There's no doubt that camera manufacturers are pushing new product lines to get into the latest trends. They are set to ride this wave of HD Video capabale - interchangeable lens cameras. In the past Size did matter on a camera. I remember shooting my first wedding on a Canon 5D Mark II and hearing one of the guests whispering 'Why are they shooting with such small cameras?". Yeah we really didn't look very professional compared to the cousin with a 7 year old Sony VX2000.
But after seeing how capable the Canon 5D Mark II was against larger format cameras, smaller is the new trend. Olymupus brought back the Pen, Panasonic is really pushing their line of DSLR style cameras, and now Sony is in with the Nex-3 and Nex-5. Great commercial, it really sells the product, but what's up with the guy taking a lens out of his pocket (with no body caps), and then the dude on the pier trying to do the Robot? LOL. Personally, I think those sections could have been left out....
Peep this review on some of the new cool features.
Since the dawn of HD Video DSLR's there's been some random and weird stabilizers being made by so many different companies. One thing is for sure, they are out to capitalize and mark up equipment from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Not to say they aren't functional. In fact many of these new DSLR cages and Fig Rig style stabilizers work well for these small cameras. You know me though, there's gotta be a way to make something cheaper, just as functional, and still look damn good.
Well i've been looking at a couple of different designs, and thought about what I needed from each one of the stabilizers above. First, I wanted a handle. Handles are a great way to get some really low shots. Secondly, my hands needed to be spaced apart. It's proven that spacing your hands further from the camera can really help stabilize your footage, even helps when walking. Third, I needed something to mount extra gear like a DSLR Cage. Finally, stay away from PVC. PVC is great, but doesn't give it that professional look or feel. After careful consideration and a trip to Home Depot, here's the latest DIY Camera Stabilizer from Cheesycam.com.
My goal was to merge a couple of different products and functionality into a very very Cheap DIY DSLR Stabilizer with Cage function. Another goal was to step up my game and make it look a bit more techy and something not so 'DIY'. I think I did well this time around for approximately $30.00. Actually it can come down much cheaper if I could find a shorter rail and cheaper handlebar grips. Unfortunately I wasn't shopping for a deal, I had this idea stuck in my head that needed to get out. It's a bit of a rush job, but I really wanted to share it with the community. I'll go back and refine it later with some hot shoe adapters and a quick release plate.
I have a ton of photos, and a parts list i'll put together later if anyone is interested. The video should explain more about what you need and how I put it together. The hardest part was cutting this rail. I have more information about this rail in my photo gallery, I was able to take a picture of the Price tag / Description from my iPhone. After cutting the rail, I was able to purchase everything for straight bolt on without any further modifications needed.
Here's a real basic parts list:
2 Hex Bolts (6" long 3/8 size)
2 carriage bolts (6" long 3/8 size) Use these for the top, they give you nice finished look
2 3/8" coupler nuts
2 - 1/2 X 12" pipe rods
1 - 1/2 X 10" pipe rod
Bike handle grips
Black flat matte paint
1 - 8-10 ft strut channel bar
Enjoy the DIY video on how I made it (below).
Update: Really good questions coming in, i'll try to answer a few. Reader: Have you thought about off setting the camera so that with the lens it's balanced front to back? CheeseyCam: Yes, this is where the quick release plate comes in. I decided on the Monfrotto 357 (found here) to give me that lateral as well as something to quickly move from the DIY cage to my 701HDV Fluid head. I wanted the camera more forward originally so that it is actually balanced with the handle (above). For shots that require using the Handle, it's much more balanced being slightly forward. Hopefully the Monfrotto 357 will help by sliding the camera either foward or back depending on what shot is being taken.
Monfrotto Quick Release 357, click image
Reader: If you were to use electrical conduit for you end pieces it might make your rig lighter. Cheesycam: Yes, I wanted to get something as close to 'off the shelf' as possible. I may try Conduit on the sides, but the top Handle I feel will work better if it remained as a Steel pipe. Conduit normally comes in super long lengths and requires additional cutting. It is lighter, and cheaper, just a little more time consuming though with the cutting. For information on the HotShoe mounts I plan on using, check out this article http://cheesycam.com/?p=723
Ok well it's getting late, i'm tired and i'll get to showing it off more later. Leave some comments, ask some questions, and please don't forget to share, twitter, facebook, digg, etc. (use the icons below).
Just after posting the video about a Motion Timelapse Slider, i've received a few comments about other rigs. Kessler, the company famous for many of it's dollies, sliders, and jibs / cranes, seems to be working on a Motion Controlled version of their slider. Not yet available on their website, you can find more information in a few forums as well as at Tom Guilmette's blog.
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.
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.
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.
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'.
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!!)
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.
