DSLR Video... dealing with wind

Anyone have words of wisdom for filming DSLR video in wind, and avoiding the camera shaking from wind drag?

I've been doing wildlife filming lately with my Tamron 150-600mm lens atop a Benro carbon fiber tripod. It takes large gusts of wind to bounce the camera while I'm filming, but it does happen. Is it just a fact of life? Seems like a large lens gathers more wind drag than a smaller setup.

I obviously cut the jostled footage in post, but I'm wondering if there's any other remedy. BTW - I am shooting by myself, so I don't have anyone else to assist.

Wow, it's so windy your tripod is shaking?? Did you sandbag the legs?

PhotogNY wrote in post #17477119
Wow, it's so windy your tripod is shaking?? Did you sandbag the legs?

Haven't sandbagged the legs, no, but I am moving the tripod outdoors in fields and woodlands between shots to change angles so I need to be fairly mobile. I think the lens itself is part of the cause, it's mostly plastic and has a large lens hood so it catches a great deal of wind.

For sure, the lens is the issue. Even if you've perfectly balanced the weight of the camera-cum-lens on the tripod, with a lens that long the image is going to show movement over the moments in video...which is kind of like a very long timed exposure for a still.

Sandbagging the tripod won't help much --the bulk of the lens is catching the wind and will cause some montion visible at the longest focal length because you won't be able to prevent all flex in the head and the connection. You will probably have to give up a lot of mobility to dampen it by a technique such as using two tripods (one at the camera socket, another at the lens' socket and laying a sandbag on the lens between them.

RDKirk wrote in post #17477359
For sure, the lens is the issue. Even if you've perfectly balanced the weight of the camera-cum-lens on the tripod, with a lens that long the image is going to show movement over the moments in video...which is kind of like a very long timed exposure for a still.

Sandbagging the tripod won't help much --the bulk of the lens is catching the wind and will cause some montion visible at the longest focal length because you won't be able to prevent all flex in the head and the connection. You will probably have to give up a lot of mobility to dampen it by a technique such as using two tripods (one at the camera socket, another at the lens' socket and laying a sandbag on the lens between them.

Those sound like words of wisdom and experience. Great advise, thanks!

What might be easier, whenever possible, is using natural support--a tree bough or a rock. Throw a cushion on the rock, lay the lens on it and drop a sandbag over it.

If you have an assistant (or willing friend) you could get them to hold up some sort of wind break right next to the lens / camera so it deflects the gusts and is still out of shot. A medium sized piece of stiff cardboard should suffice and still allows for mobility when you need to move.