War Photography - One Lens Only

[Will Keir]

Scott,

All this talk is getting my curiosity up. Just what are you planning? Is it really war that you are heading into Will?

Thanks for your thoughtfulness. I'm not trying to get everyone stirred up. I'm just looking for some advise with little time to fully prepare my setup.
I'm looking to place myself with professionals, filming their work, and hopefully giving an honest look into their part of the story. I'm excited, we'll see what happens.

 

[Liam Hall]

Having worn a few flak jackets in my time, trust me when I say, you'll have plenty of time to change lenses.

 

[Mike Yonts]

18-270 is damn impressive. I'll look into it, thanks.

I have that Tamron, and it's great for casual stills when you're outside. But I put it on my Epic once and decided that it would quickly drive me nuts if I tried to use it for motion. The maximum aperture changes when you zoom, the different parts of the lens wiggle visibly, you have even less distance between near and close focus than you do on other still lenses.

Early in the days of the Red One there was a guy who took one to Afghanistan with a huge zoom. It seems like he posted here a few times. You might try tracking him down and asking for advice.

Edit to add–the guy took a Red One with a cinema zoom to Afghanistan, in case that wasn't clear.

 

[Scott Crawley]

Yea,

I think the guy was U.S. military personnel. Was it Sean something...?

I have that Tamron, and it's great for casual stills when you're outside. But I put it on my Epic once and decided that it would quickly drive me nuts if I tried to use it for motion. The maximum aperture changes when you zoom, the different parts of the lens wiggle visibly, you have even less distance between near and close focus than you do on other still lenses.

Early in the days of the Red One there was a guy who took one to Afghanistan with a huge zoom. It seems like he posted here a few times. You might try tracking him down and asking for advice.

Edit to add–the guy took a Red One with a cinema zoom to Afghanistan, in case that wasn't clear.

 

[Vico Martin]

A friend of mine allways told that if Africa, then a Pana hpx-170, full auto and lower your head.

 

[Mark Phelan]

I have that Tamron, and it's great for casual stills when you're outside. But I put it on my Epic once and decided that it would quickly drive me nuts if I tried to use it for motion. The maximum aperture changes when you zoom, the different parts of the lens wiggle visibly, you have even less distance between near and close focus than you do on other still lenses.

Early in the days of the Red One there was a guy who took one to Afghanistan with a huge zoom. It seems like he posted here a few times. You might try tracking him down and asking for advice.

Edit to add–the guy took a Red One with a cinema zoom to Afghanistan, in case that wasn't clear.

You're talking about Scott Matthews.

 

[Will Keir]

Whatever happened to Scott? Would be great to have you on this thread, loved that pioneering footage with the R1 in the battlefield. It would be great to hear an update on your life and to see where you are at with cinematography these days.

Best wishes.

You're talking about Scott Matthews. https://vimeo.com/1021632

 

[Steve Sherrick]

There's also Ron Reddick, a fellow Reduser. He has shot documentary style with his Red One and Epic in Afghanistan and I'm sure has a few tips and techniques if he's hanging out on the forums these days.

 

[Kemalettin Sert]

Middle East...if next stop is Syria dont forget the bring A LOT lens cleaners tissues etc.

 

[Evin Grant]

The Epic is the right choice for so many reasons, I'm looking forward to the challenge, to pushing myself out of my comfort zone.

Will, if this is true then try just going with a fast prime or two. I'd recommend 28mm and/or 40mm, both are really versatile focal lengths once you understand them. Watch the end sequence of "Children of Men" almost the whole movie including this sequence was shot on a 27mm.

I highly recommend the Zeiss T2.1 standard speeds for this kind of work but the CP series could do well too. For stills glass I would go with a 28mm F2 AIS Nikkor and a 40mm F2 Voightlander.

There is no Zoom lens that doesn't require you to sacrifice something weather it be weight, speed (in light and movement), durability or image quality.
Also you'll be filming soldiers, and the intimacy of the 28/40mm lenses will really show in the work when you're close with them, "in it" as it were.

The new Sigma 18-35 F1.8 could also be an option but I don't know about build quality.

 

[David Mullen ASC]

Depends on what you will be covering. If you are following the actions of the soldiers being up close and wider-angle would be more exciting (I don't know about safer) but if you have to show what they are seeing or have to watch them from a distance, then a long lens would be more useful. If the first, I would maybe lean towards the Fujinon Cabrio ENG zoom, which is T/2.9 19-90mm. Then if you have time to switch zooms, you can find something in the 70-300mm range for some telephoto work.

But if you really don't know what you will have to shoot and at what distances, then I would lean towards a 2/3" HD camera with a zoom in the 7 to 150mm range -- I don't know of a handholdable 35mm zoom in that range that isn't a still camera lens.

You have to worry a bit about a still zoom that is around T/4.5 in case you have to shoot in lower light levels, especially one that changes exposure level as you zoom. But you may have no choice if you want that much zoom range and cover a 35mm sensor and have it be lightweight.

 

[Steve G]

I have filmed documentaries on the front line in Iraq (embedded with UK marines during invasion of 2003), Kosovo (during the fighting between the Serbs and the Kosovars before the bombing by the west), and in trouble spots like Gaza Strip/West Bank/Tribal Areas of Pakistan.

Until recently, all these have been on cameras with 2/3rd inch sensors. Recent trip to Libya was on a Canon C300, but not strictly now a combat zone. If you are putting yourself into the firing line, best to have a camera that will get you the best story to make your and the soldiers that your are with, (they will be looking after you if you are on the "real" front line) potential sacrifice worth while. Doesn't really matter if the footage is shot on an EX3 or an Epic, the story will come through. ( one of the best sequences from my doc in Iraq was when we got involved in a friendly fire incident in the marshes to the west of Basra, just before it fell. I only had a Sony Z1 as that was all I could operate in the confines of a hovercraft, laden down with personal survival gear and armour.... the strength of the emotions that came through on that day and the fact that I was up close and personal due to tiny camera made the footage the best that any of the crews involved in that particular doc series for the BBC got)

One can in fact argue that a large sensor camera glamourises war, which imho, is a dangerous road to go down in terms of docs about war. Look at some of the footage that came out of Libya during the fighting, and stuff that is coming out of Syria at the moment, shot on dslr's by photographers/film makers.....it gives the footage a veneer of glamour.

Also, downloading your footage if you are on the real front line will be very tricky if you are with a unit for a longtime. A camera like the Sony 800, which shoots on discs that last 90 + mins, with very light discs, make s sense, with something like the Canon HJ11 with a doubler (gives you a range from 4.7 to 104, so very good when up close, and pretty good for longer lens stuff).

If on the real front line, simplicity is the key.

For me, filming on the front line has been the most horrible/amazing experience. You experience all the human emotions in a very concentrated way. But do think it through before committing to going on a front line. There is no footage worth dying for.

 

[PC Greene]

I do a lot of "run & gun" epic shooting & can't praise the canon 70-200 IS enough. It doesn't drain noticeably & the images are nice. I use the edge focus mode a lot in bright light & recommend a monopod (manfrotto makes a heavy duty one w/ feet) & currently field swap to wider glass when necessary - a possible solution to going w/ a single but slower lens. Best of luck.

 

[HD Hildebrand]

Shot in Afghanistan with the Red One. Embedded, live extractions, FOBs, you name it. Wouldn't do it with one lens though. One of the all purpose lenses already mentioned is great (for some things), but in the end, they are usually slow, and that excludes many shots you will want to get. There is never enough light when you really need it. I try to stick with 2.8 zooms minimum, an all purpose lens that can be slower, and even a couple of 1.4 primes (if you can). In the Nikon world, the three zooms that are always with me - Tokina 11-16 2.8, Nikon 17-55 2.8, Nikon 80-200 2.8. Also bring the sharpest doubler I can find.

If you know you are spending the day in full daylight, then a 18-200 may be good as a variable prime. But once you get into magic hour and the sun is going down, you'll want to shoot as long as you can, that's why the extra speed is important. Come to think of it, I brought the 18-200 with me to Afghanistan - never used it once.

When I can, I also bring a few 1.4 primes (as mentioned), a 300 or 400mm prime or even the 50-500 bigma. Really depends on the situation.

Though some feel the Epic is too heavy, it's a dream compared to the Red One in this situation - try handheld with a 20+ lb camera and 20lb flak jacket, while the helicopter weaves through the air to avoid enemy fire for about 5-6 hours straight. Sweat through both my waterprooof jacket and the flak jacket. Worst part is, if you hold your hands (holding the camera) over your heart for such a long period of time the skin on your finger tips falls off after a week. Freaky.

In my upcoming venture, I'm taking the same as mentioned, the Epic body, as well as a GH3 body with a metabones (just-in-case), maybe even a BM pocket cam.

 

[JR Monteiro]

Speaking for myself, any time I have been told I should wear body armor on a shoot, I declined to shoot it. There are a few things worth dying for—your children, the survival of your country, for instance—but television is not one of them. I hope you have really considered that journalists are regularly killed in warfare and more recently, given the increase in military and political upheaval throughout the world, this seems to be on the increase. I'd sit this one out.

Good advice! I used to do war photography until several of my friends and drinking buddies wound up dead. The excitement wore off real fast. You are right the nightly news isn't something worth risking your life for.

 

[Robert Hart]

QUOTE: HD Hildebrand - "time the skin on your finger tips falls off after a week. Freaky." Possibly a similar physiological mechanism to a pressure sore, maybe something to do with when fight or flight kicks in some circulation is diverted to where its needed most. Cold weather won't help either. As an inveterate wimp, I do not envy you the sensation of exfoliating fingertips.

 

[Curt Pair]

I know it's not quite the same thing... but I run GOLF COURSES with the 19-90 on the camera, and a CineBags backpack with an 85-300 Cabrio, extra batteries, filters and media. I've used a Bogen monopod and that works well too... it collapses down to about 20" or so. You can suck the bottom up and run all you want... get to your next destination and let the legs drop to the ground. This helps with a racing heartbeat and such. I think my entire rig is in the 22-24 pound area. It's not that bad... anyone used to HDcam or Varicam has had similar weights. I keep ONE Red Volt in my side handle so that when I run low, I don't lose power altogether. I can also hot swap AB batteries on the fly this way too!

 

[Curt Pair]

How much resolution do you think you can afford to lose? My inclination would be to test a B4 to Epic adaptor with compensating enlarging optic and try a 2/3" HDCAM zoom lens with doubler.

The staple of ENG lenses seems to have been ballpark 8mm - 125mm f1.8 with doubler I think it goes out to 250mm f2.8. With the doubler and long, they are not so sharp. With a compensatory optic to correct for single sensor versus 3 x CCD and to spread the image wider on the sensor, it may go softer still. This lens's reach after conversion may be in the ballpark of 16mm - 500mm at f4 -f5.6.

I recall reading some time back that the image from such a converter covers only 4K. Meryam Ersoz, a wildlife documentor, who is a member here, may know more on this lens arrangement. It has been discussed here previously and on dvinfo.net I think.

If this arrangement is available, then my inclination might be to use it plus a small prime in the ballpark of 28mm or 35mm for those detail landscape shots where the Epic really performs.


EDIT: I had a bit of a hunt and here the adaptor is :-

http://www.ibe-optics.com/HDx35UMS_MARKII

Will, I started off with this route before going "Cabrio..." I have to say, I absolutely HATED it! That extra '5 inches' or so that IBE Optica B4-PL adapter adds to the lens is MURDER on your body! Without it... you can comfortably hand hold the camera. That little adapter put the camera lens farther out there, and put your right hand in an awkward position. At any length of time doing it... it started to become quite painful on my neck and wrist. I found it amazing how just those few short inches could put you into such an uncomfortable position. It hurt so much, I sold the adapter and bailed on that idea. (You also lose about 2 3/4 f/stops of light with that adapter too! Works great in bright sunlight, but it's awful indoors! It isn't much better in overcast situations either!)

I'm so happy the Cabrio came into play. Now I can shoot this style with the appropriate lens.

My suggestion is that you TRY this for a few days before you get stuck in this situation.

 

[Curt Pair]

It's hard once you've gone Epic to go back. I'm just being stubborn...

I understand that! This is why I know do even all of our corporate work with Epic! Have too! It just looks SO MUCH BETTER!

 

[Curt Pair]

Depends on what you will be covering. If you are following the actions of the soldiers being up close and wider-angle would be more exciting (I don't know about safer) but if you have to show what they are seeing or have to watch them from a distance, then a long lens would be more useful. If the first, I would maybe lean towards the Fujinon Cabrio ENG zoom, which is T/2.9 19-90mm. Then if you have time to switch zooms, you can find something in the 70-300mm range for some telephoto work.

But if you really don't know what you will have to shoot and at what distances, then I would lean towards a 2/3" HD camera with a zoom in the 7 to 150mm range -- I don't know of a handholdable 35mm zoom in that range that isn't a still camera lens.

You have to worry a bit about a still zoom that is around T/4.5 in case you have to shoot in lower light levels, especially one that changes exposure level as you zoom. But you may have no choice if you want that much zoom range and cover a 35mm sensor and have it be lightweight.

Will, I'm going to second with Mr. Mullen is saying! We shoot NFL football and NBA basketball with both Cabrios! For the up close work, it's the 19-90 all the way. For the farther stuff, it's the 85-300! The longer zoom is only slightly heavier than the wider zoom... just about one pound. These two lenses are a POWERFUL combination in these types of shooting environments. They're both pretty fast... 2.8 until around 260mm... then it starts to fall until you get to T3.9 at 300mm... But with the speed of the Epic... for daylight shots, this isn't a problem.

You might want to rent and test these two before you go!