I'm not a fan of this gimbal for anyone working with smaller cameras, but for those who have bigger camera setups or attempting to stabilize your cameras in aggressive situations this current price is a steal. SALE ENDS TODAY via B&H (click here).
[Update] Sale has ended. It's now back to a -$500 off price.
A short while ago CAME-TV sent over an upgraded version of their 7800 Gimbal. Now that the gimbal has officially been released on their website, here's a closer look at some of the improvements and optional accessories that now come with the Ready-To-Run 7800 Gimbal Kit.
The 7800 has seen many iterations, and even my last video with a 7800 does not even include half of the changes they've made available now. The 7800 model now comes with a Travel Case and a Gimbal Stand. These may be small items, but essential pieces that you no longer need to buy (or make). You can get started balancing your gimbal and flying as soon as you receive the item.
My obvious favorite is new Black Rubberized Hand Grips. Not only does this feel better but it really steps up the aesthetic of the product making it appear much more professional. The top handle has the same design that is easy to remove with a single socket cap screw, and each side handle is clamped on, and can simply be twisted to release the clamp.
New Rubberized Handles
The biggest addition that many should be excited about, is a tool-less adjustment knob that allows you to easily balance the YAW and another tool-less knob to easily balance the Roll. Combined with the sliding quick release plate in the camera frame, swapping lenses should now take seconds instead of minutes.
When you have to shoot video and move fast, the last thing you're thinking about is a Tripod. If you have to move fast with some type of stability, maybe you're thinking more along the lines of a good Video Monopod. In this video i'm showing you why I personally think the latest version of Sirui Video Monopods are at the top of my list, and how it offers more than other Top Brands.
[NOTE:] Because we have readers from around the world, we often provide various links to products. For USA buyers purchasing a SIRUI Product from an Authorized USA Retailer qualifies the product for a 6 YEAR WARRANTY. USA buyers purchasing overseas products will not qualify for the 6 Year USA Warranty.
The moment you pick up a Sirui Video Monopod you'll notice the build quality. Every moving part is precision made and the feature set is well thought out. The monopod can be detached from the feet for more compact travel, yet you can still use the Monopod without the feet, and you can use the Feet without the Monopod (as a small Tripod | Hi Hat).
A locking base prevents the Sirui Video Monopod from swiveling and panning, and a variable drag adjustment at the base allows fine tuning to the operator. Panning can be achieved from the fluid column, or you can lock down the panning feature. Check out the variety of Sirui Video Monopods.
So yesterday I spent a little time testing the Aputure DEC Remote Wireless Follow Focus Canon EF Lens Adapter. Keep in mind that all of the units that other reviewers have (including mine) are just prototypes. So everything that you see could change when they go to final production.
As mentioned in my earlier article, the prototypes available today can attach a Canon EF (autofocus) Lens to a Sony E-Mount or Micro Four Thirds (MFT) Camera and allow you to change aperture values and remotely change focus via a wireless remote. Here's a little video showing the Sony E-Mount DEC Adapter in use.
Since the Aputure DEC Lens Adapter relies on the internal motors of the lens being used, each lens may provide a slightly different experience. Some lenses may offer a smoother transition, while others may have a more prominent stepping motion moving from one focus point to the next. During slower focus movements some lenses will have a louder 'stepping' type noise, while other lenses may be a bit more silent. This is all based on the lens, and at this time not a lot of testing has been done.
In the 'current user manual' it lists several Canon EF L Series lenses, but I decided to try a few different ones such as the Sigma, the Canon 40mm STM, and a 50mm F/1.8. All of the lenses worked flawlessly to adjust iris and I could control focus. I was a bit worried the system would be buggy using random lenses, but so far it's taken everything i've thrown at it.
So while this is still a prototype, so far I think the Aputure DEC is an awesome product for anyone who needs to adjust focus on an adapted Canon EF Lens in situations where you can't normally reach the focus ring. For example when mounted on a Jib/Crane, Steadicam, or even a Gimbal.
Typically on any of my stabilizers i'm settled in with a very wide lens with the aperture stopped down and everything in focus. With the Aputure DEC I would be able to use a Gimbal with a Shallow DOF and focus from an object in the foreground to possibly a distant subject in the background. The focus changes can be quick, or they can be slow.
Will this replace all Follow Focus systems? Obviously not as it only works with Canon EF (autofocus) Lenses, and not manual focus Cine Lenses. The DEC (prototype) also uses a stepping motion which dependent upon the lens may or may not be smooth. There are still a few things that I think still need to be refined and changed on the DEC prototypes, which i'll be sharing with the Aputure company. One suggestion is having a more traditional wireless follow focus remote as the current one could be tricky tracking a subject back and forth if they move quickly.
Sony a7s Aputure DEC Sigma 18-35mm Atomos Shogun
Once a product like this becomes available on the market, I really think this will really impact how many consider changing focus remotely on Canon EF lenses today. It certainly opens up 'options' in the industry that were never available before. Maybe not so much Hollywood, but consider the large market of event, wedding, news, or other video shooters that don't need the precision of a high end WFF system and are shooting with Sony E-Mount and MFT cameras. Compared to other Wireless Follow Focus systems, the Aputure DEC is incredibly simple to use while offering the smallest and lightest possible footprint.
NAB2014 Aputure Announced DEC Lens Adapter Remote Follow Focus
I'm going to continue testing these DEC adapters and hopefully more focusing examples. The next one i'll set up is the MFT Mount which can Start/Stop video on cameras with a LANC connection. If you have any questions so far, leave them in the comments.
Last year NAB 2014 Aputure showed off an entirely new and innovative Wireless Remote Follow Focus system. It looks like a basic lens adapter to add a Canon EF (autofocus lens) to a Micro Four Thirds or Sony E-Mount camera, but this lens adapter has enough communication with the EF Lens that it can drive it's focus motors, change aperture, and also send back the focal distance to the wireless remote.
NAB 2014 Video
The Aputure DEC Remote can also Start / Stop video on certain cameras, and A/B focus points can be set to rack from one focus point to another. If you're familiar with traditional Wireless Follow Focus systems it typically requires a set of 15mm Rods, a Focus Motor, Lens Gears, Battery Pack, and Wireless Receiver. The Aputure DEC eliminates all of that extra gear into just a simple lens adapter which makes it perfect for small camera systems on small stabilizers (steadicams) and Gimbal Stabilizers.
It's been a year since it's been introduced, and what I thought was a lost idea is actually becoming reality. The product is still not available to purchase, but right now I have in possession a couple of prototypes to test out. I'm super excited about this, comments?
I recently passed by WPPI Las Vegas and David from XUMEAdpters.com was there exhibiting the XUME Filter Adapters. These adapters have been around for a few years, but I thought we'd revisit the product now that cameras like the Sony A7s are hugely dependent on ND Filters when working outdoors with S-Log with it's minimum ISO of 3200.
I'm a big fan of Variable ND Filters on my cameras when outdoors, but I really hate unscrewing them when moving to shaded areas or indoors. The XUME Adapter kits allow you fast installation and removal of your filters. In order for the system to work you'll need a lens adapter (ideally placed on every lens) + a Filter Holder (ideally on every filter you plan to use). This can add up to be quite an expense if you want to convert everything you own, but personally I only find myself working with a handful of lenses outdoors and mainly 1 or 2 filters. With that in mind the XUME Pro Kit should cover most of your needs and would be a huge time saver.
As noted in the video, once the XUME Lens Adapter is placed onto your lens, your typical lens cap won't work directly. You'll need to utilize one of the XUME Filter Holders for the cap, or opt in for one of their new custom XUME Lens Caps.
Obviously many of use different lenses that may have varying filter sizes. My Sigma uses a 72mm, my Canon uses a 77mm, and my Lumix 58mm. Of course a simple fix to this is to purchase step-up filter rings so that all of your lenses share a common Filter Size. I typically step all of my lenses up to 77mm (as seen here), but this does mean you have to buy several 77mm Lens Caps - very cheap via eBay. The complete line of XUME Adapters and Kits are available via B&H (click here).
Any owner of the Sony A7s will immediately tell you that battery life sucks big time. Some guys may opt in for the $300 Dollar Sony VGC1EM Battery Grip (found here), which allows you to run (2) Sony batteries at the same time.
$300 Dollars is a bit expensive, and there are Generic VGC1EM Battery Grips for $65 Dollars (found here), but because of the poor life of each Sony OEM battery, even two most likely still wont be enough for a solid day of production.
Recently I posted up a short little article about how to make your own Sony A7s external power source using cheap battery trays (here). Since both the Canon LP-E6 batteries and the Sony NPF style batteries run similar voltage, you can use either one to power up your Sony A7s for cheap and not to mention several times longer than the A7s battery.
An external power source has been very handy, but this means always having to mount the external battery with the camera at all times. You can see how SatoStudios has been mounting one to either a cage or shoulder rig (below).
After testing out the Canon LP-E6 batteries (which I have more than a few dozen of), I thought about modifying a generic Canon Battery Grip I had laying around.
This would mount under the camera, clean up any loose wiring, and still be able to tripod mount my Sony A7s. So I basically gutted the generic Canon Battery grip, rewired the battery terminals inside directly to a Sony Dummy Battery adapter.
Now because the grip isn't smart enough to switch over once a battery is depleted, and it may not be wise to run these batteries in Parallel, I decided to add a simple toggle switch. The good thing is that the Sony A7s seems to read the battery levels fine, and the toggle switch allows me to use either Battery A(1) or Battery B(2).
Although she doesn't look pretty, I didn't have to spend any extra money outside of a $13 dollar Sony Dummy Battery (found here), and EACH Canon LP-E6 battery runs several times longer than the Sony A7s. I haven't put any run times tests together but theoretically it might do 4-5 hours.
While it may not be a worthwhile project just anyone should tackle, it's a neat way to recycle my old gear. Not to mention improve shooting times on the Sony A7s by several times over while keeping cords and mounting to a minimum. It's a nice way to balance out the small body when using larger lenses too.
I don't suggest just anyone tackle this project unless you have a bit of electrical know-how. Of course it's fairly easy if you understand basic electrical wiring. I have another spare grip from a Canon T2i, and now attempting to build a battery grip for my BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera. I believe I can fit a 3s Li-on RC Battery into the slide out tray.
The Aputure 672 LED Light Panel has been out for a little while, but since it's been a consistent piece of equipment on recent shoots, we thought we'd highlight some it's features to those who may not be already familiar.
The most recent 672 LED Light builds on the popular (previous model) 528 model. As you can tell the numbers mean that they were able to take the same form factor and add an additional 144 LED Bulbs. Not only are there more lights densely packed in providing a brighter output, but the bulbs have been swapped out to High CRI versions offering more accurate colors. The 672 is even offered as a Bi-Color LED Panel allowing you to adjust color temperature to match your ambient lighting.
Aputure 672 LED Light used for Outdoor Fill
Another major improvement over the previous 528 model is the additional wireless remote that allows you to control different LED panels without ever getting off your seat. In fact 'groups' of LED panels can be assembled and each group controlled separately through a single remote (included). This feature alone is a huge time saver when you need to sit behind the camera and adjust each light output for perfect exposure.
[2.4G FSK wireless remote control within 100 meters | Control multiple LED lights in 4 groups or 3 channels]
The Aputure 672 LED Panel shares some of the same features such as Digital Rear Display offering up an easy way to monitor battery life from a distance. The panels can be powered over AC through the provided wall plug, while simultaneously charging the Sony NPF style batteries connected to the panel (panel is a battery charger). Not shown in the video, but the Aputure 672 also comes with two large Sony (generic) Batteries offering up even more value as a ready to run system.
In summary the Aputure 672 LED Panels are compact, lightweight, affordable, offer high CRI, work with inexpensive Sony NPF style batteries, and built in wireless remote operation. Certainly an LED Panel that offers best bang for the buck and you won't be disappointed. Available now (click here).
Well look at what has arrived today on my desk. The latest updated (again) version of the CAME-TV 7800 Gimbal.
These changes are so new that at the time of this writing, the images for the CAME-TV 7800 Gimbal have not yet been updated on their website. If you plan on ordering one, I would double check with them about these new parts being available, since it's not yet posted on their website.
The system I have here has received a much needed aesthetic and functional overhaul. Finally they have professional looking side handles (not fond of the old yellow foam ones). These side handles require no tools to remove, and they have also updated to a matching new Top Handle. The biggest change of course is the addition of tool-less adjustments for the rear Roll Bar and YAW Motor and a slightly modified QR baseplate.
Previously they had only tool-less adjustments on the Pitch, and making adjustments to the Roll and YAW was a tedious task - but not any longer. The system now comes with a semi-hard travel case with a Gimbal Stand. The 7800 has certainly stood the test of time to be one of the most affordable entry level gimbal systems, and it seems like it's just getting better.
So the new changes look great, and in theory should make life a lot easier, but i'll still need to put it through the paces and test this thing out over the weekend. If you're interested in finding out more, the CAME-TV 7800 3-Axis Gimbal can be found on their website (CLICK HERE).
CAME-TV 7800 3-Axis Gimbal Stabilizer with Case + Stand
DJI Ronin 3 Axis Gimbal Stabilizer w/ Hardcase Remote and Stand
[Update] The Sirui P-204S Aluminum Video Monopod Shown In Video is Just $129 + FREE SHIPPING (HERE)
