Equipment Reviews

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Quick over view of what to expect from the Z96 Dimmable DSLR LED Video light that everyone is raving about. As of now, since it's fairly new, it might run you about $20 dollars more than the 126 LED lights. I personally think that $20 dollar difference is well worth it, considering you'd be buying a $400 dollar unit similar to this from the brand names.

The Z96 carries many of the same features that make the 126 very popular. Dimmable lighting, multiple battery sources, LED technology, and cheap cheap cheap. Originally LED video lights were hitting the streets for over $400 dollars, so even thought this is NOT as cheap as the 126, it's still a bargain you can't complain about.

It's smaller, but feels more solid than the 126 LED video light. Smaller is nicer since it doesn't take up bag space. Too much spotlight is offending to your subject, so it's very nice that the LED's on the Z96 (even without the diffusion panel) work better than the 126 LED. The adjustable shoe mount neck is a much better design as well. Not as tall, but definitely solid enough to keep from adjusting off position. I like everything about the Z96 and the additional price I feel is well worth it. The 126 has been a solid performer for me and I currently own 3 of them still in use today. I haven't thrown the Z96 around as much so we'll have to hear about the long term durability. For now when i'm ready to work, this Z96 is the one LED video light i'll always grab first.

Note:If there are clones of real products, it's not uncommon to see a 'Clone' of a 'Clone'. We see this already with Battery grips. Mine is solid quality, fast shipping, great price. Here's the seller you should be buying from if you're considering purchasing the Z96 Dimmable LED DSLR Video Light.

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find-price-button Z96 Dimmable DSLR Video Light

[Update] Other links if the top one doesn't work Click here for Z96 Video LED Light

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(Above) Original LCDVF vs LCDVF Clone

Here's a couple of snapshots i'm sharing with everyone LCDVF vs LCDVF Clone. One is the real, and one is the clone. You can barely tell any difference at all. Even the bag is legit! The clone fit 'perfectly' on my original LCDVF metal frame that was already mounted on my cameras. Magnetic strength was the same for both.

After each strobe fired, there was a bit of color coming off of the Replica lens. I swapped positions in the lightbox, but you could still see a bit more reflection from the LCDVF clone optics. There could be a bit of truth regarding the way the glass is designed. This would only be noticeable if light were hitting it in a certain direction, so I wouldn't even consider that a 'problem'. It's like having glare on a window, but once you got your face up to it blocking that light you can see clearly. As far as Magnification it's pretty much on point. I don't notice a difference against my LCD glass. It's about a $100 dollar price difference between the real and the clone. I'll let you guys compare the photos and read all the comments to decide which would work best for you.

Imitation is usually the best form of flattery, but this is so close to the real deal, if eBay finds there is some Infringement issues, say goodbye to these uber cheap LCD Viewfinders. If it still works, here's the link to the LCDVF Clone Viewfinders for DSLRs.

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find-price-button LCD viewfinder x2,8 for Canon 5D MKII 7D 550D T2i

(below) Clone wearing the Upgraded Eyepiece found in this article
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Don't forget the upgraded eyepiece can be found in this article.

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click image

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Wow, I forget there's two delivery times here. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. This afternoon, these items just arrived for me to talk about. First up is the DSLR Glass LCD Screen protector for the Canon 550D first introduced in this article here. Wow this thing is nice! The fit is very OEM like with beveled edges to keep the smooth look and feel. Quality is superb.

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Available for 5D Mark II, 7D, and yes people even the 550D / T2i click images

Next up is the LCDVF 'Clone' or 'Replica'. Wow..Literally..WOW. I couldn't stop smiling when I opened the box. This is crazy..this is dead on exactly the same, I seriously could not find a casting flaw, an imperfect finish, or anything unusual about this item. I'd swear it was the real deal. If this isn't coming out of the same manufacturer, it's quite impressive how much this item has replicated every little detail of the real LCDVF.

Here's the link to the LCDVF Clone Viewfinders for DSLRs.

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click for pricing

Here's a pretty cool interesting tip!:
I received a comment earlier from someone else who had received the Glass LCD protector + LCDVF clone. They mentioned that when these two new items used together, it actually improved the viewable areas of the Canon 550D LCD without using a 3/2 version of an LCD Viewfinder. Now that I received mine, I had to test that theory out. The original 3" LCDVF design cropped a bit of the 550D LCD view by 1mm each side. You think you need a 3/2 version LCD Viewfinder? Think again. This odd combination seemed to work out and improves on correcting that 1mm crop on each side to just about a perfect view of the entire LCD.

View of LCDVF Clone + Glass LCD Protector on Canon 550D / T2i
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Find the LCDVF Viewfinder Replica following this link

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Some new things came in, and i'll be talking about them soon after I test them out. First up is the Z96 LED light that many are saying will be replacing the popular 126 LEDs. I'll test it out to see what the build quality is really like and compare it against the 126 LED (which I own three of). I received my Z96 LED light from this seller..

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click to find Z96 Dimmable DSLR Video Light

Secondly is the Yonguo Live View Shutter Remote. This mini LCD is supposed to display the Live View from your camera in case you're setup on a crane / jib, or or on a Palo Alto adapter. The mini LCD also has a few button options to fire off your cameras shutter. I went ahead and purchased 3 cables 5D Mark II, 7D, and a T2i cable to test against all the cameras to see how it works. I grabbed my Remote LCD Live View Shutter Cord from the cheapest seller found in this article here.

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click to find Remote LCD Live View Shutter Cord

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Wow, Lilliput is not playing around. There was a time when these 7" HDMI monitors were first released for about $200 dollars, but this still meant searching for a way to mount and power these bad boys up. Olahf just sent in a video of his unboxing the new 7" LCD + Battery + Shoe Mount Combo deal he received from eBay. This combo includes a supposedly newer 2010 model of the 7" monitor + Shoe mount + Battery pack so you're ready to rock from the get go. You can check out more details of these new monitors + battery packs Following this Link..

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click image to find Lilliput 7" + Battery + Shoe Combo Deal

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Looks like China is hip to the Viewfinder market. They are a bit late on this particular clone of The Real Zacuto Z-Finder, and i'm sure Zacuto's got some new finder in the works that will make this look a bit obsolete. Better late than never I guess.

Here's a quote from a reader.

Looks like Chinas sweatshop copycats are discovering the DSLR film-makers market. I got word from a friend who is doing business with Shengzen manufacturers, that they already got bored copying the 5 buck plastic thingy called LCDVF. They will start to ship a clone of the technically superior Zacuto Z-Finder Pro in September this year – of course the 3x version 😉

The image above is supposedly from their prototype modeled from The Real Zacuto Z-Finder. I'm sure they'll dress it up with a bit of color and coating when it's finalized. From the image above, it looks like they have it scaled pretty well. I'm sure it's not going to stand up to the quality of real Zacuto, but there's a trade off in price that doesn't stop users from making these over seas 'clone' purchases. We'll just have to wait to see where this one goes.

For those who have been complaining about Fog on the viewfinders, this might be of some help. Used in Dive masks and Goggles to resist fogging it should be safe on the eyes.

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Sorry it's been quiet on the blog and also I haven't been able to respond to comments and questions. I was working all weekend day and night cleaning up some warehouse space trying to setup a small studio. You know, I haven't had time to test my Timelapse Remote (intervalometer), and it would have been a perfect opportunity to have shot a timelapse against the work we were putting in. Lots of scrubbing, cleaning, and painting it's looks really different from when I first walked in. It's coming along quite nicely, but there's a lot more work ahead.

Fred Cavender from TuperHero.com picked up the Timer remote shown in this article here to test out his 7D Timelapse skills. Fred was also the one who was showing off his DIY DSLR shoulder rig modeled after the RedRock EyeSpy, and there's a much more updated version at his own website TuperHero.com. If you're looking into a remote For Canon 7D & 5D Mark II owners, here’s the proper remote (works on both).

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I've done a few videos about different DSLR stabilizers, and have been trying to get a hold of one these Flycam Nanos to do a review. At least there is this video (above) that shows some basic sample footage. So far of my favorite stabilizers for small cameras would have to be the Glidecam HD1000 shown in this article here. I don't know anyone who has one of these Flycam Nanos, and i'm not in a position right now to make a purchase just for a review.

It does look similar to a Glidecam Pro model (stabilizer without micro adjustment knobs), uses the same Gimbal balance setup and similar Fender washer weights like the Glidecam Pro. This little guy though runs about half the price of a Glidecam HD1000 and I expect should fly a T2i very easily. In any case, this is the only video I can find of anyone using this tiny stabilizer. Hopefully i'll get a hold of one for an official review soon. You can find the Flycam Nano stabilizers online here.

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The Flycam Nano

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I showed off the limited edition $99 Dollar shoulder shooter before, but I think this may be the first official review regarding the larger Express35.com shoulder support rig. Great job Josef! These aren't designed to be Steadicams as a walking running type rig, but Josef seems to have that movement down and it looks very stable. Not to mention that black on black.....on black looks damn good for a rig setup.

The price beats out those 'once popular' Korean rigs and Hong Kong rigs too. Express35 possibly has the cheapest available rigs and accessories in the US, yet still designed with high quality materials. These types of rigs follow exact standards, so adding additional gear from MatteBoxes to Follow Focus systems should mount with ease from any manufacturer. This seems like the best starter rig for anyone looking into a shoulder mount stabilizer. After seeing this review, I knew it would spark some interest, so I Twittered Express35.com to see if there's a special offer on the table for Cheesycam Readers. Here's the exclusive offer available now, but you gotta drop the blogname and thank Josef for hooking you all up.

Free accessory clamp (Mono Clamp) + Free Shipping in the USA exclusive Cheesycam deal with purchase of the shoulder rig.
-Express35.com

There you have it, was already a deal before the deal. You might also want to Follow Express35.com via Twitter too so you won't miss out on those short lived specials.

On another note, for a limited time Express35 just posted up the DSLR Shooter I reviewed a short time ago. The shooter gets an upgrade to Black on Black and there's only 6 available. It's not back down to $99 bucks, but the black coating should make up for that difference. Sorry the Free Shipping + Free Clamp doesn't apply to this shooter.You can find the new DSLR shooter here.

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