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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 :)

Ok that is very very helpful. I am probably just going to bring the GH4 :) Does anyone know of a handheld gimbal that can hold a gh4/speedbooster/canon zooms or am I asking too much? If not I am going to go with a ronin m. They look like they can fit in a laptop case when packed right.
 
jonathan murphy said:
Ok that is very very helpful. I am probably just going to bring the GH4 :) Does anyone know of a handheld gimbal that can hold a gh4/speedbooster/canon zooms or am I asking too much? If not I am going to go with a ronin m. They look like they can fit in a laptop case when packed right.
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I'll advice you contrary to anyone else to dump the GH4 and go Dragon big time. Unless they steal it from you, you won't regret but with the GH4 there is a possibility that you'll regret. Plus you'll get real footage not mickey mouse compressed "4k". Plus you can buy insurance from Athos.
 
Mikael Lubtchansky said:
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...
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Master Mikael says it all !


Switzerland is one of those places where you definitely want to have your RED especially in places like Valle Maggia & Verzasca, as a Swiss im obviously biased but the vistas are just too damn amazing not to shoot on an as good system as possible. ;) I ll be there next month as well for a family visit and I'll be damned if im not taking my RED with me.

As far as customs go, I never had any issues or even enquires from their end and I never bothered with a carnet when traveling with my gear, neither in Europe, nor Asia nor coming back home to Australia. No idea what it would be like coming back to the US but based on my experience I certainly wouldn't spend $500,- on customs documents when traveling with a light kit that looks like you're just a fancy rich shooter travelling with his Epic....as long as you don't have 50 pelican cases with you I doubt anyone will hassle you over there.
 
I recently had a similar choice on a trip to Iceland... Either take a kitted out FS700/Odyssey or just take the Sony A7s and a small gimbal... I ended up taking the latter and thoroughly enjoyed it. I ended up getting really nice shots of the family enjoying themselves and could quickly get shots that I would never have gotten with a big kit and heavy tripod. The footage looks great, maybe I will kick myself one day for not having 4K, but I doubt it.

Sometimes, good enough (quality) really is good enough when it means the footage you get is far better and more personal.
 
Lakis Amarantithis said:
Unless they steal it from you, you won't regret but with the GH4 there is a possibility that you'll regret. Plus you'll get real footage not mickey mouse compressed "4k". Plus you can buy insurance from Athos.
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Additional options of regret, unaffected by compression:

1) No relaxation whatsoever due to pampering pro gear and considering/chasing/acquiring shots
2) Getting home completely physically/mentally exhausted
3) Seeing less due to time lost for setting up gear not designed for this purpose
4) Remembering a trip through EVF/monitor experience
5) "I want to get that shot" > =/= < " I want to check those souvenirs/foods/customs/events/whatever with you" > tension/drama on vacation
6) Messed up vacation for wife, remembered for ever
 
So... I walk around with my Dragon mostly all over the place, but have recently been playing a bit with still cameras again for stills.

It's definitely a boon when you go with your wife/GF

When on my own: Dragon all the way.
When working with my GF: Dragon all the way.

For a romantic memorable walk down the beach or just listening to the lions in Serengeti and looking at stars.

Leave that iPhone (even) and nJoy the moment.

Allmost had forgotten how cool that can be.

That said.

A Dragon with a sigma 18-35 + a Canon 70-200 and a light tripod, is definitely doable, with sidehandle and small batts... Just saying.

And I have never had issues with an Epic/Dragon with batterygrip.

It looks like a big still camera, and who wants a carnet for that stuff? Goes in the handluggage and all over the world with no issues whatsoever in my experience.
 
This has been very good advice and I am as confused as ever :) The bottom line is I will have fun with both. I will say my enjoyment comes in filming and it my wife truthfully enjoys it too. Not to mention a lot of what we film will be sold as stock footage. It kind of gives us something to do. We went to New Zealand last year for 4 weeks and filmed the whole time and it was one of the best memories we ever had. I had my a7s with me at the time and there were times I wished for the RED and times I didn't. Its just such a toss up!

One thought I had was using lipos for really lightweight work (I don't have the sidehandle just switchblade). Can anyone speak to lipos and how to mount them to the body of a camera? I know precautions you have to take with lipos. Just a good lightweight option for
 
Enjoy your vacation with your wife first! Try not to go into "production mode", as we all too often do on our own time (and dime). This is YOUR time (and your pregnant wife's), so don't take away from the experience by thinking like you're working. Pack as light as you can with whatever gear, in a configuration that will not impede on your vacation. Unless of course, your wife is a paying client and she is "expecting you to deliver" (no pun intended). lol

With that said, on my own time, I take my Dragon everywhere, but in a very light configuration, so the equipment never gets in the way. Don't become your own grip, production team, hauling unnecessary equipment to what really should be a leisure trip with your wife. Before your child comes, enjoy this time, after your child is born, you will not have this time again for awhile, get out of production mode, don't "work" for free lol

I guess the real question is: How can I get the best images AND enjoy my precious vacation while not pissing off my wife by "working" instead of making the most of the time you have together now before your baby is born (and a mighty big Congratulations on your baby, btw!) It's a fine line between great images and great memories. At this stage of life, I can laughingly easily make great images, but great memories takes a LOT more work, or "production value", depends on where your focus is. ;)
 
Michael Ou said:
Enjoy your vacation with your wife first! Try not to go into "production mode", as we all too often do on our own time (and dime). This is YOUR time (and your pregnant wife's), so don't take away from the experience by thinking like you're working. Pack as light as you can with whatever gear, in a configuration that will not impede on your vacation. Unless of course, your wife is a paying client and she is "expecting you to deliver" (no pun intended). lol

With that said, on my own time, I take my Dragon everywhere, but in a very light configuration, so the equipment never gets in the way. Don't become your own grip, production team, hauling unnecessary equipment to what really should be a leisure trip with your wife. Before your child comes, enjoy this time, after your child is born, you will not have this time again for awhile, get out of production mode, don't "work" for free lol

I guess the real question is: How can I get the best images AND enjoy my precious vacation while not pissing off my wife by "working" instead of making the most of the time you have together now before your baby is born (and a mighty big Congratulations on your baby, btw!) It's a fine line between great images and great memories. At this stage of life, I can laughingly easily make great images, but great memories takes a LOT more work, or "production value", depends on where your focus is. ;)
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That is great words of wisdom and I appreciate it!!
 
Tom Van said:
...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...
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I see this idiotic move at all concerts.

People holding their phones up for the whole entire show and not soaking it in with their eyes, mind and body.

Sure take a few pics and maybe a few seconds but a whole night?

I dont get it.
 
Eric Santiago said:
I see this idiotic move at all concerts.

People holding their phones up for the whole entire show and not soaking it in with their eyes, mind and body.

Sure take a few pics and maybe a few seconds but a whole night?

I dont get it.
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Infatuation with technology, resulting in marginalization of own faculties.

Common disorder in 21st. century urban society.
 
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