dslr video

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Guess what came in the mail recently? It's that cheap video stabilizer load vest I posted about a few weeks ago. I've had a bit of time with the gear, and as with any product there's Pros and Cons.

Cheap Stabilizer Vest Cheesycam

Pros:
The cheap vest is a combination of snap buckles and velcro, while the Steadicam Merlin vest is based on just velcro. Constantly readjusting the velcro on the Steadicam Merlin vest causes the vest to wear out, not to mention it's a bitch for hangnails. I've already had to replace the velcro on my Steadicam Vest, but there is also a 'buckle upgrade kit' (seen here) I will probably do the next time I need repairs. I've been using the Steadicam Vest for a long time, and I find that the Cheap Vest is more comfortable than the Steadicam Merlin vest.

Single Arm Vest

Cons:
The cheap vest I received came with a few scratches on the paint. Only slight blemishes, and nothing compared to how my Steadicam Vest looks like today. The Steadicam Merlin vest can be dialed down to fly light camera stabilizers. The ISO arm on the cheap vest requires a heavier load than the Steadicam. When flying just my 5D + Glidecam HD4000, the setup was not heavy enough to bounce the arm. I ended up adding some addition weight on the stabilizer setup for the cheap arm to work better.

scratch 1 cheap vestscratch 2 cheap vest

It's no Steadicam Killer, but the Cheap Vest has really good build quality for the price. I find it more comfortable than the Steadicam Vest and it works to carry your Flycam or Glidecam Stabilizers. If you're planning on flying a very light setup, this vest will not operate as smooth as the Steadicam Merlin Vest. The ISO arm of the cheap vest requires a bit more weight to put the proper tension on the spring. Below is a video showing pretty much the exact same vest setup from YouTube member Kirk Saber, along with his example footage from the vest system.

If you look carefully, you can see the bounce in his step due to the spring tension requiring more weight. The Steadicam Merlin Vest is a dual arm setup, while the cheap vest is only a single ISO arm. The Steadicam Merlin vest runs almost $1600 and the Cheap Vest runs for just under $400 dollars. There's a new listing in which they are also offering a Carbon stabilizer as part of a bundled package via eBay (Click Here).

Vest_1Vest_2vest+stabilizer
find-price-button Budget Single ISO Arm Camera Stabilizer Load Vest

Steadicam Merlin Vest
find-price-button Steadicam Merlin Vest Arm

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Rokinon has already released a few new Cine Lenses for larger DSLR cameras, but are soon to release a new line of Cine Lenses for smaller Sony E-Mount mirrorless systems. The Cine lenses have the same optics as their standard counterparts, but differ with built in lens gears for follow focus systems, a de-clicked aperture, and relocated markings.

Great timing on this release to match up with some of Sony's new camera releases such as the new Sony NEX-6, Sony NEX-5R, and VG900 which supports E-mount lens compatibility. Like previous Rokinon Cine Lenses, the new E-Mount Cine lenses will be available in 8mm, 14mm, 24mm, 35mm, and 85mm and are available for pre-order via B&H (click here)

new-rokinon-cinema-lenses
find-price-button Rokinon Cine Lenses for Sony E-Mount Camera Systems.

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Sony has overshadowed some of the other new camera releases with it's RX100 and new RX1 camera, but if you haven't been following, the new Canon Powershot G15 is quite amazing as well. I don't mean for this to be an RX100 vs G15 review, but it's a good basis of the value Canon brings in this sub $500 dollar prosumer camera. I'm not saying I will give up all of my Sony RX100 cameras completely, but I believe there's room to replace one of them with this new Canon Powershot G15.

The most important stand out feature for me is the new 24-140mm (equiv) F/1.8-F/2.8 lens. This is very impressive to have that focal distance paired up with a constant wide aperture. Not only will this provide you with better low light capabilities, but also better bokeh (blurred backgrounds) often desired for portraits. The auto focus is fast, and even the Macro capabilities of the new G15 which can focus on subjects as close as 1cm to the lens is another highlight.

The Canon Powershot G15 may not as be small as the Powershot S110 or RX100, but it's also not too large to still fit easily in a jacket pocket. The G15 will still offer professionals a remote shutter input (for an Intervalometer - Time Lapse), full manual expsoure controls, RAW imaging, and a hot shoe port for flash photography. I won't dive in to too many of the specs about the G15 that are already scattered all over the Internet, but if you're a photographer looking for a smaller travel camera without the hassles of lens changes, I feel the G15 is a great buy. Check out additional specs at the product page via B&H (Click Here)

Canon G15 CameraCanon Powershot G15 Digital Camera
find-price-button Canon Powershot G15 Digital Camera

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Skyler MiniCam Video Stabilizer
find-price-button Skyler MiniCam DSLR Video Camera Stabilizer

The Skyler MiniCam (seen above) is one of the smallest Video Camera Stabilizers around, and can still fly a fairly weighted DSLR Camera. It's an expensive piece of kit, but my favorite stabilizer to travel with. To make the Skyler even smaller and faster to setup, there's a new optional Transformer Legs kit. It allows you to fold the three counterweight legs instead of unscrewing each one on the for the Skyler MiniCam Video Camera Stabilizer.

Skyler Transformer LegsSkyler MIniCam Stabilizer Transform Legs
find-price-button Skyler MiniCam New Transformer Legs

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The real OEM BG-E11 battery grip for the Canon 5D Mark III will run about $300 dollars. You can find that on the product page (click here). I'm sure the OEM is the best of the best, but i've managed to purchase several aftermarket grips for my T2i, 60D, 5D Mark II, and Canon 7D.

When I found the price dropping on the aftermarket BG-E11 grips, I decided to get one for the Mark III for around $50 dollars. You can find the grips via eBay (Click Here).

Canon 5D Mark III Battery Grip10201019a10201019k
find-price-button Aftermarket BG-E11 Canon 5D Mark III Battery Grip