Hi guys, I'm investing in a Red Epic MX in a few days and I'd like to get a gimbal for it, obviously the Movi Pro seems THE way to go. I am new to Red and new to Freefly. Naturally, I got extremely excited about the prospect of having the second operator view, control and move the camera remotely. My question is, what accessories do I need, including cables, receivers, focus motors and all that to get this system fully operational? I got a little intimidated with all the research I was doing, seeing mentions of Hyperflex Cables, expanders for the red, toads on a stick and whatnot, so I'm reaching out to all of you for some help. I'd like to note that I'd prefer to keep the system as budget-friendly as possible, without compromising quality.
Hi Robert, here's what I use. It's not cheap! And it takes up a bunch of cases. If you want to see a dumb video I made about the gear I use in my Movi Pro kit, here's a link: First you put the camera on the gimbal with your lens. I use the Freefly 15mm rod adapter with the base plate for the lens motors. I prefer aluminum iris rods instead of carbon fiber, because the motor tends to slip more on carbon fiber. I use 3" and 4" rods for the most part. I have a an Abracam matte box\filter holder for the lens with different clamp-on ring sizes and the eyebrow. I power the camera off the Movi Pro with the RED DTap cable from Freefly. I also have 12 Movi Pro batteries with 6 chargers, so plenty of power. For focus, you have many options. Personally, I use a Bartech hand unit with an FStop Digital receiver and a Heden 21 motor. If you don't want to buy the Bartech, and want the cheapest solution, you can use Bush Pilot from Freefly and get a compatible motor and the cable from Freefly. My Heden motor works with Bush Pilot, as do some other brands, but not all do. Here's a list of compatible motors: https://freeflysystems.zendesk.com/...ork-with-the-MōVI-Pro-MōVI-XL-integrated-FIZ- You can also buy a Movi Controller or Pilot from Freefly to control Focus, Iris, and Zoom through the Movi Pro's built-in system. Depending on the job, sometimes I use my kit for Focus, and sometimes we rent a nicer system like a Preston (or an Arri WCU when using the Arri Mini). For Wireless Video, I have a Paralinx Tomahawk 1:2 system. This uses the SDI output, but you could also use HDMI I guess. Teradek makes good options, and there are some other, cheaper options out there. Since I make money renting out my gear, I need to own name-brand, popular gear, which tends to be more expensive. Connex makes a cheaper HDMI system but I hear it has a noisy fan if you're recording sound. You can control the RED wirelessly through the Movi Pro via a RED RCP cable. This allows you to access many menu items through the Mimic that comes with your Movi Pro bundle. The Toad on a Stick and the Ninja Star are useful if you want to mount the Movi Pro to something other than the handheld ring. I use them to attach to C-Stands, Jib arms, sliders, etc. You can remotely control Pan and Tilt with either the Mimic, the Movi Controller, a Sony Gamepad (attached to the Mimic), or through a number of 3rd party geared-wheel systems. I have a set of Alpha Wheels from 1A Tools that connects to the Movi Pro through an SBUS XR receiver. If you want some tips on balancing your gimbal, here's another video I made: Good luck and enjoy!
Good informative videos, Graham. Didn't see the link to the zip-lock plastic bags -- they look pretty useful. Did I miss it? Andy Forensic Software & sUAV / Drone Analyst : Photographer : Videographer : Pilot (Portland, Oregon, USA): Trees=2, Ground=1, Props=11. The Ground Is The Limit™ ---------- Forensic Drone Analyst : Forensic sUAV Analyst : Forensic Unmanned Aircraft Analyst : Forensic Drone Expert
Thanks Andy. These are the bags that I seem to buy by the dozens: https://www.amazon.com/MMF-Industri...819&sr=8-2&keywords=clear+vinyl+zipper+wallet
Thanks, Graham. They look like they'd be very useful for sUAV pilots and computer geeks on the road too (we tend to travel through the universe with lots of "crunchy bits" (chargers, batteries, USB cables, etc.) Andy. Forensic Software & sUAV / Drone Analyst : Photographer : Videographer : Pilot (Portland, Oregon, USA): Trees=2, Ground=1, Props=11. The Ground Is The Limit™ ---------- Forensic Drone Analyst : Forensic sUAV Analyst : Forensic Unmanned Aircraft Analyst : Forensic Drone Expert
Nothing much to add except that for your D-tap to red epic power cable< you can check out some options on Amazon. I got the Freefly Cable, a wooden camera cable, and this cheap cable. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00V6NORKY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Cheap cable worked great, and while I could tell by scrutinizing that the Lemo connector wasn’t a Lemo brand connector (neither is the wooden camera), it works great. So I sent the Freefly version back. On the control cable, there is a $120 3rd party cable that I found and tested and it worked, but the Freefly is only $80 more. But just a tip to save a few hundred on cables. Good choice on the Epic-MX, I have some MX’s and Helium’s and I swear the MX outdoor performance doesn’t give up anything to Helium. And you have 96 FPS full sensor on the MX vs 30 full sensor on the Helium. Happy shooting
I also like the Eonvic cables, and have bought several from them. The cable itself isn't near as nice and supple as the more expensive ones tend to be, but they get the job done and cost far less. They even let me order a custom length one from them, if you email them directly and order it through AliExpress. A few more thoughts: Having a nice, thin, flexible cable for the touchscreen is useful. I usually like cables that are 36" long for my on-board monitor mounted to the Ring. A flexible cable doesn't pull on the gimbal and affect performance as much as a stiffer cable. I also have a system for clamping monitors to the Ring. After trying lots of things, I finally settled on an Impact Atom clamp from B&H, and an Ultralight 1/4-20 to monitor mount system. It bites the ring well, easy to move around, and the Ultralight kit is semi-flexible and won't break if you push on it too hard.
Thanks for the replies guys. Very helpful. I would just like to ask, for a follow focus + wireless viewing system, what are your recommended parts? I.e. motors, cables, monitors, wireless hdmi receivers and all that
It all depends on your budget and intended use. I could recommend tens of thousands of dollars worth of gear, but if you're not looking to spend that money, it's not worth taking the time. If you're offering it to professional filmmakers, the gear needs to be decent and of a name brand, in my opinion. If it's just you and your Red, you can go cheap. That said, I find most productions will rent the wireless video and focus kit that they want, even though I have one in my kit. I went middle of the road with my Bartech FF, and I have a decent Paralinx Tomahawk 1:2 kit that l really love. Small HD 503 monitor on the Movi and a Small HD 702 for the Follow Focus\AC. I have a 17" Flanders Scientific monitor, but I don't bring it often with the Movi because I've run out of room in my SUV.
The new teradek Bolt System is pretty reasonable and easy to expand later. We have a bolt 1000 and 600 kits. For follow focus we went RT motion. Monitors are smallhd for focus puller and movi op. Atomos Sumo 19 for director and video village.