Photography Gadgets

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I've blogged about this item before at http://cheesycam.com/?p=241. This time around I thought i'd show you what it looks like on video. This is not limited to the 550D, in fact i've owned this special Macro Bellow since the Canon EOS 20D was new. For some reason I'm able to get best results using the 18-55mm kit lens on a cropped camera. It doesn't have Image Stabilization, but this little rail can outperform the $1000 dollar Canon 100mm Macro any day, and it starts for only around $30 bucks. You can find a bunch of these Macro Bellows for sale by clicking here.

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macro-bellows

This bellow works similar to these Extension Tubes found here.

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camera-armor-5d
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camera-armor
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This one looks a bit more beefier than the last Silicone Skin case I blogged about earlier. This one uses the term 'Armor'. Even though the higher end bodies are a bit more weather sealed, If you plan on going rough with your gear (paintballing?), you might want to give these guys a go. Especially for those of you who plan on taking the lighter weight 550D / T2i camera bodies out in the field. Available for different camera bodies, yes even Nikon, Check out some of the different available Camera Armor cases here.

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550d-waterproof-housing

Wow, awesome stuff here by NauticamUSA.com. Yeah first time i've heard about them too! Maybe because I was never crazy enough to take my gear underwater. The rig looks pretty sick and they've got something for the Canon 7D as well. I believe there is a Nikon D90 in there too, but who cares. JK Nikonians!! (sorta). Hopefully they'll be flattered that i've 'borrowed' a few images from their galleries to showcase it to you to guys. Hey it's free advertising Nauticam, now if only I can get one to review...hint hint nudge nudge. You can find way more cool photos of these rigs in the water, cool video samples, plus other housings at their website https://nauticamusa.com

These things look soo cool, i'd run around with them 'out of water'!

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Well thanks to some good tips, I was reffered to a pretty sweet deal on Amazon US. These appear to be the aftermarket batteries like the ones everyone has been searching for, but this kit also comes with a few other nifties. Not too bad of a price if you're looking for a reliable Amazon seller compared to an overseas eBayer. If you follow my blog, i'm STILL WAITING on my aftermarket grip to review from overseas. So if you're impatient about getting your batteries in a hurry, Here's more of the information about the 'kit'.

Technical Details
LP-E8 ACCESSORY PACK includes 6 of our top Canon accessories
1) 2 -Professional DIGITAL LP-E8 1500mAh Batteries w/2 Year Warranty
2) Mini black wire bendable tabletop tri-pod
3) Digital Matrex SD/SDHC Card Reader
4) Memory Card Wallet 5) LCD Screen Protector Kit.
Available Here:

Here's a snapshot of their Amazon feedback as a seller.
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Tweet it, FB it, Digg it.

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canon-hottest-camera

Just hanging out at Google Trends checking out which Canon Camera is the most popular as of now. As you can see the Canon 5D Mark II was a hit, but the Canon 7D was a huge hit!. Slowly coming in and above all the cameras is the Canon 550D a.k.a T2i. For kicks, I did compare this with some Nikon, Sony, Olympus, and other brands, but the graph showed these other cameras just aren't hip. Well, according to Google that is. ::You can find this report here::

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king-kong-3d

Wow, very excited about this one. Universal studios is always a fun place, and they have 'The Best Attractions' ever! This time they've got a new attraction called 'King Kong 360 | 3d'. So what's better than a Universal Studios 3D attraction? How about a Universal Studios 3D attraction with a $15,000 dollar prize?

The contest seems easy enough, especially since part of the requirement is that you aren't supposed to show any parts of Kong himself. (Put that Gorilla suit back in the closet until Halloween) From my guess, your goal is to show the rath, the suspense, or possible aftermath. Get a better read about the Contest rules and get your videos in for that $15 grand. Sounds like a fun project for sure.

Brief
King Kongs Path to Universal Studios
King Kong's Path to Universal Studios HollywoodYou are responsible that all content, including video, images and music, is your original work or you can provide written permission to use it from the creator or owner of the content. The unlicensed use of another person's work will disqualify your submission.

You can’t run. You can’t hide. You can only quiver in awe as King Kong passes through. “He’s never been this real.”
The 8th Wonder of the World- King Kong - is making his way to Universal Studios Hollywood for the biggest attraction of the summer, "King Kong 360 3D".
This new attraction will be the largest, most intense 3D experience on the planet.

Your Mission
We’re looking for the best short films showing King Kong’s journey as he heads to Universal Studios Hollywood.
Imagine what would happen if Kong went through your town? Bring King Kong into your world and show us the aftermath!

If you need a little inspiration, check out the teaser above.

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I would have to say that i'm never far from a camera. The iPhone works ok, but I really like the features of a DSLR's. I've been looking very closely to the Olympus Pen camera models as a solution because sometimes it's not a good idea to keep the 5D Mark II in the trunk of the car while i'm cruising the mall. Everyone is talking about Sony's new lineup as the new Game Changer in DSLR video cameras. The Nex-3 and the Nex-5 are soon to be released, main difference between the two are how the bodies are made. One beefier than the other as well as more advanced video recording features in the Nex-5. Sony is also talking about a concept Video camera that will accept the same interchangeable lenses as the Nex's. Where you at Canon?

After reading the writeup at BHPHOTOVIDEO.com, and checking out some of the sample photos, new 'sweeping panoramic' features, and fancy 6 photo analyzing 'Twilight mode', I think i'm sold on this one when it becomes available. You can check out the BHPHOTOVIDEO.com review here: https://photography.bhinsights.com/content/24-hours-sonys-nex-3-nex-5.html

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canon-5d-mark-ii-firmware-2.0.7

Wow, this is totally something i'm not used to. Canon's 5D Mark II has been out for quite a long time, but with it's constant demand, here's another firmware upgrade for additional improvements and fixes. One of the most demanding fixes was the problem initially found after installing the firmware 2.0.4 where the iris of the 100mm Macro lens 'exhibits abnormal movement'. Yeah I ran into that same problem doing video mode until I upgraded to the 100mm Macro IS USM lens. Glad to see they got that worked out.

Firmware changes
This firmware update (Version 2.0.7) incorporates the following improvements and fixes.

1.Fixes a phenomenon in which the aperture exhibits abnormal movement when shooting movies in manual exposure mode and Aperture Priority AE (Av mode) using some Canon lenses (such as macro lenses).
2.Fixes a phenomenon in which the exposure level shown in the LCD panel differs from what is shown in the viewfinder when shooting still images in manual exposure mode.
3.Fixes a phenomenon in which the Wireless File Transmitter (WFT-E4 or WFT-E4 II) may not automatically power off when used for FTP transfers.
These phenomenon only occur with the Version 2.0.4 and Version 2.0.3 firmware.

The Version 2.0.7 firmware being released this time is for cameras with firmware up to Version 2.0.4. If the camera's firmware is already Version 2.0.7, it is not necessary to update the firmware. You can download the new Canon 5D Mark II firmware 2.0.7 by clicking here: https://web.canon.jp/imaging/eosd/firm-e/eos5dmk2/firmware.html

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Woohoo! Happy these guys came in, I was waiting a few weeks for these. These are handlebar clamps for a camera with a standard 1/4 x 20 thread. These are going to work great for a ton of my DIY projects. Funny, I don't see anyone using them for the idea I have. I'm planning on using them on my Tripod Legs. They run less than $4.00 dollars each. I'm going to use these Handlebar clamps along with a simple L bracket to make a mount for my portable HDMI LCD.

Using these clamps, I can easily attach it directly to one of my Tripod Legs and keep the monitor close by and handy. In fact, I can use these clamps to mount other things to my Tripod like my Zoom H4n. I like this method better so If I need to dismount the camera, the LCD monitor or other accessories that I don't want to run with can stay put. The idea for the monitor stand is to use 2 clamps along one Tripod leg. The L bracket will be attached in between both clamps giving me a solid mount that doesn't shift. I'll show more as soon as I can spend some time in the garage, if you're interested in these clamps, you can buy them here.