The 24mm F/1.4 is a fairly new lens for Rokinon, but when it was announced it was listed with a pretty hefty price tag. Popular retailers like B&H and Amazon are still listing this lens for $616-$649. If you happen to be watching this lens, I just picked up news from Rokinon about one of their resellers listing the 24mm F/1.4 for just $499. The listing was posted yesterday, and apparently the sale will end in 1 day. Available for Canon, Sony, Nikon, Pentax, and Olympus camera mounts. Check out the deal via eBay (Click Here)
I have used and abused my Steadicam Merlin Vest over the years, and although the ISO Arm has lasted me this long, the actual worn vest has slowly been degrading. I love the Steadicam Merlin Vest, and highly recommend the performance it gives, but even at $1500 dollars for the vest only (seen here) this is considered the low end of Steadicam's Stabilizer Vests. There are other more professional Steadicam vests, but obviously much more expensive. While I continued patch-work on my Steadicam system, I took the time to test a few other vests on the market.
Plastic Chest Plate Cracked on my Steadicam Merlin Vest
Build quality on the few aftermarket Stabilizer Vests i've tried over the years were good, in fact many of the worn vests I thought to be more comfortable and better designed than the Steadicam Merlin Vest. The only problem was that each ISO arm on the vests seemed to require a decent amount of weight to work smoothly. The springs were basically 'too strong' to fly your basic Glidecam HD4000 and DSLR Camera. In order to work properly the stabilizer should float in the air and the ISO arm should be very flexible and responsive to movement.
Current Stabilizer Vest Collection
My most recent Video Camera Stabilizer Vest arrived, and i'm finally happy to find something that performs extremely smooth under a lightweight stabilizer such as the new Carbon Fiber Wieldy.
For this new vest that i've purchased, the dual arms can be dialed down to fly an average DSLR lightweight setup, or dialed to support a heavier payload. The ISO arm is responsive, reduces movement that would normally transfer to the stabilizer, and allows the stabilizer to just float. I'm not a fan of a few aesthetic pieces such as the bright blue locking knobs and metal chest plate, but overall the build quality on the vest is good, lightweight, and comfortable.
The length can be quickly adjusted with a simple pull-pin, something the Steadicam Merlin vest does not offer. The Dual ISO arm can be repositioned on the left/right side, or removed completely very very easily. To attempt this with the Steadicam Vest requires more time and more effort. The buckles allow you to get in and out without having to lose your personal fitting.
Metal Plate, Quick Adjustment, Quick Release Arm, Reverse Mount
I purchased this Dual ISO Arm Stabilizer Vest with the brand logo Wieldy, but has since undergone various name changes. The common one found (at time of writing) is under the brand 'CAME' (terrible name). If you're planning to use this vest under a Glidecam or Flycam, the post diameter is just a bit small. You would need to find a way to increase the diameter a bit for a snug fit with the Glidecam or Flycam handle.
Wieldy Handle Diameter vs. Glidecam Handle Diameter
Video Camera Steadycam Dual Arm Stabilizer Load Vest
The vest is very helpful for longer video shots, but is not required. You can always purchase the vest at a later time and just start with the Wieldy Carbon Fiber hand held stabilizer. I have additional information and sample video footage shot with a Wieldy (found here). So if you are just looking for the Hand Held stabilizer, that can be found via eBay (Click Here).
If you're looking for a good LAV Mic, go for the Rode LAV which runs $249 dollars. Doesn't require very much gain, and sounds very clean. The Rode allows you to use an exclusive MiCon adapter that can be swapped to support basic 3.5mm, XLR, and more.
Ok so $250 for a LAV is a hike for many, so on the other end of the spectrum is a few inexpensive LAV mics. One you might have heard about is the Audio Technica ATR3350. The sound is not to be compared to a $250 lav mic, but as long as you have a decent portable audio recorder with enough gain, it works in a pinch. We use this $17 dollar LAV mic quite a bit mainly because of the very very long cord that can be run from the the talent all the way back to the Camera Operator without using a wireless setup.
Another budget LAV mic shared by J Hanna in the comments is the Olympus ME-15. This one does not require batteries like the other two above, and comes with a 3.3ft short cable. You can find this for just over $20 bucks (click here)
Olympus ME-15-LAV Microphone
[Updated Entry 2014]
Recently my new favorite affordable LAV Mic is the Aspen Mic series. These LAV mics require very little gain from your recorder so the sound quality is very comparable to high end lav mics. Priced under $45 dollars, it's by far the best of this lineup if you can't afford the $250 Rode LAV. Check out the Aspen Mics website for their products (click here).
The Rokinon 85mm F/1.4 is a popular lens among DSLR video shooters. The focal range and aperture combination make for a solid portrait lens or capable when shooting in low lighting conditions. Not the craziest deal i've seen, but If you were already planning on such a lens, it's currently discounted at $50 dollars off (for all camera mounts) and sale ends next week. Check it out via B&H (click here).
I'm not sure how many of you shoot with Yongnuo LED Video lights, but Carl Pendle of www.CarlPendle.com writes in and shares a find [Thanks Carl]. Recently Yongnuo has just released the YN-300 a much larger 300 LED on-camera light with an IR remote for dimming. You can see by the images how large it is to scale with a DSLR. There are a few specs that claim it can auto adjust brightness, and has been designed to prevent flickering after long use. These light panels are listed for just over $70 dollars + Free Shipping and you can find them now via eBay (Click Here)
Well I just posted about (and ordered) this mini lens cup styled like a Canon 24-105mm F/4L lens and it came in just 3 days. Very happy with the quality and the stainless steel insert. I purchased my set for under $14 dollars + FREE SHIPPING (2pc set), but they are also available in a 4pc set. If you're planning this to be a gift for the holidays, it seems like shipping is very efficient because this item is small (Larger items may take longer). You can find these little cups or other lens mugs from the seller that I've purchased mine from via eBay (click here).
Canon Nikon Lens Cup Coffee Thermos Mug Stainless Steel Insert
Here's that deal everyone keeps waiting for. The best sites I could find have the 5DM3 listed for $2999, but the same eBay seller who blew out 5D Mark IIIs during Black Friday sales has reposted these bodies again for just $2599. These are all Brand New with Canon USA Warranty. These deals usually only last for a few hours at most (click here)
Canon 5D Mark III (Body) Discount
Another deal posted by same seller is the Canon 24-105mm F/4L with Image Stabilzation. This Canon L lens typically lists for around $1200 dollars and the seller has it on a daily deal for just $759 (click here).
The GH3 is fun little camera so far, but i'm still not super comfortable focusing or stabilizing the little camera just by holding the body itself. I tried putting together a small stabilizer using a few bits from the Prime Rig, and here's where it's at so far.
Without the unique folding hybrid Shoulder/Chest pad from the P&C Prime Shoulder Rig, this little setup would be nothing more than a baseplate and set of rails. Attached under the base plate is the P&C Pistol Grip which makes for a very stable mini gun-stock target stabilizer for small cameras such as the Panasonic GH3.
With these few pieces i'm able to carry the camera with one hand, focus or zoom with the other, and use the wide Hybrid Chest/Shoulder pad pressed against my body for stabilization. The bits and pieces from this kit are all part of the P&C Prime Video Shoulder Rig and one P&C Pistol Grip
Rokinon 24mm F/1.4 Manual Focus Manual Aperture Lens
. This one does not require batteries like the other two above, and comes with a 3.3ft short cable. You can find this for just over 
