Equipment Reviews

• 12 Comments

•

A while back I did a demo using a Glidecam HD4000, and my most recent video the Glidecam HD1000. I found that if I wanted to fly a bit more weight than the HD1000 and less weight than the HD4000, my next stabilizer review would be the in between Glidecam HD2000 (right smack in between). I did do a short video on the Glidecam 2000 Pro which totally misses the mark on the fine tuning knobs available on the HD series.

Michael Sato over at DSLRUniversity.com beat me to an official Glidecam HD2000 review. He's got a sample BTS video out on the Raley Field - Sacramento Rivercats where he flexes his 'strumph' flying without a vest. I think my knees would have given out on me if I tried that for very long. To follow up, he's got a full page article written up with more detailed information about the Glidecam HD2000. So between the few reviews i've shown for the HD4000 & HD1000, and the DSLRUniversity.com review on the HD2000, you should have enough resources to find out what might work best for you.

Here is the Glidecam HD 1000
Here is the Glidecam HD 2000
Here is the Glidecam HD 4000

• 13 Comments

•

(Note Video Error: I kept saying the arm mounts dead center in the 'Chest' What I meant was in the Stomach area.)

In this video i'm referencing the Varizoom DV Sportster Vest for some Steadicams, Flycams, and Glidecams. It's a cheap vest, and have heard slightly negative feedbacks about this particular item. Part of the fun in finding useful affordable tools is to get hands on and see what the true limitations are. Since there wasn't much information on the web about this product, I thought I would at least be a reference point for others who might be searching for information on this. I know, I know, I gave it a shot, but it's ok to leave comments saying 'Emm - I Told You So. What were you thinking? Why didn't you listen to us all...."

The problem isn't the build quality. It's very light weight and sturdy. The arm feels plenty strong to carry the Glidecam HD1000 DSLR Stabilizer that I did a video about. The problems I had with the vest was the ergonomics. Everything just felt like it was in the wrong place. Just after a few minutes of wearing it, I felt like grabbing some steel and fixing the design with my own. Just by relocating the arm to the side instead of dead center would have already been a huge improvement. A simple steel plate is all that it would take to get that situated. The back support is just straps, so it doesn't provide good relief from the weight. Everything just loads up on the back of your neck. So, it's lightweight, strong, fairly priced, but needs redesign in the Ergo department. Hey Varizoom..if you ever want guys like me to test and suggest for product design...Holla!

By the way - You can catch a bit of the studio i've been working on. Thanks to some local Photographer friends, they all pitched in to (literally) scrub the floors, lay down epoxy, tile the bathroom, change out the toilet, and move in some gear, but it's still a long way to go. Just brought in some couches and chairs, and there's still a whole lot of equipment not yet there. I can only pass by for an hour before I head home, and all my weekends have been booked with camera work. Someday this thing will have it's use....

• 10 Comments

•

battery-pack-lilliput
click image

So the new combo deal is driving people nuts who currently own the 7" LCD Monitor by Lilliput, because they just missed the boat on the Battery + Shoe mount accessories. If you were one who got the early jump on these bargain priced portable HDMI monitors and need the battery pack or shoe mount, you can message the seller to see if they'll work with you on shipping something. Otherwise here's some Lilliput Portable Battery options for your HDMI DSLR Monitor.

new-7-inch-lilliput-combo
click image to find Lilliput 7″ + Battery + Shoe Combo Deal

• 11 Comments

•

transcend-32GB-400x

If you cruise on down to the article post http://cheesycam.com/sandisk-extreme-rebates/, you'll catch some comments about the Transcend 32GB 400x Compact flash cards. After a wedding this past weekend shooting three cameras, I realized I needed a bit more space. I was originally going to order the Sandisk Extremes since there was an ongoing Mail In Rebate, but the prices on these Transcends were much better (without Mail In Rebate).

placing-transcend-order

It took a bit of convincing through the comments section, but you guys have me convinced to work with these. I also checked out reviews over at BHPHOTOVIDEO.com and it's almost a full 5 star rating. We price matched against NewEgg, Amazon, and it turns out that BHPHOTOVIDEO.com came out with the cheapest price for these Transcend 32GB 400x Compact Flash cards. My order is in with Next Day Air, i'll test it this weekend to see how they perform. Really though, I feel quite confident after all the comments and reviews i've been reading and recieving.

transcend-32GB-400x
click image to buy from BHPHOTOVIDEO.com

• 17 Comments

•

Do these guys ever quit?!! Sheesh, when I think i'm on top of things, again they come out with something better. This is now the latest LED Video light panel that followed up from my last post 'Latest LED Video Lights'. These new panels have all the fine features of the previous 1000 LED Video Light Panel model, but now add the dimmable option to the large 1000 LED Video Light + The Ability to Color Change the temperature. This is a great feature to have that should allow you to better balance along with ambient light. 1000 LED's + Brightness control + Color temp control FULLY DIMMABLE: 0%-100%, COLOR TEMP: 3500K-6000K is a perfect combination for any video lighting you plan to use on set. Might save you time and money by not requiring color gels, who knows. This is an exciting new advancement in an already well priced tool compared to the other big brands. Now..just need to get a hold of this for an official Cheesycam run through...

Product Description:
These are the newest product 1000 LED Color changing from 3500K - 6000K temp. It uses 1000 ultra bright 3mm LED. The changing color temp 1000LED panel will be suitable for any photography and video production for years to com. These daylight balanced LEDs offer a full spectrum, beautifully soft light. LED lights off significantly further "throw" than a comparable fluorescent light. This is because each of the 1000 LED lights has a 60 degree beam angle lens that directs light forward. This beam angle creates a beam pattern that is useful from 1 - 15 feet. The LED Panel lights are ideal for location work because they are virtually shockproof and offer the brightest light in the smallest form factor. In addition, this new version operates on 110v-240v adapter with a 12v DC output. Brand New

* Input Voltage: 100-260V AC. OUTPUT: 12V * FULLY DIMMABLE: 0%-100%, COLOR TEMP: 3500K-6000K * No flickering & FR interference * Easy to install with removable mounting brackets * Dimmension: 14" x 14" x 4"

• 11 Comments

•

BlueStar-Eyepiece (2)

BlueStar Eyecushion upgrades for your view finder loupes are definitely high quality stuff for an inexpensive price. I just received two in this morning, in colors Red and in Tan, with a Microfiber finish. If you're looking for the type to fit onto the LCDVF or LCDVF clone perfectly, you'll want to go with the Oval Small and the Microfiber version was the original one that shipped with the LCDVF. Other types of finish offered by BlueStar Viewfinder Eyecushion's are available in Cotton and Fleece. There are also a ton of colors available too. A definite must have for a more comfortable fit for these ViewFinder loupes. These guys know their stuff, and if you're looking for a perfect fit on any type of camera, give them a holla over at https://www.bluestarproducts.ca/ with your questions.

Reminder that these LCD viewfinder loupes aren't just for videographers. These LCD viewfinder loupes are perfect for outdoor photographers who have to fight the bright daylight when reviewing their LCD for proper exposure and focus. I've noticed the prices already going up on these uber cheap LCD Viewfinders from my earlier posts, and there's still talk of discontinuation due to possible infringment issues.

Available at BHPHOTOVIDEO.com
fleece-professional-viewfinder
click image

• 11 Comments

•

yongnuo-rf-602-camera-remote

yongnuo-rf-602-flash-trigger

yongnuo-rf-602-studio-remote-trigger

Just when you think you've got the latest and greatest, and that everyone has thought of it all, there's that other guy that just has to add one more thing. Remember I posted this video on cheap wireless flash triggers a while back? Or how about this video on a Cheap Tethered Shutter Remote + Wireless Remote Shutter Remote?

Well the company Yongnuo just had to up everyone else in combining those two ideas into an entirely new Tethered Shutter Remote + Wireless Shutter Remote + Wireless Flash Trigger + support for Wireless Studio Strobe Trigger combination and i'm liking loving it! If you haven't heard of the name Yongnuo, they have grown over the years as a very reliable company in aftermarket Photography equipment. The original wireless flash triggers I showed are used by many photographers who don't need the ETTL support or High Speed Sync. In fact there's a large following in the Flickr photography community on several Yongnuo products including this popular Camera Flash for Nikon and Canon that supports ETTL communication.

yongnuo-ettl-flash
Yongnuo ETTL Support Camera Flash

Camera-Wireless-Remote-Yongnuo
YongNuo Combo Wireless Remote Shutter + Wireless Flash Trigger

More images and detailed information about these new Yongnuo Wireless Shutter Remotes + Wireless Flash Trigger can be found via eBay here.

• 4 Comments

•

I blogged about the popular Canon 70-200mm Replica Lens Coffee Mugs that first showed up during the Winter Olympics 'With Stainless Steel Insert', and then in short time a non-OEM Canon 24-105mm replica lens cup turned up which was ok, but didn't have a stainless steel insert for real coffee use.

Soon after a replica Nikon 24-105 Lens mug showed up. The Nikon replica 24-105 lens plastic mug was a nice try piggy-backing on the popularity of the Canon 70-200mm coffee mug, but also didn't have the stainless steel insert like a true Hot Coffee Mug.

nikon-lens-mug-replica
click image

Well looks like Nikon users have something even more to smile about, now that the Nikon 24-70mm F/2.8 Replica Lens Thermos Coffee Mug with Stainless Steel insert is up for sale. The replica from the photos look fairly well put together and adds a nice touch with the replica box and lens bag. You can find the Nikon 24-70mm F/2.8 Replica Lens Coffee Thermos Mug here.

canon-24-105-lens-mug
click image

The Canon 24-105mm Plastic cup also gets the Stainless Steel treatment making it finally useable for actual Coffee drinkers. If you haven't checked out my videos on these replica lens coffee mugs, they are actually made quite well. You would think that after this quality upgrade to Stainless Steel prices would go up from the normal $80+ dollars they used to fetch for, but in reality, now that popularity has died down they've become much more affordable for us geeky nostalgic collectors. You can find both Nikon and Canon Stainless Steel Replica Lens Mugs here.

• 7 Comments

•

sandisk-32GB-extreme-rebate
click image for bhphotovideo

Seeing how much video footage I can collect in a single wedding event this past weekend, I began my search for more Compact flash storage. Sandisk is one of those brands that you can't go wrong with, but the cheapest Sandisk 32GB Compact Flash Card on eBay right now for the SanDisk Extreme 60MB/sec 400x would be about $184 dollars. Luckily for me, the SanDisk rebates are available over at BHPHOTOVIDEO.com that allows you to save $70 dollars off the purchase of 2 cards making that price a sweet $155 each. Such a good price, it even beats out the rebate for (2) 16GB Sandisk Extreme Compact Flashcards.

It's a 'Limit Two Cards per Redemption Claim', but it's 'Limit Three Claims Per Household'. So with a bit of creativeness, you can get up to six cards per household. You can find those Sandisk Rebates going on Right Now Here.