{"id":1845,"date":"2017-03-28T18:37:12","date_gmt":"2017-03-28T18:37:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/?p=1845"},"modified":"2017-03-28T18:39:50","modified_gmt":"2017-03-28T18:39:50","slug":"my-camera-audio-equipment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/narrowboatingforbeginners.com\/wordpress\/my-camera-audio-equipment\/","title":{"rendered":"My camera\/audio equipment"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Scroll to botom of page to see the YouTube video<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Cameras<\/h6>\nSony \u03b16000
\n<\/span>
\n\"\"<\/a>The Sony\u00a0\u03b16000<\/a>\u00a0is\u00a0a \u201cmirrorless DSLR\u201d camera that supports interchangeable lenses and can shoot 24 megapixel photos and full HD video. I bought it as a bundle with an additional 55-200mm zoom lens (it comes with a 16-50mm lens), a small tripod with posable legs that can grip, a camera bag, two additional batteries with a quick charger and a 128GB memory card. It\u2019s a great camera, although it does have\u00a0some disadvantages. I\u2019d heard about the overheating problem, but a SmallRig\u00a0camera rig does work as an additional heat sink. I did not know, however, that the Smart Remote Control app cannot be used for video recording. If I had, I would have bought the\u00a0\u03b16300 that apparently does not suffer from this limitation.<\/p>\n

I also knew that like many \u201cprosumer\u201d cameras, the\u00a0\u03b16000 had automatic audio gain control (AGC), which boosts low audio so high you can hear a lot of background hiss and that the feature can\u2019t be turned off. To combat that, I bought the Tascam DR-05 audio recorder. It has built-in mics useful for recording background audio, and paired with the dirt-cheap Takstar SGC-598 shotgun mic, I\u2019m covered for most run-and-gun shooting. The Tascam recorder does not have AGC,\u00a0and it also has features like a limiter to avoid too loud audio.
\n<\/div>\nDJI Osmo
\n<\/span>

\n\"\"<\/a>The DJI Osmo<\/a> is a camera capable of shooting 4K video mounted on a motorized three-axis gimbal that will keep the camera steady when walking or\u00a0riding a bike. You attach a smartphone to the camera grip to use as a viewfinder. I\u00a0bought the sports accessory package, which includes the bike mount,\u00a0a selfie stick (which acts as a tripod mount), a car mount and a tripod base (attaches to the selfie stick).\u00a0I bought this instead of using a GoPro because I wanted the stabilization feature and wished to avoid the GoPro\u2019s wide angle look. Unfortunately the Osmo only came with a 16GB memory card, and when recording 4K video, that fills up fast. Although the lens is not a zoom, the 4K video means you can enlarge footage quite a lot if you\u2019re just making YouTube videos.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The bike mount works surprisingly well, considering it\u2019s just a piston with a spring. If you have a smartphone attached to the camera, however,\u00a0the video will be a lot more jerky. You\u2019ll\u00a0need to use\u00a0a stabilizer effect in an editing program to remove shakiness, but since you can record at 4K and the field of view is pretty wide, you won\u2019t lose much.<\/div>\nSony DSC-HX5V
\n<\/span>

\nI\u2019ve had this little point-and-shoot, 10MP camera since 2011 and still like it, although unlike the Sony \u03b16000, it can\u2019t save RAW images. Unfortunately it tends to go through batteries very quickly. I will probably use this camera to capture approach and departure video: me riding on the bike toward a bridge and then away from the bridge.
\n<\/div>\n
iOS devices<\/h6>\niPhone SE
\n<\/span>
\nI had to upgrade from my iPhone 4S under the mistaken belief that the Rode SmartLav+ would not work with it. Also, the DJI Osmo app would not allow me to view recordings on the 4S, although it would still let me control the Osmo and record. The SE\u00a0can also shoot 4K video\u00a0and\u00a0is also long enough to fit securely in the cradle that attaches a smartphone to the Osmo. The 4S was only loosely held in place.
\n<\/div>\niPhone 4S
\n<\/span>
\nAlthough it\u2019s no longer a working phone, I can still use the 4S as an extra camera or use it with the SmartLav+ to record my narration, if I fill up the 64GB capacity of the iPhone SE. The 4S, mounted to the same tripod as the DSC-HX5V, can record my approach and departure shots in one take.
\n<\/div>\niPad Air 2
\n<\/span>
\nThe iPad Air 2 will hold my itinerary, script notes, contact information and maps, in addition to being an additional camera. It can also connect to the DJI Osmo and the Sony \u03b16000.
\n<\/div>\n
Audio<\/h6>\nTascam DR-05
\n<\/span>
\n\"\"<\/a>The Tascam DR-05<\/a> came as\u00a0another bundle that included a 32GB memory card, rechargeable batteries, a tiny tripod and headphones. The DR-05 has an input for my shotgun mic and an output for headphones.
\n<\/div>\nRode SmartLav+
\n<\/span>
\nThe Rode SmartLav+<\/a>\u00a0has a TRRS plug compatible with the headphone jack of most smartphones. Coupled with the Rode Rec App, I\u2019ll use it to record most of my narration. In order to be able to monitor whether the mic is actually working, I needed another Rode product, the SC6 adapter, to allow simultaneous use of the lavalier and headphones. Unfortunately I had to return my first SmartLav+ because my iPhone would not recognize it. The replacement seems to work fine, even with my iPhone 4S.
\n<\/div>\nTakstar SGC-598
\n<\/span>
\nI\u2019m embarrassed to say how incredibly cheap the Takstar SGC-598<\/a> shotgun mic\u00a0was, but the audio quality is decent enough for interviewing people I meet on the canals. I wish the shock isolation rubber bands were not as rigid; the mic picks up sounds like turning the zoom lens.
\n<\/div>\nTascam TH-02
\n<\/span>
\nThe Tascam TH-02<\/a> headphones came as a pleasant surprise as part of the DR-05 bundle. They\u2019re closed headphones\u2014they block outside noise. They\u2019re not the greatest quality, but they\u2019re decent\u00a0enough for my purposes.
\n<\/div>\n
Accessories<\/h6>\nSmallRig
\n<\/span>
\n\"\"<\/a>Camera rigs are often attached to smaller cameras to allow access to features found on more expensive cameras. For instance, you can add focus tracking features on lenses similar to what you\u2019d find on a studio camera. For Sony\u00a0\u03b16000 users, however, the SmallRig camera rig<\/a> is often used to get around the overheating issue with the camera. It is a very small camera that shoots professional video with a pretty large battery and so it\u2019s not surprising that heat builds up pretty quickly. The aluminum camera rig acts as a large heat sink. Another advantage of the rig\u00a0for me is that I can attach additional cold shoe mounts, since I need to attach both the Tascam DR-05 and the Takstar shotgun mic.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve also made some nice pistol grips that attach to the rig. One of the drawbacks to such a small camera is that it\u2019s a little difficult to hold steady\u00a0and the pistol grips allow for a wider grip.
\n<\/div>\nZomei 668C
\n<\/span>

\nI already have a nice\u00a0Bogen tripod, but it\u2019s far too heavy and large to bring on the trip, so I bought the Zomei 668C carbon-fiber tripod. It only weighs 3.4 pounds, folds down to about 19 inches long and one of the legs can be used as a monopod.\u00a0I will put it, the GorillaPod knockoff, the Osmo selfie stick and the Osmo tripod base in the\u00a0bag that came with the Zomei tripod. I’ll also stuff a dual flash bracket mount in the bag. The dual mount lets me mount two cameras to the tripod\u2014perfect\u00a0for a two-camera interview shoot.
\n<\/div>\n
Bags<\/h6>\nOrtlieb Back-Roller Classic panniers
\n<\/span>
\n\"\"<\/a>The Ortlieb Back-Roller Classic<\/a> panniers are saddlebags that will attach to the rear rack of the bike I\u2019ll be renting from On Your Bike<\/a> in Birmingham. Together they hold 40L, or about 1.4 cubic feet, comparable to a single international carry-on bag. One bag will contain all my clothing and toiletries, the other will contain some clothing and the black camera bag shown at the bottom of the above picture. These are German-made bags and supposedly waterproof. They\u2019re basically dry bags like you might use on a river rafting trip, but with catches that secure to a bike rack.<\/p>\n

The bag with the camera equipment will be my carry on luggage.
\n<\/div>\nMountainSmith Lumbar Tour pack
\n<\/span>

\nThe MountainSmith Lumbar Tour<\/a> pack will carry the Sony \u03b16000; the DJI Osmo in it\u2019s carrying case; my iPad and iPhone; identification and credit cards; and basic toiletries. Not shown (because I haven\u2019t bought them yet) are the \u201cstrapettes\u201d that turn the lumbar pack into a mini-backpack and the raincover. I really love this pack with it\u2019s hideaway waist belt and shoulder strap.
\n<\/div>\nGeneric black camera bag
\n<\/span>
\nThis generic camera bag (actually sold by Focus Camera, which provided my Sony \u03b16000 bundle) will hold my 55-200mm zoom lens, all the extra camera batteries and chargers, extension cords, Tascam DR-05 and shotgun mic. It goes in one of the panniers.
\n<\/div>\nREI Roadtripper Duffel Bag
\n<\/span>
\nThe REI Roadtripper Duffel Bag<\/a> will hold the pannier with my clothing and the tripod bag. It will be my checked bag.
\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n