Moving from stills to video for wedding work

<p>I have been shooting wedding stills for about 20 years now and I have the opportunity to move into video.<br>

While I have a professional video camera, a few years old but similar to the Sony PXW-X70, I expect to make much use of my Nikon D7001 DSLR for this work. <br>

So . . . I need some lighting and wireless audio for both cameras and some sort of bracket for the DSLR. I was wondering what those more experienced shooters can point me to without blowing too much cash.<br /><br>

<br />Thanks for the help . . . <br /><br>

<br>

Ed<br /></p>

<p>Hi Ed, I don't know what you have in mind for your DSLR-wedding use, but it might prove quite problematic. </p>

<p>Battery life, maximum file size, subject tracking, zoom/focus, A/V monitoring while you shoot, and general mobility will all be quite challenging if you're operating the rig alone.</p>

<p>If you can describe in a bit more detail on how you imagine using such a rig, others might be able to chime in with more useful suggestions. </p>

 

<p>If you must use a DSLR to shoot video, a huge assortment of DSLR rigs can be found at B+H under Professional Video -> Tripods, Supports & Rigs -> Supports & Rigs -> DSLR Video Supports & Rigs. There are tons of low-budget, all-in-one rigs listed, but among the full-rail support style rigs (i.e., "LWS" for "lightweight support," 15mm rail systems), I've found Lanparte products to be excellent in quality, plus their entire line is priced much lower than competing, fancy European brands (e.g., Zacuto, Chrosziel, Movcam, etc.).</p>

<p>I just bought a large-sensor Super35 digital cine camera, a Sony NEX-FS100, which I'm super happy with. It's more of a cine camera, and right out of the box, is much less convenient for run-and-gun video work (though with the proper rig, it can be made into an excellent ENG-style package). But for your application, Sony developed what many view as an ideal wedding video camera, the Sony NEX-EA50M: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1076767-REG/sony_nex_ea50m_nxcam_camcorder.html</p>

<p>For whatever reason, it's not a very well-known product, but it's got an impressive feature set for the price, and there aren't really any competing products in its price range which offers all this cameras does. The beauty of the EA50M, and the primary reason I'm recommending it, is that its form-factor is in the traditional shoulder-mount ENG style. You won't need to spend money buying expensive rigs--it's totally shootable right out of the box.</p>

<p>It has a 16.7MP sensor, so it's about 1.5 stops less sensitive than my camera (which has only a 3.43MP imager). If low-light shooting is the priority, the Sony FS100 is one of the most light-sensitive digital cine cameras on the planet, besting even an Arri Alexa. That aside, I would highly recommend you consider the Sony EA50M. It's gone through one revision (the 'M'), and has enough professional features to make interfacing with other pro audio and video gear a breeze, and the price, for what you get, sure is right at only $2,599.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>For location sound, the Sennheiser EW-series wireless transmitter/receivers are very popular, and despite their "entry-level" pricing, are widely used in broadcast and corporate work. They cost significantly less than higher-end Lectrosonic, Sony, etc., counterparts and work just fine: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/618739-REG/Sennheiser_EW_112P_G3_A_EW112_p_G3_Camera_Mount.html. The audio accessories company, BEC, makes a wide array of receiver-specific wireless boxes and mounts to attach these units to your camera.</p>

<p>Adorama is selling a demo unit on eBay right now for $2400 or "make offer." I've totally low-balled Adorama make-offer eBay listings in the past and won. Give it a shot!</p>

<p>If you have a professional video camera and know how to use it, stick with it. I've shot both video and stills professionally and IMHO you need to use the right tool for the job. So many things about the way you shoot with a video camera and the way you shoot with a still camera are different that I find a DSLR very awkward for video just as I would find a video camera very awkward for stills.<br /><br />As for lighting and sound, IMHO Lowel still offers the best value for the money in professional lighting gear. You can go with LED but to get units that put out as much light as a $150 Lowe Tota Light you will spend several times as much. I have a Lowel Pro Lite as the camera light on my video camera, with a Bescor 12V battery.<br /><br />Sennheiser makes good wireless gear. But I would get plug-on transmitters rather than whole wireless mikes. I like Electrovoice (classics like the 635A or RE50) for handheld mikes and Sony for tieclips. I stay away from anything that is marketed for DSLR use.<br /><br />Wedding video is a run-and-gun business much like TV news shooting. Look at what the TV folks use to see what works in the real world.</p>

<p><em>"Wedding video is a run-and-gun business much like TV news shooting. Look at what the TV folks use to see what works in the real world."</em><br>

<br>

It was quite enlightening to watch a 6 minute episode produced by the CBC on breakfast sandwiches; the entire piece made on location (in a restaurant and on a bus) with minimal gear around a DSLR:<br>

<a href="

<p>I grabbed a screen shot at 2:10 which shows just the DSLR on a manual slider and a monitor to get the most fancy 2 second shot of the entire piece, otherwise the camera appears simply handheld with nothing more than a ring light. </p>

<p>For audio, the host had a wireless lavalier mic that was apparently sufficient to pickup a face-to-face speaker, so it's indeed doable with professional editing to create broadcast quality stuff on the cheap - no fancy shoulder gear, lighting, or fancy mics and multiple assistants.</p>

<p><img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18218726-lg.jpg" alt="" width="850" height="475" /><br>

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/18218727-lg.jpg" alt="" width="1440" height="900" /><br>

</p>

<p>That sandwich story used a gun mic as well as the reporter's lav, so there was somebody holding it! Whilst a DSLR can produce superb results, it's a lot more tricky than a purpose-built video camera and requires numerous workarounds (both in shooting style and extra kit). The key is in the skill of the operator (there's a surprise) and shooting within the limits of the format.</p>

<p>I also started out as a photographer. I got interested in video after purchasing the Canon 5D Mark II and loving it's video capabilities. However, I also quickly discovered it's video limitations. it is great if shooting video of a realitwvwly still static object. however, shooting live action with it using manual focus for everything quickly became a pain. I know you may say why use manual focus? Well the whole purpose of shooting video with a DSLR is to get great shallow DOF. So I shoot video with a Canon 85 1.2L, 50 1.8 and 28 1.2. Great, however, you must use manual focus as the DOF is so razor thin on full frame that even slight forward or backwards movements will through the camera out of focus. Auto Focus does not work well while recording as the camera will hunt while shooting.</p>

<p>So, I upgraded to the Sony FDR-AX100 4K video camera and love it. I shoot at 4K even though I render down to 1080P and this creates IMOP a video which looks much better than my Canon 5D II even with the 85 1.2L.<br>

Clean image and requires no special attachments. For audio I use a Sennheiser EW 100 G3 recorded to a Zoon H4N. I picked this up because recording audio with DSLR is horrible. I still use it with th eSony although I do not have to. the Sony has excellent stereo mic. The G3's jsut give me more options.</p>