The Manfrotto Nano Clamps are great little gadgets, but come a little steep. I currently have my hands on another cheaper set of small mini nano-style clamps, and lately they've been performing a hundred different duties. I've been using mine mainly with the Power Friction Arms, since it has both a 1/4 x 20 mount and a 3/8" mount on the backside to mount microphones, portable audio recorders, and LED lights in random places. It's a completely metal unit with no plastic parts. This version has the 'toolless' driver lever which can be repositioned after clamping. If you've been eyeballing those Nano clamps for while, here lies a cheaper option.
I spent a good amount of today ****'ing around with the Eye-Fi X2 Direct Mode SDHC card. Although I got the basic networking on a Wireless Router setup, when I switched to testing out the new 'Direct Mode' everything went downhill. So far this new 'direct mode' is a complete fail as far as i'm concerned. Somewhere after a few minutes of receiving the card the provided card reader died, and the card can no longer function correctly.
I tried to recover and start over using several different cameras, attempted to configure it against an iPhone, two different iPads, two different MacBooks, and a Windows 7 x64 system. This thing can't even connect to two different wireless routers. Anyone got better news?? I'm hoping mine was just a 'dud'. Eye-Fi if you're reading this, holla back...i'll be shipping this thing back to Amazon.
Don't forget that these lenses are quickly re-colored and re-branded under names like Bower, Rokinon, Vivitar. So when those names become available, you'll also be able to find similar ones via Amazon below.
Madeline writes in and shares a couple of cool looking DIY projects. First up is a stabilizer mainly made up of Bike parts (looks closely) and a few custom machined rails.
Second on the DIY list is a camera slider that was part of a rowing type exercise machine found in the trash. Talk about eco-friendly recycling and re-purposing.
Pretty cool stuff, which you can find a little more about on the website - Here. [Thanks Madeline]
Just a few months ago, there was a worldwide shortage on these popular LED lights. Now competition must be fierce or the market was all of a sudden super saturated. Recent price drops on both 500 & 1000 LED panels take it down about another $40 bucks. Not a huge or crazy saving, but a discount none-the-less I guess. These are practically the same lights used in this video http://cheesycam.com/cheap-500-led-1000-led-and-z96-lights-in-use/.
These are a small step above the another one you might find, as these are both dimmable through a series of switches, or by a Dimmer Knob. These are also powered with the XLR type connection which means it can be modified to use the V mount batteries for portable use.
The latest in iMac's are announced, and probably the most exciting feature is the added ThunderBolt port. An interface said to be able to move data at an amazing 10Gbps -- double that of USB 3.0. It's been rumored that big name camera companies will be implementing this same interface into their cameras for fast offloading. There's plenty more great new features you probably already know about, but if not - you can find more following the link: NEW iMac 21"-27" QuadCore LED Backlit with ThunderBolt Inteface
We got a good look at Cinevate's latest light weight, short(er) run FLT Camera slider at NAB2011. It's definitely a mini version of their already popular Atlas 10. I actually tried to get an Atlas 10, but they can't seem to keep these things in stock. This might be the same case for the new FLT version coming in as Cinevate's cheapest slider yet. Even though it's Cinevate's least expensive linear tracking system, the price of the FLT may not sit comfortable for the video hobbyist, but the build quality will certainly satisfy the professionals. A more thorough description of their product can be found below, with more information on the FLT found at the Cinevate website here: https://cinevate.com/​atlasflt
For those that just want to experiment with red/blue 3D fun, the Aiptek i2 reviewed by Olivia (above) is a neat little gadget. The Aiptek provides the newbie with simple red/blue 3D videos and photos ready to upload to YouTube and Facebook.
If you're a little more serious about 3D, you'll get a kick out of Sony's latest. Sony's new HDR-TD10 3D Camcorder records in Full 1080 HD resolution to two different sensors, unlike Panasonic's 3D Camcorder which records with a funky lens adapter to a single chip and splitting up the resolution.
The new Sony has 64GB in camera storage, but expandable via Sony Memory Stick or SDHC/SDXC, a 10x Optical Zoom (17x Digital), and a 3.5" Glasses Free 3D LCD Screen. A dedicated switch between 3D and 2D recording, the camera can also shoot 60p at full 1080 for silky smooth video or down to 24p for something more film like. Oh and yes, you have full Manual control over exposure - Focus/Iris/Shutter/ISO/White Balance. Pretty cool features for a small hand held.
The Sony HDR-TD10 also has a few Photography features as well. You can capture 7 Megapixel Still images and also includes a built in flash. The HDR-TD10 still comes with Sony's hot shoe to mount optional accessories, input for an external microphone, headphone output for monitoring, and an output for mini HDMI. There's Optical Image stabilization built in to help with both video and photos. Way too much to list for Sony's new HDR-TD10 which holds the title as the 'First True Full HD 3D Camcorder'. More information about the HDR-TD10 below.
Lensse adds another DSLR accessory to their lineup - the RigX DSLR Cage. (Not to be confused with 'RigX' from Express35 which is an offset shoulder rig). This very basic frame (cage) around your video camera providing you with a few different mounting points for your LED lighting, LCD Monitors, Microphones, Audio recorders, Wireless Receivers, and other add-ons. The frame can stand on it's own with built in legs and offers a top handle for stable low shots. The RigX Cage from Lensse also includes a couple of quick hot shoe mounts.
To finish this setup off, I think it could definitely use a quick release adapter. Perhaps the longer Manfrotto 357 Sliding Mounting Plate might be a good choice to balance out the camera, and a couple of Friction Arms to get akward accessories positioned in the right place. Price, not so bad for the amount of mounting points + top handle + shoe adapters, but shipping could be a deal breaker for most some. Found below.
Mini Nano-Style Accessory Clamps
might be a good choice to balance out the camera, and a couple of 