If you've got an Atomos Shogun Monitor Recorder, then you might want to consider a cage system to protect that investment. The KavalCage is an aluminum frame that wraps around the plastic body of the Shogun and adds important HDMI locks, protects the XLR Cable, and adds additional mounting options. This weekend is the time to jump in on that $99 Dollar Sale on the PVGear KavalCage.
dslr video
For more information visit PVGear.comFotoDiox Launches 5 New Bi-Color FlapJack LED Edgelights
I recently got my hands on a couple of new Bi-Color FotoDiox FlapJack LED Edgelights. The FlapJack lights have been around for a little while but the product line has now expanded with several new sizes, and now in a temperature adjustable version.
While they are not meant to replace high power LED lighting, the unique design allows these lights to be placed close to subjects while offering a very flattering, soft, wide spread, diffused light. No filters, gels, or modifiers required. Because of this, I see them as being perfect for on-camera use. The large evenly diffused panel is much more comfortable for subjects to look towards, and will reduce harsh shadows.
My favorite version of the FlapJack LED Edgelights is the 4x11 design which when mounted horizontally offers a slim and low profile light, but with a very wide spread. Rotate it vertically, or maybe add a handle for off camera use, and you have a very nice strip light. If you're duties require an on-camera light for such things as event coverage, documentary, product, or macro, the FotoDiox FlapJack LED Edgelights is certainly one to consider with it's unique properties.
Here's another video from FotoDiox along with a description of the video discussing their new lights and a Giveaway opportunity.
via Fotodiox
Today we're launching 5 new bi-color models of the FlapJack LED Edgelight, fully adjustable between 5500K and 3200K color temperatures. Now you can recapture the warmth of the classic tungsten bulb with the power and portability of a FlapJack.
Want even more power? The new models include the brand new 18” FlapJack Studio: an ideal solution for shooters seeking a powerful softlight for larger spaces.
- The FlapJack LED Edgelights are perfect for filling in shadows, giving glamour portraits a beautiful glow or expertly lighting run-and-gun video shoots
- Each model comes with a lithium-ion battery, battery charger, AC adapter, car adapter and mounting ballhead – all in a fitted case with a handle
- Between now and August 15, we're taking 20% off the ENTIRE compact FlapJack line and $100 off of the new FlapJack Studio
Between now and August 10, you're invited to enter a random drawing for a FREE C-300RS 10” circular bi-color FlapJack by sending an email to [email protected] with “FlapJack me!” in the subject line.
For more information about the various sizes and options available for the FlapJack Daylight or Bi-Color LED Edgelights, visit https://FotoDioxPro.com (here).
FotoDiox Daylight and NEW Bi-Color FlapJack LED Edgelights
Random Samples Shot with Sony RX10 Mark II Using Only 240 FPS 1080p Setting SLOG2
After testing out a couple of the different HFR (high frame rates) with the Sony RX10 Mark II, the 240fps setting looked very usable. Today I went around shooting random samples with just this one setting.
Prior to shooting in 240fps (or any HFR mode), you have to prepare the camera into 'Standby Mode'. Once the camera is in Standy, you can't adjust any settings (aperture, zoom, ISO, etc), and you can't adjust focus. So it's a bit tricky especially when working handheld.
Unlike the 120fps in which you can shoot all day, the 240fps will give you about 1 second of recording (maybe shorter). After that brief second, it takes several seconds to save the recording to the SDXC card. You really have to time your shot to fit into that one second of recording.
I still think the GH4 is capable of producing better footage (especially in low light), but the RX10MKII offers a bunch of features and some not found with a GH4. To match the focal range on a GH4 with what is available in the RX10MKII, I would have had to bring my 12-35mm F/2.8 OIS + 35mm-100mm F/2.8 OIS lenses. When traveling or on vacation, it's just easier to work with one lens.
Both cameras will give you 4K internal recording, but the GH4 only offers up to 96fps while the RX10MKII can shoot 120fps all day + options for up to 960fps (240fps is probably the max I would use). I also enjoy having an ND Filter option built in with the RX10 MKII instead of having to carry ND filters.
Both cameras will offer 4K Internal recording and the stabilized zoom lens on this RX10MKII allows you to shoot very stable footage so that you don't always need a monopod or tripod. The RX10 even offers a de-clicked aperture ring so that you can adjust exposures on the fly. There's a microphone input and Headphone output as well, so you can use this as a full run-gun event or documentary camera.
The footage in the video above was shot in SLOG2 mostly ISO 1000 - ISO 2000. I'm still not happy about coloring SLOG2 on this camera (it's different than A7s, but I think eventually I'll find the right settings as I keep trying.
Sony RX10 Mark 2 28-200mm F/2.8 Zoom 4K Video HFR Slow Motion
Sony RX10 Mark II SLOG2 120 FPS ISO 2000 MINI2 Gimbal
Ok, so here's a little video clip I shot out in the backyard just to test SLOG2 on the new Sony RX10 MKII camera. Now before you beat this camera up about some of the noise found in the video, I left the 'Built in ND Filter' on and set the camera at ISO 2000. I didn't think this would be a problem, but there is quite a bit of noise over ISO 1600.
The better thing to do would be to turn the 'ND Filter' OFF and then keep the SLOG2 Base ISO at 800. On the A7s this wouldn't have been an issue. But yeah I screwed up, and at least I know to keep the ISO below 1600. Anyhow this was just a quick test to see if I can work with the color.
Camera moves were done with the RX10 MKII mounted to a CAME-TV MINI2 Gimbal. Yeah the CAME-MINI2 gimbal works great with the RX10, but I had to remove the front frame. I used the 120 fps setting edited to a 24p Timeline, and colored it with FCPX. It's still a learning process but with practice hopefully the results just get better.
What more to say about this camera? The RX10 MarkII throws in an amazing lens with a constant F/2.8 aperture, even an option to 'de-click the aperture' like expensive Cinema Lenses. Manual Focus, Focus Peaking, Zebra, Histogram, Built in ND Filter, 1080p up to 120fps (WITH AUDIO), Microphone input, Manual Audio, Headphone Output, 4K Internal Recording, WiFi, and SLOG2! That's not even scratching the surface of features. The Sony DSC-RX10 II in my opinion really puts Canon's latest XC10 to shame.
Sony RX10 Mark 2 28-200mm F/2.8 Zoom 4K Video HFR Slow Motion
Sony RX10 Mark II High Frame Rate 60fps 120fps 240fps 480fps 960fps
I just got the new Sony RX10 Mark II in yesterday and obviously the amazing thing about this camera is it's High Frame Rate feature. Here's a quick capture testing some of these HFR settings. I still have to learn how to use it, because once you go into HFR Mode, the camera goes into Stand By and will not let you re-focus or change anything. You have to setup your shot, then go into Stand By mode, and then finally record when you're ready. Depending on the HFR mode, you can only record for a quick second or two.
Of course at 60fps or 120fps 1080p, you can shoot all day. The HFR mode is for 240fps, 480fps, and 960fps. Also you have to play with different shutter speeds at different frame rates to get sharper images with less motion blur. So forgive the footage if it's out of focus, or has too much motion blur. The different frame rates will also cause different crop views. You'll notice the 960fps setting is more 'cropped' than the the other frame rates.
The HFR mode requires a special SDXC Card to record, and after going through a few different types in my stash, the Sandisk Extreme Plus UHS-1/U3 was one that worked very well (found here). Even my high end Sandisk cards 95MB/s used for RAW on the BMPCC didn't work on the RX10MKII. I kept getting an error message because it wasn't U3 compatible
Sandisk Extreme Plus UHS-1/U3 SDXC Media
Be careful, don't get the wrong one. The label on my SDXC Card specifically says 80MB/s and U3. It's odd because I can't find the same card on B&H, but definitely the Sandisk Extreme Plus U3 on Amazon is exactly like mine.
I'll be doing a little more in depth about the camera, but if you have any questions about this camera, leave your comments. For those of you on the fence, I think you'll definitely be impressed by all the many features and overall quality of the camera. In stock and available at B&H (here).
Sony RX10 Mark 2 28-200mm F/2.8 Zoom 4K Video HFR Slow Motion
Volta Quad V-Mount Charger and Volta Smart V-Mount Batteries
With so many video accessories adopting the use of V-mount batteries, eventually it's an investment we may have to consider. Especially if you have a solid set of LED Light Panels, as batteries will allow you to use the set in any location without worrying about plugging into a wall, or tripping on extension cords. With so many different V-Mount options available, the Volta Smart V-Mount Battery combined with the Volta Quad V-Mount Charger offers a few features you may not find on cheaper V-Mount kits.
Starting with the Volta Quad V-Mount Battery Charger, it's certainly an investment, but keep in mind that it's capable of charging 4 batteries simultaneously. While you may be able to find other dual chargers for less money, these may not charge your batteries simultaneously. For the dual chargers that 'can charge simultaneously' for close to $350 dollars, you'll find that the Volta Quad Charger actually offers great value starting at just under $450 dollars (found here).
Volta Quad V-Mount Charger and Volta Smart V-Mount Battery
Getting back to the Volta Smart V-Mount battery, I can tell you that not all V-Mount batteries are created equal. I have a small collection of off-brand V-Mount batteries that doesn't work in many of my more powerful LED Lights, while the Volta Smart Li-ion had no issues powering them up. So if you believe you'll one day need the extra power, that's one big reason you'll need a quality battery. The Volta Smart V-Mount Battery is also conveniently rated at 99Wh designed to meet guidelines for air travel in the USA.
The LCD display on the Volta Smart V-Mount battery is incredibly handy to have. You see the number of Cycles, current Battery Percentage, and a proper indication of how much time you have left on each battery. Once you have this type of information, you'll definitely miss it when working with batteries that lack this feature. The LCD screen also displays a different set of information when it's charging, such as Time Remaining and Current Percentage.
So (like myself) it's certainly possible to save money on inexpensive V-mount batteries, there are many features the Volta Smart Batteries offer that make it more compelling to make your investment in a better Battery and Battery Charging System. The Volta Smart V-Mount Li-ion Battery and Volta Quad V-Mount Charger can be found at https://fvlighting.com.
Lilliput MoPro7 GoPro HERO3 HERO4 7″ HDMI X Sports Monitor
This new Lilliput MoPro7 X Sports HDMI Monitor has an internal rechargeable battery keeping the entire unit extra sleek. It can also be powered (or recharged) using the provided DC wall adapter. The MoPro7 comes with multiple backings so that you can use it as a normal HDMI monitor for framing, or swap the backing to enclose your GoPro HERO3 or HERO4 Camera.
With your GoPro HERO camera mounted, the internal MoPro7 battery will keep your GoPro charged up while feeding a live view to the large 7" screen. Although you can use the MoPro7 as a basic HDMI monitor, this certainly does not have the high end features such as peaking, false color, or waveforms. It's simply a neat addition that will help you expands the use of your GoPro HERO cameras making it easier to view exactly what the GoPro, while keeping the camera running longer. For mounting options, the MoPro7 X-Sports Monitor does have a 1/4" thread underneath.
Lilliput MoPro7 X Sports HDMI Monitor for GoPro HERO3 / HERO4 Cameras
Trade in your Radian Pro and Upgrade to Multicast Offer
If you're not familiar with the Radian Pro, it's a small kit that can stream HD Video wirelessly from the HDMI of your camera over to remote monitor. These are very handy tools when you can't be by the camera (i.e. mounted to a video crane) and you need to frame your shot. You can see how we recently used our Radian Pro kit with a Varavon Wirecam Cable Cam setup a few weeks ago (here).
The Radian Pro (unicast) will allow you to stream a feed back to one monitor, but with the Multicast version, you can stream that same feed to several monitors. Right now Camera Motion Research is offering up a trade in deal if you're looking to upgrade.
According to the offer - "Owners of Radian Pro unicast TX/RX sets (or Paralinx Arrow® unicast TX/RX sets) can trade in their unicast set and upgrade to a Radian MC multicast TX/RX set with 2 or more receivers at a very affordable cost." For more information about this trade in offer, check out the details at https://CameraMotionResearch.com.
Camera Motion Research Radian Pro Wireless Video Transmitter Receiver
Sony DSC-RX10 II 4K Video Camera Now In Stock
With slow motion up to 960fps, 4K Internal Recording, SLOG2 Gamma, and a fast Carl Zeiss 24-200mm f/2.8 Lens built in image stabilized zoom lens, the Sony RX10 Mark II sounds like a beast of a camera.
I'm interested in testing out the SLOG2 on this camera to see if it will hold up as a solid B Camera alongside an A7s. The camera is currently in stock and available at B&H (here).
Sony RX10 Mark 2 4K Video 28-200mm F/2.8 Zoom