I saw these grips a while back online, but thought they would be something very tiny and not very useful. Turns out these things are quite large and the company who makes it also designs Gun and Rifle type stabilizers. I have yet to see a DSLR + Viewfinder with this handle, but thinking that would look very very cool. Might be a great handle to add to the DIY shoulder rigs.
Old school 8mm Cameras
Camcorder with Grip
They can be purchased here:
Now that you're all excited about the title of this post, I have to break the bad news and say unfortunately it's not me giving this prize away. I'm just letting you all know about the Olympus Pen Challenge going on right now. Olympus is going to give you an Olympus E-PL1 camera + $5,000 dollars to fund your next video project.
It's easy to enter, you don't even need an Olympus camera to submit for the challenge. Basically you send them a short video telling them what you would use the new camera + money for, and they'll choose a few winners. Anyone want to team up with Cheesycam for a project, holla back! I'm thinking music video utilizing all the features in the new E-PL1. More details following the link.
These videos are long, but super super interesting for anyone who cares anything about lenses. Most of the time I feel like everything camera related is overpriced, but after you understand the work behind creating some great lenses, you'll feel very differently (well at least for Canon Lenses). This is a three part series that covers the making of a Canon L series 500mm F/4. Take the time to watch when you can.
Part #1 Making of Canon 500mm Lens
Part #2 Making of Canon 500mm Lens
Part #3 Making of Canon 500mm Lens
I've always wanted this Pen camera for it's throwback feel, and interchangeable lens features for a small portable, but wasn't happy with the quality of the E-P1 HD video. Now this E-PL1 version which comes out cheaper than the introduction price of the E-P1 is more my style. This commercial revived my interest, you'll see what I mean at the end of the commercial.
Updated: Here's the new link for a seller that's selling the exact same batteries I use.
I talked about these batteries a little while back when I placed my order on them. I've been using China shipped aftermarket batteries for years on my Canon 5D Mark II & Canon 7D (same batteries). I use aftermarket battery grips for both of those cameras also. Since i've been using them with absolutely no problems, it was a very easy decision for me to try out the 550D / T2i batteries coming out of China. I'm very happy with them. They work like normal Canon OEM batteries. They seem to last just as long, and unlike my other batteries, I can charge these on the Canon OEM charger. They also display the battery life indicator on the Canon EOS 550D / T2i. With shipping you can get them for as little as $10 bucks each. I was a little skeptical at first, but the T2i videos seem to blend in seamlessly along with the other cameras and is now seeing just as much, if not more, use during the gigs. It's never been used for any photography, but as a third video camera, it rocks! These batteries are a big help on long jobs. These aftermarket batteries for the Canon EOS 550D / T2i rock! You can purchase the batteries by clicking here.
Updated: Here's the new link for a seller that's selling the exact same batteries I use.
click image to purchase aftermarket batteries for the Canon EOS 550D / T2i
Part of the workflow for me that's been a real pain is memory card backups. After an all day shoot it's about leaving your Compact flash or SDHC cards with the editor to do his data dumps so he can get straight to work. Otherwise it means you have to find a way to dump about 200 gigs of video to an external, and then find the time to get it back to the editor in a timely fashion.
I've been on the fence for a while about getting one of these portable Memory Backup devices, and it seems like it could really help in speeding up data hand-offs. The idea is to purchase at least two and just rotate / switch each time we do a job. Sure we can always drag around a laptop and a couple of USB drives, but transfering from card to laptop and back to external drive seems like more gear to carry and slower transfer times. Sure there are different and maybe cheaper versions of these type of devices, but so far the Hyperdrive has always been the one recommended to me by professionals. You can find prices of the Hyperdrive Memory Backup on eBay by Clicking Here.
Or you can always check out Amazon
Holy cow, check out this expensive version too:
OK, this is pretty cool. Not that we all haven't thought about using our backpacks as the weight needed to support a tripod or lightstand, but ClikElite has actually integrated the two. With an adjustable frame built in to the backpack, now you won't even be without your Tripod or a Lightstand. Not to mention that the frame can also support the weight better and protect your gear. Since it's rocking a simple 1/4x20 adapter, may even be cool for that DIY Slider.
You know, this would be pretty cool for those wedding gigs when you need to setup a tripod fast and want to keep your gear nearby. I may be looking into a DIY version of this in my near future. Check out the photos and it's even available at Amazon for a decent price.
Not everyone can or wants to pay the price on a Full Frame camera. So if you need to go extra wide on a cropped camera like the 7D or 550D / T2i, there's a few lenses that can help get you there. Most of which can run you somewhere around $800-$1000.00 bucks for a 16-35mm or maybe even a 17-55mm. Even the 10-22mm is a nice lens, but Sigma's got that beat with an incredible 8-16mm! Most of the time around that range you're talking Fisheye which isn't always so flattering for portraits, but this Sigma doesn't go there. New from Sigma and available for pre-order, It's possibly the widest lens available that isn't a Fisheye. Although it's not super fast sitting at F/4.5-5.6, but with Sigma's HSM built in, that range, and at this price point who are we to complain? Thanks Sigma. Not a bad price for this wide angle lens. Click here for prices on eBay.
As many of you know I recently traveled over to Maui for some fun in the sun. I did take quite a bit of Photography and Videography equipment along with me, and I knew I needed to stay organized. Since many of these items had to be checked in with my luggage, I wanted to make sure my equipment was protected and organized. My solution required a trip to the local Walmart into the Fishing section. There I found a variety of Tackle / Lure organizers that worked perfectly for all my Eneloop batteries, Camera Batteries, Battery Chargers, Compact Flash Cards, Black Rapids Camera Straps, Radio Poppers, iPhone / iPad Charger, USB cables, USB drives, LCDVF, Shutter Remotes, Canon ST-E2, Rode Video Mic, Zoom H4n, Dead Cat Wind Screen, laptop power adapter, all my mounting hardware, lens cleaning solution, micro fiber cloths, and even had room for an extra Power Surge strip. You can see in the background I packed 4 Canon Chargers and 4 Sanyo Eneloop chargers into one box. There was a ton of things that packed nicely and neatly with these boxes that ran from $2.00 - $5.00 dollars.
I even found use with a Dry Eraser Marker by marking the inside of the cases, I could easily mark if my Compact flash cards are used or unused, or if my Batteries were charged or uncharged. Much cheaper than buying anything off the shelf from a camera store and keeps my small pieces well organized. I might start using a small Labeling machine to make sure things end up back where they started. If you found this helpful, holla back in the Comments section.