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I was very impressed with Sony's HX9V and now I also own the HX20V. If you're not familiar with these little Sony cameras, they offer full 1080p @60fps, and the best image stabilization for a point and shoot. I guess I should have waited around, because this new RX100 looks to be the better camera. It shares some of the same features as the HX cameras, but now with a much larger sensor and an F/1.8 lens, the little point and shoot cam should perform quite well in low light situations.

I thought my new HX20V was already pretty good in dim lighting! It's still a few weeks out before the release date, and besides what you hear in the video review above, there's some additional specs at the product page via B&H (Click Here).

Sony RX100 Camera Review
find-price-button Sony CyberShot DSC-RX100 Digital Compact Camera

• 25 Comments

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A few people have asked to see how I would go about balancing the Kamerar Video Camera Stabilizer. I have one here today, so I decided to run through the different parts of this stabilize and how to offset the counterweight to level your horizon.

First mount your camera, and then place the Gimbal under the center balance of your camera. Add counterweights to keep your camera upright. If you need to make the lower counterweight heavier, instead of adding more weights, you can slide it lower or mount it on the lower thread. If you have too much weight at the bottom, slide the counterweight upwards or mount it higher. If your camera is leaning to one side, you can swing the counterweight arm in the opposite direction.

There are far better and more advanced stabilizers on the market - this we know. Although the Kamerar doesn't have any of the fine tuning knobs as other more expensive stabilizers, it is possible to get it balanced. As with any stabilizer, including high end ones, it will take several weeks or even months to learn how to balance and how to move around. Don't get frustrated too quickly and just practice practice practice. You can find the Kamerar stabilizer following the link via eBay (click here).

Video Camera Stabilizer Kamerar
find-price-button Kamerar U-Joint Video Camera Steady Cam Stabilizer

• 14 Comments

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falcon-lockscarbon-fiber-boom-pole

We've all used various sticks and poles to boom audio [guilty]. If it ain't broken then why fix it right? For those of you who will eventually step up their game and move to some fancier equipment, I was sent this Falcon Carbon Fiber Audio Boom Pole [Thanks Jackson]. I don't have a lot to compare it with in the studio, but it's definitely everything it sets out to be. Super lightweight, sturdy Carbon Fiber, with a standard 5/8th" Microphone Threaded tip. The Falcon Boom pole does not offer an XLR cable run through, but it's hollow to support XLR cable runs with a removable capped end. It's possible to add one, which I will attempt to do this week.

carbon-fiber-falcon-boomfalcon-boom-pole

Besides being lightweight, Carbon Fiber serves to absorb more micro vibrations than standard aluminum poles (same reason expensive road bikes will use Carbon forks) so less noise will be transmitted to the microphone. The Carbon on the Falcon looks high quality, and there's very little sagging even when fully extended. Considering other Boom Poles on the market, the Falcon Carbon is at the right price and even a bit cheaper than other popular booms. The Falcon Carbon Fiber Boom poles are available in 9' and 12' lengths, and can be found on the Lux-Cinema eBay store (Click Here)

carbon-boom-pole
find-price-button Falcon Carbon Fiber Audio Boom Pole

• 6 Comments

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Here's a great LowePro camera backpack design shared by Habez [Thanks Habez]. The DSLR Video fastpack was released more than 6 months ago, but it's pretty much set up for something I would use. I normally always carry a laptop (mobile blogging) and enough camera equipment to do a basic shoot including a small portable tripod. The LowePro FastPack 150, 250, and 350 are designed to hold a decent amount of Photo or Video gear for fast access. The largest 350 version is wide enough to support a 70-200mm Lens, and room to store a large 17" Laptop, along with Tripod holder and Rain Cover.
LowePro BackPackLowePro FastPack

Other highlight features
Security Flap for additional protection to outer compartments, Built-in Memory Card Holders, 180-degree Side-entry Panel, Adjustable Dividers, Triple Compartment Design, Harness Pocket, Outer Accessory Pockets, Mesh Side Pocket, Tough Water Resistant Outer Fabric, Side-entry Access. Starting at about $100 dollars for the smallest on Amazon (Click Here).

LowePro DSLR Video FastPackLowePro DSLR Video FastPack-2LowePro DSLR Video FastPack-1
find-price-button LowePro DSLR Video FastPack

• 9 Comments

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Here's an inexpensive and lightweight way to add movement with your camera at different heights. YouTube member ImagineNowEntertnmnt used furniture sliders from his local Bed Bath & Beyond (as seen here) and placed it under each tripod leg [Thanks Justin]. The furniture sliders can glide along carpet, linoleum, ceramic tile, and cement, etc. With a mini tripod, I can see this being a handy tip for Wedding Videographers who need to travel light, but have access to lots of smooth surfaces to add slow camera movements.

There's a bit of shake in some examples which could possibly be corrected with a bit more weight hung on the tripod, or some post image stabilization, but in most cases it works quite well to add interesting camera movements to your footage. Pretty common stuff you can find at your local Bed Bath & Beyond, local hardware store, or even find available via Amazon (click here)

Screen Shot 2012-06-05 at 6.42.05 AM
find-price-button Reusable Furniture Slider Kits

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Vimeo member LJ Lee shares a review on the Lanparte Follow Focus with A/B hard stops, removable marking disc, and quick release 15mm clamp [Thanks LJ]. Lanparte has various DSLR equipment which all have excellent reviews, but they can be a bit pricey at times. This Follow Focus with manual stops can average about $400 dollars on eBay (Click Here for more information).

Lanparte DSLR Follow Focus A B Hard Stops
find-price-button Lanparte Follow Focus A/B Hard Stops

• 12 Comments

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I was shooting this for my own journal and didn't think I would actually publish the video, as i'm pretty private about certain things I work on. Then again, I was pretty happy with the results and wanted to share what my treatment was.

Keep in mind that this is not for Sound Isolation. This is not a Sound Booth that will block out all ambient noise. This setup is merely just 'treatment' of a small space to make the vocals sound better (get rid of echo and deflection).

DIY-Voice-Recording-Sound-Booth-Vocal-Room (4 of 5)DIY-Voice-Recording-Sound-Booth-Vocal-Room (1 of 5)

Sorry fellas, I have to warn you that the video (below) even gave me a bit of motion sickness. If you're not interested in building out a room for voice recording, maybe you should just skip this one. At about 3:50 into the video, you'll hear a before and after comparison (turn up your volume).

There are low budget options to sound absorption, but I wasn't very happy with those results (I tried). When it comes to covering the most amount of square footage on the walls, the AudiMute stuff was my best bet.

DIY-Voice-Recording-Sound-Booth-Vocal-Room (5 of 5)DIY-Voice-Recording-Sound-Booth-Vocal-Room (2 of 5)

I tried the heavy moving blankets to absorb sound, but going with the more expensive AudiMute Sound Absorption Sheets was worth the difference (and look much better). You can get a pack of (5) 4x8 sheets for $230 dollars.

Audimute Sound Absorption
find-price-button AudiMute Sound Absorption Sheets

I also tried a variety of cheap foam, but in the end, a box of Auralex foam wedgies solved all the deflection issues. I used about 12 on the ceiling and another 12 to make a Reflexion filter behind the Rode ProCaster microphone. A box of 24 Auralex Wedges will run you $99 bucks. You don't need to cover every square inch with this stuff, just a few will treat a room very well.

auralex-wedgies
find-price-button Auralex Wedgies Box of 24- 1'x1'x2 Panels

For the floor we just added some thick padding. So for about $330 dollars, I feel we got some really good results in a fairly professional looking voice recording room. Hard to tell from the audio of the point and shoot camera I was shooting on, but through a high quality vocal microphone it's a world of difference.

If you're looking to buy Foam by the piece (not the box), you can find a variety of types on eBay starting around $5.00 dollars (Click Here).

smaller-foamfoam-pyramid-4foam-acoustic
find-price-button Foam Wedges Pyramids Acoustic Sound Panels

• 54 Comments

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GoPro Remote BacPac
find-price-button GoPro Wi-Fi BacPac + Wi-Fi Remote Combo Kit

Wi-Fi REMOTE:
Control up to 50 cameras a time from up to 600’/ 180m away with the Wi-Fi Remote
Enjoy full camera control, including ON/OFF, SHUTTER and SETTINGS control
LCD screen mirrors your camera’s status LCD screen
Attachment strap, key ring, and charging cable included
Waterproof to 10'/3m

GoPro APP + SMARTPHONE OR TABLET
Use your Smartphone or Tablet as a live video remote control
Enjoy convenient live video + photo preview and playback
Wi-Fi transfer* your favorite videos and photos from your GoPro to your Smartphone or Tablet and share with friends
Use your Smartphone as a hotspot to live stream video and share photos + videos to the web*

LIVE STREAMING + SHARING DIRECTLY FROM YOUR GOPRO
Live stream video or share photos and videos directly to the web from your GoPro, wherever you have a network connection

Available now on Amazon with Prime Free Shipping (Click Here)
GoPro Wi-Fi BacPac Remote AvailableGoPro BacPac
find-price-button GoPro Wi-Fi BacPac + Wi-Fi Remote Combo Kit

• 11 Comments

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The Rokinon 35mm F/1.4 is surely a nice lens to have in your kit - especially nice when there's a discount available. Normally about $500 dollars, today it's part of Amazon's Lightning Deals which is usually the best price you'll find anywhere. The deal was so good last time (just $350), I ended up buying a couple for my friends who missed the sale. They also only run a limited quantity during these sales so be swift. Check it out at the Lightning Deals page (Click here).

Rokinon-35mm
find-price-button Rokinon 35mm F/1.4 Lens