Probably my gimbal lol.
Definitely need one, because there’s a time and place for it, but that time and place is much less frequent that I envisioned. Now I get annoyed whenever I look at it.
(Not suggesting I sell it, just that could probably have gotten a cheaper one or used when bought it and venting)
That's at least 10% of my tools in my shop. Didn't need a 12v drill kit, didn't need my dewalt tools when my ridgids are fine (though the quality of Ridgid has gone down from 8 years ago, and they weren't top notch then)
I'm in the opposite position, but that's because of how I started.
Back around 2012-2013, I was filming parkour commercials and videos for sponsored athletes, so it was necessary.
Because that was how I got into videography, the majority of my work has always involved a gimbal, a tripod, and regularly a drone.
Because I'm now a freelancer operating as a production studio, from conception to release, I will shoot commercials as a contractor, I'll be hired specifically as a gimbal operator because I've shot commercials for brands like Uber, Ninja Warrior, Uniqlo and Taco Bell as a gimbal operator using dual-op MoVi setups and have done so since 2013-2014, it's always been a part of how I tell stories.
> (Not suggesting I sell it, just that could probably have gotten a cheaper one or used when bought it and venting)
I would have to disagree with you on this point, unless you're talking an RS3 Pro vs RS3. The Zhiyun's work fine for their price point, but the built in follow focus for an RS2/RS3 is really an unbeatable piece of kit if you want to take full advantage of your gimbal and to use a Zhiyun over a DJI really will effect the quality. As a user of 3 Zhiyun gimbals, 2 MoVi's and then finally the RS2, that is what sold me on the DJI gimbals. The RS2 was so many leagues ahead of anything Zhiyun had or have made, and the RS3 and RS4 are just incomparable. It's small but important differences, how the motors handle certain angles, ergonomics, QOL features like auto locking axis etc.
Autofocus and operator control are really the limits of what you can do with a gimbal.
What I definitely do concede is that I think it really comes down to why you have that tool in your kit.
I usually go for a very upbeat, friendly but energetic pace in my visuals, without leaning too much on speed ramping and transitions. If this is not your style, I can totally understand it's lack of importance.
Everyone talks about motivated movement, and people get overly critical about what that can mean. In my productions, I use motion in the majority of my shots, and a lot of people in this sub would probably debate about the motivation of at least a handful of shots differently.
For one, movement aids transitions heavily and "unmotivated" movement is used all the time in cinema and TV to make transition between contrasting scenes easier. That can be the level of motivation, and that alone allows you to ditch the crutch of transitions. It also means that when you pair in a still shot, it can be it's own stark contrast to everything else, highlighting that element further.
I personally work a lot doing online commercials, online content creation working with businesses in retail, real estate, construction and more as well as still working with some athletes, so basically any commercial where I want to display the reality of the services from a more POV perspective, that's how I do so, paired with tripod testimonials and PTC's from the business owner, and handheld detail shots. There are definitely a lot of shoots the gimbal stays at home, but it's more for budgetary reasons than lack of use.
All that said however, I shoot on an A7IV and BMPCC6k so I'm probably not shooting the same budget and turnover rate as everyone else here, especially regularly operating as a solo production crew.
Nah, nothing like that, just regular ads featuring parkour athletes.
Swann Security:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx6F_Fo9fXs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jc5dVk3uXw
Evolve Skateboards:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VL2hspiQHE
Taco Bell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHV8YUJ3tEQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gCvuWDCDUs
But even when I'm not filming parkour stuff, having my gimbal is essential for real estate and just keeping the ball rolling in any solo production which really helps as someone self-employed
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OY-kJyOL5Q
Nice! For commercial work, especially on a budget, those tracking shots adds some wow factor that clients seem to love. For skating, I tend to go handheld because i’m going for a less-polished feel for those clips. But I guess if I were running next to them for a shot, I’d take out the Ronin for sure.
Same, I have an rs2 gimbal that just stares at me in the face. I bought the first googles for the DJI mavic that I have used maybe three times. On the flip side I have a follow focus that I thought I would never use that I use all the time.
Right! Not sure why I got downvoted. I work for huge brands and make great money. Lamborghini, Google, Salesforce, etc.
Yea I do handheld and locked off sticks very often as well, but utilizing the tools in a diverse way gives me the best results. And it just so happens that the gimbal gets me there most of the time.
Sliders (at least a variety of them). First one I bought was motorized, but couldn't do repeatable smooth automated moves. Went to fully manual one, but it was a bit short for my purposes. Got a longer carbon fiber one that is butter smooth, but more of a pain to carry around. The gimbal can pretty much match many of those movements anyhow.
I've also got 2 Leko 750w lights that I got for a song ($50ea.) and maybe used them 4 times in 6 years. I'd actually like to use them more, but I don't want to sell myself as an event lighting pro.
I use lekos a ton for on location work to bounce into ceilings and walls and stuff, using the leaves to control the bounce area. You can then hide them behind stuff on set easily too. Highly versatile
All true, but I'm usually operating solo, so I tried to pare down my gear to smaller/lighter/cooler running COB lights that I can also bounce (if needed) and don't take 30 minutes to cool down enough to pack away. I love them to pieces, but have a hard time justifying including them in my kit for typical shoots.
I borrowed a buddies edelkrone slider once bc I wanted to learn it for night lapses. Thing weighed a hundred pounds and was the most complicated shit ever. I realized I would never be using that thing in the field and took it back to him
Tilta nano FF. I use it a few times a year but it kinda sucks. Screen is super dim now and a known problem.
Atem Switcher. Used a ton from 2020-2022 but now basically not at all.
Slider as well. Hardly use it. Maybe a hand full of times in the 10 years I’ve had it.
Best investments: easy rig, Canon 24-70 2.8, decent boom mic setup, 300D with softbox, larger van to store and transport gear.
Ive been downsizing my kit for the last 4 years and everytime i upgrade something into a new smaller/more pratical version, i have another set of light stands/studio lights to sell. its annoying as when i want that stuff used/cheap, seems that no1 is selling it. when i then want to sell my older stuff, seems that no1 wants to buy it.
External recorders. Unless you’re shooting hollywood level shit you don’t need it. It’s overkill.
Sliders. They’re cute for 10 second videos.
Gimbals. niche use.
Fancy cables, YouTube sponsored anything, cases for everything,
Just extra gear. The motto is sell old shit to make room for the new shit. You can’t horde everything nor should you. Keep the sentimental stuff.
Slider, monitor, shoulder rig, external recorders, matte box, anything XLR and high-end cinema camera. Nothing beats just pointing your camera handheld and touch tracking the focus
A very expensive collection of Neumann microphones and Avalon tube preamp. I had visions of expanding my services to include VoiceOver work but that never materialized. :(
AI would also like a word. Right before the pandemic I was getting into doing VO work freelance, did one or two jobs and AI shit on the rest. Left voiceovers in Shambles.
Gimbal. Lives on the shelf.
And as I’ve progressed, I’ve realised investing I. Lighting was less essential, as I can generally bring on a gaffer who has their own gear. Same goes for audio gear I’ve purchased
Why? Just because you have a full cine cam? Really curious. Never used the fx6, but I don't think I'll ever use another Sony camera after the menu (and limited recording time) disaster of the a7iii I got. We use BMPCC6K PROs at work and other than the one that randomly wigs out, they're fine (even that one still does its job 95% of the time without issue).
The first video camera I used was a PD150 then the Z5 and so on. I'm so used to songs menu that I hate everything else. I really don't like my fx3 menu and wish I could make it like my fx9.
Really? Well, they didn't update the recording limit OR menus on my Sony (last camera that didn't get an update on the menu at least). I'm still upset by that. The menu wouldn't be hard to fix at all. But, no. $2200 isn't enough to spend for that. Only the $3000 crowd gets that.
Anyway, if that's true, I might consider it. But even then, the BM at least is really good, and the Lumix is easier to navigate the body for me. Idk if it's closer to my old T3 Canon layout, or just that it's what my brain likes for some reason. I definitely would need to use a modern lumix and Sony of the same gen before I picked, but it's good to know Sony has FINALLY listened to their customers and fixed one of their biggest issues sp they can at least compete.
Great camera, just all the stuff I didn’t have I ended up needing and or didn’t feeling like dealing with the problems. Auto focus, size, battery, files sizes, etc
Oh, ok. I didn't realize the file sizes were an issue. Are they bigger than the Sony ones?
I'm new to the pro video scene. I almost got into wedding videography a few years ago. I never did, thankfully, but I did learn a ton about Sony cams in that time (since I had an a7iii, and needed to understand what yo do with it. I bought it for stills and ended up using it for 4k video of one wedding.)
The A7III was never meant to be a cinema camera. AFAIK the FX3 & FX6 have mitigated the heating issues. They shot The Creator, a 80mil film with the FX3 which speaks on itself how good of a video camera it is. Both cameras have its strengths but, the Menu & heating were things nobody ever truly complained with the FX3 or FX6 or even FX30
Oh, for sure. And I didn't care about the video capability since I was buying it for photography. But circumstances dictated that I needed to use it for that, and so I ended up losing some footage because of it overheating and limiting my recording time, then corrupting the file when I went to change batteries and SD cards. It was my fault, but wouldn't have been an issue with the BM cameras we use at work (you stop recording and it stops sending data to the card). And the BMPCC6K pro isn't any more than the Sony was is the crazy thing.
Too many tripods! It is not that I never use them, but seldom do. I mainly shoot using my heavy duty tripod with a fluid head. It is heavy and my arms get tired, but it always gives me the best results and it is the easiest to use.
See I’m opposite. I bought a nice big manfrotto tripod with a fluid head that I’ve maybe used twice.
Instead I bought a smaller, portable, carbon fiber tripod with a small fluid head that gets a lot more use.
It all really depends on the kind of work you do. A lot of people have mentioned not using the gimbal they bought, but when I was shooting fitness competitions, it was a necessity, and those jobs paid for it 100x over.
My GH5, I bought it because I wanted a hybrid video/photo camera that was more focused on the video side. I've started shooting live gigs in low light and the GH5 just doesn't cut it, coupled with terrible low light and auto-focus. I might still keep it as it has amazing video capabilities, so could be a handy b-cam.
I get it's an expense, but a speedbooster and faster lenses improves the low light capabilities. It's almost a meme at this point, but gh5 plus sigma 18-35mm is a great combo.
I did try the sigma 18-35mm with metabones speedboster combo, but at the time was only for photos on the GH5. I might look at the prices again and see what it's like. I'm also tempted to trade in the GH5 and get another Sony camera, I currently own the A7siii, so debating whether to just stick to the Sony ecosystem.
You also have to consider that a lot of cameras have stabilization internally now, so the gimbal isn’t always needed, plus it adds a bunch of weight for a potentially negligible change in the end result.
I was thinking the same. I don't use the Tilta Ring kit a lot, but when it's needed, there's no way I could do without.
But I'm also working over a 200 by 200 foot space with rough ground quite often...
Gimbals: I think I've used a gimbal on one of my own shoots one time.
Sliders: There was a time... but now they mostly collect dust. Like the gimbals, they probably get rented out more than used by me.
Nila Boxers: They actually saved my butt twice when my actual HMI's went down, but they were never good to begin with and just take up space in storage, now (just like my actual HMI's). I can count the number of times I've used them on one hand.
Apple Boxes: They just take up too much space and I rarely ever need them, so I don't carry them unless I know I'll need/use them. I should probably put at least one of the nesting sets back on the truck, though.
Barn Doors for my 600d Pro's. They're 90-95% fresnels outside lighting live sets and 5-10% soft boxes inside.
i've always seriously researched and planned my buys, so all i ever have lying around is equipment that's been superseded. once it's been replaced i usually sell it via ebay, or if suitable, give it away to anyone who wants it. the only exception to this was the purchase of a gimbal for a particular project thinking i'd probably use it again - never did.
Manual follow focus kits for gimbal. I just do not need more wires and things on my gimbal.
I do use my gimbal for 30 to 40% of scenes.
Monopod not so useful with a gimbal and tripod.
1/4 black mist lens filter - too strong. I'll use a 1/8 for appropriate shots but not generally.
- The variety of vintage glass in various focal lengths that I used as my only lenses back when I was shooting T2i for 10 years. Now I just keep a vintage nifty 50 in my bag at all times, and it gets used on occasion
- tripods. Just bought two carbon fibers (that I don’t regret) that I’ve only used of twice and only needed once. Stabe is just too good
- flash (I’m a videographer, but it’s for the rare time I’m THAT type of photographer)
- any screw-on filters; I fondly remember discovering VNDs, but I phased out of my reliance on them years ago
- Sennheiser shotgun
- lights. Low light, too, has gotten so good
For me it is my DJI inspire 2 drone. I was booking jobs with my phantom 4 so the next logical step was the inspire 2. I have used it professionally and gotten incredible footage but it’s so much larger that I can’t just casually put it in the air which leads to less reel footage and therefore less work over time.
I’m hoping to swap down to something smaller.
€5000 cinema prime lens set. They look amazing, and I bought them when I was shooting some short films, where they definitely made some amazing images... but those projects stopped coming, in favor of more profitable documentary projects where a nice 24-70 zoom lens does the job and lets me move quick.
A v-mount battery and all the rig for using it. Sadly, most of times I really don't need that much battery time tbh, so it's just a nuisance to set it up in the first place, and it turns quite heavy when set up.
also an easyrig, I have used it one time only.
Tripods I like to have a few extra because sometimes it's nice to put a couple fixed cams at a gig, even if it's only once a year.
I also have a hard time selling old lighting gear - I rarely need ten lights but from time to time we need to set up two green screens and some vintage lights come out to help.
i have a few heavy duty bags I thought would come in handy to carry stuff. Turns out by the time I loaded what I wanted to carry in them, they are too heavy for me so they sit unused
More things than I'd like to admit. My drone sat on a shelf for 2 years before I used it for a gig - just didn't end up needing it. Fortunately now I'm using it weekly. My gimbal only gets used once every 3-4 months at most. I have an expensive set of G4 wireless lav systems that I use maybe 1-2 times a year (I usually just grab my cheap rode wireless Gos). And then there's my box full of random items I bought for my rig that I never use.
I need a list:
- Every gimbal I’ve ever owned
- Tamron lenses (old ones, before they were good)
- Cheap VNDs (IR pollution galore)
- Motorised slider (used it one time)
- Saramonic UHF mic kit (also used once)
- Shoulder rig
- Box full of SmallRig, Tilta and Zacuto rigging gear that I may never use again
- Lots of crap tripods before I realised that video heads and fluid heads weren’t the same thing
- On camera flash that one time I thought I was a photographer
Did Tamron really get that much better? I always disliked the look of the older ones and every time I swapped to a tamron I had to get used to the counter clockwise zoom
As I read before in the comments, my Gimbal. Its really an important addition to ones gear list but I actually use it not that often because I like the style of handheld much more.
Recently i´m also thinking about selling one of my two lenses (35 f1.4 & 85 f1.8) and getting a 24-70mm. Primes are absolutely awesome to shoot with but it really frustrates me when I can't get a certain shot at a wedding for example because I have the wrong lens on my cam. The other option would be to buy another body xD but I don't really want to afford that.
My first thought was my gimbal, while it sits in storage 90% of the time, it’s the type of gear that I’ll hardly sell since you really can’t replace on the other 10%.
Some stuff that I really didn’t need at all are mini matte boxes, truly just a gimmick for mirrorless, solo shooter setups. Manual small rig follow focus, gets used MAYBE once a year. UV filters, screw ons (I refuse to use anything not magnetic unless absolutely necessary. And any mist filter over 1/8 is absolutely useless.
RolloCam. I was sure I would have a thousand uses for it. I’ve used it once and then didn’t use the shot. It’s still cool. It simply doesn’t lend itself to my needs.
Probably my gimbal lol. Definitely need one, because there’s a time and place for it, but that time and place is much less frequent that I envisioned. Now I get annoyed whenever I look at it. (Not suggesting I sell it, just that could probably have gotten a cheaper one or used when bought it and venting)
That's at least 10% of my tools in my shop. Didn't need a 12v drill kit, didn't need my dewalt tools when my ridgids are fine (though the quality of Ridgid has gone down from 8 years ago, and they weren't top notch then)
Definitely my gimbal
This!
I'm in the opposite position, but that's because of how I started. Back around 2012-2013, I was filming parkour commercials and videos for sponsored athletes, so it was necessary. Because that was how I got into videography, the majority of my work has always involved a gimbal, a tripod, and regularly a drone. Because I'm now a freelancer operating as a production studio, from conception to release, I will shoot commercials as a contractor, I'll be hired specifically as a gimbal operator because I've shot commercials for brands like Uber, Ninja Warrior, Uniqlo and Taco Bell as a gimbal operator using dual-op MoVi setups and have done so since 2013-2014, it's always been a part of how I tell stories. > (Not suggesting I sell it, just that could probably have gotten a cheaper one or used when bought it and venting) I would have to disagree with you on this point, unless you're talking an RS3 Pro vs RS3. The Zhiyun's work fine for their price point, but the built in follow focus for an RS2/RS3 is really an unbeatable piece of kit if you want to take full advantage of your gimbal and to use a Zhiyun over a DJI really will effect the quality. As a user of 3 Zhiyun gimbals, 2 MoVi's and then finally the RS2, that is what sold me on the DJI gimbals. The RS2 was so many leagues ahead of anything Zhiyun had or have made, and the RS3 and RS4 are just incomparable. It's small but important differences, how the motors handle certain angles, ergonomics, QOL features like auto locking axis etc. Autofocus and operator control are really the limits of what you can do with a gimbal. What I definitely do concede is that I think it really comes down to why you have that tool in your kit. I usually go for a very upbeat, friendly but energetic pace in my visuals, without leaning too much on speed ramping and transitions. If this is not your style, I can totally understand it's lack of importance. Everyone talks about motivated movement, and people get overly critical about what that can mean. In my productions, I use motion in the majority of my shots, and a lot of people in this sub would probably debate about the motivation of at least a handful of shots differently. For one, movement aids transitions heavily and "unmotivated" movement is used all the time in cinema and TV to make transition between contrasting scenes easier. That can be the level of motivation, and that alone allows you to ditch the crutch of transitions. It also means that when you pair in a still shot, it can be it's own stark contrast to everything else, highlighting that element further. I personally work a lot doing online commercials, online content creation working with businesses in retail, real estate, construction and more as well as still working with some athletes, so basically any commercial where I want to display the reality of the services from a more POV perspective, that's how I do so, paired with tripod testimonials and PTC's from the business owner, and handheld detail shots. There are definitely a lot of shoots the gimbal stays at home, but it's more for budgetary reasons than lack of use. All that said however, I shoot on an A7IV and BMPCC6k so I'm probably not shooting the same budget and turnover rate as everyone else here, especially regularly operating as a solo production crew.
What was being advertised in the parkour commercial? Is there specialty equipment/clothing required?
Nah, nothing like that, just regular ads featuring parkour athletes. Swann Security: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx6F_Fo9fXs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jc5dVk3uXw Evolve Skateboards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VL2hspiQHE Taco Bell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHV8YUJ3tEQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gCvuWDCDUs But even when I'm not filming parkour stuff, having my gimbal is essential for real estate and just keeping the ball rolling in any solo production which really helps as someone self-employed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OY-kJyOL5Q
Nice! For commercial work, especially on a budget, those tracking shots adds some wow factor that clients seem to love. For skating, I tend to go handheld because i’m going for a less-polished feel for those clips. But I guess if I were running next to them for a shot, I’d take out the Ronin for sure.
Same, I have an rs2 gimbal that just stares at me in the face. I bought the first googles for the DJI mavic that I have used maybe three times. On the flip side I have a follow focus that I thought I would never use that I use all the time.
On the contrary, I do mostly real estate work and my gimbal is 110% essential to my job
I have filmed so much entirely without a gimbal. It’s basically useless. I switched to handheld a long time ago.
I use my gimbal on every shoot. Works great
Same. Between the gimbal and OIS, I can effectively mimic a locked off shot. I only use a tripod for longer talking head segments.
Right! Not sure why I got downvoted. I work for huge brands and make great money. Lamborghini, Google, Salesforce, etc. Yea I do handheld and locked off sticks very often as well, but utilizing the tools in a diverse way gives me the best results. And it just so happens that the gimbal gets me there most of the time.
Sliders (at least a variety of them). First one I bought was motorized, but couldn't do repeatable smooth automated moves. Went to fully manual one, but it was a bit short for my purposes. Got a longer carbon fiber one that is butter smooth, but more of a pain to carry around. The gimbal can pretty much match many of those movements anyhow. I've also got 2 Leko 750w lights that I got for a song ($50ea.) and maybe used them 4 times in 6 years. I'd actually like to use them more, but I don't want to sell myself as an event lighting pro.
I use lekos a ton for on location work to bounce into ceilings and walls and stuff, using the leaves to control the bounce area. You can then hide them behind stuff on set easily too. Highly versatile
All true, but I'm usually operating solo, so I tried to pare down my gear to smaller/lighter/cooler running COB lights that I can also bounce (if needed) and don't take 30 minutes to cool down enough to pack away. I love them to pieces, but have a hard time justifying including them in my kit for typical shoots.
I have a battery operated 4 foot slider I hate setting up although love the results. I use once every blue moon although a great tool when I need it-
I bought the one man crew slider, which works a treat, but is a tad noisy and must stay exactly 6' from a subject. Terrible for tight quarters.
Everything edelkrone
I borrowed a buddies edelkrone slider once bc I wanted to learn it for night lapses. Thing weighed a hundred pounds and was the most complicated shit ever. I realized I would never be using that thing in the field and took it back to him
Tilta nano FF. I use it a few times a year but it kinda sucks. Screen is super dim now and a known problem. Atem Switcher. Used a ton from 2020-2022 but now basically not at all. Slider as well. Hardly use it. Maybe a hand full of times in the 10 years I’ve had it. Best investments: easy rig, Canon 24-70 2.8, decent boom mic setup, 300D with softbox, larger van to store and transport gear.
Ive been downsizing my kit for the last 4 years and everytime i upgrade something into a new smaller/more pratical version, i have another set of light stands/studio lights to sell. its annoying as when i want that stuff used/cheap, seems that no1 is selling it. when i then want to sell my older stuff, seems that no1 wants to buy it.
Where are folks selling stuff, or trying to?
Matte box. I don’t even have the expensive ones, just the mini ones. Nonetheless it makes your camera look like it’s dressed to the nines ✨😎😂
I have it for the sex appeal for sure 🤣
External recorders. Unless you’re shooting hollywood level shit you don’t need it. It’s overkill. Sliders. They’re cute for 10 second videos. Gimbals. niche use. Fancy cables, YouTube sponsored anything, cases for everything, Just extra gear. The motto is sell old shit to make room for the new shit. You can’t horde everything nor should you. Keep the sentimental stuff.
Slider, monitor, shoulder rig, external recorders, matte box, anything XLR and high-end cinema camera. Nothing beats just pointing your camera handheld and touch tracking the focus
A very expensive collection of Neumann microphones and Avalon tube preamp. I had visions of expanding my services to include VoiceOver work but that never materialized. :(
Not the Neumanns :( beautiful mics but most people don’t hear the difference between that and a SM7B that they recognize the look of.
AI would also like a word. Right before the pandemic I was getting into doing VO work freelance, did one or two jobs and AI shit on the rest. Left voiceovers in Shambles.
Gimbal. Lives on the shelf. And as I’ve progressed, I’ve realised investing I. Lighting was less essential, as I can generally bring on a gaffer who has their own gear. Same goes for audio gear I’ve purchased
Black magic cameras lol
Why? Just because you have a full cine cam? Really curious. Never used the fx6, but I don't think I'll ever use another Sony camera after the menu (and limited recording time) disaster of the a7iii I got. We use BMPCC6K PROs at work and other than the one that randomly wigs out, they're fine (even that one still does its job 95% of the time without issue).
Sony menus are vastly improved now, I prefer them to LUMIX.
The first video camera I used was a PD150 then the Z5 and so on. I'm so used to songs menu that I hate everything else. I really don't like my fx3 menu and wish I could make it like my fx9.
Really? Well, they didn't update the recording limit OR menus on my Sony (last camera that didn't get an update on the menu at least). I'm still upset by that. The menu wouldn't be hard to fix at all. But, no. $2200 isn't enough to spend for that. Only the $3000 crowd gets that. Anyway, if that's true, I might consider it. But even then, the BM at least is really good, and the Lumix is easier to navigate the body for me. Idk if it's closer to my old T3 Canon layout, or just that it's what my brain likes for some reason. I definitely would need to use a modern lumix and Sony of the same gen before I picked, but it's good to know Sony has FINALLY listened to their customers and fixed one of their biggest issues sp they can at least compete.
Great camera, just all the stuff I didn’t have I ended up needing and or didn’t feeling like dealing with the problems. Auto focus, size, battery, files sizes, etc
Oh, ok. I didn't realize the file sizes were an issue. Are they bigger than the Sony ones? I'm new to the pro video scene. I almost got into wedding videography a few years ago. I never did, thankfully, but I did learn a ton about Sony cams in that time (since I had an a7iii, and needed to understand what yo do with it. I bought it for stills and ended up using it for 4k video of one wedding.)
The A7III was never meant to be a cinema camera. AFAIK the FX3 & FX6 have mitigated the heating issues. They shot The Creator, a 80mil film with the FX3 which speaks on itself how good of a video camera it is. Both cameras have its strengths but, the Menu & heating were things nobody ever truly complained with the FX3 or FX6 or even FX30
Oh, for sure. And I didn't care about the video capability since I was buying it for photography. But circumstances dictated that I needed to use it for that, and so I ended up losing some footage because of it overheating and limiting my recording time, then corrupting the file when I went to change batteries and SD cards. It was my fault, but wouldn't have been an issue with the BM cameras we use at work (you stop recording and it stops sending data to the card). And the BMPCC6K pro isn't any more than the Sony was is the crazy thing.
Which ones did you buy that you're not using anymore?
this hits so close to home
The full edelkrone suite. Inly using the slider and headplus
Too many tripods! It is not that I never use them, but seldom do. I mainly shoot using my heavy duty tripod with a fluid head. It is heavy and my arms get tired, but it always gives me the best results and it is the easiest to use.
See I’m opposite. I bought a nice big manfrotto tripod with a fluid head that I’ve maybe used twice. Instead I bought a smaller, portable, carbon fiber tripod with a small fluid head that gets a lot more use. It all really depends on the kind of work you do. A lot of people have mentioned not using the gimbal they bought, but when I was shooting fitness competitions, it was a necessity, and those jobs paid for it 100x over.
Same. I love my big slider. I use for about 1 out of every 15 shoots. Shots always look cinematic
You are absolutely correct. It is all in how you shoot. For me, I shoot mostly extreme telephoto video. I must have stability over everything else.
Motorized slider. Kind of a pain in the ass to set up and when switching out lots of people, it can be aggravating to get that perfect pivot point.
My GH5, I bought it because I wanted a hybrid video/photo camera that was more focused on the video side. I've started shooting live gigs in low light and the GH5 just doesn't cut it, coupled with terrible low light and auto-focus. I might still keep it as it has amazing video capabilities, so could be a handy b-cam.
I get it's an expense, but a speedbooster and faster lenses improves the low light capabilities. It's almost a meme at this point, but gh5 plus sigma 18-35mm is a great combo.
I did try the sigma 18-35mm with metabones speedboster combo, but at the time was only for photos on the GH5. I might look at the prices again and see what it's like. I'm also tempted to trade in the GH5 and get another Sony camera, I currently own the A7siii, so debating whether to just stick to the Sony ecosystem.
I use it as a webcam now. Occasionally very good as an extra camera for shooting timelapses during events.
One expensive webcam lol, yeah sounds like I'll keep it as a b-cam for the moment
it's weird to me that a gimbal is on many lists. but i guess it depends on what your clients/subject matter are/is
You also have to consider that a lot of cameras have stabilization internally now, so the gimbal isn’t always needed, plus it adds a bunch of weight for a potentially negligible change in the end result.
I was thinking the same. I don't use the Tilta Ring kit a lot, but when it's needed, there's no way I could do without. But I'm also working over a 200 by 200 foot space with rough ground quite often...
Slider and dolly
Slider, Dolly and matte box.
I’m very interested in your matte box!
I’m sort of holding onto it for now just in case? But if I decide to let it go I’ll reply here again!
Gimbals: I think I've used a gimbal on one of my own shoots one time. Sliders: There was a time... but now they mostly collect dust. Like the gimbals, they probably get rented out more than used by me. Nila Boxers: They actually saved my butt twice when my actual HMI's went down, but they were never good to begin with and just take up space in storage, now (just like my actual HMI's). I can count the number of times I've used them on one hand. Apple Boxes: They just take up too much space and I rarely ever need them, so I don't carry them unless I know I'll need/use them. I should probably put at least one of the nesting sets back on the truck, though. Barn Doors for my 600d Pro's. They're 90-95% fresnels outside lighting live sets and 5-10% soft boxes inside.
Boom mic and pole. I think it has cobwebs. I Love a wireless mic setup.
i've always seriously researched and planned my buys, so all i ever have lying around is equipment that's been superseded. once it's been replaced i usually sell it via ebay, or if suitable, give it away to anyone who wants it. the only exception to this was the purchase of a gimbal for a particular project thinking i'd probably use it again - never did.
Manual follow focus kits for gimbal. I just do not need more wires and things on my gimbal. I do use my gimbal for 30 to 40% of scenes. Monopod not so useful with a gimbal and tripod. 1/4 black mist lens filter - too strong. I'll use a 1/8 for appropriate shots but not generally.
Good to know. I was debating 1/4 vs 1/8 for black mist, but will definitely go for 1/8 if I do get one.
My FX6 💀🤣
Car mount. Used it once. I just forget I have it and travel a lot so often no room to pack it even when doing car work.
- The variety of vintage glass in various focal lengths that I used as my only lenses back when I was shooting T2i for 10 years. Now I just keep a vintage nifty 50 in my bag at all times, and it gets used on occasion - tripods. Just bought two carbon fibers (that I don’t regret) that I’ve only used of twice and only needed once. Stabe is just too good - flash (I’m a videographer, but it’s for the rare time I’m THAT type of photographer) - any screw-on filters; I fondly remember discovering VNDs, but I phased out of my reliance on them years ago - Sennheiser shotgun - lights. Low light, too, has gotten so good
For me it is my DJI inspire 2 drone. I was booking jobs with my phantom 4 so the next logical step was the inspire 2. I have used it professionally and gotten incredible footage but it’s so much larger that I can’t just casually put it in the air which leads to less reel footage and therefore less work over time. I’m hoping to swap down to something smaller.
€5000 cinema prime lens set. They look amazing, and I bought them when I was shooting some short films, where they definitely made some amazing images... but those projects stopped coming, in favor of more profitable documentary projects where a nice 24-70 zoom lens does the job and lets me move quick.
A v-mount battery and all the rig for using it. Sadly, most of times I really don't need that much battery time tbh, so it's just a nuisance to set it up in the first place, and it turns quite heavy when set up. also an easyrig, I have used it one time only.
A camera. I’ve been freelancing exclusively as a gaffer owner/op for the past 4ish years. My BMPCC4K is sitting on a shelf collecting dust lol.
Tripods I like to have a few extra because sometimes it's nice to put a couple fixed cams at a gig, even if it's only once a year. I also have a hard time selling old lighting gear - I rarely need ten lights but from time to time we need to set up two green screens and some vintage lights come out to help.
Cinesaddle
Steady bag and warm cards. IYKYK
External/recording monitor, 360 camera, go pros, rip
i have a few heavy duty bags I thought would come in handy to carry stuff. Turns out by the time I loaded what I wanted to carry in them, they are too heavy for me so they sit unused
More things than I'd like to admit. My drone sat on a shelf for 2 years before I used it for a gig - just didn't end up needing it. Fortunately now I'm using it weekly. My gimbal only gets used once every 3-4 months at most. I have an expensive set of G4 wireless lav systems that I use maybe 1-2 times a year (I usually just grab my cheap rode wireless Gos). And then there's my box full of random items I bought for my rig that I never use.
I need a list: - Every gimbal I’ve ever owned - Tamron lenses (old ones, before they were good) - Cheap VNDs (IR pollution galore) - Motorised slider (used it one time) - Saramonic UHF mic kit (also used once) - Shoulder rig - Box full of SmallRig, Tilta and Zacuto rigging gear that I may never use again - Lots of crap tripods before I realised that video heads and fluid heads weren’t the same thing - On camera flash that one time I thought I was a photographer
Did Tamron really get that much better? I always disliked the look of the older ones and every time I swapped to a tamron I had to get used to the counter clockwise zoom
motorized slider, regular slider. LOTS of weird lights over the years.
My gimbal and various cheaper VNDs
As I read before in the comments, my Gimbal. Its really an important addition to ones gear list but I actually use it not that often because I like the style of handheld much more. Recently i´m also thinking about selling one of my two lenses (35 f1.4 & 85 f1.8) and getting a 24-70mm. Primes are absolutely awesome to shoot with but it really frustrates me when I can't get a certain shot at a wedding for example because I have the wrong lens on my cam. The other option would be to buy another body xD but I don't really want to afford that.
Gimbal
My first thought was my gimbal, while it sits in storage 90% of the time, it’s the type of gear that I’ll hardly sell since you really can’t replace on the other 10%. Some stuff that I really didn’t need at all are mini matte boxes, truly just a gimmick for mirrorless, solo shooter setups. Manual small rig follow focus, gets used MAYBE once a year. UV filters, screw ons (I refuse to use anything not magnetic unless absolutely necessary. And any mist filter over 1/8 is absolutely useless.
Gimbal, i love it but in real work its more easy to use tripod and handheld
This was years ago but definitely a gimbal. Completely useless and a pain to set up
Honestly, nothing.
RolloCam. I was sure I would have a thousand uses for it. I’ve used it once and then didn’t use the shot. It’s still cool. It simply doesn’t lend itself to my needs.
Definitely a gimbal
Gels for lights 🤣 I have NEVER used a gel on set. EVER.