dslr video

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If you've always wanted to ugprade from the Zoom H4n your next choice was the $400 dollar Zoom H6. Well finally the latest and more affordable H5 portable audio recorder from Zoom is finally in stock today via B&H. Similar to the more expensive Zoom H6, the new H5 carries the same quality preamps and compatible with the Zoom line of Modular Micrphones.

Product Details
The H5 Handy Recorder from Zoom is a portable handheld recorder that features an interchangeable microphone system. The recorder ships with an XY microphone capsule and is compatible with the existing line of H6 modules including the optional shotgun mic and XLR/TRS input modules.

The H5 will ship with an XY stereo microphone module that features a built-in shockmount system and a 140dB maximum SPL. The recorder is also equipped with two inputs for external sources, allowing you to record simultaneously with the included stereo XY mic for a total of four input channels. Each input is controllable by its own analog gain knob.

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Optional Modular Mic Input System - Midside Mic, Shotgun, Dual XLR Input

The recorder also has an LCD screen and a side-mounted toggle control for navigating through the menu options. It gives you fast access to transport functions, offering physical control buttons right underneath the screen, and conveniently stores its recorded audio to external SD cards.

Built to many of the same specs as the H6 including:
•Same S/N ratio and maximum gain as H6
•Headphone output for monitoring
•Stereo line output for connecting to your camera
•Supports +4dB input

Zoom H5 Portable Audio RecorderZoom H5 Portable Recorder
find-price-button Zoom H5 Portable Audio Recorder Modular Mic System

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Varavon's 'Ready to Run' Birdycam 3 Axis Gimbal stabilizer was slated to start shipping today (July 1st), but has recently announced a small delay. The new estimated shipping date is set around July 4th. Now before anyone starts throwing a tantrum, I think they have good reason. The newly added folding handle feature should make it worth the wait. Here's a few photos below.

Varavon Birdy Cam 3 Axis Stabilizer 32 bit alexmos
Varavon BirdyCam Gimbal Stabilizer

The new folding handles should make the 3 Axis Gimbal Stabilizer easier to travel with. One of the problems with other gimbal systems is the odd dimensions which make it harder to travel with and to find a decent case.

Varavon also mentioned a battery change to a single battery instead of two separate smaller batteries. Hopefully we'll see these units ship in just a few days, more info found at the product page (click here).

varavon birdycam pre-orderpreorder birdycam varavon 3 axis gimbal stabilizer
find-price-button Varavon BirdyCam 3 Axis Gimbal Stabilizer - PreOrder

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The portable and small R-300 LED ring lights from F&V carry about about the same power as a large 1x1 LED panel in a much more travel friendly form factor. Though it can be used on camera as a ring light, it's just as effective when used in a 3 piece lighting kit set on stands.

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find-price-button F&V R-300 LED Video Ring Light

If you need a softer more diffused light from the R-300, there is a new Portable Softbox kit available.

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find-price-button Soft Box and Bracket for R-300 LED Ring Light

Product description:
The R-300 Soft Box will allow you to modify your light, creating a larger, soft, single source light. This becomes the perfect solution for interviews, portraits, and product photography. Your imagination is the limit to this tool's application. The soft box also comes packaged with a velcro honey comb which allows you to focus the light's beam and reduce spill.

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find-price-button Soft Box and Bracket for R-300 LED Ring Light

The R-300 Soft Box is made from a thick, high-quality nylon. Four large flaps in the back make it easy to install the soft box rods and R-300 w/ Bracket. A designated notch in one of the flaps makes accessing your R-300's dimmer knob easy.

The R-300 mounts to a matte-black, aluminum bracket system which functions as the soft box's speed ring. On this bracket are four receptacles that hold the soft box rods. The bracket has a 5/8'' stud that allows you to mount the soft box system using a c-stand or universal holder. The center of this 5/8'' stud is hollow which allows you to mount a translucent or reflective umbrella to the unit.

For more information about the Softbox and Bracket kit for the R-300 LED Ring light visit the F&V website (click here).

led lighting r300 umbrella Soft Box and bracket r-300 led light
find-price-button Soft Box and Bracket for R-300 LED Ring Light

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What are the most popular small cameras today? I think it's the Panasonic GH4 and Sony A7s. So here's a bit of good news if you end up with one of these, or maybe even both. The popular Fhugen Honu Cage for the GH3/GH4 camera has recently been 'modified' to work with both the GH4 and new Sony A7s (along with A7/A7r) camera bodies.

honu gh4 sony a7 panasonic v2

In order to make it compatible for both camera bodies, a slight change has been made in the battery cutout which allows easy access to both the GH4 and Sony A7s battery tray. The once dedicated camera mount has been 'slotted' so that the camera screw can be adjusted forward or back to accommodate the small Sony A7s.
fhugen honu gh4 sony a7s a7r a7
Keep in mind that with the larger battery cutout and the slotted camera mount, the cage is more likely to be compatible with other small camera bodies on the market. The new Fhugen Honu V2.0 cage is available following the link (click here).

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find-price-button Fhugen Honu Cage v2 for Panasonic GH3/ GH4 & Sony A7s/ A7 / A7r

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Here's a very quick look at the new Rokinon 10mm F/2.8 Prime Lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras. This lens mounts directly to MFT cameras such as the GH3/GH4/ or BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera.

I was looking for a lens that could offer a wider field of view over my 12-35mm F/2.8, but after receiving the lens I was a bit disappointed. The size of the lens and lack of front filter threads made it harder to work with than my existing lenses.

Rokinon 10mm Lens
find-price-button Rokinon 10mm F/2.8 MFT Prime Lens

Considering it lacks image stabilization and is priced at over $520 dollars, if you're looking for a good Rokinon MFT Prime Lens for video I think the better choice would be with the Rokinon 12mm F/2.0 for $399.

Rokinon 12mm F2
find-price-button Rokinon 12mm F/2.0 MFT Prime Lens

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Today i've released several videos showing the assembly of the CAME 7000 3 Axis Gimbal Stabilizer. The videos start from basic assembly to basic PID tuning (very basic), and a few personal tweaks. It's a work in progress but for those who have just decided to pick up a CAME 7000 DIY gimbal kit, it should be a good start.

I've also broken up the videos into several parts, so that it's easier to skip certain sections if you're already half way through your build. As more questions come in, hopefully I will be able to add more and more useful content and refine each of the build instructions.

build gimbal  build came 700 3 axis gimbal  install gimbal joystick  default

In order to keep all of the questions, comments, answers, and other information centralized, i've set up a separate page for the videos and articles at https://gimbal.cheesycam.com.

gimbal cheesycam came 7000 build 3 axis DIY brushless
DIY Build Info 3 Axis Gimbal - visit Gimbal.Cheesycam.com

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An interview with Luc from Allied Scientific Pro about the Lighting Passport Smartphone LED Spectrometer. This light meter connects to your iPhone / iPod Touch via bluetooth and can capture, save, and share results better than any other LED spectrometer on the market today.

More information about the LED light meter can be found at the Allied Scientific Pro website (click here).

iphone light meter video cri meter ipod touch
Lighting Passport iPhone / iPod Touch Smartphone LED Light Meter

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One of the concerns with shooting on micro four thirds is with it's cropped view. In addition, shooting at 4K on the GH4 camera will further crop your view. If you follow the blog, you would have seen me testing some de-fishing techniques using a Rokinon 7.5mm Fisheye Lens. Though not perfect, i've been able to use this for some smaller projects with acceptable results. Check out the video below for examples.


[Tip: When using this technique with a person, keep a distance and place them in center frame whenever possible. Side distortion is not always flattering..]

Though not a perfect solution, this sub $300 dollar lens defished is still capable of capturing a wider field of view than the $1K 7-14mm F/4 Lumix. Of course with the defish technique your project will look it's best at a final output of 1080p. Here are a few screengrabs showing how much view is lost during the defish process.

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Original Fisheye View - GH4 7.5mm MFT Fisheye

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4K Defished to 1080p - GH4 7.5mm MFT Fisheye

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Original Fisheye View - GH4 7.5mm MFT Fisheye

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4K Defished to 1080p - GH4 7.5mm MFT Fisheye

The small form factor and light weight also make it easy to carry and perfect for small stabilizers. So if you're shooting with a GH4 and have to work with interior or tight spaces, defishing from a 4K file is an interesting option to be aware of. Definitely a lens GH4 shooters should have in their bag, and available for just under $300 (click here).

Rokinon Fisheye MFT Micro four thirds fish eye lens cheesycam GH4 defish lens
find-price-button Rokinon 7.5mm Fisheye Lens for MFT Cameras

Panasonic GH4 order stock inventory
find-price-button Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH4 MFT 4K Camera

Here's another example of a video shot with the GH4 and the Rokinon Fisheye Lens (de-fished).

FCPX has it's own fisheye plugin, but may not work very well for some corrections. You can also check out the FCPEffects Plugin to remove the Fisheye Look (found here).

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find-price-button FCPX Fisheye Removal Plugin


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BlackMagic Design FancierStudio Fancier Studio cage pocket cinema

Though we are seeing dozens of BlackMagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera cages already available, if you're looking for a complete kit with Form-Fitting Cage, Top Handle, Cold Shoe Mounts, and a set of 15mm Rails, it's hard to beat the price of this new FancierStudio BMPCC Cage. Just under $120 and Free Shipping (for Prime members) via Amazon (click here).

blackmagic pocket cinema cagefancierstudio cage
find-price-button FancierStudio BlackMagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera Cage