I know this blog is more about photography and video, but the iPhone does these things quite well too. The new iPhone 4G wasn't a big secret, and now it's been officially announced today by Apple I believe as ' iPhone 4 ' with a new operating system OS called ' IOS 4 '. Supposedly there will be 100 new features including a front facing camera, second microphone on top (this all leads to video conferencing on a mobile phone), and a higher pixel display quality at 326 pixels per inch. A more scratch resistant screen, and LED flash, and still 25% thinner than the previous iPhone 3Gs. Wow, there's alot of new things which i'm sure includes faster processor and now 4G speeds. I haven't caught anything online, but there was rumors of the new iPhone shooting in HD. If so, that would be an awesome little camera for the Tiffen Smoothee. Check out the new iPhone Video Stabilizer from Hague. Anyone hear anything about that HD recording?
Update: Readers commented with 720 HD 30fps and new iMovie for iPhone. Check out the Comments for more iPhone 4 details. Thanks readers! I guess those video Stabilizers (above) would be awesome now!
I find it weird that some people still keep the OEM straps on their cameras. It might be great for a tourist type outing, but it's not very comfortable for professionals. Most people end up replacing it with different straps such as the BlackRapid R-Strap. If you must have a strap, try something smaller like the basic handgrip strap that makes it easier to grip the camera while shooting. It's cool, but it does require to mount under the camera which doesn't work well when moving to video rigs like Tripods, Sliders, Shoulder Rigs, or Steadicams. This strap works great for photos and videos, but uses the tripod mounting hole on your camera.
VisualRebel picked up on one of my earlier posts found here about cheap ways to shoot Macro. I'm not sure if anyone really believed the quality you can get from flipping a lens backwards, but the proof is in the pudding. This video was shot by VisualRebel using a standard 18-55mm on a 550D / T2i, and handheld used the cheap $99 dollar 50mm F/1.8 in reverse. This awesome little video does a good job in showing the quality of Macro with equipment you probably already have. Now take this setup outdoors with more light, and get in on those creepy crawlies like National Geographic.
If you've already got two lenses to do reverse Macro, then the adapter is cheap. If you're looking to simply work with 1 lens, especially the 18-55mm, remember to check out my review on the cheap Macro Bellow found here:
I recently posted a review on the aftermarket Battery + Grip for the 550D / T2i. Someone asked me how I would be doing my test comparing the battery life. Since I can't shoot continuous video until the battery dies, I thought doing a Timelapse test could possibly show if the photo count would be significantly more or less. For this test i'll be using the Intervalometer (timer remote) purchased for just $23.00 dollars + free shipping. One important thing to remember when buying an Intervalometer is the maximum number of pictures it can take. Some are limited, not sure why, but the one here had a 00 mode for unlimited shooting.
I won't be using the grip because that will take forever for the batteries to die. I'll just be comparing one battery against the other trying to figure out how many photos it can take before the camera batteries run out of juice. I'll let you know how the test goes when I can find a full day to run the timelapse (and something interesting to shoot too). You can purchase this Timer remote for as little as $23.00 + Free Shipping.
You're pretty much required to grab a Class 6 SDHC card for the 550D / T2i. For an awesome name brand you're paying around $130, and that's an awesome deal for that huge 32gb storage. Compact flash cards on the other hand, if you wanted speeds of 60MBS, you'd be paying several hundreds. Although Canon says you're not required to use 400x cards to shoot video, they say it will help with RAW read / writes + dumping that data down will be faster than ever. Right now Sandisk is running some rebates if you've got the cash to buy a couple of cards, or you can grab those same Rebate prices simply off eBay without having to mail anything in and waiting.
I'm still waiting to dive into the new Pen Camera which has much more improved photography and videography features over the original E-P1 and E-P2. I don't like the fact that the body has changed so much though. I was really fond of the nostalgic old school look with the leather cover.
This was interesting to me to find Olympus right away supporting their new E-PL1 with an OEM waterproof housing case. I'm not sure how much of underwater experience Olympus has, but there is a bit of security knowing it's all made to work perfectly and designed exactly for their own products. You can find the Olympus waterproof housing Available here at BHPHotoVideo.com.
What's going to be the hottest selling item in the DSLR world come July 30th? Well It's not going to be a DSLR. I predict the hottest selling item is going to be the new Zoom H1 portable audio recorder. C'mon for $99 dollars, and it's portable size, it's the perfect recorder for DSLR shooters. It's not going to match the many inputs of the H4n, or have as high quality, but it'll do the job where the H4n can't. One of the things i'm already thinking about is using these instead of wireless receivers on a Bride or Groom. Given the right lav microphone attached, these will run much much cheaper than any wireless set and guarantee to provide a high quality recording capture. More information can be found on the Samson Tech website.
I was asked by several people to do a review on the Canon 550D / T2i aftermarket battery grips that are found on eBay. I decided it would be best to do a side by side comparison to the real deal OEM Canon BG-E8 battery grip. Here's some video footage I hope helps clear some things up. The video is a bit long, but what's 10 minutes out of your life compared to the $$$ savings if you decide you want to go aftermarket.
OEM Prices:
The Canon BG-E8 OEM retails for $160.00
LP-E8 Rechargeable OEM retails for $60.00
AfterMarket Prices:
BG-E8 Grip available from $59.00
LP-E8 Rechargeable from $10.00
(I got the grip + 2 batteries for $69.00)
Ordering normally takes several weeks from overseas. There is never an option for overnight shipping from eBay overseas, so don't expect to place an order the weekend before your next event. The buyer I received mine from on eBay (found here),shipped it to me in just 7 business days after I placed the order. Very very fast for on overseas seller. The box and packaging inside the box is impressive and everything was bubble wrapped or came with a plastic shell cover. It even comes with some very clear, descriptive, instructional manual in different languages. Looks like quality stuff.
For the most part, the aftermarket battery grips functions exactly the same. Note: The battery trays cannot be swapped out. The OEM tray only fits in the OEM grip, the aftermarket tray ONLY fits into the aftermarket grip. The batteries of course don't matter. Aftermarket and OEM mixed up always show the battery life meter. One thing I highly suggest you purchase for any Grip owner is another charger. The grip requires 2 batteries to be used, and it truly sucks to be waiting on one charger. This is a must have for any Grip owner, so that you can charge another battery without waiting. As low as $1.99 + Free Shipping.
The build quality is almost exact. At first I believed these aftermarket grips were coming out of the same factory and just being rebranded (like most things), but in fact there are some differences in design. The color is a bit darker and doesn't match the T2i exactly, but you would never know the difference unless they were side by side. The texture on the grip is a bit different too, but feels the same (non slip). Weight also feels very close, and again, you'd never know unless they were side by side. If you look very very closely, you'll see the buttons are just millimeters off from the OEM, but basically in the same area and laid out just like the OEM.
As you can see, by going aftermarket you can save a ton of money. In fact you can buy almost three sets of grips + batteries compared to going OEM. If you're wondering about the longevity of these products, i've been using aftermarket Grips + Batteries on my 5D Mark II and my Canon 7D without any problems. Of course you do have to order overseas and through eBay for the best deals. Some sellers might not have the best customer service, but if you're looking to grab one from the same person I received mine, check out this link.
Next on the review is comparing the battery life from the OEM vs. Aftermarket. I can already tell you that it's probably going to be exactly the same, so why waste time and just grab them online now for as little as $7.99 US. Check out my article here: http://cheesycam.com/?p=752
Probably the best rail for a DIY slider, I believe this would be the same as a Glidetrack, is the Linear Guide rail from Igus. Normally used for Robotics, these precision machined aluminum rails use Dry bearings to slide. No greasy bearings. A.K.A. ZaZa slider, you can find more information here https://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=145701
After reading a few threads and checking out the ZaZa slider group over at Vimeo.com, I decided to build my own. This post is really late because I had already ordered this item about half a year ago, but finally decided to finish it with a Fluid Head. It pretty much just sat waiting for this last piece. It's a work in progress, i'll probably change from one Tripod to 2 (1 each side) for more stability. I'll use Quick Release plates on each end to break it down faster. Oh well, here's my first run.
[Update] After the popularity of this DIY Project, the company IGUS now sells the complete kit and some predrilled. Here's the link to grab possibly the cheapest high quality DSLR Video Camera slider: Igus DIY Slider Kits
Canon LP-E8 Battery Chargers
