Well these cards are in, and i'll be working them this weekend. Hopefully everything goes off without a hitch, but thanks to all the comments i'm pretty confident it will work out for me. I'm hoping they definitely are as fast as they say they are, because it's such a great price I just had to give it a try and grabbed 4 pieces + next day shipping for this busy weekend. One thing a friend mentioned was that he noticed the video starts much faster with these cards once the button is pressed, over the slower cards which sometimes takes a quick second before the Red Light starts going. Not sure, but i'll find out and will probably post up more information on these 400x bad boys after the weekend on my results.
Yes, you might think this is silly (unless you're Zacuto), but I have some small (just for fun) projects that will be shot on the iPhone and needed a very lightweight, fast, slim mount to get the iPhone onto a Tripod - Not to mention cheap too. Now before you start commenting on those DIY mods using car mount with flexible necks or cell phone holders, keep in mind you'd still have to modify a 1/4 x 20 threaded insert and you won't get quite the slim profile as this item. I've also been poking around eBay and those car mounts really aren't that cheap. I'm rocking the iPhone 3Gs, but this little mount also works on the new iPhone 4 (for you lucky devils). There's a slot for the camera lens if you decide to use it in reverse for some reason. (Images Below)
Slides in, and slides out, holds very well via rubber inserts in the channel. The provided threaded insert will work nicely with Barska Grip + Mini Giottos Ball head for some landscape action. I'm also planning on making a Gimbal type steadicam for iPhone and this mount will be a big help. I'll be toying with this over the weekend, see what I come up with. The iPhone-Tripod Holder can be found here at https://iphone-tripodholder.com
A while back I did a demo using a Glidecam HD4000, and my most recent video the Glidecam HD1000. I found that if I wanted to fly a bit more weight than the HD1000 and less weight than the HD4000, my next stabilizer review would be the in between Glidecam HD2000 (right smack in between). I did do a short video on the Glidecam 2000 Pro which totally misses the mark on the fine tuning knobs available on the HD series.
Michael Sato over at DSLRUniversity.com beat me to an official Glidecam HD2000 review. He's got a sample BTS video out on the Raley Field - Sacramento Rivercats where he flexes his 'strumph' flying without a vest. I think my knees would have given out on me if I tried that for very long. To follow up, he's got a full page article written up with more detailed information about the Glidecam HD2000. So between the few reviews i've shown for the HD4000 & HD1000, and the DSLRUniversity.com review on the HD2000, you should have enough resources to find out what might work best for you.
When I travel light, those thin grey Canon Soft Lens Pouches seem to do fine for just covering up my lenses. Of course any lens case is better than no case to minimize dust, moisture, and scratches. Now when traveling heavy with a wide assortment of lenses I have to carry a bigger bag. More lenses + Bigger bag means equipment is just stacked one on top of the other. I don't like over using dividers in the travel bag because it's just taking up way too much space. Instead I thought I'd just individually wrap up each lens with a beefy Neoprene case. Neoprene is the same material used on Scuba Diving suits so it's quite elastic, soft, but still durable. Much better protection than the standard grey bags that come with most Canon lenses. Obviously, these things are quite cheap coming from overseas starting at only $2.38 + Free shipping. I've placed an order on a variety of sizes, and soon as they come in i'll show which pouches fit which lens. Check out the huge variety of Neoprene Lens Protective Bags.
If you're looking for something even more 'beefier' than the Neoprene Lens bags, foam padded ones are a bit larger, taking up precious bag space, but offer better protection against bumps and impact. Many of these are also wearable around the belt look or shoulder sling strap. These suckers start UNDER $10.00 + Free Shipping. Check out the variety of Foam Padded Lens Protection bags.
One of the most passionate DIY'ers tackling the Steadicam Merlin design and Gimbal handle with full rotation that I know about is WSCLATER. If you check out his website over at https://www.diycamera.com/stabiliser, you'll find years of logs refining a single Steadicam project. Yeah I think I would have given up by then. There's seems to be a very similar version showing up on eBay called the 'Steadicam Gizmo'. Personally there's some things I would clean up to finish up the little detail work, but looks really close to what WSCLATER has been working on. Four items sold just today for this Steadicam Gizmo, and parts can be purchased seperately. If you're not the DIY type, you might to check out the handle which uses the same design as wsclater, which might be a good improvement for that IndieHardware stabilizer as an upgrade. Check out the Steadicam Gizmo DIY stabilizer found on eBay auctions.
Rick Q. over at www.rcqcreativeworks.com shared with us his DIY Plug Wire Clamp Shooter earlier in the month, and now showcases his latest work for his new iPhone 4. Great idea for steady video and photos. If you really need a handle to go with your iPhone, I don't think there's anything out there as classy at this DIY budget. These Plug Clamps are sure showing lots of use in the DIY DSLR community thanks to the original designs sent in by Johan. Another popular DIY Plug Wire Clamp DSLR rig was sent in by Derek using Carbon rods. You can find that one here.
Update: Shortly after, Herb shows off his DIY iPhone cinema handle. With tilt action and beefy foam grip. Herb has also dropped hints of a more streamlined version coming soon. Enjoy the madness fun around these iPhone handles.
(Note Video Error: I kept saying the arm mounts dead center in the 'Chest' What I meant was in the Stomach area.)
In this video i'm referencing the Varizoom DV Sportster Vest for some Steadicams, Flycams, and Glidecams. It's a cheap vest, and have heard slightly negative feedbacks about this particular item. Part of the fun in finding useful affordable tools is to get hands on and see what the true limitations are. Since there wasn't much information on the web about this product, I thought I would at least be a reference point for others who might be searching for information on this. I know, I know, I gave it a shot, but it's ok to leave comments saying 'Emm - I Told You So. What were you thinking? Why didn't you listen to us all...."
The problem isn't the build quality. It's very light weight and sturdy. The arm feels plenty strong to carry the Glidecam HD1000 DSLR Stabilizer that I did a video about. The problems I had with the vest was the ergonomics. Everything just felt like it was in the wrong place. Just after a few minutes of wearing it, I felt like grabbing some steel and fixing the design with my own. Just by relocating the arm to the side instead of dead center would have already been a huge improvement. A simple steel plate is all that it would take to get that situated. The back support is just straps, so it doesn't provide good relief from the weight. Everything just loads up on the back of your neck. So, it's lightweight, strong, fairly priced, but needs redesign in the Ergo department. Hey Varizoom..if you ever want guys like me to test and suggest for product design...Holla!
By the way - You can catch a bit of the studio i've been working on. Thanks to some local Photographer friends, they all pitched in to (literally) scrub the floors, lay down epoxy, tile the bathroom, change out the toilet, and move in some gear, but it's still a long way to go. Just brought in some couches and chairs, and there's still a whole lot of equipment not yet there. I can only pass by for an hour before I head home, and all my weekends have been booked with camera work. Someday this thing will have it's use....
So the new combo deal is driving people nuts who currently own the 7" LCD Monitor by Lilliput, because they just missed the boat on the Battery + Shoe mount accessories. If you were one who got the early jump on these bargain priced portable HDMI monitors and need the battery pack or shoe mount, you can message the seller to see if they'll work with you on shipping something. Otherwise here's some Lilliput Portable Battery options for your HDMI DSLR Monitor.
Good news for those who are looking to start making a 2x2 LED light panel (four total lights) with the Z96 Dimmable LED DSLR Video lights. New auctions at the eBay store are showing for this purpose while shaving a few dollars off the complete set. Of course, It makes total sense to sell them in these bundles since one of the biggest marketing features is that they can be stacked together to create a larger softer light source. Where was this before?
After my weekend of use with mine, a 2x2 light panel is something i'm going to build, who knows maybe a 3x3 or even a 4x4 would be nice. I've found ways not only to use them for video but for photography as well. Not only used in a dim lit area, but also in daylight as fill.
Note: By default they have clips molded only on the sides of the LED light which appears they can only be stacked horizontally. Myself as well as another reader here didn't poke through the box enough to find special 'Vertical' clips and losing it. So if you receive these items, don't get too excited and start pulling pieces out without looking for this special Vertical clip to give you a nice portable 4 x 4 completely battery powered LED light panel.
Transcend 400x 32GB Compact Flash Media
