Equipment Reviews

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A basic camera + fisheye lens and you're ready to shoot interesting motion control timelapse without expensive hardware. Ok, so you'll need this special Panolapse Software too. Here's a clever software tool that can add more value to your fisheye lenses.

How to explain this? Well, the basic principle of >this video software is very similar to how real estate photos 'unwrap' or 'de-warp' fisheye images and throw them into a software viewer for virtual tours. Ok, maybe I can't explain this very well, but just take a look at the video below and hopefully you'll get a better idea.

So pixel peepers may complain about how this type of 'Faux Motion Control' will cause the images to be soft, or contain some type of abberation, but I think it's pretty cool. Especially when you don't want to drag around a bunch of motion control hardware when you're on vacation. There's a free download to test this out, and a ton of useful information and features that make this software a worthwhile look. You can find more about this at https://PanoLapse360.com

Panolapse Software 360

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Remember a short while back I mentioned I was working on a personal project to perform some independent LED Video Light Tests? Well here's a small update on where this project is at.

The image below (computer screen shot) are various different LED video lights I have laying around shot with exactly the same settings. This is a visual reference to compare the brightness, spread (diffusion), and also color reference of each LED video light. I've locked the camera down to a white balance of 5600K for these images. Some of the tests were performed between Daylight and Tungsten, but the side by side comparison really shows extreme color casts between the various LED lights.

Cheesycam LED Video Light Tests
Click for Larger View

I also decided to get more serious about using a true LED Spectrometer for these tests that will provide me with more accurate readings and charts. I'll be able to share these images as well as exact numbers from the meter for each light including CRI and LUX readings. The image below are a few settings from the various LED Video lights. This project will be quite interesting indeed..

Cheesycam LED Video Light Meter Tests Spectrometer
Click for Larger View

[Note:] I am performing my own tests with a standardized setup across each LED light as a reference. This is an independent test which may greatly differ from what each Manfacturer displays as their proper listed technical specifications.

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Just a reminder that those Manfrotto Rebates will expire (this week) on Jne 15th. If you were looking to pick up a set of Video Tripod Legs, a Video Fluid Head, Video Monopod, and more, NOW might be the time to check out those deals.

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find-price-button Manfrotto Rebates on Professional Video Equipment

I'm seeing rebates as much as $125 off retail price. Rebates include discounts on Manfrotto's latest Video Fluid Head with Bridging Technology - the MVH500AH Video Fluid Head, and also on their very popular 561BHDV Video Monopod (which BTW includes another $50 dollar gift card).

A few days left for these rebate offers, so make sure to check it out over at B&H (found Here).

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find-price-button Manfrotto Rebates on Professional Video Equipment

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Here's a Motorized-Product-Table-Variable-Speed-300x217 Motorized Rotating Product Table that was shared to me a short while ago. I decided to try this one out mainly because of the option to vary the speed. It's much more expensive, but this is another great option that will appeal to some people. Here's a video with the product in use rotating the Fuji X100s.

Here's another video using the exact same Variable Speed Motorized Turntable from YouTube member Aaron Nanto shot with an FS100

Now if you just want to save money and don't mind using a table that only offers one speed, you should check out my previous article (found here). The cheaper single-speed version can be purchased for under $50 dollars, while this variable speed product table can run up to three times the price (found here via Amazon).

Motorized Product Table Variable Speed
find-price-button Variable Speed Rotating Product Table 1-10RPM

Here's a link to the cheaper version with only one speed.

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find-price-button Heavy Duty Single Speed Motorized Rotating Table

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I shared these little extended shaft D-ring screws in an earlier post, but here's the real reason why I have them around the studio. The extended shaft works great to mount accessories to your DSLR Video Cages, and the D-Ring makes tightening or loosening the screws easy without tools. Just yesterday I used these to mount my sennheiser G3 wireless kit Sennheiser G3 Wireless Receivers to the GearBox directly to it's 1/4-20 mount without having to use an additional hot shoe adapter.

I can guarantee that these will work perfectly on the GearBox Cage P&C GearBox Video Cages (found here), and also on the Kamerar Tank Cage Kamera Tank Video Cages (found here). If you happen to have a different cage, the shaft on these screws are about 13mm so you can easily measure if these will work for you too. You can find these Extended Shaft D-ring Quick Release screws via eBay (Click Here).

Extended Long Shaft D-Ring Dring Tripod Screw Quick Release Plate
find-price-button D-Ring Extended Shaft Tool-Less QR Plate Screw

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I'm still getting questions about mounting the new IMG_3557_1024x1024 Carry Speed VF-4 on a GH3. I can tell you that it's a very tight fit on a GH3, and it hangs down just a hair below the LCD. See video below.

In the next video below, I'm using the VF-4 extension bracket to show how it can mount on a GH3 with a battery grip attached. One problem with the GH3 grip is that it will relocate the tripod mount off center (to the right), but the VF-4 may be one of the only LCD View Finder products that has enough adjustment to work.

Here's an image Dennis shared with me where he mounts the VF-4 Quick Release plate under the P&C GearBox first which works as a small spacer to fit with the GH2 camera body [Thanks Dennis].

GH3-VF-4 GearBox

[Reminder] Expires this Wednesday June 12, 2013, here's a link to grab a $50 OFF coupon code good for the VF-4 or VF-4 bundle. More information about the new Carry Speed VF-4 LCD Video View finder can be found at CarrySpeed.com (here)

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find-price-button Carry Speed VF-4 LCD View Finder & VF-4 Bundle (with Extension Bracket).

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$149 for the FULL BOXED VERSION (just $79 upgrade) for Adobe's latest Photoshop Lightroom 5 is not a bad deal. For those who are still stuck on LR3 the price might finally be worth the upgrade. The new Adobe LR5 is available for pre-order following the link (click here)

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find-price-button Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 Software MAC or Windows.

[Update] If you want the immediate download, here's a link to purchase for immediate download: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/983326-REG/Adobe_65215298_PHOTOSHOP_LIGHTROOM_5_.html

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Looks like ProCinemaTools.com already has a short video review of that Portable Telescoping Aluminum Mini Jib / Crane posted on this blog a few days ago.

Results in the video look pretty good, and besides not including enough weights to support a Canon 5D Mark III at full extension, it's seems like a decent jib for the price.

You can find the jib on Amazon (link here)

Portable DSLR Video Jib Mini Crane
find-price-button Amazon - Portable Telescoping Mini Aluminum Video Crane Jib

You can also find this same version on eBay (found here).

Portable DSLR Video Jib Mini Crane
find-price-button eBay - Portable Telescoping Mini Aluminum Video Crane Jib

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Here's a closer look at these BlackMagic-Cinema-Camera-Cage-production-4K1 inexpensive BlackMagic Design Cinema or Production 4K Camera cages. The unit is entirely made from metal and can be mounted fairly quickly to a BMCC camera.

The cage will allow dozens of new mounting points along the sides of the BMCC, but the top threaded plate may be too shallow to use with accessories. There is another version available that offers more mounting points in the handle.

Typically the cage requires the rail clamp to use a quick release plate, but in the video I share a tip on how to add a longer shaft 1/4 QR plate screw. Remember that this particular screw has a longer shaft, so it will be too long to use directly under a camera. Of course there are shorter versions of these screws if you want to replace all your Manfrotto (or other) screws into tool-less types. You can find these Extended-Long-Shaft-D-Ring-Dring-Tripod-Screw-Quick-Release-Plate Extended Shaft D-ring Quick Release screws via eBay (Click Here).

Extended Long Shaft D-Ring Dring Tripod Screw Quick Release Plate
find-price-button D-Ring Extended Shaft Tool-Less QR Plate Screw