Today I decided to accept the Ordro, so the cover came off. The funny thing is that our cats helped me doing this content, even Mr. B who does not belong to us 😁
The funny thing is that while I was doing these images I had several cats interfering as always, but since this is about tools & habits they really did prove my point several times!
Here she is resting for a short while, but without knowing my Fujifilm X-H1 with the 35/1.4 very well I would have missed the shot completely...
My brainstem & photography
Now, since I got into music photography in a very intense way back from 89 until around 93, my brain stem is happy about one rotational direction only...
Which is a problem, since I want to use Nikon, for all sorts of reasons.
But the focus goes the wrong way... I did all of my photography back then manual focus only, actually there was no point using the slow, inaccurate autofocus that was available then.
So its all hard coded in my brainstem! Or at least somewhere in my nervous system...
The Sony that I got while working in a professional capacity was an attempt at a compromise, its a very good system where I can let my brainstem do its thing now & then.
We have a black cat visiting now and then, he also got a role in this haha!
I was using the X-H1 for these shots as mentioned, which is the only reason that I could get these shots, he was of course moving around a lot.
Now, if I choose to go 100% Nikon along with the Ordro M5 for the upcoming trip I might be able to finally get used to that rotational direction, but I will also miss out on things like this...
What about the Ordro then??
The decision on Nikon or not is separate, but I think it might be useful to illustrate how I choose to accept a tool or not.
Will I get a good workflow once I'm used to it? Will it "capture" me with habits that cannot be transferred to another camera of the same type?
How are the menus? Will I lose out on important content if something need to be changed in a hurry? Or worse, will something change on its own when that is the last thing I want?
Oh well, these days I'm not running any agency, so I just gotta roll with it...
Main controls
The first firmware actually did not have on screen controls for vertical use, which must have rendered it almost useless for that format!
I suspect that some might have a tiny problem adapting to this from other, similar devices, but for me its all about just getting started with this type of camera, so I'll probably be fine.
But I might not have been if going right into high pressure, high volume work...
The other thing is that I cannot really imagine myself flipping between those modes a lot. My main content will be walkabouts and similar, so I simply won't get into doing a short now and then. What will probably be the case is that I'll set off sessions for that, and then the whole workflow will probably be different anyway.
About batteries...
I was not aware of this, the battery is not exchangeable... That might have made me go for a cheap, second hand Osmo...
However, it does have a 6mm mount. Which makes me realize that for long workdays I'll simply make a frame for a battery bank, later on I could even add a HDMI recorder. There is money to be made on simple, silent walkarounds in high resolution. so I might add that as my daily workout routine haha!
Of course the 6mm thread comes in very handy in documenting myself doing stills, I'll probably add a tripod to my travel gear set for the first time ever.
A real scare, did I wreck it the first minutes??
I got a real scare right after opening it... Inserting an old micro SD card for the first time it got stuck. Like totally stuck, halfway in, I could not get it out!
F... What do I do now... If I pull too hard I might pull out the prongs reading the card!
But it was all due to me not knowing it, after using one of my lenses as a loupe I saw that it was inserted upside down. A bit of very careful wiggling freed it.
This won't be a problem, I simply won't do it again haha!
I've already checked for the parts I need to build a frame for charging, and that will make it easier to use an external microphone as well, it will basically protect all of this side.
I bet I could find an angled 3.5 adapter too, but of course that would add a potential source for noise.
Of course there should be ways of using wireless microphones I guess? But I want it to be simple as hell, whenever I can...
All in all I think it will do the job, and if so I'll keep it until it falls apart. Talking about that some feel a need for a dedicated cover for use in the field, I see the same need, as well as a sort of frame protecting the gimbal itself. Simple things to make, so I'll get that done before leaving!
Sometime soon, or a bit into the trip I'll also judge it against another principle I've had since way back then: would I be happy having two?
Back in the time before anything digital being a photographer was very different. You could have a very dependable camera, but you'd still have a backup just in case, be it while having to change a roll, for wild mishaps, or alternating between lenses.
Some were happy with having two different cameras for this, but many, or certainly most press photographers swore to having two that were exactly the same
If not you'd eventually miss the shot!!
Video is a bit different, but I still feel the same principle is valid. So at some point I'll decide if I'd be happy to get another one as backup, and if so that would be second hand in a while where I can pick it up cheap.
This is just a way of seeing the world that in my experience works. Would not a carpenter have two good hammers?
Would I not get better content if I get really familiar with this one, and then add another, beat up one that could do the rough jobs?
I'm thinking of things like renting a motorbike, one strapped to my chest, the other taped on a stick close to the road, that sorta thing! 😄🤣🫡🤘💪😅
Time will show!
And that's it for now 🙂