The Zoom H4n is one of the most popular portable audio recorders for DSLR Film Makers. With tons of features and inputs, it's probably under utilized most of the time. Just in case you're looking to expand those features even more, Zoom has released new firmware for you to adjust the levels of your XLR inputs seperately. More info at the jump: https://www.zoom.co.jp/english/download/software/h4n.php
Canon 60D on Jag35 Full Shoulder Rig
It's Jag35's DSLR Full Shoulder Rig. Jag35.com long ago, was a DIY Video website now, and has now grown into a company focusing more on actually manufacturing and reselling affordable and professional video equipment. With the trend, there's no doubt that they have a full line of DSLR related equipment from Shoudler Rigs, to Follow Focus systems, LCD view Finders, Cages, Monitors, Batteries, and more.
Monitor X - Jag35 Magnified DSLR LCD View Finder
This Jag35 Full DSLR Shoulder Rig comes with industry standard 15mm rods to expand with other accessories. The rig comes with a simple configuration of clamps, handles, contoured shoulder pad, an offset design for DSLR's, and counter weight for balance and extra stability. Like most affordable DSLR rigs, it was designed to have the most important features you'll need for a stable shoot. Wide spread handles (adjustable of course), comfortable shoulder padding, and counter weight. It's not a bad looking rig, and it's an all aluminum build, but unlike the top players - this one leaves off unnecessary aesthetics to keep things more affordable as a starter. What do I mean by this? Well for instance, the handles aren't anything special, but they work like handles should. If you want something more substantial, you're welcome to upgrade them from another company since the rods can accept any industry standard clamp. The counter weight is also something we've come to recognize, but that just makes it all more affordable, while still blending in with the OEM. Who needs to pay three times the price for flashy high polished stainless weights? Sometimes you just need to get the job done.
I've never been a fan of the orange color, but it's not bright as it seems on the web. It's more of a metallic copper. The friends that came to see the rig actually liked the color, but hey everyone's different. I do like the extra time they put into black on black rods, a few of the rod clamps, and handles. The black is also a more matte finish than the Gini rods if you like the flat finished look. The foam padding on the shoulder rest is a full 1" thick and fairly dense to support the weight. There is quite a bit of brand recognition going on here which might not appeal to some. Every little knob and every clamp is covered with a Jag35 button like badge. I'm missing the top handle, and this is the base setup. There is a whopping (count them) "17" Jag35 Logos on this rig. I'm hoping that didn't add to additional costs in any way, i'd rather save a few bucks than to have so many logos stuck everywhere you turn.
It's been great so far, but then again why wouldn't it be? It's a solid rig, with great craftsmanship, and one of the more affordable setup's out there with what many say comes with top notch customer service. It's got all the important features you'll need for a long steady shoot. For now, you can get more information on pricing with optional upgrades and accessories available at the web page here: Jag35 DSLR Full Shoulder Rig
Jag35 DSLR Full Shoulder Rig
If you're looking for something even more affordable, Jag35 also offers another starter rig that you can build on, called the FieldRunner.
Jag35's Affordable DSLR FieldRunner Shoulder Rig
There she is. She's my Eleanor. That mystical Unicorn. The legendary beast that constantly eludes me from capturing her as my own. (Referencing 'Gone is 60 Seconds'). Anyways, that's the Manfrotto 504HD Fluid Video Head. It looks good and works awesome, but the fluid head alone will run you $399. Grab a set of legs with it and you're running yourself close to $900 dollars. Sure i'd love to have every single tripod in my stash to be the best, but the truth of the matter is, it wouldn't be practical. At least, not for what I do right now. For bigger projects where you think you'll need the best of the best, you can always rent. (Check out BorrowLenses.com)
Last minute, we decided to do a live shoot with different camera angles, and we wanted a shot that was done in one take all the way through. I needed a few more tripods to station cameras around the subject. In a small studio space I don't need to have every single tripod to be an expensive one. I'm finding that many times we set the camera in it's position, start the recording, and forget it. There may be some light rack focusing involved and slow pans, but we're not chasing fast moving athletes. So for the many stationary cameras, I decided to order a few of the FT-717 Tripods + Fluid Head combo kits. It's exactly the same as the WF-717 re-branded. This fluid head is almost the same as the 717AH I use for the DIY Slider, except that it is ball mounts. If you're not familiar with the ball mounts, it's basically a super fast simple way to get that final adjustment into leveling your camera.
WF-717 Ball Mount Video Fluid Head + Three Stage Aluminum Tripod + Travel Bag
This is a three stage Tripod that has a very wide rail design common for Video tripods, and also has a center brace for extra sturdiness. Three stages of adjustments means that it can collapse shorter to make traveling easier. I've seen some monopods with 5 stages that allows it to collapse down to less than 16" for traveling and cheaper tripods may only come in 2 stages. Once the tripod is extended to your liking, leveling the camera is fast with a simple turn of the knob at the ball head. This particular design is also available in plastic if weight is a concern, but I opted for the metal version mainly for durability.
WF-717 Ball Mount Video Fluid Head + Three Stage Aluminum Tripod + Travel Bag
I have several different tripods, and one is a beast which can extend to 7ft high. If this WF-717 / FT-717 would be your only tripod, there's some things to keep in mind. Getting the camera to eye level is important for some shots, and because this is a ball mount head, there's no adjustable center neck with this particular tripod. You'll lose about 1 ft compared to the other types of tripods. With the legs fully extended the base of the camera will sit at 53" inches. Bringing the legs close together and 'cheating' a bit, you'll gain maybe 2-3 inches of additional height. This type of tripod is perfect if you're elevated, shooting low shots, if you're at a distance from your subject, or if your subject is seated.
Panning horizontally was a bit stiff right out of the box, but performed very smoothly after working them in. I believe it's because there is just random fluid thrown into the head before shipping. Once you've worked it in, it's very very smooth, especially when adding the weight of your camera and lens. A few nice additions too. The WF-717 Ball Head + Tripod also has a built in retractable bungee hook used to wrap it up and keep the legs from opening up as you carry it. It also ships with a pretty nice travel bag that includes a sling strap for hands-free carry. It's no Eleanor, but I was able to grab three of these for about the price of a single Bogen 504HD Fluid head.
WF-717 Ball Mount Video Fluid Head + Three Stage Aluminum Tripod + Travel Bag
DSLRMarketPlace provides a video with an up close look on all the things the WF718 Tripod + Fluid head has to offer. I was always under the assumption the WF718 was the same as the 717AH fluid head, but there's some differences including the quick release mounting and positionable sliding plate. Now i'm curious if the internal build is the same as the 717AH. This Video Fluid head with extension arm is a set that includes the much requested video Tripod legs. These tripod legs have some skills that show off a nice range of positions (as seen towards the end of the video). The tripod also comes with a lower central bag hook, not only to store your backpack, but to weigh it down for some extra sturdiness. For those who are starting out in video and are in need of some good sticks, or if you're working on that 4ft. slider project that needs two Tripods for support, this is looking like a good deal. If you've got questions about this particular item, you can contact DSLRMarketPlace at the vimeo page here: https://vimeo.com/16912877
DSLRMarketPlace purchased the exact item here:
WF718 Fluid Drag Video Head + Heavy Duty Professional Video Tripod
500 LED Video Light panel running from $99 dollar portable battery
Testing to see how much power these 500 LED lights really consume. LED light is on full, camera is only at ISO 100. If i'm correct, I believe this 500 LED panel only requires 50w of power. That's really not much. Something like this $99 dollar portable battery (normally used to jump start cars) has two 115v outlets in the rear. So one of these batteries can power two lights directly, or with a surge protector, can power all three. It has a built in inverter inside, but there's a small fan that turns on when the inverter is running. Since these lights don't draw much power an extension cord and moving the battery pack further, audio shouldn't be a problem. If i'm at a last resort where I know I wouldn't have power readily available, or when Audio isn't an issue, this could be a decent option for location use. Run time? I'm guessing the run time will out perform those portable camcorder batteries that some of these units have. Not a bad thing to keep in the car since it can provide you with a jump. Can also serve to run a laptop if you're on the move, or charge up some batteries while going from location to location. I'll throw up a video soon enough.
There's a number of different batteries similar to this, some provide more wattage, and even comes in it's own rolling case. Check out some of the options through the link below.
Portable Jumper Battery with 115v Inverter
Related Article: http://cheesycam.com/bts-sample-with-cheap-500-led-video-light-panels/
I talked about these lights a long time ago found in the article: http://cheesycam.com/latest-led-video-lights-for-dslr-video/
Since that first article, these lights have made their way around the world and in different projects. Yet to this day I get asked several questions about posting up a sample of power output and sample videos of them in use. I had a bit of free time, and a walk-in volunteer today so I thought I'd put this together real quick for you guys. (Thanks sister-in-law). There's no style in the lighting setup, I just threw them up very quickly. This video is mainly just to show you how much power these things are capable of along with the quality of light. The main camera was set to the Daylight White Balance setting with no color correction in post. Hopefully that should give you an idea about how close they are to daylight temperature. The camera was set to ISO 250 with the lights at 1/4 power. DSLR's can provide clean images even up to ISO 1600 and with 3/4 of power to spare they should be able to cover most of your small projects. You can also tell how whisper quiet these units are. Don't be fooled by other versions that include some type of internal fan, that will ruin your audio (if you ever decide to use the audio).
Relative size next to Canon 5D Mark II
In the rear I have a 500 LED light camera left on Full Power. In the front, I would normally have a main and fill light setup, but they are both on only 1/4 power. You could probably just setup one light to the side, and use a simple bounce as a fill on the other. I'm also including a few images that were shot by just lighting the product with the 500 LED panel. I have it next to a Canon 5D Mark II to compare the relative size. It's very small, built with a solid housing, and makes it perfect for travel. These lights also stay super cool with ZERO heat so your subject doesn't start to sweat. If you have any other questions about these super cheap LED light panels, just drop a comment.
There's many versions of these types of lights online which look similar. Some come with a fan which you don't want when doing Video shoots. Those fan units are very loud and I don't think are needed in LED lighting. Others units being sold may also be a slightly different build quality. I have not had the chance to use some of the other units out there, but I can tell you that I'm happy with the ones that i'm using here. There's 500 LEDs, 1000 LEDs, 500 Dimmable, 1000 Dimmable, 1000 Color Temp Changing Dimmable, sold in kits with several lights, and a few more options. These particular light panels come from the ePhoto seller found here: Portable Cool LED video Light Panel Solutions
Studio Continuous LED Video Light Panels on eBay
They are also available via Amazon
500 and 1000 Continuous LED Video Lighting Panels on Amazon
Related Articles:
http://cheesycam.com/color-changing-variable-color-led-video-lights/
http://cheesycam.com/portable-battery-powers-the-cheap-500-led-light-panel/
http://cheesycam.com/latest-led-video-lights-for-dslr-video/
Thanks to a tip from Ron, here's a unique eBay storefront run by rock artist Eddie Houston. Many people will recognize the name Eddie Houston having played for some years in famous Rock Groups such as Thin Lizzie, Creed, some time with John Coghlan, Status Quo, and of Course Pilot. Eddie seems to share a love of vintage and rare lenses, and actually 'refurbishes' these items back to it's old glory. There's a limited supply in the store front that changes up periodically, but each lens has been basically restored sometimes including the original box and user manuals. Is it weird to ask for an autograph too? LOL. You can read more about Eddie Houston's eBay storefront called 'The Lens Doctor' following the link: Check out the inventory of Refurbished lenses from The Lens Doctor
I'm sure you're all planning on gathering up a ton of photos and videos this holiday season, and BorrowLenses.com is looking to hook you up. Not just Photography stuff, BorrowLenses.com has a HUGE amount of video gear, including microphones, field monitors, stabilizers, lighting and more. With the right rental selection you can grab yourself a 7-day Rental for the Price of 3 Days. That's right, you can get UP TO 4 days free if you do the following:
1. Order a 3-day rental that begins Monday, November 22nd.
2. Type the phrase "Turkeytime" into the coupon box before checkout.
3. Return the gear to us the following Monday, the 29th. That's 7 days for the price of 3!
4. Read the fine print below for more details.
A few more bit of information to know: This discount applies only to 3-day orders that would normally end on November 25th through November 27th. The coupon code "Turkeytime" must be used. Cannot be used with other coupons or offers. You will only receive 4 days free if your 3-day rental begins November 22nd. There you go fellas, check out the selection and see what you might be able to take advantage of this Holiday from BorrowLenses.com.
BorrowLenses.com
Canon 85mm F/1.2L FD Manual Focus Lens
Canon FD mount lenses designed originally for older film cameras are a beautiful option for many video shooters. Not only are they wildly popular with DOF adapters to be used with standard camcorders, you'll find DSLR bodies such as Panasonic, Sony, Olympus, Nikon, and new Canon DSLR's adapting these older lenses to get wide apertures on the cheap. The controls are completely manual to set aperture and focus. Many enjoy shooting these older lenses simply because the focus rings work better for pulling focus in video mode.
There's a bunch of different adapters to mount these FD lenses to just about any camera. For Canon this i'm using one which has an extra piece of Optical glass to correct the image and prevent vignetting at wider angles. For other cameras, i'm not sure if the optical glass would be necessary. If you've got an FD lens adapter story to share, post your comments here.
Canon FD Lens Adapter with Optical Glass for Correction
It's also pretty sharp, but not too sharp and often giving a very vintage feel with your footage. The look from these lenses will definitely give artistic video shooters a bit more of a creative documentary feel with a slightly softer high contrast look. Here's a good example video https://vimeo.com/3919586 that was posted (now 2 years ago). You can catch groups on both Vimeo and Flickr all dedicated to older FD and FL vintage lens styles. The current EF auto focus 85mm F/1.2 runs for close to $2,000 dollars. Look carefully and you'll catch an 85mm F/1.2L FD mount (yes L lens) for less than a third of the EF mount price. Of course F/1.2 should provide you with a beautiful image, but it's not your only option. There are many other other great FD lenses to be adapted including F/1.4, F/1.8, F/2.0 with all ranged from Fisheye Wides to Super Zooms.
So if you're looking to get more Depth of Field on the cheap with a nostalgic look, check out the many FD and FL lenses available most starting auctions at under $5 dollars.
Canon FD Mount manual focus manual aperture Lenses
Related Posts:
Canon FD 200mm F/4 Video Sample http://cheesycam.com/canon-fd-lens-200mm-f4/
