dslr video

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If you're working with a variety of Canon EF Auto Focus lenses with your Sony A7s, Sony A7sII or Sony A7RII cameras, you'll need a good lens adapter that can communicate to the lens so that you can at least change aperture values. Otherwise your lens will be stuck at one Aperture. At the same time, you'll probably need a variety of ND Filters to fit the different lenses - or at least a bunch of step up filters.

Or you can simplify your workflow and check out the new FotoDiox ND Throttle Fusion Adapter that has a built in Variable ND Filter (inside the lens adapter) while still allowing full communication to your Canon EF Auto Focus Lens and to adjust aperture settings from the camera's dials.

The FotoDiox ND Throttle Auto Lens Adapter is especially handy for people who love shooting in SLOG and wide open apertures. As the base ISO with SLOG on an A7s is 3200 (or 1600 on A7sII) normally your way overexposed. Adding an ND Filter as part of your Sony shooting kit is going to really help you control that SLOG exposure while keeping your super shallow DOF look.

Of course there are times when you need every bit of light you can get, so I can't say it's going to be the only Lens Adapters in your bag. Once you have this ND Throttle mounted you'll get a bit of light loss even at it's minimum setting ND. But I generally like shooting 'with' light and always try to add creative lighting to our scenes, so I could say this would probably tackle more than 80% of what we shoot with the Sony A7sII. It's definitely an adapter I think i'll use more over my Metabones.

fotodiox canon to sony lens adapter variable nd filterfotodiox nd throttle auto variable nd
Learn-More-sm Fotodiox ND Throttle Auto Adapter Canon EF to Sony E-Mount

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Having a nice powerful lighting kit is great, but let's not forget how important it is to have ways of controlling and modifying all that light using items such as flags, grids, bounces, softboxes, etc.

If you don't have a softbox for your LED panel, the D-Fuse Softboxes are foldable instant pop-up boxes that are designed to fit most LED Panels via stretch bands that pull across the back of your LED Panel.

Just recently, they've added another version - all white. This type of diffusion is similar to the effects you get from what some call a China Ball, Drum Light, White Dome, or Lantern. You may often see this type of light used hanging above subjects evenly lighting up an area.

While this may not be your primary modifier, it is a handy accessory to have as part of your kit. Especially if you're going for low contrast with less shadows. Perhaps a good modifier to use for product closeups or food photography.

The new D-Fuse All White version is available in three different sizes. Just measure our your LED Panel and compare it with the 'back window' dimensions listed on the D-Fuse product pages (found here).

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Learn-More-sm D-Fuse Instant Pop-Up Softbox All White

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Here's a product overview of the new CAME-TV Optimus Gimbal vs the popular CAME-TV Single. In a nutshell, if you were happy with the performance of the SINGLE Gimbal, you'll be blown away by what you can do with the new design and flexibility of the Optimus.

Now both gimbals support the same payload, so don't expect to use heavy camera setups. As I said, it doesn't matter how small your camera body is if you've decided to use lens adapters and large full frame Canon Lenses. That's no longer considered a 'small camera' setup. You'll want to stick with the small camera body + small native lenses to get the best results from these small gimbal systems.

If you're curious what type of camera and lens combinations work, take a look at the CAME-SINGLE product page. They have a very nice list of camera and lens combinations that customers are using and they also link to the customer videos. Not only will you get a sense of what works, but also how the final images look from wide angles to portrait lenses - (click here for examples).

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learn-more-button CAME-TV Optimus Gimbal 3-Axis Stabilizer

Unlike the SINGLE, the Optimus now folds flat for travel as there are no 'hard stops' built into the motor rotations. Each motor can rotate a full 360 degrees thanks to new slip rings incorporated into each motor housing. With the ability to rotate without limits, the gimbal can be used inverted or upright, and can be rotated at anytime without having to restart the system.

And now that the battery has been relocated to the frame, you will be able to use a variety of different handles or mount the gimbal frame under a jib or Drone. Another bonus of course is that you can swap out the batteries quickly if needed. The CAME-SINGLE with battery built into the handle was a bit more time consuming to change batteries.

Also a difference from the CAME-SINGLE (or other gimbals) is the ability to connect directly with the Flight Control Inputs (located on the side of frame) for Pitch, Roll, and YAW. If you understand SBGC these inputs are used to connect an RC Remote (i.e. Futaba) to control the gimbal from a very long distance or to integrate with the controls of your Drone.

So while the Optimus does carry a higher price tag it includes many accessories over other systems. First, you get two batteries. You also get the Single Handle + the Dual Handles. It will include a tripod mount for balancing, and a fairly decent Hard Case for travel. You'll also get a Wireless Joystick and Magic Arm (for mounting accessories). That's a pretty decent bundle of items if you're trying to compare prices with other systems.

For more information and to see samples already shot with this gimbal, check out the CAME-TV Optimus Product Page (here).

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learn-more-button CAME-TV Optimus Gimbal 3-Axis Stabilizer Kit

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In this article, i'm sharing a little follow up video with samples shot using the new Kamerar Baton Extender Adapter for the DJI OSMO. This extension sits between the OSMO X3 camera and Handle adding about 30" of additional reach. This is great for getting new heights while still having native controls over the OSMO (trigger, joystick, etc). You can find the Kamerar Baton Extender (here).

Kamerar Baton Extender
Learn-More-sm Kamerar Baton Extension Adapter for DJI OSMO X3

In order to get a bit more motion blur and less 'stuttery look', I added a FotoDiox ND Filter to the X3 camera. This allowed me to reduce the shutter speed on the OSMO camera. These are a new 4pc set of Filters (3x ND + 1 CPL) from FotoDiox that will fit the X3 camera on the OSMO or the X3 camera on your DJI Inspire1 Drone.

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Learn-More-sm FotoDiox ND Filter for DJI OSMO X3 & Inspire1 X3 Camera

dji osmo buy now preorder priceDJI OSMO Price review video sample
VIEW-ITEM DJI OSMO 4K Camera Gimbal

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Wow, BEST DEAL EVER on popular ‪#‎Zoom‬ ‪#‎H1‬ Portable Audio Recorder! Lowest price i've ever seen it! Just $64.99 - Sale Ends in a few hours: (click here).
zoom h1 digital audio recorder
Learn-More-sm Zoom H1 Portable Digital Audio Recorder

Remember these are a perfect option for on-talent audio recorders when paired with AspenMics Zoom H1 Belt Clips (found here).
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Learn-More-sm AspenMics Belt Clip and Mic Trap for Zoom H1 Portable Audio Recorders

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Product Description:
The newest addition to the Dracast Fresnel Series Lights are the biggest, most powerful Dracast lights to date, delivering tremendous output with incredible color rendition.

Super responsive LCD touch screen to adjust dimming and color temperature manually
Color Balance Options: Daylight (5600K), Tungsten (3200K), and Bi-Color (3200K - 5600K)
​15-60 Degree Adjustable Beam Angle
Yoke with 5/8" Receiver
0-100% Dimming
On-board dimming knob
CRI: 95
Includes 4 - way Barndoors

Optional features depending on the model:
-WIFI control compatible or On board DMX controls

Specifications:
Beam Angle: 15 degrees - 60 Adjustable Beam Angle
Handling: Double-Side Clutch Plate Tilt Adjustment Handle
Mounting: 5/8"" Baby Pin Aluminum Mounting Yoke
Tilt Angle: 90 degrees
Power Connection: 110-240 VAC, 50-60 Hz, 2.0A
Heat Management: Passive Heat Sink Cooling System
On Board Fan: Yes
Battery Powered: No
Color Balance Options: Daylight (5600K), Tungsten (3200K), and Bi-Color (3200K - 5600K)
Color Rendition: 95
Dimming: 0-100% Continuous
Controls: Local On-Board Manual Controls
Housing Color: Blue / Black
Housing Build: Aluminum Alloy
Est LED Lifetime: 50,000 hours

For more information about Dracast New LED Fresnel Series visit Dracast website (link)

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Learn-More-sm Dracast LED 1500 3000 5000 LED Fresnels

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After shooting a few projects with the BlackMagic Design URSA Mini 4.6K camera, I found several that I could sometimes get away with just the audio from the built in microphones. But as soon as I threw on my Canon EF-S 17-55mm F/2.8 lens with Image Stabilization (Ursa is not full frame), the camera microphones would pick up all of the IS noise. Once that noise was embedded into the audio, it was no longer usable. So I set out to find a good microphone that I could mount over the handle.

I personally wanted the shortest shotgun microphone, powered over XLR phantom so I didn't have to worry about batteries. I wanted to find the slimmest shock mount so it didn't sit too high (trying to keep the camera clean and simple). It didn't need to be the best microphone in the world, as I was only planning to use it mostly on camera for good scratch audio or sound bites. After reviewing a few options I found the Azden SGM-PDII to be a good fit and has excellent customer reviews. Over at B&H they have an Azden SGM-PDII Shotgun Mic Kit that includes the shock mount, and the microphone already comes with a short XLR lead.

Running through the tests mounted on camera, the SGM-PDII was completely free of any Image Stabilization noise from my lens. So for my on-camera needs it works great. And surprisingly I found the microphone also sounded very good when booming overhead, so it's something I would even use during interviews. If you're working with a camera that has built in XLR inputs (i.e. Sony FS7) and looking for something better than the built in microphones, you may want to take a look at the Azden SGM-PDII Short Shotgun Microphone.

azden sgm-pdii shotgun short microphone xlr ursaazden sgm-pdii microphone shotgun ursa mini
Learn-More-sm Azden SGM-PDII Professional Shotgun Microphone

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First off, let's state the obvious! Of course i'm bound to have IR Pollution issues without using a proper 'IR Cut Filter'. But the point of this video is to show that even basic ND Filters that are not advertised with IR Cut can all perform differently, so it's better to test out your filters with specific cameras before heading out to shoot a full project.

I've used my Tiffen Static ND Filters happily on many of my cameras without issues. It's a nice sharp image. But as the BlackMagic Design Ursa Mini 4.6K is more sensitive to IR Pollution this (non-IR Cut) Tiffen ND 1.2 is probably the worst ND Filter you can use with the Ursa Mini 4.6K or other IR Sensitive cameras.

Again, I know none of these filters are advertised as IR Cut and you could probably spend a good amount of money on some special filters. But in this case, the URSA Mini 'without' a filter doesn't seem too bad so you may get away without one. And the LCW Fader ND MKII (though not advertised as IR cut) seems to handle IR Pollution extremely well, so it's a variable ND I can highly recommend. You can find the LCW Fader ND MKII Variable ND via B&H (click here).

Or you can also find the LCW Fader ND MKII Variable ND via Amazon (click here)
Ursa Mini IR Cut Filter Pollution Light Craft Workshop Fader ND MKII
Learn-More-smLight Craft WorkShop Fader ND MKII

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If you're looking for a super lightweight affordable motorized Time Lapse slider, here's an interesting Motorized 2-Axis Auto Panning Slider that was sent over from DigiSlider. The Auto-panning addition allows the slider to keep a subject in the center of your frame while in motion. Here's a video overview and a short Time Lapse sample towards the end of the video.

Unlike a basic motorized slider that has moves constantly, the DigiSlider Controller can be setup for true shoot-move-shoot settings. This allows you to work with long exposures as you can configure the slider to wait to move until your camera is done firing - preventing blurry images.

It's also possible to use the DigiSlider 2-Axis as a real time Auto Panning (parallax) video slider, and you can dial in different speed settings. But keep in mind that there is audible noise from the motor so it may not work well for interview settings or where audio is critical.

The design of the Auto Panning option is clever as it doesn't require a motor like other 2 or 3 Axis Motorized Sliders. This makes it very fast and simple to setup, but this design is also limited how far you can Pan the camera inwards to keep a subject in frame. Your subject cannot be too close for Auto Panning to work effectively (angle would be too great).

Also, keep in mind that this slider is setup with a motor and belt drive, so you cannot move it manually by hand. To move the slider it has to be connected to the Controller. Unless of course if you disconnect the belt drive using a basic hex tool, then you can use the slider by hand for times you don't need the motor, and you will still have full access to the Auto Panning feature.

DigiSlider offers a number of different Time Lapse and Motion Control Solutions, and for more information about this product, check out their website https://www.DigiSldier.co.uk (link)

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Learn-More-smDIGISLIDER 2 Axis Auto-Pan Video TimeLapse Stop Motion Slider