Today Let's Talk about the Constantly Overhyped Camera Gear.
I'm Rafael and welcome to the channel where our goal is to fix it in camera and finesse it in post.
And I always appreciate the early thumbs up because making the photo and video process
smoother and easier is always the goal.
But too often products are presented as the solution to all your creative problems.
To be clear, these items have their place and can be super useful in very specific circumstances
and it's great to appreciate it from a distance.
It doesn't mean you need to go out and get it, So Let's dismantle this hype train!
The First is Gimbals.
While they are great, and are capable of capturing fantastic shots... but I would say that they
are more of a speciality item.
They are also a pain to set up, work and actually in many cases slow down the creative process.
If you ever been on a shoot and waiting for the gimbal to be set up you know the frustration
that can mount.
The amount of control needed to work these properly is far more than more people are
willing to put in, and in the end the shot are not ideal and not as stable as advertised.
And you end up still needing to further stabilize in post production.
And even more often they end up sitting on the shelf being under utilized.
The best gimbals require 2 people one to hold and one to focus on the subject.
Even worse are smart phone gimbals.
Why?
most phones today have really good image stabilization built right in.
I'd rather spend the extra money on IBIS lenses or cameras.
Which are fantastic and there's a wide variety available today.
Drones is another item that falls in the speciality category but hugely overhyped.
It is true they can produce fantastic images, and if you know you are visiting a fantastic location
for sure it's worth it.
But I've seen so many people buy a drone, use it for week (more like try to learn it for a week) and set it aside.
And now with all the requirements needed to just fly these, and the amount of time to
set up and get a good 10 second clip just make it not worth the time.
And one crash sets you back hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
Drones definitely fall in the category of Rent it or hire a pilot to get the shots that you need.
Sliders are like gimbals for me.
They have their purpose and place.
But mostly they take way too long to set up and get the right shot.
Especially motorized sliders.
There is a dedication to using these, usually pre planning, and understanding the limitations.
They are fantastic for product shots. And for shots that are planned for them.
Where a shot has to be repeated over and over again for VFX layering or repeat takes.
But for the most part they too just sit in the case for when they are needed.
Which isn't that regularly.
And don't even get me started on the travel size ones. Because majority of the time they just stay in the backpack.
Instead - I have always found more success with the rig wheels porta rail.
Once set up, you test your shot and are able to get great footage and it's 10 ft long and extendable.
Which allows you to get some great shots with minimal equipment.
They cost roughly the same as some of the better sliders, or rent them, or build one yourself.
Everytime a new specialty lens comes out the same cycle plays out, everyone wants to use
it until it's played out.
Like the super macro lens Lawoa 24mm.
Unless you are one of the first, or have a very specific application for it.
These types of lenses are way overhyped.
It's like when the Matrix introduced "Bullet Time" Everyone want to use it.
But everyone references back to "That's the matrix shot!"
So, unless you have a shot designed that will utilize it at it's best.
I would say, just rent them
play around, get the FOMO out of your system and buy a good versatile lens..
That you'll be able to use in the majority of situations.
It seems every few months there is a new camera bag launching a kickstarter that promises
it'll be the last camera bag you'll ever need.
Unless you are travelling all the time and need one bag to do everything.
Get something simple to limit how much you need to carry.
Your back will thank you.
Keep your everyday carry light - it's how you use the gear not the gear itself.
Over the next few month assess how much gear you actually use on your day to day outings,
and find a bag that is comfortable for you, not just the one that you can jam the most
stuff in.
For me it was the everyday messenger bag.
It's pretty small but it packs everything that I usually carry with me.
If you are using it for work consistently, get a case and be smart about how you transport your gear.
My feeling is the same for camera cages.
Unless you need to rig it out, keep your rig light, 90% of the time camera cages are vanity
and optics for people watching you.
An extension of this is Matte boxes.
Again if needed go for it.
But really ask yourself "do I need to mount all this crap on my camera?"
It's ok to record internally and put a good mic in the hot shoe.
I fell for this one as well, the small tripods, switch pods, and gorilla pods, gah, they're
all pretty useless most of the time and just add wait to the camera bag.
They fall over, they don't get the angle you need and want, and I end up just propping
the camera somewhere or I bring a proper travel tripod the can go low or high if needed.
So many luts and presets are fantastic when you are working on a project
and you're trying to create a look for that project.
Because most of the shots will utilize it.
But the think that makes LUTs and Presets fantastic is also the biggest problem with them.
Because most of them are created for a particular look and style that was shot on the day.
And almost all of them need to be tweaked in some way or other.
This is the classic cases of Give a man a fish vs teach a man to fish.
If you learn how to create your own looks, and take the time to learn the tool just a
little, you'll be able to create your own unique looks that are your personal style!
Now each of these has their place in the creative process, and I want to be clear - these are
tools used to help produce amazing imagery.
But not as hyped as they are made to be for everyday use.
Again, I would say they are more speciality items not something that should live in your
camera bag everyday.
When choosing any gear that is being overhyped make sure it is actually something that is
useful for you now and in the future.
And avoid buying something that will end up sitting on the shelf.
If you found this video helpful, here's a playlist that may help you some more, also
I livestream on my second channel and do deep dives on the creative process and discuss
freelancers financials.
As always thanks for watching give this video a big thumbs up, subscribe, I'm Rafael, I'll
talk to you soon, bye for now!