Equipment Reviews

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Canon 85mm F/1.2L FD Manual Focus Lens

Canon FD mount lenses designed originally for older film cameras are a beautiful option for many video shooters. Not only are they wildly popular with DOF adapters to be used with standard camcorders, you'll find DSLR bodies such as Panasonic, Sony, Olympus, Nikon, and new Canon DSLR's adapting these older lenses to get wide apertures on the cheap. The controls are completely manual to set aperture and focus. Many enjoy shooting these older lenses simply because the focus rings work better for pulling focus in video mode.

There's a bunch of different adapters to mount these FD lenses to just about any camera. For Canon this i'm using one which has an extra piece of Optical glass to correct the image and prevent vignetting at wider angles. For other cameras, i'm not sure if the optical glass would be necessary. If you've got an FD lens adapter story to share, post your comments here.

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find-price-button Canon FD Lens Adapter with Optical Glass for Correction

It's also pretty sharp, but not too sharp and often giving a very vintage feel with your footage. The look from these lenses will definitely give artistic video shooters a bit more of a creative documentary feel with a slightly softer high contrast look. Here's a good example video https://vimeo.com/3919586 that was posted (now 2 years ago). You can catch groups on both Vimeo and Flickr all dedicated to older FD and FL vintage lens styles. The current EF auto focus 85mm F/1.2 runs for close to $2,000 dollars. Look carefully and you'll catch an 85mm F/1.2L FD mount (yes L lens) for less than a third of the EF mount price. Of course F/1.2 should provide you with a beautiful image, but it's not your only option. There are many other other great FD lenses to be adapted including F/1.4, F/1.8, F/2.0 with all ranged from Fisheye Wides to Super Zooms.

So if you're looking to get more Depth of Field on the cheap with a nostalgic look, check out the many FD and FL lenses available most starting auctions at under $5 dollars.
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find-price-button Canon FD Mount manual focus manual aperture Lenses

Related Posts:
Canon FD 200mm F/4 Video Sample http://cheesycam.com/canon-fd-lens-200mm-f4/

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Image stabilization or 'IS' is what Canon calls it, Vibration Compensation or 'VC' is a Tamron term, and Anti Shake 'OS' a.k.a Optical Stabilization is Sigma's phrase. Yeah that last one didn't match up very well, but it's an all important feature for today's run and gun hand held DSLR video renegades. It's also going to provide you with sharper images in low light situations when you can't use flash. When photographing with an Image Stabilized lens, you can also keep some of that ISO noise down. Sure a fast F/2.8 or better will help get that light through, but Image Stabilization is equally as important. Which lens is right for you? In today's economy, that question often comes down to 'What price is right for you'. So what's the options for Wide lenses between 16-55mm with a fast F/2.8? Here's the top three for Canon DSLR's (not full frame).

First is of course Canon's 17-55mm with IS. Some say it's super sharp, and built with such quality it should be labeled with other 'L' class lenses, but Canon doesn't seem to stamp L on any of their EF-S mount. Of course, it's also priced close to other L lenses so it's above what some young shooters want to invest.
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find-price-button Canon EF-S 17-55mm F/2.8 IS Zoom

I'm going to throw off the order of things and skip down straight to most inexpensive. If you're looking for the cheapest price, Tamron has been doing well with today's market and offers a 17-50mm F/2.8 with VC (Vibration Control) that has worked very effectively for me on my 18-270mm. Some may argue it's not better than Canon, but I find that the VC with Tamron is super quiet compared to the IS on some Canon lenses (especially the 24-105mm).
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find-price-button Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di-II VC

Here's the middle ground in the top three list of fast wide lenses offering Image Stabilization. Although i'm talking about Canon options, keep in mind that both the Tamron and Sigma are available in other makes such as Nikon and Sony. The Sigma 17-50mm F/2.8 is still incredibly cheaper than the Canon 17-55mm and just slightly more than the Tamron 17-50mm. This is one of Sigma's recent lenses offering a 17-50mm F/2.8 with OS. Sigma's been getting great reviews as of late, and their designs keep getting better. Normally Sigma's are way over priced compared to the Tamron brand, but in this range of lens it's not a huge difference. Personally I think Sigma has an edge in quality of glass and build so if you could afford to, this Sigma is a great option for a fast wide with optical stabilization.
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find-price-button Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM Zoom Lens

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This $24 dollar shoulder rig just won't quit. Well, we may have to change the name as the popularity of this cheap plastic design gains popularity, the price has since inflated. This unit also is being sold under different names, but I have never heard of any one designed better than the other. There's an adapter that allows for an offset, I don't suggest loading that up as it's not designed well, but the base shoulder support works great. I posted several articles about this thing over the year, and there's been several others enhancing the use of this cheap support. Here's a recent look at how Vimeo member IE DNLab used it as additional support for the Steadicam Merlin DSLR Stabilizer.

Limited in range unless you feel like squatting for every low shot, but using it for something like this will definitely provide you with longer shooting times while you save up for your vest. Prices have inflated elsewhere, but right now you can find it cheaper than $24 dollars over at Amazon. As always prices subject to change normally after being posted here. LOL. If you're interested in something I did with my cheap shoulder mount, check out this video http://cheesycam.com/a-s-s-implants-how-to/


find-price-button Shoulder Support Pad for Video Camcorder

But if you're looking to step up your dollars a little bit, the Gliders Shoulder Support has the same functionality, with a bit more quality in parts.
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find-price-button Gliders Shoulder Adjustable Support Camera Mount

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The Gini Rig I posted about in this article is an awesome piece of gear. Definitely something you should look into if you're looking for a solid DSLR shoulder rig. I suggest doing some research on what your options are and compare prices with other gear. Like many others out there, I didn't pay the asking price for the Gini. On a good day the Gini Rig can be had for rock bottom prices, so it's all about patience and just making an offer you feel you would be comfortable with. More on the Gini can be found here: http://cheesycam.com/the-gini-rig-arrives-from-korea/

There was one piece of gear I wasn't so lucky to have with my DSLR shoulder rig package, and that's a good Shoulder rig Counter weight system. Having a balanced rig is definitely going to help stabilize footage and take lots of weight off the hands. I got this DSLR shoulder rig for cheap, so i'm looking for something just as cheap. Aside from the Gini Rig here, there's a million different DIY shoulder rig solutions that could use a good counter weight. Many DIY solutions are even built around PVC pipes, and I don't think you're ready to throw down $100 bucks on a weight. So I began my quest to locate a good solid, cheap, yet professional looking substitute for a counter weight.

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find-price-button Vinyl Coated Lead Diving Scuba Belt Weights

I placed this order about a week ago, and wanted to have it in my hands before talking about it, just to make sure it's worth the pennies. It's definitely the solution I was looking for. Very small and compact, with a chemically bonded heavy duty Vinyl coating, and a flat black finish to match your video gear. These scuba weights were designed to withstand ocean salt and hard reef bumps. Simply dropping these weights on hard gravel wouldn't do damage to the coating, it's that tough. There are slits on each side to allow me some mounting options, but as dense as Lead is, it's probably not difficult to drill through either.

[Update] Took a drill to it, it literally drills through like butter. Lead is a very very soft material to drill through. Keep in mind that this is a Lead weight product known to be hazardous if not handled correctly. You should read information about safely handling Lead Metals.
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The rounded edge design ensure you're not going to scratch or gauge yourself. The vinyl coating is very smooth and comfortable to handle in the hands and keep the system very clean. These weights are available from 1 pound and increments to 12 lbs. 4-6 lbs is probably a comfortable weight for most DSLR rigs. Now that i've had the chance to handle this product, there's plenty more ideas that come to mind. If you're rocking a super lightweight tripod system but need some extra stability at times, these are much more compact than your typical sand bag to hang. If you're working on that DIY DSLR crane and need to add some weights to the rear, these are much more compact and have a nicer finish than normal lifting weights. The possibilities are endless. So if you're looking to DIY a shoulder rig and are in need of a good cheap solution to a counter weight system, meet your new best friend.

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find-price-button Vinyl Coated Lead Diving Scuba Belt Weights

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Rokinon 14mm Fisheye lens for Canon and Nikon

As of late, i've been pointed several times to the Rokinon 14mm Fisheye lens as a great cheap alternative for those looking to get super duper wide. It's old news in the Photography space, but with video on the DSLR's this bad boy is gaining a bit of steam. You can find positive feedback on many of the photography forums about how sharp of an image it can provide, especially for the money. Of course, by not having auto focus features in it's design definitely makes it easier to manufacture a sharper lens at a cheaper price.

Rokinon is not a lens manufacturer, but a brand of lens. So you'll find the same lens under popular names like Samyang. Don't go looking for Samyang though, that name alone adds a small hike to the price. The same lens found under Rokinon will yield cheaper results. If you're looking for the Canon 14mm Super Wide Angle F/2.8 you've better come with over 2K of change in the pocket. Going with an off brand manual focus lens will get you down cheaper, including the Bower 14mm f/2.8 Ultra Wide Angle Manual Focus, but that's still over priced compared to the Rokinon. If you're doing any type of Photography, a Fisheye lens in the tool bag is a great addition. You'll get a super wide image captured and there are plenty of 'fisheye' correcting software that can stitch images into normal view or 360 degree image panoramics for Real Estate Virtual tours. If you're not using Photoshop, there's free ones available i've used like 'RectFish'. For correcting distortion in video, that's a different story.

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Correcting image distortion with RectFish

The 'Fisheye Look' is mostly popular with extreme sports for the ability to get everything in frame and with it's super wide view can mask unsteady movements. If you don't mind the fisheye distortion, it will make Steadicam type shots look butter smooth. Will it work on a full frame without vignette? Don't hold me to it, but my initial research says yes. Of course you will find much more 'fisheye' distortion with a Full Frame camera than would be on a Canon T2i, 7D, or 60D. For Nikon or Pentax users, you're in luck because it runs even cheaper for some reasons. No adapters needed like the Peleng fisheye lenses, these Rokinon's are built to mount. Better yet, the Rokinon 14mm also gets you to an F/2.8 serving pretty well in low light situations. If you've got more news, videos, or comments on the Rokinon, drop a comment.

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find-price-button Rokinon 14mm Fisheye lens for Canon and Nikon

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Sorry guys, another Canon G12 post, but I can't help it. The Canon Powershot G12 camera is not only fun, it's very functional. I decided to take a trip down to the local bart station to get some movement for an HDR Timelapse test. What's special about this video you see before you? There is only about 240 images in this timeline, but keep in mind that every single image of this Timelapse is actually 3 different photos, taken with 3 different exposures, that were automatically stitched together by the Canon G12 and saved as 1 single photo. It's not that overly posterized looking HDR we often see, but a more delicate balance of shadows and highlights for a more pleasing balance. The camera did all the work as I just sat nearby surfing the internet from my phone. From my results, it does an excellent job for something this small. Everything on the camera was left on default Auto including the ISO, and I even left the focus on Auto!

You can see the camera does a great job with exposing the highlights and shadows by using this built in HDR technique, but who knew you could Timelapse with this feature? Literally just grabbed all the images and dumped it into Sony Vegas. I've been asked several times to provide timelapse footage for client events, showing setups, breakdowns, and just crowd movement, but I never wanted to deal with the post image correction and especially having to leave one of my DSLR's behind. Now after testing the G12 with the built in HDR processing I can see this camera fitting perfectly into my workflow and offering client timelapse video footage. In fact if you had the funds, grab yourself a few G12's and setup timelapse in multiple angles. It's not the best, but it could definitely be incorporated into any video for additional creative footage that would make your production value stand out. This was my first run and I think it went well. With practice, i'm sure it can be refined and useful. I'm going to try it on some sliders and dollies next.

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Click image for pricing on Canon Powershot G12 with Built in HDR

The remote i'm using for the Canon G12 can be found at this article: http://cheesycam.com/canon-g12-vs-nikon-p7000-real-time-hdr-timelapse/

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Someone responded to my earlier video about the Nikon P7000 and Canon G12 review. I mentioned that the Canon G12 can accept a remote for Timelapse Photography and the Nikon doesn't accept the remote. Turns out Nikon has an Intervalometer feature built in and you don't need to carry an extra gadget. Touche' I say, and well played Nikon...well played indeed. So I stand corrected about Nikon and Timelapse Photography.

Not to sound too biased (again), but the Intervalometer feature built into the Nikon isn't so great. There's also a nice little feature for HDR photography already built into the Canon G12 that makes Timelapse Photography even more fun. I'm loving the G12! Many times we cover events and want to timelapse the whole setup process and footage throughout the day. For you Wedding Videographers, the G12 is a great camera to throw into a corner and get some Timelapse footage to incorporate into your videos. For Real Estate agents or anyone doing interior work, grab a tripod and let the camera process out a more balanced exposure. Check out the video above for more information about HDR timelapse with the Canon G12, and I can't wait to take this out for some Timelapse fun.

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Click image for Pricing on Canon G12

canon 550d timelapse timer remote
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The Timer Remote i'm using is the same for the Canon 550D / T2i and Canon 60D found here: http://cheesycam.com/canon-60d-timer-remote-timelapse/

If you're looking for a remote that fits the Canon 7D & 5D Mark II you can find it here: Canon Intervalometer Timer Remote for EOS 7D and 5DMark II

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Just received the Nature brand Neutral Density filter today. It's possibly the cheapest Fader ND on the market right now, so I wanted to see what the quality was like. I picked one up to test on the Canon 85mm F/1.2 which requires a 72mm filter. The Canon 85mm F/1.2L is one of Canon's sharpest lenses in it's lineup. With the lens at 85mm on a Canon cropped camera, you're looking at quite a distance. I was expecting to see extreme softness, which some Variable ND filters can cause, especially over 50mm. This wasn't the case with this Variable ND filter.

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Nature Fader-ND Variable Neutral Density Filters

There is some noticeable difference in sharpness, but not very noticeable unless you're really trying to nitpick, so not bad at all. It's definitely not as soft as my other Fader Filter which is very noticeable when zooming into a subject. Again, i'm asking alot since i'm putting it on an 85mm F/1.2L, but for any wide lens under 50mm, definitely a solid product that will yield excellent results. I'll be posting up some samples of the lens with and without the filter soon for you guys to check out, but i'm very happy with it and will be planning to get a few more. For now the Nature brand Fader ND can be found at this link: Nature Brand Fader ND Variable Neutral Density Filter

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find-price-button Nature Fader ND Variable Filter

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Thanks to Darius for reminding me about these once in a while sales from Ikan. Periodically Ikan will have a 48 hour blowout sale discounting very select items from 30-50% off. Sounds like a great deal, but here's the other catch. Those very minimal select items are also on sale in minimal limited quantities. Today the IKan Friction Follow Focus shows up on the sale page starting with only 15 available at a discounted price of 30% off. If you're looking for a simple, modular, fast to mount follow focus that doesn't require different sized lens gears for each lens you own, today could be your day.

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I've been playing with the one I have for a while and although it can be mounted in many different ways, I find it works best when using the rod adapter mount, and put onto the new Gini Rig that I have. If you don't have a basic rail mount, you can find a cheap base set over at Express35.com.

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