It's no secret, people have been building DIY Camera dollies for a long time. You can follow the instructions on the video above, but in my experience, it's a bit tricky to get things lined up perfectly. If you don't have it aligned correctly you get a little wobble or binding in your movement. If you want to save yourself some time and money you can buy pre-built dolly wheels here, and then just get a piece of wood for the stage.
Monthly Archives: March 2010
Swiveling Caster Video Dolly Track WheelsColeman Quad LED Lantern
Caught this video by accident and had to share with others. Great little review on a Quad LED lantern by Coleman that can be used for lighting small areas or small products for video. Definitely something that could come in handy for some extra fill light on Macro shots. You can find the Coleman Quad LED lanterns here.
DSLR Stabilizer Antique?
Don't count out the Steadicam Jr.! This design might be old, but it's the same basic principle as the latest Merlin going for $800 dollars. I picked up the Steadicam JR as my first Stabilizer for around $118 dollars for my Canon 5D Mark II. Remember these things were designed to fly VHS Cameras (heavy). In fact, the Gimbal that is used on the Steadicam Merlin IS THE EXACT same Gimbal design on the old Steadicam Jr. You can find Steadicam Jr's at auction for dirt cheap if you look hard enough. Check out these Steadicam Jr's on eBay. Click Here.
Hague MMC Back in the Game?
The Hague MMC ( Mini Motion Cam ) is a small stabilizer similar to the Steadicam Merlin design by Garrett Brown.
It was ruled out in my books as being totally unsuitable as a Camera Stabilizer for DSLR's when I first tried it out. The Hague stabilizer is small, lightweight, and cheaper than most other similar stabilizers, but it just couldn't handle the weight of the 5DM2 or 7D. Well after receiving the Canon T2i with Kit lens, weight is no longer a problem. The HD video quality from the T2i being similar to the Canon 7D, I'm happy to put this Hague MMC back in my hands as a Stealthy little stabilizer.If you're an owner of the new Canon T2i a.k.a 550D with the 18-55mm kit lens, and want to get into a stabilizer check out th Hague MMC. Click Here.
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DIY Macro Close Up on a Budget
This video above is a great example of a Macro tip most new DSLR Videographers don't know about. You know, I started in Photography and know quite a bit of tricks when it comes to working on a budget. It just dawned on me that many of these Photography tips would translate well for Videographers. If you want that special macro close-up of those wedding rings, and can't afford the new Canon 100mm IS macro, here's a cheap trick to get that EXTREME CLOSEUP! It's called the Reverse Macro Technique
. There's different combinations you can try to get better Macro effects but the video above explains this well.
If you want to be Extreme DIY Lens Hacker, check out the video below where YouTube member lozzless hacks up a cheap kit lens for a reverse mount and still maintains Aperture controls and Auto Focus. Wierd.
Another Technique is to move the lens away from the camera body. You can do this in a few different ways, and one of them is by use of Macro Extension Tubes. By stacking these tubes between the camera and your lens, you can get some awesome Macro shots.
Another method of moving the lens away from the body for cheap is by use of a Macro Bellow. It's cheap and comes on a Macro rail for you to move in and out for that fine tuned focus.
Not sure about Nikon or other Cameras, but Canon makes a 250D Lens that mounts to the front of another lens and provides Macro Closeups. I have not tried it, but reviews on the web say it's awesome.
Items for Macro
So hopefully the above tips helps you get in closer on those special Macro video shots, and all without dishing out a thousand bucks...
Falling in Love with the 5D Mark II (again)
Let's face it, many of us put the 5D Mark II on the back burner when the 7D and T2i came around. With poor audio quality, no frame rate options, and a high price tag, it wasn't much for video. The only thing it had going for it was the Full Frame. With the new Canon 5D Firmware out to improve on those limited abilities, the video above posted by David Dang makes me fall back in love with my Canon 5D Mark II all over again. Now go sell your 7D's and T2i's, then click here to buy the Canon 5D Mark II!
Cheap Wireless Flash Triggers
Posted this a while ago, but thought i'd share it on the blog. There are many ways to fire your Flash off camera when doing photography. You get much better lighting and shadow details when you can control your light source. The video above provides some information about a popular cheap set of Wireless Triggers you can find on eBay. These are the exact same Triggers shown in this video. I purchased the 3 receivers and 1 Trigger package.
External HDMI LCD 7″
Wow I can't believe I ordered this thing and it came in soooo fast. Great quality too for such a cheap price. I've been wanting a very portable external LCD monitor that supports HDMI input (from my DSLR cameras) for a loooooong time. Prices for Ikan or Marshall LCD's typically float from $800 - $1500 dollars! When I saw this 7" HDMI LCD for around $200 dollars, I knew it was love at 'first price'. I poked around the web and surely it had great reviews with the video DSLR's, so I jumped on the deal. >>Check out the Lilliput 7" HDMI LCD Here!!<<
Updated Article: http://cheesycam.com/new-7-lilliput-2010-battery-shoe-mount/
This 7" LCD requires an external power source. It comes with a Cigarette Lighter adapter for the car and an AC adapter to plug into a wall. Luckily with all my gadgets, I had a "Black and Decker Power To Go"
Now I got a great deal because it came from Hong Kong. Shipping can take several weeks. I've had excellent results ordering many of my camera equipment from overseas. If you're skeptical, here is the exact seller that I purchased mine from (fast shipping too!!).
Save $$$ on Lenses
The video above shows an example of the great quality you can get using older lenses with your DSLR camera. You can save big bucks buying older lenses that will give you great Depth of Field. Sure, it's not much for photography, but for video it has it's appeal. I was able to pickup FD lenses for around $10 dollars! I grabbed a 50mm, 28mm, 35mm, and a few others. It's an awesome way to get some of those specialty lenses for those niche shots.
It's no secret that you can use older style Lenses to work with your new Video DSLR, but the type of adapter you get will determine the quality or sharpness, contrast, and possible distortion. You can mount Canon to Panasonic, to Olympus, to Nikon, or practically any combination of Camera + Lens you can think of. If you're looking to get an older Canon FD lens adapter for your 5D, 7D, or even T2i the one listed on this link is rated one of the best. It has a glass element to help correct the image since it sits offset on the camera. Grab a Canon FD Adapter and save big on Video Lenses!
This is the exact FD adapter I was using for my FD lenses to mount on my 5D and 7D.
Also other adapters for FD to EF