Monthly Archives: December 2011

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If you don't already have an Intervalometer (Timer Remote) for time lapse photography, you might want to take a look at the new Phottix offering. Phottix recently announced the new Aion 2.4ghz wireless (can be used wired also) remote. Of course it's got the basic timer and shutter release features along with an amazing number of triggering options - including auto-bracketing for HDR.

Phottix Aion Wireless Remote
* Timer and Long Exposure Functions
* Shutter Release Functions
* Wired or wireless operations
* 2.4 GHz frequency
* 60m range
* Backlit LCD
* AAA batteries

Timer Functions
1. Self, interval and long exposure timers
2. Number of frames setting
3. Auto-bracketed timer setting for HDR photos

Shutter functions
1. Two-stage shutter button for AF and shutter release
2. Instant, continuous 5 shot, 2 second delay and bulb shutter release mode.

The Phottix Aion wireless remote are available for Canon, Nikon, Sony and Olympus on Amazon (click here) and via eBay (click here).

Phottix-Aion-Timer-Remote
find-price-button Phottix Aion Wireless/Wired Timer Remote Shutter Release

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2011-12-15 18.47.142011-12-15 18.47.31

Sorry it took me a while to run these little tests, but i'm in between some big projects right now. Here's an update on testing the W12 LED video light with High Power LED bulbs, compared to the Z96. If you're not up to speed, we are comparing the two because they share basically the exact same form factor and feature set (batteries used, dimmer knob, magnetic snap filters, etc.)

2011-12-15 18.46.53W12 LED Light

Here's a comparison of coverage. As on-camera LED Video lights, this is a general distance to subject you might be using when the LED lights are mounted on camera. On the Top is the W12 and on the Bottom is the Z96. Camera settings were 1/50th F/2.8 ISO 640 for this spotlight test.

The W12 has a sharper and more defined edge at the end of it's coverage, while the Z96 feathers out gradually. The W12 seems a little more evenly flat across the spread, while The Z96 has more of a hotspot towards the center. The coverage is almost similar between the two lights spreading 9 feet across with the lights just 5 feet away from the wall.

W12-Z96 (1 of 2)
W12-Z96 (2 of 2)

Below I have the camera set to a manual 5600K color temp with the lights at 5 feet away from target. In my eyes the W12 seems closer to that temperature, but there still lies a greenish color cast. Take note that the Z96 shutter speed settings were a few stops better than the W12, proving that the Z96 has more overall light output. At least in the middle area.

W12-Z96 (2 of 5)
W12-Z96 (1 of 5)

Next up is the camera set to a Manual 3200K color temp, and adding on the Tungsten filters. I never use these things, since they cut down a good amount of light, and aren't very close to tungsten. For kicks, here's what to expect when using these filters. Again, the Z96 with it's own filter is several stops better than the W12 LED light. Even though it's not perfect, of the two, I think the Z96 performed better with the 3200K filter test.

W12-Z96 (4 of 5)
W12-Z96 (5 of 5)

There's some interesting differences here. Pros and Cons for each light. As you can see there's a bit of a color shift between lights from a greenish cast to a more magenta color cast. The Z96 also has more of a hotspot towards the center, while the W12 seems a little more flat across. The W12 has a sharper and more defined edge at the end of it's coverage, while the Z96 feathers out gradually. Overall, the Z96 has more light output and fairs better in the 3200K test, but the W12 was not too shabby at the 5600K test. Even though these lights fail to be perfect all around, the Z96 especially has been around for more than a year and has been one of the most recommended entry level LED lights. The W12 may be considered mainly because it's slightly cheaper in price.

These W12 high power LED lights are found at (click here).

W12 LED LightW12 LED Video Light
find-price-button 12 High Power LED Video Light

The Z96 LED video lights can be found on eBay (click here)
Z96LED
find-price-button Z96 LED Video Light.

Other lights you might be interested in is the 240 Bi-Color or 312 Bi-Color LED video lights. A bit larger than the 96 version, and a bit more expensive, but they give you more control with adjustable color temperature (without the use of colored filters).

240 LED video light (click here)
barndoor-240
find-price-button 240 Dimmable Color Changing LED Video Light without Barndoors

312 LED video light (click here)
312-LED-Video-light
find-price-button 312 LED Bi-Color Changing Dimmable LED Video light

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You guys are probably already all over this one, but it's worth a post here on the blog [Thanks Tom]. This may not be true HDR for the super technical term, but this new feature in Magic Lantern provides a higher dynamic range between shadows and highlights. Multiple exposures, a bit of post work, and interpolated frames, there's more details on work flow and which cameras are supported at the video link: https://vimeo.com/33987353.

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The price wars are still going on with the Canon 5D Mark II discounts under $2K, but the deal people are talking about is the 5D Mark II Body, Sandisk 16GB Compact Flash Card, and Red Giant Video Production Software Bundle ($694 value). You can find that bundle following the link (click here).

canon-5d-mark-ii
find-price-button Canon 5D Mark II (body) + Sandisk Compact Flash + Red Giant Software Bundle

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Big news for Sony shooters. The long awaited Sony NEX7 is available after some production delays. The Sony NEX-5n is still getting rave reviews for it's video quality, so it would be interesting to see how the NEX-7 will be performing as well. The listing might not be updated, but the email I received says the (black) Body is available now at B&H (click here).

Sony NEX-7
find-price-button Sony NEX7 (Black) Body

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Above is an example of an unboxing video submitted for the B&H 'unboxing' video contest from YouTube member dangiliana. Pretty self explanatory with very simple requirements.

Another example (above) from Vimeo member Bruce Buck. Fans and customers can capture a short video of a B&H package being unboxed and then share it with their friends. Of course, enter the contest for the chance to win a Canon 5D Mark ll among a few other prizes. I should have a few things coming in soon, and might as well join in. I have a few 'out of the box' (pun intended) unboxing ideas of my own. More information on the B&H Unboxing Video contest can be found following the link (click here).

BH-Unboxing-Contest-Video
B&H Photo Video Unboxing Contest

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Monster Beats By Dre Headphones Noise CancellingMonster Beats by Dre

Great deal of the day is the Beats by Dre Noise Canceling headphones. Normally priced over $300 dollars, this deal that will end in a few hours brings it down to just $159. That's even cheaper than the Solo version. Available in Black/Red or White/Red. Check it out following the link (click here)

Beats by DreBeats by Dre White
find-price-button Beats by Dre Black or White Noise Canceling Headphones

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jag-35-rig-wff

A few days ago I received a package from Jag35.com. I've been very excited about this, so what's in the box? Well the box was a bit larger than I expected, but that's because of the included rig that was shipped along with two motors. This is a prototype of their soon-to-be-available Wireless Follow Focus V2 system. The motors are essentially the same, but if you choose to run two motors, one can control the lens Zoom Ring and the other can control the Focus Ring. If you're shooting on a Prime, you would only need one.

Jag35-Rig-WFF-Follow-Focus-35 Jag35-Rig-WFF-Follow-Focus-36

This Jag35 rig in the box has one handle in front and one kitty-corner to the rear. A simple but effective way to stabilize for hand held shooting. I don't think this is a standard rig, but you can see the many different Jag35 Shoulder Rigs on their website (Click Here). One interesting part of the Jag35 rig is the anti-rotation lock screw. They are pre-drilled so that you can align a tiny set screw under the camera to prevent any movement. Because a follow focus gear must be perfectly lined up, any shifting of the camera position can cause problems. A nice little touch on the Jag35 base plate that you won't see very often on other rigs.

I don't have time to run through all the stuff right now, but i'm leaving you all with a few images out of the box of what all the new pieces look like. It's all custom metal housings on the WFF system, and all metal parts on the Rig. keep in mind that this is a very early prototype of the WFF V2, so things might change in the production model. More to come when I set this up (possibly tomorrow). BTW the gallery below has 2 pages of images.

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I received a few emails today regarding the ContourRoam HD cam discount code. I just went through the process and confirmed as of 8:00 a.m. this morning (pac time), it does work. Normally priced at $180 dollars, you can get the ContourROAM hands-free HD camcorder for only $89 with the following promotional code: 89ROAM89. Here's the product the code works on (click here).

ContourHD
find-price-button ContourHD Hands-Free Sports Camera