I cruise through the Cinema5D news articles periodically to see what Jared Abrams is up to. It seems for the past 2 days it's been down though. Wonder what's going on? Hopefully it will be up soon, Jared has been posting up some really cool 'Quick Take' reviews lately, something I haven't seen on that website before. I'm getting a few different messages depending on the browser that i'm trying to use to get to Cinema5D.
Possibly the system was hacked? There's a harmful warning when using Google search.
More mail just arrived this morning, but nothing that looks like a Zoom H1. Weak sausage....
Oh well....we'll see what will be in store for today's bags. Hopefully something exciting, more likely not though. I buy the most random things sometimes. I feel like Mr. Rogers when he comes home every morning he has a story mapped out for everyone. I just need a small cable car named Charlie to introduce a talking cat and some crazy lady.
I was cruising the web and ran into Jared Abrams from Cinema5D.com showcasing the Swintronix PowerBase 70 Power Pack for the Canon 5D Mark II & Canon 7D. This is a pretty cool solution for those who are concerned about battery power and want to make sure you're running all day. Not a bad price for a unit that claims to hold the same power as 5-6 Canon LP-E6 batteries, and also has output options to power other equipment too.
Most people might not remember this, but long ago Digital Cameras used standard AA batteries, not rechargeable Lithiums. Battery technology was poor and run time was terrible, so you really tried not reviewing your images on the LCD. I remember owning an older camera that had the option to plug into an AC outlet. The brick converted AC back into DC for the camera. So I fashioned up a relative Voltage RC Car battery as my mobile power source. Worked great, dirt cheap, fast recharging, and lasted much longer than AA batteries. Ask around, you'll be surprised how many photographers are using RC car batteries for many projects.
Note: Don't follow my Lead. This could be a disastrous project.
My mind is wandering and I'm going to stir up some thought here about a possible DIY power pack for the Canon 5D Mark II. Taking a peek at the Swintronix PowerBase 70, I believe it has a rating for 14 volts but the Canon LP-E6 Battery is only rated at 7.2 volts. This sounds like there are (2) 7 volt batteries in this PowerBase. The 14 volts can be offered if these two 7 volt batteries are run in Series. Extended run times can be offered if these two 7 volt batteries are run in Parallel.
Here's the simple parts needed for a possible DIY Power Pack for the Canon 5D Mark II or 7D. First a way to connect power into the Camera. Available is an aftermarket ACK-E6 AC Power Adapter designed specifically for LP-E6 cameras like the 5D Mark II & 7D. This very specific adapter seperates from the 'Brick' leaving you with a simple adapter, not to be confused with the ones that don't seperate from the power brick. I won't need the brick, just the Battery adapter part with short wire lead.
click image
Second, just one 7.4v Lithium Rechargeable Battery will do the job powering up the camera, but if I want longer run times, i'll need to run two 7.4v batteries in Parallel. The single Canon LP-E6 Battery is rated at approx 7v 1800mah -aftermarket batteries around 1500mah. To make this worth carrying around, each 7.4v battery should have at least twice the milliamp hour rating if not more. The battery image below shows almost double the milliamp hour rating from the stock battery, so it's possible it may last twice as long. click image
Outside of those two parts, i'd need to take a short trip to Radio Shack for some wire adapter to mate the two, a decent looking electronics project box for the enclosure, and 7.4v battery charger for RC cars to recharge. I think it's quite possible to create a DIY Power Pack for the Canon 5D Mark II or 7D for a Total price roughly under $125 dollars. I really don't see why I need to make something like this, i'm just thinking out loud as usual.
Yes this blog has many DIY posts, but you won't find a DIY jib or camera crane article on here. I thought those types of articles were just over saturated and you can find that information just about anywhere. Thanks to Tim for sending this in, this DIY Camera Crane video by Martin Roberts showcasing his build was one that definitely needed to be shared. Not only a very clever build with lots of thought in place on the design, the video is edited and pieced together nicely too. It's not a very informative DIY video about how you can go about building your own step by step, but those who might be DIY savvy can probably pickup some tips. There's also additional photos over at his Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/53188536@N06/
In reference to my recent post about the new Nikon Replica Lens Mug with Zoom capability that I received, here's some images. The details on these replicas are incredible. Also there's some images of my other Canon Replica Lens mugs. The 24-105mm Lens mug you see in the gallery is the old one. The new Canon 24-105mm F/4 Replica Lens mug now has a stainless steel insert. Images were shot in my Product Cocoon with a Canon 580 EX II speedlight on each side triggered by my Canon ST-E2 transmitter. Images are a bit underexposed, but it's about midnight, and hopefully these should be good enough to give you an idea of the quality and detail of the Nikon 24-70mm Replica Zoom Lens Coffee Mug with Stainless Steel insert
About 2 months ago JJ @ OrangeWeddingFilms.com posted a video stating he was going to put together a test between the Canon 24-70mm F/2.8, Sigma 24-70mm F/2.8, and the Tamron 28-75mm F/2.8 in Video use. Looks like he's posted a few first samples just yesterday and in some cases you do see difference in Contrast, color, and sharpness. I personally like the Canon 24-70mm F/2.8, but if you're happy with the results, you can save a bit of money on the other non Canon brands. Here's the break down on lenses, prices, and what you're comparing.
To follow up on his first review against these lenses, i've owned them all at one point. I still have the Canon 24-70mm F/2.8. Sigma makes some really great lenses, I still rock my Sigma 20mm all the time. I started with the Sigma 24-70mm F/2.8 before my Canon L, using it for photography. Compared to the Canon it was slower on auto focus, more noise when focusing, and problems with communication when using Infrared metering from my Speedlite. This is when I upgraded to the Canon 24-70mm F/2.8 L. The Sigma 24-70mm F/2.8 of course is half the price of the Canon 24-70mm, so if you're looking for a strictly Video lens with this range, all these quirks might not be a problem for you. If you're a hybrid shooter of both Photo and Video, you'll get better performance and image quality from the Canon.
I'm not going to get deep into the Tamron lens, I love Tamron lenses like my 18-270mm as my travel lens choice, but if you're going to be dealing with the weather, this is where the Canon 24-70mm L lens proves it's worth. Many of the cheaper lenses provide decent image quality at an affordable price, but lack the weather sealing, quiet motor, and fast autofocus. I had problems with an earlier lens (I won't mention any brands) shooting in light fog which crept into my lens and pretty much ruined it with moisture from the inside. Again, if you're just doing strictly video and not worried about auto focus noise & weather, you'll find great deals in the Sigma and Tamron brands, and also Tokina which isn't part of this test because they don't have a lens available in this range.
Update: Just confirmed with JJ that his test was using the older Sigma 24-70mm F/2.8. There is another more silent and higher end 24-70mm F/2.8 HSM priced at about $899.00 from Sigma that has not been tested. This is said to be a close rival to the Canon 24-70mm F/2.8. click image to find at bhphotovideo.com
Igus is the manufacturer of the popular Drylin W Linear Guide rail. Linear guide rails are seen in robotics and manufacturing type machines and associated with lube and grease, not good for cameras. This design uses 'Dry Bearings' so it was natural that this rail exploded onto the DSLR Video scene as one of the most widely used rails for DIY camera sliders AND by actual retailers of Camera sliders. From what many are saying, the early adopters for this rail call this the 'ZaZa Slider' and you'll find a group on Vimeo from people making it from Igus rails.
You can see this same basic rail design in Glidetrack, Kessler, and others. When I first created my DIY Camera slider, I had to call IGUS in Ireland, figure out the exact parts I needed, and have it shipped from overseas. Looks like so many camera manufacturers have been using their rail, Igus is now hip to DSLR video, and they are now posting an item at Amazon.com specifically as a 'Camera slider'. The nice thing in this image is the new side clamp on the carrier designed to lock the carrier in place. I was using old hand clamps to keep mine from shifting as I was transporting.
You can check out my DIY Slider in this video to see what this whole thing looks like put together. There was a bit of drilling needed to get the rail onto the tripod, and a bit of drilling to get the Fluid head onto the Igus Carrier, but very easy material to work with. Take my advice and don't get 4 feet of rail. It's nice and fun, but soooo long it's akward to carry it around. You'll be better off with 2 feet, 3 feet MAX. Well thanks to Igus, it looks like they are making things a bit more streamlined for us DIY'ers interested in building our own camera slider with a straight purchase to the complete set. Below is a link to the most popular one they are saying, but here's a link to More Igus Camera Slider Rails.
Product Description
Modular DryLin® W linear guides ensure a smooth, lubrication-free gliding motion for camera slider systems. Used by manufacturers of high-quality, complete systems, as well as individual DIY video enthusiasts seeking individual components for camera dollies and camera slider assemblies.
Our most popular camera slider size. Includes 1,000mm-long guide rail (39.4") with 9 holes evenly spaced and a 100mm-long carriage plate. Carriage plate features 4 low-friction plastic bearings for smooth and quiet operation, as well as extra bolts to prevent misalignment.
Oh yeah, i'm a Canon guy through and through, but I got a thing for toys. Just received the Nikon Telephoto Zoom Lens 24-70mm Stainless Steel mug and my friends are already drooling over it. It's quite nice, and gives me an idea for what some of these less fortunate Nikon shooting friends of mine would receive for Christmas or Birthdays. As far as shipping goes for this product, HOLY COW that was fast. I'm normally waiting weeks and weeks to get stuff like this in, but this one came in very quickly. Big ups to this Seller of Souvenir Canon and Nikon mugs, definitely a store to order from. I'll get home and take some nice up close macro product shots to share tonight.
Opening up a new article here, hopefully we'll get some comments in that will provide for anyone seeking information on upgrading to these DSLR Eyecups. This blog has really expanded to include a 'Woot' & 'Yahoo Answers' type model, so i'm trying to include different posts and keep things interesting. I'm seeing more Photographers upgrading their standard Eyecups to these DSLR Eyecup Upgrades. It does look very comfortable for landscape shots, I personally don't use these and wonder how comfortable they would be flipping into Portrait mode. There's also magnified versions available that supposedly give you a better view through the glass viewfinder. Starting at only $2.99 + Free shipping, I guess I can always order and see for myself.
Has anyone been using these items?
How comfortable are they?
Which version of this do you have?
There's also some information circling about these Magnified DSLR Eyepiece / Eyecups that take a note from LCD Viewfinders and magnify the image to give you a better field of view and possibly sharper focus. The most popular brand name coming around is Tenpa.
Nikon Coffee Mug Telephoto Zoom
