Canon will be announcing a new Cinema EOS camera ahead of NAB in April

[Avenger 2.0]

How about a smaller and cheaper C100 like camera (c1000?) with EF-M mount 😎

[independent]

I just think the easyrig doesn’t do enough and is often more trouble than its worth.

Want steady shots with pans and tilts? Sticks.

Four points of contact and a dynamic look? Shoulder mount.

Redistribute weight and get smooth shots and movement? Steadicam.

Sure, there are some (very specific) situations where they make some sense, and a few DPs and operators do like them. 

But in my opinion, there are generally better, tried-and-true options. 

Hell, Christopher Doyle shoots with a pillow, so whatever floats your horse in the shed. 
 

[thebrothersthre3]

2 hours ago, independent said:

I just think the easyrig doesn’t do enough and is often more trouble than its worth.

Want steady shots with pans and tilts? Sticks.

Four points of contact and a dynamic look? Shoulder mount.

Redistribute weight and get smooth shots and movement? Steadicam.

Sure, there are some (very specific) situations where they make some sense, and a few DPs and operators do like them. 

But in my opinion, there are generally better, tried-and-true options. 

Hell, Christopher Doyle shoots with a pillow, so whatever floats your horse in the shed. 
 

Shoulder mounts kill my shoulders tho 

[barefoot_dp]

9 hours ago, independent said:

Want steady shots with pans and tilts? Sticks.

Four points of contact and a dynamic look? Shoulder mount.

Redistribute weight and get smooth shots and movement? Steadicam.

Sure, there are some (very specific) situations where they make some sense, and a few DPs and operators do like them. 

But in my opinion, there are generally better, tried-and-true options. 

Hell, Christopher Doyle shoots with a pillow, so whatever floats your horse in the shed. 
 

Sticks don't give you the freedom of movement. It's a totally different look and feel.

Shoulder mount doesn't give you enough height variation.

Steadycam is for specific shots and not good for run-n-gun.

There's a lot more than "some (very specific)" situations where they work. They're usually the go-to default tool for DP's getting the handheld look. I don't think I've done a single shoot on Arri or Red where the DP didn't use an Easyrig. You might not be a fan of them, and that's ok, but that doesn't mean that they aren't one of the most widely used tools on film sets worldwide.

[independent]

Enjoy your easy rigs! Not for me.

2 hours ago, barefoot_dp said:

They're usually the go-to default tool for DP's getting the handheld look

I don't see them as default anything here in New York City. 

[IronFilm]

On 2/28/2020 at 11:56 AM, currensheldon said:

A C100 III would be awesome an instant buy for me if it had an RF mount, 10-bit 4k up to 30fps, and 10-bit in HD. Don't care if it has high frame rates, raw, etc as I would use it JUST for my observational doc stuff - which I always shoot in 10-bit (usually 4k) at 24fps. 

C100mk3 won't get 4K 10bit internal

The C100 series hasn't even got 10bit HD external, EVER!

 

3 hours ago, independent said:

I don't see them as default anything here in New York City. 

I've seen easyrigs on sets of all sizes, from a small no budget short films to sets for netflix series 

[IronFilm]

17 hours ago, barefoot_dp said:

Why release a new model when your old one is still selling so well?

I bet the C100 isn't selling as well today as it was a few years ago. 

Don't know anybody who purchased a C100 recently, have a friend who purchased the C100mk2 but that was three years ago? And he's moved onto the UMP now. 

As why buy a C100mk2 when the FS5mk2 is only another grand and half?
 

[IronFilm]

16 hours ago, independent said:

I just think the easyrig doesn’t do enough and is often more trouble than its worth.

Want steady shots with pans and tilts? Sticks.

Four points of contact and a dynamic look? Shoulder mount.

Redistribute weight and get smooth shots and movement? Steadicam.

Sure, there are some (very specific) situations where they make some sense, and a few DPs and operators do like them. 

But in my opinion, there are generally better, tried-and-true options. 

Hell, Christopher Doyle shoots with a pillow, so whatever floats your horse in the shed. 
 

Sticks will give a very precise clinical look to the footage, might not be what a person desires?
Or they might just desire the practical speed of shooting which an easyrig will give vs a tripod. When you're setting up a shot it is much easy to play around and tweak the setup up when you're on your feet with an easyrig than with a tripod. 

A shoulder mount doesn't give the flexibility of an easyrig (like I said before, if I'm using a shoulder rig then I'm going to be by default often looking down on people! A short person would have the opposite problem). 

A steadicam adds greater complexities and costs. Not every production has the budget for a steadicam op, while an easyrig is (relatively) cheap. 


What if you want a variety of styles quickly? A small push in for one shot, the next shot you're moving the camera tracking the actor for a few footsteps, and then next you've a static shot. An easyrig can do a decent job at stimulating each of these, and will get it done waaaay faster than setting up a dolly, then putting it on a steadicam, then onto a tripod!

So there are real practical benefits to choosing an easyrig, but even it have all the time in the world and an unlimited budget, you may still choose the easyrig for stylistic reasons. 

Yes, you might say the other approaches give a similar result, and the differences are only subtle. But that is like asking someone why do they need an 85mm when they've already got a 50mm lens? Why not just push in closer with your 50mm, the difference is only "subtle"?
 

[tupp]

18 hours ago, Avenger 2.0 said:

How about a smaller and cheaper C100 like camera (c1000?) with EF-M mount 😎

Not sure if Canon has enough snap to do something that makes sense.

[Trek of Joy]

Maybe the new camera is the XC-15 successor. 😅

Though adding a RF mount camera makes a lot more sense.

Chris

[independent]

Ironfilm, sure your height issue might be a good reason to go for the easyrig. I’ve seen them used sometimes for doc/reality, but other than that, not really.

And really, you see them on sets all the time? Really? I don’t. I see standard sticks, dollys, cranes, etc. These shows aren’t being shot on easyrigs.

You should talk to grips or anybody from the camera department...the overwhelming majority of handheld shots are still shoulder-mount. Where do you work, Sweden? 😀

 

[barefoot_dp]

On 2/29/2020 at 11:32 AM, independent said:

Enjoy your easy rigs! Not for me.

I don't see them as default anything here in New York City. 

What sort of cams/shoots are you observing? You don't see them often in broadcast TV or sit-coms which are often shot multi-cam as-live, but on most other stuff they're pretty common. When shooting drama or commercials, I'd say most guys are using an easyrig more than a tripod or dolly these days, given the handheld look is very in vogue (this is coming from a 1st AC perspective). I worked with a lot of DP's who only own 2 bits of gear - an easyrig, and a SmallHD monitor. Everything else is rented but those two are the constants that they use on every shoot.

Relating it to the thread at large, I think the Cx00 series are about the heaviest cams that aren't regularly used with an easyrig or shoulder-mount. Though the C300mkII was horrendous to hand-hold as the weight was high up and far forward. Hopefully that's something they fix on all the cameras moving forward.

[Mako Sports]

On 2/28/2020 at 10:06 AM, thebrothersthre3 said:

Shoulder mounts kill my shoulders tho 

You need to add a counter weight then.

[Kisaha]

On 2/28/2020 at 12:38 PM, IronFilm said:

Indeed I am! Well well over 6 foot. 

And I say the same about some of my mates who are "tall" but not doing sound! Wasted opportunity. 

Some of the greatest boom ops I have worked with, are short to shortish.

I am kind of average (1.75m) and I was kind of great (or better!) with the boom pole!

My assistant is booming for 30 years now, and is around 1 68-1.70m

I had 2 even shorter boomen recently. A 37 year old one and a 55 year old both under 1.70.

The tallest one, around 1.95m-2m was the worst booman I had, ever. I tried to teach him everything I knew and he was such a bad character and owful in learning. not worthy for the industry, just a random person.

Canon C100 is one of the best selling cinema camera. Just wished for an XC type of camera with EF mount and 10bit recording. 10bit should be mandatory on a cine/pro video camera in 2020. We have raw for a 1000€ for Pete's shake.

[newfoundmass]

On 2/28/2020 at 10:06 AM, thebrothersthre3 said:

Shoulder mounts kill my shoulders tho 

I was the same way until I found the prefect balance and applied the right amount of weight. You just gotta find the right set up. 

[IronFilm]

6 hours ago, barefoot_dp said:

What sort of cams/shoots are you observing? You don't see them often in broadcast TV or sit-coms which are often shot multi-cam as-live, but on most other stuff they're pretty common. When shooting drama or commercials, I'd say most guys are using an easyrig more than a tripod or dolly these days, given the handheld look is very in vogue (this is coming from a 1st AC perspective). I worked with a lot of DP's who only own 2 bits of gear - an easyrig, and a SmallHD monitor. Everything else is rented but those two are the constants that they use on every shoot.

Relating it to the thread at large, I think the Cx00 series are about the heaviest cams that aren't regularly used with an easyrig or shoulder-mount. Though the C300mkII was horrendous to hand-hold as the weight was high up and far forward. Hopefully that's something they fix on all the cameras moving forward.

I felt the same annoying weight distribution problem with the C300mk1 when I operated it, and they didn't change it up much for the C300mk2, so I wouldn't hold out much hope a mk3 or others would fix that. 

3 hours ago, Kisaha said:

Some of the greatest boom ops I have worked with, are short to shortish.

I am kind of average (1.75m) and I was kind of great (or better!) with the boom pole!

My assistant is booming for 30 years now, and is around 1 68-1.70m

I had 2 even shorter boomen recently. A 37 year old one and a 55 year old both under 1.70.

The tallest one, around 1.95m-2m was the worst booman I had, ever. I tried to teach him everything I knew and he was such a bad character and owful in learning. not worthy for the industry, just a random person.

 

[IronFilm]

 

7 hours ago, Kisaha said:

Some of the greatest boom ops I have worked with, are short to shortish.

I am kind of average (1.75m) and I was kind of great (or better!) with the boom pole!

My assistant is booming for 30 years now, and is around 1 68-1.70m

I had 2 even shorter boomen recently. A 37 year old one and a 55 year old both under 1.70.

The tallest one, around 1.95m-2m was the worst booman I had, ever. I tried to teach him everything I knew and he was such a bad character and owful in learning. not worthy for the industry, just a random person.

I'm not saying someone who is short can't be a boom op, but it is quite undeniable that extra height will be beneficial.

It is like if you're a basketball player, it is undeniable that typically being taller would help!

Sure, you can have players under 6ft who are in the NBA. But if you're 6' 9" instead then that would really help your chances of playing professionally!

And yes, just like being 7ft won't automatically make you a 1st round draft pick for the NBA, likewise it won't make you the best boom op either. (One of my friends is basically the only guy I'll ever see on set on a repeated basis who is markedly taller than myself, and thus I've attempted to use him a couple of times as a boom op on no budget grade films, but sadly he lacks the motivation / desire / aptitude. He's better off in lighting / art / wherever else instead)

[Kisaha]

@IronFilm I was about to make the NBA example!

There are so many variables on a good boom op, and usually the best ones are not on features, because there you have 2 or 3 boom ops on a very specific and well planned scene.

Best boom ops are in jobs like every day episodic TV, soap operas with a lot of exteriors and the such, on low budgeted 2nd and 3rd world countries.

Every day we shoot 22-25minutes of PLAY time, time that will be aired on a few days. That is madness for all the departments, but mostly sound. You really have to be on top of your game every minute or everything goes downhill, fast; they can literally see a problem on the monitor, but most of the times do not realize what is going on with sound.

[independent]

On 2/29/2020 at 8:12 PM, barefoot_dp said:

When shooting drama or commercials, I'd say most guys are using an easyrig more than a tripod or dolly these days, given the handheld look is very in vogue (this is coming from a 1st AC perspective). I worked with a lot of DP's who only own 2 bits of gear - an easyrig, and a SmallHD monitor. Everything else is rented but those two are the constants that they use on every shoot.

That’s remarkable. You see more easyrigs than tripods and dollys? Where are you based?

 

 

[barefoot_dp]

6 hours ago, independent said:

That’s remarkable. You see more easyrigs than tripods and dollys? Where are you based?

I didn't say I'm seeing more of them - every shoot has a tripod there, even if it's just for resting the camera on. But in terms of what they're actually using on set, I'm seeing a lot more DP's/Directors that prefer to shoot the currently in-vogue handheld look, as opposed to the sticks & dolly style. And when they're shooting that style they use an Easyrig 100% of the time.

This is in Australia, most often shooting on Alexa mini, occasionally a F55/Red. Haven't had the fortune to work on an LF or Venice shoot yet but I imagine they'd be used in exactly the same way. What types of shoots/cams are you observing in New York?