Redrock Micro was the first to the scene with the 'microEVF' announcement, but still no word on what's going on with that. Zacuto made an announcement about an EVF (very) shortly after, and here they are showcasing an actual working product with complete specs far far ahead of RRM. Here Steve Weiss drops the much anticipated Zacuto EVF (Electronic View Finder) to show off the durability. Let's hope this really doesn't happen on any of your shoots, especially twice from 12ft. Should it happen, at least you know you have a fighting chance with this sturdy little monitor. The new Z-Finder EVF is listed to start at $675 without a Loupe, up to $1K for the full deal, and a few options in between. The new 3.2" LCD EVF has a resolution of 800x480 and will be powered on Canon LP-E6 batteries or optional 12V external. Said to be shipping next month (May) and Pre-orders are now available on the Zacuto website. Check out more of the features this little EVF is said to provide. I have a feeling with all of the new cameras coming out later this year, they will sell out fast (not just for DSLRs).
Videography Gadgets
Pre-order Zacuto Z-Finder EVFKreis LED Ring Light Surfaces
So the elusive Kreis90 LED Ring light finally surfaces. I first blogged about it in this article http://cheesycam.com/dslr-led-ring-lights/ but have never seen it outside of that video. Don't get too excited, it's probably nothing special. I don't know a single person who uses this, nor have I ever seen a video of this in use by anyone (except for the manufacturer video). The Kreis website pretty much sucks and just trying to find prices is a pain.
For an LED Ring light, it seemed easier to just buy the 352 LED Ring light that i've been using found here http://cheesycam.com/last-minute-glidecam-mods/. I guess one benefit would be that it's just smaller, lighter, and cheaper. It can be battery powered, and yes dimmable, but only to about 50%. Effective? Who's to say. If anyone cares that it really does exist, there's more information on the auction page.
LCD ViewFinder for GH2, Sony NEX, and other 16:9
The Panasonic GH2 and Sony NEX-5 have a 16:9 LCD aspect ratio, while other cameras are 3" or 3.2". If you've been shopping for an LCD loupe to fit the GH2 or NEX-5, there really wasn't much in the 16:9 aspect pool (except for one that ran over $120 dollars). Here's a new loupe that claims it has been designed to fit those exact 16:9 aspects providing shade out in the bright sun to check exposure, or used to magnify your LCD to help you get focus. No sticky frames, no diopter, no base plates, just mounts with simple bands. Pricing is about average for a DSLR LCD loupe.
The Flex DSLR Rig Gets a Review
Vimeo member MIchel takes a chance on that odd flex DSLR rig that's been on just about everywhere lately. If you can get over the light blue and black Mortal Kombat theme, the rig converts into a few different positions to provide stable shots, and the one he has setup as a double shoulder support looks pretty functional. Setting it up in that fashion would definitely reduce the amount of camera roll. As mentioned in the video the 1/4 x 20 threaded ends could allow use of counter balance weights. When this was first brought to my attention the prices were pretty low. Not sure if demand is driving prices, but it seems to have inflated quite a bit. [Thanks MIchel]
Zeiss SLR Lens Set with Waterproof Case
Attractive offer for filmmakers and photographers
The five Carl Zeiss SLR-lenses come in a special waterproof and robust case. Special inlays ensures that each lens fits perfectly inside the suitcase and protects the lenses from shock and vibration. The SLR Lens Set is IP67 waterproofed.
Zeiss makes special lenses dedicated to Video, and even though this isn't their Cinema Compact Prime lenses, there are still many shooters who use these particular lenses for video. Usually bundles like this will shave a bit off from buying them individually. This set comes with a nice fancy case, but adding them up doesn't seem like a 'killer deal', but puts a little back in your pocket. Will be available in May, price will be around $6k for the set, and will include the following. (I've linked the lenses so you can see what they run individually). Now if only Canon could hook us up with a discounted set of L Glass...
Distagon T* 2,8/21 ZE (Canon EF-Mount)
Distagon T* 2/28 ZE (Canon EF-Mount)
Distagon T* 2/35 ZE (Canon EF-Mount)
Planar T* 1,4/50 ZE (Canon EF-Mount)
Planar T* 1,4/85 ZE (Canon EF-Mount)
DIY DSLR Cage on Auction
Here's an interesting DIY DSLR Cage that appeared on auction. It's like a camera caddie meets rotating flash bracket type layout. From the description it's a one off piece, but a very cool setup of handles, base, and accessory mounting points. There's a bit of a back story in the auction details if you want to check it out. It's too bad this thing never flew into production, if the price was right I think it would have done well. This looks like it could have easily stepped in where Varavon's DSLR Armor is trying to take place. Either way, if you're a DIY'er time to take a close peek at this design to spark some creativity. Unless it's sold, you can find it here.
1650 watt 6 Bank Fluorescent Video Light Panels
Yeah I know, almost 10 months later and here I am with only the 'second' post for this 1650 watt Fluorescent Lighting kit. Why did it take so long? Well, they pretty much fell off the map after I posted about them in this old article http://cheesycam.com/1650-watt-6-bank-photo-video-lighting/. There were some smaller units available, but the 6 bank had some production issues I guess. So there was no use to posting any more information on what I thought would be a discontinued item. I'm not going to get into the specs on these, since you can find it back in the original article, but basically each Flo Tube is about 55 watts. They use a reliable italian brand bulb (here we are 10 months later) that to this day still haven't failed me - not one.
Single 6 Bank Panel
1650 Watt 6 Bank Fluorescent Photo Video Light Panels
Now I use mine quite a bit in the studio, but they have some weight and fragility to them. The panels are solid metal and heavy plastic construction, it's the bulbs that could be more fragile. Not my favorite lights to travel with, but definitely one of my favorite lights to use. The light is very broad and very soft. No need for softboxes or light diffusion for these, they come out pretty flat, cover a large area, with no hot spots. Very little heat makes them great for still photography next to subjects even though they are continuous lights. Dimming is done through a series of switches that turn off a few bulbs at a time. So why consider these over LED panels? Well for starters, you could walk away with 2 of these 1650 watt 6 Bank panels + light stands for about the same price as a 'single' 1200 LED panel. These panels provide a wider area of coverage and several times more light output. So now that they are back online and available, I thought it would be good to show a quality of light sample that a single 1650 watt panel puts out. In this video the guys set it up to shoot through an indoor window in this Chess playing scene.
Double 6 Bank Light Panel Available on Amazon:
1650 Watt 6 Bank Fluorescent Photo Video Light Panels
Lensbaby New 35mm Optic w/ 12 Blade Aperture
The video above shows off a brief overview of LensBaby's interchangeable optics system such as their 'Composer' and 'Tilt Transformer'. The LensBaby optic swap system allows you to switch to different lenses with slightly different tilt-shift like effects from pinhole, zoneplate, dreamy, soft focus, vintage, fisheye, and more. Although it produced fun and creativity, I personally was not a fan of having to swap out Aperture discs. They do offer adapters that will allow you to mount manual Nikon lenses but only for MFT (Micro Four Thirds) systems and Sony NEX cameras. Well, I have to admit they've come a long way from where they originally started years ago and have just recently introduced a new 35mm Optic Lens with 12 blade adjustable Aperture and will work with Canon EF mounts. Now we're talking!
The new 'Sweet 35' optic is definitely something i'd rock just to get out and get creative. Besides the smooth bokeh you'll get from a 12 blade aperture, it has a minimum focusing distance of just over 3" inches. From F/2.5 - F/22 dialed in on the optic you can get select focus or most in focus, along with that trademark Lensbaby blur. On Full Frame Cameras, there could be a slight vignetting, but that just adds more to the popular artistic throw back look people are going for. More about Lensbaby's Optic Swap system can be found here: https://lensbaby.com/optics.php
The new Lensbaby Sweet 35 optic available for pre-order here (don't forget you'll also need the additional adapter).
Lensbaby Sweet 35 Selective Focus Optic w/ 12 Blade Aperture
DIY Accessory Clamps for 15mm Rails?
Anyone have access to this clamp? Unlike those ugly common worm gear clamps (like these)
10 pack Hose Clamps Effective Diameter Range: 15/32" - 41/64" (13.5mm - 16.5mm) for 3/8" Hose