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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 :)

I need your opinion :)

jonathan murphy

jonathan murphy

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Ok so I need everyone's opinion on what to do. I am going on vacation to Switzerland, Austria and France for 15 days in a month and have a dilemma. Do I bring my stripped down Red Epic Dragon and my GH4 with speedbooster and canon lenses or JUST bring my GH4 with maybe a Ronin M?

Let me breakdown what I am thinking about bringing and then explain what this trip is a little bit better...

2 ft Carbon Rhino Slider
Syrp Genie Motion Controller
Red Epic Dragon
Panasonic GH4
Maybe a Ronin M???
Wide, Telephoto, Macro, and cheap 100-300 canon lenses
Batts etc.
SmallHD 502 (for both cameras)

The purpose of this trip is to relax and shoot for enjoyment/stock video and stock photography. Its just my wife and I going and she will be 28 weeks pregnant. I want to travel decently light and not bring a shit ton of stuff which... in lies the problem. Should I JUST bring the Gh4 or do I also bring the Dragon and maybe no gimble? With my dragon one of the main hindrances is my batts. I use pag batts that are 2 lbs a piece and it just all adds up so quick with the red (as I am sure you all know) I am genuinely torn and just want other pros to weigh in. What would you do? I love to shoot but don't want to weigh my prego wife down like a pack mule. I will mostly shoot outdoors/nature/document our trip/timelapses etc.


Thoughts? Anything I am missing maybe that would rock my world?

THANKS IN ADVANCE!!!


(please forgive any grammar and spelling errors. Had to type this quick before leaving!)
 
Obviously having both would be the best of both worlds but for a family vacation, it's really not ideal. First, since you're traveling internationally, you would need to get a Carnet (essentially a passport for your gear), since the belongings you're traveling with exceeds $10k. It's easy to obtain, but you have to go through extra hoops upon leaving and arriving, then again on your return.

Secondly, if you want to be vacationing, I'm guessing you're not going to want to worry about your baby Dragon sitting underneath your lounge chair while you're swimming in the pool. A GH4 kit, while expensive, if got stolen, wouldn't be the end of the world.

Thirdly, I'm guessing your wife is going to want some quality time with you, especially with her being pregnant (congrats). She isn't going to want you trucking around a whole bunch of gear (sliders, gimbals, etc.). Go lean and light. You could even pick up one of those small, single-handed gimbals - cheap...like $400 for a really good one, that will stabilize your GH4.

So personally, I'd just rock a GH4 kit. Will save you LOTS of pain/headache from customs and the wife!
 
Last year I took a trip through Asia with a stripped down Epic and a 5DM3. With only 2 bricks, 1 zoom lens and a monopod, the weight still came in over 15lbs. I wanted so bad to capture my trip with the best images I can possibly capture and relive those moments later. But after the 3rd day, it was obvious that the burden of carrying such gear took away from the experience of living that adventure. So I left the Epic back at the hotel for the rest of the trip and shot with the DSLR instead. Was the best decision I made the entire trip.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the images we capture with our gear, we miss the moments that happen before our eyes. My advice is to pack light and enjoy your trip.
 
Hi Jonathan I agree with Tom and Chris. Enjoy some time with your wife and child. Pack light. If you try and stretch your holiday in too many directions it won't be a holiday for either one of you.
Precious moments are a one off.
 
Go with the GH4 and maybe pick up an external recorder to get the best out of it. I also agree with everyone above.
 
Anything worth doing is worth doing well.

What that means for you? You'll have to decide :)
 
Go small. Otherwise it turns into a production. I still use my hacked GH2 for family vacation footage/stills. It's low profile, less likely to be stolen and is a good compromise for doing video and stills. I love using it with the Pentax Taks because they are tiny and great quality. Easy to blend in as a tourist. Battery life is decent. Can fit a good amount on a 64GB card even with the hack.

I would use the GH4, pull it out when opportunity presents itself and then enjoy the rest of the time with the wife sans camera. Focus more on taking selfies on iPhone. She will love you for it. But when you see an awesome photo opp to capture the pregnancy in a beautiful setting, by all means get that on the nice camera.
 
jonathan murphy said:
Ok so I need everyone's opinion on what to do. I am going on vacation to Switzerland, Austria and France for 15 days in a month and have a dilemma. Do I bring my stripped down Red Epic Dragon and my GH4 with speedbooster and canon lenses or JUST bring my GH4 with maybe a Ronin M?

Let me breakdown what I am thinking about bringing and then explain what this trip is a little bit better...

2 ft Carbon Rhino Slider
Syrp Genie Motion Controller
Red Epic Dragon
Panasonic GH4
Maybe a Ronin M???
Wide, Telephoto, Macro, and cheap 100-300 canon lenses
Batts etc.
SmallHD 502 (for both cameras)

The purpose of this trip is to relax and shoot for enjoyment/stock video and stock photography. Its just my wife and I going and she will be 28 weeks pregnant.
Click to expand...


a)

"I remember that time I went to Europe with my wife and gear and didn't have a relaxing trip or shoot proper footage".

b)

"Honey let's gooo. No, wait a sec for me to bring/fix/check/assemble/put away/recharge/store safely item a/b/c/d/e/f/g. Did you see my lens cap ? "

x100

c)

"Oh yeah ? And remember when we went to Europe and I was pregnant and you kept playing with your camera(s) all the time?"

x100



Suggestion:

Bring the smallest amount of gear which you can put in a small bag and enjoy your trip with your wife.
 
Wisest choice would be not dragging that epic with you (unless if you gonna bring 2 ACs with the kit).It ll ruin your holiday trust me.It all starts with ah its smallest cine camera ever its gonna be easy then you realize its just pain in the ass big time.
 
If you asked me three years ago I would say pack the Dragon but today I say pack the Gh4 and perhaps the Ronin M or a slider (but only if you do timelapse). Having the Dragon with you will slow down the trip to much and you have to worry too much of it not getting stolen. Better to put that notion on your wife instead and Im sure she will let you go and get more shots=)
 
This is a fun thread because I have SO been there, done that, with a wife who is a saint for putting up with Mr. Productionhead.

Go light, enjoy your family, get shots later when you're not on vacation. Sounds great on paper, rarely works in practice. Twenty eight weeks pregnant is not the time to make her wait on you while you explain to Mr. Customs Agent why the viewfinder is called a bomb.
 
for me : stripped down dragon (with uncovered top fan), 5 inch lcd, side handle with REDvolts and canon pancake 40mm in a small Domke photo bag...
sometimes I go with PL mount + 2-3 superspeed and 3x3 matte box but that's a bit more heavier.

Never regretted bringing a RED with me, kids and family memory in 6K is unbeatable... until we can shoot everything in glorious raw 8K :-)
Just wish it would boot a bit faster at times...
 
Let me also clarify what my red package would look like...

Red Dragon body with uncovered top fan and switchblade
Top Handle
Canon mount
Smallhd 502 monitor
Vlock plate on back
2 paglite batts at 1.9lb each.

Still too much to bring?
 
jonathan murphy said:
Let me also clarify what my red package would look like...

Red Dragon body with uncovered top fan and switchblade
Top Handle
Canon mount
Smallhd 502 monitor
Vlock plate on back
2 paglite batts at 1.9lb each.

Still too much to bring?
Click to expand...

Like most of us have mentioned...YES! :-)

A carnet will set you back $300-$500 and you're going to have to deal with customs (4x - once in the states, when you arrive at your destination, then again before you leave your vacation spot, then again when you arrive back in the US). 4K from the GH4 is totally fine. Trust me...it's totally worth enjoying your vacation than worrying about gear while you're supposed to be having fun!
 
Chris McKechnie said:
... 4K from the GH4 is totally fine. Trust me...it's totally worth enjoying your vacation than worrying about gear while you're supposed to be having fun!
Click to expand...

What Chris said. The other thing about shooting with your RED is that it typically attracts a lot of attention, especially in the street or in public places. That can be both good and bad: I have had police officers come up to me in London when filming in Hyde Park and in some public buildings and ask to see my credentials/ permit. On the other hand, in Italy I was filming a local village festival and the Vice Mayor came up to me. As it turned out, he actually knew what the camera was, he excused himself, and then came back about 10 minutes later with a hastily made-up press pass! It got me into all the events for free. A word to the wise, if you take your RED out of the country, be absolutely sure that your insurance still covers you for any loss or damage to your camera.
 
jonathan murphy said:
Let me also clarify what my red package would look like...

Red Dragon body with uncovered top fan and switchblade
Top Handle
Canon mount
Smallhd 502 monitor
Vlock plate on back
2 paglite batts at 1.9lb each.

Still too much to bring?
Click to expand...

For a working trip no. For a country touring vacation with a loved one not very excited about shooting - yes.
14 days and three countries already means you won't experience much of any location and time and relaxation are pretty challenged.

You are attempting to mix two non-complementary things and >10 Lbs of five figure pro gear set & pregnant wife on an international tour added to the mix are not exactly helping with the odds of success of this venture.

Enjoy your trip.
 
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