Custom camera shelf | Rode Go repair | Airline cart
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- Available for bookings regionally in Texas and throughout the US. Competitive rates. www.WintersMediaGroup.com David Winters | Director of Photography | San Antonio Texas
Damn. Sleeps in his van and welds his own shit. I gotta step up my game.
freelance masochist
I'm about to send an old Rode mic back to them, they have up to a lifetime warranty if bought from one of their resellers. 🎉
Your welds look better than my nuts and bolts, ha.
Lifetime warranty! I didn't know. Oh well.
Very cool. I wanna weld up some sort of mount for a steady arm for a car rig
Props for even trying this stuff. It's way too easy to just throw away a mic. Cool that you "want" to try and fix it. Personally I would never get involved with a weld. Especially Aluminum. As you were working I had a couple bolt together folding ideas for the camera plate. But, the weld is much stronger. Fun to watch.
Hi Scottie. Aluminum is so difficult, I want to get better at it, need to come up with another project. Thanks.
Have you cleaned the aluminum David? Couldn’t make out an cleaning marks in the vid. It makes all the difference giving it a once-over with a wire brush (make sure it’s a non-ferrous, ie. stainless steel brush). I can’t remember how my Dad’s old TIG acted before I started getting rid of that thin layer of oxidation (it forms really fast!), but your saying you had to hit it hard off the start to get your puddle brought back bad memories; and at the start of your timelapse clip it sounded uneven/splattery too, as if you were having trouble with good continuity.
No metal prep, I blew it... you are correct. Thank you. I need to invest in a stainless brush and I have 1 gallon of acetone on the self. Startup, I'm not sure what HZ to run the TIG, been messing with 100 to 120hz. And this unit has a balance percentage to distort the AC wave to have more + or more - for better cleaning action. I just made a 3rd brake light bracket for my beater jeep, mild steel with DC TIG, it was so easy, near instant puddle, no violent arc, easy filler rod feeding. Aluminum takes skill I don't have.
Aluminum is trickier for sure but using that stainless brush (just a hand powered one is all you need) will make a big difference. If you can do steel easily, aluminum is within reach! And can’t comment on frequency (haven’t used anything that sophisticated) but if it’s an option, dropping your gas flow is something to play with as well, as the heat won’t be blown away as quick.
That shelf is sikk, is that a 28-135mm pz lens what mattebox u running for that cant find one that fits properly for the life of me
Thanks, work in progress obviously. Yes 28-135mm with the stock sunshade. But have seen people in the field running a mattebox on the 28-135mm not sure which model and adapters.
@@CrankyCameraman ok ty sir for ur quick reply wish u well on your business!
You can check your cart? Do airlines require a media pass to do stuff like this?
Cart can be checked, it is treated as another bag. This one needs some type of strap to secure the handles. However I have not yet flown with it.
@@CrankyCameraman We just use Velcro cable ties on the handles of the Rock & Rollers, works pretty well.
@@danbrockettDOP excellent suggestion. Thanks.
On the topic of welding, and filming, I heard it’s not a good idea to expose your sensor to it, I think I swapped out my A cam for a GoPro last time I had to film welding.
Good point. I've shot welding on a few projects, Amira, Red Epic Dragon, Canon C300, I didn't experience any sensor damage. I don't know if the plasma from a stick, MIG, TIG is intense enough to damage, like a laser. But I may have been ignorant and lucky.
@@CrankyCameraman I guess it doesn’t! Maybe it’s an older CCD thing, I dunno. I just remembered I put my 80D inside a laser cutting machine for like 30 mins and that was fine too. Btw the Go Pro on the laser arm looked super cool!
Nice repair David, I'm similar, I just repair stuff to see if I can keep it working. Did you ever get your Lectro SRC issues straightened out? Seems as if owning Lectros for a camera guy is a hit and miss thing. They're really expensive and I've seen on the JW Sound Boards that lots of people have had lots of issues with the SRCs and recommend the 822 or the older 411s.
Have you shot with the FX6 yet? I am debating between the FX9 and the FX6 and just renting the FX9 for those few calls that MUST have the FX9 over the FX6, but I think a lot of clients who call and ask about FX9 can accept the FX6. FX9 has a couple of features that are superior for more broadcast and live event work like genlock, dual SDI outs, S35 in 4k and I've shot with both, the FX9 image looks slightly smoother and more detailed, but the FX6 looks pretty much the same, just a touch less detail. But the FX9 is so big, heavy, no 120fps, it's power hungry and based upon Sony's typical timeline, we'll see an FX9 MKII within the next year or two.
The FX6 is smaller, lighter, less money and the images are pretty close, so close that I don't think you can tell without split screening the footage. I'm really on the fence between the two. I'm leaning more toward corporate and entertainment type EPK work so the more broadcast type features would rarely be used. A friend with an FX9 has never even used genlock or needed the dual SDI outs in two years. I know for your work, the FX9 is better since you do a lot of news. I won't be doing news, or much broadcast, so I'm thinking FX6 but I may change my mind and pick up an FX9. Undecided.
Sorted out my SRC issues, high quality rechargeable lithium batts, only running the TX at max power has solved my issues. However, I’m nervous using in major cities and at big media events. I worry about talent dropping the TX and COS11 on one man band days. My buddy Gino is still running the 411s and he’s all major broadcast work, tv series and features. At this stage I’m happy I bought the Lectros, I’ve trained up a few assistants to run the audio kit, when I can’t find or budget for a proper sound recordist. Also running the SRC on the camera for ENG interviews has been good, but the Rode is acceptable for ENG. Had I stayed in SoCal I would not have bought the Lectros. But now that I’m working smaller markets in south Texas it was the right investment. And I’ve picked up a few interview + broll sound recordist days via referrals, easy low stress money vs camera.
FX6, I’m seeing more in the field. I’ve worked on several mutlicamera projects were there is a mix of 3, 6, 9 and A7. I get calls from agencies and production companies requesting FX9. But there are now requests for the FX6. Coming from 6+ years of mostly Arri cameras, the 9 is light and low power to me.
Recent corporate doc in PA, NJ, TN, CA... My producer / editor commented on the better looking skin tones and face renderings on the 9 vs 3. For that specific client I think we will continue to shoot 9 for all interviews as the perception is set. But that was an Arri client. If you can command the same rates and clients with the 6 go for it. But also looking at a primary asset that contributes to a 100k + / year income as an owner op, over a 5 year lifespan, the cost difference can be considered insignificant.
@Cranky Cameraman Thanks for your input David. Glad you got that expensive SRC system all squared away. It seemed ridiculous that you bought the best but were still relegated to using your cheapo Rødes instead.
At this point I would like to own both the FX9 and the FX6. But I can divest myself of my Canon gear and that will pay for the entire FX6 package, a few lenses, etc. with no out of pocket. This year has been off to a slow start for work so far, so spending almost twice as much on the FX9 package (my current Sachtler will support an FX6 package fine but I shot a rocket launch up at Vandenberg last week with a FULLY loaded FX9 package with the 100-400mm and it was borderline) isn't as appealing. So if I buy an FX9, have to add $5k or more for a new bigger Sachtler. As someone who lugged a lot of huge, ridiculous Betacams back in the day, smaller and lighter is always better for me.
I have two local friends who will rent me their FX9s so the thought was to buy the FX6 and see if I am getting any requests for FX9 that will take FX6 or just requests for FX6. I can always rent my friends FX9s, I just won't get the day rates on the camera package, which hurts. As you know, it all just depends on the clients and the types of jobs I find. I shoot at times for a production company that does a lot of BTS/EPK and I think they would be fine with the FX6. But I know that the FX9 name in LA, is better overall, still, but the FX9 isn't very good on the shoulder and is too heavy to shoot handheld very long shoved into your chest whereas the FX6 I would could shoot all day like that. FX9 to me, it mostly a tripod camera because rigged out, it's pushing 20-25lbs plus another 10-20lbs for a tripod. Not fun for run & gun all day.
Friends who are overseas tell me they are getting far more requests for FX6 than FX9 but that's Australia and Asia and California is pretty different. Sorry for the rambling , but your videos always make me think about gear strategy and business strategy.
I'm convinced. FX6 is a good call, especially for the handheld as you describe. Rod and Gun Club?
@@CrankyCameraman What is Rod and Gun Club? Sorry, I'm clueless?
@@danbrockettDOP common camera position for Launch Complex 4 at Vandenberg. At least that is where they sent me for Falcon 9 launches.
Do you have a link to the cart by chance? Curious if the person you had it recommended by has much experience with flying with the cart and how it holds up over time. Looks like a great very compact solution, especially with the camera shelf addition
I haven't flown yet, but Ryan flys with his. I think he's on a 2 week travel job with it right now. Check Amazon or Google for On-Stage UTC5500 All-Terrain Utility Cart.
@@CrankyCameraman I can stow my Rock & Roller Mini in overhead. I take it this On-Stag is too large for overhead?
@@CrankyCameraman Thanks and much appreciated!
@@CrankyCameraman This is my workhorse cart, till I can afford proper DIT carts later. Loving it so far, ordered the top shelf for it too just takes time to put on/take off.
Used it today for the first time, downtown Austin. Very happy so far.
How long do you usually keep your equipment running? That’s impressive. How long did it take you to build that shelf?
Hi Carlos. Not sure I understand your first question. Shelf to initial tack together stage was about 45 minutes. But all in I burned two 3-4 hour days on it, messing around trying to lay down a decent weld and two trips to home depot and welding supply store.
If I send you some tube can you weld together a bicycle frame for me? ;)
I can make a shelf for a bicycle.
My experience in moving in and out of crowded elevators and hotels during conventions and conferences and through crowded hotel lobbies would say PLEASE do not do this!!!!
I hear you... Building this cart specifically for airline travel work, where I have to breakdown and check as baggage, then spend a week working out of a hotel and rental car where I load and unload 4x to 6x per day (hotel > rental car > location load in > rental car > hotel). I want to leave several airline cases in my hotel room when possible and just roll around with built camera, tripod, a few lights and stands when on location. I have carts for local work. When moving around loading docks and airports the camera is in a case stacked on the cart.