Monthly Archives: May 2012

• 21 Comments

•

I purchased a few Vinyl covered Scuba Dive weights to be used as a DIY counterweight on a Gini Rig (seen here), and also ended up also using them for the DIY Crane (seen here). It's much more expensive than basic round Gym weights, but they are smaller and have a much better aesthetic appeal when mounted to a rig. I did of course have to drill through the Dive weight to mount a 15mm clamp, so there's a little DIY involved with that.

lead-weights-scuba
find-price-button Vinyl Coated Lead Diving Scuba Belt Weights

Another option for a counter weight solution is the Opteka 4lb brick. Originally designed to work with one the Opteka CXS Shoulder Rigs, I have other plans for it.

It comes with a solid metal bracket, has several through holes, a slotted center, and quite a few 1/4x20 threaded ports to make mounting the brick to your project much simpler. I'm not a fan of the spray painted logo, but it's easy to sand off for the complete flat black finish. I have two here that can be stacked together for one of my larger Jibs. (click here to find the Opteka Weight via eBay).

counterweight-brick-opteka
find-price-button Opteka 4lb Brick Counterweight

• 39 Comments

•

Varavon has released a new product called the VaraCrane which is a solid bar designed to mount a fluid head on one side and a counterweight on the opposite end. Throughout the VaraCrane are 1/4-20 and 3/8 threads for various mounting points or to reposition the counterweight or fluid head.

They also show examples of how the VaraCrane can be used to extend travel distance when combined with the new Slidecam S video slider. Adding wheels to the VaraCrane turns it into what they are calling a Dolly Cart. Hmm.. Both are available now, but let's leave this open for comments and what do you guys think about the new products? Find the new products via eBay (click here).

varacrane-varavonvaravon-varacranevaravon-dolly
find-price-button Varavon VaraCrane Jib and Dolly Cart

• 13 Comments

•

K480-K160-K320

F&V is the company that introduced the very popular Z96 LED Video light. This year they are offering a few more affordable additions starting as low as $32 dollars to about $60 dollars. The lights can be attached together to create a larger panel, and have the unique Expandable Link System and SmartSync Control Circuit. These lights are coming in at smaller setups called the K160, K320, and K480. There's also a larger Z180, that contains 180 LED bulbs and available in 5600K or Bi-Color options.

[Update] F&V writes in and mentions that some overseas LED lights are sold by unauthorized dealers. These cheaper versions could be using LED bulbs that fail to meet export standards (basically B-Stock or less) and don't go through the same Detailed Review Process testing as their export products. Purchasing LED lights directly from F&V will guarantee the product has a Higher CRI value, greater light output, a more dependable product, and of course warranty.

You can find all the different F&V LED light panels and other accessories available at their website following the link (click here).

FV-K160-LED-LightsFV-K320-LED-LightsFV-K480-LED-Lights
find-price-button F&V New Smart LED K160, K320, K480 LED Video Lighting

• 1 Comment

•

Sold out or backordered with most retailers, Beach Camera in New Jersey just listed the Canon 5D Mark III + 24-105mm F/4L with a limited quantity available. I work around lots of small lighting setups, and once you try out the low light capabilities of this camera, it's hard to go back to anything else. Brand new USA warranty, check it out following the link via eBay (click here).

Canon 5D Mark III
find-price-button Canon 5D Mark III + 24-105mm F/4L

• 6 Comments

•

Red Scarlet

At NAB2012 this year, I saw a few manufacturers making designs for the RED Scarlet. I guess this camera ended up being fairly popular for it's price point. In an interesting new twist, Gini Rigs has decided to make a custom video cage bracket for the RED Scarlet. I'm not a RED user myself, but maybe some of you can tell wether it looks like an original design or inspired by another? Products include a complete cage, or Top and Bottom plate sold separately. Find it at the ebay store (click here).

Red Scarlet Gini Rig CageGini Rigs Red Scarlet Video Cage
find-price-button Gini Rigs RED Scarlet Cage Top Plate Bottom Plate

• 8 Comments

•

Quick post in reference to the Palo Alto adapters. The latest batch has been added to inventory and is available again. If you're a bit clueless as to what this is, you can find out more information about the Palo Alto adapters through the following articles:
http://cheesycam.com/pc-palo-alto-adapter-available/
http://cheesycam.com/more-fun-with-palo-alto-adapter/

IMG_3476IMG_3483IMG_3503
find-price-button Palo Alto Paint Pole Adapter from PhotographyandCinema.com

• 7 Comments

•

DSC00298-800x800

Another available discount for a high quality starter DSLR Rig. Express35 is offering the Shoulder Rig - LITE setup that includes the Tripod Mount (ready to sit on your fluid heads), Camera Mount, Dual Rails, a clamp to offset (position the camera more in front of your face), shoulder pad (with another rail to adjust fore/aft), and a single long HD handle.

There's a number of 1/4x20 accessory ports to adapt your accessories or friction arms. Designed to easily move between tripod shooting and going mobile and when it's time to pack up, the unit breaks down into small parts. The dual rails is ready to accept your 15mm accessories such as a follow focus. Find more information for the Shoulder Rig - LITE following the link (click here).

DSC00300-455x475DSC00299-338x352
find-price-button Express35 DSLR Shoulder Rigs

• 14 Comments

•

YouTube member LJtutorials gives a run down on the new BeachTek DXA-SLR Pro. These audio adapters are used to adapt your higher end XLR Microphones to DSLR cameras and provide features like headphone monitoring, Phantom power, Cleaner Pre-amp, Manual Levels adjustment (during recording), and AGC disable. If you're already enjoying a workflow of separate audio recorders with the Zoom H4n, then this might not be interesting to you. [Thanks LJ]

If you want to capture best audio directly into the camera so that you don't have to sync in post, then these types of adapters are a must have. There are several different models of BeachTek and Juicedlink Preamps that offer different feature sets at a variety of prices. For instance, you don't need headphone monitoring or AGC disable with a Canon 5D Mark III, and you may not require XLR and Phantom power if you're using Self Powered Microphones. This review is based on the the DXA-SLR Pro version which will run you over $400 dollars (found here).

BeachTek-DXA-SLR-Pro
find-price-button Beachtek DXA-SLR Pro HDSLR XLR Audio Adapter