Shooting decent video with 1DMkIV?

So, here's what I'm struggling with right now. I'm shooting with the 1DMkIV and the Canon 400mm f5.6. Great combination, I love it.

So here's my problem. I shoot hand held, lately 99% from the car because I have a hard time walking (long medical story). I find a great mammal or bird, take some great stills out the car window while looking through the eye piece, then I want to switch to video but now I have to look at the screen on the back of the camera and I've lost most of the stability I had by mashing the camera to my face.

The video is so shaky it's borderline useless at times. Use a sturdy tripod you say. Again, I'm shooting from the car and there's normally no time to pull out a tripod in the car, set it up, clamp the camera to it, find the critter on the screen again .... he's GONE!

I'm pretty sure there's no way to shoot video through the eye piece is there?

Any tips for me?

No way at all to shoot video while using the viewfinder, the mirror has to be up to record video, thus blacking out your viewfinder. An IS lens may be useful.

About the only solution to your problem would be to use some sort of bean bag type setup on the window frame of the vehicle.

There are all sorts of supports and stabilizers you can use but you would have the same problem with setting them up as you had with the tripod.

Hadn't thought of that, but an IS lens WOULD help. Not in the cards for me though. Perhaps some soft foam could be quickly placed on the window frame to stabilize the camera while being easily deployed. Hmmm ...

You've assessed your problem correctly. You definately need a tripod or stabilizer when shooting video with a DSLR. Shooting from a car seat also drastically limits your range of motion. Just a coulpe of thoughts and ideas that you might consider.

Sit on the ground or in a chair just outside your car. This would allow you to use a tripod and set up a blind.
Set up a tripod in the backseat or somewhere in the vehicle other than the drivers seat where you don't have to turn sideways to get the shot. A van with sliding door would be ideal.
Attach a loupe (that doesn't magnify) to your lcd screen to use as an eye piece. They're cheap. See pic below.
Use a "gun stock" set up with DSLR video work. Not sure if that's really feasible, but might be worth exploring, but don't use one that looks like a firearm.
Use a camera that you can shoulder for your video work. A non-DSLR

How about a monopod that you can drop down to the pavement from outside your window for some extra stability?

Thread title is decent video with 1D4, yes the 1D4 has the most limiting video controls of almost any Canon DSLR, however as you are now aware, the problem you are having is shooting 400mm hand held.

400mm is hard to shoot hand held for stills, with video that narrow field of view is going to magnify every slight movement you make.

There is a reason that Cinematographers and Video pros use very heavy stable mounts for motion pictures. The portable options are the various steady rests available.

IS may help, but really that's still nothing like the stability that most in the motion picture industries use,.

From a Car, a beanbag rest helps a LOT for stills, no idea if it will really amount to much for video.

.

Biffbradford wrote in post #18081515
Any tips for me?

Yes, tip that will enable you to shoot video from the car in as smooth and steady a way as you could possibly want. A door bracket that is designed to hold a full gimbal head.

I have made two such brackets, one for my 1999 Toyota Corolla and the other for my 2003 Corolla. You just have to take the door panel off so that you can see the insides of the door so that you can find points at which to bolt it thru the door skin that will not interfere with the window track or door locking mechanisms.

I would use either my Wimberley 2 (shown) or the original Wimberley on it. I also used a ballhead, but that didn't work so well because I designed the height of the bracket's deck specifically for a fulll gimbal head, and therefore a ballhead was too low when I used that. And I don't think I'd want to shoot video off of a ballhead anyway, as it's much harder to keep level compared to a gimbal head.

Here are a couple of different angles to show you how the bracket was fashioned and how it worked:

Wonder why the reply before mine was deleted?

They had a pic of a beanbag like these.

https://www.google.com …4G4OMzIjwSS0b_g​AQ#imgrc=_

Tom Reichner wrote in post #18082363
.

Yes, tip that will enable you to shoot video from the car in as smooth and steady a way as you could possibly want. A door bracket that is designed to hold a full gimbal head.

I have made two such brackets, one for my 1999 Toyota Corolla and the other for my 2003 Corolla. You just have to take the door panel off so that you can see the insides of the door so that you can find points at which to bolt it thru the door skin that will not interfere with the window track or door locking mechanisms.

I would use either my Wimberley 2 (shown) or the original Wimberley on it. I also used a ballhead, but that didn't work so well because I designed the height of the bracket's deck specifically for a fulll gimbal head, and therefore a ballhead was too low when I used that. And I don't think I'd want to shoot video off of a ballhead anyway, as it's much harder to keep level compared to a gimbal head.

Here are a couple of different angles to show you how the bracket was fashioned and how it worked:

Hosted photo: posted by Tom Reichner in
./showthread.php?p=180​82363&i=i176272000
forum: Wildlife

.

Hosted photo: posted by Tom Reichner in
./showthread.php?p=180​82363&i=i51064094
forum: Wildlife

.
.

That's impressive Tom!
I wonder if the OP would do that to his Mercedes SLK?

CyberDyneSystems wrote in post #18082866
That's impressive Tom!
I wonder if the OP would do that to his Mercedes SLK?

Sure, why not? Then his car becomes part of his business, and all associated expenses and gas costs, including door mods and resulting increased depreciation, legitimately claimable as business expenses.

Cheapest option until the op get's a beanbag,would be to use a pillow.

Cheers.

Steve.

Tom Reichner wrote in post #18082363
.

Hosted photo: posted by Tom Reichner in
./showthread.php?p=180​82363&i=i176272000
forum: Wildlife

.

Hosted photo: posted by Tom Reichner in
./showthread.php?p=180​82363&i=i51064094
forum: Wildlife

.
.

VERY clever.