Videography Gadgets

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cinevate (1 of 4)

Cinevate has been one of those companies constantly surprising everyone with new innovation around DSLR accessories. Their line of Linear Rails a.k.a. 'Camera Sliders', 'Pegasus Carbon table Dolly', and 'Cyclops View Finder', are just a few of those examples.

cinevate (4 of 4)

Building a DSLR rig traditionally starts with a foundation of rods, but the guys over at Cinevate.com are working on something a bit different. Opening up to the more budget conscious audience, a new concept is based around a specially designed "base plate(slash)quick release(slash)cheese plate". Stabilizer handles, articulating arms, positionable clamps, and more will directly attach to this 'basequickcheese' plate using threaded mounts acting as a foundation for a custom fit rig.

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Not sure what it's all going to be labeled as, but for further expansion the base plate combines with rails to support items like a follow focus system or matte box. Threaded rotating ball clamps and multi-length clamp rods can be mixed and matched for different purposes.

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Lots of new stuff in the pipeline and more will be posted about these things soon. Not sure if any of this is available, or if these ideas will make it out to the storefront, but you might be able to grab some info over at Cinevate.com.

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Please ask all questions to the seller should you consider this auction. I do not have any more information other than what's listed in the details of the auction. Posted today on eBay - a complete Genus Camera Shoulder Rig with handles, shoulder pad, counter weight, LCD View Finder, and Follow Focus system. Everything you need for a solid shoulder rig and then some. It's all Genus products so it's worth a bit more change than cheaper gear, but might be something to consider for those of you who are familiar with Genus. I looked over all the products and added things up, and the complete kit on eBay has been listed today for about 50% off total retail price.

Here's the direct links to the B&H Photo Video catalog to the products combined together in this single auction (I believe these are the ‘exact’ same products, please contact the seller for any questions).
Genus Camera Shoulder Mount System
Genus GENUS LOUPE LCD VIEWFINDER
Genus Superior Follow Focus System for DSLR Cameras

Auction found here:

genus-dslr-kitgenus-superior-follow-focusgenus-view-finder
find-price-button Genus DSLR Rig, Counter weights, Handles, Shoulder Pad, View Finder, with Follow Focus

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The $24.00 dollar shoulder support with Rod mounts are getting a few questions as well as the recent Quick Release adapter posted on this blog. Here's a look at how i'm using these recently purchased items with my gear.

First a quick look at the cheap Quick Release adapter. It's not a standard QR adapter with a 1/4x20 thread already tapped in. Instead I run a beveled screw through the top of the adapter and place a bolt underneath. To keep the quick release adapter from shifting around I also used thin double sided tape between the adapter and the stage of the flycam nano. To prevent the nut from coming loose, I also have a washer + lock washer.

Flycam QR (1)Flycam QR (2)
Flycam QR (3)Flycam QR (4)

Second common question i've been getting is how to mount rods to the cheap $24 dollar shoulder support. To get the basic foundation setup, you'll need an adapter plate. This type of plate is commonly used under a rod rig so that it can be placed on top of a Tripod of Fluid head. When purchasing a basic set of rods or any rig, find out if one will be provided. If not you can buy one separately here: https://express35.com/tripod-mount/1054/

Gini-Rods (2)Gini-Rods (4)

After mounting the adapter plate to the shoulder support, I can then position any set of handles, build up an offset stage, have support for a follow focus, matte box, etc. You can also find a basic set of rails with DSLR base plate, and Tripod plate here: https://express35.com/rail-system/295/

Gini-Rods (5)Gini-Rods (1)
Gini Rig on $24 Shoulder Support w/ Varavon ViewFinder

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opteka-shoulder-video-stabilizer

I've seen a few cheap DSLR related items spin off into some success. Here's another new stabilizer on the market that I think is going to have a good future. It's coming in at $99 bucks available on Amazon and $99 on eBay with Free Shipping. Although the price is going to help make it popular, it helps to be designed fairly similar to another rig that goes for more than $250 dollars. Designed with aluminum and stainless steel, it can adjust your camera forward/back, left/right for an offset, up/down, and also can be modified for left or right shoulder shooting. A good 1" thick foam shoulder pad with metal shoulder support, i'm thinking it would be a great platform for drilling in accessory mounts. The handle can also be removed for going uber-simple.

single-handle

The description claims a 'hands free' solution, but i'm curious if it really has that ability. If it does, then it's going to give the cheap plastic $24.00 dollar shoulder support a good run for the money. I should have my hands on one soon to be used with my new Sony A55. Looks like it will be an excellent light weight camera stabilizer for other cameras like the Panasonic GH1/GH2, Canon T2i, or Nikon D3100, but it does claim to be able to support up to 20lbs of weight.

opteka-shoulder-stabilizer
find-price-button $99 Video Shoulder Stabilizer Support

Also available via eBay + Free Shipping

find-price-button $99 dollar shoulder support video stabilizer

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tokina-16-28mm
find-price-button Tokina AT-X 16-28mm F2.8 Pro FX Lens for Canon and Nikon

I've been extremely happy with my new Tokina 11-16mm F/2.8 lens for both video and photography use, but it doesn't work across all my cameras. Sure it mounts to the Canon 5D Mark II, but it's pretty much unusable on a full frame camera until you zoom all the way out. If you're looking for a lens that would give you a wider option on a full frame you might already be thinking about Canon's 16-35mm F/2.8. This would work on both Full Frame and cropped cameras, but you'll also be looking at an "L" lens price tag.

Tokina's giving us a new option with their recently released 16-28mm F/2.8 lens. This new 16-28mm F/2.8 lens from Tokina was specifically designed to be compatible with all cameras (including Full Frame). This new lens also features the company's newly developed AF system that features a quieter Silent Drive-Module (SD-M) autofocus motor and promises more precise focusing. The company also designed it to be a weather-sealed lens with a fixed lens hood. Still an expensive lens, but at about $700 cheaper than Canon's 16-35mm it adds in another option for budget shooters looking for an extra wide fast lens for both video and photography. BTW, they've also made it available for both Canon and Nikon, no news for Sony (yet).

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Question comes in from a Vimeo member asking which would be the better buy? So it's a Rode NTG-2 vs. Azden SGM-1X poll. Would you go for the Rode NTG-2 or the Azden SGM-1X Shotgun Microphone? Both appear to have very similar physical dimensions with size and XLR inputs. Both DSLR shotgun microphones can be self powered with a single battery but can also accept optional Phantom power. The Rode can be powered with a single AA for an estimated 1000 hours and the Azden can be powered with a single AAA for approx. 800 hours. The Rode NTG-2 does not come with any type of mount, while the Azden 'does' come with it's own integrated shock mount. Both are highly rated with 4.5 stars over at B&H Photo Video. Seems like the Azden has more to offer, but the Rode NTG-2 has more than twice the amount of reviews which appears to be the more popular of the two out in the field. The Rode is also more expensive, but does it yield better (noticeable) sound quality? I'm not familiar with both, so I decided to throw up this poll for those with more experienced between the two. Got another suggestion for a similar shotgun mic? Throw down in the comments...

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find-price-button Rode NTG-2 Battery or Phantom Powered Condenser Shotgun Microphone

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find-price-button Azden SGM-1X - Super-Cardioid Shotgun Condenser Microphone

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180-LED-Work-Lamp

Halogen shop lights are used for budget video lighting all the time, so why not LED shop lights? Alan Silva picks up the 180 LED shop light from Home Depot and seems to be pretty happy with it. I guess you can't complain picking up a 180 LED light with built in rechargeable battery for under $60 bucks. This light has actually come up a few times on this blog before, but as often as I go to Home Depot myself, they were always out of stock. Not sure what the temperature is, but if it's off, hopefully someone's going to come up with the right pattern of gels for color correction. Maybe Alan will send in some samples of this light in use, as i'm curious about it's light output. Unfortunately it's not sold online, but here's a link to the description: https://www.homedepot.com/Electrical-Electrical-Tools-Accessories-Work-Lights/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xgtZbm8p/R-100655277/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Not something you'd throw on your camera, but there is several ideas that come to mind. A buddy of mine talked about shooting late night bike rides and meet-ups in the city, and was thinking about what portable lighting solution would work to help bring in some additional light. Throwing a few of these on some tall stands, i'm sure would do just fine. Since they would all be the primary source of light, white balancing would be of no issue. Designed to be used as tools, i'm sure they are durable for tossing around and hopefully with a bit moisture proof. The built in rechargeable battery keeps things pretty compact and beats dragging around a generator to the site. [Thanks Alan]

Closest thing I could find online were these:

led-shop-lights
find-price-button LED Shop Light Rechargeable Battery Work Light

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Thanks to Eric S. for sharing his DIY view finder mount. For real running and gunning, it's quite a pain in the a$$ having an LCD Viewfinder fall off so easily. Some inexpensive DSLR LCD ViewFinders use a metal sticky frame that allows the magnets of the view finder to stay in place. The most common problem with these are when the adhesive of the metal frame comes off with too much time in the sun. Once that metal frame is off, you'll be stuck without a way to mount your view finder for the rest of the shoot.

On this site people have shared ways to use a high quality Glass LCD Protector and permanently fixing the LCD ViewFinder. Epoxy is a good choice. Curious if there's one that would be a close fit to a Canon 60D... It's an excellent idea on providing a super solid hold while still allowing for a fast way on and a fast way off the camera. For those who aren't familiar with making a DIY LCD Viewfinder Quick Release, this is a look at the final build using information from this article. http://cheesycam.com/new-glass-lcd-protector-canon-nikon/

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find-price-button Canon and Nikon GGS Glass DSLR LCD Screen Protector

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Luke writes in and shares this video with a Behind the Scenes look to the recent 'Monsters' movie. Ok so there's mixed reviews on the movie's entire story, but you have to admire what has been made from an almost nothing budget. Take a good look at the gear (or lack of) and you'll find what's looks to be a simple Sony EX-3 working hard on a $24.00 shoulder support and a basic set of rails. This looks pretty much like the two handle setup I'm using with my Gini Rig. Still worried about that cheap shoulder support not holding up? I'm guessing these guys really put it through the paces and seemed happy with the results. A Letus Adapter gives it a bit more depth of field on the Sony prosumer camcorder for that traditional Cinema look. There's also a nice comment towards the end about the importance of audio. All in all it's a pretty cool BTS video that definitely shows even cheap gear can be used for big things. Thanks for sharing and pointing that out Luke.

Here's the official trailer that was released for this movie

Here's that shoulder support again:
shoulder-support
find-price-button Shoulder Support Pad for Video Camcorder Camera DV / DC