This is soooo cool!!! I love running a DIY blog for times like these when someone shares their idea. This submission was sent to me from Johan. Unfortunately Johan doesn't have a web address I can link to, but leave your comments here for him to read.
Most of the time, i'm trying to assemble DIY gear from off-the-shelf parts to make things easier. This is an extremely clever idea of using some readily available (and cheap) off-the-shelf parts and assemble it into something awesome! Now it looks a bit under scale for a 5D Mark II or 7D, but would probably look the part on a T2i. It would most definitely look the part for a Four-Thirds system like the Olympus Pen, Panasonic GH*, or even the new Sony NEX. I really have to go out and try this myself.
Parts used look to be Automotive Plug Wire type seperators. These small parts come in a variety of materials and color from plastic to billet aluminum. After measuring out the required rods, Johan grabbed some 10mm tent pole rods. Not to say you can't just locate some normal 10mm round rods. You can find these billet aluminum rod clamps by clicking here..
Sorry for the delay. The SpiderTrax Dolly was already announced to accept orders, but we only announced it to those who filled out the original form. Today i'm announcing that you can order the dolly (no fluid heads available at this time), only if you are a US resident within the 48 continental states, and payment accepted is Paypal only.
There is only one option available at this time, and it is the complete base kit which includes solid AL base plate, 2 solid AL axles, 4 wheels, 4 red bearings, 2 clamp knobs, 1/4" screw with 3/8" step up adapter to mount either your camera or a fluid head directly to the base.. The wheels will already come preassembled, so setup is simply just placing the axles on the base (5 seconds you're ready to go).
Palo Alto translated can mean 'tall stick'. This special adapter was designed for the niche market of Painters Pole Photography, as seen in this article.
I was unable to locate an affordable solution to adapt my Photography Camera to a simple Painters pole. Using painter poles allow for huge savings, but current available adapters are few and expensive. The new custom made Palo Alto by PhotographyandCinema.com will make these more affordable for Painter Pole enthusiasts.
There are many painter poles that extend further than 10' Feet. Custom machined from steel, this adapter will mount on any standard painter type pole allowing you to bring your camera to new heights. This video was a sample taken by Dion Wong @ DionWong.com. Photos were taken with a Canon 5D Mark II using a Shure-line 10' painter pole, video was taken using a Canon SX210 IS point and shoot (mounted on the same Shure-line Painter Pole). This adapter is now available on a new website at https://PhotographyAndCinema.com
There's been speculation and alot of hype from different Loupe makers about changing the way we currently 'view' through DSLR's. One statement from a well known company (I won't quote completely), mentioned something kinda like:
'Right now you hold the camera up to your eye, that's going to change'.
I've seen many different types of Remote 'Live View' Viewfinders on the market and it's starting to make sense that new LCD loupes could start using this screen instead of the one directly mounted on the DSLR. These DSLR's aren't outputting true HD, so a decent tiny 3-4" remote monitor with a magnified LCD Z-Finder loupe attached would be a pretty cool focusing device. I'm imagining a new type of DSLR shoulder rig where the camera sits normally down the center (not offset), and the remote LCD Viewfinder is positioned through a flexible adjustable arm (much like the ones to hold monitors today). This would provide alot of flexibility when doing low shots, high shots, or any other random type shot while still displaying live view through a remote 3" LCD with a Z-Finder magnified LCD view finder attached. This would be great for a remote Focus Puller too.
We got any fancy Photoshop users out there who care to start mocking up what this could look like? Better yet, If you're planning on some forward thinking and want to beat the other guys to the punch, check out the options already available below to mount your existing LCD Viewfinder Loupe.
So basically the idea is to mount your DSLR on shoulder rig, but only relocate one of these Remote LCD's to the proper position. No need to relocate the entire DSLR video camera.
These pipe clamps look to be very handy for anyone wanting to create a 'Rod' type shoulder rig. Supposedly you can find them around the copper pipe aisles at Home Depot and they have a nice spacing to them which look similar to real 'Rod rigs'. The front support handles are cutdown Bike handlebars and obviously your choice of bike handles. These are very cool looking rigs that i'm sure nobody would recognize as a DIY project. These videos are not super clear on the complete assembly, total parts list, and configuration, but i'm on the lookout for more detailed versions of the copper pipe clamp rigs showing up now. I think i'll have to try my hand at configuring my own Copper Pipe Clamp DSLR Rig.
This was a friends video project. He decided to use my house to shoot a very short video clip. It's his project, so i'll wait to let him post the video before sharing it with you. Those cheap Bike clamps (found here) sure came in handy for us to make a DIY boom pole. I used one to mount at the bottom of a regular monopod and adapted the Zoom H4n to the bottom. The top was the Rode VideoMic on it's own adapter. We used an extension cord to run the mic down to the Zoom H4n. The Windscreen was on the Rode, because we were going in an out of the house. The Spider Trax Dolly was also out on the floor and used for some really cool shots. Glad we had a tool like this, otherwise there would be no way to pull off some of the long tracked shots and curved motion shots.
The basis of this project was about some kids who come over to a friends house, practices break dancing, and well..i'll share the rest when it's online. I saw a quick edit of his project, and it came out great. Thanks to some of the Renegade Rockers for showcasing some of their awesome break dance skills. More information will be posted later.
Ok, i'm really excited to talk about this item, it's such a great find for me. I've seen this item many times but couldn't find a single YouTube or Vimeo video review about the 717AH Video Fluid Head (note that the number on the box doesn't always match the number on the fluid head). Other search results on the Internet come back as just product sales information. Am I the only one reviewing this item? Have I truly discovered the next DSLR hidden treasure? LOL.
You gotta watch my short video review above as to why this thing rocks. I'm comparing it to 3 different style Monfrotto brands. As you know i'm the happy owner of a Monfrotto 701HDV Fluid head (I demo it on the 99 dollar slider video). Don't get me wrong, the 701HDV works totally awesome. But as many of you might know, i've been working on a Skater Dolly type project 'Spider Trax Dolly' and one of the delays have been researching the perfect Camera Head to mount. Since there will be an option to purchase the dolly 'without' a Video Head, I wanted to make sure I found the right options to suggest to people.
I've already invested in 4 different fluid heads (not cheap blah!) trying to find the right one for you guys. One of the problems I was trying to solve was the 701HDV mount. Everyone out there with a Slider, Skater, or Dolly knows what' i'm talking about! The lower locking knob doesn't clear very well when mounted on flat surfaces. This means you need to DIY some type of spacer. A simple spacer doesn't always work well either. The fluid head is quite firm so you need to drill out some locking screws to make sure it doesn't come loose. Sure I love the 701HDV, but it has problems mounting to anything other than an actual video tripod.
Here's where I struck Gold. When i'm just about fed up with Fluid heads, and figured I'll have to come up with a special adapter for the Spider Trax dolly project, I run into this little Gem. I've seen this online before, but was hesitant about the build for a brand I wasn't familiar with. It was pretty much my last resort in trying to find the best Fluid Head to suggest for the dolly project. It's available from a US seller which means super fast shipping - (no four week waiting period). Even better, It's half the price of a Monfrotto 701HDV and as far as i'm concerned it's twice the build quality. This thing is compact (same size as 701HDV), but it's beefy! It's designed with lots of metal, the fluid head is smooth, has incredibly strong locks to support lots of weight, and comes with a very very nice adjustable (very long) Video handle for extra leverage. In fact you can mount two handles for smoother panning shots. With the adjusted length, this handle actually is perfect for the Spider Trax Dolly use too! It performs same if not better than fluid heads more than three times it's price.
Why isn't anyone else talking about it? I feel like i'm breaking new ground here much like when I started blogging about those 126 LED Video lights. I'm not sure, but I was sooo happy with the first one, I purchased a second one so I don't have to keep remounting my head onto different sliders, tripods, and dollies. The cheapest i've found the 717AH fluid head was on eBay by this seller, while others sell this upwards to $100 dollars. Click here to visit the USA seller that I received mine from..
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Update: Just contacted the company to see if they can supply me with alot more for the Dolly project. They mentioned there's a limited amount in stock until the next shipment. This will be the official Fluid head that will be packaged as an option with the Spider Trax Dolly, so if you're shopping for an awesome quality Video Fluid head, now might be the time to grab one.
Not even a day later, I just got a message back from GoPro themselves, I love their super fast support responses. The above video was added to the email back to me as an example of the fix they are working on. It does appear to be much much more sharper than orginal curved lens footage:
Hi Emm,
Due to the curved lens of the waterproof housing for the HD HERO camera and standard def Wide HERO cameras, you will notice a slight loss of sharpness/focus to underwater images. In video mode with the standard def camera this is not very noticeable due to the lower resolution. With the HD HERO camera this becomes more evident at the higher resolution. We are developing a flat glass adapter / housing specifically for underwater use, thus allowing for the same image sharpness that you enjoy with your GoPro camera above water. Please sign up for our newsletter to receive an update for new product releases.
So officially GoPro Cameras is aware of the underwater Focus and aware of a Flat Lens fix. The question now i'm sure everyone is wondering about is ETA. The R&D process for mass manufacturers can sometimes be a bit slow, but you should definitely sign up for the GoPro Camera Newsletter to stay informed of their updates.
Don't let this stop your vacations. If you're impatient and want to get better underwater focus with your GoPro HD, the options are DIY it yourself, or let someone experienced like EyeOfMine Multimedia prepare a housing for you.
The GoPro HD Camera is an awesome little camera that can be used in any situation possible. We've seen it on land, in near space, and underwater. The underwater footage though doesn't seem as sharp due to the curved lens on the water proof housing. This design provides many 'Pros', but the underwater focus is a definite 'Con'. EyeofMine Multimedia created a DIY solution (now for sale) to add a flat lens onto a GoPro waterproof housing. The results speak for themselves, and if you're a GoPro HD Camera owner you'll know where i'm coming from.
The Flat Lens fix from EyeofMine Multimedia is a bit DIY with some glue and isn't covered by GoPro warranty. The quality of the build, I can't tell unless I get to review one in person (hopefully they'll respond to my inquiries). On another note, i've also asked GoProCamera.com themselves about the focus issue (they're local in Half Moon Bay), and hopefully i'll get a response soon about whether or not they'll be offering a different housing or some other solution to correct the underwater focus issues.
Look GoPro, I know everyone loves your cameras. I'm sure there is no solution for a Housing that does it all both on Land, Space, and Sea. I can promise you this though. If you can put something out that solves the underwater focus issues, I'll be happy to mount 2 cameras on a single mount with different housings and that should solve the video footage I need in any situation. You can find prices for the awesome GoPro HD - Underwater, Land, and OuterSpace camera here.
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Related Underwater blog talk:
If you're a new iPhone 4 or Sprint HTC EVO owner, maybe you'd like to take some of that HD footage underwater with your new cell phone. If you're brave check out the Aquapac.
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