Accessories for Epic - single operator, shooting wildlife in Africa

[Mark Deeble]

Hi, I am new here, and any advice would be appreciated!

I plan to use an Epic for a 2 year wildlife shoot - single operator, focussing by eye, no monitoring, and above all, light weight. The camera will generally be on a Sachtler or Cartoni FL22 head - either on a 4 x 4 vehicle 'balcony' mount, sticks, or crane/ dolly - so no shoulder mount needed.
Lenses will be mainly Nikon telephoto, with PL mount S16 Canons zooms for windowed 2K high speed. No audio.

My thoughts so far are to go with the RED quick release platform dovetail, with DSMC 15mm light weight rod adapter, 15mm rods and Zacuto 1/4" lens support, Epic mounting plate and long dovetail plate on the bottom.

For the top, I was thinking RED DSMC top mount, sliding top handle, using 19-15mm step down sleeves and using 15mm rods to the Zacuto Zwiss cheseplate - to mount the bebop hot swap adapter.

I don't know whether the origo remote switch is now approved, but if not, I'll be looking at a Ronford Baker moose bar switched handle which I would attach to the pan handle.

Nikon mount - probably Optitek or Allstar.

I think mostly I'll be using screw-in or drop in filters or a clip-on Vocas matte box .
My aim is too keep this as light-weight and quick to deploy as possible.
I am in Africa having to order all this un-seen, so any advice as to whether it seems the right way to go, or anything I might have missed would be appreciated.

 

[Cüneyt Kaya]

read tom lowes epic m/owners thread. there you find your answers.

 

[Dave Blackham]

Hi Mark,

I can only comment for Red but I know theres quite a few new goodies from Red and third parties for mounts and grip type kit. We shoot wildlife too. Our preferred mount is an A mount from Allstar, we use Leica R and Nikon lenses plus the usual range of PL glass. On Balance we prefer Leica glass due to the focus throw but thats just our view. The A mount is excelent as we can quickly swap lenses as its an intermedia mount. I dont yet know how the Red interchangeable mount works. Tom at Allstar says he has a Epic mount in hand which is great news. You mention no monitoring but an LCD is strongly desirable with some sort of hood, we use a hoodnamn on the 7 inch which is fine. We have the Ronford moose bars but the new Red dog bone handles look very good too.

Im not sure if 15mm bars are right for long lenses, we prefer 19mm and use carbon from Cinevate. There are lighter tubes type bars too. Allstar do some aluminium tubes but they arnt stiff. They may be OK for top mounts. Most of our filtration is via screw in filters as you suggest.

Id also invest in a really good back up system for location.

Theres some excelent advice from others which lots of experience on this board too. Check out Steve Gibby's post's he has some good advice here.

Dave

 

[Mark Deeble]

Thanks Dave -

I know there is a lot of information in the forums here - my frustration is trying to access it, from the bush, using a cell modem that is slower than most old dial ups!
A 2 minute RED demo video can take all night to load…

One of the reasons I am going Nikon is that I have accumulated a lot of manual Nikon glass over the years - from 15mm - 500mm. Where I can, I try to go without a lens support to facilitate quick lens changes and the Allstar A looks like it gives great support to the lens. I had hoped 15mm would suffice - but maybe I was being overly optimistic.

I've never had much luck with 'sunlight' viewable lcds in Africa. Inevitably the hood seems to come loose at the worst time, in the melee of trying to change position, drive, cuddle the camera and get it back on the head again. I find an evf overcomes that, holds position well, and at the same time puts me in a fixed position close the camera so subject acquisition is faster. As you know, a lost second or two can mean you miss the action all together.

Have you found IR contamination to be a problem shooting uncontrolled exteriors?

What suggestions do you have for back-up? - at the moment I am planning to copy over to 2 x mirrored g-raid mini drives in the field then finally going to LTO 4 with Cache-A's Prime Cache.

I'll check out Steve Gibby's and Tom Lowes' posts - thanks.

 

[Scott Miller]

Sort of offf topic.... But I/me/myself would make a good accessory for a wildlife shoot on Epic in Africa

Sounds like an amazing adventure Mark!!

 

[Tom Lowe]

Mark, I cannot speak to the bottom mount and rods, as I am not using any at the moment. For the top, I am using the new Wooden Camera sliding cheeseplate with 12-inch Red 19mm CF to support my V-lock batteries. Eventually, however, Red will release their own batteries that will fit onto the back of the camera in a modular fashion and make top mount rods obsolete, IMO. If you can live with shorter power duration (probably not), you can begin to use Redvolt batteries in the side handle soon. I have not tried mine yet.

I'm still using the old Red One top handle. Are the DSMC ones available for order now?

Right now, I don't think there is an option for Origo, though I believe Deanan has said that it might be an option down the road. I would like to get something like this myself. In terms of focus check Magnify 1:1, right now there is a button on the side handle and one on the Redmote. The Redmote one is actually easier to use. Hopefully in the future the two small User buttons on the left side of the camera near the lens will be assignable with functions like Magnify.

 

[Mark Deeble]

Tom, thanks - great to see your set-up. I hadn't realised that the batteries will eventually fit in the side handle, that's great. Often I can power from an external source, particularly if I am working out of a vehicle, so that might also be an option. Unfortunately, trying to read through all the posts out there is REALLY slow with the off/on connection I have here.
Have you found IR contamination a problem with the type of work you do - it looks as if you are working in a similar environment, albeit a different continent.

I am not sure whether the handle is available yet - I am just trying to work out which bits are compatible and which bits I need to create a workable set-up as I have to try and do it in one hit. Finessing it will have to wait until I have been using it for a while.

 

[Mark Deeble]

Scott - I find making a film is always an amazing adventure! Ours take 2-2.5 years to film (www.deeblestone.com) and are very much small team, authored films - so we don't make very many - but they do become 'markers' in life!

 

[Tom Lowe]

No IR contamination issues at all.

 

[Dave Blackham]

Thanks Dave -

One of the reasons I am going Nikon is that I have accumulated a lot of manual Nikon glass over the years - from 15mm - 500mm. Where I can, I try to go without a lens support to facilitate quick lens changes and the Allstar A looks like it gives great support to the lens. I had hoped 15mm would suffice - but maybe I was being overly optimistic.

Agreed, A mount is great. Buy one with out delay.

Thanks Dave -

I've never had much luck with 'sunlight' viewable lcds in Africa. Inevitably the hood seems to come loose at the worst time, in the melee of trying to change position, drive, cuddle the camera and get it back on the head again. I find an evf overcomes that, holds position well, and at the same time puts me in a fixed position close the camera so subject acquisition is faster. As you know, a lost second or two can mean you miss the action all together.

I'll check out Steve Gibby's and Tom Lowes' posts - thanks.

We use mostly the EFV but the LCD is very useful, Sun and LCD's isnt good hence the hoodman. Gaffa tape is also needed........

Thanks Dave -

Have you found IR contamination to be a problem shooting uncontrolled exteriors?

No not for usual subjects. Flowing Lava and Furnaces can be an issue though.

Thanks Dave -

What suggestions do you have for back-up? - at the moment I am planning to copy over to 2 x mirrored g-raid mini drives in the field then finally going to LTO 4 with Cache-A's Prime Cache.

.

We use a macbook pro and G Drive Quad interface drives non mirrored but main and back up using Shot Put Pro. LTO is great but the Cache A is expensive. im hoping with Thunderbolt some sort of SAS interface my emerge to hook up a LTO direct to it, We use BRU to archive to the LTO. Either BRU PE or BRU server depending on what features you need.

I should also say that Red knocks the usual 2/3 cameras in to a cocked hat for quality of image, its so much farther ahead in terms of look. Im sure Epic will move it on much further again.

What out for the 2k material, theres some Red Cine tweeks to make it a little sharper if needed, Graeme may be able to comment on to achieve this or I can PM you.

Hope it all goes well.

Dave

 

[Jeremy Torrie]

I've had my Sliding Top Handle for more than a couple weeks. Is very solid and offers a couple of new spots to beneath it to screw pieces onto -such as SWAT rail.

 

[Mark Deeble]

That's great to hear - it is on the list then!

 

[Dave Blackham]

Mark, Check out Brian's stuff, it may be of use. Their products are always first rate.

http://reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?59054-EPIC-accessories-from-ActionProducts

 

[Justin R Goff]

Mark, Check out Brian's stuff, it may be of use. Their products are always first rate.

http://reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?59054-EPIC-accessories-from-ActionProducts

Thanks for the shoutout Dave. Our partner company ActionProducts has some very useful accessories in the works. If you do visit that thread, please check out the last few pages, we try to keep it updated regularly, so our newest updates always fall on the last few pages. Our upcoming EPIC accessories include:

-Top Mount Pro (A top mounting plate that allows for diverse camera mounting options, as well as adds various power sockets),
-Riser (A bottom plate that allows the EPIC to utilize industry standard accessories, like matte boxes),
-Audio Adapter (Modular accessories that attaches to, and runs through the Riser, and converts the 3.5mm jacks into industry standard XLR)
-15mm Light Weight Rod Assembly (Covers Audio Adapter cables and allows for mounting on standard 15mm rods)
-Power Distributor (V-Mount or Anton Bauer Mount that works with the Top Plate Pro to add various useful power sockets)


Thanks guys!

 

[Mark Deeble]

If I go RED DSMC for the quick release plate - it looks like the rods and anything attached to them will stay with the head when I remove the camera - which doesn't work if I am using a fixed lens support rather than a Y shaped lens 'rest'. Does any body know whether there is a 3rd party solution that keeps the rods with the camera but allows me to use the quick release plate?