DIY LCD Viewfinder for Canon T2i from Marc Schreibman on Vimeo.
I think this is officially the first DSLR DIY i've seen where there was a 3D Printer involved. Sure it's a bit larger than the LCDVF, possibly to compensate for the step up filters used for magnification. I don't know about you guys, but i'd love to see that 3D printer actually working. Enjoy the awesome work from Marc Schreibman on Vimeo, and thanks Dave for the tip! This is a really cool DIY.
LoupeTalk DIY Adapter for Hoodman Loupe from emmagination on Vimeo.
A couple of people have commented about how their LCD Viewfinders can lose adhesion from the metal frame to the LCD glass. Just wanted to remind everyone about an old video I posted a while back that might be a good solution by permanently (epoxy) attaching the LCD Viewfinder to an LCD Hood Shade. Originally this video was for the Hoodman since I thought the LCDVF had a decent solution, but appears even the LCDVF sticky frame can cause problems. There's even a shade available now for the Canon 550D / T2i so that you can quickly mount and dismount the LCD Viewfinders. You can find the LCD Shades for the Canon 550D / T2i for as low as $12.50 + Free Shipping here.
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click images to find prices
Shown (left) is the IndieHardware Stabilizer and (right) is the Hague MMC - Mini Motion Cam Stabilizer. As you might know, i've showcased the Hague MMC a few times and the most popular video of mine is the T2i Demo on the Hague MMC. Well I do mention that it's just about at it's limits with the stock kit lens 18-55mm and wouldn't be able to balance anything more. I've seen the IndieHardware Stabilizer many many times, but obviously both designs look similar, so I put it off as just another replica. Looking more carefully at the information within the auctions on eBay for the Indiehardware stabilizer, details claim it's beefier and can carry much more weight. So of course an actual smack down review between the two was necessary.
After receiving the item today, the first thing I noticed was it was indeed beefy. It looks to be a 1/4" thick aluminum with a very clean bend. The handle doesn't have the range of a Steadicam Merlin, but it does attach via a retaining clip (unlike Hague), so it appears there's no way this handle is coming apart. A big problem with the Hague handle if you pull it hard enough it just pops right off. Another big difference is the double weight stack (seen in my images above). Wow, this thing looks like it's going to balance double the weight compared to the Hague MMC. The price also lists for similar if not 'Cheaper' than the Hague MMC and for us USA guys, the IndieHardware ships from the United States so it's less shipping costs and faster to receive. So far IndieHardware doesn't just marginally beat out the Hague, it should be in a class of it's own 'above' the Hague MMC.
I'm not a fan of the raw polished aluminum (i'd rather black) but I guess something has to differentiate this from a Hague. Also an anodized coating or powder coating of black can run up product costs quickly. I can always put a coating of flat black myself and still save a ton of dollars rather than stepping into a Steadicam Merlin (approx 6 times the price). I'll get some video footage up soon with a couple of different cameras, and let you all know how that goes. You can find the IndieHardware DSLR Camera Stabilizer and prices through this link here.
click images to find prices
Wow, adding everything up on this rig, it's pretty much a sweet deal. No hassles in building and configuring your own DSLR setup, this listing has it all and ready to ship. Complete shoulder mount, tripod blocks, 1 follow focus for Focus pulls, 1 follow focus for Zoom pulls, A bunch of Focus Rings, (not shown) Waist belt + rod support, Matte Box, Shotgun Microphone, LCD Monitor + battery pack, JuiceBox to kill that AGC, LED Light panel, and more!
I was hesitant to post this up because for a split second I thought I should just buy it, and sell off some of my old gear to make up for the difference. There was one important calculation that prevented me from clicking the 'Buy It Now' button. After figuring out the time it would take to sell off my old items, effort to hide this from the wifey, time it would take to replace missing bank account funds, and the cost of divorce fees should I be caught randomly purchasing items.....Basically I can't afford it (right now). If your calculations are much different than mine, check out the full details and descriptions of the items bundled with this beast at the eBay listing. Check out this awesome complete DSLR Shoulder Mount rig available at eBay auction.
Note: I don't know this seller, and am not vouching for the validity of this auction.
Above is the famous little photo sent in by Johan about his DIY DSLR rig using Automotive Plug Wire Clamps. I originally posted this article: http://cheesycam.com/diy-dslr-rig-four-thirds-rig/. I really liked the look of this thing, but couldn't decide if it were going to be beefy enough to support an actual DSLR. It's hard to visualize the support rods actual dimensions.Well I got a chance to find some rods and Yes, they are very beefy indeed.
While cruising around random aisles in my local Walmart (searching for items for another DIY), I happened upon the Camping aisle and found an awesome set of Black Fiberglass Tent Poles! For just $6.88 a set, one set can complete a simple DIY DSLR rig. Especially for something as simple as a Canon 550D, T2i, Sony NEX-3 / NEX-5, and other Four-Thirds cameras.
So I grabbed a set of these black Fiberglass tent rods from the Walmart camping aisle and immediately placed an order on the plug wire clamps. They just came in today so I'm very curious as to what I can come up with for a fun little support rod rig.
got my clamps in...
Stay tuned, oh and more information on Johan's DIY DSLR rig and where to buy the clamps can be found at this article: http://cheesycam.com/diy-dslr-rig-four-thirds-rig/
more photos from Johan's rig
I received the $99 Dollar DSLR Shoulder Shooter from Express35.com today. It was late when I got home, and didn't get to test it out with all my Canon cameras, but I did quickly throw on the Sony NEX which seems perfect for it. I have extra clamps which I was able to mount my Rode VideoMic and my Zoom H4n.
This is a great start to an excellent event coverage type rig for me. Very lightweight and very stable when holding it. Some things i'm looking to improve upon this lightweight setup is to replace the Rode Microphone with something hard mounted, not with a shock mount.
Maybe an Azden Self Powered Mini Shotgun Microphone would suffice.
The Azden SGM-X found at BHPHOTOVIDEO.com, looks promising.
I also want to replace the Zoom H4n on this rig with the new Zoom H1 (once it ships). This would make it extremely light. Also I may add a very small LED light if I happen to be shooting in a Night Club scene.
click image for pre-order
The Sony doesn't allow me to adjust Aperture manually with the current lens. There is a Canon FD mount adapter that will allow me to use those older Canon FD manual lenses on this Sony, so that should fix that problem. I'll see if I can get one of those to finish it off with a nice FD 50mm. Check out the Canon Lens to Sony NEX adapter.
click image for Canon FD adapter to Sony NEX
Soon i'll get some footage up of a Canon DSLR on this $99 Dollar DSLR Shooter, unless someone beats me to the punch. As of now I love the look of this shoulder rig on this Sony NEX, and the rig seems to be the right size for it.
The Sony NEX interchangeable lens camera is now available at bhphotovideo.com
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Thanks to a tip, I was pointed out to these NEW weird looking grips. Appears to have infrared built into the grip, for what? This unit does come with a remote for just $29.95 + Free Shipping (no batteries), my only guess is that the Remote is using that Infrared area on the grip. If that were the case, they should have just designed the infrared to the 'Rear' of the grip allowing users to shoot from front or back with a standard infrared remote. Thanks for 'NOT' thinking that one through people.
You can find these grips starting as low as $29.95 + Remote + Free shipping, or at $49.95 + Remote + 4 Batteries + Free shipping. I'll try to find more information on these, because they do sound too good to be true at those prices, but the seller has incredible feedback on eBay, so all can't be bad. Check out the new T2i / 550D Battery Grip surfacing on eBay, click here.
They also have other grips for Nikon, Sony, and other Canons found here.
Well the results are in, and i'm super impressed. As you know the GoPro HD camera doesn't focus well underwater due to a curved lens cover on the waterproof housing. Eye Of Mine provides modified 'Flat Lens' housings to correct this. I was able to get my hands on one of his Flat Lens housings, but I couldn't find the time in my busy schedule, so Waylon was kind enough to shoot some samples for me to use on this blog.
Wow, it's a big difference. So much of a difference, you wonder why you would ever go back to the old housing. The quality on YouTube has compressed the original video, but it's way sharper than stock. Waylon says he rates it at 50% better, but I personally feel it's at least 90%. I'm that impressed. Check out this diver video below using the Flat Lens modification (make sure to select the highest resolution on the YouTube player).
Sure it's no secret how it's done, grab a flat lens and hack your housing. But for something like this, and something at this price, you might be better off just having Eye Of Mine do it for you. More information about the GoPro HD Underwater Focus Fix can be found here. Thanks Eye Of Mine!
Thanks to a tip, here's a video on creating a $20 dollar Video camera slider. Doesn't look completely professional, a bit oversized, but hey it's $20 dollars. Sliding a camera isn't rocket science, so i'm sure it works great for all you budget film makers.
[Thanks Nathaniel]