Camera peeps / engineers, your help please

DiscoStu

My mate is shooting a music video for his band's new album at the end of the month, the plan being to do a single continuous shot on a camera rotating 360°. So the camera needs to spin round on its centre at approximately 1rpm, maybe a little faster. He's tasked me with finding a way of doing this on the cheap but so far I can't find anything that does that fast[!] a speed, so do you lot have any ideas?

He wants the camera to ideally be on a tripod, so the camera itself could be mounted on a rotating head like this
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01IEXDES4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_taa_Q1MMAb7TS1R1Q
or it could sit on a big turntable. Personally I don't see why the camera couldn't just sit on a small turntable that's positioned on a table or something taller. Something like this
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B011BERSCG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_taa_YbNMAbEJVTTRS

Because the camera itself will be rotating, whatever is turning it has to be ultra smooth and be able to take the weight of a camera and light. The tripod heads I've seen all seem to be aimed at time lapse photography with 60 minute rotation and the photography turntables seem to be wobbly or can't take the weight. 

If you know a product that will work then please let me know. Alternatively, is there an easy way to repurpose or cobble something together MacGyver style? I don't know much about electronics but something tells me it shouldn't be difficult to make a platform spin, with adjustable speed. 

Ta.

Grangousier

These things definitely do exist - for example, here's a very cheap one which only works with GoPro or iPhone: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00LL12FVO/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2?psc=1

For a DSLR or bigger, obviously, it would be a lot more expensive - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01K0LLQ38/ref=psdc_1330832031_t3_B00LL12FVO ;

DiscoStu

Yeah I saw those too but neither of those does a 60 second rotation. 

roundthebend

What about a vinyl turntable, set to 78rpm then put something against it to slow it down. 

Sporky

How heavy is the camera?

I'd make something out of Lego Technic/Mindstorms because that's what I've got. A bit of effort to get the gearing right but not tricky.

DiscoStu

Sporky said:

How heavy is the camera?

I'd make something out of Lego Technic/Mindstorms because that's what I've got. A bit of effort to get the gearing right but not tricky.

S'funny, I suggested Lego Technic last night! Would it be a smooth movement though? I imagine it having some flutter.
He's got some pro Canon video gear but might just use his 70D DSLR.

Sporky

You could do it with a chain drive and clutch gears. If the camera and turntable are heavy then there ought to be enough damping.

DiscoStu

Sporky said:

You could do it with a chain drive and clutch gears. If the camera and turntable are heavy then there ought to be enough damping.

Got any links? 

Nitefly

From the world of model railways (!):

http://www.modelitltd.co.uk/turntable-drives-c102x3333675

Designed for turning model engines on turntables.  Not sure about the exact speed, but they will be pretty slow, and probably capable of control by varying the supply voltage.

Worth a call, I'd guess.

*edit* they are intended for use with the Peco 00 gauge turntable kit, but i'm sure a man of your capabilities could adapt it?

Sporky

DiscoStu said:

Sporky said:

You could do it with a chain drive and clutch gears. If the camera and turntable are heavy then there ought to be enough damping.

Got any links? 

I don't know if this is a clever chain joke or not.

These are the clutch gears - they slip if you try to put too much torque through.

https://img.brickowl.com/files/image_cache/larger/lego-gear-with-24-teeth-and-internal-clutch-76019-76244-30.jpg

DiscoStu

No joke, asking for links cos it's new territory. He's not gonna be happy if there's any slippage are vibration, if he can't get smooth movement then he'll ditch the idea. 

Foster

I'd be looking on ebay for used engine parts, plenty of gears to be had for cheap. Then you just need a heavy duty motor and some knowhow to safely wire it up to the mains.

Sporky

This does 1.7rpm:

http://www.movetechukshop.co.uk/product/large-battery-display-turntable-with-or-without-switch/

shrinkwrap

How about the camera fixed to an arm pointing straight down.
.. pointing at a mirror mounted at 45 degrees on a small lightweight turntable.

DiscoStu

Cheers @Sporky but it's too fast.

@shrinkwrap clever idea but at some point the apparatus holding the camera above the mirror will come in to view which is no good.

Sporky

They've got some 1rpm ones in the "about" section but I couldn't find them in the web shop. Might be worth an email.

shrinkwrap

@shrinkwrap clever idea but at some point the apparatus holding the camera above the mirror will come in to view which is no good.

Gaah.. humph.. hang the camera and light from poles attached to the ceiling?
.. or a drone on computer controlled slow rotate.. no, going to wobble too much.
Can drones be tethered to the top of a tripod??

Guy who thought this up should be the one to know how to do it!

Budgie

Have you considered hiring? This would do it I think.... https://www.hireacamera.com/en-gb/products/HAC00-00032-syrp-genie-motion-control-time-lapse-device/

DiscoStu

Budgie said:

Have you considered hiring? This would do it I think.... https://www.hireacamera.com/en-gb/products/HAC00-00032-syrp-genie-motion-control-time-lapse-device/

That's EXACTLY what he needs! Nice video on the Syrp site showing what it can do


£600 to buy. He might go for the £30 day hire though, I'll certainly send him a link thanks.

DiscoStu

I see there's a Genie Mini as well, smaller and cheaper and works via smartphone. 

Budgie

I imagine your mate has one already if he has a DSLR but he’ll need a ball head or some other way of controlling the camera angle - a ball head would be the most straightforward. I see on the video it has a ball head attached to the genie.