode devices.
@@CurrenSheldonpunctuality is very important in a relationship!
Great video. Just subscribed
Thanks!
I have that sirui tripod. It's problematic and heavy. Not at all a replacement to the sachtler.
Good to know! I've been tempted due to the thinner legs than the Sachtler, but specs do say it's heavier, so may not be that big of a difference.
The rear ND filter is definitely a pretty nice idea. But in the past i often regretted buying gear for a specific camera/piece of equipment which becomes redundant whenever you upgrade your kit and is also much harder to sell again. So i cant say wether its worth it. The industry can change so fast. A good quality cinema filter will always be standard and you can use it on every mattebox. So thats my dilemma in this case.
Agreed and that's what is so great about the Mofage! It has interchangeable back mounts for like $20/each, so you can swap it from L-Mount, RF-Mount, and E-Mount. As long as you think you'll be using PL lenses for awhile, it's somewhat future proof in that regard.
I would probably put lights at the top of the list. I see too many people constantly focusing on getting a new camera or lenses when they have no lighting gear.
A very underrated youtube creator. Why don't you have 100k subs already?
haha thanks! I just got started, so give me some time!
Great and helpful info! Yes, I want to save money with lesser expensive equipment, but I don't mind spending wisely when needed. Great suggestions! Side note, I, too, have the DJI RS3 Pro, and the C70 (which you mentioned you use with it), but it takes forever for to balance it with my 7" monitor on it. Do you use a monitor on your C70 when using the RS3? Any tips?Thanks! - Pete
If I use a monitor with a gimbal, I always add an nato side handle off to the side and then mount the monitor there. I find if I start stacking things on top of a camera, it makes balancing a total pain. Something like this works great: amzn.to/3sYvfmy
Thank you for the tip! Much appreciated!@@CurrenSheldon
The flow tech changed my whole world. It’s my best gear purchase I’ve ever made.
YEP. Expensive but worth it once you've reached the budgets that require it.
@@CurrenSheldon as a one man crew it’s a must. Setting up the shot alone is so easy.
Great video Curren, any commenters here used the Sirui?
Not yet - but I've seen some videos about it that praise it pretty highly.
Nice,set up,,Greet advise, and thanks for taking the time ,impressive.you have saved me so much time!i just wanted to hankyou.it was a great video .👍
Hells yes brother
Damn that warp stabilizer at 2:41, how that pass QC?
Great video! I've looked on the Breakthrough website and it's unclear which is the 1-11 stop VND filter you mention at 8:45 - please can you link the product or copy/paste the exact product name? Thanks!
The X4 VND: breakthrough.photography/products/drop-in-filters-kits?variant=42546112364719 - I believe it is 1.5 - 11 stops. An amazing range.
Want a Flowtech but its just to expensive for me went with the smallrig one that does the same thing but just not as good and it has been working out well thus far for me
The drop-ins are indeed a good buy, however, I feel like they don't really fully fit or match what an internal ND does on a cinema camera, for example, if I want to go from +2 to clear, I still have to remove the variable drop-in ND, have a place ready to stow it safely, then replace it with a clear drop-in. What's the difference in time or convenience between that and a screw on variable? Imo there is no difference. There needs to be a way to go from clear to +2, or from +2 to clear or whatever, without needing to remove and replace the drop-in.
True - once you have the filter in, it still does take time to remove and add-in a clear filter when going into a darker environment. However, it saves tons of times when changing lenses, which I do a lot more often than changing environments.
the talking head shot looks amazing. Is this shot with the C70? Also, was one of the b-roll clip in Warsaw?
Thanks! I have used the Canon C300 Mark III and Canon C70 for the past few years and love them. Definitely underrated cameras. And yes! I was able to go to Warsaw earlier this year for a commercial job. Amazing city.
I gotta ask, what is the storage solution? How large is the RAID server if a 4tb ssd isnt enough for you, the your back-up must be huge! Do you delete footage after a certain amount of time or do you archive it all? I am asking as we are facing a bit of a data back-up/ archive dilemma in my workplace after dropbox removed their unlimited plan. Which we were using as an off site archive, double with our onsite NAS server.
I am planning a video now to explain this, but the short answer is that I use 4TB SSDs to edit off of and then I backup all my footage on 22TB HDDs.
Hmm regarding the smallrig vs 600d I’m not sure it’s very fair to compare lux measurements with reflectors attached (seeing as dome diffusion is so commonly used). This seems to demonstrate the differences of each companies proprietary hyper reflectors. Bare bulb at 1m the 600d measures higher lux than the 450d, both great tho 👍🏻
That's fair, for sure. I often use my lights with a reflector into a cine reflector, so the extra lux works for me. But, for the price, I still think the SmallRig stacks up well against the Aputure 600d
What fluid ball head would you pair with the Flowtech tripod?
hmmm good question. I personally don't use any ball heads, only fluid video heads so not 100% sure what's out there.
May I ask what your shotgun mic boompole setup is? The one from 3:30
I have the K-Tek KE-89CC boom pole (amzn.to/3tg7kPE) with the Deity S Mic 2 (amzn.to/3Nqkv7C) on an Impact light stand (amzn.to/47drrfz) with a clamp to hold the boom pole.
@@CurrenSheldon Thank you :)
Flowtech seemed to me way too flimsy....I was getting vibrations filming cars on a sidewalk....Sachtler HotPod 14 is where its at. Heavier, yes, but the pneumatic center column lets me change height with a flip of a switch in mere seconds.
What fluid head are you using with the Flowtech?
I have the Manfrotto 608 Nitrotech. It's fine. I want to upgrade though - it's threads are always slipping. Very frustrating.
Yes, I'm trying to get away from Manfrotto heads but can't quite stomach almost 3k for a Sachtler @@CurrenSheldon
Yes, exactly. $3k is a bit intense for a tripod head. @@davidbroughton5237
DONT USE SANDISK. Massive fail rates. Most Loaders and DITS are refusing those drives now due to how many have failed
+1 worst SSD you could get
Yes check your serial number. I've had them for years with no issues, but if I was buying new, I think I'd go with something else.
Does this also count for memory cards?
Don't believe so. They've just had a recall on some of their SSDs. Though, I'm a HUGE ProGrade fan for all types of memory cards.@@tothepast
Yes@@tothepast
All good and cannon wasn't the first one to do it..
True! But the first major manufacturer to do it.
My man, skip that capture card and plug the iPhone 15 directly into a Sony camera with USB-C and the monitor+ app.
Monitor+ updated the app earlier this year to plug in directly to usb c android phones. And now that the iPhone 15 has usb c also it works with that too.
I like it. But, I usually use the Canon C70 and cameras that take CF Express, so not sure those have that function. I'll check it out though.
@@CurrenSheldon So this is embarrassing, I had your video loaded in my “watch later” and the previous video that this comment was intended for ended and I guess I was too slow by the time I hit submit, yours had loaded 😅😂😂
I’ll drop another comment on yours once I watch yours 😅🫡
@2:40 that shot was tough to stabilize!
Haha - gimbals, my walking skills, and warp stabilizer have come along since I shot that 8 years ago.
Just bought the satchler with the activ8 head and legs and I almost died but it was great!
Haha there is definitely some sticker-shock, but it's worth it! Only thing I haven't looked to replace sometime in the last five years.
Which one did you get? Mid spreader or ground spreader?
Also you're pairing up flowtech with manfrotto nitro series?
I got the mid spreader, but honestly I never use it. And yep, I just got the legs on their own and then added my own fluid head. To be honest, I don't love the Manfrotto head, but may be swapping it out soon.
@@CurrenSheldon Thanks for the reply! Which tripod head are you planing on swapping it with?
@@user-nu8bf3bf9m I haven't decided yet.The Nitro tech still works fine, so unless I reeeaaaaally need to upgrade or have a job where it seems definitely worth it, I'll probably keep cruising with that.
Ground spreader is best if you're sure you're always going to be shooting on a flat surface, but otherwise get the mid spreader. I often shoot on various locations with my tripod on stairs, uneven floors, rocks, or even with the legs spread over obstacles, where a tripod with a ground spreader would be useless but the mid spreader works great
@@LennertK I agree with this point. I'm often out in the world with uneven surfaces, so a ground spreader wouldn't be ideal.
7:36 San Disk drives have been failing like crazy. But the really horrible thing is that instead of recalling defective products they have just been slashing prices to unload the inventory on unsuspecting customers. Western digital (parent company) and San disk are dead to me now not for the failures themselves but how they have chosen to handle the issue
Must be just you cause that is not the case with almost everyone else who uses them
@@Samiam-mu5ln ars technica and peta pixel have reported on this extensively
Yes there have been some reports, but I've never had any issues. I believe the sent out a recall on certain serial numbers so double-check yours if you have one.
“Never had any issues” on a faulty product is just gambling. Everything is fine till it’s not and then it’s catastrophic. Read Peta Pixels extensive reporting - there was a firmware update issued (no recall) but a third party repair facility has done breakdowns of faulty devices they were receiving and believes that there are soldering issues that no firmware can fix. The real problem though isn’t that they had a bad batch - it’s the way they have chosen to handle it. Their decisions (just putting everything on sale) have put customers at risk. And their obfuscation of the full extent of the issue and claims that it’s restricted to just a limited number of drives when they don’t actually know what the problem is is the wrong way to go. Btw, my own drives haven’t failed (yet) but two of my friends lost data on drives purchased prior to the so called bad run. So I’ve retired these drives because it’s absolutely insane to just wing it with important, irreplaceable footage when you’re aware of the risk. But you do you
Me and a few guys in my crew have definitely complained about Scan disk drives bad experience!!! I’m trusting Samsung only from now on although drives are never to be trusted especially over time !!! I agree burn scan disk drives 🔥🔥🔥🔥
A fast SSD will change so much
It definitely does.
Gotta admit, I didn't know anyone made $1K+ tripods.
haha look around the cinema gear world and you'll find all sorts of stuff you didn't think could possibly be sold for such a price.
I don't think tripods are that expensive. It's one of the few parts in your kit that will last you a lifetime. Unlike your 15k camera setup.
Very true. It is the one of the few pieces of equipment I haven't looked to upgrade since I bought it 5 years ago. If they made a version with slightly thinner legs, I'd think about it though...
O’Connor 😆
Great content. But the call center hold music is ____. 8-)
Haha meant to cut it off for a bit, but forgot before exporting. Next time!
Lol my name is curren
Haha for real? I’ve never met another Curren.
@@CurrenSheldon yes. Spelled the exact same way
Its over 1k buks.... dude its 2k
I went back to try and see what the launch price was in 2017, but I'm almost positive I paid less than $1k for just the legs. But yes, now it's up to $1500 - crazy.
Over $1k for a Tripod 😂😂😂
See: PRICEY
Get rid of the music mate, good vid
Yea, meant to take it down at some parts. Thanks for watching!
meh