The head works best when the camera is balanced on the head, eg. The camera doesn't tilt forward or backwards when the tilt lock-off is released. Much the same as a fluid head. The geared head can be used when the camera isn't balanced but it's hard work and you have to be mindful that you ensure the lock-off is engaged if you step away from the camera. Depending on the camera you're using and the model of geared head you will only be able to have the camera completely in the horizontal position. So a tall camera may become top heavy when tilted forward or backward and will want to keep tilting in that direction. A low height camera may want to always remain horizontal and resist tilting forward or backward. Naturally you can add weights to the camera to help achieve balance , perhaps if you need to have the camera set for nodal shooting. Hope this helps, good luck. G.
This brought back so many memories when I was a teenager taking a flashlight and having to learn how to do figure 8. Now you can use a laser pointer so sad it’s a lost talent.
Sorry I don't go to this post much, never intended for it to be public post, my mother wanted to know what I was doing. Anyway thanks for all the nice comments. I should have posted it at double speed. So to answer the last commenter's question, go to your equipment supplier and ask if you can learn to use it if they have one. Best to do it at their shop rather than taking it home. Or you might find an old one for sale and buy it, and a set of legs to put it on. Be prepared to spend a fair amount of time practising, after 100 or so hours you should be pretty good at it.
Hi Victor, I never expected that this video would ever be public, posted it to describe what I was doing to a non film person. Anyway to answer your question, there are a number of things that a geared head will help you with over using a fluid head. One example is if you're doing a fast track in or out from a subject and stopping quickly, a geared head allows you to control the inertia of the camera particularly when coming to a quick stop. Particularly with a heavy camera package. Another example, when you have to do shots with a remote heads with wheel controls, yes quite a few remote heads do have "joystick" controls but if you can use "Wheels" you'll never want to use a joystick again, wheels are a far more accurate system. So even though many filming situations you can use a fluid head and do a shot perfectly fine, the situation mentioned above , there are no fluid heads on a camera crane. Lastly, in jest, you can't trace your name like in the video with a fluid head very well. Hope this answers your question. Best of luck. Geoff
Hey Geoff, thank you for your thorough explanation! I understand, and definitely makes sense in the situation of a crane. Nowadays tho, there are more and more technologies like the Freefly Mimic and DJI's Force Pro that helps translate movement to a motorized gimbal. Perhaps in the future that technology becomes compatible with the gearhead specific cranes? Or maybe they're already here!
Hi Julian, I never expected that this video would ever be public, posted it to describe what I was doing to a non film person. Probably an F900, it was just a camera that Panavision had spare at the time.
OMG! That's soo impressive!
A lost art. But very an excellent exercise. Thank you for sharing this productivity tip.
Is it a lost art? People use these all the time?
Great job
Hi, does geared head require balancing the camera? Where the center of gravity of the camera should be on the head? Thanks
The head works best when the camera is balanced on the head, eg. The camera doesn't tilt forward or backwards when the tilt lock-off is released. Much the same as a fluid head. The geared head can be used when the camera isn't balanced but it's hard work and you have to be mindful that you ensure the lock-off is engaged if you step away from the camera. Depending on the camera you're using and the model of geared head you will only be able to have the camera completely in the horizontal position. So a tall camera may become top heavy when tilted forward or backward and will want to keep tilting in that direction. A low height camera may want to always remain horizontal and resist tilting forward or backward. Naturally you can add weights to the camera to help achieve balance , perhaps if you need to have the camera set for nodal shooting. Hope this helps, good luck. G.
@@geoffreyowen1662 Thank you!
Master!
Amazing!!!
Excellent!
amazing :)
This brought back so many memories when I was a teenager taking a flashlight and having to learn how to do figure 8. Now you can use a laser pointer so sad it’s a lost talent.
If one wanted to practice this. How can one get access to learning?
@@marlongaldamez9782 Etch A Sketch. But seriously, only way to practice is to buy or rent a gear head. ProAim has a "budget" version for under $2k.
How does one learn how to uses this? Like can somebody just rent an arri gear head?
Sorry I don't go to this post much, never intended for it to be public post, my mother wanted to know what I was doing. Anyway thanks for all the nice comments. I should have posted it at double speed. So to answer the last commenter's question, go to your equipment supplier and ask if you can learn to use it if they have one. Best to do it at their shop rather than taking it home. Or you might find an old one for sale and buy it, and a set of legs to put it on. Be prepared to spend a fair amount of time practising, after 100 or so hours you should be pretty good at it.
Im thinking of getting a gd3wh and attaching cranks to the knobs it has. Of course, I believe the wheels would be opposite of the pro versions.
Can somebody please explain to me why one would prefer to use a gear head than a fluid head?
Hi Victor, I never expected that this video would ever be public, posted it to describe what I was doing to a non film person. Anyway to answer your question, there are a number of things that a geared head will help you with over using a fluid head.
One example is if you're doing a fast track in or out from a subject and stopping quickly, a geared head allows you to control the inertia of the camera particularly when coming to a quick stop. Particularly with a heavy camera package.
Another example, when you have to do shots with a remote heads with wheel controls, yes quite a few remote heads do have "joystick" controls but if you can use "Wheels" you'll never want to use a joystick again, wheels are a far more accurate system.
So even though many filming situations you can use a fluid head and do a shot perfectly fine, the situation mentioned above , there are no fluid heads on a camera crane.
Lastly, in jest, you can't trace your name like in the video with a fluid head very well.
Hope this answers your question.
Best of luck.
Geoff
Hey Geoff, thank you for your thorough explanation! I understand, and definitely makes sense in the situation of a crane. Nowadays tho, there are more and more technologies like the Freefly Mimic and DJI's Force Pro that helps translate movement to a motorized gimbal. Perhaps in the future that technology becomes compatible with the gearhead specific cranes? Or maybe they're already here!
@@7ictortan Yes but the look of the shot is a milion times better on wheels, its not just cranes. Wheels for a pro the rest are for show ;)
wow
nice...
Thank you.
Is that the Sony F900?
Hi Julian, I never expected that this video would ever be public, posted it to describe what I was doing to a non film person. Probably an F900, it was just a camera that Panavision had spare at the time.