Thanks to HDSLRNOW for the early video overview of the new Komodo Rotating Video Dolly from PhotographyandCinema.com. The Komodo video dolly was designed for the demands of a slightly larger table dolly to support a heavier payload. The unique design uses more surface area around the axles to provide more 1/4-20 mounting areas along the entire Dolly frame.
The Komodo Video Dolly comes complete with a Heavy Duty Ball head and is made available today over at https://PhotographyandCinema.com.
Quick post in reference to the Palo Alto adapters. The latest batch has been added to inventory and is available again. If you're a bit clueless as to what this is, you can find out more information about the Palo Alto adapters through the following articles:
http://cheesycam.com/pc-palo-alto-adapter-available/
http://cheesycam.com/more-fun-with-palo-alto-adapter/
This time I took my Canon S100 out on a few different Painter Poles with the Palo Alto adapter. One pole is around 16' fully extended, and then I wanted to test out my 30' (30 feet) Unger Pole. These are video examples, but ideally it would be best suited for still photography.
There's some additional information about the Palo Alto adapters in my previous article: http://cheesycam.com/pc-palo-alto-adapter-available/. In the video below i'm using my Unger 9'-30' Telescoping Pole found here: https://goo.gl/m5Ha8. There is also no image stabilization done in post, so you can imagine the improvement if I had.
The Palo Alto adapter was something I wanted to make for my own hobbies, but ended up making a small quantity available which sold out in a single day. The next small batch wasn't available until 9 months later (just last week) and again sold out in less than three days. It's such a niche market, that we are still only running them off in small quantities, but they should be available again, so check it out to see if it's something you'd be interested in playing with. You can find the Palo Alto adapters available at https://PhotographyandCinema.com (click here).
Palo Alto Paint Pole Adapter from PhotographyandCinema.com
Thanks to Joel from HDSLRNOW for adding the P&C Swiss Rod as one of his video quick tips. With it's industry standard threading, you can see how Joel attached the Swiss Rod directly to his rig without any additional modification, and immediately opened up several new mounting options for accessories. The Swiss Rod is also a standard 15mm rail, so it can be attached using a variety of straight clamps, or 90 degree rig clamps. If Joel had added the rail to a clamp instead of in-line, you can see how All of his accessories would be on a Quick Release system by just un-clamping the rod. You can find some additional information about the Swiss Rods in my old video (click here).
The new P&C Swiss Rod adds simple mounting solutions for DSLR accessories onto your standard 15mm DSLR Video rigs. It is not designed to replace all of your 15mm rails, but with just one Swiss Rod clamped to your rig, you have 20 different mounting options to choose from. You can attach an accessory directly or for more flexibiltiy add a friction arm, quick release, or cold shoe adapter to the Swiss Rod. The Swiss Rods have both male and female threaded ends so they can be extended. Threads are standard and I have attached them directly to Gini rails and even the Letus DSLR cage.
International buyers will be able to purchase from our partner retailers on Amazon and eBay. For USA, the new P&C Swiss Rods are now available on the PhotographyandCinema.com website (Click here).
P&C Swiss Rod Accessory Rail for 15mm DSLR Video Rigs
[Update] Sorry International Buyers. Shipping + Tracking information is pretty expensive. In order to make it worth the shipping fee, a minimum of 4 pcs need to be ordered. Check it out here: Sorry, looks like shipping with tracking info is very expensive. In order to make it worthwhile a minimum of 4pcs need to be ordered. Found here: (4pcs) P&C Swiss Rods 15mm Accessory Rail - International Shipping
Seen above is a really basic DSLR rig. Two rods, follow focus, front handle, rear shoulder pad, and top handle. Most rigs you find on the market will have just basic rails and clamps so you can build different shapes depending on your needs. Looking at a standard rig from any manufacturer like Zacuto, Cinevate, Express35, Gini, etc. etc., they don't really offer much as far as mounting an LED light, Portable Audio Recorder, LCD monitor, or Microphone.
I have a video that i'll be posting up soon about a new product that I think some people will find quite interesting, but before posting up, I wanted to see how you guys are mounting additional accessories to your rigs. So, are you adding more clamps? More rods? A cage bracket? Let me know..
[Update] If you happened upon this article, i've announced the new product here: http://cheesycam.com/new-gear-pc-15mm-dslr-rig-swiss-rods/
I'm officially lovin' the new Sony NEX-7 camera that just dropped in today. The quality, performance, and build is amazing. So far i've tried the Canon 28mm FD lens, Rokinon 35mm F/1.4, and Nikon 50mm F/1.8. Of course my favorite is the Nikon 50mm F/1.8 pancake because it keeps the camera pretty small (that's the whole point of using an NEX7). Sorry I have no samples yet as I haven't had anything interesting to shoot today.
The video quality is also quite amazing, but it's nearly impossible to shoot hand held with this tiny camera and these old manual lenses. The Nikon 50mm F/1.8 feels more like it's at 100mm (without image stabilization). My solution is to use the dual PNC Custom Pistol grips and friction arm configuration. Instead of using it 'fig rig' style, I turned the rear handle sideways and used it more like a gun stock placed against my chest. This made a world of difference and totally eliminated the micro vibrations and rolling shutter 'jello' effect. When it's time to pack things away, the whole setup breaks down to just two handles and a folding arm. The Custom PNC Pistol Grip Camera Handles are back in stock at PhotographyandCinema.com or via eBay for International buyers (below).
To be clear, PNC (PhotographyandCinema.com) is a company I design for and you'll see me blog about those products periodically. Today i'm giving you some inside information that PNC will be releasing a new full size rotating video dolly very soon. The wider platform on the new rotating video dolly will be able to support much larger and heavier cameras like the RED Scarlet, FS100, AF100, mount larger video fluid heads, and hold more accessories. It's a very interesting design, which I think you'll all love, but so far we can't come up with a name. I actually have less than 24 hours to come up with something clever, so i'm crowd sourcing for ideas in a contest sort of fashion.
We need suggestions for a name, and if PNC decides to use it, you'll be one of the first to recieve this new Full Size Rotating Video Dolly - FREE. This includes International countries too! If it helps, the new Dolly will be mostly black with red accents, still have four wheels, and two unusually designed axles to adjust for rotation. Leave those suggestions in the comments, and make sure you're using your real email address to get notified. Don't forget to Tweet about this contest!
(BTW: The video (below) was shot on the Fuji X10. Notice all the aliasing? I think the Sony HX9V shoots better video, but the X10 does way better Photos)
Even though small cameras don't share the same video quality as the DSLRs, I still love to shoot with them. Especially for little reviews like this on the blog, i'm not overly concerned with quality. Heck most of my videos are uploaded in 480 SD. When shooting videos with small cameras, I like using grips. I wasn't too happy with the current small handle grips on the market, so it was about time to make something new.
(left to right - Barska, Opteka, PNC Grip)
The Barska is a great handle, but you'll need to grind down the threads a bit. The narrow platform overflows a small and wide camera base, but is suffice for light gear. The Opteka is mostly plastic and has a mini-quick release. This is not suitable at all for anything more than say a FlipHD. I wanted a handle that would fit my needs when it came to the cameras I was working with. I felt that most people who shoot with small cameras like me could benefit with an updated handle design.
These new handle grips from PhotographyandCinema.com have a wide base compared to the narrow ones available today. The new PNC Grip is much larger than the Barska, and has the rubberized coating which has a professional feel to it. The wide platform carries the weight better and ensures less twisting with a heavier load. Great for all the new small cameras like Canon S100, Panasonic GX1, Fuji X10, Sony NEX-5n, etc. A simple idea that makes a lot sense with the current trend in pocket video cameras (at least for me). It's on the last leg of completion and should be available soon. Target retail price?? Trying to get it around $20 bucks. Follow me on Twitter to stay up to date on new products like this https://twitter.com/Cheesycam.
[Note: PhotographyandCinema.com is a website I design products for.]
