Great deal of the day is the Beats by Dre Noise Canceling headphones. Normally priced over $300 dollars, this deal that will end in a few hours brings it down to just $159. That's even cheaper than the Solo version. Available in Black/Red or White/Red. Check it out following the link (click here)
Beats by Dre Black or White Noise Canceling Headphones
A few days ago I received a package from Jag35.com. I've been very excited about this, so what's in the box? Well the box was a bit larger than I expected, but that's because of the included rig that was shipped along with two motors. This is a prototype of their soon-to-be-available Wireless Follow Focus V2 system. The motors are essentially the same, but if you choose to run two motors, one can control the lens Zoom Ring and the other can control the Focus Ring. If you're shooting on a Prime, you would only need one.
This Jag35 rig in the box has one handle in front and one kitty-corner to the rear. A simple but effective way to stabilize for hand held shooting. I don't think this is a standard rig, but you can see the many different Jag35 Shoulder Rigs on their website (Click Here). One interesting part of the Jag35 rig is the anti-rotation lock screw. They are pre-drilled so that you can align a tiny set screw under the camera to prevent any movement. Because a follow focus gear must be perfectly lined up, any shifting of the camera position can cause problems. A nice little touch on the Jag35 base plate that you won't see very often on other rigs.
I don't have time to run through all the stuff right now, but i'm leaving you all with a few images out of the box of what all the new pieces look like. It's all custom metal housings on the WFF system, and all metal parts on the Rig. keep in mind that this is a very early prototype of the WFF V2, so things might change in the production model. More to come when I set this up (possibly tomorrow). BTW the gallery below has 2 pages of images.
I received a few emails today regarding the ContourRoam HD cam discount code. I just went through the process and confirmed as of 8:00 a.m. this morning (pac time), it does work. Normally priced at $180 dollars, you can get the ContourROAM hands-free HD camcorder for only $89 with the following promotional code: 89ROAM89. Here's the product the code works on (click here).
ContourHD Hands-Free Sports Camera
Opteka releases a dual cold shoe bracket that mounts to your camera's hotshoe. It's a simple way and inexpensive way to mount two accessories directly to your camera such as an LED light, microphone, or audio recorder.
Opteka Dual Cold Shoe V Bracket
The Opteka looks to have a shorter profile, but it is very similar to the Dual Light and Sound type bracket found below.
Photo Video Dual V Bracket for Video Lights & Microphone
If you really want to load up on your hotshoe, another slightly more expensive option is the Alzo Multi Mount. This includes a microphone / portable audio recorder shock mount, 4 cold shoes, and 1/4-20 holes for even more accessories. It can be used on the camera, but we often use this type of mount on a light stand config (seen below).
(above) Our Alzo Multi Mount Config
If you didn't catch the news, SmallHD has a new eyepiece available for the DP4 EVF [Thanks Joel]. The DP4 originally was available with a Canon LP-E6 battery tray, but with the new eyepiece announcement, there is also three new battery tray options as part of the bundle. For a limited time, you can get a bundle which includes the new eyepiece, select the battery tray, a 1.5ft HDMI cable, SmallHD Cleaning Cloth, Prying tool, Screen Protector, and more for just $34 dollars following the link (click here).
SmallHD DP4 New EyePiece and Battery Tray
I am not expecting anything else from Jag35 except the latest wireless follow focus V2.. Anyone else excited?
The old Focus Assist in the SmallHD DP6 HDMI LCD monitor would make the screen literally go black and show white lines in what was in focus. The problem was it was hard to see what you were trying to focus on. You can see an example in the video (above) of how dark the old Focus Assist feature was. Here you can see the new Focus assist feature (below) works much better than before acting more like an overlay.
I know i'm really late to update the DP6 firmware and it's probably been out for months, but i'm also using other LCD monitors so I was in no rush. When they said the SmallHD monitors were future proof, here's another example of how they've managed to continue to improve on the features.With a simple USB drive, you download the latest firmware from the SmallHD.com website, and then run the install. This update took only 30 seconds or so, and i'm back in business. I've had this monitor for quite some time, and although i've neglected it lately, with the new focus assist feature it feels like a totally different tool again.
The Z96 next to the latest W12. If you don't know the story, the W12 is pretty much an exact form factor replica of the Z96 except they've replaced the LED lights with high power ones.
I snapped these images before walking out of the studio last night. I'll be in later to snap some example light comparisons. I'll try to have some side by side lighting examples later today. These W12 high power LED lights are found at (click here).
12 High Power LED Video Light
The Z96 prices have also stabilized somewhat. They can be found on eBay (click here), but make sure they are selling the 'real' F&V branded light since there has been quite a few replicas floating around. If you're unsure, you might want to check out Amazon for the real version of the Z96s.
Here's a better look at Varavon's latest Loupe Viewfinder. This one has a 180 degree flip up loupe that will provide you shade from the sun, even when you don't need a magnifier. The lens is glass and has a diopter to adjust for vision imperfections. Solid build with metal mounting brackets that can be positioned to fit a variety of cameras. The bottom thumb knob is all metal with a large base so that you can position a quick release plate underneath without wobbling.
If you choose to use the Loupe EX with a Swivel LCD camera extended (i.e. GH2 / 60D), they also sell a bracket for this to safely support the LCD from over extending.
The view finder is a solid choice amongst some of the other high end brand names, and is available for Canon, Nikon, and Panasonic GH1/GH2 cameras. Varavon also makes DSLR sliders, Cages, Video rigs, and other viewfinders. I'm extremely fond of their cage. Simple, ergonomical, functional, and lightweight. You can find more of those Varavon products available at B&H (click here).
Varavon Products - View Finders, Cages, Sliders, Rigs
And I didn't know it was available, but apparently they have almost all of their products on Amazon too (click here)
Varavon Products
