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Gear and Gadgets: Questions on choice of the tool for the job and the lke! Am I crazy?

Monkey see.... and monkey do.

http://manfrottoschoolofxcellence.c...riginal-shot-with-remote-and-aerial-shooting/

Got the idea from Manfrotto and I realized two thing, one.. I have a larger than normal sand --not Manfrotto, probably chinesefrotto-- that is actually a BOOM stand.. and that I will go out to the salt dessert in Bolivia where there is probably no way to get a high vantage point to capture more of the dessert than normally possible.

So I went and put my Medium Format Mamiya and PhaseOne on top of a stand...

13466_392899777083_668172083_4324375_7531034_n.jpg

13466_392899932083_668172083_4324380_4798829_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs047.snc3
/13466_392899867083_668172083_4324377_106821_n.jpg

13466_392899867083_668172083_4324377_106821_n.jpg


Of course that there is a danger of the experiment failing with the loss of a Mamiya and digital back ...

keep tuned :)
 

Ken Tanaka

pro member
Yes.



















Just kidding.
Actually, I've used a similar high-vantage technique with a dslr (not my Mamiya/P65+) on a monopod. The camera was connected to a Pocket Wizard to trigger the exposure (rather than the flash). Hoist the cam in the air on the extended pod, trip the shutter with the PW transmitter (taped to bottom of pod).

Whatever works is cool. The only decision is whether or not schlepping this gear into (literally) the middle of absolutely nowhere will be worth it to get high photos of....the middle of nowhere.
 
Ken

Thanks, I think so myself..

We will be going in to the salt desert by some sort of vehicle, so that is the easy part, --and it is almost a monopod, so not so big.--

I can decide how high I go, so if it still looks crazy over there, then Mamiya-P25 is not going too high. I am also thinking to use an asistant and weight and probably some string just in case.

The good thing is that I am finally doing something like this with my digital back because it is an "old" back and not job dependent...

I have a long FireWire cable for shooting with the MacBookPRO, so that part is no problem.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
This is something I very much want to do but have an ability to also rotate the camera. I'd love to have a retractable mast on my car!

Asher
 
Watch out for that electric wire just to the left of your set-up! Metal poles and power lines do not mix.

That's the sort of message I give myself whenever I climb my aluminium step ladder for a high vantage point. The top step/platform of my ladder is fitted with a 3 way tripod head so I can use a view camera up there. It sure helps me see over those pesky foregrounds.

I assume your electronic camera can transmit an image down to ground level. That sure would beat climbing and, 'er, possibly falling.
 
Yes, I hate wires, but that was the most leveled piece of property around.. I wanted to document the "thing" for you to see..

I have a FireWire that can shoot the 'PLATES" down in real time. I used to work on a 4x5 and I know that it is not matter of just pointing and shooting but you have to move around a with the loupe, carefully focusing, then set aperture and cock the lens, etc etc... no way I could accomplish that with this pole... and what about loading film in holders in the desert ... mmm

I made a test with the stand reinforced with belts, and it is a bit higher and more stable...

The other problem solved was exposure. My Mamiya AFD is not modern enough to be able to respond to Capture One and set speed/and/or apertures, so how do I do that and not have to keep lowering the camera after every capture?

The solution is a feature --never before used by me-- built in my Mamiya body and it is a simple 3 shot bracketing that can be set in up to 1f.stop increment or smaller.

I can do a test shoot at eye level and set the COMPENSATION lever to where I want the camera to start as a N and then it will give me N, -1,+1 so that I can do High Dynamic Range composites.

Asher, Rotating can be done by moving the entire "tripod" clockwise. The good thing is that my assistant/driver will be there in case the MF system wants to come crashing.

If wind conditions are too much I will raise the "thing" to where I fee comfortable and it will probably be much higher than a normal tripod...

Sand bags are good idea considering that it is the dessert and there is endless supplie of, not sand, but salt...

Watch out for that electric wire just to the left of your set-up! Metal poles and power lines do not mix.

That's the sort of message I give myself whenever I climb my aluminium step ladder for a high vantage point. The top step/platform of my ladder is fitted with a 3 way tripod head so I can use a view camera up there. It sure helps me see over those pesky foregrounds.

I assume your electronic camera can transmit an image down to ground level. That sure would beat climbing and, 'er, possibly falling.
 
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