Thanks to LJ for pointing this interesting little product that brings ENG style zooming to standard DSLR lenses. Most people might be familiar with these controls from consumer camcorders, but for some high end ENG video cameras, you can purchase various focal length lenses that come with built in zoom controls (as seen here).
Looks like it connects via USB to control some of the Canon functions like start / stop video recording, and zoom in/out to magnify the video. These are the same functions already found in those USB Follow Focus devices (as seen here on eBay). No word on pricing and availability yet. The finish of the product in the video looks like an early prototype. I can see benefits to having smooth zooms, but price will determine if it's a Go or No-Go. [Thanks LJ]
Shooting outdoors in the bright sun pretty much sucks without an LCD View Finder, but come time to pan and tilt, it's not very comfortable when you're in a low position. That's where all those flip out LCDs come in handy but even the 5D Mark III falls short in that feature. This is where an external LCD comes in handy, but without a proper sunshade, you might be fighting that glare. Here's a $16 dollar little baggy that works as a protective case to transport your 7" LCD, at the same time unzips and doubles as a sun shade. How I plan to fit the SmallHD DP6 in here I won't know until it arrives. There's a rear access door as well, so hopefully i'll still be able to access all the controls on the top of the DP6.
Today I decided to try and balance the Canon 5D Mark III with a Sigma 20mm F/1.8 lens on the Skyler MiniCam. Sorry I don't have any interesting test footage right now, but i'll be shooting something later on today (which is why i'm balancing it). Still very happy I was able to find one of these units used at an affordable price. The form factor is much smaller (and better looking) than the Glidecam HD1000 or even Flycam Nano. Still it can fly just as much weight as either of them. The fine tuning knobs makes it easy to balance, and the tripod design lets you set it down on a flat surface. Can't do that with a Merlin.
You don't need this particular stabilizer to get good results, and i'm able to achieve just as good results from the Flycam Nano or any Glidecam Stabilizer. The benefits to this Skyler MiniCam is it's sex appeal, small form factor, and fine tuning knobs. I personally think it looks 100 times better than the Nano. If it were priced more competitively, this could really sweep the market. Unfortunately at a retail price of $600 dollars, it's targeted to the audience that might be shopping for something as compact as the $800 dollar Steadicam Merlin.
It's not all about running around fast. We use stabilizers to add slow camera movements and eliminate handheld shakes. It's a fast way to get some dynamic camera footage without having to setup sliders and cranes. Here's a few seconds or raw footage from the Canon 5D Mark III with Sigma 20mm on the Skyler MiniCam.
The guys did a good job using very cheap household flood lights for the back lighting, and in the front we used a very cheap DJ Pinspot LED light and balanced the cameras at 6000K (it was very blue). The 100 watt flood light bulbs run about $5 dollars each and were put on a dimmer switch. The DJ Pinspot LED light is used to create a very tight spotlight and we got it on sale for about $35 dollars.
Vimeo member Jayhas couldn't wait for Konova to release a faster motor for it's motorized upgrade kit, so he took it upon himself to add his own. Here's a comparison of the original Konova Motorized Pulley System with slow motor and a 60rpm gear motor mounted to a DIY slider. Watch the top portion of the video to see how different the maximum speed is on both. [Thanks Jayhas]. You can find some additional information on the Konova Upgrade Kits here http://cheesycam.com/konova-motorized-upgrade-kit-now-available/
Not sure how I didn't see this, but the same Skyler company that makes the MiniCam Stabilizer also offers a video slider. The Skyler MiniTrack slider comes in 60cm or 90cm length. Interestingly though it also comes with two axles to be used as a very long rolling dolly. I see the portionable axles more as a gimmick because it would be rare to find a surface big enough to be so useful. Personally, I think it would be better for Skyler to drop those extra features and lower the price on the entire unit.
When the wheels are not in use, there's adjustable legs to stay planted. The ends of the rail offer vertical mounting for crane-like shots. Prices on the MiniTrack start over $450 and for the curious, a sample video following the link (click here).
Running around with a Steadicam is possible, but besides tiring out the operator, it's also hard to get rid of that stomping movement. Roller Blades are clever, but it's not something that will travel through grass or gravel. The more popular solution for fast movements with a Steadicam is the Segway (as seen above). A big issue with a Segway (besides cost) is being able to transport this to your location. It's not something you can just throw in the trunk of your car.
Self Balancing Gryo Stabilized - Solo Wheel
So for those who don't plan on spending serious cash on a Segway, check out the new Solo Wheel. It's a self balancing gyro stabilized electric unicycle-like transport that works much the same as a Segway except it's extremely portable.
It can climb fairly steep grades, hit speeds of 10mph, travel a distance of 15-20 miles, and weighs only about 26lbs. Seems very agile, and it would be very interesting to see some Steadicam footage from something like this, but comes in at an $1800 dollar price tag. You can find some additional information on the product page. (click here for Solo Wheel on eBay)
Jordan received a replacement Varavon slider and it shows off a few added changes. First, the legs now have it's own dedicated bag instead of being thrown in with the entire slider. That's one thing I mentioned when I first received mine. If they all sit in the same bag together you could easily have parts getting scratched up. Nice to see a new bag.
Another addition is an added mounting plate under the slider. For those who have the original version, the carrier brake can sometimes get caught up in the middle mounting hole if it wasn't raised completely. They have solved this issue by relocating the mounting threads to a mounting plate rather than on the track itself. [Thanks Jordan].
NAB2012 is just around the corner, and we're planning on doing some onsite video editing. It gets a bit crowded during the conference so i've been shopping for some type of mobile table and chair for our editor. Portable chairs are fairly easy to come by, but finding the right mobile desk is still the challenge. So far, of the ones i've seen, i'm leaning towards the Tripad. Extending parts of the Tripad allow for a mouse and cup holder. Albeit a bit expensive at almost $90 dollars, it mounts easily to a roller bag or tripod, both of which we always have during event coverage.
That's a Sony NEX-7 with Canon FD 20mm lens balanced with a Skyler Mini stabilizer (above). It's got all the right micro adjustment fine tuning knobs found in all the right places.The Glidecam HD has only fine tuning knobs on the top stage, but the Skyler stabilizer also has a micro adjustment for the sliding post so you can micro adjust the counterweight. There's a quick release plate on top so that you can dismount or mount your camera quickly without having to re-balance each time. I was able to find this one used at a great price, and i'm glad I did. The only thing I'm noticing is that I might have a slightly older version. The one seen in the product pages shows another counter weight adjustment at the bottom and another adjustment on the top stage. Luckily I didn't need this to balance my camera, but i'm sure it would make it easier for other setups.
Demo Video with Skyler MiniCam Stabilizers
Build quality it top notch, comes with some spare parts too. I have only had a few hours with it, but I can confirm that the footage you see in the above demo is indeed easily achievable. The Skyler comes with several stacking weights and can support even larger DSLR cameras. The handle is a bit short, and you have to position it differently than with the Glidecam or Flycam stabilizers. Although the Gimbal is small, it's extremely smooth. While I have problems balancing a stock GH2 on the Flycam without having to add more weight to the top, the Skyler seems to take these lightweight cameras quite well. I'm working on getting some close up videos of the little parts and sample footage of the Skyler in use.
7" LCD Carry Bag and Sun Shade
