Filming flying models, an easy way

[Steve W-O]

OK, it's not aerial photography, but it was the nearest topic I could find.

 

It is difficult to keep a flying model in the frame, mainly because most economy cameras don't have viewfinders, only the LCD screen.

 

As most of us have to rely on not very enthusiastic "photographers" there is a way to much better results.

 

 

Twenty minutes and one wood from the scrap box, and you could make one of these.

 

 

 

Set the focus to manual at a distance of 30', and the zoom so that the plane fills the frame at 30'. If the sky is bright, set the camera for beach or snow,or backlight depending on what it has.

 

Then let the "photographer" just push the record button, look through the holes and keep the plane somewhere in the holes. Much easier than trying to follow it, and find it again if lost on the LCD.

 

 

edit: Forgot to say, I use a number plate bolt to hold it on, but you have to make sure that only a couple of threads go into the camera's tripod mount, as tripod mounts are 1/4 Whitworth, and the number plate bolt is M6, but it is fine for the job

Edited By Steve W-O on 20/02/2011 17:11:59

[Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator]

Nice idea Steve - like all the best ideas, simple - once someone else has thought of it!

 

BEB

[kc]

You could also make a simple wire frame 'sports' viewfinder as used on old press cameras and some simple cameras. Details how to make these were sometimes in photo books of the 1940's and '50's

I complained to a rep from Canon last year that most cameras lacked a proper viewfinder and even when they did they were not as good as the 'brightline' viewfinders on cheap cameras of the late 1950's. I said surely the patents on brightline 'finders would have expired by now and they could be used again. He said he would report this comment back to head office.. Maybe we will be able to buy digital cameras with decent viewfinder for people to use without wearing spectacles in the future. It is about as likely as pigs aviating or politicians telling the truth........but stranger things have happened.

 

Note.  If you are interested these brightline viewfinders were called Albada Finders and made by Zeiss-Ikon in the 1930's.   Progress?

..

Edited By kc on 20/02/2011 18:01:37

[Steve W-O]

Posted by kc on 20/02/2011 17:34:14:

You could also make a simple wire frame 'sports' viewfinder as used on old press cameras and some simple cameras. Details how to make these were sometimes in photo books of the 1940's and '50's

..

Edited By kc on 20/02/2011 18:01:37

 

 

Yes, very common, many 8mm (not video tape, film ) had fold up metal frame viewfinders, and it was not only simple cameras that had them, many 6X6 cameras had fold out arrangements in the light shield around the ground glass screen on top of the camera, some Hasselblads had one too. (and the Zenit copy)

 

Voigtlander made one that clipped onto the flash shoe, with a bright frame and a bright dot in the middle, so you kept both eyes on the subject, and you view of the subject was superimposed in your brain with the dot.

 

New technology can't beat that!

[Romeo Whisky]

Sorry if I seem skeptical, but having tried a similar trick with a wooden viewfinder for my SD video camera it was still virtually impossible to keep the model in frame with any degree of reliability at all - in fact neither I nor my wife who is very good at filming my models through a proper viewfinder camera, could get a single sequence of more than a few seconds at a time.

 

I'm delighted if yours works for you Steve, but my conclusion was never to buy any kind of camera which does not have a proper viewfinder. But they are becoming rare.

[Steve W-O]

Posted by Romeo Whisky on 21/02/2011 09:01:52:

Sorry if I seem skeptical, but having tried a similar trick with a wooden viewfinder for my SD video camera it was still virtually impossible to keep the model in frame with any degree of reliability at all - in fact neither I nor my wife who is very good at filming my models through a proper viewfinder camera, could get a single sequence of more than a few seconds at a time.

 

I'm delighted if yours works for you Steve, but my conclusion was never to buy any kind of camera which does not have a proper viewfinder. But they are becoming rare.

 

 

Yes, it works for me, don't know why the difference.

 

Possibly the "field of view" might be different, also maybe because the furthest square from the eye doesn't have a thick frame, so you can see around it in case the model goes out of the frame.

 

I agree on the viewfnders, and like you say they are rare. My movie camera is a Panasonic HDC-SD9, which is reasonable for family use without going to a high end Sony or the likes, and for stills I use Pentax and Olympus DSLRs, but once the mirror is up, you only have the LCD again!!!

 

 

I don't use much zoom, which may also make it easier to follow.

[Alan B]

Nice idea Steve.

 

I tend to just frame the compact camera with my first fingers and thumbs and l leave a gap of about an inch between finger tips on top of the camera. I just look above the camera when filming - following the model between the finger tips. Seems to work for me.

 

Al

[Steve W-O]

Posted by Alan B on 21/02/2011 10:06:10:

Nice idea Steve.

 

I tend to just frame the compact camera with my first fingers and thumbs and l leave a gap of about an inch between finger tips on top of the camera. I just look above the camera when filming - following the model between the finger tips. Seems to work for me.

 

Al

 

 

Even easier!!

[kc]

Every mature photographer that I have spoken to about this agrees that the 1950's & 60' cameras had better brightline viewfinders than recent digital compacts and far better than the ones with just screens. With just a screen you need longer arms as you get older!

 

Lets have a campaign to bring back viewfinders.

[Steve W-O]

Posted by kc on 21/02/2011 11:27:17:

Every mature photographer that I have spoken to about this agrees that the 1950's & 60' cameras had better brightline viewfinders than recent digital compacts and far better than the ones with just screens. With just a screen you need longer arms as you get older!

 

Lets have a campaign to bring back viewfinders.

 

 

 

I don't think there is any disagreement on that.

 

One of the biggest problems with LCD screens if rarely experienced in the UK, and that is trying to use them in bright sunlight.

 

Two of the Lumix cameras I have get round that by having a viewfinder as well as the screen, but it is electronic.

 

Only the DSLRs have proper optical viewfinders, I think most of them are the same, but they are not the kind of price you want to leave in the mud at a flying field.