Videography Gadgets

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Ok, i'm really excited to talk about this item, it's such a great find for me. I've seen this item many times but couldn't find a single YouTube or Vimeo video review about the 717AH Video Fluid Head (note that the number on the box doesn't always match the number on the fluid head). Other search results on the Internet come back as just product sales information. Am I the only one reviewing this item? Have I truly discovered the next DSLR hidden treasure? LOL.

You gotta watch my short video review above as to why this thing rocks. I'm comparing it to 3 different style Monfrotto brands. As you know i'm the happy owner of a Monfrotto 701HDV Fluid head (I demo it on the 99 dollar slider video). Don't get me wrong, the 701HDV works totally awesome. But as many of you might know, i've been working on a Skater Dolly type project 'Spider Trax Dolly' and one of the delays have been researching the perfect Camera Head to mount. Since there will be an option to purchase the dolly 'without' a Video Head, I wanted to make sure I found the right options to suggest to people.

I've already invested in 4 different fluid heads (not cheap blah!) trying to find the right one for you guys. One of the problems I was trying to solve was the 701HDV mount. Everyone out there with a Slider, Skater, or Dolly knows what' i'm talking about! The lower locking knob doesn't clear very well when mounted on flat surfaces. This means you need to DIY some type of spacer. A simple spacer doesn't always work well either. The fluid head is quite firm so you need to drill out some locking screws to make sure it doesn't come loose. Sure I love the 701HDV, but it has problems mounting to anything other than an actual video tripod.

Here's where I struck Gold. When i'm just about fed up with Fluid heads, and figured I'll have to come up with a special adapter for the Spider Trax dolly project, I run into this little Gem. I've seen this online before, but was hesitant about the build for a brand I wasn't familiar with. It was pretty much my last resort in trying to find the best Fluid Head to suggest for the dolly project. It's available from a US seller which means super fast shipping - (no four week waiting period). Even better, It's half the price of a Monfrotto 701HDV and as far as i'm concerned it's twice the build quality. This thing is compact (same size as 701HDV), but it's beefy! It's designed with lots of metal, the fluid head is smooth, has incredibly strong locks to support lots of weight, and comes with a very very nice adjustable (very long) Video handle for extra leverage. In fact you can mount two handles for smoother panning shots. With the adjusted length, this handle actually is perfect for the Spider Trax Dolly use too! It performs same if not better than fluid heads more than three times it's price.

Why isn't anyone else talking about it? I feel like i'm breaking new ground here much like when I started blogging about those 126 LED Video lights. I'm not sure, but I was sooo happy with the first one, I purchased a second one so I don't have to keep remounting my head onto different sliders, tripods, and dollies. The cheapest i've found the 717AH fluid head was on eBay by this seller, while others sell this upwards to $100 dollars. Click here to visit the USA seller that I received mine from..

cheesycam-video-fluid-head.
click image

Update: Just contacted the company to see if they can supply me with alot more for the Dolly project. They mentioned there's a limited amount in stock until the next shipment. This will be the official Fluid head that will be packaged as an option with the Spider Trax Dolly, so if you're shopping for an awesome quality Video Fluid head, now might be the time to grab one.

Oh and i'm still a Monfrotto fan, in fact I love love love my Carbon Fiber 190 CX3 sticks from Monfrotto. Great quality build for the price.

Remember, the numbers on the Head don't match the box - weird.

cheesycam-video-fluid-head
find-price-button Click image to find 717AH Video Fluid Head.

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Here's a quick run through of what to expect from the Aputure Timer Remote when getting the Intervalometer ( Timelapse ) feature started. This timelapse remote is for the Canon 550D / T2i and will not work with the Canon 7D or 5D Mark II. The connection to the camera is similar to a mini stereo headphone jack. The other cameras use a different round connection type with several pins. This Timelapse is remote pretty straight forward once you do a quick run through on the user manual. There are much more features for this remote that I haven't dived into yet, but that will be posted up soon. There is no option to start and stop video (I get alot of those questions). It's a great little remote for the price of $22.00 dollars.

canon 550d timelapse timer remote
click

For Canon 7D & 5D Mark II owners, here's the proper remote (works on both).

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I'm seeing bits and pieces of video footage coming from Sony's NEX, now that the camera is available. For now, the above video seems like the best thing i've found on Vimeo that someone's put alot of time into. Flickr has a growing Sony NEX-3 & NEX-5 group showcasing the awesome photo quality, but that's a no brainer considering Sony always had great photo quality from it's smaller Camera lines. Come to think of it, this might be one of the cheapest interchangeable lens HD video DSLR (type) + lens kit on the market starting at $549.00. Quality looks mighty good for such a small camera, I'm sold on the Photo capabilities, but i'm still waiting for more video samples before I personally pull the trigger. Hopefully i'll run into someone personally who owns one to do a formal blog review, or try to get a review product from a retailer. If you're the impatient type, the Sony NEX interchangeable lens camera is now available at bhphotovideo.com

sony-nex
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Vouliagmeni blue hole (Greece) from Dean Linaras on Vimeo.

Not even a day later, I just got a message back from GoPro themselves, I love their super fast support responses. The above video was added to the email back to me as an example of the fix they are working on. It does appear to be much much more sharper than orginal curved lens footage:

Hi Emm,
Due to the curved lens of the waterproof housing for the HD HERO camera and standard def Wide HERO cameras, you will notice a slight loss of sharpness/focus to underwater images. In video mode with the standard def camera this is not very noticeable due to the lower resolution. With the HD HERO camera this becomes more evident at the higher resolution. We are developing a flat glass adapter / housing specifically for underwater use, thus allowing for the same image sharpness that you enjoy with your GoPro camera above water. Please sign up for our newsletter to receive an update for new product releases.

So officially GoPro Cameras is aware of the underwater Focus and aware of a Flat Lens fix. The question now i'm sure everyone is wondering about is ETA. The R&D process for mass manufacturers can sometimes be a bit slow, but you should definitely sign up for the GoPro Camera Newsletter to stay informed of their updates.

Don't let this stop your vacations. If you're impatient and want to get better underwater focus with your GoPro HD, the options are DIY it yourself, or let someone experienced like EyeOfMine Multimedia prepare a housing for you.


Buy GoPro HERO Camera at GoPro.com

This article references: http://cheesycam.com/?p=1594

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Unlike the 70-200mm F/4 Coffee Mug at the Winter Olympics, this cup was never released directly by Canon. When this lens replica cup was first available, it was a very cheap looking, terrible design, that had many many flaws. After finding that there is a 'Version 2' of this lens with over 90% accuracy, it was something I had to add to the collection. I have to admit the new design is even more accurate to the referenced lens than even Canon's 70-200mm Coffee Mug. There are no stainless inserts, so it's not designed for hot beverages. It does although work as a great tumblr for summer time coolers. Starting around $24 dollars, You can find the Canon 24-105mm Lens Replica Cups here.

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The GoPro HD Camera is an awesome little camera that can be used in any situation possible. We've seen it on land, in near space, and underwater. The underwater footage though doesn't seem as sharp due to the curved lens on the water proof housing. This design provides many 'Pros', but the underwater focus is a definite 'Con'. EyeofMine Multimedia created a DIY solution (now for sale) to add a flat lens onto a GoPro waterproof housing. The results speak for themselves, and if you're a GoPro HD Camera owner you'll know where i'm coming from.

The Flat Lens fix from EyeofMine Multimedia is a bit DIY with some glue and isn't covered by GoPro warranty. The quality of the build, I can't tell unless I get to review one in person (hopefully they'll respond to my inquiries). On another note, i've also asked GoProCamera.com themselves about the focus issue (they're local in Half Moon Bay), and hopefully i'll get a response soon about whether or not they'll be offering a different housing or some other solution to correct the underwater focus issues.

Look GoPro, I know everyone loves your cameras. I'm sure there is no solution for a Housing that does it all both on Land, Space, and Sea. I can promise you this though. If you can put something out that solves the underwater focus issues, I'll be happy to mount 2 cameras on a single mount with different housings and that should solve the video footage I need in any situation. You can find prices for the awesome GoPro HD - Underwater, Land, and OuterSpace camera here.

GoProHDCamera
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Related Underwater blog talk:
If you're a new iPhone 4 or Sprint HTC EVO owner, maybe you'd like to take some of that HD footage underwater with your new cell phone. If you're brave check out the Aquapac.

aquapac-underwater-iphone-htc-evo-case
Check out the Aquapac Underwater case for the iPhone.

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I got this email just now:

Message:
Hello, Thanks for the great work and bringing some
clarity to this emerging DSLR scene. I have been searching for
information about a company called
Indiefocus, they have line of lower priced camera
products. They have 3 different follow focus units, one
at $99 that works by friction not gears, it looks just
right for my T2i.
Have you had any contact with them? They do not answer their emails
or phone, so I do not want to send
money. I know this not your issue, but you seem to get around. They
look like good products. Any thoughts?

Here's my response. I've emailed them, called them on several occassions, but have never ever heard back from any of my inquiries. Sorry IndiSystems, hope this doesn't hurt your sales. You look like you have good products, but your support kinda sucks. Oh and that $99 dollar slider i've been plugging for them, I got it second hand and modified the unit by swapping out the cheap plastic head (that broke off). Anyone have any luck with indiSystems? I can't seem to get through, and i've been hearing this from many people. Oh and indiSystems, if you're out there reading this, holla back.

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video from YouTube by rattusvulpes

This Golden Oldie (literally Gold) looks very very familiar. If i'm correct, I remember seeing the transformations of this thing while it was coming out of DIY progress on the Internet. I think it was called Pegasus. It looks like it's a pretty finished project now that's gone into mass manufacturing under Wondlan as the 'Ares'. (Doesn't Ares mean 'A$$' in some languages?)

Because of it's entry level price for a Gimbal style stabilizer, I'm finding more and more people doing reviews on the Ares. Although it looks like a Steadicam Merlin, it doesn't have a full functioning Gimbal as the Merlin. The Merlin has much more travel in it's design. Then again it's not priced like a Steadicam Merlin, and it appears that this Ares stabilizer can handle much much more weight than the Merlin can, so it's not ALL bad.

I'm not a fan of the Gold color scheme, it looks like something Austin Powers might have carried in his last movie, or a prop designed for the next Marvel Comic movie. Hey, you can't knock the awesome smooth results this bad boy is putting out though. You can find the decently priced Stabilizer here if Gold is your thing.

Update: Good news, you can send an email to the seller and specifically ask for 'Black', and that should solve that Gold color issue.

gimbal-stabilizerwonlan-stabilizer-merlin-stylewonlan-ares-camera-stabilizer

click images to find Wondlan Ares

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DIY-simple-nd-variable-filter

Instructables.com is featuring a DIY Variable ND filter that functions similar to the popular Fader ND filers by LCW, Fader Filters, or or Genus Fader ND's. I've seen a few of these DIY's before using 1 linear polarizer and 1 circular, but this DIY calls for 2 Circulars.

The cost of a real Variable ND will run you about $110-$120 dollars for a 77mm, but by following the Instructables tutorial, you might be able to get a bit of functionality for under $10 dollars. The basic principle is attaching 2 circular polarizers together, but flipping one lens backwards. There's a bit of screwing and unscrewing involved, but pretty straight forward for those who want to test this out.

Cons of course are that they will block a bit more light (which is ok for full daylight) than a real Fader, dependent upon quality of Polarizers you buy might change color tone a bit, and with stacking of filters, there's always chance of Vignetting. I guess this is why the Real Faders cost money. If you want to try it out though, here's a list of Polarizers you can grab starting at around 99 cents and up.