THE OUTDOORSMAN with BUCK McNEELY

 

TV PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT

 

We get lots of technical questions about how we shoot & what kinds of equipment we use in our productions .  Here is the answer to most of these frequently asked questions.  We are proud to provide specs on our favorite gear & links to these preferred manufacturers of quality TV production equipment.
 

 

 
Marshall Electronics is a leading manufacturer of professional LCD monitors for Broadcast, Multimedia, Video, Film, and News professionals worldwide.  Marshall offers a large assortment of technology including audio monitors, USB microphones, anti-reflective outdoors monitors, portable camera-top monitors, In-Monitor Display (IMD), Quad Viewers, converters, stand-alone and rack mount monitors, and more.
 
Our camera is outfitted with a Fujinon high definition HA20X7.8BERM 7.8 to 156mm lens with a 2X extender.  This is an excellent long lens essential for quality telephoto shots of wildlife.  ON those expeditions that require extreme long shots of 1000 years or more I use the Fujinon HA42X13.5ERD Super Telephoto lens with built in image stabilization and 2x extender providing a 42X zoom ratio and 13.5 to 567mm focal length.  The Fujinon optic's are superb and have provided excellent imagery and reliability.
   
For power I have, for many years, relied on the Anton/Bauer Logic Series® batteries and the Quad® 2702 InterActive® PowerCharger®.  They have both performed flawlessly, internationally, on a variety of 110/220 currents, as well as in the bush when our only source of juice is a generator.  The DIONIC® 90 is lightweight and packs a solid 2-3 hours of run-time per charge.  I also use the larger HyTRON® 100 and HyTRON® 140 batteries for longer power needs.  The ElipZ ® battery system is perfect for the 7.2v HD cameras with its under-the-camera mount application to provide better balance.
   

 


My camera support is provided by the Bogen-Manfrotto-Gitzo line of products. Currently my crew prefers the Manfrotto 540 ART Roadrunner. This is a sturdy yet light weight tripod featuring carbon fiber construction & a fast set up design that takes just seconds to prepare a shot. These equipment choices have served us well in many diverse applications.
   
My choice of wireless microphones is the AZDEN 1000 series. I can mount up to 2 receivers in line between the camera body & the battery on the gold mount adapter & it’s powered by the attached battery with little noticeable extra drain. We have hundreds of channel options & appreciate the clear reception & range these Azden units deliver.
We use Lite Panels lighting systems for studio and field applications.  Lamps are cool the the touch, light weight, portable, self-contained with no cables, and offer infinitely dimmable 5600*K or 3200*K output (with virtually no color shift) by simply turning a knob.  They use up to 95% less energy than conventional lights.  Lamp like is over 50,000 hours.  Power options are snap-on batteries, AC adapters, cigarette lighter adaptoers, or un them off your camera battery.  There's one that runs on AA batteries.  Many films and TV shows use the Lite Panel lighting system and we are proud to also.
 

Matrox manufactures Top Notch NLE Editing Systems.  We have been using products by Matrox since 2000.  We recently installed our New HD Editing System built by Lyn Norstad & Assoc., Inc. Around the Matrox Axio LE.

Since 1981 LNA has been building Digital Media Workstations and Storage Arrays for Digital Content Creation, Nonlinear Video Editing, Animation, Compositing, Encoding and streaming.

Link Electronics, Inc. - Quality manufacturer of Closed Caption encoders & decoders, video and audio DA's, switchers and other broadcast quality video processing equipment.  The Outdoorsman has utilized Link products for over a decade in producing the TV show.  Out latest product for Link Electronics is the HDE-3000 HD caption encoder used to caption our HD programs.

   

Thermodyne Cases:  Manufacturers of the best equipment cases in the industry.  Rugged, High impact plastic cases for cameras, tripods and all equipment needs.  We have traveled the world for many years trusting Thermodyne cases to protect our equipment.

   

Petrol Bags:  A Vitec Group Brand, is the leading producers of carrying bags, protective cases & accessories for HD to DV cameras, lighting, audio & support equipment.  Combining innovative design, rugged construction & top quality materials, storage and equipment protection.

   

Sachtler:  A Vitec Group Brand, debuts two new fluid heads and spotlights the Artemis EFP HD stabilizer at NAB 2010.  New Video S1 heads feature 16- step counterbalance adjustment and low minimum payloads of 4.4 lbs.  The Video 18 S1 handles payloads up to 33 lbs.  (39.6 in boost mode); the video 20 S1 up to 39 lbs.  (over 55 lbs. in boost mode).  The Artemis EFP HD special edition camera stabilizer features HiCap technology for RED ONE and other cameras, and hot-swap battery capability to maintain power on. 
   

   

Since 1984, International Supplies has been the leading distributor and marketer of innovative products and solutions for independently owned photo imaging dealers, as well as consumer electronics retailers and e-tailers.  Based in Inglewood, CA, International Supplies sells a wide array of digital accessories, lifestyle products and quality solutions worldwide for every level customer, and for a variety of industries from the photo, film and video world to outdoor sports.  Their products include traditional photographic film, paper and chemistry, NEXTO DI portable storage devices, SEAHORSE and ARMORTEK protective equipment cases that can be used for all your valuables from camera gear to handguns and rifles, PUROSOL's advanced technology cleaners for optics and electronic displays, underwater digital cameras, as well as batteries, tape and other supplies.  International Supplies is dedicated to offering their customers the best in digital electronics, and other innovative and fashionable products. 
   
Manufacturer web site links
MARSHALL ELECTRONICS:
www.Marshall-USA.com
FUJINON: www.fujinonbroadcast.com
BOGEN: www.bogenphoto.com
ANTON BAUER: www.antonbauer.com
AZDEN: www.azdencorp.com
LYN NORSTAD & ASSOC., INC: http://LNAINC.com
LINK ELECTRONICS, INC:  www.linkelectronics.com
THERMODYNE:  www.thermodyne.com
PETROLBAGS:  www.petrolbags.com
SACHTLER:  www.sachtler.us
LITE PANELS:  www.litepanels.com
INTERNATIONAL SUPPLIES:  www.internationalsupplies.com
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