Equipment Reviews

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Double camera straps are definitely my choice. Having two cameras is faster than swapping lenses. Normally I have a 24-70mm on one side, and a 70-200mm on the other. I've had the Black Rapid double straps for quite some time now. At the time, it was the best thing I could find on the market, but I guess it's just a matter of time before someone else 'builds a better mousetrap'.

Rod sends in his review of the new CarrySpeed CS-Double straps, and there's no doubt it's definitely beefier than the BR's. The new CarrySpeed CS-Double padding looks pretty sweet too. Not very much padding over on the BR side. It's some rubber bubble type padding called Octopads to aid in grip and said to deter sweat by allowing air to vent. (I don't sweat much, not a problem for me).

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Of course the real deal maker is a quick release adapter that still allows access to the tripod mounting hole - something my BR double strap totally lacks.

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A tripod mount on a quick release adapter? Yeah this makes total sense. Even though these straps are convenient to carry two cameras, most pros still need quick access to a tripod or monopod. While the BR straps will run you around $130, the CarrySpeed CS-Double will only run you a nice $70 US. Actually just checked and the CS-Double is on sale right now for $54. [Thanks Rod]

Black Rapid
find-price-button Black Rapid Double Strap

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find-price-button Black Carry Speed CS-Double Strap OCTOPAD

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Frank passes along a tip about this inexpensive 4ft. Camera Jib. 4 feet is the perfect size for a tool like this to make traveling a bit easier, and at the same time provide you with sweeping and booming shots. Adding a bit of camera movement always helps to up your production.

In a restaurant, real estate video, or night club music video. These smaller jibs are great for interior shots where an 8ft crane would just be overkill and cumbersome. Take note that there doesn't seem to be a tilt function at this size (something I rarely use anyways). The camera will stay perfectly level on it's Horizon as you sweep and move in vertical shots. This one seems to have a decent price and 100 percent feedback from a seller who makes other cam equipment. [Thanks Frank]

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find-price-button Short 4ft Video Camera Crane Jib

If the above is sold out, another highly recommended 4ft. crane can be found below:
camera-crane
find-price-button Bargain Camera Cranes and Accessories

• 16 Comments

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1200-led-light1200-led-bi-color
find-price-button 1200 LED Color Changing Light 3200K-5400K

The latest 1200 LED light panel is now being offered in a Color changing model. An added dimmer knob allows the LED panel to switch and mix between two different sets of LED colored bulbs giving you a range between 3200K-5600K. Unfortunately like the other 1200 LED panel, it still does not have the V-Mount adapter to use this off the grid like the smaller 600 or 900. Something to keep in mind - since the 1200 panel uses two different rows of LED lights, when switching from one color over to the other, you'll be cutting the LED count down to half (600 tungsten LEDs and 600 Daylight LEDs). The question you're all thinking about - why not just use Gels? First, Gels cut down light quite a bit, and it's also one more thing to carry. Using a Bi-Color LED light like this 1200 can also mix in between temperatures. If color changing on the fly is an important part of your work flow, you might want to look into these below.

yellowhite
find-price-button 1200 LED Color Changing Light 3200K-5400K

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Putting the Micover Stickover Windscreen to the real test, just inches away from a high blowing fan. You can totally tell the 'wind rumbling' being eliminated while you can still hear the actual fan motor. To get better audio, you should replace the waterproof housing with the non-waterproof skeleton housing. To get 'even better' audio, this Dead Cat windscreen cover is a must have. It's made from the same furry material and thick padding as their other popular microphone windscreens. Loud motors from Motorcross, Street Cycles, or even Car Drifting, this little accessory makes a big difference in the sound that is captured. [Thanks Olivia]

You can find an older article about Micovers on this blog found here: http://cheesycam.com/cheaper-microphone-windscreens/

Micover Windscreen GoPro
find-price-button Micover Stickover Windscreen for GoPro HD Motorsports

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I admit, i'm pretty set on bags right now so i'm out of the loop on what people are shopping for. I'm not very familiar with this Aktiv Pak AP400, but here's a review for anyone that might have been doing some research. It's quite deceiving as it looks fairly small zipped up. Once it's open it's tall enough to carry a DSLR with battery pack, and plenty of room for additional lenses and camera bodies. There's even room for what looks like a Dell XPS laptop on the backside. [Thanks Jay]

Aktiv Pak
find-price-button Aktiv Pak AP400 400 Camera Backpack (Black)

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Vimeo member Just Basl Productions gives us his opinion on the VF Prime LCD view finder. This is a 3" LCD View Finder, so it will crop a bit on a T2i, T3i, or Canon 60D if you choose to use it. It's not the cheapest LCD Viewfinder solution, but it's also not the most expensive. This one has received excellent reviews so far. The mount is the typical stick on plastic frame type, and optional frames can be purchased seperately.

mounting-frame
find-price-button Mounting Frame for VF Prime

You can find this under a few different names like 'VF Prime' or Seagull View Finder. Can be found on eBay here: VF Prime LCD View Finder for 3" Canon Nikon DSLR

Or also Available on Amazon here:
VF Prime
find-price-button VF Prime DSLR Camera LCD Viewfinder for 3" LCD

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I picked up the Panasonic GF2 camera lately because I wanted something small and really lightweight. Sure you can adapt Nikon or Canon lenses, but that took so much away from being 'small and lightweight'. An excellent solution for Sony NEX and Micro Four-Third cameras are to use CCTV or 'C-Mount' lenses. Here's an excellent video test from Vimeo member Dario Viola showing the quality of these inexpensive lenses. These C Mount lenses are normally used in very small security cameras, but they've become a popular choice for many M43 shooters. You'll find many CCTV lenses with fast F/1.4 and F/1.7 apertures for about $30 dollars.

You can't go too wide without seeing the inside of these small lenses, but for the GH2 you might be able to use crop mode to use just the center of the lens (eliminating the barrel ring on the edges). The most popular sizes for the NEX5 and GF1/2 cameras are the 25mm F/1.4 and 35mm F/1.7. Keep in mind that M43 is a 2x crop, so a 25mm is more like a 50mm F/1.4. I'm picking a few of these up to use on the GF2 and will post results soon after receiving. You can find other C Mount lenses below.

C Mount Lens Tests
find-price-button CCTV C Mount Lenses for NEX and M43

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According to Amazon's list of Top Selling DSLR cameras, Nikon's D5100 has been numero uno for about a month and a half. I'm pretty sure these sales aren't for hard core DSLR video shooters, but possibly more for Photographers. Nikon is excellent when it comes to still image qualities. The #2 spot belongs to the Nikon D7000. Don't rule Canon out just yet. Among Amazon's 'Top Ten' DSLRs being sold, (in mixed order) 5 are from Nikon and the other 5 are from Canon (no 7D, 5D Mark II, or 60D in the top ten). Sony or Olympus cameras aren't mentioned until you get further down the list. You can find the entire list here: Top DSLR's On Amazon

Best Selling DSLR
visit-button Amazon's List of Best Selling DSLR Cameras

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Vimeo member Josh Donnelly revisits the​ DIY PVC shoulder rig article. A reminder that if you're not mounting accessories that require 15mm rails, this is a good start for DSLR Video stabilization. This has to be one of the best DIY PVC shoulder rig designs providing a wide enough area to rest over the shoulder, can be counterweighted in the rear, and have wide handles. If you're not permanently gluing the PVC together, the rig can break down for traveling. There's some additional information following the details of Josh's Vimeo video description and an older article featured in this blog here: http://cheesycam.com/pvc-camera-shoulder-support/. [Thanks Josh]