If you've got a Panasonic GH2, or other Micro Four Thirds camera, you'll know what this lens is. It's been tough to track down lately when they went out of stock because it's just that awesome for a MFT camera. Luckily I grabbed mine months ago, and it's been on the GH2 as the primary lens. My GF2 also came with the 14mm Pancake, which is another popular and highly recommended lens for these MFT cameras. More than likely this new shipment of the 20mm won't last very long, so if you've been waiting patiently here's a chance.
Panasonic GH2
Panasonic Lumix G3 Pre-Order
Panasonic GH1 / GH2 have a strong following and when it comes down to DSLR video it's almost 'cult-like'. Ok guys - you win. Panasonic does have some awesome qualities in DSLR video, but I still can't get through the ergonomics as quickly as I can the Canon DSLR's. That's a personal preference. Of course I did buy into the GH2 and recently Lumix GF2 (which i'm loving so far).
Now Panasonic has updates it's 'G2' model with the new G3. The new G3 digital upgrades the common 12MP chip found in most Panasonic's to a new 16MP chip, and adds many of the new touch screen controls like the GH2 and GF2. So far the Panasonic's 'GH2 is just completely sold out, and has been since it's announcement. The new G3 looks pretty good, but I don't think it will have the same effect being sold out, but it's available on pre-order now.
Panasonic Lumix G3 Pre-Order
Zeiss Compact Prime for MFT (four thirds) Mount
How serious is the world taking the (MFT) Micro Four Thirds movement? Pretty seriously I guess if Zeiss is now making the Compact Prime cinema lenses for a native MFT mount to cameras like the GH1, GH2, or Panasonic AF100. Originally available in just PL, and then to interchangeable PL + EF (Canon) mounts, this new move to MFT could mean there is something special down the line we haven't even heard about yet. I'm just speculating....
Already available to ship (takes a few weeks) if you've got a big budget. Otherwise, you might just be better off renting them on a 'per project' basis. The Zeiss CP.2 Prime Lenses for Canon EF mounts can already be rented from BorrowLenses.com found here: https://www.borrowlenses.com
Intervalometer Remotes – GH2
If you're looking to do Timelapse with the GH2, there's a few options for remotes (none as cheap as the ones available for Canon). Vimeo member Olivia writes in showing the Pixel Intervalometer (a.k.a Timer Remote) in action. Seems to do the job pretty well firing off the camera at whatever chosen interval setting. Not sure what's going on with all those extra menu options such as Delay and Long. The Pixel one she's using is cheapest via Amazon than through eBay, and you can find it below. [Thanks Olivia]
Pixel Timer Remote Control Shutter for Panasonic
Of course i'm always looking for a deal, but unfortunately eBay isn't the place to find a cheap Intervalometer for the GH2 at the moment. There's actually a different model that runs even cheaper than Olivia's, but says only 5 left. Does it work? No reviews on this one just yet, but i'm guessing it works just fine. I might have to grab me one of these.
LED-5001 DSLR Video Light Kit w/ Lithium Battery + Charger
These 'other style' LED lights are popping up everywhere you look, especially on eBay were most of the LED Video lights start out. At first glance the style is similar to the Comer light, but it's not the same, and it's not even half the price of even the 'generic Comer'. The above video review from Vimeo member Olivia shows some sample use with the LED-5001 (or sometimes called VL5001)
The LED-5001 video light kit has (3) LED's, comes with a folding Diffuser, Tungsten Filter, and two barn doors. Nice to have all those filters and gels in one place rather than thrown in your bag. The LED kit also comes with a battery charger and Sony compatible 7.2V rechargeable Lithium Battery - and yes it's also Dimmable. Run time? Not sure, but looks like you can still mount Sony's double sized 7.2V battery as opposed to the smaller one provided with the kit. [Thanks Olivia]
Dimmable Video LED Light Lithium battery with Charger 4 Leaf Barndoor For on Camera DSLR Video
Atomos Ninja – Any Day Now
If you've been following the long wait for the Atomos Ninja HDMI recorder, then you'll know it should start shipping this week (hopefully). It's a sexy little unit that acts like a low res monitor, but is really a portable recorder to capture uncompressed Video goodness. Many times this is done by connecting a Video camera to a computer of some sort and a capture card. Above is a nice little example from Vimeo member UrbanFox.TV or what the Ninja is all about. It's already been delayed for several days and i'm waiting to see some examples.
DSLR shooters probably aren't going nuts for something like this because it's pretty rare to get clean HDMI out for recording. Sure the 7D outputs in 1080, but there's something not quite all there.. Other non DSLR camera shooters who use higher end Canon's, the fancy Sony's, and Panasonic are literally drooling for a portable solution to capture uncompressed HD output signals. Sony camera like the EX1 will need SDI input on a recorder, so soon another version 'the Samurai' will meet those requirements. [Note: Though your camera may output uncompressed signals, the Ninja saves the incoming signal to Apple ProRes]. Rumor mill is that only 250 units will touch US ground on this first shipment and who knows when the next batch arrives. If you weren't on the pre-order list and didn't get confirmation to receive one soon, it looks like someone is making one available via eBay.
DIY Mini Shoulder Brace + Mini Tripod
I love me some RedRock Micro gear, but unfortunately i'm just one of those poor souls who can't afford even their entry level stuff. As seen in the image below, this is just one bundle in the line up of RedRock Micro's Nano rigs called the Running Man. Pretty solid piece of gear that doesn't look quite overkill. Light weight, sturdy, sets up fast, and packs down small. Nice little stabilizer for the frequent traveler. You can find the Running Man rig here: Redrock Micro nano - RunningMan
Having a few spare parts around the studio, just decided to mount the Calumet Mini Tripod / Handle to a Manfrotto 361 Shoulder Brace for Monopods. The bearing on the shoulder support spins freely, but by adding a handle under the camera, you can keep it steady. It's also handy having the handle break out into a Tripod to rest the gear down (gotcha on that one RedRock..JK).
Would be an interesting travel brace for a smaller camera like the GH1, GH2, Sony NEX, or A55. I don't know..all for fun...
700RC2 Mini Fluid Head + 190XDB Tripod
Client-Kata bags
Producing/filming/editing-Johnnie Behiri
Shot with the Nikon D90 (all but the Antarctica and wild life)
No CC, only a bit contrast corrections.
Lenses used: Nikkor 50mm 1.8, Nikkor 16-85mm, and Tamron 70-300.
Tripod: Manfroto 756XB and 700RC2 head
Voice-over recorded with Edirol F1-field recorder (hard disk video/audio recorder for dv/hdv/sound only purposes).
Editing on Adobe Premiere CS2 with Cineform Prospect 4k plug in.
The 717AH is a great fluid head, but what other options are there for inexpensive Micro video fluid heads? Well the Manfrotto 700RC2 Mini Fluid video head drops down a few bucks with B&H surprisingly coming in cheaper than anything over at eBay and slightly under Amazon. Keep in mind it's rated to support only 5.5lbs, something that might be good for the growing Panasonic GH2 audience. Don't expect this to support a camera slider, it's best for camera only.
Over at B&H Photo Video they also have a special kit thrown together combining it with the 190XDB Tripod if you're in need of that too. I've never used one, but there's quite a few videos via Vimeo that show some serious travelers using the fluid head for it's small size and light weight (such as the Kata video above by Vimeo member Johnnie Behiri).
Manfrotto 190XDB Tripod Legs (Black) with 700RC2 Video Fluid Head
Mini $26.00 LCD Very Usable for EVF Project
So I tested some playback on the GH2 with this mini-lcd, but that wasn't the test I was hoping for when I first got this LCD. The Panasonic GH2 will only output in recording mode through the HDMI. It can only 'playback' through Composite. The Canon cameras can output from Composite, so I brought in the AV cables that are provided in the box. It's great to see that the LCD actually scales the input properly too. Something else that's pretty cool. When the Canon is displaying the Live View, it doesn't use the entire 3.5" LCD. Why is that cool? Because I threw on one of those magnetic frames for my LCDVF for 3" LCD's and it's just about a perfect fit over the displayed image.
The tests with the Canon 60D are awesome, and much more than I expected from a sub $26.00 dollar LCD. It's definitely usuable for my DIY EVF ( Electronic View Finder ) Project. Might not be compared to other EVF's (coming) on the market, but for under $26.00 dollars, i'm not complaining. It does what I need it to do for now. My plan now is to mount a 1/4x20 Nut to the rear of the LCD and use a Friction Arm to position it wherever I want. [Update] Did it.
This should also work perfectly with my GoPro HD camera as well, since the GoPro lacks it's own LCD. Here's another cool little kicker, since you're all wondering how it's powered up. As I expected, it doesn't even require 12Volts to run. I attached it to a simple 9Volt battery. Yes 9 volt battery people, that's all it takes to power this bad boy up. One thing I was noticing though is that the exposure wasn't as good with the 9 Volt battery. I think even though it turns on, it's under powered and causes the display not to look as good as it can be.
If you're searching for this mini monitor too, this is how the LCD looks (below). It's a bit confusing since resolution is listed differently depending on the auction, but I think they are all the same. It's a 3.5" LCD with Composite input. If you see one like this, it's probably it. More to come with these Mini-LCD's from Cheesycam for sure.....
Mini LCD Monitor with 960×480 Pixels