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13-dollar-diy-follow-focus

Depending on the type of Video work you do, Follow focus systems might be more of a 'nice to have' rather than a 'must have'. I'm not shooting the next George Lucas film or anything, so for the most part I really didn't look into Follow Focus systems. I've been getting tons of requests though about a possible cheap solution that I may have thought about. So today I browsed the web, then took a trip over to Orchard Hardware Supply for some possible ways to create a simple, cheap, modular, adjustable Follow Focus system with a geared 90 degree transmisssion.

It's not as easy as anyone would think, but I just spent $13.00 dollars for what I think is going to be a popular DIY on this blog. If I have time this weekend, i'll see about whipping something up for everyone. Anyone else got a DIY solution for a Follow Focus with a geared transmission?

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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.

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I admit, i'm not a film school kid, and really just started getting into video with DSLR's. I have only seen others using Letus equipment mainly for Depth Of Field adapters for their video gear. Now with DSLR's you would think Letus is losing alot of sales. Turns out, they are still on top of the game by providing a new line of DSLR solutions. Prices obviously are still a bit high for me, but it is Letus after all.

One of the most sexiest pieces of equipment i've seen for DSLR's in a long time, Letus has a new Carbon Fiber view Finder. Love the article write up about the design process behind it. I have a feeling after this post, Zacuto is going to lose some steam on their line of Z-Finders. I mean c'mon, Carbon Fiber?? Who wouldn't want that? Available for a special pre-order price right now. Check out some of the new stuff they're coming out with at LetusDSLR.com

carbon fiber View Finder via LetusDSLR.com
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NOTE: This is a pre-order item at in introductory price of $385. This will begin shipping in early June on a first come first serve basis. You will be charged at time of purchase which will lock your place in line for delivery.

Features:
Carbon Fiber Housing
Non-reflective Internal Housing
2.75x Zoom Factor
+1.5 to -2.5 Adjustable Lens
3 Custom Lenses in 2 Groups
Fully Coated Optics
Anodized Aluminum Lens Housing
Removable Eye Cup
Talon Basic Camera Plate for Mounting
X / Y / Z Mounting Adjustments
1/4 20 Mount Point for Articulating Arms
No Image Distortion or Edge Softness

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find-price-button Letus Hawk VF DSLR ViewFinder

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You've got that brand new DSLR and you're just itching to shoot some video. If you're like most people and sometimes get stuck in a creative block, check out some of the contests over at Zooppa.com or Poptent.net where you can hook up with some big companies, show off some of your skills, and win some big time cash too.

zoopppa

Zooppa is the global social network for creative talent. We are the world's largest source of user-generated advertising, committed to the vision of real people and leading brands working together.

poptent

Poptent is a vibrant community of filmmakers (and actors, comedians, grips, animators and more!) who are connecting to each other and to companies that want to pay them for their talents. Through our passions for advertising and commercials, we are exploring a new way of creating branded messages for the Internet age.

Poptent members can show off their work, build a portfolio, collaborate with other creators, leverage our deep set of features, and best of all make money doing what they love.

Poptent brands are seeking new ways to reach their consumers and create new audiences. They are finding exciting possibilities that save them both money and time while staying just ahead of the curve of competition. They are, in a word, trendsetters.

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FYI, something you might be interested in. More information can be found at: https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/event/index.cfm?event=detail&id=1613414&loc=en_us

DESCRIPTION

Working with DSLR Video with Adobe CS5 Production Premium

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010, 10-11:30

Thanks to their exceptional image quality, low-light capabilities, and the fact that you can shoot using standard 35mm DSLR lenses that give your footage the look of expensive film-based cameras, DSLRs are finding their way into video productions at all levels.

Join Richard Harrington, co-author of From Still to Motion: A photographer's guide to creating video with your DSLR.  He'll explore the options for creating and working with DSLR video in CS5 Production Premium which includes Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Adobe After Effects. You’ll learn everything from practical shooting techniques and essential lighting to easy editing strategies and online sharing. You’ll also be introduced to the latest Dell Precision workstation and NVIDIA Quadro graphic solutions to help you make the best decision to outfit your editing needs – including taking advantage of the latest performance improving updates in CS5.

Enjoy.

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Camera manufactures like Canon seem to have new camera models every few months. As we grow into our hobbies, there are times where we may outgrow our cameras and need to upgrade, or maybe purchase a new camera. If selling off your old camera is part of your plan to afford something else, there's a few tricks i've learned to keep your resale value up. First, keep the boxes, software, and manuals. You might think this isn't important stuff because you're a seasoned veteran, but the next guy who wants your gently used camera, will find it handy. It also shows that you really care enough about your gear to keep these things in OEM condition.

Most important thing i've learned? Camera bodies will have scuff, scratches, and wear marks. Most people are fine with that. The one thing that can really make or break a sale are LCD screens. They might function perfectly, but if there's a slight scratch on it, the buying market might look for other options. The first thing I always do is purchase some of those Generic screen protectors used mainly on Mobile devices like iPhones and stuff. I cover the top LCD and the back LCD to prevent any scratches. When it's time to sell a camera, pull off the screen protector, and you'll get better response from a buyer if the LCD looks completely un-scratched. Available for pretty much any camera model you can think of, you'll find these products through the links below.

screen-protectors
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You can find them for sale as low as $0.01 + Free shipping, found here. You'll need to cut a little to get that perfect fit. No, that's not a Typo. I've actually won several auctions for 0.01 Cents (1 penny) + free shipping. It's most likely coming from overseas, so you'll need to be patient though. Hey you can't complain for 1 penny.

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If you're willing to dish out $5.00 - $15.00 dollars, you can get the fancy Glass LCD screen protectors which is much more durable than a sheet of plastic, found here. Hey this one even says 550D on it, perfect for that T2i!

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foreverwild-dot-com

Just wanted to give a big thanks to ForeverWild.com for the huge huge donation to support this website, and want to re-thank the others who have donated as well. I'm flattered there are so many readers from different places of the world, and also at different levels of where they choose to take Videography and Photography.

As some of you might already know, I do share alot of things on this blog. Then again there are some things I'll surprise you with later at some point, such as my DIY Skater Dolly a.k.a. SpiderTraxDolly, which will be shipping very very very soon. I'll have an order of my new (secret) little thingies hopefully next month that have been manufactured in bulk, and i'll be giving one away to each person for their donations as a special thanks from Cheesycam. If anyone is looking for it, the donation button is at the top right column of this blog.....hint hint..nudge nudge...

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I've been getting alot of comments and questions regarding these new Canon 550D / T2i battery grips that are now available from eBay overseas starting at only $36 dollars!!. With so many readers following this blog, I felt a responsibility to do an official review on these things. I placed my order with an eBay seller from China, so hopefully i'll see this item in the next week or so (if it's not a scam). Once I receive the item, i'll get something online to let you know the build quality and if it works well. Or if you're the daring to type to dish out $36.00 dollars and can't wait for the review, you'll find them at this link. Stay tuned!

I'm not sure if I got the best price, I opted to purchase a grip with 2 weird labeled batteries. I wanted to test these weird batteries to see if they too are compatible without issues. Follow this link to the exact seller I purchased my 550D Battery Grip + 2 batteries from.

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This thing makes your DSLR camera look like a point-and-shoot model. It's not a true Camera lens, it's actually a modified Telescope + Camera mount. This is nothing new, there have been several mods done in the past mounting cameras to Telescopes, but this China company seems to have made things much more simple. The 2000mm is not actual, but it's estimated from cropped cameras such as the Canon 7D and 550D / T2i. I'm not sure what the real quality of the lens is, I don't always believe the marketing material, but it would be interesting to really see one of these things at work. You can find more information on these lenses at eBay. Click Here.