Videography Gadgets

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canon-body-rear-lens-cap

I try and stay organized with the gear, and pack things pretty neat when i'm on the go. It never fails. One of the things you'll tend to lose very easily is the Canon Body cap, or even a rear lens cap. Without these you run the risk of dust or scratches. OEM caps from retailers run you about $5 to $6 dollars each coming in around $11 dollars for a pair of plastic caps. Fortunately for me, I was able to order some extra ones from eBay. You can find them as low as .99 cents a pair + Free Shipping. Yes less than 1 dollar, but I opted for a different seller because of all the reviews and paid $1.79 for each pair of caps + free shipping. You can find them following this link.

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This article is referencing my DIY DSLR Cage / Fig Rig / Stabilizer found at http://cheesycam.com/?p=966

As I do different video projects, you realize there are many different tools for different purposes. This DIY that I've created was to provide additional stabilization while walking, be able to carry a few different accessories, but be very quick to setup. It won't replace a Steadicam / Glidecam setup, but then again it neither weighs as much, is as bulky, or takes time to setup. It's designed to be a grab-and-go type tool for extra stabilization. Above is an example of me using the tool. As you can see, just by seperating your hands away from the camera you can acheive some fairly nice results. Especially looking at the Horizon in the video footage it stays pretty level. There is just a bit of bounce which can be minimized with a bit of practice, but definitely something you'll want to have for a DIY price of $25.00 dollars. Read the article for information on how to build your own. http://cheesycam.com/?p=966

You might want to also reference the additional Macro Rail at http://cheesycam.com/?p=1106.

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photo 5

If you were lucky enough to grab one of these Canon L Lens Replica Coffe Mugs, then you would know how close the actual design is to the real thing. To finish my mug off aesthetically, I decided to order an aftermarket Canon 70-200 F/4  tripod ring from eBay. It fits perfectly, and adds that finished look for making it a true Replica Lens. You can find them Available here for as low as $6.99, this is the seller I purchased from.

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nikon-d3s-missing

Just kidding. I thought I would poke a little fun at Nikon's D3s that's supposedly been available since November of '09. Apparently major retailers have yet to see them in stock and instead display text comments stating Pre-Order, Coming Soon, or Temporarily Unavailable. Sorry Nikon, if you can't get them in, technology is just going to phase it out. End of life is near for that 12 megapixel camera. If Nikon wants to step up their game compared to Canon sales, they will need to start meeting supplier demands. C'mon people, it's like buying an XBOX or Playstation. Companies aren't making money from the units themselves, it's all the accessories you buy afterwards. Sometimes those 'units' are loss leaders. Once Canon is in the hands of buyers, they'll need grips, batteries, flashes, and not to mention Lenses. And we all know once you invest a certain amount of money into one brand, there's no going back.

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Tamron is really throwing their name around with the new lineup of VC lenses. The above video is one of the tutorials found at the Tamron Youtube channel. I actually own the same lens shown in this video (if that's the 18-270mm), and have to admit it's one of my most favorite travel lenses. The VC I can vouch for, works awesome, and works well for video too. You won't get the super sharpness of a prime and the focus ring is a bit noisy and stiff, but Tamron is doing a great job with their pricing too. Check out the Tamron YouTube channel for other great DSLR tips.

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aftermarket-550d-grip

Finally! The 550D / T2i aftermarket battery grip + 2 batteries is sitting here at my desk, and i'll have more photos and full review later when I get back home. There are many sellers, but the boxes seem to be the same packaging. Does anyone have a different box? Send in your photos and comments, i'll do an awesome review for everyone when I get back home. Click the image above if you want to buy one from the same eBay seller I purchased mine from.

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I've blogged about this item before at http://cheesycam.com/?p=241. This time around I thought i'd show you what it looks like on video. This is not limited to the 550D, in fact i've owned this special Macro Bellow since the Canon EOS 20D was new. For some reason I'm able to get best results using the 18-55mm kit lens on a cropped camera. It doesn't have Image Stabilization, but this little rail can outperform the $1000 dollar Canon 100mm Macro any day, and it starts for only around $30 bucks. You can find a bunch of these Macro Bellows for sale by clicking here.

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macro-bellows

This bellow works similar to these Extension Tubes found here.

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camera-armor-5d
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camera-armor
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This one looks a bit more beefier than the last Silicone Skin case I blogged about earlier. This one uses the term 'Armor'. Even though the higher end bodies are a bit more weather sealed, If you plan on going rough with your gear (paintballing?), you might want to give these guys a go. Especially for those of you who plan on taking the lighter weight 550D / T2i camera bodies out in the field. Available for different camera bodies, yes even Nikon, Check out some of the different available Camera Armor cases here.

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When DSLR video's hit the market, the companies weren't ready for it. Although FCP has had some plugins designed and some Compression settings to convert them to an editable format, I think Adobe is setting the bar. Jason Levine shows off some of the new Native DSLR Editing on Adobe CS5. I like it, I think i'm going CS5 just for the editing ability.