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Here's another generous Product Giveaway from Konova. This Video Slider Jib was a product they announced during NAB 2013. The jib breaks down for travel in it's own case, and can be used with or without a Konova Slider as part of the frame. This product Giveaway only includes the Jib (to be used if you already have a slider). For more details about this Konova Sponsored product Giveaway (click here).

KONOVA SLIDER JIB & SMART HEAD Making Promotion from soulstory on Vimeo.

The Konova Slider Jib is available in various lengths and bundles starting at around $500 US Dollars. It can also be expanded to use many of Konova's motion control systems. If you're interested about finding out more about the product itself, they have additional videos on the following ebay product pages for the Konova Slider Jib (click here).

Konova Slider Jiib
find-price-button Konova Slider Jib

For other great Giveaways and Promotions going on right now such as a Zoom H1 portable recorder + Accessory Pack, the Cinevate Duzi Video Slider, and more check out the recent Swivex newsletter (found here).

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So if you've been following, I mentioned I had planned a trip this weekend to shoot some BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera video samples with a small crew. The guys who will be making this long journey and traveling up to the mountains with me are the production crew for GearAddix. I passed over the BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera over so that they can get familiar with it before our trip, and they've found that the Sony SDHC UHS-1 media cards will work fine for ProRes video recording.

I think a safe bet is if your card can sustain a minumum of 30MB/s write speeds, it should work fine to record ProRes. If you want to test your cards, you can download the FREE BlackMagic Disk Speed Test app for your computer (here).

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Here's a few screen grabs testing Transcend SDXC, Patriot EP Pro, and the Sony SDHC UHS-1. Click any of the images for an exploded view of the speed ratings.

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Transcend SDXC Class 10 		Patriot EP Pro
Patriot EP Pro SDXC 		Sony-SDHC-UHS-1
Sony SDHC UHS-1

Well good to know that is one other option for a speedy and more affordable SDHC media card for the BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera. [Thanks GearAddix] You can find the Sony SDHC UHS-1 media cards in over on Amazon (click here).
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find-price-button Sony SDHC Class 10 UHS-1

Download ProRes Video Sample
The team has also uploaded an unedited 10 second ProRes sample from the camera (240MB). If you decide to try it out, I suggest pushing the color saturation, shadows, mids, highs and overall exposure values. I did my own quick version pushing saturation and adding contrast here: https://vimeo.com/72468406

You can find the download link at the GearAddix.com website.

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Here's a few tips some of you may want to prepare for so that you can begin shooting with your brand new BlackMagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera the day it arrives.

#1 - Get a damn fast SDHC or SDXC card. None of the cards that work flawlessly on my Canon DSLRs were even detected. The few speedy cards I was able to grab from local retailers just ended up with dropped frames. We're just talking ProRes here, imagine when RAW is unlocked. Tomorrow I should receive a couple of Sandisk Extreme Pro cards (recommended in the user manual) for my weekend project.

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find-price-button Sandisk Extreme Pro SD Media Card

#2 - Keep in mind you cannot format SD cards from the camera itself. If you show up at a shoot with a full SD Card, there's no way to delete the files. Keep a laptop with SD card reader handy to format to exFAT and delete any old projects. Don't think you can just pop it into your other camera to delete. The HFS+ or exFAT file system isn't recognized in most other cameras.

#3 - The LCD screen on this camera (not touch screen) may not be suffice for working outdoors. If you plan to use a monitor or EVF, you need a rare micro HDMI cable (d type). I already have plans to use my Cineroid Retina EVF

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find-price-button Cineroid Retina EVF LCD Viewfinder

#4 - The battery drains very quickly on this pocket camera. These batteries are the same for the Nikon J1, inexpensive, but you still need an optional charging station so you don't keep your camera tethered. The other option is an external 12V power source for very long projects where swapping batteries could be a problem.

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find-price-button EN-EL20 Battery / Charger

#5 - Even my small Panasonic 12-35mm F/2.8 or 35-100mm F/2.8 Micro Four Thirds lenses fit too snugly on the camera if I have my 501PL plate mounted underneath. Lens adapters will be worse, so you'll need a platform, rig, cage, or something to raise the body up if you're planning to use popular Fluid Heads. I'm using the Fhugen GH3 cage right now since it's the smallest cage in my arsenal (no battery door access).

Rokinon Lens BlackMagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera
There's room to slide the plate back and forth, but other lens combinations may not be so forgiving

#6 - Expect no audio meters from the camera itself. I think at this point the easiest method is to just work an external recorder.

Finally just a quick note on using an HDMI recorder. I'm not sure if this will yield any difference in quality, but if there is no degradation, an HDMI recorder could be a cheaper solution for storage media, solves limitations on long projects, and is a fast way to hand off video files to your editor. The Atomos Ninja 2, one of the affordable HDMI recorders on the market, is capable of recording from the BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera. You can record the stream without actually recording from the BMPC, or you can just hit record on both units for dual recording (a good backup solution for critical projects).

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find-price-button Atomos Ninja 2 HDMI Recorder

I'll continue to add notes about the things i'm running into, and I'll be uploading sample ProRes files from the camera very soon. Make sure to follow me on Twitter, and stay tuned to the blog. Remember, if you're still looking to get on a short list to get this camera early, check in with DVEStore.com

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find-price-button BlackMagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera.

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Genustech received plenty of media coverage regarding their new GoPro Hero3 Cage, so i'm sure many have you have already heard of it. It's hefty, built like a tank, offers dozens of mounting points, and even allows for 52mm threaded filters (ND, CPL, etc) to be used to control your image. With quite a few GoPro cages already on the market, is the Genustech the right one for you? Here's a video overview of the Genustech GoPro Cage features.

Build quality is really good and there's a lot of metal for the $99 dollar price tag. It's a nice touch to be able to support the GoPro in it's case, or naked (cam only). Unfortunately for me personally this doesn't fit my style. I hate working without the LCD BacPac and need access to the battery (especially when it locks up - you know what I mean).

If you want to find out more about the new Genus GoPro cage, the retail price of the unit is $99 dollars and can be found at the Genustech website (here).

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find-price-button Genustech Cage for the GoPro Hero3

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Like many other people out there, I preordered my BlackMagic Design Pocket Cinema Cameras (while I was at NAB) the same day they announced it. With only a few cameras trickling in every week, it could be months before my name is up next. Fortunately, I had the chance to the BlackMagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera today thanks to DVEStore.com.

Apparently, the folks at the DVEStore has a few of these, with still a fairly reasonable small list of preorders to fill. There's a good chance the DVEStore will complete their list of preorders before larger retail stores can even scratch the surface with theirs.

If you're curious about seeing how long (or short) that list is, I suggest sending them an inquiry. The website can be found here: https://DVEStore.com.

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find-price-button BlackMagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera - DVEStore Preorder

Ok, now on to the next point of business. The BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera I have here is on loan. I have a short amount of time with it, but I've already reached out to a few friends to see if they can put it through the paces. We've planned a long weekend of travel and shooting a variety of footage with this camera.

I needed to buy additional bits just to get going on this camera (more info on that later), and also rented a few bits I think people will be interested in. The Pocket Cinema Camera does not shoot RAW (CinemaDNG) at this time, but the ProRes files are still impressive. A firmware update will add CinemaDNG capture.

We plan to shoot very short clips and upload them for you to download and play with (color grade). If you have any general questions about the product, leave some comments while I have it. Once I send this little guy back, I doubt I'll be seeing it again for several months. Over the next few days i'll be adding some additional information about working with this camera, so keep following...

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find-price-button BlackMagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera - DVEStore Preorder

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Earlier this year, I showed off a Wieldy Stabilizer Vest system that finally met my needs to fly a lightweight camera setup. The vest was able to fly both my simple Canon 5D Mark III as well as my BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera. If you're interested, you can see that original video and article (found here).

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I've been pretty happy with the system, and definitely worth the price for it's performance. Recently they've released a Wieldy Video Stabilizer Vest System version II. The vest has been completely redesigned along with the video stabilizer. (Their early version looks similar to a Glidecam HD4000). The new design of the stabilizer looks much more original, but still uses an adjustable gimbal that slides over a Carbon Fiber post.

Wieldy Vest Stabilizer Kit Video SystemWieldy_StabilizerII_dualArm_vest system

The Dual Arm has also been revamped now with a total of 4 smaller springs as opposed to the older version with 2 large springs. The Dual Arm quick release connection has also been upgraded and appears to have further adjustments at the base of the arm (similar to very high end vests). No real reviews on this product yet, just one random video on the product page. You can find the Wieldy Version II Stabilizer Vest Kits via ebay (click here).

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find-price-button Wieldy II Stabilizer Vest System

Wieldy II Stabilizer Vest Currently Available on eBay



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I just got confirmation about a little package on it's way as we speak, and will be arriving in my mailbox tomorrow. Now I don't want to spoil all the excitement, but I guess I'll leave a few clues as to what I should expect to receive tomorrow.

It's mostly #Black with Tan accents, and I think it's just #Magic how they've managed to make this item #Pocket sized and affordable for the #Cinema market....

BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera Shipment

[Update] The Eagle has landed....
BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera

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Skyler MiniArm Forearm brace.JPGSkyler MiniArm Forearm brace

The guys making the Skyler Minicam Stabilizers look like they've been busy in the last few months. Not only have they released another Skyler Minicam Stabilizer model with folding legs and Arca swiss quick release plate, but they've also added a new ForeArm Brace.

When a full Vest if too bulky, and when your arms get too tired from flying, an arm brace can sure come in handy. If you're not a DIY type of guy/gal, then your other option for a forearm brace is the bulkier Flycam version (below).

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find-price-button Flycam Forearm Arm Brace for Flycam and Glidecam HD Stabilizer

Something like this new Skyler MiniArm is most likely not going to be comfortable with your large Glidecam setups, but for all the new mini handheld stabilizers popping up and pocket cinema cameras, it should do well to provide arm strain relief.

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find-price-button Skyler MiniCam MiniARM Forearm Stabilizer Brace

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QV-1_13_grande

Here's a deal that everyone can instantly benefit from. It's a 72 hour promotion starting today (just 3 days) for up to $60 dollars off the Kamerar QV-1 LCD View Finder or QV-1 LCD View Finder Kit.

Product Description:

The QV-1 LCD View Finder will magnify your lcd screen image by 2.5x so that you can easily focus on your subject, and will also offer a true view of your image when working outdoors in bright daylight. An adjustable diopter ring moves the primary lens forward or back if your image does not appear focused. This is especially helpful for those who have less than perfect vision. The innovative magnetic quick release design allows the QV-1 to be inserted and removed from a solid metal quick release baseplate attached to the bottom of your camera.

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The QV-1 baseplate shares a similar shape to the Manfrotto 501PL quick release plate. Once the QV-1 baseplate is attached to your camera, you can mount directly to supported Manfrotto video fluid heads. If you are using a different system, you can still attach your proprietary tripod plate under the QV-1 baseplate by accessing the available 1/4" threads. The QV-1 Kit includes a quick release baseplate and a set of industry standard 15mm rails.

This is a very recent product release, and possibly a few of you may already have one in your hands. There is one online review I could find from this website by TechGuyEric (found here), and could be a good read to see what he has to say about the equipment.

You can register to retrieve the coupon codes following the link to the Swivex promotional page (found here).
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Kamerar QV-1 LCD View Finder / QV-1 LCD View Finder Kit - 72 Hour Promotion