Photography Gadgets

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Pancake lenses are just one of those interesting conversation starters amongst photographers. Tools like these get you into a different mindset of how you compose your shots, much like how you would reconsider your style of photography with Tilt-Shift lenses. Here's a cool little Pancake lens by Loreo called 'Lens in a Cap'. It's about 35mm and adjustable from F/5.6 - F/64. It even acts as a Body Cap protecting your sensor when you don't have a lens on, but at the same time, it's ready to shoot when you are. You can find the Loreo Lens in a Cap here, starting at $24.50 + Free Shipping.

You can even find a Flickr group for the Loreo Lens in a Cap located here.

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Timelapse videos are cool, but panning and moving Timelapse videos are the coolest. Check out Dynamic Perceptions Stage Zero Motorized rig for motion Timelapse videos. Sean Stiegemeier used the prototype v2.1 to produce his stunning footage of the legendary Iceland volcano video at: https://vimeo.com/11673745. Very cool stuff, something I want to try, but I doubt i'll get the chance to shoot something as interesting as an Iceland Volcano. The best Timelapse video I might be able to provide you is my non-landscaped dirt filled backyard growing weeds this summer. No word on pricing yet, but i'll let you know as soon as I hear something.

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There aren't too many photos of these Canon L Coffee mugs online. Normally it's the same photos being recycled over and over on the internet. I just thought I'd share a few more of my own. Sorry, i'm shooting these from work, i'll get these into my Product Photography Cocoon soon enough. I wanted to take some additional photos of the detail around the sides, top, and bottom for everyone to get a better view. Everyone that sees this thing always takes a triple take because it looks just like the real 70-200mm F/4. There's some shots of it next to the real deal.

Find more information on where I got mine from this blog post, Click Here..

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I'm one of those guys who started in Photography with DSLR's and now having fun with the Video features. I was recently referred a book, which might help some of you ease into that transition. It's interesting to see these type of books coming out, regarding the transition or mix of Photographer and Videographers. The book looks pretty good with 12 reviews on Amazon, and with an average of 5 stars (the most). Sounds good, looks good, and even name dropped Scott Kelby - photographer, author, president of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP).

Editorial Reviews

Review

“If you’ve been looking for the one book that teaches you how to bring DSLR video into your workflow, this is the only one on the topic I’m telling my friends to buy.”
—Scott Kelby, photographer, author, president of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP)

“Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a novice still photographer…this book has the answers you need, even if you don’t know you need them yet.”
— Scott Bourne, Publisher, Photofocus.com

Product Description

With the arrival of high-definition video-enabled DSLR cameras, photographers are faced with an opportunity for creativity and a competitive edge in their field unlike anything they’ve experienced before. Add to that the expanding demands from a video-hungry audience and it’s no longer a matter of if you are going to add video to your repertoire of skills, it’s when.

Here to guide you in a thorough exploration of the video-making process — from preproduction to post — and to ease your transition from still to motion are four veterans who speak the language of both photography and video fluently. With their clear, instructive approach, they quickly get you up to speed on everything from picking your gear, to properly lighting for motion, to using professional-level audio, color correction, and editing techniques, to media management and outputting, and much more. Here are just a few highlights from this richly illustrated, completely interactive book and DVD:

  • Explores the entire spectrum of video for DSLR camera owners, with recommendations on gear, planning, lighting, lenses, audio, editing, color correcting, exporting, media management, and more.
  • Covers a wide variety of shooting styles, including indoor, outdoor, studio, portrait, event, and available light.
  • Addresses technical challenges associated with DSLR video, such as camera movement, multiple camera coverage, low-light videography, and synchronized sound.
  • Explores additional creative techniques such as stop motion and timelapse photography in depth.
  • Includes a real-world example of a music video and promo package throughout the book to demonstrate concepts in action, with additional profiles of photography experts in nature, sports, commercial, and weddings and events.

The accompanying DVD contains over 6 hours of video training that delves deeper into each topic, as well as high-definition footage, hands-on project  files, and templates to experiment with and follow along.

Another Book you might be interested in is 'Mastering HD Video with your DSLR'.

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Not long after posting about Multiple Mounting brackets you can use to add accessories to your DSLR, I was submitted this neat little mount by olahf. This Beachtek Multimount looks like it adds quite a bit of shoe type mounts which should hold up on Framed cameras such as the 5D Mark II and Canon 7D. Although it's a little too crowded for me personally, I can see this being a cool little bracket add-on for a DSLR cage, Tripod, or even Shoulder Rig. The brackets can be purchased from bhphotovideo, by clicking this link.

Thanks olahf! Anyone else have anything to share, drop a comment, or use the contact form.

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You can check out more of Waylon's projects on his Vimeo, drop him a line and give him some props.

I formerly met Waylon through the Vimeo community from a friend of a friend. Waylon was already shooting video on a consumer camcorder so he had just a bit of editing practice. After introducing him to some of the professional videos online from seasoned DSLR cinematographers I had been following, he decided to take the plunge into DSLR videography. Jumping into the Canon 7D for it's ability to provide quality photos and videos, it wasn't very long before he started producing some awesome videos like the one above.

The silly bride dancing around is my cousin, and she invited to bring some gear along to help capture some of those special moments, but was just hanging back as the backup photographer / videographer. Waylon joined me in this event to practice some of his composition, slider technique, and Steadicam / Glidecam work. I have to say, the guy is good and getting better. These are just short clips of some Behind The Scenes footage Waylon put together for me. You can see me running around with my Radio Poppers and Wifey is holding the flashes. You can check out more of Waylon's projects on his Vimeo, drop him a line and give him some props.

Technical Photography Gear by me:
Canon 5D Mark II + Canon 7D
Canon 24-70mm F/2.8, 50mm F/1.4, 100mm Macro IS USM, Tamron 18-270mm (yeah tamron is pretty cool).
(2) Canon 580 EX II Speedlights
Radio Popper PX transmitters + Receivers on Canon ST-E2 transmitter

Technical Videography Gear by Waylon:
Canon EOS 7D
Canon 24mm F/1.4, 24-70mm F/2.8
$99 Camera Slider (I blogged about here) on Monfrotto CF tripod + 701HDV Fluid Head
Fader ND Filters
Steadicam Merlin Vest + Glidecam HD 4000 (Yah, he's invested in the Cheesycam Hybrid setup too!!)

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canon-photographer-vest
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I'm thinking this would be a great addition to my new Canon Coffee mugs. LOL. Vests are geeky, but if you're hired to work on a gig, they are actually very functional. It's like wearing a backpack, but instead of all the pouches on your back, you got gear all over your body. From the post, they say it's a legit Canon trademark and licensed apparel. Looks pretty cool, just thought some of you might be a Canon-holic like myself. Click on the image above to get to the product page, or click here.

Description of Auction:
This is a Brand New Canon Pro Photographer's Vest/Jacket. Never been dressed. It is officially issued by Canon. Not pirated. Made of cotton. It is a functional tool and a good looking addition to any photographer's wardrobe. Red Canon logo embroidered on the chest pocket and back. Two Velcro® closing patch pockets provide fast access for any accessory. Four zippered pockets give the photographer secure space for accessories. Four more pockets close with Velcro® can be found on the inside of the vest. A "D" ring provide safe accessory and press pass attachment points and snap down epaulets keep camera and bag straps from slipping off the shoulder. Machine washable. Available in size L/ XL and XXL.

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photo 3

I've been posting about these for a long time. I went through hurdles to find out about getting these things over to the US, but found out that the Manufacturer can't get them over due to a contract with Canon. Yes, I had a friend in China who talked to the owner 'in person'. In fact I had 2 people talk to the owner 'in person'. Well they did show up on the black market of eBay and other websites.

I wanted to do something nice for Canonholics out there and took the plunge purchasing the Canon L Lens mug from CanonMugs.com. They run a bit high, but if you gotta have it, you gotta have it. Most of the concern was not the high $45.00 dollar / item price, but was it legit? Purchasing these items come from oversears and it's always buyer beware. Even eBay sellers who are auctioning are just recently registered members with very little feedback. So for the sake of the Cheesycam readers who really wanted to order these things, I can attest that I've received my set of 2 mugs (kinda worried for a while).

If you're interested in grabbing one of your own, check out CanonMugs.com. It's real....they are very real..and they walk amongst us. Well mostly at Starbucks at least. Later, i'm going to Starbucks to get my Canon L lens mugs filled!

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aftermarket-battery-grip-550d

Originally the battery grips for the 550D and T2i were very hard to come by. There were no aftermarket ones available. There were of course aftermarket batteries, which I was able to purchase and they work great, but I had to special order an OEM canon grip from Calumet in San Diego. I just got a comment on my last post about the aftermarket batteries for the T2i / 550D, stating that the Aftermarket grips are now available for as low as $69.00 dollars and they come with x2 batteries + Free Shipping. You can find a list of these grips following this link.

Below are some images i've grabbed from an eBay seller, and they look pretty spot on to the real thing.

Click here to buy Aftermarket Battery Grips + Batteries from eBay for the Canon EOS 550D T2i
If anyone has already received these items, holla back, comment on this post, or share it through the Share widget below.