Just subscribed! I filmed my first wedding ever a few weeks back and did it all handheld except a few shots from my osmo pocket. After that I’ve been doing more research and it seems lots of people in the community think gimbal is the only way. I’m glad I’m not alone with liking the handheld look!
For weddings, I’m all handheld these days. But I still have a gimbal laying around for the every so often commercial shoot where I need a smooth tracking shot of a walking subject. If you’re comfortable handheld, I say build a style around it. 🤙🏼
Swapped to 90% handheld about 8 months ago and really enjoying it. My rig is basically same as yours but with an FX3 and i like the 50 smallrigs over the 99, i just like how compact it gets and then i power the monitor with a smaller NPF, and then i have an A7Cii on a smaller gimbal for a few moments i know i will always want on gimbal. Previously i was a 80% gimbal shooter, only really going handheld for the dance floor and a few moments in the photo session post ceremony. Cool video man! keen to see more.
@@RossBarnett02 it does. I must say thought, I had been shooting with a rigged-out A7iv until yesterday's wedding where I tried shooting with just the two bodies in cages on straps with a 25 and a 50 - best wedding video footage I have shot so far! Yes a couple of guests thought I was a photographer, but going minimal meant I could react so much more quickly, and using the viewfinder or holding the camera out in from of me pulling against the strap around my neck meant I was so much more free to get different angles than I was with a rig and top-mounted monitor.
I'm 50/50 gimbal/handheld. I go handheld on my Lumix S5ii for the first third of the day before the ceremony. Then when the ceremony kicks in., tripods are set up for the fixed angles, I'll jump onto my gimbal with an A7sIII. And then back to handheld after the ceremony. I've found this to be the best setup for me. I like handheld for pure control of the shot. Gimbal for the smooth aisle and sweeping audience shots. Definitely gets a lot of variety for our wedding films! Edit: Also getting lower angles on the gimbal isn't that hard when you add the back handle. Actually makes getting low angles pretty easy!
Interesting!! Bouncing from gimbal to handheld, Lumix to Sony!?! You’re all over the place! Truthfully, I’d love to be able to incorporate a gimbal into the ceremony precessional, but bringing along a gimbal and balancing it up for just that one shot always seems excessive. Appreciate the comment!!
@@RossBarnett02 I really am all over the place 😂The S5ii uses the same sensor as the A7iii and Phantom LUTs gets an extremely close color match between the 2 systems. It's really fun being able to use both systems in synergy. But I got the S5ii + 3 Prime Lenses for $1800, that's cheaper than 1 a7iv! Plus 6k open gate and IBIS almost feels like cheating. The gimbal is great for the aisle shot but also great for some really smooth reception details, sweeping room shots, and the grand entrance. I usually have it balanced the day before and keep it secure in a separate bag so I don't have to deal with balancing it the day of. The RS3 fold & lock is a game changer. If you have access to the newer DJI gimbals, it has made it a lot more fun and less of a burden to use. Rolled with the Ronin-S for a while and boy that thing was clunky.
Coudn't agree with this more. I just filmed a wedding 100% handheld. But you should only go this route if you're extremely familiar with warp stabilizer and post editing techniques. You will absolutely spend more time in post, but you will also get better shots. Every. Time.
Nice!! It’s definitely a style change that I prefer the look of, but we don’t use any stabilization in post for our wedding work. Just either have butter hands or roll with the shaky shake.
I've got my A Cam on Gimbal at all times, and a B Cam setup as a handheld rig. However It's sometimes a pain to lug both around and in a crunch I just grab the gimbal. I have locked my gimbal's axis' before to get a handheld look and that works pretty well in a pinch but it's more cumbersome haha
I feel like in that situation (especially for weddings) I would always grab one or the other for ease of use. Sounds like you’re more tuned into the gimbal so it’s easier to grab and go. If I had both (which I try to bring both) I would 100% always grab the handheld because I’m faster with it. Interesting stuff!
I love the idea of shooting more handheld but I just don’t get it. I can build out a full rig that looks and feels good. But I just hate shooting from my stomach. It feels like I’m shooting up everyone’s nose. Also, my gimbal setup (zve1, tamron 20-40, DJI mini 3) is soooo light. It’s literally lighter than my a7siii and 24-70. What am I missing?
I don't think you're missing anything really, it's all a style preference. The weight of my rig far outweighs the weight of a light gimbal setup, I just prefer the look of handheld. So it's all in your preference and what your style of filmmaking calls for. Sounds like you've built a style that you love fully on gimbal - if that's what your clients buy and it's easier for you, then I say stick with it.
This has inspired me. Because I am doing my first wedding shoot in two weeks and it’s going to be handheld. My only issue is that I have two lens Tamron both 2.8. 17-27 & 27-75. I’m wondering if that’s enough reach what do you think?
@@djjrodnyc those lenses will be great for your first wedding! You’ll probably end up using the 28-75 the entire day, and probably won’t ever neeed the 17-28. Ideally I would like some more reach for the ceremony, but it can certainly be done on a 75mm depending on how large the wedding is.
@@RossBarnett02 yeah I think that’s most likely I will be using strictly. But I am looking forward to purchasing that Tamron 75-180 to complete the trilogy. But also having the 35-150 is awesome because it covers a whole range without needing to change any lens
I liked your explanation of the gimbal POV. The past few months I have finally been trying underslung mode for first dances and just paralaxing side to side. I typically only do handheld during prep and dance floor. But ceremony and reception formalities, where it’s a longer take I prefer the gimbal. What I noticed from a full day of handheld is I’m limited on movement. Otherwise a lot of shake is introduced. It’s all preference but I’d be embarrassed delivery shaky footage. So what ended up happening with me is I had to work more in post by cutting to other cameras anytime I had to move from one spot to another. So this current workflow has been the best for me. Prep, detail b roll and dance floor: handheld. Ceremony + Reception formalities: gimbal.
This actually brings up a good thought. My style with wedding films changed a ton when moving to handheld from gimbal. Mainly do to having to make quicker cuts to cut around the camera shake. Which, in turn developed into a faster paced wedding film style. Gimbals give you those longer clips, handheld forces you to make faster cuts and higher energy.
@@RossBarnett02 yeah that was really well said and I agree. Now that you mention it I noticed that as well. My gimbal weddings were safe, but longer clips that sometimes feel boring. And handheld weddings were faster cuts, but the edit is way more engaging, allows me to choose more upbeat music instead the slow cinematic tunes. Funny how talking things out makes you aware of things haha
