• 3 Comments

•

Still looking for a power solution to run your BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera? Here's a deal on the Switronix Pocketbase that uses two Canon LP-E6 batteries to give you hours of run time. Ok, so I do own this product and I wasn't an overall fan of paying $150+ dollars (kit with batteries), but if you knock off 40% then I guess there's not much to complain about.

dvestore sale pocketbase

Starting today here's a special deal to get 40% off the listed price from a few different PocketBase bundles. Head on over to to the DVEStore.com website and use promo code: PB40 during your checkout to get 40% off (click here)

hands-on-whitePBASE-on-rails
PBASE-product-photo-set_21
find-price-button 40% OFF Switronix Blackmagic PocketBase External Battery Power - use Promo Code PB40

• 18 Comments

•

When i'm traveling, i'm always carrying some type of compact camera with me. Whether this be a GoPro, a Sony RX100, Fuji X100s, or my latest favorite the Panasonic Lumix LX100.

The one thing I'm not a fan of is trying to find a pocket to place them, or having to wear camera straps. I decided that a camera holster would be ideal, but wanted to make sure I never left my camera behind on a table. So here's a little DIY idea I had, and managed to work with a local machine shop to get it made.


The camera actually 'docks' into a special belt hoster, but for safety (in case you miss your dock) there's an attaching rope. The rope works with a retractable coil that has enough force to prevent the Panasonic Lumix LX100 from hitting the ground (which is far heavier than a Sony RX100 or Gopro). If that's not enough, the rope is made from heavy duty Kevlar that is incredibly durable from wear and tear. Don't believe me? Check out this video (here).

With the strong pull-force of the coil it actually makes hand-held shooting more stable as it appears to add more weight or mass to the camera. Using a string to stabilize a camera is not a new concept, but what those other products lacked was a way to actually dock and hang the camera safely. This prototype unit has an integrated dock that locks the camera from falling as you walk or run.

The retractable cord is not just all show, it's functional as well as it helps guide the camera dock back into the cartridge. Without this you would have to turn your head to line up the camera dock. The pull-force literally pulls the camera towards the dock and with practice you can reattach your camera while blindfolded.

It's faster than any Rapid Strap, more compact, and will not swing around as you bend over. Of course right now it's only designed for small cameras, but that makes it perfect for my travels. It's not an actual product, but if there's interest from the community i'm sure something will come out of it. What do you guys think about something like this? Leave a comment below.

• 29 Comments

•

Big big news! Varavon has completely redesigned their main website with a new storefront, and to celebrate the official launch they are offering huge price drops on their most popular items! Exciting times to grab yourself some high quality manufactured gear, but the bad news is that you got just until Nov 21st.

Here's just a few examples of what you guys are probably interested in the most. If you were ever on the fence about the popular Birdycam2 3-Axis Gimbal Stabilizer, this first time ever price drop goes from $2375 down to just $1999 (click here).

Varavon Birdycam2 Gimbal Birdycam 3 Axis Stabilizer
find-price-button Varavon Birdycam2 3-Axis Folding Gimbal Stabilizer

If you're not familiar with the Varavon Armor Cages, they are machined from a single block of metal. Amazing build quality and design. Their entire Varavon Armor Cage series for the BlackMagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera (BMPCC), Panasonic GH4, and Sony A7s drops from $$350 down to as low as $200 dollars (found here).

Varavon Armor Cage GH4 Sony A7s BMPCC
find-price-button Varavon Armor Cage Series for GH4, BMPCC, Sony A7s

•

Still haven't found a good affordable LAV Mic to improve the audio in your videos? A few weeks ago I shared some information about the AspenMics lavaliers, and i'm not the only to say it's great sound for the money. Here's another recent review from Ray Ortega of ThePodcastersStudio.com testing out the $50 dollar AspenMics HQ-S LAV mics recorded to an Edirol portable audio recorder, and a few other samples using his iPhone as a portable Audio Recorder.

You can read his entire written review along with more information over on his website ThePodcastersStudio.com.

AspenMics.com offers affordable yet high quality lav microphones which are perfect for budget videographers, and you can check out the entire product line of different Lav mics at https://aspenmics.com.

aspen mics hq-s stereo mono sennheiser iphone android lav mic
find-price-button AspenMics - Affordable High Quality Stereo Mono Lav Microphones

• 19 Comments

•

Big Balance is a company that has been showing off a few gimbals over the last few years, but until now the products have not been available for purchase. While i'm not sure when these products will be 'officially' available, they continue to show off a few new additions at the recent 2014 PhotoPlus Expo.


via YouTube Rik Cordero

If I would have to choose one i'm most interested in, it would be the Gibbon pistol grip style 2-Axis Gimbal for cameras like the GH4. With the newly developed dual handle addition, the Gibbon becomes a full 3-Axis stabilizer offering much more stability when walking or running. Many of the products shown in the video aren't yet available on the website, but there is additional information on other products over at the main website at https://bigbalance.com

GORILLA-560X380-PRODUCT-PAGE-SHOT02
find-price-button Big Balance Gimbal Stabilizers

• 47 Comments

•

Simple add-on for better sound. @tascam #DR70D #GH4 Slim w/ 4 XLR inputs. Can be mounted top or bottom.

A photo posted by Emm (@mrcheesycam) on

The Tascam DR-70D is designed to compete with the Zoom H6 and includes new features such as 4 channel recording with independent level adjustment, 2 built-in mics on the front and 4 XLR combo inputs with phantom power, stereo 1/8" input with plug-in power and more. Slimmer than the Tascam DR-60D, two built in stereo microphones to act as a stand alone recorder, and now with 4 XLR inputs - it's the perfect bolt on audio solution for DSLR cameras. Can be mounted to the bottom of the camera, or mounted to the top via shoe mount, or above a cage.

I want to say that Adorama is the first to get this product in stock, is listed at $399 $299 and offers FREE OVERNIGHT SHIPPING. I literally got this product Next Day FREE after placing my order. If you've borrowed someone's DR-60D, then you'll be sold on the DR-70D. Check it out below

DR-70D_p_user-700x319
find-price-button Tascam DR-70D

• 15 Comments

•

Here's another set of video clips uploaded in 4K resolution. Still the same setup with the cheap ND filter, but this time I changed the Shadow/Highlight curve to Shadows +2 and Highlights -5. In this setting I was able to retain more information in the sky and capture some clouds while grabbing much of the information in the shaded areas.

Sorry if the 'stylistic' colors don't appeal to you, I threw a generic color grade over everything. Besides having to carry an ND Filter, I never felt like I was missing something or even felt like I needed an additional lens. With the F/1.7 lens I was able to capture footage at night or indoors, but can only imagine how much more I can do if I carried a small LED light. The zoom is decent for a pocketable camera, but if your final video output is 1080p, you can always crop a bit further into the 4K video.

As small as it is, a fully charged battery will run you several hours. A 64GB SDXC card can capture about 1.5 hours of 4K Video. The image stabilization worked very well hand held, but of course will be more stable if you had some type of pistol grip or small monopod. It's extremely discreet so nobody really cared what I was doing. I have only used the camera for a few days, but of all the compact cameras I have used, this is by far the best 'travel compact camera' for both photos and videos I have ever used.

I'm definitely going to sell all of my Sony RX100 cameras (I have three). There's just no way I could go back to the RX100 after using this camera. The photos may not be as good as what comes from my Fuji X100s, but it's good enough that I am considering selling that off as well. I highly recommend this camera for anyone looking to get a sweet all-in-one travel compact system.

panasonic_lumix_dmc_lx100_digital_camera_1082158
find-price-button Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100 - via Adorama

find-price-button Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100 - via B&HPhoto

find-price-button Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX100 - via Amazon

• 7 Comments

•

Want Slower than Slow-Motion from your cameras? One of the hidden gems in the latest edition of the GoPro Studio 2.5 is an option called Flux. If you're familiar with Twixtor, or Optical Flow in FCPX, it's works in the same manner to create a faux high framerate slow motion clip. Here's a very exaggerated clip shot from the LX100 in 1080/60fps that I slowed down to around 8% playback (very exaggerated).

Product Description:
Flux™ enables super smooth ultra slow-motion and fast-motion speed changes. Flux analyzes the footage frame by frame, inserts new frames as needed, and blends them all together to smooth out the action.
While editing your clips in STEP 2, Flux™ will automatically be enabled when you change the speed of the clip.

There are certain conditions where the feature works best like having a static camera angle and not panning around. Using the highest framerate option in your camera, and working with a high shutter speed can also achieve better results. I'm still a pure rookie at this stuff, but it's an interesting option to learn about and come up with more creative uses. For more information about the FREE GoPro Studio 2.5 with FLUX check out the website (click here).

GoPro-Studio_thumbnail1
GoPro Studio Software

•

Traveling with a GoPro camera can get pretty frustrating with it's short battery life. Every time I take the camera out, i'm constantly powering off. Sometimes I feel like I really missed opportunities when I decide I didn't want to waste battery life on something I should have shot.

At PhotoPlus 2014, the Polar Pro company shows off an excellent solution to short run times with the PowerPole. An all metal top to bottom telescoping pole with an integrated rechargeable battery. They've also come up with a few more unique accessories that add value when shooting with your GoPro cameras.


via RunPlayBack.com PhotoPlus Expo 2014

I guess if you want to power your GoPro camera via USB, you'll most likely need the skeleton housing which is not completely waterproof. Not all bad since I see thousands of vacationers using the GoPro on telescoping poles mainly for vacation selfies. You can find the PowerPole available at B&H (click here).

POLAR01-150x150
find-price-button Polar Pro PowerPole Telescoping Pole with Intergrated Battery