Rigs

[Jim Sykes]

I know this was a big discussion on the other board when it was up, but I came across this site a few weeks ago.

http://www.automotiverigs.com/

For those that dont want to put together their own, this seems like a very reasonable alternative that, while not cheap, is still not the astronomical price that many professional rigs are. Maybe it works for someone.

[John Bubela]

Would the rigs be normally taken out in post processing?

[Michael Chu]

Yes. Unless you want to show the rig ;)

[Jeff Wilson]

Would the rigs be normally taken out in post processing?

Yes. Take a shot of the car from the position that the camera will be in (without the rig attached to the car) then attach the rig and shoot the car, and clone/layer mask in post.

[John Bubela]

Yes. Take a shot of the car from the position that the camera will be in (without the rig attached to the car) then attach the rig and shoot the car, and clone/layer mask in post.
I've never understood what the layer masks are for, could you explain it a little?

[Jeff Wilson]

I've never understood what the layer masks are for, could you explain it a little?

That's a bit like asking me to summarize Atlas Shrugged in 15 words or less. ;)

Layer masks are (imho) one of the most useful tools in photoshop. A layer mask allows you to create a separate layer in an image and selectively hide or reveal it over your base layer.

So, for example, you can take a photo of a car in front of a wall, duplicate the background (base) layer in PS, and adjust the levels on the wall for the best results on one layer. Then adjust the levels on the car the other layer. Finally, using a layer mask, you can hide the top layer and paint the car back in over the base layer to have a corrected image.

Particularly useful if you have multiple captures, one for a bright sky and another for the subject in a shadow. Then you can blend the images to get the best result, chimping the dynamic range a bit.

[Todd Corzett]

Seems like an interesting system... and nicely priced for what it does compared to the FilmTools rigs. I don't like the magnets for mounting... but that makes life a little easier (yet less stable). I'd be interested in seeing some of the full-res files and just how stable this system is. Looks like some simple off-the-shelf tech there (minus the welding) that anyone could duplicate. But it comes in a nice carrying case (my dad has the same one for his pellet gun). Too bad I'm so busy (and don't have any worthy cars) or I'd be forced to pick one up to just to play around.

It looks like they are based down in the Irvine area (I would recognize the "The Market Place" sign anywhere!)

-Todd...

[Michael Chu]

I know it's magnetic....but is it just that simple? You place the magnets under the car and it sticks and holds the weight and all that? I can't imagine that it would be very stable

[Jeff Wilson]

Those round base magnets are rated at about 200lb load each, so it should be plenty strong enough to hold a camera. I would think the weakest links are not being triangulated and that bogen magic arm camera platform arrangement.

A visit to a local Midas could probably get you setup with all the materials you'd need to build one of these, but there's some improvements that should be considered.

[Todd Corzett]

Those round base magnets are rated at about 200lb load each, so it should be plenty strong enough to hold a camera.
It's not the weight of the camera... as much as the torque of the camera on the end of a long poll. Just add some up/down from going over a bump and all that force gets transfered to the connection points. I think adding some clamps (the large hose clamps he's using would work) from the poles to something on the undercarriage would do the trick though.

but there's some improvements that should be considered
Agreed, but for what it is... it's not that bad.

-Todd...

[Jason Jenkins]

My FilmTools rig has been tested up to +150mph, I'm not sure I would trust this setup at those speeds. BUT... we are comparing apples and oranges here. I like this setup and idea, it would be very interesting and fun to play with and I am sure if would give me a much different image.

[Drew Phillips]

Definitely apples and oranges. This rig looks like its built for roll-and-shoot only. The filmtools rigs are very sturdy but less diverse in the shots they can get.

[John Jovic]

My FilmTools rig has been tested up to +150mph.

Jason, which rigs do you mean?

Do you mean any of these?

http://cinemasupplies.stores.yahoo.net/filmedweigca1.html
http://cinemasupplies.stores.yahoo.net/fimeweprokit.html

JJ
________
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[Jeff Wilson]

I built my own rig from parts that I got from Filmtools. It's definitely strong when it's mounted:

http://www.jw-photo.com/events/pictures/_MG_2552.jpg

It's really nothing more than some Matthews clamps, pipes, suction cups and 5/8" spuds. All told I think I paid about $550 for it. I still have a couple things to buy, like longer pipes, before I put it to work so I imagine the final cost will be more like $580.

[Jason Jenkins]

Jason, which rigs do you mean?

Do you mean any of these?

http://cinemasupplies.stores.yahoo.net/filmedweigca1.html
http://cinemasupplies.stores.yahoo.net/fimeweprokit.html

JJ

The Medium kit. Same as what Jeff has for the most part except mine came with a plate to monut the camera to.

[Jim Sykes]

Neither of those filmtools kits will get the camera near as far from the car as the original one though, which was what our old discussion was really about and is more of the kind that cost serious money to buy/own/rent.

I think the big thing with the mount on this is that its not designed to be driving around with an 8 foot pole sticking out from the car, this, like Drew said, is the kind that you do your little slow shutter and push thing to get the shot. I would really doubt that the actual mount has an issue, I would think if there is any movement or issue it would be in the extension, which would be the case regardless of how its mounted under the car.

Anyway, some know my feeling on rig shots anyway so I wont be owning one any time soon, but thought I'd pass it along as I remember a thread before about buying something reasonably priced and thought this might fit the need for someone.

[Bob Chapman]

That's a bit like asking me to summarize Atlas Shrugged in 15 words or less. ;)

"Productive individuals went on strike. World went to hell. Dagny screwed all the cool guys. The End."

17 words, so drop "The End", and there you have it.

[Zerin Dube]

Hahaha. Brilliant.

"Productive individuals went on strike. World went to hell. Dagny screwed all the cool guys. The End."

17 words, so drop "The End", and there you have it.

[Todd Corzett]

"Productive individuals went on strike. World went to hell. Dagny screwed all the cool guys.

I know more about it now that I did... where is the "I'm clueless" smiley? :confused:

Oh well, I guess I should read some more books... :rolleyes:

-Todd...

[Bob Chapman]

Oh well, I guess I should read some more books... :rolleyes: -Todd...

IMHO, if Rand is your "cup of tea", start with "The Fountainhead" or "We the Living". If you're looking for something of the self-help variety that she's authored, pick up "The Virtue of Selfishness".

OK, I promise to stay on-topic now. :)

[Jim Sykes]

Ha!! Seems we got ourselves a smart guy here.

[Chris Clark]

I saw this over on the Vortex a few weeks ago, and while it seems like a pretty cool contraption, I'm left with a question: If the magnets are rated @ 200lbs each, How do you get them off the car? With a pry bar?

I can see it now: My boss at work (I'm an amateur, hafta have a"real" job), has a 55 Chevy Pro-Street he wants me to take a few pics of.... I strap this bad boy on, take my shots and when we are all done, I whip out my crow bar and start prying on the undercarriage of his $100k Hot Rod. I won't have a "real" job long....:eek:

Also, for those of you using the suction cup version: Have you had any issues with damaging paint/causing dents/etc..?

[Jeff Wilson]

I saw this over on the Vortex a few weeks ago, and while it seems like a pretty cool contraption, I'm left with a question: If the magnets are rated @ 200lbs each, How do you get them off the car? With a pry bar?

I can see it now: My boss at work (I'm an amateur, hafta have a"real" job), has a 55 Chevy Pro-Street he wants me to take a few pics of.... I strap this bad boy on, take my shots and when we are all done, I whip out my crow bar and start prying on the undercarriage of his $100k Hot Rod. I won't have a "real" job long....:eek:

Also, for those of you using the suction cup version: Have you had any issues with damaging paint/causing dents/etc..?

No, the holding strength is 200lbs, but the breaking strength is much less. I'm not sure of the proper physics terminology to explain this, but a magnet can hold more weight statically than the force it take to separate the magnetic connection. So, you can easily remove them by hand.

[Chris Clark]

No, the holding strength is 200lbs, but the breaking strength is much less. I'm not sure of the proper physics terminology to explain this, but a magnet can hold more weight statically than the force it take to separate the magnetic connection. So, you can easily remove them by hand.

Ahh, okay. Thanks:o

[John Jovic]

Also, for those of you using the suction cup version: Have you had any issues with damaging paint/causing dents/etc..?

Chris

IMHO. that should probably be the subject of a new thread rather than hijacking this one.

But to answer your question, yes.

JJ
________
Suzuki SV1000 (http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/Suzuki_SV1000)

[Chris Clark]

Chris

IMHO. that should probably be the subject of a new thread rather than hijacking this one.

But to answer your question, yes.

JJ

Thanks for the answer.

I don't mean to ruffle anyones feathers.... but how is asking a question about a rig that has been previously mentioned in this thread considered hijacking?:confused:

[John Jovic]

"Highjacking" is probably a bit harsh, sorry, but taking the thread in a different direction is often refered to as highjacking the thread. I wasn't having a go at you or anything, just suggesting that it was a different topic.

JJ
________
KR350 (http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/Kawasaki_KR350)

[Zerin Dube]

Chris, you are fine... the question was about rigs and thats what this thread is called. Carry on :)

Thanks for the answer.

I don't mean to ruffle anyones feathers.... but how is asking a question about a rig that has been previously mentioned in this thread considered hijacking?:confused:

[Chris Clark]

"Highjacking" is probably a bit harsh, sorry, but taking the thread in a different direction is often refered to as highjacking the thread. I wasn't having a go at you or anything, just suggesting that it was a different topic.

JJ

Hey, No worries.:) Being the fresh-fish here and all, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't breaking the rules already. On my first post:eek:

Anyhoo, Back to our previously scheduled programming.....;)

[Matt Kowalchyk]

ok so with 200lb magnets around... would anyone be worried about their camera stuff getting messed up? also im not quite grasping the concept of 200lb holding force and being able to take them off by hand. ... unless you are refering to breaking them off at an angle...which if that was the case would prove this contraption pretty weak because its a lever with a weight at the end that is pulling the magnets at an angle. i think im missing something here.

[Jeff Wilson]

I think the biggest thing that many miss on doing a rig shot is the speed at which the vehicle is travelling and the forces associated with that. This rig (and most) are not meant for slinging down the local interstate at 90mph. You'll actually notice that the shots on that site were done in a parking lot, probably at under 5mph.

At that speed, the forces exerted on the magnets are not going to be that significant so they'll hold just fine. While you are correct about taking them off at an angle, the rig will not be subjected to an angular load under use. That's because with the rig mounted, the load is placed at the center of the magnet. That means that you would have to exert more than 200lbs of load directly on a magnet to knock it loose.

Simple math question: Assuming a rig weight of 20lbs and a camera/mount weight of 20lbs, how many G's would you need to pull to exert 200lbs of force at the magnet and do you think that the force could be generated at 5mph?

:)

The problem with the magnets is that many cars may have non-ferrous underbody materials (aluminum, carbon fiber, or plastics) or they may have a thick rubberized under-coating for rust prevention. Magnets don't work well with that, and for older show cars they may have fully finished and painted undersides which a magnet can scratch.

I would prefer to use some type of clamping mechanism over magnets, but magnets have their uses...Sometimes.

[Adam Carpenter]

Well put and thank you for explaining!! It actually uses three 200lb magnets, two on the front clamp assembly (the one with the down force on it). Much weaker magnets work fine on perfectly clean metal or thicker metal (ie: frames on older cars). Using much stronger magnets than needed enables them to stick quite well over undercoating and dirt. We've done extensive testing on a variety of cars and have had excellent results. However, we know it probably won't work on every car out there.

As far as scratching show car frames...it most likely will if your not careful!! We've used it with a micro fiber towel over the magnets and it held quite well. Obviously you need to take extreme care when removing the magnets. We experimented briefly with different clamping systems but found it far less versatile than the magnets. You eat up ground clearance really quick with certain clamps. Any how....let me know if this makes any sense or if you have any more questions.

Thanks, Adam
AutomotiveRigs.com

[John Jovic]

Question for Adam

Have you thought about stabilising the rig horizontally by any means?

Oh, and good luck with the venture.

JJ
________
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[Thomas Maranda]

Well put and thank you for explaining!! It actually uses three 200lb magnets, two on the front clamp assembly (the one with the down force on it). Much weaker magnets work fine on perfectly clean metal or thicker metal (ie: frames on older cars). Using much stronger magnets than needed enables them to stick quite well over undercoating and dirt. We've done extensive testing on a variety of cars and have had excellent results. However, we know it probably won't work on every car out there.

As far as scratching show car frames...it most likely will if your not careful!! We've used it with a micro fiber towel over the magnets and it held quite well. Obviously you need to take extreme care when removing the magnets. We experimented briefly with different clamping systems but found it far less versatile than the magnets. You eat up ground clearance really quick with certain clamps. Any how....let me know if this makes any sense or if you have any more questions.

Thanks, Adam

Thanks for the input. I was going to suggest that someone from the company chime in.

Now, how about a T&E model to play with for a couple of weeks??:D

[Adam Carpenter]

Question for Adam

Have you thought about stabilising the rig horizontally by any means?

Oh, and good luck with the venture.

JJ

We've gone through many different versions of the rig and have done extensive testing. It's really hard to get any sort of horizontal bracing on there that actually does any good without coming up higher onto the car, which sort of defeats the whole undercar mounting system. You end up right back with a huge mess of editing to do. It is quite stable as it is. The main thing we've learned is to take care when pushing the car. The initial movement of the car is where most of the movement of the rig is generated and it tends to keep moving if you don't steady it. Once the car is in motion and you've stopped the initial sway, the shot is quite easy to get and works quite well with minimal post editing (compared to "traditional" rig shots). Make sense??!!! Thanks for the input.

Adam
AutomotiveRigs.com

[Adam Carpenter]

Thanks for the input. I was going to suggest that someone from the company chime in.

Now, how about a T&E model to play with for a couple of weeks??:D


HAHA...nice try...couldn't hurt to ask!!!

[Todd Corzett]

It looks like they are based down in the Irvine area (I would recognize the "The Market Place" sign anywhere!)
I got the location right... next time I'm down in that area I should tag along on a shoot.

-Todd...

[John Jovic]

Thanks Adam
JJ
________
BMW R69 (http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/BMW_R69)

[Jackson Pennell]

wow, magnets, I didn't even think of that, I've tried rigging twice, using two aluminum poles attached by zipties and supported by twine...

Here's an example of one of my rigs after PP

http://is.rely.net/1-5120-58194-l-9xLQ3QEnipO1HbX3STbnfg.jpg

I've been having massive problems with stability though. I wonder if thick walled PVC piping would work instead of aluminum...

[Phil Royle]

My question is with the way the poles attach to each other. It looks like the poles are clamped, thus bending the split metal that slides over the other pole. I would imagine that would weaken the metal quite a bit after 10 or 20 uses -- is this the case? I haven't figured out a better method, though, so the rig I use is about 15' long and I need an SUV to transport it...obviously, my system has its flaws.

[Adam Carpenter]

It is actually a larger diameter piece of metal, so its not really stretched. The slit is to allow it to tighten on the smaller tube. We have been using this clamping system for about a year with the previous suction cup rig and have never had an issue with fatigue on the metal or welds.

Adam

[John Jovic]

I've been having massive problems with stability though. I wonder if thick walled PVC piping would work instead of aluminum...

PVC piping has much more flex than aluminium, don't waste your time on it.

Some people use Carbon fibre poles instead of aluminium. This is probably the best option but not one I've personally explored. If you go down this path then let us know how you go.

There are many grades of aluminium. I don't know which would be best but the standard stuff (6060) you get at the hardware store is both heavier and softer than the aviation grades such as 2024 or 7075. I'd stick to the aviation grades wherever possible, even though they can be quite expensive.

JJ

[Morgan J Segal]

Well, I have used all kinds of stuff, from a concoction of the "Film Tools Kit" with different poles and cables to my current solution of a concoction of the Film tools kit and Speed rail. The Speed Rail works great (and is cheap) but is heavy and as Phil noted, it is a big long pole that is difficult to take with you. Additionally, it is time consuming to set up, (which is not a problem if you only have to get one shot in the sweet light, but that is rarely the case ) and you have to put a lot of thought into what the camera is seeing, so you don't have too much retouching.

I went and looked at Adams rig (automotiverigs.com) and it is pretty neat. I actually ordered one, so I will let you know how well it works. The magnets are pretty strong. There is definitely a fair amount of shake (not any more than any other system I have used) but once you let it settle, you can continue to stabilize it with your finger. Obviously, it won't work on all cars (for example the whole bottom of a Lotus Elise has aluminum panels and a magnet won't hold) but I can use my suction cups in conjunction with this kit in those situations.
The beauty is that this mount is transportable (can take it on planes even) and to set it up took like 5 minutes. We'll see how it works with my heavy camera though.
The price was a bit hard to swallow, but I figured I could spend a bunch of time and effort trying to duplicate it or I can be out shooting with it. Besides it is a tax write off:)

[John Thawley]

Morgan.... looking forward to your take on this rig. Perhaps you can get the feedback up here and we'll add it to our user review section too.

And, welcome aboard.

JT

[Morgan J Segal]

Update:
Received the "rig", it is well made and was delivered promptly and professionally from the time of the order.

My only complaint so far is that the case is perhaps a bit too flimsy and may not hold up to the rigors of regular travel and abuse. Not a biggie, can always buy a new case, but would have preferred not to considering the price of it.
Unfortunately, it is looking like it may be a few weeks before I can get a chance to shoot with it :(

[Morgan J Segal]

Well, I got a quick chance to play with it today, but did not have a lot of time, so I did not try and get creative - so you get the typical rig shot
Mounting it was a bit difficult, but I am sure will get better with practice, definitely helps to jack up the car a bit

So here is the shot, only used three of the four extensions, and a 12mm on a Nikon D2x. With the other extension I would not have used such a wide lens

http://www.makikodesign.com/evo.jpg

[Drew Phillips]

Looks good! I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do when you have time to set up things more.

How does the rig compare to your filmtools setup? Pros? Cons?

[Todd Corzett]

Nicely done... just a little distortion towards the corners, but the fourth extension and a longer lens should take care of that. Did you have much trouble with the stability of the rig with the D2x out there? Would you hesitate mounting the fourth extension?

Mounting it was a bit difficult, but I am sure will get better with practice, definitely helps to jack up the car a bit
Anything in particular that made it difficult?

-Todd...

[Morgan J Segal]

Looks good! I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do when you have time to set up things more.

How does the rig compare to your filmtools setup? Pros? Cons?

With exception to the suction cups, I had mostly abandoned the film tools kit a while ago (fortunately the bits are useful for other stuff), unless I want to have a moving detail shot.

The pros are obvious, this is much easier to retouch, travel with and can get further off the car (the above is already farther than I had been able to do with my current set up).
So far, the main cons are that the whole thing is not nearly as secure an attachment as suction cups, it has more flexing than the speed rail I am using (but seems to be solved by providing a bit of support with your finger), attachment points are limited by the design of the undercarriage, and you have to get under the car to mount it

[Morgan J Segal]

Did you have much trouble with the stability of the rig with the D2x out there?


Not really, it did move around a bit, but not a whole lot more than my other set up and I was able to stabilize it with my finger

Would you hesitate mounting the fourth extension?



I hesitated because I was only able to get the two main magnets to stick to the car and they were only on a thin piece of the chassis (see why below) that was sticking down (so they did not get full on "grip") and the third magnet was "cantilevered" up against the cat on the car (aluminum )

Anything in particular that made it difficult?


It was mainly the fact that the side skirts made it difficult to mount the magnets to the flat part of the undercarriage, I had to look for something that came down (a thin part of the chassis) so the pole would clear the bodywork ( I will be contacting AR to make the simple solution for this) Also the car was lowered which made it difficult to get under and it made me very dirty :mad:


I need some more practice with it for sure

[John Thawley]

Morgan...

Help me out here. You keep referring to stabilizing things with "your finger".... how so? How fast is the car actually traveling? What are the shutter speeds used?

Thanks,

John

[Daniel Buck]

Morgan...

Help me out here. You keep referring to stabilizing things with "your finger".... how so? How fast is the car actually traveling? What are the shutter speeds used?

Thanks,

John


my guess is very slow! Most of those 'super fast looking rig shots' I would bet are taken at a walking pace or even slower.

[Morgan J Segal]

Morgan...

Help me out here. You keep referring to stabilizing things with "your finger".... how so? How fast is the car actually traveling? What are the shutter speeds used?

Thanks,

John


I was just keeping one finger on it and walking along side to keep it from swaying up and down. The swaying is an inherent problem with these kinds of car mount set ups because you are relying on such thin tubing and less secure mounting points than the high end carbon fiber mounts they use for commercials and movies (which can be used at high speeds without any shake)

Car is being pushed, with the engine off (car was in a high state of tune, so engine transmitted a lot of vibration), shutter speed is 3 seconds. The key is to get the car moving smoothly so that the initial movement does not upset the camera.
We did a few with the car under its own power and it worked fine

[John Thawley]

Ah... makes more sense... I had visions of you running at, oh say 45mph... and we've all seen you run. :D - So are you triggering the shutter manually, cable or pocket wizards?

JT

[Morgan J Segal]

Using pocket wizard as a cable release (i.e. only one pocket wizard via the cord to the camera)

[Keith Schoeler]

It was mainly the fact that the side skirts made it difficult to mount the magnets to the flat part of the undercarriage, I had to look for something that came down (a thin part of the chassis) so the pole would clear the bodywork ( I will be contacting AR to make the simple solution for this) Also the car was lowered which made it difficult to get under and it made me very dirty :mad:


I was curious about this too... Most any car that I would shoot as a static would be lowered with sideskirts, making some type of "L" bracket a necessity for attachment.

Keep us updated. :o

[Justin Libano]

The kit doesn't allow for that much adjustability to clear for sideskirts? I think you'd also have to be careful with some AWD or RWD cars that have the drive shaft traveling under the car. It's also hard to find level ground to take shots using these rigs as well -- let alone contain a decent background.

[Morgan J Segal]

the kit doesn't allow for that much adjustability to clear for sideskirts? I think you'd also have to be careful with some AWD or RWD cars that have the drive shaft traveling under the car

It just needs a spacer. In the case of the Evo, it had as much to do with the way the floorpan is designed as the side skirts

Drive shafts are usually not exposed and are up in the chassis (that is why there is a driveline tunnel ) so not an issue. If it is a 4x4 truck or something you can visually see that you need to avoid it

[John Jovic]

It's also hard to find level ground to take shots using these rigs as well -- let alone contain a decent background.

This is the thing. It's not just a matter of having a rig, you need the right location, road surface, background, time of day (because of the direction of the light, maybe traffic), the right car to mount it on, ND filters if shooting in daylight, etc. Sometimes it seems like the planets need to line up for a shot to work, but they often do.

My favourite way to do this stuff is on a slightly downhill bend with lots of tree or tall structures in the background. The slight fall in the road allows the car to roll on its own, and the slight turn of the wheel amplifies the blur in the background even further.

JJ

[Austin Langley]

What is this speed rail thing I've seen in this thread multiple times?

[Morgan J Segal]

What is this speed rail thing I've seen in this thread multiple times?


Speedrail is basically the aluminum tubing that is used in scaffolding or railing on industrial staircases.

It is used quite often in movies to mount cameras and lighting to cars

[Austin Langley]

Speedrail is basically the aluminum tubing that is used in scaffolding or railing on industrial staircases.

It is used quite often in movies to mount cameras and lighting to cars
I see. Do you have any pics of this setup?

[John Jovic]

Speedrail is basically the aluminum tubing that is used in scaffolding or railing on industrial staircases.

It is used quite often in movies to mount cameras and lighting to cars

Do you know the exact diameter? I think it's usually either 48.something or 50.8 (2 inches) but I'm really not sure if there is a 'standard' as such.

JJ

[Morgan J Segal]

->Speed rail (http://www.hollaender.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewpage&page_id=EC24FDAE-CC9C-BA86-D8D542E83A8C403F)<-

[John Jovic]

->Speed rail (http://www.hollaender.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewpage&page_id=EC24FDAE-CC9C-BA86-D8D542E83A8C403F)<-

Thanks
JJ

[Joseph Dowling]

Thanks for all posts on this topic - have been looking for a unit like this for about 6 months. Great help!

Looking to purchase a used one of the rigs made by:
http://www.automotiverigs.com/
if you have one to sell please contact me at
214-679-4292

Joseph Dowling

[Tomer Feder]

Hi there !
I know that this topic is quit "ald" but I just log in and I used all kind of rigs, but still got many problems.
I lost my eos 1V with 14mm whan I took a shut of a drift with Morgan ero 8 at England two years ago. Because the suctions run off the car :mad:
I saw the automotiverigs and it looks good (no need of Photoshop work). b u t!
1. The bogen magic arm can't hold the camera as seen at the pic on the site. the all thing will twist around the grip.
2. Putting mk2 with 14mm on this grip and take a shut on 1/ 10 or less make the car look unsharp (for magazine). You need more than this wire to hold the grip from vibrating.
3. Haw can I make a pic of drift from high angle with this rige or other?
I use tripod with 3 suctions (241) to hold it. And I use two glass holders with straps to lock the all thing together. and a lot of Photoshop to erase the legs of the tripod.
here some of my works the morgan pic was my last shut on films
http://www.lightstalkers.org/tomer_feder

[Jacob Leveton]

I think a lot of people are investing in cameras like the digital rebel xti or 5d, which are relatively lightweight. I do know of at least one magazine photographer who uses a 2 suction cup rig and a magic arm w/ a 1dsmkII and it holds the caemra up pretty well. Granted, you won't be getting shots from 2' above the car, but there's limitations to every rig.

also, as mentioned, most of the rig shots are done with the engine off and the car is being pushed. I wouldn't suggest driving with any of the magnet / suction cup rigs, outside of the several thousand dollar 'professional" setups...

[Mike Ditz]

also, as mentioned, most of the rig shots are done with the engine off and the car is being pushed. I wouldn't suggest driving with any of the magnet / suction cup rigs, outside of the several thousand dollar 'professional" setups...


I just did a job with a 1Ds, 24T/S, magnet mount Automotive Rigs setup on a QX56. Engine on, ever tried to push a QX56 uphill?

[Jim Sykes]

How did it work out? Photos come out ok?

[Jacob Leveton]

I just did a job with a 1Ds, 24T/S, magnet mount Automotive Rigs setup on a QX56. Engine on, ever tried to push a QX56 uphill?

drive it to the top of the hill and let it coast backwards?? ;)

[Mike Ditz]

drive it to the top of the hill and let it coast backwards?? ;)

It's hard to control a nice constant speed in a free fall. That pesky gravity thing.

[Tomer Feder]

I still got the problem of taking pic of drift when the camera is on board.
The way I used with the S 2000 was putting tripod on the rear of the car with the suction cups.
Im looking for rig like the "Automotive Rigs" but more steady because the car will be at over steering!!!

[Dylan Wiggins]

I have a question about the magnet-based rig in the first post, does it work on cars like Ferraris and Lotuses? I thought they had aluminum everything which would be a problem for super strong magnets.

[Morgan J Segal]

I have a question about the magnet-based rig in the first post, does it work on cars like Ferraris and Lotuses? I thought they had aluminum everything which would be a problem for super strong magnets.


You answered your own question ;)

[Dylan Wiggins]

You're supposed to tell me the super secret frame location where they used steel :D

[Morgan J Segal]

Yes, it is called using suction cups on the bodywork :p

[Mike Ditz]

I have a question about the magnet-based rig in the first post, does it work on cars like Ferraris and Lotuses? I thought they had aluminum everything which would be a problem for super strong magnets.

I believe the plural of Lotuseseses is Loti.http://www.websmileys.com/sm/crazy/1148.gif

[Morgan J Segal]

You definitely need a gaggle of suction cups and clamps as back up for this system. Even on normal cars, I've only been able to make the magnets work well a few times. Most of the time there is too much undercoating or not any good locations to attach the magnets securely to the bottom of the car and I need to resort to the cups.

In hindsight I probably would have not bought the magnets and tried to get them to sell me just the pieces of the pole, as that part works really well with suction cups/clamps and it is nice that it breaks down into a case. That said, I still try the magnet approach first when I do a rig shot (which is very infrequently)


It's a lot of money for it, I would not buy it unless you will be earning enough from your photos to justify the purchase

[Morgan J Segal]

I believe the plural of Lotuseseses is Loti.http://www.websmileys.com/sm/crazy/1148.gif

Nope, actually the plural of Lotus is Lotus' "There is a bunch of Lotus'
But Lotuses works too.

There was a big debate about it on the Lotus forum and someone found an official statement from Lotus about it :p

[Mike Ditz]

I learned the plural of Lexus is "Lexus vehicles" as in "look at all the Lexus vehicles in the parking lot."