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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Filming from a boat

Sabyasachi Patra

Sabyasachi Patra

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I am planning a natural history project to be shot extensively from a big motor boat. Due to the engine vibration I am unable to use my Oconnor fluid heads and tripods. So I plan to use the Canon 70-200 f2.8 L IS II lens with extenders in a handheld configuration to shoot subjects in the bank. Any idea of a rig which will help me in getting stable footage. My initial trip showed that due to the strong current the motor boat moves/turns, so handheld is better. I am likely to rent an EPIC for this project. I would like to know how you all deal in similar situations.
 
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Shot a commercial on the water in a 19 ft SeaRay I/O. Did it hand held with a gyro stabilizer. Footage looked great. We were filming a wake boarder behind another boat. Did another one for Harley Davison with the same rig. It's tough to get a steady shot when we took off from a standing start, but once up on plane it was smooth sailing. On bigger boats it was much easier to do. Good luck with the shoot.
 
I just did a job from a boat on the Adriatic Sea with Canon DSLRs. Vibrations were so strong and I couldn't use any focal length above 35mm due to rolling shutter. The boat's speed was around 30-35 knots. I suggest using EPIC. Makohead is nice...
 
I've spent some time shooting from boats. I use a Kenyon gyro and handheld configuration where the hands helps keeping the camera stable. I do know that you can rent a gyro quite cheap from Kenyon. The gyro do produce a hiz sound so you have to keep the mic at a distance from the camera.
Here is an example of footage shot with an Epic, a canon 70-200mmm, and a gyro, hanheld from a small boat. If you can shoot with 50 or 100 frames a second, like in this example, this also helps of course :)
https://vimeo.com/47197232
 
Two Kenyon K8s are even better, I use an Easy-Rig type of set-up to support the whole thing, built out of a good backpack with an aluminum skyhook and bunji cord to help take out some of the vibration works great and is easy to hold for long periods.
 
I'm about to shoot lots of stuff from a boat and occasionally from a helicopter.
Does it make sense to attach a Kension gyro or maybe two of them to The Clutch?
If so, how do I attach them to get the best results?

Thanks
 
You can shoot from a shoulder rig with two KS8s on it, or from an aerial exposure bungee rig with multiple KS-12s. Or a Tyler mini gyro with two KS8s. Try to keep the camera as light as possible, by powering it with a battery plate off the camera, etc.
 
Tom Lowe said:
You can shoot from a shoulder rig with two KS8s on it, or from an aerial exposure bungee rig with multiple KS-12s. Or a Tyler mini gyro with two KS8s. Try to keep the camera as light as possible, by powering it with a battery plate off the camera, etc.
Click to expand...

So the heavier my rig is, the stronger my gyro must be?

I'd like to see pictures of The Clutch with attached gyros.
 
it wont be cineflex but the Kenyons definitely help. Attach one to stabilize the horizon line and a second at 90 degrees offset to stabilize tilt. try to get the gyros as close as possible to the center of gravity for best results. in the end the biggest factor is still the platform you are riding on, some large helicopters become somewhat unstable when flying off axis (ie crabbing somewhat sideways to get a perspective looking forward) which increases vibration. A shorter tail rotor, 4 or more rotors and a very experienced pilot help. and of course weather is a major factor as well. I recently had great results flying with a Hughs 500. With two gyros and wide angle lens (Tokina 12-24mm at 5K WS) i was able to capture some spectacular landscapes but dont expect magic with a long lens.
 
Andy Kolb said:
I'm about to shoot lots of stuff from a boat and occasionally from a helicopter.
Does it make sense to attach a Kension gyro or maybe two of them to The Clutch?
If so, how do I attach them to get the best results?

Thanks
Click to expand...

That was my original plan (trying to attach Kenyon's to my clutch). Turns out that there is no practical way that you can attach Kenyon gyros to the clutch - you need to use something like the Tyler rig (pogo stick) and place the camera in the dovetail on top.

The K6's are enough to stabilize an EPIC with plenty of capacity for a normal lens. Have used them with the Pro Primes (which are heavier than most) with no issues.

One thing you will need to factor in is the spin-up time. When we are shooting aerials, the gyros are turned on well in advance of starting to capture images.

As far as the comment about noise - yes, they are loud, but typically in a boat to boat scenario, the talent is far enough away on a wireless or preferably set up on a time code slaved second system so it has never been a problem.
 
I've found those online so I thought it would help to attach one or two gyros to the shoulder rig.
 

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Back to your premise of mounting Kenyon's to the Clutch:

In the pictures in your post, notice how the gyro is always placed directly below the camera. The camera position can be changed since it is mounted on top of rails.

On the Clutch, the camera mounting point is on a receiver that is a fixed position on the rig.
In front, not below, are the rods.
I was not able find a means to mount the gyro directly underneath the camera position (without carving a dent inside my chest).


Also, since the handles mount off of rosettes on a fixed point - rather than clamped to the rods - if the gyro was placed forward on the rods, it would be closer to the handles than the camera.
The added weight too far forward would be tiring very quickly. Never-the-less, I did consider that approach and mounting a second gyro on the backside of the Clutch to provide some balance, but never got around to it - the Tyler was immediately more practical for the job I was prepping for.

For boat to boat work, I used to use the Schwem Gyrozoom on my HDCAM's - something I could hold over the side for a stabilized, just above the water surface shot. Still own that beast - lousy optics, but with some color correction, could pull it off.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I had no idea about Kenyon gyro's before. I don't know if anyone is renting the makohead or the Ks-8s in India. Most likely I would need to buy the Kenyon. I would love to see some more images of how people are using the Ks, so that I get some more idea.
 
Randy from Kenyon recommended one of their new gyros KS-4X4, KS-6X6 or KS-8X8 to me.
These are basically two gyros in one housing I believe.
I think will try one of those with a modified version of The Clutch and also handheld with the Epic.
 
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