BlackMagic Design has announced an amazing Production 4K Camera, and it's still based on the same form factor as the BlackMagic Deisgn 2.5K Cinema Camera. For those who may be thinking about shooting with these cameras, one of the first things to consider is an external battery option. Although the camera can operate with the internal battery, it is good practice to work an external solution. When the external battery runs low, you can quickly swap the external battery without powering down the camera.
One of the popular solutions so far for the BlackMagic Cinema Cameras is the Powerbase-70 from Switronix. The Powerbase-70 Battery Pack (w/ optional Charger) should provide you with an additional 4-6 hours of runtime, and via an optional XP power regulation cable, the battery can also power two additional 12V and lower-voltage devices at the same time as powering the camera.
The Switronix Powerbase can be mounted on a basic 1/4-20 accessory thread with a built-in quick release system for fast swaps. The battery is basically a V-mount that will also work with many popular LED Panels, and other accessories that run off of V-Mount solutions, so for some this may be worth the value. Check out the Switronix Powerbase-70 via B&H (click here).
Switronix Powerbase-70 Battery for BlackMagic Production 4K / Cinema Camera
To mount the Switronix Powerbase-70 on the rear of the rig for use as a counterweight, i've added this cheese plate that can be reconfigured to sit horizontally or vertically. I picked up this 15mm Clamp Cheese Plate via eBay (found here).
Exciting news for the readers out there, here's another 'Quick Product Give Away'. This one will run for just 24 hours before choosing (not one) but TWO PEOPLE will randomly be selected to each receive a FREE P&C GearBox GB-2. No purchase necessary, must be 18 years or older. Registration ends tomorrow April 18th, 2013 at 12pm PST.
[Update] Offer is closed. I will post about those selected in the comments section
How to Register:
1) Share this article via Twitter (through this link)
2) Make sure to follow me @Cheesycam on Twitter to receive a DM (direct message) if you're chosen.
[Update] Offer is closed. I will post about those selected in the comments section
(above) Shown with optional accessories - not included
Product Description: The P&C GearBox was designed to provide mounting options for the growing number of accessories needed for todays small video camera shooter. The new GearBox can support a full size Canon 5D Mark II inside of the cage without using the included extension adapters. With the extension adapters installed, the GearBox can support the Canon DSLR plus a Quick Release Adapter, or larger camera bodies.
Stopped by the Shape booth over at #NAB2013 to check out some of their new products. Kirk Neff shows off a very compact rig designed for DSLR video with a half cage, top handle, two front handles, and adjustable shoulder stock (chest pad).
Shape was also introducing a basic top handle for the BMCC along with a new rail mounted friction based EVF bracket that can be adjusted very quickly to position your EVF Loupe (many will prefer this over friction arms). For more information on Shape products check out the website at https://shapewlb.com.
Shape BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera Cage + Shoulder Mount
Vincent Laforet just posted up this video BTS of a new Hand Held Stabilized System from FreeFly that allows you to operate a video camera with smooth results. When this becomes available, this will truly be an awesome product, but retail prices for such a product are looking to be floating around $7,000-$15,000 US dollars. That actually sounds like a great deal if it comes complete with a way to stream HD Video out for a remote operator to maintain framing.
It really is an amazing tool to use that will free you from Cranes/Jibs/Sliders/Track Dollies, etc. Not to take anything away from FreeFly, but my guess is this system is strongly based on what is known as 'Brushless Gimbals' used in Ariel Photography/Video. In fact I just received an email a while back about how the technology for brushless pan / tilt stabilized systems have become more affordable and is a trend in the DIY RC Groups. Brushless motors are used in place of noisy and slow Servos.
Normally these DIY Brushless Gimbals for cameras are designed to mount under Quadcopters and stuff, but here's a couple of DIY project videos showing these brushless stabilizers in action over the past year.
There's a variety of these 'brushless gimbal' systems on the market, including many for the GoPro Hero Cameras. You can find some small systems for under $200-$300 bucks. Here's a ready made off-the-shelf product from DJI called the ZenMuse that looks pretty good. They claim to have very fast response time which is important to keeping your video shake free as you move about.
DIY Wireless HDMI & Wireless Follow Focus
So then there's the question about working with a remote operator or maybe two remote camera operators? One operator on a system like this would be in charge of framing or keeping the subject in focus. You'll need a wireless video stream from the camera. If you're moving about with a shallow depth of field, then someone needs to be in charge of what should be in focus.
This oddly segways into a video I just uploaded last night specifically for a remote camera operator, showing a DIY wireless HD video stream from a GH3 camera, and testing a Wireless Follow Focus system (below).
Thanks to Patryk for pointing out this small Nyrius ARIES Prime Digital Wireless HDMI System for me. I've in the past used the Asus WiCast (old article here) but the transmitter was a bit large and required too many amps which meant I had to use a large battery. This Nyrius ARIES Prime Digital Wireless HDMI transmitter can operate on 1A and is powered via mini USB, so i'm able to use a very small USB battery pack. The receiver still requires 5V/2A, so right now i'm just working with the Tekkeon battery pack on the receiver end.
Another reason why i'm excited to build this project is because of the GH3 camera! Canon DSLRs will lose the lcd display if you plug an HDMI cable in, so that meant that aside from my Wireless HDMI, I was required to plug in an LCD monitor with HDMI passthrough for the cam operator to see. The GH3 camera can continue to output a 1080HD signal through the HDMI without dropping the LCD display on the camera - (c'mon Canon get it together).
For controlling focus remotely, there are many different Wireless Follow Focus systems on the market, but right now i've been testing out the Senna All Recall Wireless Follow Focus system that was sent to me (below). I am still putting it through it's paces, and will have more information about the product on a later post. There are a few quirks about the design, but so far the performance of the unit has been great and I haven't had any issues.
Sean Rivers shares this excellent review on the PhotographyandCinema.com PR-1 Shoulder Rig [Thanks Sean]. The P&C PR-1 shoulder rig is bundled with a basic set of rails, clamps, Swiss Rods, extended handles, and shoulder pad for beginner shooters, but can easily be expanded with other Industry Standard 15mm accessories. The baseplate of the PR-1 was originally designed for smaller cameras, but with a Manfrotto quick release baseplate added, Sean was able to mount up his Sony FS700. You can find additional information about the P&C Prime Shoulder Rig PR-1 (click here)
P&C Prime Video Shoulder Rig PR-1 Bundle Kit
If the product is Out of Stock, you can also check to see if it's available via Amazon (Click Here)
P&C Prime Video Shoulder Rig PR-1 Bundle Kit - Amazon
Here's a recent video showing how to set up and balance the budget Single Arm Vest system with Carbon Stabilizer. I actually have this vest (not the stabilizer) and I feel it's pretty good quality, but I had trouble getting a lightweight setup on the single arm vest to work smoothly and get rid of that slight Pogo effect. In this video they have a fairly heavy Matte Box to add another few pounds of weight to the basic camera.
There's no sample footage from the system, but it's a pretty good instructional 'How to Setup and Balance a Steadicam' video that applies to most stabilizers on the market. This particular one shown in the video can be found for under $600 bucks complete via eBay (Click Here)
I got a quick glimpse of this unique Dougmon Small Camera Stabilizer over in New York during PhotoPlus Expo, but didn't really get to try it out. It's an interesting little arm brace that gives you freedom to shoot with a steady hand, but it's no replacement for a rig where you need to mount all of your other accessories.
It's also not going to give you a locked off tripod-shot, but from the design I can see how it would alleviate those dreaded micro-vibrations, especially when shooting with lenses that don't have Image Stabilization. As much as i'd like to try something like this out, it comes with a $500+ US dollar price tag. I'll keep my opinions to myself, but who out there has thoughts on such product?
Here's a very simple and clean DIY counterweight solution to add onto your 15mm Video Rigs. This tip comes from Jason and he shows us how a Balance Weight typically used on telescopes will clamp nicely to any 15mm Rail. [Thanks Jason]. He's using a Meade 1422 counterweight, but i'm guessing there are other versions that may work as well. Check out the products via eBay (click here).
Years ago Intuit released a belt driven remote follow focus system (seen in video above). The product looked like an excellent idea, but the retail price listed for $3,999 US (seen here). Needless to say it didn't exactly fly off the shelves.
Opteka has revised this basic idea and now offers an FFR-900 Motorized Belt Driven Follow Focus System. The FFR-900 doesn't just offer one, but two motors that clamp to 15mm rails to control both focus and zoom on your DSLR lens. Rocker switches to control the motors are mounted to 15mm hand grips, and sensitivity (i'm guessing speed) of the system can be adjusted in a rear controller. The motorized FF is powered through standard Canon LP-E6 batteries (batteries and charger included).
Opteka FFR-900 Rocker Switch Handles & Main Controller
From what I can tell, the motors can be controlled by the main controller, and the rocker switched handles don't need to be plugged in. This could be a handy solution for Steadicam work, but keep in mind that it's basic forward and reverse DC motors. This will work if you're moving around and your focus points continuously change, but unlike a real motorized follow focus system, you can't program multiple focus points in and jump back and forth which is ideal for stationary tripod shots.
Switronix Powerbase-70 Battery for BlackMagic Production 4K / Cinema Camera
over in New York during PhotoPlus Expo, but didn't really get to try it out. It's an interesting little arm brace that gives you freedom to shoot with a steady hand, but it's no replacement for a rig where you need to mount all of your other accessories. 
