The GH3 is fun little camera so far, but i'm still not super comfortable focusing or stabilizing the little camera just by holding the body itself. I tried putting together a small stabilizer using a few bits from the Prime Rig, and here's where it's at so far.
Without the unique folding hybrid Shoulder/Chest pad from the P&C Prime Shoulder Rig, this little setup would be nothing more than a baseplate and set of rails. Attached under the base plate is the P&C Pistol Grip which makes for a very stable mini gun-stock target stabilizer for small cameras such as the Panasonic GH3.
With these few pieces i'm able to carry the camera with one hand, focus or zoom with the other, and use the wide Hybrid Chest/Shoulder pad pressed against my body for stabilization. The bits and pieces from this kit are all part of the P&C Prime Video Shoulder Rig and one P&C Pistol Grip
Now if you're really hard set on Canon glass, the 70-200mm F/2.8 IS II (normally $2499) is currently on sale for just $2099. I just recently picked up this lens for $2500 dollars so i'm a bit upset, but you can get this deal up until January 5th (found here).
The moment these new F&V R-300 LED Ring Lights were available to order, I quickly grabbed three of these units to build out a portable travel light kit. Since blogging about my decision to purchase these lights, there has been several questions about how efficient are these lights compared to the larger 600 LED Light Panel. So here's a quick example of the light output and spread from the R-300 in comparison to the popular 600 LED panel. (all tests are with bare LED lights - no diffusers)
Hopefully this video example provides a small idea about how practical these little lights are (for me at least) when used as an off-camera lighting kit. The results from the R-300 LED ring light when compared to the larger (and more expensive) 600 LED Light Panel are similar light output and broad diffusion. Other benefits of the F&V R-300 include smaller size (easier to pack and travel), lighter weight, and the option to battery power with inexpensive common Sony Batteries (as seen here).
These lights have only started to ship about a week ago. I just wanted to note that according to F&V, inventory on these lights are down to a small amount right now and following orders will consume inventory from the shipment next week. The R-300 LED Ring light can be found at the product page (Click Here)
These things go in and out of stock a few times each week or so. When they do come up, it sells out pretty quick. A few more of these Wieldy stabilizers were listed earlier today. If you're not sure what you're looking at, I have an older article about this stabilizer here: http://cheesycam.com/wieldy-hdv-pro-iron-triangle-carbon-fiber-video-camera-stabilizer/
Additional information, photos, and other video examples of the Carbon Wieldy Stabilizer in use can be seen following the link to the product page via eBay (Click Here).
Ask anyone "What's a great lens to start with?" and they will probably suggest a solid 50mm Prime. Decent focal length, wide aperture, and affordable. Most Canon shooters start with a 50mm F/1.8, but here's a solid deal on the better quality Canon 50mm F/1.4. Typically listed for around $340-$399 dollars, today you can find it for just $299 via B&H when you add to cart (click here)
One common question is 'What's the best pocketable camera to travel with?" Obviously, that will highly vary, but I have my own personal requirements for such a camera. If you're looking for a fun pocketable travel camera, especially one that is capable of quality Time-lapse, this post might be of interest. If it's something you don't need, you can skip this article as it will probably bore you to death.
Time-Lapse Pier
So I recently took a little trip out of town and purposely left all the heavy DSLR cameras and big lenses behind. Instead I packed up the new Canon S110, Sony RX100, GoPro Hero3, and the Canon Powershot G15. If there was any action involved, of course the GoPro is the perfect camera. Outside of that, I kept coming back to the G15. Good for close up macro photography, a stabilized lens, decent zoom, flash hot shoe, and a shutter input for Time-lapse photos. The Sony RX100 takes amazing photos and videos, but if I had to vacation with only a single camera, I personally have found more features in the Powershot G15.
I brought along a very old cheap Aputure Timer Remote that i've had for years for the Time-Lapse photos. You can achieve much better quality from the G15, but I did not have the proper software to edit the new G15 RAW files, so I was stuck with JPEG. It was also bright enough outdoors to use the HDR mode in combination of the Time-Lapse remote.
Time-lapse with MagFilter + Tiffen CPL Polarizer
In HDR mode, the camera will take 3 different exposures and save it to a single JPEG file. With the Carry Speed MagFilter threaded adapter I was able to add ND filters to capture the motion blur of water, or Polarizing filters to correct glare. To keep the gear lightweight, I also traveled with a very small Calumet Tripod and Kamerar Friction arms. Here's a list of the gear:
For those who know Varavon, probably best known for their video sliders and viewfinder products, they are currently running a 20% Holiday Saleuntil Dec. 31st. More about the offer and Varavon products can be found at the company website: https://Vifocam.com.
Varavon 20% Off Holiday Sale - ends Dec. 31st 2012
Every now and then the DSLR market goes wild when they can score a $500 dollar Rokinon 35mm F/1.4 lens for $350 dollars on a Daily Deal. I've seen these things sell out in literally minutes for that price. Well, If you didn't know this already, these lenses can be found under different names such as Rokinon, Samyang, and Bower.
So, If you've been specifically only searching for 'Samyang' or 'Rokinon', you'll find this popular 35mm F/1.4 running for around $450-$500 dollars (as seen here), but right now the 'Bower' name brand, available in Canon, Nikon, Sony/Minolta, and Olympus Four Thirds mount, is offering this same lens on sale (sale ends in a week or while supplies last) for just $379 (found here).
[Note:] Actually Bower even has Cine Style lenses available (like Rokinon) and is offering discounts on a variety of lenses which you can find more of following the link (Click Here)
A few others have already received their Wieldy stabilizers and have also posted up little video reviews like YouTube member Nitsan Simantov and YouTube member Chrisbottrellphoto. I received my version quite a while ago, but am only getting to posting something now. Here's a closer look at what these new Wieldy Carbon Fiber Video Camera Stabilizers have to offer.
I compare it side by side against the more expensive Glidecam HD4000 which runs for about $569 (seen here), while this new Carbon Fiber Wieldy can be found for just $250 US (found here). In the video (above) I even show how similar the counterweights are, that they can be exchanged with one another. [Update: I noticed prices have gone up since my purchase]
Besides the affordable price, the new Wieldy has several features the Glidecam HD series stabilizer don't provide such as an adjustable Gimbal, non-rotating sled, and carbon fiber post. Other popular features found on the more expensive Glidecam HD like fine-tuning knobs (trim), adjustable sled weights, and quick release stage has been designed into this Wieldy almost exactly. Overall a great product for the price, and it performs well. Additional information, photos, and other video examples of the Carbon Wieldy Stabilizer in use can be seen following the link to the product page via eBay (Click Here).
Wieldy DV Pro Iron Triangle Stabilizer
You can also find the Wieldy bundled with a dual arm stabilizer from another seller. It's being rebranded under the name 'CAME' (terrible name). A few listings from this seller show the dual arm vest bundled with this same Wieldy Carbon Fiber stabilizer (Click Here).
P&C Prime Video Shoulder Rig Kit
. So here's a quick example of the light output and spread from the 
.
