Monthly Archives: February 2011

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Looks like a Manfrotto 577 Rapid Connect Adapter w/Sliding Mounting Plate right? It sure could be, but guess what - it's not Manfrotto. On sale right now this QR adapter sells for about 40% of the Manfrotto price. The specs over at the Calumet website doesn't state anything about being Manfrotto compatible or as a Manfrotto replacement part. I called the store and they weren't even sure if it was.

I don't know why they don't state it anywhere on the specs of the product, but it does look to be the exact same QR adapter and Plate design. The question I had was 'Is it really compatible?'. So I just put this quick release through the tests and it sure is compatible in every means. If you're looking for a QR adapter for all your Glidecam, Flycam, Sliders, or Jibs, it's a bonus that this inexpensive one is Manfrotto compatible. Right now it's on sale and there's only a limited supply in every store. If you were wondering too, here's the answer..


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find-price-button Quick Release Adapter + Plate (not Manfrotto branded)

If you're just in need of the plate itself, they have that available too (again not stating Manfrotto Compatible)
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find-price-button Sliding Plate (not Manfrotto branded)

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find-price-button Light Stand adapter with 1/4 x 20 Thread

Two tripods to support a long camera slider is a good idea, but if all you need is just a little extra support you can get away with a simple Light Stand. One solid tripod in the center, and a Light Stand at the end should do fine. The Konova Camera Slider offered light stand adapters as an optional piece of equipment, so that you can use inexpensive Light Stands for additional support or to get some different slider configurations. I believe they sold for about $18+ shipping. You can actually find them for less than $10 bucks via B&H Photo. (above)

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Two light stands with adapters for sideways sliding

One thing that Konova does throw a deal on is collapsible Light Stands. This is one thing that I really hate about traveling even with light weight stands. They are just a bit too long to fit into your average bag. I carry three small stands with my 3pc. 500 LED kit and am forced to use a really long bag just to pack it all in. The Konova folding stands shave down quite a few inches from it's minimum folded length. There are other versions of these which they will call 'Reverse Stands' and you can find some here: Reverse Light Stands

If you feel my pain, these types of folding light stands do exist for a bit cheaper and they make packing things up (with your slider) a whole lot easier. Found below:

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find-price-button Konova Folding Light Stands

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I love me some RedRock Micro gear, but unfortunately i'm just one of those poor souls who can't afford even their entry level stuff. As seen in the image below, this is just one bundle in the line up of RedRock Micro's Nano rigs called the Running Man. Pretty solid piece of gear that doesn't look quite overkill. Light weight, sturdy, sets up fast, and packs down small. Nice little stabilizer for the frequent traveler. You can find the Running Man rig here: Redrock Micro nano - RunningMan

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Having a few spare parts around the studio, just decided to mount the Calumet Mini Tripod / Handle to a Manfrotto 361 Shoulder Brace for Monopods. The bearing on the shoulder support spins freely, but by adding a handle under the camera, you can keep it steady. It's also handy having the handle break out into a Tripod to rest the gear down (gotcha on that one RedRock..JK).

DIY-Shoulder-Brace (1 of 1)

Would be an interesting travel brace for a smaller camera like the GH1, GH2, Sony NEX, or A55. I don't know..all for fun...

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find-price-button Calumet Mini Tripod Handle

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find-price-button Manfrotto 361 Shoulder brace for Monopods

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Can't decide between a slider that 'just slides' or a slider with actual 'roller bearings'? (Technically, I guess that would make it a roller) There's a mix bag of shooters who prefer one over the other, but here's a new 'tweener. Glidetrack was teasing everyone with their new Hybrid camera slider a few weeks ago that uses a new hybrid Roller/Slider bearing, and it's now available to purchase online.

Looks like it's still based off of the IGUS Drylin rails with the new IGUS Hybrid bearings, but there's some custom work done on the actual carrier and adjustable legs. Obviously price is going to be pricier than the normal versions from Glidetrack. In fact, for the price of 1 single Glidetrack Hybrid you could almost score two Konova full roller bearing sliders of the same length. No descriptions on variable friction, but there is a hard brake stop to keep it locked down while moving around. If you're interested in hybrid designs, the Glidetrack Hybrid sliders / rollers are available in a variety of lengths from 20" (0.5m) - 78" (2m). You can find the prices below.

Screen shot 2011-02-15 at 10.23.45 PM
find-price-button Glidetrack Hybrid Slider Uses Sliding AND Roller Bearings

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2011-02-15 17.02.45

There's been plenty of discussion and audio tests with the Rode VideoMic vs. the Rode VideoMic 'Pro', so here i'm just showing the size difference between what I would normally be carrying around to the new smaller form factor of the Rode VideoMic Pro - Compact Shotgun Microphone. Huge difference in size, weight, and build quality make it all worth the price difference. I'm not sure where I put my OEM Foam cover for the regular VideoMic, so i'm showing my Aftermarket MiCover Dead Cat.

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Sure there's a bit of a price difference, but at least you get a FREE Rode Dead Cat with the new Rode VideoMic Pro (with online registration) shaving the difference down another $40.00 dollars. Otherwise with the normal VideoMic you would need to purchase this optional Dead Cat: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/392861-REG/Rode_DEAD_CAT_Dead_Cat_Wind_Muff.html/. The build on the shock mount is a nice touch over the other design in the lower end VideoMic. Aside from design, the switches are much more accessible (finally usable) and comes with the new +20db feature which should work well with DSLR's that have manual audio level controls.

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find-price-buttonRode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone

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find-price-buttonRode VideoMic Pro Compact Shotgun Microphone + Free Dead Cat Windscreen w/ Registration

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Client-Kata bags

Producing/filming/editing-Johnnie Behiri

Shot with the Nikon D90 (all but the Antarctica and wild life)
No CC, only a bit contrast corrections.
Lenses used: Nikkor 50mm 1.8, Nikkor 16-85mm, and Tamron 70-300.
Tripod: Manfroto 756XB and 700RC2 head
Voice-over recorded with Edirol F1-field recorder (hard disk video/audio recorder for dv/hdv/sound only purposes).
Editing on Adobe Premiere CS2 with Cineform Prospect 4k plug in.

The 717AH is a great fluid head, but what other options are there for inexpensive Micro video fluid heads? Well the Manfrotto 700RC2 Mini Fluid video head drops down a few bucks with B&H surprisingly coming in cheaper than anything over at eBay and slightly under Amazon. Keep in mind it's rated to support only 5.5lbs, something that might be good for the growing Panasonic GH2 audience. Don't expect this to support a camera slider, it's best for camera only.

Over at B&H Photo Video they also have a special kit thrown together combining it with the 190XDB Tripod if you're in need of that too. I've never used one, but there's quite a few videos via Vimeo that show some serious travelers using the fluid head for it's small size and light weight (such as the Kata video above by Vimeo member Johnnie Behiri).

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find-price-button Manfrotto 190XDB Tripod Legs (Black) with 700RC2 Video Fluid Head

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The 717AH or similar fluid head is a pretty beefy camera mount for it's price, but there's been some inconsistency in fluid panning. Most people are happy with the video head right out of the box, but if you've got stiff panning try the fix below. The solution to getting smoother (looser) pans are to disassemble the head, clean out the old lube, and add your own. If you've been experiencing such harsh movements you might want to try this yourself. I didn't have time to shoot a video so if anyone has one online, please share. For now you'll get to see a few images of what's inside (not much).

The fluid part of this head is not really a cartridge. It's two sections combined to be a machined bearing. The lube that is used adds more friction rather than more smoothness. It's some really really sticky stuff inside. Personally I find it's best to clean everything out and not leave any traces behind and then add in your own lube. A small dab of white grease from an auto parts store should do fine. You'll know more once you have it apart.

Tools you'll need are some Carb Cleaner. This will help break down the old grease. You'll need a 2.5 & 3 Metric hex tool. If you have everything accessible, you can get through this in less than 10 minutes.

Remove the three screws in the middle which removes the bottom cap.
Fluid-Head (1 of 5)

Remove the 6 hex screws under the cap (cap shown on the right)
Fluid-Head (2 of 5)

Take out the two piece metal machined Panning bearing and clean it out.
Fluid-Head (4 of 5)

Lube it with your white grease and put it all back together. (Make sure your Panning Brake is setup correctly before assembling.) Done, should feel super smooth and like a brand new Head.

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find-price-button Heavy Duty Video Tripod Fluid Drag Head Kits WF717A

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find-price-button Opteka View Finder with Glass Diopter

For those struggling to find an inexpensive View Finder with Diopter, Opteka's got a new VF-10. Claims to have all Glass optics, adjustable focusing lens (diopter), and rubberized coating. Looks very similar to the 'Hood Dude' but only half that price. First version of this is only available for 3" 4:3 aspect LCD screens and mounts via Bungee cords. Hopefully we'll see some different sizes start to show up for the T2i / T3i / 60D sizes or even the GH2 and Sony NEX. Doesn't have the large eye-cup if that turns you on, but for those DIY'ers out there, this might be a better start than trying to craft your own. For those who are strictly into photography and just need a good Magnifying loupe to review images in the hot sun, it's not a bad deal for a Loupe and a Lanyard.

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T2i owners aren't ready to jump ship, so I highly doubt Canon will be receiving as much Pre-Orders as the Canon 60D. But for those who are just starting out with no DSLR camera whatsoever it's still one step up from a T2i in many ways. If you're not ready for 60D prices, the T3i is the camera to get. Manual audio levels, new full HD Zoom Crop feature, Swivel LCD, Wireless Flash trigger are all good reasons for a first camera. Although the GH2 seems to be catching some fair marketshare with an almost cult following. I need to dive into mine more.. But if you're looking to start with Canon, the T3i pre-orders are open.

BTW, it looks like all product information for the BG-E8 Battery grips are being updated. The BG-E8 battery grip was originally designed for the Canon T2i and now they are throwing the stamps of T3 and T3i to the supported camera list. This would be a first for a new Canon DSLR to use an already designed Battery Grip, so it sounds like an easier transition upwards for T2i owners who already have these accessories.

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find-price-button Canon T3i Pre-Orders

[Update] As someone pointed out, looks like the Canon 60D is currently on sale right now. If you're not looking to wait on pre-orders, check out the 60D sale prices.

Canon EOS 60D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera on Sale via Amazon
Canon 60D 18 MP MOS Digital SLR Camera On Sale via BHPHOTOVIDEO.com