Monthly Archives: April 2010

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Looks like many others are picking up on the idea of using the Steadicam Merlin/Pilot vest + Glidecam. I've received comments of other people already using the setup, but here's another DIY adapter video that was submitted to me today. This hybrid setup not only gives you professional results, it also saves you money using this combination. Just FYI, there's already a CAD design for a future adapter that is being made for this. The adapter will be available soon, sold exclusively from a company (keep comng back for that information. I'll post it soon).

Exploded View of new Adapter
steadicam merlin pilot vest glidecam hybrid adapter

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calumet portacube product photography

I posted about my product Photography cocoon not too long ago, but these cubes are much more portable than a cocoon design. In fact, they fold flat so traveling with them is a breeze. If you're not on the Calumet mailing list, I just got this in my email. PortaCubes are now on sale with savings of up to $21.00 dollars off normal retail price (or 30%). Three different versions of the PortaCube is based on size, starting as little as $22.00 dollars for the 16 x 16 version. These are an exclusive item from Calumet, but you can grab them through Amazon below. Have fun with those product shots.

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Sometimes you just get in the zone and the whole shoot is just going going going. Then you switch up the scene and the flow just comes to a halt waiting for everyone to set that custom white balance. It sucks, we've all been there, but it's a much needed process for getting the cleanest colors in your video footage.

There are several different tools to get faster white balance by using special White balance lens caps or White Balance filters. I've heard mixed things about the white opaque type caps, and better feedback on the clear type White balance filters such as the Vivicap. Check out the video above for an example of how these caps work. You can find the Vivicap for purchase at the following link.
Puchase the Vivicap for faster White Balancing on your Video DSLR cameras.

click image for eBay listing
white balance lens cap filter

Or from Amazon.com

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canon 5d mark II camera neck strap
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Ok, it's not an upgrade for the Canon 5D Mark II, but it sure is a head turner if you 'upgrade' that Canon EOS 550D / T2i. These Canon 5D Mark II straps will make your friends do a double take on your gear. Who knows, it might even be cool to turn them into a friendship bracelet, a headband at the gym, or a fashion belt for the lady...hahah. The auction says only 4 available. Now's the time to enhance that 550D T2i. Click Here for Auction Details.


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Click here for the Canon 7D version for sale too. Says 5 available.

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Ebay reports this is one of the top sellers for the Camera category as of today. This eBay seller with over 48,000 feedbacks and 100% user feedback on sales. This 32 GB SDHC card 'Class 6' (yes Class 6), perfect for the T2i or 550D seems to be too good to be true for just $85 bucks. But as an eBay seller with that track record, it might be worth a buy for those long gigs that go on for hours and hours and hours.....

Check out this 32GB SDHC card for the 550D or T2i. Too Good to be True?

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yahoo mail

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We are in the process of upgrading all of our Yahoo! Mail servers as part of our ongoing efforts to give you the best Mail service possible. There is no need to complete this form because we already know that you've received this error. It is temporary and should clear up within a couple of hours. If it persists, please do come back and let us know. Thanks!

-------crap! I was so waiting on some emails today too...----------

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Wow, huge milestone on Amazon. Someone just dropped me a line about the 7" monitor I posted about earlier. They said they were able to get it from an Amazon seller. A reputable seller who's been shipping Lilliput monitors for years is now carrying the 7" HDMI version. Not that you couldn't find a USA seller before, but normally that meant a huge marked up price. The milestone here is that you can now pick it up from Amazon for the same price instead of waiting on Hong Kong shipping.

Oh and don't forget that you'll need a portable power option. Many people have already taken my advice on Portable power and picked up some of the Black and Decker battery packs featured in my video here: http://cheesycam.com/?p=215

Other options for Portable Power can be the Duracell Powersource Mobile. I haven't tried these, but others have purchased it with their monitors.

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gini dslr shoulder mount video rig
korean gini dslr rig

Hands down to Zacuto and Redrock. They've got some awesome gear, but that also means an awesome price tag! Hey not all of us are getting paid to shoot Feature Films. When shopping for a shoulder rig, a few friends told me about something called the 'Gini Rig'. It's probably old news to most of you out there, but it's always nice to share the information so here's the official Cheesycam post. The eBay seller goes by Gini so everyone has coined the term 'Gini Rigs'. It's all done by Computer Aided Designs, high quality materials, and designed to be modular and highly configurable. Looks and feels like expensive rigs, only it's less than half the price of similar rigs coming out of Zacuto and Redrock. Sure it's shipping from Korea so you're going to wait a week or two. But i'm loving these guerilla style DSLR rigs. Maybe maybe maybe.. Check out these awesome rigs that all the videographers are talking about!

[UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE] I received a Gini Rig and reviewed it here:  http://cheesycam.com/the-gini-rig-arrives-from-korea
gini-rig-review
[Updated] Full Gini Rig Photo Gallery and Review

cine city dslr video shoulder mount rig

There's also Cine City products which I believe are coming out of India. They've been around for a while, but the previous lineup of products was nothing to be excited about. I think over the year with the DSLR craze going wild, they have improved on their designs, quality, and lineup of products. Definitely much more professional looking and looks to be compatible with other similar ROD rigs. This means you can mix and match clamps, handles, follow focuses, and other accessories.
Check out some of the new Cine City lineups for DSLR video stabilizers. Click any of the images to buy the products on eBay.

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Well it's been only a short time since I finally released my version of a DIY Rotational Skater Video Dolly. There's already talks in forums and other homebrews of this simple design on YouTube and on Vimeo. In fact there's even a guy on YouTube (i'm not going to drop links for sake of web traffic), who's setup a website selling it off as his original design. Absolutely no credits back to where he grabbed the idea from. I say don't support this guys sales...his parts look pretty hokey too. Hahaha.

Check out the video above for some example footage of the SpiderTrax Dolly design in use. Pretty cool!! Thanks Irakli !! Awesome job on making your DIY version.

A team of guys over at SpiderTraxDolly.com has taken the design into fancy computer renderings and precision manufacturing with black anodized aluminum and other good stuff. So if you're interested in getting some really professional looking gear, on the super dirt cheap, check out more information at SpiderTraxDolly.com

If you've got some really good skills, there are many DIY versions of the P+S Technik 3 wheeled Mini Skater. Here's a super awesome example of a DIY Skater Dolly based on the P+S Tehnik design master hand crafted by kasokeys (video below).