Monthly Archives: August 2011

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If you're like me, I have no straps mounted on my camera. Not always ideal, so here's something a friend showed me. This is a Calumet Aircell Neoprene quick strap. Not only comfortable, flexible, and padded, but it allows you to quickly remove the strap when it's not needed. A good thing for people who want to use Shoulder Rigs, Sliders, Cranes, Steadicam / Glidecam stuff since it can easily throw off the balance. Or people who move from doing Photography to Video. Can be found via Calumet's website (here).

calumet-strap
find-price-button Calumet AirCell Straight Shoulder Strap

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The 717AH is back and with a slight price drop. [Thanks Larry]. This is a solid and inexpensive mount for the top of your sliders or track dollies that help to reduce vibration during your movements. It's also helpful to be able to change pan and tilt angles. You'll find this head on many DIY projects including Rod's DIY Ladder dolly. You can find the discounted 717AH following the link (click here).

717AH-head
find-price-button Fluid Drag Tripod Head 717AH

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Screen shot 2011-08-15 at 10.34.18 PM
Hands Free JuicedLink DSLR Rig

There's been a swarm of new products and videos posted on the JuicedLink blog in the last two days. Besides showing updates on current accessory brackets, there's information on the DIY slider (shown at NAB2011), unusual iPhone and iPad mounting brackets, and a handsfree type DSLR rig. You can find more information and videos about the new products following the link (click here).

Screen shot 2011-08-15 at 10.51.59 PMDIY slider JuicedLinkiPad DSLR Rig Cage

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Let me warn you now that this video is about 25 minutes long. It's a thorough video explaining all the bits about the SmallHD DP4-EVF. If you jump on over to about 19 minutes in, you see a Drop, Throw, Toss, Helicopter Crash, Car Crash, DP4 damage test. Yeah I know some of you might have something to say about the editing, but take a look. The DP4 is definitely a solid unit, but not something I want to try on my own. Info on the DP4 found here: https://www.smallhd.com/Products/index.html

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Rigs are often compared to Lego systems, since they can be assembled according to your imagination. It's hard to justify the cost of industry standard 15mm rigs if all you need it for is to stabilize your camera. You can already do this with a few broomsticks and duct tape.

It starts to make more sense once you start to involve mounting audio accessories, lighting accessories, monitors, evf solutions, follow focuses, and matte boxes. Especially since some of those items require rails to mount. Clamps and rods also make it easy to redesign and customize size and shape depending on the individual. You can grow with a starter set of rails, or you can shrink down from a large rig. Not to mention the benefits to traveling. A large set of rods and clamps can be packed up pretty nicely. Lastly, there are many who just want the pure aesthetics of it.

Here's a video from Vimeo member Just Basl Productions showing how 90 degree clamps play a part in mounting accessories to your rig, or for redesigning your rig to accommodate different shooting styles. The RedRock Micro Spud can be used with any standard 15mm Clamp, and runs for just $8 dollars (click here).

Redrock spudRedrock Micro DSLR rig
find-price-button RedRock Micro Spud Adapter

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Self Portrait GoPro HD, Palo Alto, Shureline Painters Pole

If you're familiar with the Palo Alto adapter for Painters Poles, it's back online with a very very limited amount. This is just a fun little adapter that will add a standard 1/4x20 thread to the top of any painters pole for added height to small cameras. Would be a fun thing for the HX9V and built in image stabilization. I gotta take this thing back out. My favorite painters pole is the Shur-Line Easy Reach Extension Pole.

If you're already familiar with Pole Aerial Photography and the Palo Alto, it's available below through PhotographyandCinema.com, if you're not familiar, check this article out http://cheesycam.com/palo-alto-custom-camera-mount-adapter/.

Palo Alto Adapter
find-price-button Palo Alto Painters Pole Adapter


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Well Gini is definitely all ears and listening to feedback. Here's a look at a more complete Gini Follow Focus. All things black anodized, magnetic marking disc holders. Still lacks a pointer and packaged lens gear, but obviously something that anyone can add on. Shipping prices have also come back down from the $150+, so if you can score one for $1 dollar at auction that would still come out cheaper than anything else on the market. Find the Gini Stuff here.

Screen shot 2011-08-14 at 9.17.02 AMScreen shot 2011-08-14 at 9.17.10 AM
find-price-button Gini Rigs DSLR Stabilizers + Follow Focus

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Lens ReplicasCanon Mug

Here's the background story. During the Winter Olympics, Canon released some limited edition Lens Replica Coffee Mugs to the press. The world went nuts, but these were limited edition items. These lens replicas sold for hundreds of dollars at auction. Rumor is that Canon had these made by a factory over seas (China?), and since there was such a demand, the company began producing more of these and in different varieties.

Not sure how long some of you have been reading this blog, but i'm an enthusiast of the most random DSLR Collectibles. I've collected a few of those fairly accurate Lens replica Coffee Mugs, and now another nice one is on available in the 100mm F/2.8L Macro IS version. These look dead on like the real things, and some available with stainless steel inserts for managing hot beverages. Some versions actually have a 'zoom' feature - turn the zoom ring and the lens cup adjusts.

Nikon-Zoom-Lens-Mug
watch image above for animated zoom action

These are by far the best 'Gift Ideas' for friends and family (maybe yourself) who enjoy all things DSLR. It's an inexpensive idea, but something that won't ever be thrown away. Most of these can now be had for less than $10 US dollars. If you're interested, go for the latest models often advertised as 'latest generation', and opt in for the Stainless Steel inserts too. Available in a variety of Lens models from 24-70mm, 24-105mm, 70-200mm, and now 100mm Macro IS and also a variety of popular Nikon lenses too (click here).

Canon 100mm Macro IS Coffee Mug
find-price-button Canon Nikon Lens Replica Coffee Cup Mug

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A project I worked on a while back when I was requested to spin a person around with a green screen background. I needed a Lazy Susan that could carry a large amount of weight and still flow like butter, or actually flow better than butter. Maybe flow more like 'I can't believe it's not butter'. Sample video of what rotating a model on a green screen looks like (not my video) http://cheesycam.com/rotating-video-shot-with-model/

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Having some experience with cars, front wheel hub bearings are the stuff of dreams for spinning heavy loads. Small, cheap, and can spin hundreds of pounds with ease. Sorry I don't have the full breakdown of how I assembled it piece by piece, but I never intended to show this DIY. It was a rush job I needed to put together a few days before the shoot. But since there's a trend lately around motorized Lazy Susan tables, I thought I'd share my front wheel hub bearing concept.

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You can find a way to mount a table directly to the top, and a platform below and you're all set to spin a large amount of weight slowly and smoothly. If you want to motorize it, I stacked round tables to create a type of 'spool'. The center table is smaller in diameter and created a grooved area for a belt to be wrapped around. By using the outer circumference of the large table a small motor has much more leverage, so it doesn't require anything heavy duty. In fact the DIY belt i'm using is just an old bike tire inner tube. Without having to do direct chain drive to the motor or belt tensioners, you can see how very little force is required to spin the table. You gotta love these wheel hubs. I used one under my heart shaped vibrating spinning bed.

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I kept it battery powered in case I need to move it around. For this I just cannibalized a very cheap 12V drill. I kept the speed controller (trigger) to operate the motor at slow speeds. I used L brackets to prop the motor up, and 2" pipe clamps to attach to the L Brackets. You could replace this with many other speed controllers if you wish to go hands free - just set it and forget it. I might do that soon. The motor is not attached to the table, so it's easier to transport. If you guys want to look into building heavy duty spinning tables, Buick has some cheap wheel hub bearings following the link (click here).

front-wheel-hub-buickfront-wheel-hub-buick-lazy-susan
find-price-button Front Wheel Hub Assembly