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I'm still set on getting some type of Tilt Shift lens (eventually), but if you just want to experiment putting some videos together you can do this without an actual Tilt Shift lens. One of the popular tricks is to shoot far. Really far. Here's an example of a Tilt Shift video I posted that used post processing software to create the effect: http://cheesycam.com/tilt-shift-without-the-tilt-shift-lens/

Here's another example from Vimeo member Mark Rigler. In order to get these shots, he used an inexpensive Samyang 500mm mirror lens. Afterwards, the Tilt Shift effect was added in post.

Sounds like a monster telescope, but mirror lenses use a technique to multiply the image inside a small form factor. The cons to using this technique is some softness and loss of light and the best of the best Mirror lenses at 500mm might be about F/6.3. The pros are you're able to get a crazy distance in a lightweight lens for super cheap. These lenses are often rebranded so Samyang is just one name. You can also find them in Rokinon, Vivitar, and Bower. Imagine using this lens on a GH2 or T3i with new Cropped modes - Crazy far!

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find-price-button Cheap 500mm F/6.3 Mirror Lenses

• 66 Comments

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Screen shot 2011-02-24 at 11.10.26 PM
find-price-button Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Monitor Headphones

Comment came in asking about what people think might be a good set of Headphones for Monitoring Audio. I thought it would be interesting to hear the different options out there, so phone lines web lines are open, if you've got a favorite pair, leave your comments about Who, Why, and Where can we find them...

[Update] We got some great feedback in the comments about some great Headphones that are used in the industry.

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find-price-button Micro Four Thirds 4/3 Tilt Shift 50mm F/2

Owning Canon DSLR's make it pretty expensive to get into some decent Tilt Shift lenses, but for Micro Four Third cameras there's more options and come a bit cheaper. Looking to get some Tilt Shift action going on the GH2 there's a few inexpensive lenses I've been following. These lenses mostly shop themselves around under the name Photex, Arax, Big, Fotex, and Arsat names. Commonly found in an 80mm F/2.8, but for Micro 4/3 systems they have a 50mm F/2. Plenty of still images via Flicker with these popular tilts, but nothing I could track down for videos or Timelapse. Anyone got links to samples of these Micro Four Thirds Tilt Shift lenses in use?

• 11 Comments

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MacBook Air ThunderBolt PortScreen shot 2011-02-24 at 8.55.38 PM

The new MacBook Air was a great announcement for the traveling telecommuter, but nothing to glance about for Video editors. Now the announcement of this new MacBook Pro with super fast ThunderBolt port might be an eye opener. A new port that's 12 times faster than Firewire 800 and 20 times faster than USB 2.0? A battery said to run 7 hours on a Quad Core system? Lots of crazy new specs if you're a Mac-a-holic. You can read more about the new MacBook pro over at the Insights blog: https://computers.bhinsights.com/content/ride-thunderbolt-new-macbook-pro.html/

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With the Canon EOS T3i / 600D out in the marketplace, this marks Canon's second Vari-Angle LCD DSLR. Thinking of a different way to mount a View Finder to cameras similar to the Canon 60D's swivel out monitor, I tinkered around with the idea of using the some cheap hot shoe adapters.

In this configuration you'd be able to lock in a view finder while still maintaining a hot shoe to mount other accessories. By slotting the flat bar, you'd still have a quick release way of detaching the view finder without dismounting your hot shoe accessory 'i.e. Microphone'. By using Velcro to attach a View Finder, this type of adapter would pretty much be 'Universal'. Somebody needs to refine this idea....

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find-price-button Shoe Adapter 1/4 x 20 Threaded

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find-price-button Cold Shoe Adapter Threaded

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So it was very last minute for me to get a 14v battery pack thrown together for my 352 Ring Light Steadicam project here: http://cheesycam.com/last-minute-glidecam-mods/. Now that I have a bit of time, i'm going to get off these non-pro looking RC batteries and rig up my 2 year old LP-E6 generic non-decoded batteries.

Gutting out some dirt cheap battery chargers and using them as dummy plates, i'll be able to wire two of them together and get a 14.4V power source that looks pretty snazzy. Other people have done this with just one battery to power up LCD monitors that only require 7volts. As you can see my 183 LED light normally powered from a 12V source was easily lit up with just 7V. Now setting them up together for 14.4V should suffice for many of my small items.

Since the guts are ripped out, you can use OEM Canon batteries, no need for Generic stuff, but the Generics run super super cheap too. I think i'll purchase more generic battery chargers + non-decoded batteries and have like 20 of them on hand to power up all kinds of stuff including my Ring Light and Z96 LED's.

Battery Chargers found here:
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find-price-button Uber Cheap LP-E6 Generic Battery Chargers

This link has a decent deal for both a battery + charger: Both LP-E6 Generic Batteries + Charger

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Yup it's out there. Most retailers still show the T3i as a pre-order item, but you might be able to catch the new Canon EOS T3i / 600D via eBay. There's a limited amount posted right now, but i'm expecting more to show up by tomorrow afternoon. Pricing? Some fair, some hiked up a bit but try to make up by throwing in accessories. You can find it all in the link below.

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find-price-button Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR

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DS214-JuiceLink

Ok, so you got your DSLR and fancy new Rode VideoMic Pro with +20db feature. If you've got AGC on the T2i (without ML) or Canon 7D, then you need a way to disable AGC. Or maybe you don't? Maybe you've got a Canon 5D Mark II or 60D with Manual audio levels - no AGC to worry about. You're still short of a way to monitor the audio levels via headphones.

There's been different ways of trying to get clean audio into your camera, but it normally came at a hefty price. Here's where this new JuicedLink DS214 comes in. Just recently announced as available for purchase for under $145 bucks, this little black box provides all the missing features of running a stereo jacked microphone into your camera. The DS214 provides you with Audio meters, a Low-Noise Preamp, Headphone monitoring, and even AGC Disable if needed (everything that sucks for a DSLR). Ok, yes you can use an MP3 player with constant tone to 'tame' the AGC, but still no way to adjust levels from the Mic, or give a little low-noise preamp boost to the signal. Any way you cut it, this thing was thought out to include all the different 'workarounds'. For the price and convenience, it can't be beat.

This version doesn't have inputs to support XLR Microphones, but there's a swamping new audience using the Rode VideoMic Pro that sure could use something like this. For XLR phantom power you'll want to check out the DT454. Only 1 stereo input? The DS214 also has seperate L/R potentiometers which makes it possible to run a splitter to two different mics and capture mono on each channel.

As of now the new JuicedLink DS214 is only available on the JL site with a bunch of information which I suggest you checkout to see if this will work for you. There's also some different Audio Samples from a variety of possible Audio setups with the Rode Mic + Zoom H4n you can listen to.

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visit-button JuicedLink DS214 Low Noise PreAmp with Headphone Monitoring Audio Meters