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We'll be tackling quite a few different events and conferences this year, and mic handling is a very important skill for the interviewer otherwise sound can easily be lost. To help prevent those issues when the microphone is not pointing towards the subject properly, we thought we'd try out the Rode Reporter ENG Hand Held Microphone at our next events.

Rode Reporter Microphone ENG HandheldRode Reporter

Quick Specs:
-Ergonomic die-cast body
-Anti-glare matte black finish appears discreet on camera
-Multi-layer wind protection
-Does not require phantom power, enabling the use of field recorders without the ability to supply it
-Extra long balanced handle allows for comfortable handling and allows you to get closer to a sound source
-Removable two-sided polycarbonate/ABS plastic microphone flag for display of your organization's logo

The Rode Reporter uses an Omnidirectional pickup pattern for fairly balanced sound levels whether the microphone is pointing towards the subject or slightly away. There are other microphones that offer an Omnidirectional pickup pattern, but need to be very close to the source. The Rode Reporter Microphone was designed to still perform quite well without being pushed into your subjects face. The uniquely designed mic flag can optionally be added for visibility to brand your company. If you work with an on-camera host or deal with event coverage, make sure to check out the Rode Reporter via B&H Photo Video (click here).

Rode Reporter ENG Hand Held Interview Event Microphone
find-price-button Rode Reporter Hand Held ENG Interview Microphone Omnidirectional

Sennheiser XLR Wireless
find-price-button Sennheiser ew112-p G3 Wireless Lav Kit

sennheiser CL2 XLR Cable Wireless Microphone ENG hand Held
find-price-button Sennheiser CL-2 XLR Cable for G3 Series

Sennheiser XLR Wireless G3
find-price-button Wireless XLR Base for Sennheiser G3

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Here's some footage shot with the Aviator Travel Jib. As far as mini video jibs / cranes go, this is THE MOST Compact Crane i've ever personally had the chance to use. The aluminum version (available in carbon fiber also) is very lightweight and sets up very quickly. No nonsense, and no fiddling around when it's time to set up for a shot. It is just as fast to break it down when it's time to move. I really feel these mini jibs will appeal to the event videographer who needs to travel light and work in confined areas, or to the traveling videographer who wants to recreate these specialty camera movements on location. There's nothing to complain about as far as build quality for this price, and the built in panning base of the Aviator is a HUGE advantage over other systems that require you to bring a strong fluid head.

Filling an empty bag is a good option when you don't want to travel with an extra 4-5lbs of weight, and you can easily fill it up with extra camera gear, or even water bottles. The telescoping poles can be adjusted so that you don't have to use the full 6 feet of extension. As with any tool, the Aviator Jib moves very smoothly but still requires perfect balance with your counter weight, and practice to get the best no-wobble results. The Aviator is one of the more pricier mini jibs available on the market, but it's compact folding design is unique allowing to be extremely compact and fast. The Aviator Jib can be found in both Carbon Fiber and in Aluminum (click here).

Travel Jib Carbon Fiber Aluminum Aviator Mini CraneCarbon Fiber Aviator Travel Jib
find-price-button The Aviator Travel Jib Mini Crane Carbon Fiber or Aluminum

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So I just received the LanParte Li-ion Battery Packs a short while back. I was pretty curious to see what the run time was actually going to be like, so here's a video showing a continuous time lapse test with a Canon 5D Mark II. Specs state that the LanParte External Battery is equivalent to 4 LP-E6 batteries. The overall run time during this continuous shooting test ran for just over 5 hours.

The only problem was that my order did not come with was the proper plug for USA outlets, but we happened to have a converter on hand to charge up the pack. Or maybe you may already have a 12V 2A adapter with a 2.5/5.5 tip like this (found here). These battery packs are available in LP-E6 or LP-E8 battery adapters so it can power most Canon HD Video DSLRs (including all REBEL HDSLR cameras) out on the market today. You can find the LanParte External Battery for Canon Cameras via eBay (click here).

Lanparte Portable Battery Canon CameraLP-E6 Battery Power Lanparte
find-price-button Lanparte Li-Ion External Battery Packs for Canon DSLR Cameras

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Shot this a while back, but I thought I'd share one experience I had while visiting a rain forest exhibit. Temperature was cold outside and then stepping into the exhibit the camera immediately fogged up. Even though I wiped the lens down, it continued to fog up. It actually took about 15 minutes before the gear acclimated to the right temperature. This all happened before I was able to take these photos (seen here).

I've worked with cheaper non resistant lenses and the moisture can actually get INSIDE of the lens. Once that happens you'll need to go through some steps to get that moisture out, which is not easy. Moral of the story is to know what you'll be getting into and bring the right gear. The GH3 body has been redesigned to be more weather resistant and i'm using the 12-35mm F/2.8 Dust and Moisture resistant lens.

865111
find-price-button Panasonic 12-35mm F/2.8 Lens

892456
find-price-button Panasonc GH3 Camera Body

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Vimeo member Marthin Fort put this video together on how to adjust the bearings on the Konova Video Camera Slider [Thanks Marthin]. Over time, you may end up with a little play on your slider so to correct this you will need to get the top part of the carrier off, and then unlock the bearing underneath. Once the bearing is unlocked, adjustments are made by turning the bearing clockwise or counterclockwise until it fits well between the rails. The Konova Video Camera Sliders (found here) are available in a variety of different sizes, but generally the bearings can be adjusted in the same way.

Konova Video Camera Slider
Konova Video Camera Sliders

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Sean Rivers shares this excellent review on the PhotographyandCinema.com PR-1 Shoulder Rig [Thanks Sean]. The P&C PR-1 shoulder rig is bundled with a basic set of rails, clamps, Swiss Rods, extended handles, and shoulder pad for beginner shooters, but can easily be expanded with other Industry Standard 15mm accessories. The baseplate of the PR-1 was originally designed for smaller cameras, but with a Manfrotto quick release baseplate added, Sean was able to mount up his Sony FS700. You can find additional information about the P&C Prime Shoulder Rig PR-1 (click here)

Prime-15mm-DSLR Video Shoulder-Rig-PR-1
find-price-button P&C Prime Video Shoulder Rig PR-1 Bundle Kit

If the product is Out of Stock, you can also check to see if it's available via Amazon (Click Here)

prime shoulder rig 15mm rails
find-price-button P&C Prime Video Shoulder Rig PR-1 Bundle Kit - Amazon

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Here's a recent video showing how to set up and balance the budget Single Arm Vest system with Carbon Stabilizer. I actually have this vest (not the stabilizer) and I feel it's pretty good quality, but I had trouble getting a lightweight setup on the single arm vest to work smoothly and get rid of that slight Pogo effect. In this video they have a fairly heavy Matte Box to add another few pounds of weight to the basic camera.

There's no sample footage from the system, but it's a pretty good instructional 'How to Setup and Balance a Steadicam' video that applies to most stabilizers on the market. This particular one shown in the video can be found for under $600 bucks complete via eBay (Click Here)

Vest-Stabilizer-System
find-price-button Single Arm Video Camera Stabilizer Vest

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The Skier motorized Power Pan head allow for remote control pan/tilt video movements. The unique design uses industry standard 15mm rods which can be replaced with longer or shorter rails, allowing for adjustable Vertical and Horizontal axis up to any video camera up to 5KG. More about the Skier Motorized Power Pan / Tilt video head can be seen via eBay (Click Here).

Skier Motorized Video Crane Head Skier Power Pan Head 列印 Skier Power Pan Head Remote
find-price-button Skier Power Pan Motorized Video Head

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The video above shows off the features of the Manfrotto 561BHDV (available here via Amazon). The tripod-like foot is a huge advantage when it comes to stability during video capture. Now Benro is opening up new options with a few video monopods that are designed specifically for video shooters (as seen below). The stable foot design is similar to the popular 561BHDV, but not quite exactly the same. The video below explains some of those differences between the video head and tripod foot.

The 561BHDV is a much heavier and longer unit and offers a fluid cartridge at the base. You can opt in for a head on the 561BHDV, but the head that is included does not have a pan feature (left/right) to be used as a normal video head. The new Benro systems on the other hand are being bundled with a variety of different monopods in aluminum and carbon fiber and your choice of S2 or S4 video head. The Benro S2 or S4 are not the most professional, but they are actual functioning video heads with a full panning feature to be used with any video tripod (or with any Video Slider or camera Crane).

Benro S2 Fluid HeadBenro S4 Video Head
find-price-button Benro S2 and S4 Video Heads

Quality wise, the 561BHDV feels like the heavier more robust unit, but the new Benro video monopods are a good alternative with it's lightweight carbon fiber option and collapses down a bit shorter than the Manfrotto. Even at the shorter minimum collapsed length, my 4 section carbon fiber Benro can telescope to the same height as the Manfrotto up to 6.5' feet.

[UPDATE]: I've seen these Benro Monopods online for several weeks and finally decided to purchase them from overseas for my trip to WPPI. Turns out when these Benro Monopods finally hit the US distribution, they may only be available in Aluminum (no carbon fiber) and will be offered with both 'flip lock' and 'twist lock' styles. The base foot is said to also include a fluid panning base (similar to the Manfrotto).[UPDATE]:

I had purchased my set of Benro Video Monopods with ball socket tripod foot via eBay (Click Here).

Benro Carbon Fiber MonopodCarbon Fiber Video Fluid Head Benro
find-price-button Benro Aluminum / Carbon Fiber Video Monopods S2 / S4 Fluid Head

Manfrotto-561BHDV
find-price-button Manfrotto 561BHDV-1 Fluid Video Monopod with Head