Bertie Gregory and Sachtler Ace M on Vancouver Island

Bertie Gregory and Sachtler Ace M on Vancouver Island 16 Oct 2013

For more than two years, Bertie Gregory, the nineteen-year-old wildlife videographer from England, shot the fauna on Vancouver Island, Canada. This island, the largest in the Pacific in North America, is not only home to black bears, one of Gregorys main focuses. Wolves, pumas, and whales can also be found there. The young filmmaker recently finished his almost 16-minute documentary, West Coast Adventure, in which he also narrates and presents about black bears on the island. Since he did not want the bears to feel threatened or scared in their habitat, he shot from a boat with his Nikon D7000. For a firm stand, the wildlife filmmaker depended upon the lightweight and robust Ace M tripod system by Sachtler, part of Vitec Videocom, a Vitec Group company.

Secure and stable even while filming on a boat

Bertie Gregory shoots the black bears from a rubber boat so that, he can keep a safe distance from the animals while still remaining close enough to capture detailed photos. The best time to film the bears was at low tide, when the water in the inlets receded, exposing rocks which the bears roll over to find crabs. I filmed everything from the boat except for the aerial footage. This, of course, made the project particularly demanding, as any small wave makes footage useless. Thats why I always tried to film in narrow bays or in the particularly quiet morning hours, says Gregory. The Ace M tripod system with ground spreader offers a firm stand and weighs only 4.6 kg (10.1 lbs). It can be easily assembled and guarantees controlled, smooth camera movements on shaky ground. The key feature of the Ace M, for me, is the compact construction. I was easily able to put the tripod system on my shoulder and sometimes run 100 m with it. This way, I was always able to get to the right place quickly. This is indispensable for wildlife documentaries, says Gregory.

Get the Ace M and start shooting in front of and behind the camera

Bertie Gregory is not only the man behind the camera; he is also the presenter of his documentary, West Coast Adventure. The Ace M is the perfect system for young talent or any other beginner in the film industry. With a payload range of 0 to 4 kg (8.8 lbs), it is ideal for small, video-enabled DSLR cameras such as Bertie Gregorys Nikon D7000, and features a height range of 57 to 173 cm (22 to 68 in). I usually film all by myself, as I work with a very tight budget. Ace M easily fits into my luggage when I fly to the filming location. The design of the tripod system is fantastic, and it is fun working with it. The counterbalance and the damping perform amazingly well and feature ergonomic and simple operation. This way I can, for example, set the damping while following my subject at the same time, says Gregory. Ace M has an excellent price/performance ratio in its class. The 5-step counterbalance allows for particularly fast and easy adjustment of the set-up. With three vertical and three horizontal grades of drag (+0), patented Sachtler SA-drag damping enables particularly smooth pan and tilt movements genuine Sachtler broadcast feel, even when using systems designed for beginners.

For more information, go to www.sachtler.com, like Sachtler on Facebook, follow the company on Twitter or contact Sachtler directly +49 89 32158 200, contact@sachtler.de

LINK:	http://www.theiabm.org/article.php?group_id=10074...
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