If I mount my DSLR to a remote control helicopter, and fly it around, how does one pull focus? I've researched it and can't find focus pulling particularly. I know it's a dumb question but they are being flown all the time so I am not certain how they do it. Thanks.
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Question about using a helicopter mounted cam.
- Thread starter harmonica44
- Start date
Well, you would either use a wireless follow focus and an experienced AC who can pull wirelessly
OR:
you stop right down - usually you're shooting middle of the day so you can afford to stop down to f/16ish. You're also probably using a wider angle lens. So yo ustop down, use maybe a 25mm, set the hyperfocal (which is about 8') and then just make sure whatever you want in focus is 8' or more away from the film plane of the camera. You're probably going to be flying the thing at east 6' high so it's not as much of an issue. I wouldn't want to be doing it at night, or magic hour where youre exposure is going to be like f/4.0
OR:
you stop right down - usually you're shooting middle of the day so you can afford to stop down to f/16ish. You're also probably using a wider angle lens. So yo ustop down, use maybe a 25mm, set the hyperfocal (which is about 8') and then just make sure whatever you want in focus is 8' or more away from the film plane of the camera. You're probably going to be flying the thing at east 6' high so it's not as much of an issue. I wouldn't want to be doing it at night, or magic hour where youre exposure is going to be like f/4.0
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Ditto, stop it down do everything is in focus or wireless FF. RedRock makes a killer wireless FF, not sure about the range. No delay or anything though. Keep in mind that your focus puller will be watching a wireless video feed which WILL have a bit of a delay most likely.
Or, what the big boys do most of the time: use a real passenenger helicopter with a gyro mount for your camera. Then the camera op has his hands on and can watch through the viewfinder. Legit RC camera helicopters are a relatively new thing in the production world. They're vetoing better and better and catching on, but up until a few years ago it was 99% full size helicopter.
Or, what the big boys do most of the time: use a real passenenger helicopter with a gyro mount for your camera. Then the camera op has his hands on and can watch through the viewfinder. Legit RC camera helicopters are a relatively new thing in the production world. They're vetoing better and better and catching on, but up until a few years ago it was 99% full size helicopter.
IMO, Redrock gear is average at best. When you've worked with Arri, Chrosziel and O'Connor gear, the Redrock stuff does not even come remotely close.
The RRM MicroRemote is an interesting idea, but I can't see it being anywhere near as good as pulling with a Bartech or Preston.
Not to mention that as soon as Apple redesigns an iPhone, your iPhone version is outated and useless. Also does it not work via wifi?
Also, it's taken them about three years to start shipping, after featuring it at three NAB's in a row and promising 'summer ship dates' each year - apparently they've just started shipping to pre-order customers, but I still can't find a spot to buy it on their site... Doesn't bode well for it IMO.
Well, yeah compare it to units that cost 5 times as much of course it won't live up. After driving a Lamborghini for a year a BMW will seem substandard too.
I'm talking about the legit wireless unit they had at NAB this year, not the iPhone one. A big FF knob with an antenna controlling a unit across the room with no noticeable latency. RedRock has the best bang:buck ratio out there, I'll stand by it. Granted, I'm not a full time 1AC, most of my time on set is spent elsewhere. If I was turning a focus knob 12 hours a day I'm sure the differences would mean a lot more.
Besides, we're talking about focusing a t2i on a $2000 (or way less) copter. Have to keep it all in relation.
Side note, we bought an RC copter beefy enough to fly a GoPro around for about 20 minutes per charge at NAB. $600ish with tilt controls and a wireless video transmitter. Been a lot of fun so far, can't wait to use it in a production. Same company makes a DSLR sized one but only has about a 12 hour flight time per battery. It's not quite as nice, but a bird of the price as an octocopter.
I'm talking about the legit wireless unit they had at NAB this year, not the iPhone one. A big FF knob with an antenna controlling a unit across the room with no noticeable latency. RedRock has the best bang:buck ratio out there, I'll stand by it. Granted, I'm not a full time 1AC, most of my time on set is spent elsewhere. If I was turning a focus knob 12 hours a day I'm sure the differences would mean a lot more.
Besides, we're talking about focusing a t2i on a $2000 (or way less) copter. Have to keep it all in relation.
Side note, we bought an RC copter beefy enough to fly a GoPro around for about 20 minutes per charge at NAB. $600ish with tilt controls and a wireless video transmitter. Been a lot of fun so far, can't wait to use it in a production. Same company makes a DSLR sized one but only has about a 12 hour flight time per battery. It's not quite as nice, but a bird of the price as an octocopter.
Just ask Alice.
She has pills that make you real small, so you can fly along...
What the people above said:
fix the focus before takeoff.
If you want pulling focus and stuff: hire a pro with a bigger chopper.
Did you see: http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?p=272855 ?
They use heavier machines.
She has pills that make you real small, so you can fly along...
What the people above said:
fix the focus before takeoff.
If you want pulling focus and stuff: hire a pro with a bigger chopper.
Did you see: http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?p=272855 ?
They use heavier machines.
I think they're two different versions of the same thing - one with an iPhone, one without.
Yeah, I had a 5 week shoot earlier in the year as a 1stAC using RRM gear and it was not the greatest to work with. I ended up having to re-tighten the follow focus gear daily as it would get worse and worse through the day and end up with half a turn to a full turn of play - I ended up marking up the lenses themselves and pulling off those. We had the matte box fall apart, which I had to fix as quick as I could, the rods were too long for the lens, and the tightening knobs were in awkward spots which meant we couldn't place the units where they needed to go - in turn causing internal flares on outdoor stuff, the FF itself is only designed to be used on one side which made pulling from the other side difficult - not only was it focussing in reverse (ie forward to throw back, back to throw forward) but the unit had to be placed so far forward to work with the lens gearing that we couldn't use a matte box...
The shoulder pad seemed to be fine though haha
This is just my experience, and it really illustrated to me the reason why the more expensive units are the units of choice, and in fact why they are more expensive.
But, some swear by the RRM stuff, so if you've had good experience with them, then by all means stick with them.
Yeah, I reckon GoPro is the way to go on a copter - the small sensor and wide lens means you're gonna have very little focus issues.
I'm building a hexacopter (6 rotors) for this right now. Will be able to fly a gopro or a Sony nex5 on it. The gopro is a bit fisheye for my taste, so I did the Sunex modification on it, so less field of view, and no more fish eye. It will have a 2 axis gimbal also, so will keep the camera somewhat stable. I'll post video, once it's up and flying. This is my first copter, and my trainer before I start building my octocopter (8 rotors) that will carry either my canon DSLR or sony fs100, or any camera & lens setup, up to about 18 pounds.
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