GEAR BUYER’S GUIDE
ULTIMATE KIT FOR... ACTION FILMMAKERS If you want to film action, you need to pick your kit carefully. We look at some of the best for all budgets WORDS LAURA JEACOCKE
Fromsaltwater being sprayed in your eyes to dirt being flicked up onto your lens, action filmmaking is relentless and demands the most rugged of equipment. This issue, we take a look at kit for action filmmakers. Fromhigh-speed cameras to long lenses and drones, we check out gear that’s outdoors-friendly, robust and reliable. Our Buyers’ Guide series sorts gear into three price brackets. In our ‘Budget Minded’ section for savvy spenders we have top-quality equipment that gets you out there without requiring a huge loan. ‘Pro Performers’ is full of workhorse kit powered by high performance. It might require a bit more investment but you won’t look back – and it should last for years. For those who can splash out on the latest professional gear, head on over to the ‘Dream Buys’ pages.
BUDGET MINDED GREAT VALUE KIT THAT DOES THE JOB
DJI’s Mavic Air should be right up there on your must-have kit list. Surprisingly affordable for a drone of its standard, it offers a 4K camera built onto a three-axis gimbal, with support for 1080p 120fps slow-mo and 4K 30fps at 100Mbps. Its onboard camera has a third-inch, 12-megapixel CMOS sensor with an f/2.8 lens. Its ActiveTrack software can sense up to 16 selectable subjects simultaneously so you can create flight paths, and it will even track moving subjects.You can easily stitch together the 32-megapixel Sphere panoramic stills. Completely foldable and portable, the Mavic Air is built with magnesium alloy components and has rear vents to dissipate heat. It’s capable of a reasonable maximum flight time of 21 minutes, has 8GB of internal storage, Micro SD card slots and a low-profile and ergonomic controller. DRONE: DJI MAVIC AIR £769/$799 www.dji.com
LENS: SONY 70-200MM F/4 £1209/$1398 www.sony.com
This Sony G lens works as a true 70-200mm on a full-frame sensor but on a camera like the A6500 is equivalent to 105-300mm, due to its cropped sensor. The high-end optics ensure a constant f/4 maximum, and it has super ED glass, aspherical elements and a nine-blade aperture. The images are sharp with a pleasing background bokeh. Its internal focusing allows for better handling and the Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation means you can achieve precise and rapid pans fluidly and without shake, perfect for fast-paced action and quick focus adjustments. At only 840g it is compact and lightweight for its size, and has been designed to resist dust and moisture. This lens should be on the top of your list for action shooting, due to its portability, state-of-the-art optics and wide focal range.
124 PRO MOVIEMAKER AUTUMN 2018
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