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War Photography - One Lens Only

Will Keir

Will Keir

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Hey guys, I'm looking for a single lens to stay on camera for some fast paced work. I can't afford the time to switch out lenses and hoping to get something with a long and a wide range that won't shake like crazy hand held. Tall task, thanks in advance for any help. Was thinking a Angie 30-80 but not enough zoom. Think though about the Canon 30-300 but probably too heavy? Maybe a still lens in this situation? I'm going to be filming following a ground team, perhaps some from a chopper and I'll have a few chances to use a monopole for my locked off shots. It would be nice to find a mono-pod that can telescope down for portability. Thanks in advance for recommendations on the lens and the mono-pod.

Lens Recommendations: (Consolidation of advise for those interested.)

Canon 24-105L (f4) w/ IS + screw on NDs ~ $1200
Weight: 1.5 lbs Angle of View: 84° - 23° Mount: EF

Canon 18-200 (f3.5- f5.6) w/IS ~ $700
Weight: 1.3 lbs Angle of View: 74° - 7° Mount: EF-S

Canon CN-E 30-105 (f2.8) ~ $23,000
Weight: 4.8 lbs Angle of View: 47.2° - 14.2° Mount: PL, EF (not sure what Angle of VIew or FoV for the Epic sensor is)

Canon 70-200mm (f2.8) w/ IS ~ $2,500
Weight: 3.3 lbs Angle of View: 34° - 12° Mount: Canon EF Coverage: 35mm Film / FF Digital

Canon 24-70mm (f2.8) w/ AutoFocus ~ $2,300
Weight: 1.7 lbs Angle of View: 84° - 34° Mount: Canon EF Coverage: 35mm Film / FF Digital

Fujinon 19-90mm (T2.9) ~ $38,000
Weight: 4.8 w/o Servo, 6lbs w/ Servo Angle of View: 71° - 17° Mount: PL Coverage: ?

Nikon 18-200mm (f3.5 - f5.6) w/ Auto Focus & IS ~ $850
Weight: 1.2 lbs Angle of View: 76° - 8° Mount: Nikon F Coverage: ?

Nikon 24-70mm (f2.8) w/ Auto Focus ~ $1900
Weight: 2 lbs Angle of View: 84° - 34° Mount: Nikon F Coverage: ?

Zeiss C2 70-200mm (T2.9) ~ $19,000
Weight: 6.2 lbs Angle of View: 29° - 10° Mount: PL, EF, F Coverage: Full Frame

Tamron 18-270mm (f2.5 - f6.3) ~ $450
Weight: 1 lbs Angle of View: 75° - 5° Mount Sony Alpha, Minolta AF Coverage: ?

Angenieux DP Rouge 30-80mm (T2.8) ~ $20,500
Weight: 4.2 lbs Angle of View: ? Mount: PL Coverage: S35 Full
 
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From experience, If you are really doing war photography, you will want the lightest most portable setup you have access to, along with a backup. Once you suit up in level III body armor and all the trimmings you really end up quite heavy, and your flexibility goes out the window when using plate armor.

All the best!

Dave
 
The Epic isn't the lightest camera in the world but it's what I got. With 4x AB Dionic 90s, and 2-3 SSD mags I'll last the day. Thanks anyway.


David W. Jones said:
From experience, If you are really doing war photography, you will want the lightest most portable setup you have access to, along with a backup. Once you suit up in level III body armor and all the trimmings you really end up quite heavy, and your flexibility goes out the window when using plate armor.

All the best!

Dave
Click to expand...
 
Not my favorite lens because its a T4 but the CANON 24-105 with IS is what your looking for.. Hands down.. It's light, and still good glass.. Screw on a VARI-ND and your set.. I'm guessing you will be using a 90 deg shutter for action, so keep a Pola with you too..
The IS works GREAT on the EPIC!

Good luck
 
Justin,

Do you find the battery drain of IS to be a significant factor shooting Red with the larger AB's? I imagine you still need to be judicious about trigger time, yes?
 
I've used the tiny and very low weight Canon and Nikon 18-200 with great results. Not the easiest to control but definitely workable.

They are cheap, weigh nothing at all, and are pretty sharp.

If you will mostly be in daylight they will serve you well. If you need a fast lens, they may not be the best choice as they average around f4.
 
Is there a 4K requirement? If so, then your Epic is the best choice. If not, I recommend a different camera. If you are shooting documentary style, go with the multitude of options for this. But something tells me the Epic will be your choice, and if you can pull it off the footage will probably be amazing. So, if indeed it's the Epic, the key will be how to make it so you can handle the camera rig. As David mentioned, if you are actually going into a war zone, then you will require the armor necessary to meet military regulations. You will need to configure your Epic rig based around that and it may require some customization to make it versatile and useable over long periods of time. A great range would be 24-105mm for the lens. If you are really good with handheld, then perhaps up to 200mm. That gives you plenty of range to change focal length on the fly. Think through every component, from the camera support to powering the rig. Each piece you add potentially adds detrimental weight unless it is counterbalance weight. So you'll really need to plan this out.

As for Monopods, I have a Bento that has feet on the bottom that retract when you don't need them. Adds a bit of stability. Also came with a head that pans and tilts which adds some flexibility. But again, balance will be the key. Monopods work great when you can stabilize them enough. Usually the one leg and some point of contact such as an EVF to your eye is enough, but test your rig on one to make sure.

Do you have others assisting you? How will you transport your accessory bag when you are chasing the action? Have you considered a battery belt that can last a few hours at a time?

Going with a smaller rig would help. It would allow you to maneuver in the field, get the shots you really want. The tradeoff is some quality. If you do go to a smaller rig, make sure it is weather sealed and rugged. Having a backup rig would be ideal. Stuff can and will happen in challenging environments so being able to pull out a second rig on a moments notice means missing less shots.

I'm sure others have far more experience in this area and can shed some more light on accessories and rigs. My only advice is that if you are going into a real world war zone, treat it as such from protective gear to camera gear. Be prepared for anything.
 
One nice thing about shooting with the epic if you really need that little extra out of the lens you can just down to 3k. I just spent the day hand held with my epic and now realize I have to rethink a few things it becomes a beast after a few hours. Go safe!
 
While not war, when I've rigged up for festivals where I needed to be mobile, I've gone with still glass that I put focus gears on.

However, if I was going to go PL for this type of subject matter I'd would likely focus on the Canon CN-E 30-105mm or the Fuji 19-90mm.

The Canon is an interesting choice and fairly lightweight, 4.8lbs. Also that bit extra reach at 105mm might allow for more intimate frames where you can't get too close when compared to say a mid-range zoom.

On the Fuji front, well the Cabrio has the motors and controls for iris, zoom, and focus. It's pretty much designed for work like this. It's got it's quirks, but is a hell of a lens.

If you want a "banging" two lens kit adding a Zeiss CZ 70-200mm would get you that reach. Or going with say the Canon 70-200mm and having the IS on the lens might help keep this steady if you're on the monopod or shoulder.
 
Not much point in being able to zoom in to 300mm if you going to be handheld.
Click to expand...

300mm handheld at 100fps can look quite nice. Back in olden times the 12-240 was a great hand held lens for 16mm, and more than a few of those hero shots in NFL films are shot handheld on the long end of that lens (so what a 480mm equivalent FOV in 35mm?).

Nick
 
Scott Crawley said:
Justin,

Do you find the battery drain of IS to be a significant factor shooting Red with the larger AB's? I imagine you still need to be judicious about trigger time, yes?
Click to expand...

Scott, I've never noticed a big drain using the IS.. I'm a vmount guy..
 
Which 'War' ?
I do a lot of street shooting on Epic, and focus is a real challenge if you want to get measurable, actual 4K . Under pressure it's hard to see the details and the auto focus on the Red is only good for almost static shots that you have time to loiter on some detail for the Red to 'see'.
Under duress a lighter camera would be better and you would be getting more shots because hoisting a light plastic camera with a smaller sensor is way easier.
From what I read, the Sony 700 video camera actually does a great job of rapid focus, even able track focus on moving objects.
 
I once played around with a friend's tamron 18-270.

Its slow and has a variable f stop, and probably not anywhere near perfect but I was blown away by its light weight and range....

Its always stuck in my mind as the "if-I-had-to-pick-one-ef-lens-to-shoot-in-the-day-that-could-go-fairly-wide-and really-long-if-I-didn't-mind-variable-Fstop-and-some-visual-flaws....."

Anyone use this on EPIC?

B Jonsson
 
We shoot Alexa, EPIC, etc non stop - and if I could only ever use one camera, it would be an EPIC. But. For full doc style run and gun? Not great. Weight, power consumption, noise, data rates, and maybe above all audio - I'll get murdered for saying it, but I would choose a more appropriate tool with longer / lighter battery life, better audio tools/knobs, lower data rates, etc...
 
This is slightly off the current topic but related and I'm sure will be an interesting read for you.

http://www.timbowden.com.au/2012/01/23/one-crowded-hour/

I'm not sure if the following is covered in the condensed article published on Tim Bowden's website. There was a full book published of the same title by Tim Bowden. It may be on Amazon.

Neil Davis eventually upgraded from his Bell and Howell clockwork camera and small cassette recorder up to a heavier but by then industry-standard electrically powered CP16. I understand that due to the heavier weight of this kit, he damaged his back in a 15ft jump from a helicopter during an insertion whilst handcarrying the larger camera.

I assume you have maintained your fitness up to a military standard to be agile whilst carrying a heavy load to be filming in a war zone. I would wager though, that your chances of injuring yourself humping the weight of an Epic kit with its spare batteries, may be up there with the servicemen you are covering, if not more so, battle injuries excepted. If it comes to a dangerous tumble, they can shed their weapon to free up a hand. You however will often have the camera out and may naturally attempt to save your camera and damage yourself.

Here's another bio that may also be of interest to yourself and others here :-

http://www.amazon.com/The-Man-Who-Saw-Much/dp/0733617255


You are to be commended for intending to make an enduring record of the highest quality for the future. I for one will look forward to seeing what you bring back with you.

The people putting their lives on the line for the rest of us deserve that respect. Stay as safe as can be under the circumstances.
 
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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
 
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Will Keir said:
The Epic isn't the lightest camera in the world but it's what I got. With 4x AB Dionic 90s, and 2-3 SSD mags I'll last the day. Thanks anyway.
Click to expand...

Well from your post, I assumed you would be renting glass.

Nothing wrong with renting a couple of lightweight bodies and IS zooms. Just saying.
 
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