Wow, Lilliput is not playing around. There was a time when these 7" HDMI monitors were first released for about $200 dollars, but this still meant searching for a way to mount and power these bad boys up. Olahf just sent in a video of his unboxing the new 7" LCD + Battery + Shoe Mount Combo deal he received from eBay. This combo includes a supposedly newer 2010 model of the 7" monitor + Shoe mount + Battery pack so you're ready to rock from the get go. You can check out more details of these new monitors + battery packs Following this Link..
Looks like China is hip to the Viewfinder market. They are a bit late on this particular clone of The Real Zacuto Z-Finder, and i'm sure Zacuto's got some new finder in the works that will make this look a bit obsolete. Better late than never I guess.
Here's a quote from a reader.
Looks like Chinas sweatshop copycats are discovering the DSLR film-makers market. I got word from a friend who is doing business with Shengzen manufacturers, that they already got bored copying the 5 buck plastic thingy called LCDVF. They will start to ship a clone of the technically superior Zacuto Z-Finder Pro in September this year – of course the 3x version 😉
The image above is supposedly from their prototype modeled from The Real Zacuto Z-Finder. I'm sure they'll dress it up with a bit of color and coating when it's finalized. From the image above, it looks like they have it scaled pretty well. I'm sure it's not going to stand up to the quality of real Zacuto, but there's a trade off in price that doesn't stop users from making these over seas 'clone' purchases. We'll just have to wait to see where this one goes.
For those who have been complaining about Fog on the viewfinders, this might be of some help. Used in Dive masks and Goggles to resist fogging it should be safe on the eyes.
Sorry it's been quiet on the blog and also I haven't been able to respond to comments and questions. I was working all weekend day and night cleaning up some warehouse space trying to setup a small studio. You know, I haven't had time to test my Timelapse Remote (intervalometer), and it would have been a perfect opportunity to have shot a timelapse against the work we were putting in. Lots of scrubbing, cleaning, and painting it's looks really different from when I first walked in. It's coming along quite nicely, but there's a lot more work ahead.
I've done a few videos about different DSLR stabilizers, and have been trying to get a hold of one these Flycam Nanos to do a review. At least there is this video (above) that shows some basic sample footage. So far of my favorite stabilizers for small cameras would have to be the Glidecam HD1000 shown in this article here. I don't know anyone who has one of these Flycam Nanos, and i'm not in a position right now to make a purchase just for a review.
It does look similar to a Glidecam Pro model (stabilizer without micro adjustment knobs), uses the same Gimbal balance setup and similar Fender washer weights like the Glidecam Pro. This little guy though runs about half the price of a Glidecam HD1000 and I expect should fly a T2i very easily. In any case, this is the only video I can find of anyone using this tiny stabilizer. Hopefully i'll get a hold of one for an official review soon. You can find the Flycam Nano stabilizers online here.
I showed off the limited edition $99 Dollar shoulder shooter before, but I think this may be the first official review regarding the larger Express35.com shoulder support rig. Great job Josef! These aren't designed to be Steadicams as a walking running type rig, but Josef seems to have that movement down and it looks very stable. Not to mention that black on black.....on black looks damn good for a rig setup.
The price beats out those 'once popular' Korean rigs and Hong Kong rigs too. Express35 possibly has the cheapest available rigs and accessories in the US, yet still designed with high quality materials. These types of rigs follow exact standards, so adding additional gear from MatteBoxes to Follow Focus systems should mount with ease from any manufacturer. This seems like the best starter rig for anyone looking into a shoulder mount stabilizer. After seeing this review, I knew it would spark some interest, so I Twittered Express35.com to see if there's a special offer on the table for Cheesycam Readers. Here's the exclusive offer available now, but you gotta drop the blogname and thank Josef for hooking you all up.
Free accessory clamp (Mono Clamp) + Free Shipping in the USA exclusive Cheesycam deal with purchase of the shoulder rig.
-Express35.com
There you have it, was already a deal before the deal. You might also want to Follow Express35.com via Twitter too so you won't miss out on those short lived specials.
On another note, for a limited time Express35 just posted up the DSLR Shooter I reviewed a short time ago. The shooter gets an upgrade to Black on Black and there's only 6 available. It's not back down to $99 bucks, but the black coating should make up for that difference. Sorry the Free Shipping + Free Clamp doesn't apply to this shooter.You can find the new DSLR shooter here.
For those who are purchasing any type of aftermarket LCD Viewfinder and want to add the additional cotton, fleece, or microfiber eyepiece, here's the actual product that normally ships with the real LCDVF. I dug mine out of a box (never used it) and turns out this is the exact ones that ship with a new LCDVF. In fact after a couple of comments and referrals, turns out this Eyepiece company pretty much dominates this product line. They are available everywhere and are used by several different companies. Quality is top notch and available in Cotton, Fleece, and Microfiber.
The original one that ships from LCDVF came in Microfiber - Oval Small. Available in a variety of colors (yes even purple), ratings over at B&H are 5 stars, run much cheaper than the Jag35.com eyepiece, and after shipping pretty much cheaper than anywhere else. Soooo cheap in fact, it's practically disposable. I may have to grab a few to replace after they've become sweat soaked, or in case someone with cooties wants to borrow. Check out the Professional Fleece / Microfiber Viewfinders for your LCD Viewfinders.
Here's one very cool looking DIY DSLR rig from Derek out in Detroit, with some fancy Carbon rods purchased from DragonPlate.com. Carbon rods? Nice touch! Shoulder pad and Grips are still on it's way, but Derek wanted to give us an early sneak peek. I can attest that even with my Fiberglass Tent Poles, these clamps are strong. Check out Derek rocking what looks like a 70-200mm on this setup, proving to be a structure more than adequate for smaller cams. Great job Derek, thanks for sharing.
Wow, I knew there was software to mimic the Tilt-Shift effect you get from $2,000-$3,000 dollar lenses, but never saw it look this good. Here's a couple of Timelapse videos shot by Photographer Martin Wallgren, and edited in post to mimic the Tilt Shift effect with Alien Skin's 'Bokeh' software. The focus drop off looks very very smooth, it's hard to tell it was done with a Photoshop Plugin.
This sounds like a more time consuming process, but a real Tilt Shift lens is another piece of equipment to drag around, not to mention the crazy price too. I haven't been using Photoshop very much after Lightroom, but here's a reason to get back into it. It may not be true tilt-shift, but these awesome results speaks for itself.
Rumor of a new four-thirds lens, Olympus may have a Zuiko 30-150mm Lens with F/3.3-4.2. This is an impressive aperture for such a variable telephoto lens. I can't read what the rest of the website is saying, but this is rumored to be a new lens announced this year.
[Source] https://egami.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2010-07-10
