Once Eric received his Gini Rig, he went straight to work on designing a custom DIY Follow focus. Made from milled plumbing parts on his metal lathe, here's the build set and final product. Damn this looks better designed than some of the other Follow Focuses on the market. Check out Eric's Flickr page for more information, he's even included a few videos to see how it all comes together. Comments to Eric can be left at this article. Thanks Eric, so when do we see this for sale? LOL.
Just a reminder that those Canon Rebates I posted about are still valid, especially for anyone searching for a new DSLR body and lens combination. To take even more advantage of these rebates the Canon 60D has been discounted an extra $100 bucks off the Body or the Body+Lens kit. The discounts on the Canon 60D are only valid for the next few weeks.
You can find the discounts on the Canon 60D via Amazon here: Canon EOS 60D 18 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with 3.0-Inch LCD (Body Only)
Or via B&HPhotoVideo here: Canon 60D DSLR Camera Body
Check out those rebates that would still apply with the Canon 60D and save you even more on selected lenses: http://cheesycam.com/canon-dslr-combination-rebates/
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
For those running the LP-E6 battery type like the Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 7D, or Canon 60D the AC wall adapter can be found here: http://cheesycam.com/a-diy-canon-dslr-power-pack/
Maybe not a full Audio Technica AT875 Short Shotgun review, but more of a quick look at what to expect if you happened to grab one. I'm still building up the audio part of the JuicedLink DT454 and decided upon this short shotgun after many referrals. This AT875 shotgun microphone isn't as simple as connecting it directly to the DSLR camera, for something that simple you'll need the Rode VideoMic. The Rode VideoMic is self powered through a 9Volt battery and uses a small 3.5mm connector that goes to your cameras mic input (if available).
Click image for Rode VideoMic pricing
You've probably heard through the grapevine that DSLR's don't provide the best audio and most are limited by the camera's built in AGC. I wanted to have a little bit more control over the audio part of shooting video, while trying to save time in post audio sync, so here's where i'm at so far. This shotgun microphone requires 12V phantom power over an XLR cable. For my setup i'll be using it mainly with the JuicedLink DT454 that supplies the phantom power, and that box will further step it down into a 3.5mm direct to the DSLR. It's also nice that this JuicedLink allows for headphone monitoring of the audio. The DT454 also can accept 2 XLR inputs, so if I need to go with a LAV, Handheld Microphone, or Wireless setup, it's all possible with this expansion box. I could use the Zoom H4n, but with the DT454, I won't have to do any post audio sync work.
Click image for DT454 DSLR Preamplifier pricing
The AT875 comes with just the short shotgun, foam windscreen, and a padded leather bag. You'll need an XLR cable to get things moving so here's a great package that comes with an XLR and a hotshoe shockmount: Audio-Technica AT875 Short Condenser Shotgun Microphone Kit
Click image for Audio Technica AT875 pricing
This particular shock mount that I received with the package is quite nice. It definitely doesn't bounce around as much as the Rode VM. With this microphone, it's also nice to have the option to use a shock mount or not. Something you won't get with the Rode since the shock mount is all part of the assembly. I'll try and get the audio part setup soon to run some tests, but i'm not too worried. This should be a solid audio solution for the price and definitely better than from the camera microphone.
If you're wondering about those Power Arms, you can find those here: http://cheesycam.com/flexible-friction-power-arms-for-dslr-accessories/
Last Thursday, some friends stopped by the studio to do a simple music video with artist Michelle Martinez. Just dropped a plain white paper backdrop and setup the cheap 800w lights around a stool and a microphone. A slider, and several cameras on tripods were used to get the many many angles. Might be too many, LOL. There may be some further color correction and edits to the video in the coming weeks, but for now here's a quick look at a simple and fun project these guys worked on in the studio. More of Michelle Martinez can be found over at her YouTube Channel.
Canon DSLR and Lens Combination Rebates
Just a reminder that if you or anyone you know is planning on grabbing a new Canon DSLR, there's some rebate incentives going on. This rebate isn't something to go out of your way, but if you're looking to dive in to a DSLR purchase for the first time, it might save you a few bucks. From the Canon Rebate information, the deal comes in if you grab a flash or lens combination with a new DSLR body purchase. Both items must appear on the same receipt, purchased in the same day to qualify. Canon has listed all their top DSLR bodies for this rebate, incuding the new Canon 60D. Most of the lenses to qualify for this rebate are quite expensive, but if someone asked me which combo deal might be worth it, i'd probably suggest grabbing a Canon T2i or 60D + the Canon EF-S 17-55 F/2.8 IS USM. There's a list of items that state Instant Rebates, so this doesn't look like a 'Mail in Rebate' deal. More information can be found on some special links displayed over at the B&H website: List of items that qualify for Canon Rebate deal
I've confused myself on this one. Almost 2 years ago, I purchased a whole bunch of LP-E6 aftermarket batteries that did not display the battery meter on the cameras. I still use them today, but since I was looking to add more batteries to the collection, I was searching for the newer ones that are 'chipped' to communicate to the camera and display the proper battery meter for the Canon 5D Mark II, 7D, and 60D cameras. As of now the ones that people are buying are these Maxtek LP-E6 Aftermarket Batteries
They are indeed much cheaper than the OEM Canon ones, even with the bit of shipping padded to the cost too.
I took a chance on an eBay auction that looked to be a knock off battery, and I was confused to see an OEM package and OEM labeling. This battery looks good and looks OEM, but incredibly inexpensive with Free Shipping. In fact after Amazon shipping on the Maxtek battery, this eBay battery I received is almost $10 dollars cheaper. I'm not sure if it's Canon legit or not, but the battery looks exactly like OEM, charges with my OEM, and reads the battery information properly in all the cameras. I've taken a bunch of snaps to show you the comparison between my OEM batteries and the one I just received. The one to the right is the cheap battery I just received.
I'm seriously thinking this is the real deal and at such a great steal of a price too. Here's the link: Canon OEM? LP-E6 battery for Canon Canon 60D, Canon 7D, & 5D Mark II.
Above, i'm showing off my Tamron 18-270mm with VC 'Vibration Control'. I just took a few snaps right now for you guys in honor of this next post. I'm a believer that not one lens can do it all, which is why in this hobby you'll find yourself collecting quite a bit of different lenses. If I had to say that there was one lens that was close to doing it all, it would be the Tamron 18-270mm with VC (vibration control). It's a crazy lens that gives you both wide and super telephoto capabilities. I talk about it on this blog quite a bit and I never travel without it. Anyone who's ever asked me about a single great lens for a cheap price, this is the one i've been talking about. With it's wide range and 'Vibration Control' (a.k.a image stabilization) it rocks for run and gun Video use too. If you want to know a little more about this lens and check out a video sample, i've posted about this lens here: http://cheesycam.com/tamron-18-270mm-with-image-stabilization/
If you're looking for a simple single lens that's great for just about anything, especially for traveling, sporting events, and concerts - Today you're in luck. Cheaper than I've ever seen it before, there's a huge mail in rebate going on. Normally priced for over $620 dollars, B&H has the cheapest deal going on right. Believe me, i've seen this out of stock before and you don't want to miss this deal. Go ahead and compare it against a few other websites, you'll find it almost too good to be true. (Note: Not to be confused with the earlier 18-250mm, this is the 18-270mm with VC)
Check out the Tamron 18-270mm for Canon: Tamron AF18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di-II VC LD Asph. AF (IF) Macro Lens
Check out the Tamron 18-270mm for Nikon: Tamron AF18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di-II VC LD Asph. (IF) Macro Lens
Click for Tamron 18-270mm Mail In Rebate
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Now that the Canon 60D has had time to hit the streets, emails are coming with questions about the Canon BGE9 Battery Grip
BG-E9 Battery Grip For Canon 60D
For those who were wondering about how much extra height this grip adds to the DSLR body, I have two Canon 60D's side by side. Buttons and switches are similar to other Battery Grip models, but the most different feature is that it uses the LP-E6 batteries (same as 5DMarkII & &D), but loads the battery tray in from the sides like a Canon T2i. When they said they would make a camera in between the T2i and 7D, they weren't kidding.
