Vimeo Member Leo Silve went through the trouble of shooting this video to share what he's been doing to get a personalized comfortable budget shoulder rig put together. It's a lengthy video, but it's shot to explain from start to finish why all the parts were selected in his build. In the video you'll see a few different pieces used including the inexpensive shoulder support and Macro rail used for an offset. There's also a follow focus and some Ikan pieces thrown in to complete his lightweight setup. [Thanks Leo]
Monthly Archives: January 2011
Portable 43″ 5 in 1 Light Reflector
Hunter writes in and shares one of his recent budget purchases. It's a collapsible 43" Light Disc with 5 Different color reflectors including white, silver, and gold. Perfect lightweight solution If you're looking for a simple, fast, effective way to throw some fill light onto a subject. It can also be used as a bounce when using flash photography, a small scrim, or light diffuser with continuous lighting kits. Follow the link to find some even cheaper deals if you're looking for something a bit smaller than 43". [Thanks Hunter]
Letus DSLR Cage on Auction
If you've collected quite a bit of accessories to your DSLR and are now shopping for a DSLR cage, nobody makes a better one than Letus. You can see some of my images here: http://cheesycam.com/more-canon-60d-on-letus-gear/. The auction isn't mine BTW, mine is always in rotation...
Of course, it normally takes a good chunk of change to get into one, but maybe not today. A Letus DSLR Cage with a few extra parts retailing over $900 bucks is currently on auction. No bidders so far, and recently lowered pricing. Even the Buy It Now is crazy low. There's plenty of other inexpensive type cages you can use, but If you've been looking specifically for a Letus DSLR cage, this could be your lucky day.
If you happen to miss out on the Auction, here's where you can find them https://www.letusdirect.com/cart/cage/
1000w Lighting – Don’t try this at home
You ever watch TV and there's a crazy bunch of guys who start stapling themselves in the you know whats....? They always have a disclaimer talking about 'Don't try this at home'. This is definitely one of those times where I want to share what i'm doing but have to lay down this disclaimer. I decided to test something out with an awesome set of 1000w quartz halogen lights. They are designed with a great looking metal housing along with a dimmable feature. My kit comes with two (2) 1000w light heads, (2) Softboxes and (2) lightstands. I've seen these things with just basic reflectors too, but the softboxes really help diffuse the powerful light output.
Now these lights have been around for a while, but haven't really caught on to a whole lot of video use. Why? It's because they have built in fans, and quite noisy ones too. Once these things are powered on, a small fan inside the housing makes it unusable when working with audio. Otherwise they work great.
So here's where I took a chance (but not a completely thoughtless risk). I opened up the housing and disconnected the fan. It's quite easy with just four small screws on the back, you can disconnect the small red/black wiring with mini plug as seen in the image below.
Now if you looked at the build on this light, the fan almost seems useless. Yeah i'm sure it throws a little bit of wind, but doesn't seem very effective to cool anything down. I've worked with 1000w halogen shop lights before and they seemed to last just fine without being 'fan cooled'. In fact you could pick up a cheap set of 1000w shop lights at Home Depot if you wanted to. Lots of people use those things for their DIY home studios and green screen stuff.
(Above: 1000w light Head vs. 800w Red Head)
Of course I wanted to carry a light set that looked good, was dimmable, had soft boxes, and light stands. This 1000w video lighting kit is a bit more polished than just Home Depot shop lights, but are still very inexpensive for what you get. Sales on this light haven't really taken off, so you should be able to find them cheap. They are sold under different brands and painted differently, but all carry the same form factor. You'll often find them advertised as 'fan cooled', trying to throw in a feature above other lights, but seems to have backfired on them because of all the noise it makes.
(Above: Comparing 1000w bulb against 800w Red Head lighting bulb)
Looking at the photo (above), the bulb protrudes out past the housing giving it plenty of room to dissipate heat. Is it going to last without a fan? Considering the fan is placed inside the housing, I don't see why not. If you look at the bulb this light head uses, it's just about the same type that's found in the big 'non-Fan Cooled' fresnels. So this bulb doesn't require any type of Fan cooling, so long as it can naturally dissipate. This design with the protruding bulb seems to have a better heat dissipation advantage over the 3pc red head set I have too. I've been testing these 1000w lights on a couple of shoots, a few hours at a time to see if they really hold up and so far i've had no problems. Bulbs on this guy are fairly cheap if you need replacements - around $9.99 each (link below).
1000 Wat Bi-Pin Replacement Quartz Halogen Light Head Lamp 1000 Watts/120 Volt
There is a Large outer softbox diffusion screen that can be used with or without the small internal diffuser.
So, I have to leave you with the disclaimer 'Don't try this at Home'. In fact, if you don't care about the fan noise when shooting stuff like Music Videos, there's no need to even disconnect the fan. These are a great set of lights! Most people just don't use them because of the fan noise. You'll be surprised how many people return these lights after purchasing them only because of the fan noise. Be warned though, that you should have plenty of power available at your location. These are very bright. If you need to be concerned about power draw at your location, go with LED lighting. LED lighting require less voltage, but they obviously aren't as bright as these.
But.......If you do choose to follow my path, you can always disconnect the fan when you need it quiet, or even 're-attach' the fan - It's fairly quick to do. Hmm, maybe i'll make an external 'fan switch' to control the fan on and off?? Well people, so far so good (knock on wood) and it's been a few days with a few hours put on them. I think they'll be just fine.......
Cheesycam .99 Cent Auctions Continues..
Just posted another pair of expensive items online, starting at just .99 cents. This is a pair of sexy Gini DSLR rig handles - Black w/ Red accents. If you know Gini Rigs, these parts are not easily available seperately. I have small hands and have been comfortable with the Express35 HD Handles. These Gini's have been sitting around for a while. Time to go.
More .99 cent auctions to come so stay tuned. If you haven't looked into the other auctions you can find them here: http://cheesycam.com/cheesycam-99-cent-auctions/
Two Gini DSLR Rig Long Handles w/ Two 90 Degree Rod Clamps - Black w/ Red
[Update] Another .99 cent auction posted up. This time it's for the hard to find 4 pcs. Gini DSLR Cage Clamps. These are very cool, and first seen with RedRock Micro's Cinema Bundle. I can't seem to find them on their site anymore. Very cool special clamps to position rods off to the side or even above as seen in my post http://cheesycam.com/the-gini-rig-arrives-from-korea/
Gini DSLR Cage Rod Clamps Blac w/ Red accents
[Update][Update] Just posted the Ikan Friction Follow Focus sytem. This is just the FF with the base shown in the image. You can find more information here where it is shown with optional equipment: Ikan Friction Follow Focus
Ikan Friction Follow Focus system with Adjustable Rod Clamp Base
Jag35 LP-E6 Battery Solutions
Jag35 LP-E6 Battery PlateJag35 has got a new LP-E6 battery mounting adapter. What is it? It's a simple way to use your existing Canon LP-E6 batteries to power up devices that use 5V-9V DC. This includes powering up your portable little HDMI monitors and even the Asus WiCast for HD Streaming (project I was working on). Oh and maybe even power up a small motor for the new slider? Hmm..They also have additional cables and regulators to step down the voltage if needed, but a complete solution based around existing rechargeable batteries you already have. It's got a standard 1/4 x 20 thread in the rear to make it easier to mount to stuff.
Apparently there's a DIY for this, and can be found through the following link posted over at cinema5d using a delkin lp-e6 battery plate: https://www.calumetphoto.com/eng/product/delkin_lpe6_charging_plates_for_universal_battery_charger/im26634
If you need more LP-E6 batteries, the best ones i've been using are these. They work on OEM chargers, show battery meters, and still rockin' to this day..
Canon LP-E6 Battery Decoded battery Meter works with OEM charger
Slider Tips and Mounting Solutions – Going Vertical
First few hours with the new budget camera slider, and trying to figure out the best way to to use it. Here's what I came up with. First thing you need to know, is that the slider requires a tripod head of some sort. If you've been following my Spider Trax dolly project, I went through quite a few different inexpensive heads before I settled with the 717AH. To prevent vibrations you need a good beefy mount between the camera and the slider. The 717AH was very heavy duty, but still the cheapest thing I could find that still served as an actual video Fluid Head. If you don't have a good solid head, check out the 717AH for this type of project
Next up, grab yourself a good pair of sticks. I have a pair of Manfrotto Carbon Fiber's but I wouldn't trust it with a slider like this. You can go with lighter sticks, but make sure you have two of them (one each side). If you're like me and want to stick with one Tripod, here's something that's very solid, and cheap. This FT9901 has the same beefy legs as my WF717's
For this slider, part of it's marketing allure is the fact that you can mount it vertically at it's furthest end points. I did try this, but I found that it was much more stable and easier to just tilt the Tripod Head attached under the slider. Another huge reason why I suggest you go with a good solid tripod and tilt head as the foundation for your new slider. Vertical slides mimic a Crane shot, and here's a compact way of getting that rarely seen vertical camera movement.
If you attached the quick release plate in the other direction, then you can even mount this thing sideways (if you had to). They say two heads are better than one, and for getting your slider level and positioning it in different ways, I say that's true. Inexpensive, heavy metal legs, and a ball head mount for quick leveling make this Tripod a great inexpensive foundation for your new slider. And when it's not used for the slider, it's still a great inexpensive Tripod to have around.
[Update] There is a new version of the Konova slider available including a Crank Pulley and Motorized Upgrade. Article found here: http://cheesycam.com/konova-motorized-upgrade-kit-now-available/
Konova video Camera Rolling Bearing DSLR Slider
Konova Roller Bearing DSLR Slider – Review
Ok, I have to keep adding 'Roller bearing' to the description of this DSLR slider. Everyone keeps throwing in names like Igus and GlideTrack, but it's not the same. Those guys don't use actual 'Roller bearings'. I know all about the Igus based sliders, and you can find my version on this blog. My current fixation is about this particular 'Rolling Bearing' slider. If you've ever tried an actual roller bearing slider, you might not go back. The problem is that even the cheapest Roller bearing slider will run you close to $500 bucks. This is why I was excited to see something a lot cheaper show up online.
So here it is, and what do you need to know? For starters, it's a great deal. Even after posting this slider up, I haven't seen anything else that can come close to this as far as features, build quality, and price. I'm sure i'm going to start getting some 'I made mine for this price...' comments, but unless you're selling it, i'm not considering it as a readily available option.
This slider has a solid rail, no flex. It has 1/4x20 & 3/8" threaded tripod mounts in the center, and on each end. It also has 1/4 x 20 & 3/8" threaded mounts on the sides for 'vertical' mounting. It comes with adjustable legs/feet that can be removed. There's also padded platforms that allow it to be used directly on any surface without worry of scratching or marking the area. There's a brake to lock down the carrier when it's not in use. It also comes with a very slick looking quality travel bag. The Slider moves very fluid with zero lash and can be adjusted if need be. It's also very lightweight, but feels like it can slide even heavier cameras than a DSLR.
There is one thing to note. The platform is designed only for a 3/8" mount. This means you need a fluid head or some type of camera mount. You can't mount the camera directly to the platform. Not a deal breaker since most sliders require this anyway. The unit slides so easily, it would work perfectly for motion timelapse rigs. Any small motor can easily pull a heavy camera through it's entire rail. Overall it's more than I expected for the price. The first actual 'roller bearing' slider to break this price point, and here it is.
So another great cost saving product first introduced here on Cheesycam.com. If you want to show some support for what I do, hook a brotha up and link back to this article!
Konova DSLR Video Camera Slider
Konova Slider - via Amazon
KONOVA K Slider 3080 NA-8
Budget Slider has Arrived??
Just got notification that something from Korea has touched down at the UPS store....I don't remember ordering anything else..So could it be the slider? Stay tuned, i'm on my way...
http://cheesycam.com/budget-slider-back-online-next-batch/
[Update] Yup, let me unbox this thing..I should do a live stream..Hahah.
[Update][Update] Oh snap...I think when you guys get it, you're going to really like it... Let me set up my camera now..