I know this has been brought up in the past, but I was wondering what some good self filming setup's are that aren't pushing 1000$. I was leaning towards the canon hf R500 with the lone wolf strong arm camera mount. Does the lone wolf come with a camera head to attach the camera to? Can you leave the Camera arm in the tree while you are not there? I am trying to go into self filming, but before I buy anything, I want to hear from you guys. And does anyone know what the difference between the canon hf r400 and the r500? Self filming seems like such a pain to pack in and pack out especially for a rookie bowhunter like me. Thoughts?
In my opinion the best bang for yout buck would be this setup: Canon HF G20-$550ish Muddy outfitter arm-$110 Manfratto Fluid Head-$80 Rode Videomic-$120 Varizoom Stealth Remote-$120 *I realize it's a little more than you're wanting to spend but this setup will produce TV quality video in good lighting conditions.
Yes the Lone wolf camera arm comes with a head to attach to the camera. The guide arm to rotate the camera is really short; but it works. Yes you can leave the arm attached to the tree. As long as you don't have to worry about anyone stealing it or squirrels chewing through the straps. If you are going to make a habit of leaving it the woods, get some Scent Free Oil from DDW to oil the bolts that attach the arms to each other. They will squeak a little over time. BUY AN EXTRA ARM EXTENSION TO ADD TO THE LONE WOLF ARM! You will be glad you did. Yes it takes a lot to self-film a hunt. That is why a lot of people don't do it. But the reward of catching it on video is WELL WORTH IT! MAKE SURE you allow yourself extra time to get into the tree and get things setup. Also, plan on not leaving the tree until well after dark. If you don't, you will probably spook deer and alert them that you are there. It's A LOT FUN to self-film and it is not as cumbersome once you start doing it. You will figure out short cuts as you go. I hope this helps!
Both of the suggestions listed above are excellent. I would personally go with the muddy camera arm as well because it is quality and not too expensive. However I have never personally used a lone wolf so I cannot compare apples to apples. You can leave the arm in the tree but I wouldn't do it for longer than a weekend. Also buy a good camera backpack like a lowepro for packing everything in and out. It does take some extra time of course and I typically spend about an hour extra for each hunt when film but its totally worth it to me. Be prepared to shoot a lot less and focus more on the animal and the frame. I probably shoot only 1 out of every 4 opportunities I get when I self film just because you will often have to let down it the deer moves too much, but its a great challenge. Best of luck to you!
I run pretty much the same set up...I posted on your other thread in the bowhunting section though before I saw this, hope it helps! Let me know if you have any other questions I'm glad to help! Ryan: Also, would love to know where your finding a G20 for $550ish???
I haven't seen any new ones go that cheap but I saw a few on ebay for 550-600. Also on Canon's refurbished site they were $575 for a while (not sure what they are now)
If you go with the Lone Wolf arm, I would highly recommend that you throw the video head that comes with it off the highest cliff that you can find. It is absolute junk. I used a Lone Wolf arm several years ago on a light weight Canon HV30 setup. It is a pretty decent arm for light weight cameras. Replace the video head though with something along the lines of this small Manfrotto head ... Manfrotto 700RC2 Mini Video Fluid Head 700RC2 B&H Photo Video
Ryan: Also, would love to know where your finding a G20 for $550ish???[/QUOTE] I was also wondering that? Lol
Here is my post from the other thread...hope it helps! I use the same set up for the most part with no complaints so far and agree with Sam for sure!!! I have an HFR400 and it works fine for now, although I plan on upgrading to an XA20 hopefully if not this upcoming season then the next for sure. I added a DSLR to my camera bag also but not sure how much self filming I will do with it yet, still trying to figure out how to run it completely silent. Listen to Sam and def get an extra extension if you go for the LW Strong Arm, gives much further range! I attached a fluid head connector plate to mine, sam did as well I believe, and it made a world of difference in the quality of the footage and ease of use compared to the cheap friction head it came with. In terms of packing in and out I use a Mathews Fanny pack with all mics and accessories and the camera inside and attach the camera arm to the straps on the outside of it and synch them down down tight so nothing is rattling around and is quite. Then clip the whole pack to my stand and tighten. Any questions on this set up in particular lemme know I'll try to help out best I can. Here are a couple pics of my rig and set up to help showing you what I'm talking about... My rig and mics in the pack and camera arm strapped to pack all attached to my stand: Connector Plate for fluid head I rigged up to the arm: Rig in the tree:
The Canon G20 was on the refurbished list on canon's site about two weeks ago for $575 i believe. Canon was running a special for the month of February so now the price went back on the G20. My advise would be to research everything before you buy it and make a decision on what camera arm and camera you want by your evaluation of what quality you would like to receive from self filming. Also when it come to buying everything, some times it is good to wait and be patient to find everything on sale. Honestly i would wait for the refurbished G20 to go back down to 575. Good luck
Here are a few pictures of my set-up. I need to take better pictures one day. I also have a Sony CX550 that's an awesome litter camera that takes great footage during the day but it's not the best close to dark. You can find them used for $400-$500 but I would go with the G20 for an extra $100.
