Videography Gadgets

• 7 Comments

•

batteries canon t2i 550d

These Canon 550D T2i Batteries LP-E8 are sooo cheap.

One of the decisions you'll need to make about buying your video DSLR is all the accessories you're going to need to help you shoot your projects. Compared to the $80 dollar OEM batteries for the 7D, the Canon T2i 550D batteries are chump change. I've already run low quite a few times with the single battery on the T2i, but after seeing these prices, it's time to place some orders. I've had some awesome luck with aftermarket batteries, so i'm thinking about trying these $6.99 Free Shipping aftermarkets on the T2i.

• 5 Comments

•

Fluid movement in video is a big deal today. Dollies, sliders, jibs, cranes, steadicam shots, skater dollies, there are tons of different ways to get that cinematic camera movement. The video above has got to be one of my favorite simple camera tricks I ran into a while back, but since we've got a growing number of newbies in DSLR video, I thought i'd repost.

Don't be fooled though, you'll need some solid tripod legs and an awesome fluid head. By far the smallest, most fluid, and most cost effective for small cameras would be this Bogen 701HDV. Check it out here.

• 2 Comments

•

I was in Hawaii with the Canon 5D Mark II + 24-70mm F/2.8 and Circular Polarizer last year when I shot this. I was about to trash this video, but then remembers a few friends who had questions "Is a Polarizer worth it?, What do they do?" So here it is peeps and others who might be interested in the Before and After use of Polarizers on Lenses. The video shows the difference in how much contrast and saturation you can obtain. This is not the same as an ND filter that simply blocks light. These circular polarizers are designed to block light from a certain direction, so you turn them in front of the lens depending on the situation. Yes you can use these in combination with ND filters. These are also recommended with normal video camcorders and point and shoot cameras that can accept filters. These are not just for DSLR video and photo cameras. You just have to remember to get the right size for your lens.

cpl-filter
find-price-button Circular Polarizers for Photography and Video Camera Lenses

• 22 Comments

•

Probably the best rail for a DIY slider, I believe this would be the same as a Glidetrack, is the Linear Guide rail from Igus. Normally used for Robotics, these precision machined aluminum rails use Dry bearings to slide. No greasy bearings. A.K.A. ZaZa slider, you can find more information here https://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=145701

After reading a few threads and checking out the ZaZa slider group over at Vimeo.com, I decided to build my own. This post is really late because I had already ordered this item about half a year ago, but finally decided to finish it with a Fluid Head. It pretty much just sat waiting for this last piece. It's a work in progress, i'll probably change from one Tripod to 2 (1 each side) for more stability. I'll use Quick Release plates on each end to break it down faster. Oh well, here's my first run.

[Update] After the popularity of this DIY Project, the company IGUS now sells the complete kit and some predrilled. Here's the link to grab possibly the cheapest high quality DSLR Video Camera slider: Igus DIY Slider Kits

igus-diy-slider
find-price-button Igus DIY Slider Kits

• 4 Comments

•

I'm not saying this DIy shoulder mount should be used with the new DSLR video cameras, but if you're rockin' a Canon HV20 / HV30 / Vixia HD camcorder or similiar sized cameras, this is a simple solution to getting great steady shots for under $20.00 dollars.

I was asked if I had any ideas for a cheap DIY Video camera shoulder support rig that was easy to put together and cheap.

Not recommended for heavy cameras, but for small consumer-cams, I think it's a great DIY Shoulder Mount Project.

Parts List:
Aluminum Flat bar (bend it to fit over the shoulder).
Foam insulation (used for shoulder padding)
Metal 'T' Bracket (combine this with the flat bar)
Handles (I used Jump rope handles because they already had an easy way to mount it to the bracket)
Black Appliance Epoxy paint (much stronger than acrylic)
A few nuts and bolts to hold everything in place.
I think you'll get the idea....
If you're using Canon DSLR's they also sell remotes that I believe may work with starting and stopping video recording.

If you're not a DIY person, check out this cheap Shoulder Support from eBay. Here's the product.
You can find the shoulder support from eBay by clicking this link, or the image below.

click image