Construct a greater mousetrap? When taking pictures car-to-car video, as we realized, maybe that’s not all the time one of the best reply.
Only a few years in the past, we constructed our personal rig that mounted a Sony a7 III mirrorless digicam (about $2000 with the lens) on a DJI Ronin-S gimbal (about $325) onto a customized trailer hitch mount ($100 plus fab work).
A monitor (one other $100) allowed a digicam operator to border the shot from contained in the digicam automotive. To maneuver the digicam, we used a PlayStation controller (about $18). An $85 battery powered all the things.
Whereas complicated and clunky, the rig labored okay and used some bits that we already had–just like the digicam, gimbal and hitch mount. Let’s name it appropriate sufficient, and determine it might price a bit greater than $2600 to duplicate if ranging from scratch.
Nonetheless, there have been another prices concerned. First, the digicam automotive required a hitch, whereas the digicam operator wanted some specialised data–and couldn’t drive the digicam automotive on the identical time. Your entire setup additionally crammed a 21x14x10-inch case, so not a tiny package deal.
Whereas not a deal-breaker, the setup concerned working wires down the facet of the digicam automotive. Minimal setup time was quarter-hour, whereas digicam placement was dictated by the placement of the hitch.
Our present setup is way simpler to make use of. It really works on practically any automotive and requires lower than 5 minutes for setup. It’s additionally a lot simpler to function and would solely price a grand or so to duplicate. Plus, it doesn’t require a devoted operator.
Right here’s how we cracked the code.
The Digital camera: DJI Osmo Pocket 3
The primary piece of the puzzle was the digicam, and we’re now utilizing the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 for all of our car-to-car shoots. Mainly, it’s a digicam sensor and gimbal from a DJI drone that shoots 4K video. The companion cellphone app can observe objects, monitor the feed and management the digicam, all with out wires.
That monitoring perform is big, because it ensures that the hero automotive is all the time within the body. As soon as arrange, the digicam can principally function by itself as soon as we depart the paddock. This setup may also hook up with DJI mics for clear audio. (This digicam additionally works very properly off the automotive, offering lovely, stabilized 4K footage even when strolling round.)
How a lot? The digicam lists for about $800, though we scored ours on sale at Costco for $532. Whereas we did quit the pliability of interchangeable lenses from our previous mirrorless digicam setup, the streamlined course of now permits us to seize extra footage with fewer individuals and much much less problem. (The Osmo solely has digital zoom, nonetheless, whereas the Sony may use any lens from the catalog.)
What a few GoPro? The newest, the GoPro Hero13, lacks the monitoring capacity discovered with the DJI. At about $330, although, it does price much less.
The Mount: Tilta Hydra Alien Mini
What actually delivers these Hollywood seems is the digicam mount. The Tilta Hydra Alien Mini Car Mounting System is a small, shock-absorbing arm that may suction cup to actually any automotive. The end result: buttery-smooth footage.
Our do-it-yourself rig struggled to damp the micro jitters; the digicam was doubtless simply too heavy for the setup, stopping us from completely nailing the shot.
The Tilta Hydra is nearly as straightforward to arrange as a daily motion digicam mount and damps these bumps and jitters. It’s nearly like a smaller model of the corporate’s full-size $2800 setup aimed on the movement image trade. We purchased the smaller model from B&H for $189.
The Monitor: Quad Lock Suction Mount and Telephone Case
Our cellphone controls the digicam and screens the feed, so we would have liked a safe mount within the digicam automotive.
We now have an older Panavise PortaGrip Telephone Holder with Windshield Mount that’s good however, typically, permits the cellphone to slip out–so not splendid. The fashionable equal of this mount now sells for about $45.
So we checked out Quad Lock, a well-liked model on this sphere with mounts aimed toward vehicles, bikes and bikes.
We picked up the model’s customary Car Suction Mount for about $40. The corporate additionally gives a heavy-duty mount, however the usual one has been simply high quality for us.
To connect the cellphone to the mount, you’ll want the brand’s own case. They normally begin round $35. The Quad Lock setup retains the cellphone inside attain for simple setup earlier than rolling. Due to the digicam’s monitoring software program, as soon as it’s arrange, the operator can now merely drive the digicam automotive.
Complete price for all the things minus the cellphone? Proper round $1000, so lower than our previous setup whereas permitting us to function with two individuals as a substitute of three. We will now use any automobile because the digicam automotive.
In fact, you can spend even much less when assembling a car-to-car rig, however a minimum of for us, that appeared to compromise high quality. This setup has been our candy spot.
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