Cheap Gear to Improve Your Video
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- Опубліковано 28 січ 2014
- Many of us film and video makers have a tendency to get pretty caught up in gear and lose a lot of time checking out the latest pricey gear that we somehow think will make our footage so much better. There's a time and place for that. But sometimes we come to realize that there are some cheap pieces of gear that can really make a huge improvement in the quality of our final films and videos. In this episode, I cover a few of my favorite affordable pieces of gear.
Lastolite Ezybalance Collapsible Gray Card -- the one thing I use for every video:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000...
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Kodak Gray Card--less expensive and doesn't collapse and doesn't have a focus target, but would still help with exposure and white balance:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000...
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Westcott 5-in-1 Reflector--not the least expensive one available but will last a lot longer than those priced at $15 - $25 USD:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000...
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Audio Technica ATR-3350 Lavalier Microphone--best sounding ~ $20 - $25 lav mic I've found:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002...
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This episode shot with the following gear:
- Nikon D600
- Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-D Lens
- Atomos Ninja 2 Recorder
- Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 DSP Audio Interface
- RODE NTG-2 Shotgun Microphone
- ePhoto 4500 Watt Softbox Lighting Kit
- Lots and lots of practice so that my footage is better than it used to be...skills are as important, or more important than gear
All music Copyright Curtis Judd 2014
Ethics statement: Some of the links above are Amazon.com, B&H Photo, or other affiliate links.
Nice videos, Crisp and to the point, no repeating the same thing umteen times, no searching for the right words, no waste of viewers time.. love it
Thanks!
As always Curtis, great information. Thank you!
Really appreciate you videos Curtis.
Marvelous as usual. Thanks Curtis. Hope you enjoyed October General Conference. 💛🙏🏼
Thanks Glen! Wow, this was an oldie!
I again enjoyed your presentation. I have been studying your presentations, not only for gear, but also HOW you present your information. I like your style and mannerisms, and hope to acquire some of your skill over time. Thank you for these instructional videos.
Thanks and best wishes!
Another great video Curtis. Thank You. I keep learning what you teach.
Thanks Kenneth!
You are a good man with such wonderful information! Thank you for sharing what you know.
Thanks Rick.
i use aluminum foil on particle wood, works great plus we got it for a throw away price, but we can't fold it, well the filmmakers u re starting out can go for it too.
Thank you again Curtis for your tips....I bought one of that Izobalance target, but I really dont understand one thing. If I have to fill the frame with all the panel, I have to be very close to the lens or I have to zoom on it (if i am using a zoom lens)...but what about if my subject, or me, are pretty far away from the camera? The light will change and the focus too.....I thought to buy a bigger panel that fit the frame when I am far away from the camera ir when I am using a 24mm lens.....can you tell me something about this problem? Thanks ;)
I've learned a lot from your videos and they keep inspiring me to try new things. I'm thinking of putting my new skills to use on a video project in a mountainous area. There would probably be some indoor shooting as well.
The caveat is that everything I bring with me has to fit into a medium-size backpack. Is there a small, light-weight light source that's acceptable for novice use? Any decent camera-mounted LEDs?
+zabunia I would have a look at the Aputure HR672 LED panel. The color rendering is quite good and it can be powered via common Sony NP-F style batteries and is about the size of an iPad. It probably is not camera mountable, but you'll usually get better results having the light separate from the camera anyway. If camera mountable is a must, I'm afraid I don't have any experience with any of the camera mountable LED panels as yet. I hope that helps.
Here's the Aputure panel if you're interested: amzn.to/1FAxVXP
Still great tips!
Also, black foam-core is available for super cheap flags (or Duvetyne by the yard at amazon).
Thanks Photographic elements! Good points on the Duvetyne and foam-core.
Thank you for an informative and helpful video. I am a "one man band" trying to make better videos of my music. I found you through the Basic Filmmaker and look forward to hearing the results of your collaboration. I just subscribed and look forward to seeing/hearing what comes next. Now I think I'll explore your content for a while. Cheers!
Thanks Steven!
Your description is very nice. It was a great video
Thanks Vikas.
Really nice lighting in this and other videos! Can you please explain the lighting setup from this shoot? Thank you!
Thanks, yes: ua-cam.com/video/cyGfd_AhofU/v-deo.html
Thank you! It did look like you had 3 bands of light on your hair and I thought you used two hair lights in this setup. But on closer inspection I figured that your particular hairstyle parts the light really nicely on the keylight side! On both sides actually!
Hi Curtis, would the Lav mic (long cord) you describe in the video, be suitable for the GH5?
I’ve bought the GH5, plus a lens, but not the xlr adapter, becoz I also own Sennheiser G3 lav kit & HN4, but it’s getting time to upgrade. Yr thoughts welcome! Big thx for all yr videos they’ve helped me improve my documentary filming process! Cheers!
Hi Moz, at this point in time, I'd instead recommend the Aputure A.Lav: ua-cam.com/video/tQe9YrwV1BI/v-deo.html Good luck!
Curtis Judd thanks Curtis!
Great advice, thank you.
Thanks Sigrid.
Very informative video. Thanks for sharing
You're most welcome!
I've had the Lastolite grey card for ... i don't know, maybe 3-4-5 years now.
But I almost never use it. The white side seems a little green to me - I wonder why that is. But anyway, when I want to set a custom white balance, there's nearly always a sheet of white paper around which is much quicker to grab, so why bother with the Lastolite?
+Lau Bjerno When I attempted to use white paper, I didn't get results that were as good, at least with lighting that doesn't have a high CRI rating. Most modern digital cameras seem to do better color balancing when you use an 18% gray card. Here's on explanation: www.provideocoalition.com/secret-art-of-white-balancing/?platform=hootsuite
Technology may change, but the principles stay the same. Many thanks for this, Curtis..
👍
great video! thanks!
Hey Chris.!
I need to buy a Boom pole under $500 mainly for outside video productions, and never purchased a BP before!
When will you conduct a Boom Pole Shoot-Out on your channel?
I trust your advice as it was influential within my decision to buy a Beachtek DXA-Micro Pro.(B&H Photo) on your review of this device.
Keep up the good work.
Hi bubz75, good question! My current boom pole is the K-Tek Avalon KEG150CCR which we talked about a bit here: ua-cam.com/video/0WuHVobIQUs/v-deo.html I'm really happy with it after over two years of use. It seems that boom poles are a bit like cameras - everyone seems to have a different opinion about what works best. I like this pole because of the internal coiled cable and 90 degree XLR connector at the bottom of the pole (so I can rest the end of the pole on the ground between takes). The graphite built is light but sturdy. Here's the 100CC which may fit the bill for you: bhpho.to/2CMfpgm Best wishes!
THX Mr C!
Between the GH2 & GH4 which is the best for Stills photography? They both shot at 16 mega pixels RAW
Hi! I'm not sure, I have never shot with the GH2 and in fact, my GH cameras always take a back seat to my Nikon cameras when it comes time to shoot still photos. If I had to guess, the GH4 probably has some features that most people would choose over the GH2.
Thanks Curtis
Hi Curtis, I find your videos very helpful. I have a gh4 with an Azden mic and wonder whether or not to get the Tascam Dr 40 to improve quality of my vids. I film flamenco in low-light, compact indoor venues and on some outside full sun occasions. If I do go with Tascam then should I put the Azden thru it, or thru the gh4, or not use it at all? Thank you!
Hi Alan, the DR-40 is one of Tascam's older recorders and does not have the best preamplifiers, particularly for microphones which need a lot of gain from the preamp. Probably better to save up for a better recorder if you are going to add one. Also, which Azden microphone do you have? Does it have XLR or 3.5mm output?
Curtis Judd It’s a 3.5, and I’m aware of the “fault lines” between that and the xlr, even when using adapters. What recorder would you suggest? I have a Sony AX53 video camera with a little Sennheiser mic that I use mostly, but the lens travels when I zoom in & out or pan. I wish to use the gh4 to fill in or even as camera A on occasion. Please search my channel or UA-cam for Cuba Cuts 2 to see example. I’m in early days with iMovie post production. I wouldn’t want to spend more than say $500 on a recorder/mic combo. Thank you!
I'd stick with the Azden mic until you're in a position where you'll have a stand or person to boom a higher quality XLR based shotgun microphone and record to a proper recorder.
Once you're ready to move that direction, the Tascam DR-60DmkII and RODE NTG-2 are a decent combination: ua-cam.com/video/TRoIMPHS91U/v-deo.html
Curtis Judd Thanks Curtis! I’ve seen lots of you today while trawling around for equipment. I had almost decided on the Zoom H4n Pro with NTG2 but I’m may be overreaching. I’ll keep it simple as you suggest.
Good call, the H4n Pro and NTG4 have to work at their limits when working together so not the best combo. I’d save up for the Zoom F4 or Sound Devices MixPre-3 to really make the investment worthwhile in terms of audio quality improvement and long-lasting.
Just brilliant!
Thanks Elliot!
Maybe a stupid questio, butshould I use the grey or the white side?
Thanks
I would recommend the gray side. This is a contentious topic so definitely experiment with your own camera. Either way, the Lastolite has both and works well for many years. I still use it almost every day.
Curtis Judd thanks a lot - love your video and have the same grey card 👍😀
UA-cam crush! Another great video!!
Thanks!
What do you think about the zoom f2?
I have one here in the queue to test. Haven't used it yet, but looking forward to it.
I forgot to add I just got my new light. Neewer 176 with two batteries and other accessories that go with it.
Excellent! Happy shooting! 🎥
Why would I have to set white balance every time I make a video? After I use it to set the white balance then every time I'm ready to make a new video I just use that same white balance. It sounds so simple I'm sure there's something I'm not understanding. I just ordered a gray card and will use it when it arrives but I was sort of under the impression that my camera will keep the settings unless I make a change. I use full auto settings 99% of the time. For now anyway.
+TheTacticalDefender You only need to set the white balance when the light changes. And by that I mean the light is different in any way. If there's 15% more sunlight coming in through a window, you're better off setting the white balance again. If you're in a room where there is absolutely NO light except for what you're using to light your video (nothing coming in through the windows or drapes), then you should be able to use the same white balance setting from the last time you did custom white balance with those lights. Here's an episode where I covered this in more detail: ua-cam.com/video/zya_8TBvctY/v-deo.html
+Curtis Judd Thank you for the quick response. Much appreciated.
+Curtis Judd Should I set custom white balance even if I'm shooting in full auto or does that not matter?
+TheTacticalDefender If you're happy with the color, just stick with full auto. If the colors aren't looking right, time to custom white balance.
Thanks for this one
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your videos are so good you really dont need any background music or very little if at all. thanks
Thanks vik. I stopped using background music in the newer videos. Thanks again!
Curtis superb. What is the best forum to ask you specific detailed technical questions and learn more
On my channel you can email me directly or you can just ask here. Either way is fine. Thanks!
Its a good video, but now that its over 6 years old maybe an update to include the new tech to replace the discontinued stuff?
Yes, good idea. Most of this is still available, but the microphone info has been updated in some of my much more recent videos. Thanks!
how does a gray card help white balance? I thought you needed something white?
Yes, or neutral gray i think
Yes, and I've found that this gray card tends to work better than the white side, and certainly better than a "white" piece of paper.
+Curtis Judd
I don't remember what I didn't like about the grey side, but there was something that made me prefer the white side. But I can't tell the difference between the results of using the white side and using a sheet of ordinary printing paper.
But something else about white balance: I once went to a place that I know with four or five villas that are almost white. But to the eye one looks slightly pale blue, another looks even more slightly pale red or yellow, and yet another house is decidedly pale green.
I used the Lastolite, but no matter how I set the white balance on my Canon Eos 550D (Rebel T2i), the houses all disappointingly looked just plain white in the pictures that I shot.
Have you any idea why?
+Lau Bjerno Each camera manufacturer uses different "color science" and it matters whether you are shooting video or still images. With still images, you can shoot in raw which will give you more color fidelity and you may be able to see those differences. In video mode on the 550D, you only get 8 bit 4:2:0 color so it will have a much more difficult time actually capturing color nuances like that.
+Curtis Judd There are many ways to skin a cat but I find if you expose for white, grey always fall right in line where as the other way around, highlights can often be out of whack. Plus, I find it's much easier to expose for white because white exists almost everywhere in nature. Grey, not so much. And if I'm shooting interior stuff where no white exists, I just hold up a white card.
Thank you.
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I want a shirt that says "In Judd We Trust"
Hahaha!
nice
You really scared me at 4:40
Sorry, it’s hard to watch the monitor and hold the reflector at the same time. :)