Resources For the Indie Film-maker
Archive for February, 2010
Stabilizing the 7D on the cheap
Feb 13th
One of the things I’ve always wanted since I got my 7D was some sort of shoulder brace or gunstock style support such as those found on the Zacuto gorilla kits or the Cinevate Uno. Those rigs cost an arm and a leg and so through my searching, I’ve finally found a cheap alternative.
The Manfrotto MN361 Shoulder Brace
I’ve just ordered one. It only cost me $45AU plus shipping. It’s made to fit a monopod which is great, even steadier but I think it’s possible to mount it to the 7D without one.
This with the LCDVF would hopefully create some steady, jitter and jello free hand held footage. Review to come soon.
LCDVF review
Feb 9th
If you’re shooting video with your DSLR, you need an LCD viewfinder. period. There are a few different types out there ranging from ridiculously expensive (what did you expect from Zacuto?), to cheap as chips ebay lcd loupes. I went in-between and bought the LCDVF.
Costing $159 plus $30 (US dollars) shipping to Australia, it’s not a cheap piece of kit but as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for.
Included with the LCDVF is a couple of mounting frames, a thick eyecushion for the LCDVF, a lanyard, a handy neoprene bag and a lens wipe.
Fitting the mounting frame to the camera is easy if you follow the manual on their site. You’ll want to follow the manual as you’ll risk having the frame come off in the middle of a shoot such as some people have experienced.
Once the frame is mounted you simply put the LCDVF near it and the magnets in the base, pulls it towards the frame for a perfect fit every time. Even in pitch black darkness, you can’t go wrong. The magnets that hold it in place are quite strong, you wouldn’t want to place it near any memory cards or anything like that. It was so strong that I hesitated when it came to pulling the LCDVF off for the first time, I thought it would pull the mounting frame off with it.
Optically, I have nothing bad to say about the LCDVF. I have perfect vision so the lack of a diopter adjustment is no problem for me. It is crystal clear and looks 10x better than the viewfinder on my XH-A1 prosumer camera, but they are notoriously bad. There appears to be no distortion of any kind and I can’t really fault it.
The eyepiece with the eyecushion attached feels so comfortable, I can safely say, it is the most comfortable viewfinder I’ve ever used. And that’s compared to broadcast DVCPRO and DIGIBETA cams. I can really jam the thing into my face for a real steady shot and it doesn’t feel uncomfortable in the slightest.
When it’s attached to my 7D, it looks right at home. Like a natural extension. It’s quite light but built sturdy out of thick plastic.
For the price, you can’t beat it. The 2x magnification seems perfect, any more and it would seem like pixel peeping to me. You can see the whole frame but also focus and look around the frame with no distortion. The LCDVF gets two thumbs up, 5 out of 5. I just can’t fault it.
UPDATE (02/9/10): I’m on to my second frame for the LCDVF after I left it on overnight and the weight of it peeled the frame off! It has been a heat wave down here in Perth, the glue used by the frame doesn’t deal so well with the high temps.
After shooting outside today in 36 degree heat, the frame was starting to come off again, I could see the glue had melted and the frame was sliding around a tad leaving residue around it. The glue is some sort of silicone cement that rubs off into a ball and leaves no stains which is good.
I’m thinking about permanently gluing the frame to my 7D as it has become so important for shooting video.
UPDATE (15/04/2010): Toenis from LCDVF has confirmed that there was an issue with a small batch of frames that caused them to fall off the camera. His company has sent me some new and improved frames to replace them with. I haven’t received them yet but it’s good to see a company willing to fix any issues. If you have the same issue with your frames, contact them via their website with your purchase details.
New Player in Town
Feb 9th
Canon have recently released the specs on their new “consumer” DLSR, the Rebel T2i. Apparently all the video features of the 7D at less than half the price! Just when I went and got a 7D!
Some features lifted from the Canon Press Release:
“The Rebel T2i DSLR captures video in both NTSC (National Television System Committee) and PAL (Phase Altering Line) standards at selectable frame rates including Full HD 1920 x 1080 at 30 (29.97), 25 or 24 (23.976) fps, and HD 1280 x 720 or Standard Definition 640 x 480 quality video, at 60 (59.94) or 50 fps.”
“For easier video recording operation and familiar functionality for beginners, the Rebel T2i’s autofocus can be operated before or during video recording by pressing the shutter button half-way down in video mode.”
“Another feature debuting in the Rebel T2i is Canon’s new Movie Crop mode, where the user can achieve 7x magnification when shooting SD video for a significantly increased “telephoto” effect. Unlike the digital zoom feature found in many compact digital cameras, Canon’s new Movie Crop mode actually crops the image directly from the CMOS sensor at full SD resolution to preserve maximum image quality and provide additional zoom power.”
“The new Movie Crop feature is especially helpful for achieving extra full resolution zoom power when filming youth sports, such as a child running to the furthest end of a field. For better sound quality when shooting video, the Rebel T2i DSLR includes an external stereo microphone jack, a first for an EOS Rebel model, in addition to its built-in monaural microphone.”
So there you go, not only does it have all the 7D video features, it has more. This HD video thing seems to be taking off. I estimate we’ll be shooting at least 720p from our mobile phones by the end of next year.
The J-Rod Cube Review
Feb 3rd
Last year when I was looking for a wireless mount solution for my pair of Sennheiser G2s I came across and reviewed the J-Rod. Since then, the J-Rod has proven handy on countless occasions. Anything that required a wireless mount plus onboard camera light called for the J-Rod which was pretty much every wedding and corporate gig I’ve done.
Fast forward to now, Jeff has created another mounting solution called the J-Rod Cube. For simplicity sake, I’m just going to call it the J-Cube (why didn’t you call it this?). The J-Cube improves upon the J-Rod in a number of ways. Firstly it doesn’t require a microphone mount to function so it can work on anything with a hotshoe holder.
This is particularly handy for the new breed of DSLR video cameras out there that despite the awesome images they create, record pretty crap onboard sound. The J-Cube allows you to mount a Zoom H2n or similar recording device to your camera plus a couple of wireless mic packs that would turn any DSLR into a production ready tool. I don’t own a Zoom yet but I’ve mounted a couple of G2′s plus an on-camera light to my 7D to show you how much stuff you can add to your camera.
Of course it also comes in handy with normal camera set-ups such as my Canon XH-A1. Now I can mount a light and wireless mic to the J-Cube and also be able to use my camera’s microphone holder to mount my MKH416 shotgun with my ingenious foam mounting solution.
The J-Cube feels pretty sturdy, is well built and feels like it could survive an angry throw down on to a cement pavement (not that I’d try that). At $80, it is still one of the cheaper and higher quality mounting solutions out there. It gets two thumbs up.
I also got a Screen Guard for my 7D from Jeff. It’s one of those plastic screen protectors that attaches by that opposite force of friction, what ever you call it, when two smooth surfaces interact… It doesn’t leave any sticky residue if you ever decide to take it off.
The screen guard looks like it would fit an iPhone which unfortunately I don’t have but it does have a handy grid graphic on it that allows you to overlay it over your camera’s LCD screen and work out where to cut it down to size.
After measuring it out and cutting it out, I got a very snug fit to my 7D’s LCD screen. It recommends you to do it in a dust free room which in my house doesn’t exist. A few specks of dust managed to get under there but after squeezing the air out from around them, it’s hardly noticeable.
At only 2 bucks US, you might as well try it out. It does what is does and if something hits your LCD screen you’d wish you had one too. The grease from my face also seems to come off it easier than the bare LCD screen.
All Products including the original J-Rod are available from the J-Rod Store