One Guy and His Camera

Cleanup time!

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:53:57 -0400

Getting things cleaned up a little, or something like that:

Pictured:

Cameras: (2) D70s bodies, D90 body, Canon HV20
Nikkor Lenses: 50mm f/1.8d, 18-55mm 3.5-5.6, 18-70mm 3.5-4.5
Stabilization: Manfrotto 241V suction cup, Harbor Freight double suction cup, various Gorillapods, Velbon fluid head, Manfrotto 056 3D head
Audio: Zoom H2, Rode VideoMic
Misc: SB800 Flash, Bogen super clamp

I’m selling the D70s & the 18-70mm lens to make room for a new Canon 7D (or Scarlet…mmm). The double-suction cup is a cheapo $6 model from Harbor Freight; it was my first suction cup mount (used mainly for fun car chase scenes), but it gives waaaaay too much vibration (micro vibration, not the stuff you can take out with a filter, unfortunately) to really be usable. Of course, I have a light car, so that could be the problem too. I used the Bogen super clamp with a Manfrotto 3D head for positioning the camera. I just got the single-cup Manfrotto 241V in this week and haven’t had a chance to test it out yet, but I’ve seen it do amazing footage, so I’m pretty excited about it.

I have to say that I absolutely LOVE the Gorillapods; the ones in the picture only cover about half of my collection. I use them for cameras, camcorders, mics, flashes, you name it! I have a couple with dedicated uses as well - one with a ballhead and one with a fluid head on top. Boy do they make life easier! I can plop them down anywhere, instantly, with like zero setup and start shooting. Pure awesomeness!

I’ve got some tutorials in the works for the upcoming Cine Tools Wiki, so I’ll post links to those as soon as they’re done. One is called “PODZILLA” and covers the Gorillapods & suction cups; it’s a pretty much go-anywhere, do-anything sort of kit, which is really handy. I’ll also be posting various reviews and workflows shortly; I’m waiting on some new equipment to arrive (HV20 batteries, cough cough) so that I can get started ;)

Magic Latern update for the 5D - Zebra & no AGC

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:38:00 -0400

Hot diggity! Wish the 7D had this :D

Magic Lantern firmware introduction from Trammell Hudson on Vimeo.

Finally, a real Windscreen

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:40:05 -0400

I just received my Redhead Windscreen for the Zoom H4n solid-state mic (I got the Gunmetal color). I’m a big fan of Zoom mics and I’m currently using a Zoom H2, which is absolutely fabulous. Looking forward to my H4n! Here’s a sample from the creator of the Redhead Windscreens:

Canon 5D Mark II & Zoom H4N with Redhead custom windscreen from iamkalaniprince on Vimeo.

Be sure to check out some of his other videos, they’re pretty sweet!

More Rolling Stutter tests: RED One vs Canon 5D MKII

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:34:21 -0400

Plus a few other tests:

Red One Canon 5D Comparison Test from Rick Darge on Vimeo.

Even the might RED One is not impervious to the jello effect!

Rolling Stutter Shootout: D90, GH1, 5D, 7D

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 22:46:42 -0400

Well, I’m certainly not going to be selling my HV20 anytime soon :D

Rolling Shutter compared: D90 vs 5D mark II vs GH1 vs 7D from Mike Kobal on Vimeo.

Cool VFX Reel by Troy Whitmer

Sun, 04 Oct 2009 20:40:28 -0400

Found this on Youtube. The artist used Maya, Nuke, Adobe CS, RealFlow, XSI, FFMPEG, and VirtualDub for his reel:

Uni-3D Homepage

How to Shoot a Redwood

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 21:27:24 -0400

Holy beans!

via Engadget

The Best Site Ever for Camera Reviews

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:29:00 -0400

Today I’d like to share with you my most favoritist camera review website: KenRockwell.com. Ken brings a wonderful human element to his camera reviews, which are not only fun to read, but also extremely detailed & useful. I have a hard time choking down a lot of technical data on traditional camera review websites; his reviews are a refreshing change of pace. He also has a lot of good articles & tips for topics ranging from taking great photographs to comparing the quality output of cameras ranging from $25 to $5,000.

As a jumping-off point, here are some of my favorite articles:

Your Camera Doesn’t Matter

How to Create a Masterpiece

How to Afford Anything

Nikon D90 Review

If you really want to get up to speed on digital cameras and photography in general, just spend a few hours poking around his site - it’s very eye-opening! Ken’s site is one of the few that I read religiously, it’s great!

CMR Blackbird Steadicam Review by Sean Seah

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:07:48 -0400

Here’s a great 5-minute review of the Blackbird Steadicam from Camera Motion Research by Sean Seah of the DV Info forums. He’s using it with a Canon 5D Mark II, really fabulous footage:

HWM’s CMR Blackbird Review from Sean Seah on Vimeo.

I ordered mine tonight! Should be here by this weekend, I hope :) Going to be using it with the HV20 & D90 intially, and hopefully with either a 7D or a Scarlet in the future! The Scarlet and perhaps even the RED Epic should be able to work on it - the Blackbird has an 8-pound capacity, which is pretty hefty! Mark Harmer on Vimeo mentioned that his Canon XHA1 works great with the Blackbird, so I’m definitely excited to get mine!

Awesome iPhone 3GS Video Accessory

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:58:36 -0400

Introducing the OWLE Bubo: a video mount for the iPhone 3GS. Basically, it turns your iPhone into a monster video camera. The Bubo has a few really nice features:

Easy grip for stable shots
Aftermarket lens support (capable of using filters)
Microphone input
Accessory attachment system (such as lighting)

Fast forward to 4:06 in the video below to see the difference between the 3GS with Bubo & the standard 32gb iPhone 3GS in action (the entire first section of the video was filmed with the Bubo, AMAZING quality from a cell phone camera! who needs a Flip camera??). In the video, they’re using the Bubo mount with a .5x wide-angle lens and a Monster iSoniTalk mic. There’s also a minijack input on there, which allows you to hook up all kinds of cool accessories like a Rode VideoMic or wireless microphone.

(sorry, a bit of NSFW language in the vid)

The production Bubo will feature the mount, a microphone with a foam windscreen, and a 37mm wide-angle lens. The best part is, it’s supposed to sell for under $50! I really like the design of the mount itself - like a video game controller, very easy to hold. I’m sure it’d look goofy using it in real life (gotta get over that social anxiety, haha), but for on-the-spot videos or live streaming with Qik, it’s just plain awesome. Easy & stable grip and plenty of things to accessorize to your liking. I’m on the pre-order list, so when mine arrives I’ll be sure to snap a pic of it rocking my VideoMic with the dead cat onboard :D

OWLE Bubo product website

Live Streaming from your 3GS for Freeeeeeee

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:41:00 -0400

Wouldn’t it be cool if you could stream your iPhone 3GS’ (3GS’s?) video camera to the Internet, live? Well good news - Qik lets you do it for free! It works over both Wifi and 3G and actually works surprisingly well! I was impressed that they got it working over 3G, actually - a lot apps don’t work properly or don’t support 3G streaming, especially for something as data-heavy as video. I dug up an older preview by Kevin Rose on Youtube:

Very, very cool stuff! Now you can be your own, personal online news anchor to the Internet!

Qik on iTunes

My Equipment: September 2009 Edition

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:10:00 -0400

Figured I’d share my equipment list with you:

Video:

Canon HV20 (1080/24 MiniDV camcorder)
Nikon D90 (720/24 SDHC dSLR)
Kodak Zi6 (720p pocket cam)
iPhone 3GS (cell phone camera)

The Zi6 is on loan from my sister, but now that I have the 3GS (just upgraded this month, whoo!), I think I’ll, ah, return it ;) The D90 is actually my wife’s (who is a wonderful photographer), but she lets me play with it now and then. The Motion-JPEG format is kinda crummy, but if you play with it a lil’ bit you can get some really nice-looking results out of it. I call it my holdover for a RED Scarlet, haha.

Finally the HV20, the prized jewel of my colection (aside from the D90…mmm, bokeh). The HV20 is a real gem in the consumer camcorder community - it has a lot of features that prosumer camcorders have, plus excellent quality & a great “film look” thanks to CINE mode & 24p. The import workflow takes a little getting used to, but the end result is definitely worth it!

My next camera will probably be a Canon SD970 IS, a simple point & shoot that also does 720p HD video. I used to have an A75, which survived multiple drops but finally bit the dust a year or so ago. I really like the convenience of having a small digital camera that takes quality pictures, and after working at a retail electronics store for a couple of years, my preference is definitely Canon above all other brands. Plus the SD970 fits in my pocket, which is a big plus for convenience!

After that, I’m looking at either a RED Scarlet or a Canon 7D. The Scarlet’s release schedule is being announced next month (October ‘09), but the 7D is already out and is CHEAP for what you get ($1699 for the body!). Plus I can use my existing Nikon lenses with an adapter, which is nice! Of course, the Scarlet will blow it away I’m sure, but if the Scarlet isn’t going to be released until 2010 or 2011, well, I have movies to make ;)

Audio:

Rode VideoMic (with dead cat & homemade boom pole)
Zoom H2 (with Porta-booth)
Audio Technica ATR-35s lav mics (pair with a splitter for right/left stereo recording)

The VideoMic is attached to my HV20 most of the time, but sometimes I use it with my homemade boom pole or my Gorillapod. I also occasionally hook it up to my Zoom H2, which is a fabulous digital recorder (records to SD cards). I just ordered a Porta-booth from Harlan Hogan, so I’ll see how that turns out - I have a lot of vocal project ideas and it looked like the best bang-for-the-buck for getting clean vocals in my bedroom. I have a pair of AT lav mics as well, which I use for various projects like easy vocals and interviews (they were about $20 or $25 when I purchased them new).

Stabilization:

Variety of Gorillapods
Velbon DV-7000 tripod
Poor Man’s Steadicam
Suction Cup with 3D Head

I use Gorillapods a lot, which are small, flexible tripods that go pretty much anywhere. They’re very convenient, especially since I shoot a lot of reviews on my desk - I can set them up in under a minute! Plus they can hold strobes, mics, and other stuff pretty easily. For my tripod, I’ve got a fluid-head Velbon DV-7000. I REALLY like it - I use a scrunchie for smooth motion when I do filming.

For stabilization when moving, I currently use a Poor Man’s Steadicam. I just upgraded to a CMR Blackbird, which I’ll do a review on when it arrives, but the Poor Man’s Steadicam has done a bang-up job of giving me better-than-handheld footage for well under $100. Combined with a steadycam filter, it’s really not too bad! Lastly, I use a dual suction cup with a 3D tripod head for all kinds of weird shots, especially on moving cars. I’m eyeing a couple other single suction cup systems right now in order to reduce vibration.

Computing:

Hackintosh desktop
Final Cut Studio 3
iMovie ‘09
FreeNAS File Server

My desktop is a Hackintosh, basically a Mac clone. It’s pretty nice - it has a quad-core processor, 8 gigs of RAM, a few terabytes of hard drive space, and was a few thousand dollars cheaper than an equivalent Mac Pro. I prefer working on the Mac platform, but I just can’t afford to spend $7,200 on the machine I want right now, haha. Curse you, college expenses! I’m a big fan of Final Cut Pro and am in the process of getting proficient on it, but I primarily use iMovie ‘09 right now. For storage, I have a FreeNAS file server on my Gigabit network with a couple terabytes of RAID 5-protected hard drives on it.

I’ll detail the various bits of hardware in future posts, but for now, that’s what I’ve got to work with! Lots of nice amateur toys :) I don’t really have much in the way of lighting, just an SB-800 flash for the D90, and a couple of cheap plastic green screens off eBay. Lighting is definitely coming up soon on my wishlist!

Roll your own News Crew with 3G

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:35:58 -0400

Check this out - the Livestream Livepack: “a satellite television truck in a backpack”. Strap on the backpack, plug your camera in via Firewire, and you’re streaming live like TV!

Basically it’s an Internet-based version of satellite streaming. It uses 6 load-balanced 3G modems over 3 carriers (AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Sprint), so you’re more or less guaranteed to get a signal somewhere. For $2,500 a month, you get a 700kbps upload speed with H.264 encoding. That rental price gives you 30 hours a month of live streaming (or $1,500 with a long-term commitment).

Pricey for amateur shooting, but if you’re MTV (or just have a lot of cash to blow), I can’t imagine a better web-based solution on the market…literally all you need is a camera, a Livepack, and a streaming server (which Livestream also offers) and you can broadcast live video feeds via your HD camcorder across the world. That’s pretty much insane, if you think about it!

via Engadget

Blog Setup

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:47:00 -0400

Just for kicks, here’s how I setup the blog:

1. Registered for a Tumblr account (free)

2. Purchased a custom URL ($10 a year)

Tumblr is a really cool new Web 2.0-ish blog that easily integrates photos, audio, video, and so on. If you’ve ever used Wordpress, you’ll love Tumblr! They also make it super easy to add a custom domain name…all you have to do is type in your domain name and save it…that’s it! Here’s how you access it:

Login to your Tumblr account
Click on “customize” under your blog name
Click on “Info” at the top, check the “Use a custom domain name” box, and type in your domain address (www.yourdomain.com)
Click “Save + Close” at the top

On the domain side, you simply have to redirect the domain to Tumblr’s IP using the A records. I used NameCheap for the URL (use “INTERFACE” for 10% off), which came up to a little less than $9 for the first year’s registration with the coupon code. Setup is simple:

Login to your Namecheap account
Click on your URL (My Account > View > YourDomain.com)
On the left side, click on “All Host Records” under “Host Management”
Next to “@” under “Host Name”, type in the Tumblr IP (72.32.231.8 currently) and select “A (Address)” under “Record Type”
Next to “www” under “Host Name”, type in the same Tumbler IP again and select “A (Address)” under “Record Type”
Click “Save Changes”

Normally it takes up to 72 hours to propogate worldwide, but you should start seeing results within 30 minutes (or sooner), so don’t worry if your blog doesn’t come up right away - it just needs some more time to propogate.

It's alive! IT's ALIVE!!

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:22:00 -0400

Muhahaha-, er, hi there! I’m Dave, and this is my blog for All Things Video (and maybe a wee bit of photo stuff too). I like to play with camera equipment and software, so this blog will be for a variety of things, such as:

Hardware reviews
Software reviews (apps & plugins)
Workflows for various camera systems
Camera news that I find interesting
Updates to my Wiki

I’m currently rocking a Canon HV20 and a Nikon D90, as well as an iPhone 3GS (whatever that counts for, haha). So welcome and I hope you enjoy browsing around!