They said it would work, but you never know until you try. Just confirmed that the Canon T3i is compatible with the same BG-E8 Battery grip for the Canon T2i / 550D. Works seamlessly.
The camera bodies are very close in design, but still a bit different. It doesn't seem like you can swap the camera's battery doors (when removed for installing battery grip). For those wondering about the GGS glass protectors working on the Canon T3i / 600D, it doesn't look like a fit. The buttons are close to the same position, but everything is just slightly off. Other accessories such as Batteries, Cards, and Chargers are all the same, so the T3i / 600D should be seamless to drop into any existing Canon T2i workflow...
I get so many comments about Magic Lantern, and the lack of posts on here. I figured the whole world already knows about it and every DSLR blog is talking about it too, so why be redundant? Ok fine, here's one for you, so you can stop asking me to post something.Vimeo member Dave Knop gives a tour about the latest Magic Lantern firmware. New Color features help you get an idea on exposure and also what's in focus. You can find out more about Magic Lantern here: https://magiclantern.wikia.com/wiki/550D
Ok, I received this earlier in the mailbox but got caught up in a long shoot today. I'll get back in the studio tomorrow to shoot some photos comparing it with other viewfinders, but I wanted to at least point you guys to this new line of viewfinders. These photos are from the store. Quality is great for the price. If you were happy with the LCDVF 'clones', you'll be even more happy with this version, especially since even the clones are over priced now.
A great looking design with different versions available to support the T2i LCD's (which means 60D aspect), and a version for the Canon 5D Mark II & 7D. I'm not a Nikon shooter, but I believe if it's a standard 3 inch LCD, the proper 3" version (5DM2 version) should work fine. It comes with a very large soft comfortable eyecup (that you don't need to buy seperately), and i'll test later if it works with my Blue Star eye cushion too. The magnets are different than the cheap stuff and feels very solid. There's some notches on the metal frame I believe helps keep the item from shifting and coming loose. I'll have to test the fit on a GH2 to see what that looks like.
New LCD View Finder for Canon T2i, 5D Mark II, 7D and other 3" LCD's
Finding a decent 3:2 LCD View Finder still seems to be on everyone's list. I've been getting a few emails from Glenn today and he seems to have tracked one down from Meike. Now Meike was the one who released the LCDVF clone model a while back which everyone was pretty much satisfied with. They rubbed some people the wrong the way with it's exact replica design, so they've changed the look since then. Here's the new look and here's one made specifically to fit the LCD of the T2i if anyone else is looking.
If you've got plans to keep your Canon T2i powered up longer than the normal battery can provide, here's a cheap AC wall adapter. Great power source for taking those super long day to day timelapse photography shots. If you're the daring type like myself, the battery adapter provided is perfect to hack up into a DIY Power pack, perhaps connecting it to something like a Radio Controlled toy car rechargeable battery. You can find several aftermarket AC wall adapters here: Canon T2i / 550D AC Wall Adapter Power Plug
Mike over at https://FortyTwobmx.blogspot.com wasn't looking to pay the high prices for a handle mount rig for the Canon 550D to shoot BMX and Skate films, so he whipped up his own DIY called the '550D Extreme Sports Handle'. With some extra square tubing, old BMX handlebar, a couple of Grips, old bar ends, and a quick release adapter from a cheap tripod here's the end result. Another goal was to make the handle rig as small as possible. Some future upgrades will be a start / stop record button on the top handle, small monitor, and possible LED lighting. You can find more about his project over at his blog here.
Now that Canon is throwing everyone for a loop releasing every 'in between' type of camera, I just thought i'd throw up a video about a few differences in the Canon 7D vs 60D vs T2i. I too was quite disappointed that Canon didn't release any earth shattering news about new video features on their latest camera. For 5DM2 and 7D owners, the announcement of the 60D was nothing to get too overly excited about. When it was between the T2i and 7D I advised all my friends starting in DSLR video to go with the T2i, save the extra $1000 dollars and buy yourself some better glass. Now the 60D is coming in at just $300 dollars more than the T2i, I'm going to change my tune. For Canon T2i owners who said they wouldn't, I think once you've used it and seen what it can do, you'll make a decision to upgrade.
There are some really nice features for videographers that will instantly improve what you're already doing with the T2i. For one, the White balance settings on the 60D are way easier to control than the T2i, and adds the option for manual Kelvin settings. The Flip out LCD you might be able to live without (I think it's really nice), but the Manual Audio levels are well worth the extra $300 dollars alone. Why bother with an external Audio recorder when you can connect a microphone directly and manually adjust audio levels in the camera? You shoot hundreds of tiny little clips throughout the day and when you come home, you have nothing to sync. You change your settings to 24p to get that cinema look, and instead of running hundreds of clips through Plural Eyes, all that work is already done. This already will save you hours and hours of post work. Sure you can defeat AGC on the other cameras, but in doing so, you'll already be spending a few hundred dollars on a decent device. The upgraded body already puts the 60D in a different class. It's no longer a lightweight Rebel camera, the 60D feels sturdy with a bit more weather proofing. We're not even talking about all the Photography upgrades, so for beginner Hybrid shooters the decision should be easy regarding the $300 dollar price difference.
I was surprised that Canon didn't release any new video features like 120fps or at least [email protected], but not surprised Canon released another camera with obvious Video dedicated ergonomic upgrades. Having spent an extra $1000 dollars for their first 1080 DSLR Video camera, there were thousands of Canon 7D owners who were shocked when the Canon T2i was first announced. I think the announcement of the 60D for just a few hundred dollars more appeals to T2i owners in the same way. Overall the Canon 60D is indeed a great camera at a great price, and Canon has made great strides in adding more professional video features, audio features, photography features, and body upgrades into a more affordable camera.
As soon as I announced I was going to test the Glidecam HD1000, many people have been leaving me messages waiting. So here's my quick run through, i'm sure you all know how to assemble and balance these things. There's already plenty of video tutorials on balancing, so i'm just going to show you sample use of the HD1000. Thanks for my sister-in-law for allowing me to chase her around while she (not very skilled) rides a skateboard around to show fast moving shots. Yes I was lightly jogging with the Glidecam HD1000 and Canon 5D Mark II + Sigma 20mm F/1.8.
I did a demo of the Glidecam 2000 Pro, and now I normally fly the Glidecam HD4000 which is a beast, but truly a top performer when loaded up. I love the Glidecam HD4000, but sometimes it's a bit overkill. The way I have the Glidecam HD4000 setup, I wouldn't want to run that way without my Steadicam Merlin Vest. So I wanted to really push the smallest Glidecam to see how much weight it can carry. It can balance the 5D Mark II + Sigma 20mm F/1.8 using all the available weights (compact mode). If you extend the base further down, you can shift the center of balance making it more bottom heavy and possibly add-on a very small LED light or Sennheiser MKE400 microphone.
Can you fly with LED light, Microphone, and Zoom H4n + Canon T2i + wide prime lens? Don't quote me on this! I've flown the Glidecam 2000 pro, the HD4000, and now the HD1000. The gimbal handle on the Glidecam stabilizers are very very strong and very fluid even when loaded up. In fact, I think they fly better when they are pushed to their weight capacity limits. Although they won't suggest this I really think you can further 'modify' this unit to accept even more weights at the bottom and really fly a heavy setup with accessories. Yes you can easily move up to the HD2000 or HD4000, but i'm looking for the most compact video stabilizer solution possible. So if it's possible to really load up this HD1000 then i'll be stoked, because you can see how nice and tiny this thing is, making it perfect for travel and tight locations.
Again, this is a bit more pricey than those other stabilizers i've shown, but it's really the best bang for your buck. Most people either don't like flying footage, or don't shoot enough of flying footage to justify the price. If you really like the look, want or need something super fast to balance, you can get away with the HD1000. If you'll be adding some further accessories and added weight this will push you to the HD2000 at least. So don't quote me on the HD1000 being able to handle everything, this is something i'm still working on, and hopefully i'll demo that soon. Glidecam makes great stabilizers. If you've been following my videos, I started with my DIY stabilizer, moved to the Steadicam JR., then to the Steadicam Merlin, tested the Glidecam 2000 Pro, Hague MMC, IndieHardware Stabilizer, Glidecam HD4000, and now Glidecam HD1000. I've tried many and i'm very satisfied with the quality, price point, and fast balance design of the Glidecam HD stabilizers. (HD version! Not Pro models, those kinda suck to balance).
NOTE: Besides being able to carry more weight, the handle has a much broader range of movement. You'll notice several 'Tilt' shots in this video as I point downwards going down the stairs, or point downwards at the skateboard. This type of Gimbal handle also allows for shots pointing upwards or sideways. This was one of the main reasons I left the Steadicam Merlin since it couldn't support these type of shots.
Glidecam has made it very easy to choose from 3 different DSLR stabilizers depending on your needs. I'm not an expert, you should always consult support with the respected manufacturers, but if you have any questions i'd be happy to try and answer them. Here's a link to the Glidecam HD1000 if anyone is interested in dishing out a paycheck to grab one.
If you are planning to balance heavier setups, you can find more information about the other Glidecam HD series stabilizer, how much weight each stabilizer can carry, along with prices following the links below.
Hopefully the Glidecam HD1000 will be showing up next week. As many of you might know, I currently fly the HD4000 (big boy) and I love it. But in order for me to get smooth results with such a big stabilizer I have to load it up quite a bit, otherwise it's just way to loose. It gets heavy with all the gear loaded up (hence the vest) but flies really really smooth. There's times when I need to fly without a vest, so in my head I think I can get the HD1000 to fly some of these lighter DSLR's such as the Canon 550D / T2i or Sony NEX. It should be in sometime next week. If anyone currently uses the HD1000, please let me know what camera + lens you have balanced and possibly some sample videos. Thanks!
Canon T2i & T3i Battery Grips
