Equipment Reviews

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dslr-rig-ebay
shoulder-rig-ebay

Wow, adding everything up on this rig, it's pretty much a sweet deal. No hassles in building and configuring your own DSLR setup, this listing has it all and ready to ship. Complete shoulder mount, tripod blocks, 1 follow focus for Focus pulls, 1 follow focus for Zoom pulls, A bunch of Focus Rings, (not shown) Waist belt + rod support, Matte Box, Shotgun Microphone, LCD Monitor + battery pack, JuiceBox to kill that AGC, LED Light panel, and more!

I was hesitant to post this up because for a split second I thought I should just buy it, and sell off some of my old gear to make up for the difference. There was one important calculation that prevented me from clicking the 'Buy It Now' button. After figuring out the time it would take to sell off my old items, effort to hide this from the wifey, time it would take to replace missing bank account funds, and the cost of divorce fees should I be caught randomly purchasing items.....Basically I can't afford it (right now). If your calculations are much different than mine, check out the full details and descriptions of the items bundled with this beast at the eBay listing. Check out this awesome complete DSLR Shoulder Mount rig available at eBay auction.

Note: I don't know this seller, and am not vouching for the validity of this auction.

• 8 Comments

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windtech-zoom-h1-muff
click image to buy WindTech

The Zoom H1 is the hottest talked about Portable Audio recorder since the Zoom H4n. I posted an article about it here. It's small, simple to use, high quality, and best of all 'Dirt Cheap'. Although it's not available yet, WindTech isn't holding out until last minute. There's already a 'Mic-Muff' available to help tone down some of that wind noise, should you decide to use the onboard microphones. I've heard the term 'Dead Cat' for the larger ones, 'Dead Kitten' for the smaller ones, and i'm personally going to coin this 'Dead Hamster'. Check out the new WindTech Mic-Muff for the Zoom H1 by clicking here.

Using this as a handheld microphone is quite handy, but you know, it does remind me of something. I just can't quite put my finger on it.....
trolls-doll-red-hair-700668

No word on if Zoom H1 is going to include a Wind Screen of their own, but i'm guessing it will be the standard black foam type. The one product that's made the most impact in this Wind Dampening area for the Zoom H4n product is the RedHead Windscreen.

redhead-windscreens
click image to find RedHead WindScreens

I've seen several test videos with the RedHead (by the way they aren't all red in color) and it's a must have for anyone planning on using the on board Zoom Microphones in breezy conditions. You can find video samples in any of his listings and prices by clicking here.

• 20 Comments

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remote-live-view-remote-shutter-cord

Wow, thanks Serge! This is a cool looking little gadget that Serge sent in for me to look at. It's not HD, but i'm assuming it's close to the resolution on the DSLR itself. A bit smaller in size at 2.5", but with some type of magnification this would be the solution that I mentioned LCD ViewFinders would be heading towards. With this type of simple setup offset shoulder rigs would be a thing of the past. The camera can remain mounted anywhere and the LCD + LCD View Finder can be moved into eye position by a simple articulating arm.

Depending on how long the cord is, this would work as a lightweight monitor for smaller Jibs / Crane type setups for 'framing' (not sure about focus pulling). It has it's own rechargeable battery pack too, but can accept DC power. A very cool function is that it acts like a Remote Shutter!(shutter function may only be for photography) Wow this is an excellent addition to the Palo Alto adapter for those low aerial shots. I can totally use this for framing shots while the camera is 10' feet high!. Very cool small lightweight product that i'm excited to get my hands on and the price is ridiculous! Oh, before posting this I did place my order in case they run out. Check out the new Remote LCD for DSLR video by clicking here.

Update:: They emailed me asking what Canon camera I have. They mentioned they have cables to support the Canon 5D Mark II, 7D, and T2i. I hope they ship fast, i'm interested in showing what this looks like with a video review.

• 11 Comments

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glidecam-hd1000-t2i

Hopefully the Glidecam HD1000 will be showing up next week. As many of you might know, I currently fly the HD4000 (big boy) and I love it. But in order for me to get smooth results with such a big stabilizer I have to load it up quite a bit, otherwise it's just way to loose. It gets heavy with all the gear loaded up (hence the vest) but flies really really smooth. There's times when I need to fly without a vest, so in my head I think I can get the HD1000 to fly some of these lighter DSLR's such as the Canon 550D / T2i or Sony NEX. It should be in sometime next week. If anyone currently uses the HD1000, please let me know what camera + lens you have balanced and possibly some sample videos. Thanks!

Here's the prices for the Glidecam HD1000 over at bhphotovideo.com.

• 8 Comments

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sony-nex-camcorder

sony-nex-interchangeable-lens-camcorder

Ok, so i'm sitting here playing with the Sony NEX-3 Interchangeable lens camera trying to figure out better ways to make this shoot like a real video camera. Next I get an email from Alex Cahiz pointing me to the latest Engadget article about Sony's latest Video Camera announcement. A 3" Swivel LCD, Still Photos, 1080p, 24 frames, and SDHC storage are some of the terminology being dropped, oh and also an estimated street price of $2,000 US. It should be bundled with an 18-200mm lens, so it's not a terrible price for something that acts more like a Video Camera should. Check out the full write up over at Engadget.

From the images above it looks like it has both an LCD and a ViewFinder for sharper focus? It also has a better Stereo microphone position over current DSLR's. The smartest thing Sony can do to really steal back some of the current market is to come out with a Canon Lens adapter right from the start. Hey, Apple went to the Intel platform, supported Windows installations, and now look where they are at. If Sony can adapt for Canon, i'm sure most of the Canon users would love to pick this thing up and test it out with the current gear they are already so much invested in.

Update: Looks like more specs are available and many comments are talking about the correction on 24p. It's actually 24Mbs bitrate which is half the 5D Mark II, and no indication of 24p. This is a big time deal breaker for people who can already afford the T2i with several aftermarket accessories available on the cheap. I don't think Tamron, Sigma, or Tokina are making Sony mount lenses for the NEX? This will definitely put Sony in a niche audience.

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kps_320602874_large

Thanks to a reader submission, here's an unusual LCD View Finder for DSLR's that's even viewable at an angle. Through the description it says it's also magnified. It looks to be similar in design as the Zacuto Z-Finder, but doesn't look to be quite the build quality. Prices are pretty steep, and I haven't seen anyone else talking about this or using it, but it's great to share this information I guess. You can find the unusual Angle Viewfinder for DSLR's at this link.

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I received the $99 Dollar DSLR Shoulder Shooter from Express35.com today. It was late when I got home, and didn't get to test it out with all my Canon cameras, but I did quickly throw on the Sony NEX which seems perfect for it. I have extra clamps which I was able to mount my Rode VideoMic and my Zoom H4n.

This is a great start to an excellent event coverage type rig for me. Very lightweight and very stable when holding it. Some things i'm looking to improve upon this lightweight setup is to replace the Rode Microphone with something hard mounted, not with a shock mount.

Azden-Hard-mounted-shotgun-microphone
Maybe an Azden Self Powered Mini Shotgun Microphone would suffice.

The Azden SGM-X found at BHPHOTOVIDEO.com, looks promising.

I also want to replace the Zoom H4n on this rig with the new Zoom H1 (once it ships). This would make it extremely light. Also I may add a very small LED light if I happen to be shooting in a Night Club scene.

zoom-h1
click image for pre-order

The Sony doesn't allow me to adjust Aperture manually with the current lens. There is a Canon FD mount adapter that will allow me to use those older Canon FD manual lenses on this Sony, so that should fix that problem. I'll see if I can get one of those to finish it off with a nice FD 50mm. Check out the Canon Lens to Sony NEX adapter.

canon-fd-lens-adapter-sony-nex
click image for Canon FD adapter to Sony NEX

Soon i'll get some footage up of a Canon DSLR on this $99 Dollar DSLR Shooter, unless someone beats me to the punch. As of now I love the look of this shoulder rig on this Sony NEX, and the rig seems to be the right size for it.

The Sony NEX interchangeable lens camera is now available at bhphotovideo.com

sony-nex
click image

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 IMG_5857
Strobist: Canon 5D Mark II + Canon 24-105mm IS F/6.3, 1/125th, ISO 200, Single 580 EX II (set to manual mode) Shot through White Umbrella - Camera Left. No HSS, triggered with ST-E2, Exposure Controlled by Fader ND filter.

My neighbor often sees me running around the front of my house chasing my kids around with my camera. He asked if I can take a few snaps of his daughter. I don't think he really knew quite my investment and experience in photography. It was about 12 noon on a super duper bright sunny day. In order to expose for the sky without maxing out my shutter speed and keeping some DOF, I threw on the Fader Filter ND. It was important for me to keep my shutter down under 1/250ths of a second. Forgive some of the shots, this is her first time in front of a camera, and she's only 13. We started in the studio (my living room), to get her a bit comfortable, then took it outdoors. I think she might have been a bit intimidated by all the equipment and assistants I had with me also.

Why not use High Speed Sync?
With a single 580 EX II, shooting through an umbrella, I wanted to use the maximum power output of my 1 flash. When going into HSS mode, the flash needs to pulse which reduces the power output. So by keeping my shutter speed to normal sync speed, I was able to use the full burst power. In actuality I only needed between 1/8th and 1/4 power. Staying at fractions of full power allows me to have super fast recycle times too.

Threw my subject into a shaded area to balance lighting, under exposed the sky using a Fader ND, and then filled my subject with a single 580 EX II off camera, shot through a White Umbrella, triggered by a Canon ST-E2. Very simple, portable, cheap, yet effective way to get quality fill flash outdoors. This method allows you to use any flash since the sync speed is below HSS needs. Too bad I didn't have someone shooting some BTS video, this would have been a great tutorial to share.

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sherlock-tones-music-video

Music video shot on (2) Canon 5D Mark II's. Here's the final version of a project I was invited to hang out with. A friend of mine told me they had plans to shoot a music video (all DSLR) at a San Francisco residence, so he invited me to check it out and bring some of my gear. This music video was for the artist 'Sherlock Tones' on a song featuring Terra Rothman titled 'Distant Strangers'.

The fairly large crew on set were kind enough to let me shoot along side as 'Camera B', with my Canon 5D Mark II and I was able to provide a few nice lenses that ended up being used quite frequently. Lenses used were primarily the Canon 100mm Macro IS F/2.8 (my new one), 85mm F/1.2, Canon 50mm F/1.4, and I believe Canon 24mm was on hand. There was a RedRock EyeSpy deluxe with Follow Focus on hand, but many of the shots were handheld or Tripod, and also the $99 slider played a very small role. You can catch some of the BTS footage shot by Warren during the music video shoot, and all cast and crew credit information can be found at this Vimeo link.

Thanks to all the guys who let me hang out. Hopefully I wasn't too much in the way of all the production, and helped contribute a little something to a very awesome shoot!

Credits from the Vimeo Link:
"Distant Strangers" is available on iTunes: ow.ly/29N6s
sherlocktonesmusic.com
inhouserecords.com

Director - Anton Delfino
Producers - Reinel Adajar, Khattab McIntosh, AC Lorenzo, Melissa Santikul, Eric Quintana
Co-Producers - Albert Mangay, Anton Delfino
Cinematographer - Albert Mangay
1st Assistant Director - AC Lorenzo
Gaffer/Media Manager - Eric Quintana
Production Designer - Melissa Santikul
Hair/Makeup - Katrina Baligaya
1st Assistant Camera - Chester Manuel
B Camera Operator - Emm
Media Assistant/Playback - Warren Moises
Production Assistants - Anthony Dimalanta, David Liem
Locations - Penelope Lim
Catering/Craft Services - Regina Lim, Victoria Delfino

Special Thanks - Tess Arenzana, Joy Bontigao, Monica Santos Quintana, Caleb Quintana, Julius Sambajon, Jon Fordham, Paciano Triunfo, John Raposas, AJ Calomay, Patricio Ginelsa, Christal Calderon, Jess Lin, Borrowlenses.com, Portillo's, Sherlock Tones and Inhouse Records