Equipment Reviews

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The new Carry Speed VF-4 LCD View Finder was first announced during NAB 2013. The new VF-4 model has improved design and functionality over the popular VF-3 model. Today Carry Speed has announced the VF-4 is officially available for purchase, along with an introductory $50 OFF retail price Coupon (found here).

A few enhancements include compatibility with LCD Screens up to 3.2", repositioned side brackets to allow better access to buttons and dials, angled sunhood for access to touch screen LCDs, and the new VF-4 is slightly lighter in weight but stronger in design. An optional extension bracket is available to fit the VF-4 on taller cameras or camera with battery grip attachments.

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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Carry Speed VF-4

Here's an unboxing video of the brand new Carry Speed VF-4 LCD View Finder. This new LCD View Finder was announced a short time back, but has not been officially on sale (just yet). The redesign improves on many little details of the previous Carry Speed VF-3 View Finder (found here).

While the Carry Speed VF-4 is currently not on sale (at time of this writing), here's your chance to get one exclusively from Cheesycam. As part of a promotion to introduce the new product, I'm sponsoring a Give Away that selects one random person to receive a brand new Carry Speed VF-4. To register for a chance to be one of the first to receive a VF-4, just the follow the link to the sweepstakes page (click here).

Cheesycam Sweep VF-4
Enter the FREE Carry Speed VF-4 Give Away - sponsored by Cheesycam

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Instead of a basic static cut-away shot to a product, you can add more value to your production with dynamic movements. Common methods might be to use a rotating table dolly, or even a basic video slider. Another very simple method to add movement is to just rotate the product on a motorized table. This is the easiest and most consistent way to get quality footage as the lighting and camera can remain completely still. I've been using rotating tables for quite some time, and have even built a DIY super heavy duty motorized lazy susan (check out the video here) for certain projects. If you're not the builder, here's a few other options.

The smaller version of this motorized rotating table is rated to support up to 20 lbs and i've proved it can do it (and then some). The larger system comes with a 24" round table and is said to support up to 170 lbs (maybe more?). If you're doing any type of commercial product shoots, these little products can add huge value and a simple workflow. Both motorized table systems can be found via eBay (click here).

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find-price-button Heavy Duty Motorized Rotating Table Lazy Susan


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Vimeo member geco campos provides an overview of the Opteka FFR-900 Shoulder rig that offers a motorized Follow Focus and Motorized Zoom feature. Each handle up front controls one of the motorized units, and variable speeds can be dialed right from the handles if you wish to zoom/focus slower or faster.

The motors spin the focus/zoom rings through a belt system - no lens gears required. My guess is you should be using a lens that has a smooth and easy to rotate focus or zoom ring. The rear holds a master controller that can be used to operate the motors when the shoulder rig is tripod mounted. The motors are powered by an LP-E6 battery (generic LP-E6 battery + charger included), and can be found via eBay (click here).

FFR900_GEARSOpteka FFR900 Motorized Follow Focus Remote
find-price-button Opteka FFR-900 DSLR Remote Motorized Follow Focus Zoom Control System

For USA residents, the FFR-900 is also available via Amazon (found here)

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Meet the Cyber-shot™ HX50. The world's smallest and lightest camera with 30x optical zoom capability (24-720mm F/3.5-6.3), it features an advanced 20.4 MP “Exmor R” CMOS image sensor, Wi-Fi (for both transfer of images and remote control), along with GPS logging. Burst mode up to 10 frames per second, and should be available in May at a recommended price of $450. Preorders available now via Amazon (click here)

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find-price-button Cyber-shot Digital Camera HX50V

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From on camera LED lights, to wireless Audio kits, and portable audio recorders, there's something in your bag of gear that will require AA / AAA batteries. Here's a couple of helpful AA / AAA battery charger reviews that touch on smart-chargers which work on an individual cell basis.

This first video from @HDSLRNOW (follow twitter here) showcases the La Crosse BC-700 (also available in BC-1000) Battery charger. Can charge NiCad and NiMH AA and AAA rechargeable batteries simultaneously, featuring 4 modes: charge, discharge, refresh, and test, 4 separate LCD displays for simultaneous readouts, and offers Overheat-detection to prevent over-charging.

La Crosse Charger
find-price-button La Crosse Technology BC-700 Alpha Power Battery Charger

The next battery charger review from Shuttertastic.com is almost double the price of the small La Crosse, but this Powerex Maha MH-C801D offers a large LCD display with Eight independent slots, Selectable soft and rapid charging speeds, Built-in battery deep-conditioning system, and works with a variety of popular rechargeable batteries.

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find-price-button Powerex Maha MH-C801D Eight Cell 1-Hr PRO AA/AAA Charger

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BlackMagic Design has announced an amazing Production 4K Camera, and it's still based on the same form factor as the BlackMagic Deisgn 2.5K Cinema Camera. For those who may be thinking about shooting with these cameras, one of the first things to consider is an external battery option. Although the camera can operate with the internal battery, it is good practice to work an external solution. When the external battery runs low, you can quickly swap the external battery without powering down the camera.

One of the popular solutions so far for the BlackMagic Cinema Cameras is the Powerbase-70 from Switronix. The Powerbase-70 Battery Pack (w/ optional Charger) should provide you with an additional 4-6 hours of runtime, and via an optional XP power regulation cable, the battery can also power two additional 12V and lower-voltage devices at the same time as powering the camera.

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The Switronix Powerbase can be mounted on a basic 1/4-20 accessory thread with a built-in quick release system for fast swaps. The battery is basically a V-mount that will also work with many popular LED Panels, and other accessories that run off of V-Mount solutions, so for some this may be worth the value. Check out the Switronix Powerbase-70 via B&H (click here).

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find-price-button Switronix Powerbase-70 Battery for BlackMagic Production 4K / Cinema Camera

To mount the Switronix Powerbase-70 on the rear of the rig for use as a counterweight, i've added this cheese plate that can be reconfigured to sit horizontally or vertically. I picked up this 15mm Clamp Cheese Plate via eBay (found here).

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find-price-button 15mm Clamp Cheese Plate Mount

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Stopped by the Shape booth over at #NAB2013 to check out some of their new products. Kirk Neff shows off a very compact rig designed for DSLR video with a half cage, top handle, two front handles, and adjustable shoulder stock (chest pad).

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Shape was also introducing a basic top handle for the BMCC along with a new rail mounted friction based EVF bracket that can be adjusted very quickly to position your EVF Loupe (many will prefer this over friction arms). For more information on Shape products check out the website at https://shapewlb.com.

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Shape BlackMagic Design Cinema Camera Cage + Shoulder Mount

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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.

Quick release system

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).

Tamrac Zipshot Quick Release System
find-price-button Tamrac Zipshot Quick Release Accessory Kit