Overhead camera rig for heavier cameras

[Joel Arvidsson]

What is your best way to way to rig your red camera for overhead shots.. Some rig up an tilted mirror above the table that you then film into. But I rather rigg the camera to tilt straight down to the table. I would likely use two good stands with sandbags on at there base. And run a pipe between the stands. Than rig the camera to tha pipe.

Or use a jib with tripod head looking down.

Many tripod heads does not tilt all the 90%. And at 90 degrece

Therefore i wonder if there is a bracket or similar, that you could mount to your crane/jib to orient the camera to look straight down.

 

[Phil Holland]

Jib, cross bar, underslung slider up high, dual pulley, cheese plate, ceiling junior mount, etc.

If going the slider route, things like the Dana Dolly use standard Junior mounts, so you can put them on fairly tall light stands if need be. Just need to make sure camera and stands are set safe. I like to put a safety line on camera, much like you'd do with lighting, if mounting overhead.

 

[AJ Young]

Depending on the strength of your tripod head and its mount type, you could clamp and ratchet strap your high-hat to a ladder (8' should do the trick). If it's a weak tripod head (IE: ball mount, Manfrotto, etc), then mount the high-hat on top of the ladder and tilt down. If you've got a strong tripod head (ie: mitchell mount, O'Connor, etc), then you can mount the high-hat to the side of the ladder; you'll no longer need to tilt down because it's already vertical.

Whatever you decide, you'll need to sandbag the ladder and add additional support. The ladder will become top heavy and off balance; you'll need to account for that. When I've done it, there's always two pairs of hands holding the ladder, regardless of how much rigging for safety has been done.

 

[Björn Benckert]

The lowfi aproach. Strap your tripod across an aluminium ladder rig the ladder over your table. Adjust angle with your tripod head.

 

[Nick Gardner]

Weaver steadman, ronford baker, lambda, etc, any underslung head on a jib will get you exactly what you want. If you get a jimmy jib, or something fancier with a hot head, all the better.

Nick

 

[Joel Arvidsson]

The lambada seams like a great solution, but it was very pricey and im not sure if they making them anymore. I will keep it in mind.
http://www.porta-jib.com/cartoni-smart-head.htm

But for that price you can soon get an motorized underslang head or use or mount a ronin underslung. But as of now i still would still prefer motorless operation until motion control cranes is down in price.

 

[DC Chavez]

Movi Pro underslung. I used to use my Kessler Crane Revolution Head with Oracle controller, but this is WAYYY smoother and more fluid...

 

[DJ Meyer]

In our studio we have a truss-mounted cinedrive mounted upside down with an underslung head. It's had a DSMC2 camera mounted on it for 3 years. Allows you to be super lazy and drive the camera back and forth rather than moving the subject underneath, or do simple camera moves.

 

[Jan Balster]

Have a look at this instagram post.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0RjJRxh43P/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

- Jan