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In case you were looking at some new Nikon or Canon equipment, here are a couple of links to current discounts for Nikon and Canon. Supposedly there are some deep discounts with some of Nikon's legacy lenses, but i'm not much of a Nikon guy to tell you if it's a great deal. The Canon Instant Rebates look similar to offers that were available the holidays, and are back for a limited time. Check them out following the links below, and keep me in the loop if you find something really good.

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Save up to $350 on Nikon Lenses 		image002
Save on select Canon Lenses and Speedlights

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Here's an interesting new 24mm F/3.5 Tilt-Shift lens from Samyang. This is the first tilt shift i've seen from the company even when branded under Rokinon, Bower, and sometimes Vivitar. There's not much information on the new lens just yet, and it's too rich for my blood, but it's already available and listing for just under $1K. Check out the product page via B&H (click here).

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find-price-button Samyang 24mm F/3.5 Tilt Shift Lens for Canon Nikon Sony

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Chris writes in and shares a video about a few unusual LED Video Light Panels. The difference with these panels compared to others is that it has a very tight spotlight effect and is advertised as a 'Super Spot Beam' LED light with only a 15 degree spread. Most LED panels attempt to spread at 150 degrees or more. So why this thing requires barn doors, i'm not so sure. Does this mean it has a further throw than standard LED panels? Possibly.

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I'm not sure i'm totally sold on the idea for the kind of projects I work on, but there seems to be a good interest from others. AC adapters and light stands are included, along with a travel case. Can be powered from V-mount batteries, and even more specs of what's included can be found following the link via eBay (click here).

led light 172-super spot-1
find-price-button 72 Super Spot Beam LED Video Light Panel

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One issue with using a GH3 camera inside of the Gearbox GB-2 is trying to access the battery door. By using the Panasonic DC Coupler (dummy battery), i'm able to use an external power source like the Tekkeon MP3450i Battery (found here). The Tekkeon battery is capable of outputting various DC Voltage including the necessary 8.4V DC to power the GH3 camera. This allows me to use the the GH3 in this Video Cage for longer run times. Links to the equipment in this video found below.


Panasonic DC battery Coupler Adapter External Battery Panasonic GH3 DC Battery Coupler External Battery


817570 Tekkeon Battery Packs + Tekkeon Extended Bundle


Panasonic GH3 Camera Panasonic GH3 Digital Camera


jpeg P&C GearBox GB-2 DSLR Video Accessory Bracket

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Just a reminder that it's the final weekend to for the P&C GearBox GB-2 Discount. The GB-2 version comes with the rail clamp and a set of 15mm rods if you plan to use a follow focus or mattebox with your setup. You will need to enter a coupon code during checkout to get the $50 dollar discount, dropping the down price to just $99 bucks. More information can be found at the archived P&C newsletter (click here).

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P&C GearBox GB-2 DSLR Video Accessory Bracket

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Here's a look at how the new Cineroid Retina Display EVF4RVW looks mounted up to a BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera. It's expensive no doubt, but I decided to pick up this EVF and replace the SmallHD DP4 EVF and Zacuto EVF. The Cineroid has a better display using the same Retina tech as the iPhone, Waveform and Vectorscope Displays, and most important a direct 3G/HD/SD-SDI (BNC) + HDMI input (and pass through) to support the BMCC. On this particular EVF i'm also using the Red Fleece Oval Large Eye Cushion.

BlueStar Eye Cushion Cineroid EVF
find-price-button Blue Star Eye Cushion for LCD View Finders

I didn't want to dive into the features on my own video, since there was one already available that shows off some of what this EVF is capable of and how it can help you when shooting video on just about any camera from the BMCC to smaller GH3 or Canon DSLRs. Even if you are not interested in EVFs, the video below is a good explanation of monitor features in general to help you understand what Zebra, False Color, Peaking, Waveform and Vectorscope displays are used for and why some monitors will cost more than others.

This will not replace my larger monitors in every situation, but it will replace other small EVFs i'm currently using. It is very helpful to use an EVF with the BMCC, but even more useful when shooting with DSLRs because you have to try to nail your color and exposure as best as possible. Compressed footage will not have the same latitude to adjust later in post processing.

Even though I went 'balls out' on the most expensive Retina Display version, Cineroid also makes EVFs that are less than half the price I paid. You can get more information other Cineroid products available at B&H following the link (click here).

894123Cineroid EVF HDMICineroid Retina EVF
find-price-button Cineroid Retina Display EVF with HDMI HD-SDI Loop Through

For reference i've mounted the BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera into a O-Ring Rig Kit. It's originally designed for DSLR cameras, but it works well to add a top handle,, 15mm rails, and several new mounting points for accessories. You can find that rig via eBay (Click Here).

O-ring Kit DSLR RigO-Rig Kit DSLR Video 15m
find-price-button DSLR O-Ring Rig Kit Handle Support 15mm Rails

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These light stands fold in such a way that make them super compact down to about 19", but can still be extended to a max height of 7' feet. If you're not a fan of checking in your equipment at the airlines, these stands can actually fit into a Pelican 1510 Roller Airline Carry On sized Roller making it perfect for traveling.

These stands can also operate at a much lower height than traditional light stands when you need to mount some type of kicker or bounce. Manfrotto has a 5001B version that sells for close to $50 dollars/each (found here on Amazon).

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find-price-button Manfrotto 5001B 74-Inch Nano Stand

A slightly cheaper alternative folding light stand can also be found on eBay. I purchased a set of these a while back for $39 US/each (found here on eBay).

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find-price-button Reverse Compact Folding Light 7' Light Stand

Last week I received one from F&V which has better build quality than my previous eBay stands, and there is a 10% discount deal if you add (3) F&V stands to your cart. If you're on the move and want to travel as compact as possible, I highly suggest looking into these type of stands.

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find-price-button F&V 10% Discount add 3 to Cart

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Since the Rokinon 24mm F/1.4 had been released, i've kept a close eye on it. I haven't decided to pick it up just yet mainly because I was working with the Full Frame cameras. Now that i've been using the BlackMagic Design Cinema camera and Micro Four Thirds GH3, i'm finding this focal length is much needed.

Typically ranging $600+ dollars, today there is a discount for the Samyang branded version for just $499. That's a pretty decent price for this lens. Sale is for the next couple of weeks, and you can check it out via B&H (click here).

Samyang 24mm F14
find-price-button Samyang 24mm F/1.4 Discount Price

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Here's a battery organizing tip from Larry [Thanks Larry]. The PowerPax Battery Organizing Caddies come in a variety of colors and sizes to hold various battery types from AAA, AA, 9V, C/D Cell batteries, etc. Some PowerPax Battery Caddies can carry a combination of batteries in one pack which is handy when you need a 9V for your Rode VideoMic and AA's for your portable recorders. It's also a handy way to prevent confusion on which rechargeable batteries have been already been used and unused. All found on Amazon (click here).

PowerPax Battery CaddyBattery Caddy PowerPax AAPowerPax 9V AA Battery Adapter
find-price-button PowerPax Battery Organizer Caddy for AAA, AA, 9V, C/D Cell

Pretty cool solution if you're just working with small batteries. If i'm packing with a larger bag and have to deal with more equipment, i've been working with Tackle Boxes (as seen below). The clear case makes it easy to find what you're looking for and the adjustable dividers can be tailored to what you're trying to fit.

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The tackle boxes are a great way to sort camera batteries, AA, AAA, compact flash cards, small cables, etc. Very inexpensive and durable. I can also label sections of the tackle box to determine Used and UnUsed Cards/Batteries. The tackle boxes i've found that work best and cheapest is the 'DEEP' versions from Plano which you can find in your local Walmart or via Amazon (here).

Plano Tackle Box Deep Storage Battery organizer
find-price-button Plano 'Deep' Storage with Dividers