Need some input on live stream setup

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Need some input on live stream setup

explosive0

Greetings Joel and all. What a blessing discovering this community has been; thanks for all you do.

As with a lot of churches, we are starting to take live streaming more seriously, especially after COVID. We recently got a BMPCC 4K, paired with an ATEM Television Studio HD, and are starting to live stream our services.

We got are currently using a Lumix G 35-100mm f2.8 lens, which gets us just about enough of a close up shot from where our camera sits from the stage (about 50ft). We are having to zoom pretty much to 100mm though, which makes it very difficult to pan, as the slightest movement is exaggerated and introduces left to right jitter (we use a Manfrotto fluid head and tripod from a few years ago which worked just fine with our previous camcorders). We have tried with both OIS on the lens turned on and off, and get about same results.

Is there anything we're doing wrong? Should we be looking at other lenses? We got the 35-100mm lens particularly because of its fixed f2.8 aperture and built in OIS. Or should we revert to camcorders for our use case? I have taken a look at the Canon XA55, and a bit tempted.

joelwsmith

explosive0

Thanks for the kind words, and welcome to the community!

It sounds like what you're encountering isn't really a lens problem. The lens you have is excellent. It's more likely the fluid head itself, the fluid head settings, the way the camera is balanced, or possibly just the camera setup isn't heavy enough.

What specific fluid head are you using? If you don't know what it is, you can take a pic of it and post a link to the image here or email it to hello@joelwsmith.com (I'm still working on a way for users to upload images directly to this forum).

explosive0

joelwsmith

We have he the Manfrotto 701HDV head. Not sure if it's good enough or not. We're also seriously considering upgrading to the BMPCC 6K + Tamron 70-200mm f2.8, especially since we are still within our return period for the BMPCC 4K and Lumix G lens.

joelwsmith

explosive0

Yeah, that fluid head is not really a good option for running a tight shot from 50' away. That's made for light cameras in limited setups (small studios, travel, static shots, etc.).

I would recommend investing in a better fluid head instead of switching cameras (or going back to your Canon camcorder, like you mentioned). I don't really see any benefit to going with the BMPCC 6K and Tamron lens over the BMPCC 4K and Panasonic lens you have now.

Here are my Fluid Head Recommendations. I would probably recommend the Manfrotto Nitrotech 608 for your situation.

You may also need to add some weight to the camera setup to give the fluid head more mass to work with. The heavier the setup, usually the smoother it allows your moves to be (especially at longer focal lengths and zooms).

explosive0

joelwsmith

Thanks so much, good sir; this definitely helps a lot. I will grab a new fluid head and a cage, and instead of upgrading to the BMPCC 6K + Tamron lens, we can invest some of the remaining funds in getting an additional BMPCC 4K and stage lights, which we badly need. We are a very traditional church, and have survived with only regular room lights + ambience lighting until now. I'll start looking into some LED ellipsoidals next.

joelwsmith

explosive0

That sounds like an excellent plan. 👍️

explosive0

Joel,

I have a confession to make 🙁 I came across a deal on B&H for a used PCC6K as well as a used Tamron 70-200mm lens that cost ~$200 more in total than the PCC4k + the Lumix G 35-100mm, so I ended up grabbing the 6K + Tamron.

With the heavier lens and Smallrig cage, I'm hoping I'll have enough weight on the 701HDV to not warrant a new fluid head. I'll be setting everything up tomorrow, and will let you know how it goes.

joelwsmith

explosive0

It’s all good and thanks for letting me know. I’m glad you found a great deal.

explosive0

Hi Joel,

Figured I'll ask here instead of starting a new thread. Things are going well, but I seem to be stuck on one small issue:

I got a Smallrig cage alongside the Smallrig 2266 baseplate. The primary reason was to add some rods to support the Tamron lens.

I seem to be missing something on figuring out how to attach this to the Manfrotto 701HDV? I have a 501PL plate, but it doesn't seem to be the right setup. I was able to rig it to work for church today, but it was quite shaky\unstable.

Here's a photo of what it looks like with the 501PL:

Am I supposed to get another plate to attach the Smallrig baseplate to the tripod?

Thanks

joelwsmith

explosive0

The Smallrig description can be a little confusing for this part...

The top plate receiver is what is compatible with the 501PL, not the bottom mount.

In other words, the top camera plate that comes with the Smallrig 2266 is the same shape as the 501 plate, so you can use a 501PL on the camera and mount it directly to the top of this base plate.

Camera > 501PL > Smallrig 2266

However, the bottom portion of the Smallrig 2266 is compatible with ARRI dovetails. So to make this work with your current fluid head you would need an ARRI dovetail plate to go on top of your fluid head, and then mount the Smallrig 2266 to that. It would go like this:

Camera > Smallrig 501 plate > Smallrig 2266 > ARRI dovetail plate > 501PL > 701HDV fluid head

You will need an ARRI dovetail plate like this: Smallrig ARRI-Style Dovetail Plate - 8"

explosive0

Thanks so much. This makes sense finally; you have no idea how much time I spent Googling and trying to wrap my head around it.

Ordering now and should be in before Sunday.