The price wars are still going on with the Canon 5D Mark II discounts under $2K, but the deal people are talking about is the 5D Mark II Body, Sandisk 16GB Compact Flash Card, and Red Giant Video Production Software Bundle ($694 value). You can find that bundle following the link (click here).
Canon 5D Mark II (body) + Sandisk Compact Flash + Red Giant Software Bundle
Some interesting sales going on, one that might be of interest to some of you is the Canon 5D Mark II. Shaving a few hundred dollars off normal retail price, the Canon 5D Mark II (body only) goes on sale over at BestBuy.com for a limited time.
YouTube member Bandticker gives a tour on the recent View Finder to hit the market called the VF Prime. This view finder has a large eyecup and -/+ 4 diopter which most lower end view finders lack. It's been featured on a few different websites, has received some excellent reviews. In this video there's a mention of it fitting a T2i, but with a different sized LCD you may have a 1mm crop on each side. Something people are more than willing to accept for a decent view finder. Should fit Canon 5D Mark II, 7D, and Nikon DSLR's with 3" LCD perfectly. Can be found on eBay here: VF Prime LCD View Finder for 3" Canon Nikon DSLR
Or via Amazon Below
VF Prime DSLR Camera LCD Viewfinder for 3" LCD
Chris M. share's some images of his Cineroid EVF which I believe is the first EVF out on the market. We're still waiting for Zacuto and RedRock Micro to release their version. If you're that impatient type that needs an EVF now, there's a limited amount of these Cineroid things you can grab over at HotRodCameras.com, where you'll find more information about all the questions you might have.
As soon as I announced I was going to test the Glidecam HD1000, many people have been leaving me messages waiting. So here's my quick run through, i'm sure you all know how to assemble and balance these things. There's already plenty of video tutorials on balancing, so i'm just going to show you sample use of the HD1000. Thanks for my sister-in-law for allowing me to chase her around while she (not very skilled) rides a skateboard around to show fast moving shots. Yes I was lightly jogging with the Glidecam HD1000 and Canon 5D Mark II + Sigma 20mm F/1.8.
I did a demo of the Glidecam 2000 Pro, and now I normally fly the Glidecam HD4000 which is a beast, but truly a top performer when loaded up. I love the Glidecam HD4000, but sometimes it's a bit overkill. The way I have the Glidecam HD4000 setup, I wouldn't want to run that way without my Steadicam Merlin Vest. So I wanted to really push the smallest Glidecam to see how much weight it can carry. It can balance the 5D Mark II + Sigma 20mm F/1.8 using all the available weights (compact mode). If you extend the base further down, you can shift the center of balance making it more bottom heavy and possibly add-on a very small LED light or Sennheiser MKE400 microphone.
Can you fly with LED light, Microphone, and Zoom H4n + Canon T2i + wide prime lens? Don't quote me on this! I've flown the Glidecam 2000 pro, the HD4000, and now the HD1000. The gimbal handle on the Glidecam stabilizers are very very strong and very fluid even when loaded up. In fact, I think they fly better when they are pushed to their weight capacity limits. Although they won't suggest this I really think you can further 'modify' this unit to accept even more weights at the bottom and really fly a heavy setup with accessories. Yes you can easily move up to the HD2000 or HD4000, but i'm looking for the most compact video stabilizer solution possible. So if it's possible to really load up this HD1000 then i'll be stoked, because you can see how nice and tiny this thing is, making it perfect for travel and tight locations.
Again, this is a bit more pricey than those other stabilizers i've shown, but it's really the best bang for your buck. Most people either don't like flying footage, or don't shoot enough of flying footage to justify the price. If you really like the look, want or need something super fast to balance, you can get away with the HD1000. If you'll be adding some further accessories and added weight this will push you to the HD2000 at least. So don't quote me on the HD1000 being able to handle everything, this is something i'm still working on, and hopefully i'll demo that soon. Glidecam makes great stabilizers. If you've been following my videos, I started with my DIY stabilizer, moved to the Steadicam JR., then to the Steadicam Merlin, tested the Glidecam 2000 Pro, Hague MMC, IndieHardware Stabilizer, Glidecam HD4000, and now Glidecam HD1000. I've tried many and i'm very satisfied with the quality, price point, and fast balance design of the Glidecam HD stabilizers. (HD version! Not Pro models, those kinda suck to balance).
NOTE: Besides being able to carry more weight, the handle has a much broader range of movement. You'll notice several 'Tilt' shots in this video as I point downwards going down the stairs, or point downwards at the skateboard. This type of Gimbal handle also allows for shots pointing upwards or sideways. This was one of the main reasons I left the Steadicam Merlin since it couldn't support these type of shots.
Glidecam has made it very easy to choose from 3 different DSLR stabilizers depending on your needs. I'm not an expert, you should always consult support with the respected manufacturers, but if you have any questions i'd be happy to try and answer them. Here's a link to the Glidecam HD1000 if anyone is interested in dishing out a paycheck to grab one.
If you are planning to balance heavier setups, you can find more information about the other Glidecam HD series stabilizer, how much weight each stabilizer can carry, along with prices following the links below.
Glidecam HD 1000 Smallest Glidecam HD DSLR Video Camera Stabilizer
Glidecam HD 2000 Medium Sized Glidecam HD DSLR Video Camera Stabilizer
Glidecam HD-4000 Largest Glidecam HD DSLR Video Camera Stabilizer
This is what my charging area looks like the night before a shoot. Tomorrow i'm just helping out with a Wedding, so I gotta get my charge on. In these images you'll see my aftermarket 5D Mark II (or 7D) batteries, and my Eneloops. It's going to be a light day, so i'm just bringing one camera out 5D Mark II, 24-70mm F/2.8, 100mm Macro IS, 50mm F/1.4, two 580 EX II flashes, and Radio Popper PX's.
