Equipment Reviews

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fleece-professional-viewfinder
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For those who are purchasing any type of aftermarket LCD Viewfinder and want to add the additional cotton, fleece, or microfiber eyepiece, here's the actual product that normally ships with the real LCDVF. I dug mine out of a box (never used it) and turns out this is the exact ones that ship with a new LCDVF. In fact after a couple of comments and referrals, turns out this Eyepiece company pretty much dominates this product line. They are available everywhere and are used by several different companies. Quality is top notch and available in Cotton, Fleece, and Microfiber.

The original one that ships from LCDVF came in Microfiber - Oval Small. Available in a variety of colors (yes even purple), ratings over at B&H are 5 stars, run much cheaper than the Jag35.com eyepiece, and after shipping pretty much cheaper than anywhere else. Soooo cheap in fact, it's practically disposable. I may have to grab a few to replace after they've become sweat soaked, or in case someone with cooties wants to borrow. Check out the Professional Fleece / Microfiber Viewfinders for your LCD Viewfinders.

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Any designs using these plug clamps, I've been crediting as the 'Johan' rig. Johan originally sent in his DIY DSLR idea found here, and it's been a hit. I even have my hands on these clamps trying to put together my own.

Here's one very cool looking DIY DSLR rig from Derek out in Detroit, with some fancy Carbon rods purchased from DragonPlate.com. Carbon rods? Nice touch! Shoulder pad and Grips are still on it's way, but Derek wanted to give us an early sneak peek. I can attest that even with my Fiberglass Tent Poles, these clamps are strong. Check out Derek rocking what looks like a 70-200mm on this setup, proving to be a structure more than adequate for smaller cams. Great job Derek, thanks for sharing.

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I get questions about the remote I use for my Painters Pole Photography with the Palo Alto adapter. I showed the above video a while back. Since the Canon 550D / T2i is such a popular camera, and I get questions about the remote, I guess it's about time I link out to the official remote for that DSLR. This is a combination remote so you can use the main tethered part alone, or if you need to step away from the camera the main will act like a receiver, and you can use the included Wireless remote. This only works for photos, not video.

Very handy to have, works much better than the Infrared remotes. You don't need line of sight and can be extremely far from the camera itself. As low as $11 dollars, mostly around $15 it's a handy little remote to have in the bag. Here's the same product available for the Canon 550D / T2i.

t2i-wireless-remotes
find-price-button Wireless Camera Photography Shutter Remotes

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[The above images were provided by Sean, thanks Sean]

According to the comments and emails coming in, It looks and feels like the real thing, but it's NOT being sold as the real LCDVF. In fact these replicas or 'clones' are going for less than half the price now. I'm still waiting for mine to show up, to do a side by side comparison, but i'm also the late one of the bunch who placed an order. Some others have sent in comments and emails stating it's not a replica, but looks to be the real deal with a different brand name. There's a few others posted online now, and it just seems to be getting cheaper. Again, this is the replica for the standard 3", but rumors are that in a few weeks a 3/2 Replica version for Canon 550D / T2i users will be available. Check out these super uber cheap Real Deal LCDVF Replicas.

lcdvf-replica-poland
find-price-button LCD View Finder for DSLR Cameras

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Wow, very cool examples of what type of footage you can achieve with the SpiderTrax Dolly design. Here's another simple build video of how parts from a normal skateboard, Cheese Plate, and Quick release adapter were put together for those slider and rotational shots.

Here's a link to the cheese plate that was used.
cheeseplate-glidecam

Two months ago, the video above also used Skateboard trucks and looks like a wooden base. This is definitely becoming a main stream tool for many DIY'ers.

Isn't it weird how I share these videos and information openly, while at the same time it's something that I need to sell? It's all good with me, because my main goal was always to share these ideas and inspire more creative footage. For those who weren't able to DIY and wanted something, I worked with a team to have parts professionally manufactured with solid aluminum, cut with Computer Aided Design, and special Anodized coating (not spray paint). You can find the SpiderTrax Dolly available at PhotographyandCinema.com

Big thanks to Jarrod and Think Gines for taking time to put this video together and sharing ideas for others to make.

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DSLRevolt WORKSHOP / PHOTODAYS ROVINJ / AUDI from Marko Butrakovic on Vimeo.

Today's the day I may be signing a lease for warehouse space in the Bay Area. I've collected quite a bit of equipment over the last year, and networking with other Photographers / Videographers has required me to have an actual 'creative' space to setup shop. One of the ideas of using this new warehouse space would be to hold DSLR workshops where we invite a DSLR Professional or Professional DSLR team in to manage a small class and tackle a very specific project. This will all be built from scratch where everyone can contribute to ideas in storyboarding, coming up with the shot list, taking hands shooting with the different equipment, and to final editing. Think of that TV show 'Monster Garage' but for DSLR shooters. Throw a team of people into the warehouse, give them a project, and see what comes of it.

I started poking around for ideas on DSLR workshops, and really enjoyed how this video was put together. Seems like a really fun thing to tackle and I might just have to give the local BMW, Porsche, or Mercedes dealerships a ring.

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zoom-h1

I was excited to pre-order the new Samson Zoom H1 portable Audio Recorder and posted this article. I received an email from the Pre-Order seller that the release date was pushed back to the August 20th. I completely trust the seller, but just to make sure everything was on the up and up I contacted Samson for an official comment.

Emm,
August 20th is the new release date. There was a production delay at the
factory, and it had to be held back. We are deeply sorry about this.

Thanks Samson for the fast response, and although i'm sad to say it won't be in my hands soon enough, i'm sure the delay is for good reason. Samson makes awesome products such as the Zoom H4n and unlike other companies claiming a release date Red Cameras or product availablity, they've always been on top of things. I expect these things to move fairly quickly, so if you're still interested in getting the pre-order, check out this article.

Tweet this article, pass the word, spread the news. Zoom H1 has been delayed expected August 20th.

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Wow, I was just talking about the SpiderTrax Dolly in my last post, but then received an email from SpiderTrax Dolly user 'Luke' with a link to his awesome BTS video. These guys are crazy! Looks like they ran a custom long track for some super long slider shots. Something you're not going to be able to do with a standard camera Slider. They also showcased some very cool rotational shots on the gym floor, again something you can't do with a standard slider. Other BTS footage includes the use in a wedding, tutorial videos, and more. This is a great video really showcasing the versatility of this product, and c'mon you can't beat the price! I have a feeling this video is going to sell out the first run of these SpiderTrax dollies, so if you don't have one, now is your chance. Visit: PhotographyandCinema.com

Thanks Luke, great job! More information about Luke and the rest of the team that put together some creative video footage can be found on the YouTube description over here.

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Modeled after the SpiderTrax Rotating Video dolly from PhotographyandCinema.com, YouTube member ZelenPol pulled off some really fun footage. This is a fine example of the types of video footage you can capture with the SpiderTrax Rotating video dolly, that you can't achieve from a camera slider. I just recently shot a video / photo shoot last saturday in which i'll show some of my BTS SpiderTrax Dolly footage, but if you're not the DIY type and need something professionally made, the final first run of the SpiderTrax Dollies are running low. Check out more information at PhotographyandCinema.com.