DSLR Video Stability Question

I'm trying to work out what the best options to try for shooting rock solid video on the 7D and similar DSLRs. Would a gunstock type kit help? Or maybe some sort of stability "wings" would improve things. I've seen Berkley from Backscatter shoot his 5D MkII on his scooter and it looked great but at $6K (US) it's out of my league.

I'm thinking that I could attach two long ULCS arms to the housing leading aft in V shape to use as a handle. If you have the housing really neutral do you think this arrangement would allow you to push the housing ahead of you and avoid some jitter?

It's a little more of a problem for me because I have a slight tremor on my left side. (Picture Elvis on crack) I think it was a result of the 60's but I don't remember. I'm going to have to figure something out to try. I can shoot OK with stills but it's going to show up on video.

Or like all engineers say, can I fix it in software? Is there a good processing code that we could use to stabilize the image?

Anyway I thought I'd throw the question out to the good people of Wetpixel and maybe we can figure something out.

Cheers,

Steve

maybe the next generation ViDSlr housings will be more streamlined. will be interesting to see if there are develornts along those lines.

I'm certainly looking at the trim of my housing more closely now.

Maybe "shake" in FC Studio would do the job?

Wide angle video is a lot easier to keep steady. If the housing is negative, try shooting with the housing held below you. I know it sounds crazy shooting video w/o looking at the screen, but if you are shooting really wide, you can do it. A negative housing will want to drop below you. Holding it up takes effort on your part and that creates shake. The more negative, the more effort, more shake.

I only shoot macro if I can sit the housing down on something like a rock, sand, tripod, etc..

Thanks guys, I was assuming a tripod of sorts for the macro sequences. It's the wide angle shots of sweeping along a wall or reef edge that has me concerned. How do you hold the rig below you? sounds interesting.

Is there a similar filter to "Shake" in Premeire Pro Suite?

Steve

Thanks guys, I was assuming a tripod of sorts for the macro sequences. It's the wide angle shots of sweeping along a wall or reef edge that has me concerned. How do you hold the rig below you? sounds interesting.

 

Is there a similar filter to "Shake" in Premeire Pro Suite?

 

Steve

I frequently shoot wide angle diver POF shots. It creates a you are there feeling to the footage.

I swim with my body nice and level horizontal. I hold the housing beneath me around my chest area, port obviously pointing forward. Depending on your housing you can hold it by the top portion of the handles or cradle the whole housing. This lets the camcorder get real close to the reef, while you stay above it. Works well if your housing is negative.

Thanks guys, I was assuming a tripod of sorts for the macro sequences. It's the wide angle shots of sweeping along a wall or reef edge that has me concerned. How do you hold the rig below you? sounds interesting.

 

Is there a similar filter to "Shake" in Premeire Pro Suite?

 

Steve

If you can work with AVI files you might try using the Deshaker plugin by Gunther in Virtualdub. Both tools are freeware and very powerful. Deshaker can really clean up shaky footage. You will lose just a bit of resolution in the process. Google "Gunther Deshaker Virtualdub", and you should find the links you need, including how to docs.

Pat

If you can work with AVI files you might try using the Deshaker plugin by Gunther in Virtualdub.

Thanks Pat! It looks like it works well on non moving seguences and maybe less well on moving clips. At first blush it looks like a nice tool to have in the toolbox.

Hey Ron you really started me thinking about the different options for holding the camera and zooming along the reef. I'm thinking about the two extra available attach points for arms on the Nauticam housing and how I can use them to create a moveable handle using ULCS arms and clamps. My head is spinning with all the configurations that might be possible.

This is going to be fun,

Steve

I just got back from shooting the 7D for the first time. I have no answer. I just know it is more difficult to hold steady than a regular video rig. A DSLR rig just isn't as balanced as a video rig. I think I'll try a monopod next time.

I had fun shooting until a control wouldn't work anymore on the housing.

I have the luxury of just being a the b-roll camera guy.

..... I had fun shooting until a control wouldn't work anymore on the housing....

Which brand housing?

If I had a DSLR housing I think I would make a frame for it with my L&M battery pods mounted on the bottom and 2 heavy duty buoyancy tubes at the top to neutralise the weight of the battery pods. Hopefully that would give the rig enough inertia to reduce the wobbles. It would also keep the rig naturally upright.

I think there is an opening for some company to think out of the square and come up with a complete different design.

I think there is an opening for some company to think out of the square and come up with a complete different design.

I still think DSLR's are not ready for dedicated UW video use. Seems like the advantages like shallow DOF are not really applicable for UW video or not worth the bother of the focusing. However, the new Canon T2i at $800 for body only is a steal. Video is supposed to be as good as the 7d.

Balancing the housing is probably your cheapest and easiest way of stabilizing the image. 2nd is diving/swimming technique and that should give you stable enough clips whereby the last wiggles can be taken care of in post without losing too much resolution.

Basically, a software image stabilizer will crop and enlarge the image as to move it around. Caffeine driven clips will lose a lot of resolution and still look bad. Really bad crap in, bad crap out. Having shot with 4 different HDSLR rigs, big glass port in the front and flotation in the arms is a good start. Stabilizing wings may also help with panning, but the front pitching motion is probably the most difficult to control. For macro, a tripod is essential past 50mm.

I'm trying to work out what the best options to try for shooting rock solid video on the 7D and similar DSLRs. Would a gunstock type kit help? Or maybe some sort of stability "wings" would improve things. I've seen Berkley from Backscatter shoot his 5D MkII on his scooter and it looked great but at $6K (US) it's out of my league.

 

I'm thinking that I could attach two long ULCS arms to the housing leading aft in V shape to use as a handle. If you have the housing really neutral do you think this arrangement would allow you to push the housing ahead of you and avoid some jitter?

 

It's a little more of a problem for me because I have a slight tremor on my left side. (Picture Elvis on crack) I think it was a result of the 60's but I don't remember. I'm going to have to figure something out to try. I can shoot OK with stills but it's going to show up on video.

 

Or like all engineers say, can I fix it in software? Is there a good processing code that we could use to stabilize the image?

 

Anyway I thought I'd throw the question out to the good people of Wetpixel and maybe we can figure something out.

 

Cheers,

Steve

Steve,

I'm thinking an aluminum bar attached to the tripod mount on your housing with two shoulder supports...make the length of the bar adjustable and press it hard against your shoulders...then maybe you can hold the camera fairly steady with your right hand.

Hope that makes sense!?

Mike

I think mass is the answer. Put a ballast on the housing -- lifty wing and heavy wing!

Balancing the housing is probably your cheapest and easiest way of stabilizing the image. 2nd is diving/swimming technique and that should give you stable enough clips whereby the last wiggles can be taken care of in post without losing too much resolution.

Basically, a software image stabilizer will crop and enlarge the image as to move it around. Caffeine driven clips will lose a lot of resolution and still look bad. Really bad crap in, bad crap out. Having shot with 4 different HDSLR rigs, big glass port in the front and flotation in the arms is a good start. Stabilizing wings may also help with panning, but the front pitching motion is probably the most difficult to control. For macro, a tripod is essential past 50mm..

The Deshaker plugin for Virtualdub works very well, whether you and your subjects are moving or not. Yes it does crop, rotate, and zoom, but the resolution loss is not necessarily enough to make it look bad. You can tweak the degree of each to minimize resolution loss. While it may be best to get stable footage in the first place, these are great tools to use if you want to rescue an otherwise good shot. I have footage which has been accepted for sale on OceanFootage.com that was processed with Deshaker and was considered good enough for SDUFEX and second place in an REI film festival. I was shooting with a little Gates HC7 setup at the surface in the surge zone, and the resulting footage looks like it was shot with a 200 pound camera/housing. The resolution hit makes it look more like 720p than 1080i, but it was still worth it. The downside of Deshaker is that it has a bit of a learning curve to get the best results.

Pat

I'm not sure what all the fuss is about regarding DSLR stability for video. I suspect it's because of some of the very lightweight housings (eg Ikelite and Nexus) people are using. Also, the location of the video ON/OFF switch may contribute to the problem. Some housings seem to simply use a push button where the "Set" control is on the camera...ie on the back of the housing. This is very unpractical and makes the housing difficult to hold. A finger-tip trigger is essential...I believe the Aquatica has this. Thats what I've rigged up (via internal infra-red) on the Subal...excellent ergonomics.

An external monitor is also essential for good stability (as well as maintaining focus)...holding the housing at eye level to view the camera's LCD is quite uncomfortable. With an external monitor I hold the housing quite low and look down into the monitor. Much more stable.

My old Subal F4 Procase conversion (with extension and heavy glass dome port) actually has more mass and stabillity than the small HDV housings (Gates and Amphibico) I've been using for years. Substantial HID lights (one on each side) also seems to help with stability. I dont use a tripod ...but for extreme macro I've made up a stainless steel fold-out brace (think mono-pod) which helps considerably. Most of the time it's tucked away neatly under the housing.

Also, don't forget that Image Stabilization works very well (unlike AF). I find the Canon IS 24mm-105mm very versatile...from moderate wide to semi macro.

What about a modification of some sort of stedicam device....?

Hey Steve

Check out redrockmicro.com. They make a steady for DSLR's for shooting video. These are for land use, but you might be able to modify them to suit your needs.

Mike

Thanks for all the ideas guys. My housing has arrived and I can see that there are enough threaded holes to attach ULCS adapters that there should be a way to put together a bunch of different handles and brace combinations using arms and some type of handles for different configurations. I'll play with it in the pool and post the ones that work out.

Cheers,

Steve