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Some people want to stick with big brand names - nothing with wrong with that. So if you're looking for my suggestion in this area, one of my favorite Stabilizer + Vests combinations still to this day is the hybrid Steadicam Merlin Vest + Glidecam HD4000 Stabilizer.

Obviously the Glidecam Stabilizer can be used without a Vest, when you just need to fly hand held. If you need the extra support for long hours of Steadicam work, you can mount the Glidecam to the Steadicam Merlin Vest (with an adapter).

Glidecam-HD4000-1
find-price-button Glidecam HD4000 Video Camera Stabilizer

The ISO ARM on the Merlin Vest can be dialed to fly both lightweight cameras as well as medium weight camera systems. This is a true 'Steadicam' branded vest, and build quality on the ISO Arm is top notch. Typically this vest runs $1600 dollars (some retailers still list this price), but recently it's been discounted for just $995 $849 (found here).

Steadicam Merlin Vest Kit
find-price-button Steadicam MERLIN-ARMVESTPK Upgrade Kit for Merlin $995

Now i'm not a fan of the Velcro straps on the actual vest part. So the only other thing I highly suggest getting is the Buckle Upgrade Kit (found here). This little kit will get rid of those nasty velcro straps that are both noisy and will eventually wear out. You can find that kit below (click here).

steadicam vest upgrade buckle velcro
find-price-button Steadicam Merlin Vest Buckle Upgrade Kit

So if you're working with the Glidecam HD4000 (or similar post) Stabilizer, to mate the two you can either DIY an adapter (as seen here), or you can pick up a ready made post from Berkey designed specifically for this Hybrid setup. Here's a link to the adapter required to allow the Glidecam Stabilizers to work with this Steadicam Merlin Vest.

Steadicam Merlin Glidecam Mod PostSteadicam Glidecam Post
find-price-button Berkey Glidecam Post Adapter to Steadicam Merlin Vest

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Tilta Matte Box Rig Cage BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Follow Focus
Tilta BMPCC Cage Shown with optional Tilta accessories

Now more options to rig up your BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Cameras. The new Tilta BMPCC Cage which was announced earlier this year is available. If you're lucky you can find the cage only for around $250 US, or the complete kit which includes the Top Handle + 15mm Rail Clamp which may run you a bit over $400 US (found here).

Tilta-Rig-Black-Magic-Pocket-Cinema
find-price-button Tilta BMPCC Cage Top Handle 15mm Rail Clamp

The Pocket Cinema Camera now offers amazing RAW image capture, but I do think to get the most out of it, you'll need to add-on a battery pack, and a good EVF (LCD) at the least. If you're trying to capture audio to the camera, that's an entirely different story, but this all boils down to using some type of rig to mount these items. The Tilta BMPCC Cage is just one other option to offer dozens of mounting points for your accessories including two cold shoes at the front of the Top Handle.

Tilta-BlackMagic-Pocket-Cinema
find-price-button Tilta BMPCC Cage Top Handle 15mm Rail Clamp

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Thanks to Rob for pointing out another one of those hidden Canon lens deals. This time it's for the Canon 10-22mm F/3.5-4.5 USM Lens. Keep in mind this is an EF-S mount for APS-C Canon cameras like the Canon 7D, 60D, T4i/T5i Rebel, etc.

It can also be used if you're rocking the BlackMagic Cinema Camera EF mount, or to get a wider view with cameras like the Pocket Cinema Camera (3X crop) & Panasonic GH3 with a smart adapter like the Redrock Micro LiveLens MFT Active Lens Mount.

Not the widest, nor does it have a constant fixed aperture, but it's a very sharp lens. Typically with these wide lenses, I'm always stopping down to F/5.6 anyways for Stabilizer use. Here's a 3 year old uncut BTS example of this Canon 10-22mm lens at work on a 60D with a Glidecam HD4000.

Normal MSRP puts this lens at $649 minus -$50 instant rebate, but as you proceed to the checkout (you must proceed to checkout to see price change) it drops down to just $529 (found here).

Canon10-22mm
find-price-button Canon EF-S Wide Angle 10-22mm F/3.5-4.5 USM Lens

FYI, there's also a checkout discount for the Canon 85mm F/1.8 Prime USM Lens. This lens will work on both APS-C and Full Frame Canon cameras. Following the checkout shows the price dropping it down to just $334.99 (found here)

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find-price-buttonCanon 85mm F/1.8 USM Prime Lens.

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Getting started with V-Mount batteries is not a cheap investment. Even the cheapest V-Mount Battery + Charger Kit can easily run you well over $300+ Dollars. If you're looking to power up camera gear with a V-Mount battery, here's a closer look at a more affordable option using this adapter that can accept two common Sony L Series (NP-F) type batteries.

The V-mount adapter runs two 7.4V batteries in series to output between 13V-16V, and also has a d-tap connector if you plan to run a cable to power up optional accessories. The v-mount battery plate can be found via ebay (seen here).

Sony L Series V Mount Battery LED Light AdapterV-Mount Sony Battery NP-F L Series Cheesycam
Examples V-Mount Battery Adapter Sony L Series NPF LED Light K4000
find-price-button V-Mount Battery Adapter for Sony L Series NP-F Batteries

In order to use these adapters properly and to get the best results, you should be using two exact batteries. Although you can find many aftermarket Sony L Series batteries for cheap, they will often come in different sizes, capacities, and ratings. I suggest buying them in pairs and labeling them together. Check out some of the Sony L Series Batteries via Amazon (found here).

l series sony v-mount battery adapterSony Rig Battery Adapter V-Lock Vmountv-mount vlock sony npf l series adapter
find-price-button Sony L Series NP-F550, NP-F750, NP-F960, NP-F570, NP-F770, NP-F970

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From what i'm hearing there are many people out there using this portable video slider. In this video, i'm sharing a little tip on how i've personalized the Cinevate Duzi Carbon Video Slider by adding rubber o-rings.

The Cinevate Duzi slider is near silent as it cruises along the carbon rails, but as it reaches the end, the wheels touch the end blocks. By adding simple rubber o-rings, i'm able to get it right to the ends without making a sound. The o-rings also allow me to send end points along the slider if I need to ensure I stop at a certain point to get an object in sharp focus. Random yes, but hopefully it's helpful to the many Duzi slider owners out there.

Cinevate Duzi Cheesycam Review
find-price-button Cinevate Duzi Portable Video Camera Slider


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I'm not sure how many people have looked into one of Canon's latest Prime Lenses with IS (yes image stabilization), but today this seems like quite the deal. MSRP on this 28mm F/2.8 IS lens is normally $550, with current instant rebates of $50 bucks drops it down to $499 - but wait there's more!

Proceed to the Checkout at Adorama, and this lens drops all the way down to just $349 today (you have to proceed to the checkout to see the number change). [Update] FYI, you may have trouble seeing this deal on a mobile device so make sure you're behind a desktop/laptop. I've never tried this lens, but I'll leave it up to you guys to decide, check it out (Click Here).

Canon 28mm Prime IS Image Stabilization
find-price-button Canon 28mm F/2.8 Prime Lens with Image Stabilization

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Here's an overview of the Aputure V-Converter Extra Scope product that takes an HDMI input and outputs a variety of overlays to any HDMI monitor, display, or television.

When the Aputure V-Converter product was first announced, the specs listed it would take a 1080p input, but only output a 720p signal. A recent firmware upgrade now allows the unit to output to full 1080p. I'm sure all the new products shipped will have this update, but if you need to download it, check the Aputure website (here).

The V-Converter can be powered from a Built-in lithium battery, but it's not a product I think fits the run-gun type shooter. With a $340+ price tag, mobile shooters may want to just look into a portable LCD monitor with these features already built in.
Aputure V-Converter Extra Scope CheesycamCheesycam Review Extra Scope V-Converter Aputure
find-price-button Aputure V-Converter HDMI Extra Scope Pro Overlays

In my opinion, the V-Converter is a product that will mainly appeal to those who will be working on set, in a studio type environment, or on location that requires a large stationary monitor. It will be helpful in any setting in which you need to look across the room, check exposure, see if audio levels are peaking, and what's currently in focus. It may be a product that compliments video shooters who have a workflow streaming Wireless HDMI Video (like with these Radian Pro Kits).

Aputure V-Converter Extra Scope Review Cheesycam

Considering how cheap large LCD HD televisions are these days, this little product can add-on big features normally only found on very very expensive studio monitors. You can find more info about the Aputure V-Converter HDMI Extra Scope (here).

Aputure V-Converter-HDMIprice v-converter aputure scope hdmi overlay pro monitor focus peaking exposure
find-price-button Aputure V-Converter HDMI Extra Scope Pro Overlays

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As amazing as this little camera is, it's annoying that the BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera requires extra juice just to make it run for more than 40 minutes. I tried the Switronix Pocketbase (seen here) which works, but I personally grew tired of the form factor, and how it blocks access to the SD Card (battery door) so I decided to DIY my own adapter.

The BMPC DC input uses a 12V power source, so i've decided to use a 12V battery plate that i've just added the proper 2.5mm OD x 0.7mm ID barrel adapter tip to. It's hardly DIY since all you have to do is cut off the tip and replace it with the proper sized DC Plug.

These battery plates will take a certain battery and step the voltage up to 12V. I've even tested the guts against a Sony 7.4V battery, and it works great, but decided to go back to the original battery plate because of it's slim profile. If you dig hard enough you can find many of these battery plates online dedicated for common Canon LP-E6, or Sony L Series / NP-F Type batteries.

You can see how handy it is to have a cage for mounting accessories on the BMPCC. I could either keep the battery off to the side, or relocate it to the rails with a clamp. There are many great cages on the market, but in the video i'm using the Shape Cage for the BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera.

Shape Cage BlackMagic Pocket Camera Shape Cage BMPC Shape Cage BlackMagic Pocket Camera Rig
find-price-button Shape Cage for BlackMagic Pocket Camera + Top Handle + 15mm Rail Base

If you stuck with the Canon BP battery plate + Canon BP battery + DC Plug, I would say this entire DIY project will run $50 dollars or less and take you less than 5 minutes (yes that total cost even includes the battery). It's much cheaper than other off the shelf products in retail stores right now to power the BMPCC, and I find it to be a clean and simple solution.

Here's the 12V step up Battery Plate i'm using which takes the Canon BP batteries typically used in the older GL2 camcorders. Eventually i'll track down a cheap Canon LP-E6 battery plate or Sony L Series plate and use these guts to step it up to 12V. Here's my current parts list below if you want to tackle this for yourself.

Canon Battery BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera
find-price-button 7V step up 12V Battery Plate for Canon BP Battery12V BP Plate

Canon GL2 BP battery for BMPC BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera
find-price-button Canon BP Series Batteries for GL2

If you're looking to DIY your own power cable for the Pocket Cinema Camera, the specs for the power plug from BlackMagic Design are 2.5mm OD x 0.7mm ID which you can find on eBay. To keep things small (unlike my current adapter), I suggest going for the right angle tips (found here).

DIY blackmagic 12V power battery 2.5mm 0.7mm right angle dc male plug cheesycam
find-price-button 2.5mm OD X 0.7mm ID Male DC Plug

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Rode-VideoMic-Go-Review-Samples

The VideoMic GO On-Camera Shotgun Microphone from Rode is a lightweight microphone which adds high-quality audio recording to your small camcorder and HDSLR camera. At only 2.6 ounces, the microphone keeps your camera setup lightweight, making it ideal for handheld shooting. It features an integrated Rycote Lyre shock mount for isolation from bumps and vibration, and offers battery-free operation, using instead the plug-in power from your camera's 3.5mm microphone input.

The VideoMic GO is a directional microphone. It utilizes a super-cardioid polar pattern to attenuate sounds from the sides, resulting in a signal that sounds closer to the camera, even when shooting in noisy environments or at moderate distances. The integrated shoe mount provides a 3/8" thread for additional mounting options. A foam windshield and 7.9" dual mono 3.5mm coiled output cable.

Product Highlights
Lightweight at Only 2.6 Ounces
Rycote Lyre Suspension System
Powered by 2.5V Camera Plug-in Power
Integrated Shoe Mount with 3/8" Thread
3.5mm Mini-Jack Output
Foam Windshield Included
Reinforced ABS Construction
3.5mm Coiled Output Cable Included

Rode_VideoMic_GO_1012003Rode-VideoMic-Go
find-price-button Rode VideoMic GO On-Camera Shotgun Microphone