Flying over Meteora with the Canon EOS 7D

Greek filmmaker Alexandros Maragos filmed the Meteora monasteries in Thessaly over three days and nights. The result: an incredible video that, relying on the time-lapse technique, presents a unique vision of this World Heritage site. His equipment: a Canon EOS 7D, the Cine DSLR fluid head, and the Sachtler Speed ​​Lock 75 tripod.

At times, when the air in Thessaly in Greece is very foggy, the monasteries of Meteora seem to be floating in the sky. The first of these twenty impressive buildings were erected on these high cliffs in the 11th century. Today, they are included in the UNESCO World Heritage jewelry catalogue.

Now, Greek filmmaker and journalist Alexandros Maragos has captured this magical place for three days and nights. The result: a four-minute portrait that, using the time-lapse technique, offers a unique vision of the place. For this project, Maragos worked with a Canon EOS 7D together with the Cine DSLR fluid head and Speed ​​Lock 75 tripod from Sachtler, a brand of the Vitec group.

Panoramic precision

According to Alexandros Maragos for the EOS 7D digital SLR camera, the Cine DSLR is the ideal support. With a wide load capacity of 0.5 to 5kg, this liquid head has been developed specifically for professional DSLR video camera work. The ten-step counterbalance made filming with various lenses easier.

In addition to other tools, the kit included the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4, the EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8, and the considerably heavier Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. With three degrees of horizontal vertical and three degrees of drag, the Cine DSLR Cine allows for precise panning and tilting.

On the other hand, it is worth noting that many of the locations chosen by Maragos were only accessible on foot, so the weight of the equipment was essential.

"I climbed numerous cliffs and went up and down hundreds of stone steps. It was hot and I had to carry my equipment everywhere. In this situation, every gram counts," Maragos highlighted. The Sachtler Cine DSLR and tripod weigh just 2 kilos each and despite their light weight are extremely stable and robust.

"The weather conditions were not ideal for my project. During the 72-hour shoot, the sky was almost clear. For this reason, I had to dispense with one of the most important stylistic elements for a time-lapse video. So I concentrated on the night sky illuminated by stars and filmed continuously from midnight until eight in the morning, to illustrate the rotation of the Earth," said Maragos.

Flying over Meteora

Canon 7D
50mm f/1.4
17-55mm f/2.8
70-200mm f/2.8
x2 Extender
Sachtler CINE DSLR
Zacuto
Fish VX7
FCP
Música: 'My Name in Lincoln' Steve Jablonsky

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/22429882[/vimeo]