How To Build A Professional Wildlife Video Camera

[@TobermoryCat]

Love the way you handle the build. All beyond my budget but one day….. thanks.

[@TruthLegend]

Keep at it! Thanks for tuning in

[@heymikeriley]

This is so so so so useful for someone who doesn’t understand cine kits. It’s also cool to see what a kit looks like not using the canon 50-1000. I don’t have the cash for the 200-400 right now, but it’s much easier to aspire to lol.

[@TruthLegend]

Thanks for watching!

[@pleatedskirt18]

Something I shall never need to do, but utterly fascinating and answers so many questions I didn't know I needed to ask. Thank you.

[@TruthLegend]

Glad it was interesting! Thanks for watching

[@DeputyNordburg]

You can also get the Canon PL-C52 52mm Drop-In Circular Polarizing Filter for those big Canon lenses.

[@TruthLegend]

Thanks for watching!

[@wildbillgreen]

Love this kind of stuff. Totally mesmorized watching this. Kind of like watching New Yankee Workshop. 😊

[@TruthLegend]

Awesome, thank you!

[@mickymack1230]

Michael I have searched long and hard to find a video with this information. Thank you so much for the clear explanation. I found a video by Wooden camera which is 8 years old and the Arri dovetail plate in those videos didn't have the arca swiss dovetail on the bottom in fact they were flat. I guess they changed the design in the meantime. Excellent Video.

[@TruthLegend]

Thanks for watching!

[@eletor]

Thanks for this, much appreciated

[@TruthLegend]

Glad it was helpful

[@Valentin_Blueml]

such a helpful video!! Thanks a lot, even for the Sony Setups and so on there aren't a ton of videos for wildlife setups

[@TruthLegend]

Thanks for watching!

[@JifferRiffic]

8 videos in a week awesome! It’s been like 8 years since I saw your last one. Always a fan!

[@TruthLegend]

Thanks! Decided to get back into it. Appreciate the comment!

[@therealbenallington]

Very interesting -good stuff!

[@TruthLegend]

Thank you!

[@seanmurray8736]

This video was so insanely helpful

[@TruthLegend]

Thanks for watching!

[@MooseManNaturePhotos]

very informative clip, well done

[@TruthLegend]

Glad you liked it!

[@TimsWildlife]

In lesson 2: how to sell your left kidney to finance a RED camera. But seriously, interesting video.

[@TruthLegend]

It can get expensive but the video quality is sooooooo worth it! Thanks for watching!

[@TimsWildlife]

@TruthLegend I make do with a zcam. Not too bad for the 1600 dollars.

[@twobroswhobuild5435]

The Wooden Camera zip focus fits a 19mm rail. (It comes with a 15mm sleeve as well, if you end up needing to fit the smaller rails.) That's what I use for on my system, which is really similar to yours.

[@TruthLegend]

Thanks for watching!

[@MrIanWebb]

Thanks for this video! Much appreciated 👍

[@TruthLegend]

Thanks for watching!

[@robinsmith1956]

Brilliant explanation

[@TruthLegend]

Glad you liked it

[@jimboutin2141]

Awesome explanation Michael. Wish this was online a few years ago, it would saved a lot of messing around.

[@TruthLegend]

The options and kit builds are endless.

[@love4wildlife]

EXACTLY the video I’ve been looking for. Thank you!

[@TruthLegend]

awesome! Thanks for watching!

[@outdoorspal]

Great video dude..! Thank you for sharing

[@TruthLegend]

Thanks for watching!

[@Keep_Creating_Art]

Love this!

[@TruthLegend]

Thanks for watching!

[@augustogomes_photo]

Thank you for this video! It clarified many things I've been struggling to understand for a while. I have a much more clear view about how to build my own rig now.

[@TruthLegend]

Glad it was helpful!

[@dotta4763]

Amazing set up. Using the drop in filter only from the leans how do you fix the colour shifting issue when using a 5+ ND without being able to add a UV filter too?

[@TruthLegend]

I’ve not had that problem. Shooting mostly in Alaska I don’t use ND a lot. I’m also shooting RAW which gives me a bunch of latitude in post production. Thanks for watching!

[@lucasleoniaudiovisual]

Amazing video, thanks for sharing! Can you talk about how did you started in the wildlife productions? Would be amazing! Have a nice day

[@TruthLegend]

I started by spending as much time as possible in nature with a camera. It’s important to study your subjects as much as possible so you may learn to predict activity which gets the best footage. It’s really great if you can find a mentor too! Thanks for watching!

[@darrenmccagh1151]

Great video mate. Thanks so much for sharing. I'm curious to know if you think I could get away with a 15mm rail system or am I asking for trouble? I have an upcoming project revolving around Birds and am hoping to use the Canon 200-400mm with the C300 MKIII. The only reason I ask is for speed to move between the tripod and my current shoulder rig system which is all 15mm setup. Cheers

[@TruthLegend]

Sorry for the delayed reply. I think 15mm would work just fine. Thanks for watching!

[@davidlawery6527]

Great Video 👍🇬🇧

[@TruthLegend]

Thanks 👍

[@saltomortale6725]

Great video. What kind of backpack would you recommend for simmilar set-up? I work in mountains area

[@TruthLegend]

We (Michael, Brandon and Eric) all carry the RED or the FX6 loaded out for wildlife in the F-Stop Shinn. It's a large bag and can quickly become heavy, but it's one of the few that we've had that can store a fully rigged camera. The FX6 cameras do require the grip to be off, but that's easy enough to install in the field. f-stop - Shinn 80L Bundle - Adventure Camera Backpack for DSLR - amzn.to/3MlicC6 (amzn.to/3MlicC6)

[@PaulBienvenu1]

Nice video, really handy ! Have you ever tried the sigma 60-600mm ? I'm hesitating between the canon 200-400 and the sigma, sometimes 200mm is too narrow and the 60-200mm range could be useful without changing lenses!

[@TruthLegend]

Yes, Michael and Eric have both settled on using the Sigma 60-600 for most wildlife video work due to the 60-200 range. Michael owns the Canon 200-400 and Eric has the Sony 200-600 from the stills days but for video the Sigma is the go to.

[@PaulBienvenu1]

@@TruthLegend thank you very much for your feedback !

[@purplemonkeyelephant]

I'm trying to figure out my 600m lens/cinema camera setup. The strength of this lens support is very attractive, but if you need to switch lenses do you have to completely unbuild the whole rig?

[@TruthLegend]

It depends how you set it up. If you buy the wooden camera 19mm bridge plate and adjustable 19mm lens support it will provide much more flexibility compared to most of the Amazon options. No matter how you set it up it’s always going to require a certain amount of unbuild and rebuild but I think you can keep it to a minimum. What camera body are you using?

[@purplemonkeyelephant]

@@TruthLegend I'm using a Panasonic EVA1. If I was using one of the lens supports that cradles the lens from underneath I figured I would just need to lower that, unscrew the lens, and change over. The problem is, on my Tamron 150-600 the only place I could support the lens is less than half way along the lens which doesn't seem very strong. The other option is the Eva is very light (just over a kg) so I can mount it directly to the lens on a tripod without any support, but that just seems sketchy!

[@amadejsersen9183]

Great video. Thanks for the info

[@TruthLegend]

awesome! Thanks for watching!

[@ecocarefoundation4314]

Excellent ,educational video.Thanks for sharing.waiting for actual filming tips.

[@dhugashomedia9369]

What tripod and head would you use with this kit?

[@TruthLegend]

More to come!

[@TruthLegend]

As big as you are willing to carry! I would go for a Sachtler 20 or bigger

[@getoutsidewithmiguel]

Thank you for this video. I do not have a Red camera. I can really appreciate this setup and the time it took for you to explain it all. I am shooting with a Nikon Z9, and the Nikon 180-400mm and pairing them both with the SmallRig components. When you are using the 200-400mm lens, do you prefer using the drop-in ND filter or the Matte Box/Filter combo? TIA

[@love4wildlife]

He answers this towards the end of the video. Short answer - drop in.

[@getoutsidewithmiguel]

@@love4wildlife Awesome thanks, Henrik.

[@TruthLegend]

Thanks for watching!

[@TruthLegend]

Drop in are easier and less of a problem in windy conditions!

[@JimHawkins1]

Thanks Michael. Gained some useful info here. My rig is probably half the weight of yours with my GH5 and 150-600 and is a bit of a load for me to carry around. Can't imagine carrying your setup for long periods. Also what about microphone?

[@TruthLegend]

I record audio externally...especially for wildlife. Easy to sync in post.

[@SamuelRusu]

Awesome video as I’m looking to build my wildlife rig too and I’m using the same lens

[@TruthLegend]

Go for it!

[@MovingPicturesAfrica]

Thanks for this useful video. Which ND filters do you use in the 200-400?

[@TruthLegend]

I believe they are B+W. Thanks for watching!

[@yarnefiten5929]

Nice video it helps me!

[@TruthLegend]

Thank You!

[@MarcoValkvideos]

Hi Michael, Thanks so much for this. I’ve been searching for a video like this. It’s anything but easy to make a setup like that if you don’t know what kind of equipment you need so this helps a lot. Do you think an additional v-shape for additional stability at the front of the lens will actually help? I didn’t see it on your setup

[@TruthLegend]

The lens is really stable as is…I don’t think additional stability is needed. Thanks for watching!

Great video, it's awesome to listen and see you rigging your camera ! =D

[@TruthLegend]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@josefkissinger284]

What follow focus did you use? I need a reversible one like you have. Thanks!

[@TruthLegend]

I use one made by edlekrone but they aren't made any more. It's a shame because it's awesome. I have bought an additional unit on EBAY.

[@erikberg262]

From where is the focus-gear that goes onto the focus ring of the lens? Im shooting with a 400 2.8 with a focus ring diameter of 120mm, but can't seem to find any gears large enough to put on it for a follow focus system.

[@erikberg262]

Great video btw.

[@TruthLegend]

I’d have to look through my records but I know it was B&H. Thanks for watching!

[@brunochapeton9213]

What is the battery brand/model you recommend?

[@TruthLegend]

There's so many. I use Bebob but I've heard that Hawk-Woods and IDX are good too. Thanks for watching!

[@janardananwildlife]

Is 15mm rod too nimble for this setup for the base?

[@TruthLegend]

yea...I would recommend the 19mm

[@dennypilot9856]

Will it work with my Ronin-S?

[@TruthLegend]

No, it's too heavy.

[@tecnoprofet]

what is Panzerfaust? when an animal comes in front of the camera, it instinctively raises its hands up in a gesture of surrender

[@TruthLegend]

and here I thought a Panzerfaust was an anti-tank explosive

[@heymikeriley]

This is so so so so useful for someone who doesn’t understand cine kits. It’s also cool to see what a kit looks like not using the canon 50-1000. I don’t have the cash for the 200-400 right now, but it’s much easier to aspire to lol.

[@TruthLegend]

Thanks for watching!