Recently FineLine Multimedia produced a DSLR video to capture the events of Saint Vincent College’s Get Acquainted Day.

• Visit the Saint Vincent College Website
• View the Get Acquainted Day video.

Shooting with a DSLR (a digital single-lens reflex camera) provides film-like quality with the flexibility of multiple lenses and a relatively small amount of equipment which allows for high mobility.  Because of this it was the perfect method for capturing the day, but it also provides it’s own challenges that require special consideration and equipment.

Our gear for the day (pictured below) included:

1. Canon 5D Mark II
2. Canon 7D
3. Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Autofocus Lens
4. Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Autofocus Lens with Redrock Mirco Lens Gear
5. Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM Telephoto Zoom Lens
6. Glidecam 4000 Pro
7. Redrock Micro DSLR Field Cinema Deluxe Bundle
8. Zoom H4N with headphones
9. 2 Lexar 16 GB UDMA Compact Flash Cards (not pictured)
10. 3 Canon Batteries (not pictured)
11. Manfrotto Rapid Connect Adapter (not pictured)

Get Acquainted Day Equipment Set

We intended to get dynamic, high-action footage and knew that a conventional tripod would not be a viable means of achieving the style we wanted with the amount of location changes and speed that would be required of us, and as such prepared for a shoot without one.

Redrock Micro DSLR Field Cinema Deluxe Bundle Shoulder Kit

Rather, for camera support and stability we depended on the Redrock Micro DSLR Field Camera shoulder mount with follow focus.

As packaged this shoulder rig is intended to be used with a monitor attached, but instead of being encumbered by a monitor, wires, and a power supply, we opted to make modifications to the unit.  Assembled as intended the camera sat too far to the right of the videographer, making it difficult to clearly see the camera’s LCD display.  We needed the camera to be more appropriately positioned so that the user can view its LCD display.  To do so we used a Redrock microLink3 and an additional 9″ Carbon Fiber Rod to shift the camera to the left several inches.  (Click image to enlarge)

With this in place we were able to attach the follow focus, adjust it for our camera and 16-35 mm lens with ring gear attachment to ensure stable footage and smooth focusing. (Click image to enlarge)

We also used the shoulder mount with the 70-200mm lens, however we did not have the follow focus attached as the rods of the micro were not long enough to accommodate such a long lens the way it is currently set up.  Shots with the 70-200 were focused by hand.

Redrock Micro with 70-200mm lens

For the shots with more dynamic motion we relied on the Glidecam4000 Pro and Canon 7D.

Glidecam4000 Pro and Canon 7D

Equipped with a Manfrotto Rapid Connect Adapter and the Canon 18-55mm lens this is a perfect setup for smooth action shots.  We stuck with the 18-55mm lens due to it being extremely lightweight and easy to balance on the Glidecam, which was important as all the movement throughout the day required the occasional readjustment.

Canon 7D with 18-55mm Lens

The Manfrotto Rapid Connect Adapter makes it simple to mount your camera to the Glidecam without having it be a hassle to remove.  Simply attach the adapter to the Glidecam, then attach your camera to the mounting plate as far foward as possible to ensure that it’s always in the same position.  This lets you disconnect and reconnect the camera from the Glidecam while avoiding any extreme rebalancing. (Click image to enlarge)

This video is a compilation of the great footage we got during the Get Acquainted Day Event using the Glidecam, Canon 7D with 18-35mm lens, and Manfrotto Rapid Connect Adapter.

Another challenge we faced in this project was finding the best way to record audio in the field.  While both cameras do feature onboard audio recording, the quality often isn’t up to par especially with the inability to disable the audio AGC (Automatic Gain Control).  Due to this, quiet recordings often have a heavy “hiss” in the background and too much background noise when trying to focus on a particular subject.  The simplest fix for this we found was using the Zoom H4N.  The H4N is equipped with two of its own high quality stereo microphones, two inputs that can be used for either XLR or 1/4″ connections with phantom power, and a separate mini jack for a microphone in a compact and portable package.

Zoom H4N with Windscreen

Mindful of how much equipment we would be carrying and how often we would be transporting it from place to place we opted to use the onboard stereo microphones with a windscreen in place over top.  This proved to be the simplest method to record quality audio  since it not only sounded great even with automatic settings, but the Zoom H4N records in WAV format as well which is a native format for most video editing programs.

The following video is a sample of interviews from the shoot recorded with both the onboard audio from the Canon 5D Mark II and the Zoom H4N’s onboard stereo microphones on automatic settings.

Though transport of this equipment still requires more than one person, we were very pleased with the amazing results we are able to achieve with an extremely compact and portable equipment set.