Equipment Reviews

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Question comes in from a Vimeo member asking which would be the better buy? So it's a Rode NTG-2 vs. Azden SGM-1X poll. Would you go for the Rode NTG-2 or the Azden SGM-1X Shotgun Microphone? Both appear to have very similar physical dimensions with size and XLR inputs. Both DSLR shotgun microphones can be self powered with a single battery but can also accept optional Phantom power. The Rode can be powered with a single AA for an estimated 1000 hours and the Azden can be powered with a single AAA for approx. 800 hours. The Rode NTG-2 does not come with any type of mount, while the Azden 'does' come with it's own integrated shock mount. Both are highly rated with 4.5 stars over at B&H Photo Video. Seems like the Azden has more to offer, but the Rode NTG-2 has more than twice the amount of reviews which appears to be the more popular of the two out in the field. The Rode is also more expensive, but does it yield better (noticeable) sound quality? I'm not familiar with both, so I decided to throw up this poll for those with more experienced between the two. Got another suggestion for a similar shotgun mic? Throw down in the comments...

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find-price-button Rode NTG-2 Battery or Phantom Powered Condenser Shotgun Microphone

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find-price-button Azden SGM-1X - Super-Cardioid Shotgun Condenser Microphone

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Halogen shop lights are used for budget video lighting all the time, so why not LED shop lights? Alan Silva picks up the 180 LED shop light from Home Depot and seems to be pretty happy with it. I guess you can't complain picking up a 180 LED light with built in rechargeable battery for under $60 bucks. This light has actually come up a few times on this blog before, but as often as I go to Home Depot myself, they were always out of stock. Not sure what the temperature is, but if it's off, hopefully someone's going to come up with the right pattern of gels for color correction. Maybe Alan will send in some samples of this light in use, as i'm curious about it's light output. Unfortunately it's not sold online, but here's a link to the description: https://www.homedepot.com/Electrical-Electrical-Tools-Accessories-Work-Lights/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xgtZbm8p/R-100655277/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Not something you'd throw on your camera, but there is several ideas that come to mind. A buddy of mine talked about shooting late night bike rides and meet-ups in the city, and was thinking about what portable lighting solution would work to help bring in some additional light. Throwing a few of these on some tall stands, i'm sure would do just fine. Since they would all be the primary source of light, white balancing would be of no issue. Designed to be used as tools, i'm sure they are durable for tossing around and hopefully with a bit moisture proof. The built in rechargeable battery keeps things pretty compact and beats dragging around a generator to the site. [Thanks Alan]

Closest thing I could find online were these:

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find-price-button LED Shop Light Rechargeable Battery Work Light

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Thanks to Eric S. for sharing his DIY view finder mount. For real running and gunning, it's quite a pain in the a$$ having an LCD Viewfinder fall off so easily. Some inexpensive DSLR LCD ViewFinders use a metal sticky frame that allows the magnets of the view finder to stay in place. The most common problem with these are when the adhesive of the metal frame comes off with too much time in the sun. Once that metal frame is off, you'll be stuck without a way to mount your view finder for the rest of the shoot.

On this site people have shared ways to use a high quality Glass LCD Protector and permanently fixing the LCD ViewFinder. Epoxy is a good choice. Curious if there's one that would be a close fit to a Canon 60D... It's an excellent idea on providing a super solid hold while still allowing for a fast way on and a fast way off the camera. For those who aren't familiar with making a DIY LCD Viewfinder Quick Release, this is a look at the final build using information from this article. http://cheesycam.com/new-glass-lcd-protector-canon-nikon/

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find-price-button Canon and Nikon GGS Glass DSLR LCD Screen Protector

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Luke writes in and shares this video with a Behind the Scenes look to the recent 'Monsters' movie. Ok so there's mixed reviews on the movie's entire story, but you have to admire what has been made from an almost nothing budget. Take a good look at the gear (or lack of) and you'll find what's looks to be a simple Sony EX-3 working hard on a $24.00 shoulder support and a basic set of rails. This looks pretty much like the two handle setup I'm using with my Gini Rig. Still worried about that cheap shoulder support not holding up? I'm guessing these guys really put it through the paces and seemed happy with the results. A Letus Adapter gives it a bit more depth of field on the Sony prosumer camcorder for that traditional Cinema look. There's also a nice comment towards the end about the importance of audio. All in all it's a pretty cool BTS video that definitely shows even cheap gear can be used for big things. Thanks for sharing and pointing that out Luke.

Here's the official trailer that was released for this movie

Here's that shoulder support again:
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find-price-button Shoulder Support Pad for Video Camcorder Camera DV / DC

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Vimeo is one of my favorite video channels next to Netflix. Both support HD video streams but it's not often I ever saw it on a big screen TV. So for my Netflix convenience and Vimeo addiction, I picked up the Roku XD Streaming Player. You'll find other options like Apple TV and Google TV, but I decided on the Roku mainly because of the price. It's such a tiny unit, it's easy to move it around to different TV sets or even bring over to a friend's house. All the unit requires is an Internet Connection via LAN cable or by connecting with it's built in Wireless (Wireless N supported too). Setting it up took a few minutes as it went through a software update, but nothing difficult or overly techinical. Here's a look at the unit and the steps required to set it up to my Vimeo account.

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The entire Roku player is small, and not far from the size of the included Remote. The remote is basic with no way to program for a television. So you'll still need a seperate remote to control the volume of the videos playing. Although this version supports HDMI, it did not come with an HDMI.

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Different versions of the Roku include only Composite video out and basic Wireless, while higher end models include HDMI outputs and support for Wireless N. This version is the Roku XD that has an HDMI output.

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Wireless Setup was pretty straight forward even with Security enabled on the router.

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You'll need to setup a Roku account to activate the device for streaming video. Same process for Netflix devices.

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The Roku can be setup to adapt for different resolutions and aspect ratios.

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There's a ton of different Internet Channels to keep you entertained, including Facebook Photo Galleries. If you own the Nintendo Wii, there's a market place of Channels you can add to the menu for free - and some you'll need to pay a subscription fee for like Hulu Plus. I have to note though that the included remote needed direct line of sight like other infrared remotes, but even to operate even from a few feet away. The menu does navigate fairly quickly, and channels loaded up in a few seconds when launched.

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Linking to the Vimeo Account is similar to setting up a Netflix Device. Visit Vimeo's special page and enter a passcode from the Device.

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Streaming video depends on the quality of the video you're watching, and bandwidth. Watching Vimeo HD movies was clear on this small screen, and Netflix was also very impressive. With the push for Internet Video channels from GoogleTV and Apple TV times are definitely changing. For film makers who care about the quality of their videos being watched through internet streams, this definitely opens up a whole new perspective.

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find-price-button Roku XD Streaming Player 1080p

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visit-button Express35.com DSLR Shoulder Rigs, Follow Focus, and other Accessories

For anyone who's ever asked me about a good inexpensive starter DSLR rig taken right off the shelf and ready-to-go, I would have to say my first response was 'Express35.com'. Today news dropped in about Express35's new DSLR Shoulder Rig Lite. Ideal for small camera setups like the Canon T2i, Panasonic GH1, GH2 + follow focus. It's a simple combination of important features with high quality parts that make this an excellent rig for light weight camera work. Of course this is also a good starter foundation for later upgrading and adding additional parts - should your gear list grow. Earlier Lite Rig versions from Express35 did not include the more expensive HD Handles (which i'm a big fan of) but is now available in this setup. Check it out here: https://express35.com/category/rigs/.

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OK, the first part of the video is me testing out the Sony SLTA55 and it's Auto Focus and Auto Exposure features. I'm not a fan of 'Auto Exposure', but as you can see the 'Auto Focus' kicks butt and works pretty fast. Not ideal for every situation, and with lots of movement happening in front of the camera, it might be a bit distracting. If you wanted to compare, I would say that it does work very very well though (much better than Nikons Auto Focus in Video).

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Second part, which is really the main point of this video is to show the changes that Meike has undergone in it's LCD Viewfinder product. They released an updated 'look' of their popular viewfinders, but pretty much kept the same quality. If you find the original version of their LCDVF look-alike version, that might be old inventory. Here's the new stuff which they've released to address any design copy issues.

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Glass feels the same, still works great, and the body is of the same weight and aspect ratio. The eyepiece cup has changed a bit as to be slightly different from it's Evil brother, and i'm not sure if it's just me, but the magnets seem to be much stronger against the metal frames. These are the new products, a bit pricier than their first product release, but still nice to see they are cheaper than the big time stuff out there.


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find-price-button New Meike LCD View Finder for 3" DSLR LCD's

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Above is the only example I know of showcasing a Hollywood Lite Camera Stabilizer. When I first mentioned the stabilizer on this blog, the auction sold lighting fast from this article: http://cheesycam.com/hollywood-lite-video-camera-stabilizer/. This is a discontinued type of stabilizer that is designed to support cameras up to 4 lbs. I can't imagine it was very useful in the old days of heavy cameras, but with all the new lightweight Canon T2i's, Sony Alphas, and Panasonic GH2's coming around, it's seems to be relevant once again. Now i'm not saying it will fly a 7D, but for those GoPro Video makers, or iPhone Video junkies this might be an inexpensive solution. Cody left a comment and wanted to share that another thought to be extinct Hollywood Lite stabilizer shows up online again. On auction now and up for another day.

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find-price-button Hollywood Lite VS1 Video Camera Stabilizer

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G.I. Joe always told me 'knowledge is half the battle'. So for the newbies in the hiz-ouse - If you're still shopping for a microphone to suit your DSLR audio needs, you'll probably already find that the Rode VideoMic is a very popular one. I've run my own tests and found that it does perform much better than some microphones going for twice it's price. But before you start throwing down a solid buck, you can read up some other interesting suggestions through the B&H Insights blog that might help you get a bit more 'knowledge' - Go Joe!.


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visit-button B&H Photo Video Insights Blog for DSLR Microphone Options

So a microphone will help you focus in on a little better sound than just the onboard microphone, but for the best sound processing, you'll want to shop for a portable audio recorder. The in camera audio of the DSLR's are just not up to par for the true audiophile. The link below jumps you to another B&H Insights article about different Portable Audio recorder solutions.

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visit-button B&H Photo Video Insights Blog for DSLR Portable Audio Recorders