Behind the Scenes Scenic Bikeway Filming – The Gear
We get a lot of questions about the gear we use for filming. Since I’m packing to do another Scenic Bikeway shoot tomorrow I decided to lay everything out and take a picture of it all. Our primary camera is a Panasonic GH3 which is capable of both stills and videos. There are, I suppose, “better” cameras in terms of resolution, sensor size, etc., But for our purposes, the micro 4/3rds format is really the best solution. We needed a system that we could carry easily by bike. By using a small camera, everything else tends to be smaller. The lenses are smaller, the supports and other contraptions for camera movement are smaller. I’m as much of a camera nerd as the next guy and would love to shoot with a RED or Black Magic, but honestly, I don’t think those cameras would survive a days worth of shooting after bouncing around in one of our panniers. So operating on the truism that “the best camera is the one you have,” the GH3/GH2 is the best camera for our purposes.
Everything is carried by bike with a mix of panniers, Wald 137 basket, some PVC pipe and Revelate Mountain Feedbags (makes great lens holders). For the eagle-eyed, you’ll notice an Abus Bordo lock in the mix. I use it for a counter balance for the camera on the jib 🙂
Camera Bodies
GH3
GH2
GoPro Hero 3 Black
spare batteries
Lenses
Olympus 9-18mm
Olympus 45mm 1.8
Olympus 14-150mm
Panasonic 25mm 1.4
(Would love to add the Panasonic 35-100 2.8 and 12-35mm 2.8 in the future)
Supports
Benro Video Tripod
Manfrotto Monopod
Varavon Slider
Nice Industries Aviator Jib
Krupo Clamp
MeFoto and Joby ball head
Manfrotto quick release bases and plates
The Videos
Like all the videos especially the Old West one. Sure you’re attracting interest with all of them:)
Very impressive, especially seeing how you guys are able to even carry a jib and a slider! I thought I packed light, but you guys put my “lightweight” setup to shame. Those Manfrotto monopods with fluid pan cartridge and the tripod are the bees knees. When in pinch, it will work as a tripod, I used mine for timelapses and long-exposure photos, even with a full-frame body. It just requires you to sit there and spot the camera in case the wind blows it over.
What do you use to do the map graphics? Great work!
Lovely videos and setup. We use the GH2 and GH3 too, and I can say the Panasonic 12-35mm 2.8 and 35-100mm are worth every penny. We frequently cover all our needs with these great zooms and the Panny 25mm f1.4.