Previously the only LED Ring light available on eBay and Amazon was the 352 LED Ring light (as seen here). The 352 is a very bright light with good diffusion, but only dims down to about 40-50 percent. Basically, it's always pretty bright so it could be offensive when used directly towards a subject in low lighting - i.e. Weddings.
Now the Falcon Eyes 240 LED ring light is available on eBay. Of course a bit cheaper than the 352 with it's smaller size, but it does come with a few extra items the 352 doesn't have. First off the 240 looks like it has a better mounting bracket. I threw the 352 bracket away, it was pretty useless. It also looks like a much better form factor and casing than the 352. The 240 also comes with a tungsten colored filter, a battery pack which can be powered with (12) AA batteries OR (2) Sony NP-F750 camcorder batteries, and a travel bag.
I know this light has been around for a while, but this is the first time i've seen it on eBay. I can't seem to locate any reviews to see how well it dims down. If you've got some information on this light leave some comments. You can find the new 240 LED ring light available here.
Robert from Juicedlink just uploaded a video showing some of the Canon 5D Mark III audio features along with the Nikon D800 audio features. Towards the second half, he introduces a new Juicedlink RM333 low noise pre-amp. We've run a few audio tests running a microphone into the Canon 5DM3 and there's no doubt using an external preamp will still yield better results. The internal amps of the Canon DSLR aren't very good.
The new Juicedlink RM333 preamp looks like a good small solution, and it was pretty smart to add in the backup audio that had been attenuated (reduced volume). There's times when your subject gets a bit excited and starts talking a little louder than expected, so a lower recording can save you from clipping. When the RM333 becomes available, you'll be able to find it over at Juicedlink's Website (click here).
Realizing LED lights won't solve every solution (yet), I decided to see if there's any recent reviews on the 'As Arri' lights. Here's a recent video post from Vimeo member Black Raven Films showing the As Arri 650W vs the Arri 650W. There seems to be some slight improvments compared to when they were first released.
If you're not up to scoop with the As Arri lights, these are supposed to be so close in design to the Arri with a construction of corrosion resistant extruded and die cast aluminium, they can use the same bulbs, glass, barndoors, diffusers, ballast, scrims, etc. There are several people using these lights, and if you have a set, leave some comments on how they are working out for you. The As Arri lights are available in small 150W to larger 1000W models (found here).
As Arri 150W 300W 500W 650W 1000W Fresnel Lighting
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]
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/
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.
Above is a Gini iFocus Follow Focus I use, and have a video review about it (here). One of the shortcomings of this design is that the gear is not reversible, so it could be tricky trying to align it with short lenses, or sometimes you can't get it far enough on short 15mm rods. The marking indicator is also at a fixed position so you have to be able to see this in use. Outside of those small issues, the iFollow Focus is one heavy well crafted solid unit, with almost no backlash.
Recently some images for Gini Rigs on auction show a slightly modified Follow Focus with a shaft (above). This clearly shows that the gear can now be removed from one side and installed on the opposite, making it a reversible Follow Focus. One thing I can't seem to locate though is if there is a change with the marking indicator. Aside from the new shaft poking out the opposite side, it looks almost exactly like my iFocus. So the question is does the shaft design have more / less backlash or maybe it's the same? There doesn't seem to be an official name for this new FF, and he still has the original iFocus available on many bundles. If you're shopping, look carefully when choosing a rig that comes with an FF. If you guys happen to get one of the new ones, would love to see more about the differences.
It's a larger sized Matte Box but provides many more features over the D100 that some people might require. There's not much more I need to say as the video is pretty detailed in all the specs. [Thanks Joel] Trusmt video gear can be found on it's eBay store (click here).
PRO 352 LED Studio Video Ring Light
