Equipment Reviews

• 17 Comments

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2011-02-15 17.02.45

There's been plenty of discussion and audio tests with the Rode VideoMic vs. the Rode VideoMic 'Pro', so here i'm just showing the size difference between what I would normally be carrying around to the new smaller form factor of the Rode VideoMic Pro - Compact Shotgun Microphone. Huge difference in size, weight, and build quality make it all worth the price difference. I'm not sure where I put my OEM Foam cover for the regular VideoMic, so i'm showing my Aftermarket MiCover Dead Cat.

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Sure there's a bit of a price difference, but at least you get a FREE Rode Dead Cat with the new Rode VideoMic Pro (with online registration) shaving the difference down another $40.00 dollars. Otherwise with the normal VideoMic you would need to purchase this optional Dead Cat: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/392861-REG/Rode_DEAD_CAT_Dead_Cat_Wind_Muff.html/. The build on the shock mount is a nice touch over the other design in the lower end VideoMic. Aside from design, the switches are much more accessible (finally usable) and comes with the new +20db feature which should work well with DSLR's that have manual audio level controls.

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find-price-buttonRode VideoMic - Camera Mounted Shotgun Microphone

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find-price-buttonRode VideoMic Pro Compact Shotgun Microphone + Free Dead Cat Windscreen w/ Registration

• 4 Comments

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Client-Kata bags

Producing/filming/editing-Johnnie Behiri

Shot with the Nikon D90 (all but the Antarctica and wild life)
No CC, only a bit contrast corrections.
Lenses used: Nikkor 50mm 1.8, Nikkor 16-85mm, and Tamron 70-300.
Tripod: Manfroto 756XB and 700RC2 head
Voice-over recorded with Edirol F1-field recorder (hard disk video/audio recorder for dv/hdv/sound only purposes).
Editing on Adobe Premiere CS2 with Cineform Prospect 4k plug in.

The 717AH is a great fluid head, but what other options are there for inexpensive Micro video fluid heads? Well the Manfrotto 700RC2 Mini Fluid video head drops down a few bucks with B&H surprisingly coming in cheaper than anything over at eBay and slightly under Amazon. Keep in mind it's rated to support only 5.5lbs, something that might be good for the growing Panasonic GH2 audience. Don't expect this to support a camera slider, it's best for camera only.

Over at B&H Photo Video they also have a special kit thrown together combining it with the 190XDB Tripod if you're in need of that too. I've never used one, but there's quite a few videos via Vimeo that show some serious travelers using the fluid head for it's small size and light weight (such as the Kata video above by Vimeo member Johnnie Behiri).

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find-price-button Manfrotto 190XDB Tripod Legs (Black) with 700RC2 Video Fluid Head

• 35 Comments

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The 717AH or similar fluid head is a pretty beefy camera mount for it's price, but there's been some inconsistency in fluid panning. Most people are happy with the video head right out of the box, but if you've got stiff panning try the fix below. The solution to getting smoother (looser) pans are to disassemble the head, clean out the old lube, and add your own. If you've been experiencing such harsh movements you might want to try this yourself. I didn't have time to shoot a video so if anyone has one online, please share. For now you'll get to see a few images of what's inside (not much).

The fluid part of this head is not really a cartridge. It's two sections combined to be a machined bearing. The lube that is used adds more friction rather than more smoothness. It's some really really sticky stuff inside. Personally I find it's best to clean everything out and not leave any traces behind and then add in your own lube. A small dab of white grease from an auto parts store should do fine. You'll know more once you have it apart.

Tools you'll need are some Carb Cleaner. This will help break down the old grease. You'll need a 2.5 & 3 Metric hex tool. If you have everything accessible, you can get through this in less than 10 minutes.

Remove the three screws in the middle which removes the bottom cap.
Fluid-Head (1 of 5)

Remove the 6 hex screws under the cap (cap shown on the right)
Fluid-Head (2 of 5)

Take out the two piece metal machined Panning bearing and clean it out.
Fluid-Head (4 of 5)

Lube it with your white grease and put it all back together. (Make sure your Panning Brake is setup correctly before assembling.) Done, should feel super smooth and like a brand new Head.

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find-price-button Heavy Duty Video Tripod Fluid Drag Head Kits WF717A

• 5 Comments

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opteka-diopter-LCD-Viewfinder
find-price-button Opteka View Finder with Glass Diopter

For those struggling to find an inexpensive View Finder with Diopter, Opteka's got a new VF-10. Claims to have all Glass optics, adjustable focusing lens (diopter), and rubberized coating. Looks very similar to the 'Hood Dude' but only half that price. First version of this is only available for 3" 4:3 aspect LCD screens and mounts via Bungee cords. Hopefully we'll see some different sizes start to show up for the T2i / T3i / 60D sizes or even the GH2 and Sony NEX. Doesn't have the large eye-cup if that turns you on, but for those DIY'ers out there, this might be a better start than trying to craft your own. For those who are strictly into photography and just need a good Magnifying loupe to review images in the hot sun, it's not a bad deal for a Loupe and a Lanyard.

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Canon-T3i-600D

As if there isn't enough cameras in Canon's lineup, they recently just announced the T3i or 600D. Looks very close to the Canon 60D sticking with the Vari-angle LCD screen and i'm sure taking in a few other similarities. Some new tricks with in camera processing of photos and videos, upgrades to EOS utilities and Zoom Browsers, but technical specs within the core processor don't surpass the 60D. Don't expect this camera to bring any better image quality.

There is a new Zoom feature that can zoom in 3-10x while maintaining HD video output. Hey that's pretty cool, and can take advantage of shorter lenses. I'm sure there will be some added softness to the effect. Another step up from the T2i is manual audio levels and built in flash trigger. Guess what though, this 600D goes back to the LP-E8 battery unlike the 60D which uses the LP-E6. Sorry guys, no headphone out monitoring added to this DSLR (what's up Canon?).

For those who really wanted the swivel LCD, but could not afford the 60D prices, this T3i would be the answer. And to throw in even more confusion, Canon's released a T3 camera (not T3i). This almost seems to be the replacement for a T1i. The T3 is an even lower entry level DSLR, a bit slower in photo fps, lower megapixels, smaller LCD (no swivel), and only 720 capable.

The prices of these new Canon cameras are coming in low so i'm assuming this will discontinue sales of the T2i completely (unless they are willing to do a huge price drop). If it's true then expect remaining T2i inventories to drop prices even lower in the coming weeks. Canon sure has been moving pretty quickly through the lower end of consumer cameras, let's hope they come out with a replacement for some of the top end soon!

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find-price-button Canon T3i & T3 DSLR Cameras

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Vimeo member Rod Guajardo puts up a simple one light test with the Yongnuo 135. I know some people have been asking for a real skin tone example of how this light performs. As far as coverage of light, it does a good job for a talking head interview type shot. Would be great to see one more light as a fill, and maybe one for a rim light in this type of setup. I think it could work considering these are about half the price of a Z96.

So not sure if it's my eyes, or of it's my screen, but do you think there's hint of green? It could be quite possible as green is a common cast from LED lighting. Even on the popular 126 and 500 LED light panels, people have been finding that adding a 1/8 minus green gel seems to balance it out perfectly. Not sure if that's the case in this video, but i'll see if I can grab some gels and experiment with mine. [Thanks Rod]

Screen shot 2011-02-04 at 9.14.48 AM
find-price-button 1/8 Minus Green Color Gels

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find-price-button Yongnuo 135 Dimmable LED Video Light

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Wow just caught this video from IndyMogul a few minutes ago, and believe it or not, I feel like i've just been nominated for an Academy award. In this video they touch on a few ideas for budget stabilizers (one or two from this website) with all of the web links in the description of their YouTube video found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9d93j4jf5M.

Seriously though, i'm a huge fan of IndyMogul. If you love anything about movies - making movies, watching movies, DIY gear, and low budget ways to get special effects into your filmmaking, check out all of the videos they've produced over the years. With over 80 million upload views on YouTube alone, they're hard to miss. If you're not on the ball, you can subscribe to all the content they produce over at their YouTube channel, or set up a subscription to their FREE podcasts via iTunes. This way you can carry all the episodes in your fancy iPods, iPhones, and iPads.

Aside from pure voyeurism, you can always send in your comments and ideas to IndyMogul as they're pretty active in the filmmaking community. [Thanks for the kind words guys, Keep on Keepin' On]

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flycam-nano-upgrade

The Flycam Nano stabilizer has been around for years, but until recently it didn't get much steam. Now with plenty of fine examples of flying all the new light weight cameras, it's fast becoming the budget film maker's choice. Kai over at Poolfilm.com writes in about a problem with the Flycam Nano post. Turns out to have been a defective product, and then goes on to say the guys from India were nice enough to send another unit. This time though, the unit came with a different post. Gotta hand it to them for customer service, as I know we're all weary about overseas purchases.

So with the new thumb knob clamp in place (now similar to Glidecam's locking adjustment) the question is - Is this an older version or are we going to start seeing a change in the Flycam Nano's post? Anyone else get one recently to comment on this new post design? Mine is different as seen in my image below...

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find-price-button Flycam Nano DSLR Video Camera Stabilizer

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There's only so many wireless microphone systems out there and If you've been wondering about this particular Audio Technica ATR 288W, here's a small clip. YouTube member creese13 writes in and shares a little test he's put together. Taking the budget wise Audio Technica ATR288W wireless system out for a small stroll it seems to be doing the job much better than the cheap Sony stuff I tried out as a backup wireless system. Flipping between Channel A and Channel B during this test, you decide which sounds better. Overall not bad sound for a budget wireless LAV going into a 7D -with AGC on. [Thanks Corey]


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find-price-button Audio-Technica ATR 288W - Microphone - black