These little Blue Hand Held Video Stabilizers have been available for quite some time, but tracking down reviews on the item are still scarce. I often get questions about these particular stabilizers, but it's not something i've had the chance to play with in person, so there's not much information I can offer.
This stabilizer collapses down to less than 10", with an adjustable X/Y top stage, and what appears to be a quick release plate, it looks pretty decent for a price less than $140 (includes free shipping). If anyone has any experience on these i'm sure other readers would like to know your feedback in the comments section. These are constantly rebranded, but you can find them via eBay (click here).
Robert from JuicedLink gives us an NAB preview of the latest BMC366 Low Noise XLR Preamp designed to tackle audio issues with the BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera. Robert has also been aware of the many comments and questions regarding Tascam's latest DR-60D product announcement and shares some of his thoughts.
If you're not familiar with best practices when working with Audio on the BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera, or to find out more specs on the BMC366, you can find that information at the JuicedLink blog: https://www.juicedlink.com/blackmagic-cinema-camera.
BMC366 Low-Noise Preamp for BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera
Here's a time saving tip if you have to constantly mount and dismount accessories like Portable Audio Recorders, LED Lights, or Wireless Mic Receivers from your rig. The Tamrac Zipshot Quick Release System was designed to work with one of their tripods, and it comes with two different sized quick release plates.
The larger is rated at 3 lbs. (that's plenty for an accessory). It can be mounted to a ball head, friction arm, or be creative to mount it on your cage. It just needs enough clearance to pinch the tabs to release the plate. These are handy when you need to pull gear out of the bag for a quick shoot, or when it's time to pack stuff away at the end of the day. The mini quick release adapters (found here).
I recently received two packages to test out from Senna a video equipment company based out of Croatia (website found here). One case includes their 'All Recall Focus' which is a Wireless Follow Focus system, and the second case carries their 'Five Second Head' which is a Motorized Pan / Tilt Head. Take a look at the demo video below showcasing these products at work.
The All Recall Wireless Follow Focus System has programmable functions to store and return to specific focus points very quickly. You can control the ramp speed in which it changes from one focus point to the next if you want a slower more dramatic focus pull. I've tried a few different Wireless Follow Focus systems, and in the past i've had mixed results to the point where I don't use them. So far, this system has been pretty reliable right out of the box. I've been able to test the recall function repeatedly and the servos have so far been extremely accurate switching back to the stored focus points with a simple touch a button.
Senna All Recall Wireless Follow Focus on BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera
During initial setup, you can calibrate the focus range of your lens. The single hand held controller has the ability to operate two servos (zoom and focus) if you're operating a zoom lens remotely. The Transmitter and Receiver operate with built in rechargeable Lithium ion batteries or can be powered through an external battery pack or AC wall adapter. One neat feature is the ability to enable Night Mode which allows you to see an illuminated marking disc when your focus puller is working in dim lighting - not to mention it also looks pretty cool.
The Five Second Head (i'm guessing carries it's name from it's fast installation time) is a motorized Pan Tilt head that can be controlled through a tethered remote, or optional wireless remote. I'm a big fan of the unique movements you can create with Motorized Pan / Tilt heads. The Five Second Head also has the ability to store repeatable positions. Apparently this head can also be used for TimeLapse which I still have not figured out yet, but i'm assuming it will require some additional equipment.
The instructions were very clear to get each of these products setup, and so far i've had to hiccups. I'm hoping to put these products through more testing with some of our future projects. Hopefully I will also work on an introduction to setting up each of the equipment and what's included in the box. Senna has a number of products available from various website retailers, but more information about their products can also be found at https:/www.senna.hr
Here's a simple way to DIY a Top Handle for your DSLR Video Camera for those low shooting scenes. The hot shoe of these cameras are very capable of mounting this little top handle, but please use common sense as to not overload your setup with bulky rigs. This is mainly a way to carry the camera in it's simplest form. The build is easy and cheap, assembled with common parts you may already have, or find it through the links below.
The Giottos Mini Ball Head is a native 3/8" mount, so you can get a 3/8" adapter, or use the reducer to 1/4" (comes with ball head) and use a 1/4" hot shoe adapter (click here).
Hot Shoe Adapter 3/8 or 1/4 Screw
These handles are all metal, knurled finish for grip, and you can actually stack them together if you want it to be very long. They come in a variety of colors if you want to spice up your aesthetics (click here).
Varavon's latest Tilt Jib Mini Crane is not the most portable system on the market, but the highlight of this product is the ability to tilt the camera when performing vertical movements. Many other jibs will keep the camera horizontal which will cause you to lose tracking of your subject.
The Varavon Tilt Jib comes in it's own travel case, and setting up the system requires no tools. All assembly can be done by hand. The tilt function uses a cable system and requires you to have a strong fluid head and of course tripod system. The Varavon Tilt Jib base kits are available from a small 3ft version to much longer models, or you can always purchase an extension kits later down the line to increase your vertical. You can get more information about the Varavon Mini Tilt Jibs via eBay (click here).
Laing P-03 DSLR Stabilizer. [Thanks Nitsan] This small vide camera stabilizer features a gimbal that can be repositioned on the telescoping post and fine tuning knobs at the top stage for simple balancing typically not found on other entry level systems. Priced at just over $200 dollars and found (here).
I've recently required the need to have more sand bags in my space, so I purchased 20 pcs of these 9" x 10.5" sized Sand Bags. Unless you see them in person, shopping for 'inexpensive sand bags' on the internet might be a hit or miss. All you get is a few photos and not much information, so I thought I would share what i'm using.
The product listing doesn't really provide the exact weight these will be when loaded up, but from my estimates it should be around 20 lbs. each. The material is good lined with a tightly woven plastic like material on the inside so the sand doesn't sift it's way out. Stitching is great and double zippered to prevent them from accidentally opening up - pretty standard quality bags. Now time to make a stop over at the hardware store and pick up a few hundred pounds of Play Sand (for kids sandboxes) and fill them up. Here's a listing to the exact same 9" x 10.5" Sand Bags i've ordered (here).
Lensse is a company that makes very simple and affordable Video camera stabilizers that support iPhones all the way up to heavy DSLR bodies. These stabilizers balance your camera over a ball socket gimbal, attempting to prevent the transfer of shaky hands into the camera while walking, and also keeping your camera level with the horizon. You can see the complete line of stabilizers they offer (here).
Recently Lensse has just announced a new Stabilizer version called the UniqueX. It shares many of the same features at their other line of stabilizers, but the highlight of this new stabilizer is the adjustable Gimbal which can be relocated to the center of balance. Just another way of fine tuning the balance of your setup. Specs state it will support cameras up to 3 lbs and retails for about $100 bucks. Check it out via Amazon (Click Here).
Blue Mini Nano Hand Held Video Stabilizer
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