Nikon Z6 with Edelkrone Motion Kit and HeadPlus

[DBounce]

So our Edelkrone Motion kit with the new HeadPlus unit arrived. I figured it would be a great chance to have a quick play with it to see how the Nikon Z6 handles on it. I like this smaller form factor for this setup. It keeps it pretty light. I used the 24-70mm F4 on this shoot. The whole systems was very easy to setup and use. I plan to use this setup regualarly. So I will be in a good position to gauge reliability. Anywhoddles... here is the video. Feel free to comment:

 

[thebrothersthre3]

Pretty cool, I've been contemplating getting something similar for timelapses. 

[salim]

ever since the Godfather starting shot every filmmaker wants to have this subtle zoom movement. But I've been wondering if you're shooting 4k (possibly with Atomos RAW they're talking about maybe higher than 4k) wouldn't make the production work easier if you just have a fixed tripod shot and then do this movement it in software? 

Maybe you go from 4K resolution to 3.8 or 3.5K and upscale to 4k. Would many people notice the change in image resolution? 

 

The tradeoff is maybe quicker and simpler setup and much cheaper production. 

[kye]

6 minutes ago, salim said:

ever since the Godfather starting shot every filmmaker wants to have this subtle zoom movement. But I've been wondering if you're shooting 4k (possibly with Atomos RAW they're talking about maybe higher than 4k) wouldn't make the production work easier if you just have a fixed tripod shot and then do this movement it in software? 

Maybe you go from 4K resolution to 3.8 or 3.5K and upscale to 4k. Would many people notice the change in image resolution? 

 

The tradeoff is maybe quicker and simpler setup and much cheaper production. 

Cropping in and panning / tilting / Ken Burns-ing is a digital simulation of a fixed position camera movement, like a fluid-head on a tripod.  The difference is that you don't get the depth effects of the foreground moving differently to the background.  If there's a movement towards or away from the subject then you also get a change in how out-of-focus the background is.

2 hours ago, DBounce said:

So our Edelkrone Motion kit with the new HeadPlus unit arrived. I figured it would be a great chance to have a quick play with it to see how the Nikon Z6 handles on it. I like this smaller form factor for this setup. It keeps it pretty light. I used the 24-70mm F4 on this shoot. The whole systems was very easy to setup and use. I plan to use this setup regualarly. So I will be in a good position to gauge reliability. Anywhoddles... here is the video. Feel free to comment:

Nice work!  Those movements are complex and really interesting.

I don't know your style or what you're trying to achieve creatively but this could really add to the right project.  The key is to practice and get to terms with the feel it creates and then use it on the right projects.  It reminds me of this video that was posted recently about hand-holding and camera movements, especially the combining of multiple shots into a single moving shot.

Also, films with "one take" like Russian Ark where the film includes all the normal shots of a film like close-ups, mid-shots, wides, etc but does so in a single fluid movement.

Obviously this isn't as extreme with your setup, but that is a whole aesthetic and would really contribute to the right projects.

[DBounce]

9 hours ago, thebrothersthre3 said:

Pretty cool, I've been contemplating getting something similar for timelapses. 

It's a great tool. Granted on the pricier side... maybe not so much when compared to other systems with the same functionality. Of course there are other options out there.  For time lapse you can actually get into a slider that pans and slides pretty affordably. So there's no reason not to give it a try. 

[DBounce]

8 hours ago, salim said:

ever since the Godfather starting shot every filmmaker wants to have this subtle zoom movement. But I've been wondering if you're shooting 4k (possibly with Atomos RAW they're talking about maybe higher than 4k) wouldn't make the production work easier if you just have a fixed tripod shot and then do this movement it in software? 

Maybe you go from 4K resolution to 3.8 or 3.5K and upscale to 4k. Would many people notice the change in image resolution? 

 

The tradeoff is maybe quicker and simpler setup and much cheaper production. 

The pros maybe quicker, simpler and much cheaper production... but it will also look like a cheaper production. So other than cost, there is no upside. Back in the day I loved AE. I could create some pretty crazy effects with that software. After awhile I focused on using it in subtle ways.  Effect that were "there",  but never noticed as effects. So naturally I've tried stimulating movement with cropping. It tends to look "off". Even a simple zoom or pan is easily spotted as fake. It doesn't matter if you ease in/out... or add motion blur.  The problem is you cannot fake parallax and you cannot fake lens compression. This might have more success with a lightfield camera... but you could buy the motion controller and hire a crew for the price of one of those. 

[anonim]

10 hours ago, kye said:

Cropping in and panning / tilting / Ken Burns-ing is a digital simulation of a fixed position camera movement, like a fluid-head on a tripod.  The difference is that you don't get the depth effects of the foreground moving differently to the background.  If there's a movement towards or away from the subject then you also get a change in how out-of-focus the background is.

Actually, that is base task for compositor's seat in studio, being it with Nuke or Fusion - extracting and playing with plans, paralax projections and z-plates in 3D space

But, of course, filming and moving on fresh air, dancing with camera instead of sitting in twilight-zone of vfx room, is much better and natural solution!

[mercer]

@DBounce this looks really cool. Excuse my ignorance with these new fangled gadgets, but I assume you set the marks before hand and the slider hits them?

Something like this is really appealing to me. I started as an actor, then screenwriter, but as a poor filmmaker it is often difficult to get actors, at the rates I can afford. With something like this, I could be in my own movie... talk about the ultimate one man band filmmaking. Makes me want to grab a 5D4. Lol.

I assume that set up is pretty pricey, though?

On another note, I think you have a pretty good screen presence but I’m unsure of your goal. I know you’re a hobbyist, but do you want to make narratives? Family videos? Build a YouTube channel? I mean, what’s your end game?

I’ll also add... I still think I prefer your Canon work... particularly the 1DXii and C200. The Fuji videos looked pretty good as well. Nikon... I don’t know. Maybe too early to tell.

Anyway, thanks for posting. 

[DBounce]

3 hours ago, mercer said:

@DBounce this looks really cool. Excuse my ignorance with these new fangled gadgets, but I assume you set the marks before hand and the slider hits them?

Something like this is really appealing to me. I started as an actor, then screenwriter, but as a poor filmmaker it is often difficult to get actors, at the rates I can afford. With something like this, I could be in my own movie... talk about the ultimate one man band filmmaking. Makes me want to grab a 5D4. Lol.

I assume that set up is pretty pricey, though?

On another note, I think you have a pretty good screen presence but I’m unsure of your goal. I know you’re a hobbyist, but do you want to make narratives? Family videos? Build a YouTube channel? I mean, what’s your end game?

I’ll also add... I still think I prefer your Canon work... particularly the 1DXii and C200. The Fuji videos looked pretty good as well. Nikon... I don’t know. Maybe too early to tell.

Anyway, thanks for posting. 

@mercer first thanks for the compliment, it’s always nice to hear positive feedback. 

As for marks... you can set your marks very easily by simply moving the camera to whatever position you want and holding an empty pose button. Repeat for subsequent positions. Poses can be sequenced to form complex movements. I also have the focus module and laser targeting system, but I wanted to test it out with AF first. I’ll be doing some test with the Canon EOR R later. Both are great, but there are so many great cameras out right now.

I feel to really separate ones work from the crowd and finally achieve that cinematic goal, we filmmakers need to turn some serious attention to lighting, movement and most importantly... story. 

I hear you on your second point... it’s often hard to find others that want to film. This kind of setup can really help to free us to shoot whenever the sprit takes us.

As for my goal, I have a couple of interest: narrative works are really my main artistic goal. Capturing family memories is important also, but more often than not my camera of choice for that subject matter tends to be my smartphone. 

Youtube for me is more about sharing ideas and knowledge that I may have gained. If my channel grows that’s great, but it’s not a huge focus of mine. 

Interesting you still prefer my Canon work... I won’t lie @mercer when you said that about the GH5S it probably played a role in my decision to ditch Panasonic. Too many people seemed to be of the same opinion. 

I like the Nikon it’s a great camera. But that Canon EOS R is just so easy to shoot with. It’s a study in functionality. 

[Kisaha]

I have the cheap Edelkrones, and boy, they work. They do just a slight movement, but they fit in my camera bag (at least the slider does) and up my production values significantly.

Bigger companies I work for have the bigger Edelkrone's.

One problem is that they change machines all the time, in a way you have to buy new every couple of years to stay current with their models (hardware and software).

Visit their page @mercer, you will be surprised this is the cheapest one. 

https://edelkrone.eu/products/sliderone-pro