The Human Slingshot

This seems to be the week of sickening video's so let me just add one more, to round it all up. This is just the third time this week my stomach turned around!

Canon 5D Mark II or iPhone 4S?

Don't you love it..?

Sick GoPro jump

So you have the day off, you and your two buddies are kinda bored... you decide to go out and buy 6 GoPro HD's and jump off an elevator...

15,- Pentax 6mm 1.2 (succes at last!)

I finally made myself a working Pentax 6mm! It took a lot of time, research, careful scrutiny and frustration and, most recently, the purchase of a Dremel but alas, I have a fast, wide lens that has infinity focus- and beyond! I also finally received my stepup ring so I could use my LCD variable ND-filter and shoot happily outside.

Flycam: they tried this at home...

CONNECTING TO MY NEIGHBOURS BY CABLE: SLIDECAM..?

Once in a while the thought enters my mind that there must be some way to connect to my neighbours balcony via some sort of cable and have a camera hang from it to make some cool overhead shots -or better still- slide that camera like a bird through the sky. Obviously I am not the only one that's thought of this and definitely not the first... (Devices like this are out of reach for the budget-shooter.)
There's many more situations where a setup like that could get you some spectacular shots but to build yourself a reliable, steady device must a real challenge. As is demonstrated by this video...

Mandatory viewing: Inside Job

See how we, the people, are being screwed. Shocking, infuriating, humiliating.

External audio recorder? Use your iPhone!

You can now record professional audio on your iPhone. Sounds pretty good. (What it claims to do, I mean...;-) Apparently it is being used professionally. At $30,- Pro Audio to Go is not cheap but any decent audiorecorder starts at $80,- 

'Pro Audio To Go turns your iPhone into a 48 kHz professional quality recording device for use on location by news reporters, journalists, documentarians, musicians, DSLR videographers, filmmakers, producers and editors. With a single tap on your phone, you can record an AIFF audio file in 48 kHz. Upload the file directly to an FTP server or email it, then download and instantly begin using it in your editing system's Timeline. No conversion necessary!'

• Record at 48 kHz AIFF
• Customize pre-sets for any microphone 
• XLR connection plugs into iPhone with purchasable cable 
• Record 48 kHz easily with built-in iPhone microphone 
• Customize pre-sets for EQ and Gain controls
• Email file or upload directly to FTP to your news bureau or editor
• Drop AIFF audio file directly into your editing Timeline 
• Timer counts down remaining time (memory) on your iPhone in hours, minutes, and seconds

Crashtest: Nature fader ND-filter

I was going to shoot some stuff with my brandnew Nature fader ND filter but before I was even able to take it out of my camerabag, it decided to go all by itself. Followed by my lens, a Carl-Zeiss Jena Flektogon 20/4. I was shooting in the center of town today and while I bent over to check composition on a very low shot, my lens with attached Nature fader ND fell out of my bag.
I was paying attention to everything: my dog, the bums, the ferris wheel, the traffic and the cops. Everything except my bag, which I didn't secure. A warning to all: lock your bag after taking stuff out! Or bring a padded lens-pouch. Luckily the filter took the complete hit and my lens remained unharmed.
Bye bye Nature fader ND! That's another $70,- down the drain. I am having very bad karma-month: first my SmallHD monitor fries, then I lose a 4x4 glass filter and now this...

GH2 hack: testing in the dark

The new Driftwood patch/hack for the Panasonic GH2 achieves an astonishing bitrate of 176 MB. But to be honest, the technical particularities of this accomplishment elude me; you could have told me 2000 MB and what does it say..? Numbers mean nothing.
The only thing I'm interested in is seeing it in applied in the real world. How does this hack translate into picture quality? Better dynamic range? Less noise? More sharpness? I'm looking for a video that does a side by side comparison of the original bitrate and the hacked one. But I mostly get video that is is sterile testing: a rating of noise produced by the camera when shooting at different ISO's with the lenscap on... That's not a real life test?!
Shoot the same scene with this ridiculously high bitrate and shoot the same scene with 'native' settings. That way I can judge whether I really 'need' this patch as long as I'm only publishing my stuff on the internet... and whether or not it's time to 'upgrade'. Can't find such a test. I guess one of these days I'm gonna have to try it myself. Meanwhile, here's the 'test in the dark' and a 250 MB bitrate test.

Shaky camera images? Fix it in post!

A new feature to be expected in the next edition of Photoshop. Unfortunately it doesn't work with video- yet. Hope this feature is released in time before I hand over my images from my photoshoot of a classic car rally last sunday...;-)

What to do with my Canon HV20?

THE HV20 HAS MADE MANY 'INDIES' HAPPY!

The Canon HV20 camcorder was quite a little number in its heydays, packing features such as great picture quality, a choice of progressive video, HDV and DV shooting and the ability to control aperture/depth of field (albeit with a little workaround), HDMI out, external mic in, all for a very affordable pricetag. To be honest, I never really used it other than on full automatic. As B-roll to my Sony Z1 and later my EX1. Great for concerts and theater registrations; close-ups of keyboards or percussion...I've also taken it on vacation a few times: this camera takes a mean photograph as well! (on a micro-sd card, I used a 1GB)
But I haven't used the camera for over a year. And I only have one mini-DV tape left. Should I buy new tape or convert definitively to tapeless acquisition?
Since then I have bought a few other camera's that can serve as point-of-view cams. I can use my Panasonic GH2 for B-roll to my EX-1R. I guess the time has come to say goodbye to my HV20. (less than 80 hours of operation!) But only if the price is right: bidding may start underneath this article in the Comment Section!

THE CANON HV20: SMALL PACKAGE, GREAT PICTURE

Shooting classic cars

I spent my sunday shooting classic cars. Shooting photographs, mind you. Used my Canon 550D, Tamron 17-50 2.8 VC and 50mm 1.8. This job took so much out of me, I almost forgot to blog... That would have been the first day I'd have missed since I started. I am totally wasted. But the cars and locations were beautiful...

Review: Gini DSLR rig

GINI RIG: PRETTY BUT NOT PERFECT

Korean DSLR builder 'Gini' has built quite a name for himself over the last few years in the DSLR-world.  DSLR-rigs were -and still are- outrageously expensive. But Asian companies like Gini have brought these prices down considerably.
I bought my Gini DSLR rig about 8 months ago and only recently have I been using it regularly and with all the accessories I needed to be able to make full use of it. I feel that only now I can say something sensible about my rig. The emphasis is on 'my rig' because there are so many packages out there, so many configurations that you can only talk about the components in your particular set-up. But the basis, the materials, the clamps and the rods are of course all the same.

What is really the use of a rig?

1. For one, to be able to mount your DSLR like a proper videocamera, on your shoulder and getting that same steadiness you're used to when working with pro camera's. 
2. To add much desired mass to the camera's light body to keep the camera from registering your every touch or shake.
3. To be able to add a light, a mic, a mattebox and whatever other accessory you may wish.
4. It adds blingbling to your gear which to some makes you more professional-looking...

 But there are alternatives to rigs. You can buy yourself a DSLR cage. You won't be able to use your camera like a shouldercam but consider if you really intend to shoot like that. If not, a cage may be the better choice. It is generally more compact, more solid and easier to set up. It will also do a better job of protecting your camera.

BASEPLATE NEEDS RUBBER & SCREW IS HARD TO REACH

I bought my Gini rig in January. A relatively simple package: shouldersupport, baseplate, handles, monitor arm and some rods and clamps. It's easy to assemble and you can make different configurations from even a simple package like mine. But what do I really think about the Gini rig?

I still think, as I did then, that the design is wonderful and the materials top-notch. The finish is solid in every respect. (hardly a scratch after banging it around a bit) This stuff makes you feel like a little boy in a toy store. But there's a few points of criticism I have about the rig:

• the baseplate has a screw for attaching your camera and that screw is hard to tighten. It's too big and you can't get your fingers inbetween once you have a follow focus or mattebox mounted. Almost always the camera keeps turning on the base and that's a bad thing. An idea to solve this would be a little piece of rubber that's sunk into the baseplate and would accomplish two things: 1) prevent the camera from turning/moving 2)it would allow for tighter screwing.
• Another weak point of this rig is tightening the handlebars. It is a problem with all the clamps: you have to tighten the clamps so hard it hurts your fingers. Even then, I've had the handlebars loosen/slide when I was carrying a fully loaded rig. That's a very bad thing because it made me feel insecure and worried about damaging my equipment- and that's the last thing you need on a shoot. I have since tightened the clamps with a hex screw and was thus able to screw it tighter. But for obvious reasons I would have liked to just use the little levers that were made for that task and not have to bring extra tools (that can be forgotten or get lost) ...
• Gini's shoulderpad is not ergonomic. It would be nice if it would adjust/sink onto your shoulder somwhat. And you need some counterweights to balance the rig out.

A TORQUE-SCREWDRIVER IS NEEDED TO TIGHTEN THESE LEVERS

Its eight months on since I bought my rig and meanwhile, Gini may have changed some of the designs. But I have seen the baseplate currently for sale and it still looks the same. (I am experimenting with removing the screw altogether and permanently attaching a quick-release adapter.) The levers and locking system still looks the same so I am curious if others have problems with securing the clamps.

I have recently bought some extra parts for my rig. I think a top handle is essential for carrying the rig around. And you will at least need a C-shaped support to attach that- or a cage.

My advice to shooters looking into buying a DSLR-rig would be: look carefully at what others have built and see what you need for your style of shooting. Start small and build according to your needs. Gini sometimes offers good deals but so do others. And last but not least: looks are great but not very functional. The importance of keeping it small and simple cannot be over-emphasized!

VERY 'BASIC' BASEPLATE

Ordered: Manfrotto BHDV-1 monopod

I had been thinking about a monopod for a long time but after seeing a few video's on the Manfrotto BHDV-1, I totally fell in love with this model: a true hybrid between a tripod and a monopod. It's got three little legs and a fluidhead, it goes up to 200cm, folds up to 76cm and it's... light! At well under 2 kg it must be the ultimate portable solution. Aside from a carbon fiber version that would be a hefty extra investment... Anyway, it appears that once you've got a taste of this monopod, youre hooked. Here's some tricks on using that monopod.

Mailbox: Nature Fader ND filter

NICE BOX, HOPE THE FILTER IS 'GOLDEN' AS WELL...

A golden box for my new 77mm fader ND filter: I hope the product is as nice as its packaging... I already own a 52mm LCW Fader ND Mark II and needed an extra filter for my larger lenses. The LCW, by the way, is a great filter and I have used it extensively with my 20mm Pancake lens (example video). But the Nature brand is more affordable and from what I've read as good as the LCW. With the bigger Nature ND filter and with an assortment of stepup rings I should have all bases covered. I hope to do a shootout between the Nature and LCW fader ND filters soon.

77MM 'NATURE' FADER ND FILTER

Is it Chinese porcelain? A crystal bowl? No, it's an adapter plate!

A TYPICAL CASE OF 'OVER-BOXING'

I have received packages in all sizes and shapes but I have never seen a package that was so utterly over-packed as this sliding adapter plate that was delivered to me this morning! A cardboard box nearly 30 cm wide, 24 cm high en 22 cm deep (yes, I measured it, for good measure...) to deliver an adapter plate?! Aside from the fact that you could have easily fitted 100 adapter plates in this box, it was wrapped like antique glass... I'm all for good packaging but this is way beyond any reasoning and a waste at that... (interesting sidenote: this Manfrotto-compatibel adapter plate (Calumet's own brand, half the price of the official Manfrotto version) is shipped in a Manfrotto box...)

SVAROFFSKI EGG PROTECTION... FOR A STEEL PLATE?!

Missing in Action

Waddaya mean DSLR small form factor..??!

Within a week of having my mattebox all set up with my new Formatt glass 4x4 filters, I lost one of my filter holders with a Circular Polarizer still in it. I've been shooting out on the edge of a lake and experimented with different filters. My mattebox has two filter holders and I would shoot with both the polarizer and the ND filter, take out the polarizer, shoot with just one filter, etc. Occasionally I placed a filterholder with glass against my camerabag. I probably looked right through it when I left (it's glass*%##!) and found out 3 days later I was missing a filter and filterholder. So today I biked the 10 miles to the lake to see if it was still lying somewhere in the grass but that was just too much to hope for...
I just spent €25,- to send my damaged SmallHD monitor in for repair, now I need to spend another €80,- to replace my filter and holder. None of this would have happened if I just stuck to shooting with my EX1 and keep things nice and simple... Which goes to prove: the more stuff you have, the more can go wrong... (and it usually does)

MY CIRCULAR POLARIZER IN BETTER DAYS...

Cheap GoPro HD bike mount

CAMERA BIKE MOUNT: $3,- OR $30,-??!

Ever since I busted my GoPro HD mount that was used to attach my camera to racing steering wheel, I started looking for a replacement. I was looking at offers like '$20,- plus $32,- shipping'. Ridiculous. Then I saw something they sell as a GoPro bike mount but is not even an official GoPro accessory. But the price is still over $30,-. Absurd. Then I remembered I bought exactly the same bike mount last year for my Panasonic Lumix TZ7. Cost me $1,- plus $2,- shipping! Now we're talking. (don't forget you'll need a GoPro tripod mount to use any of these bike mounts)
Don't get fooled by so-called 'official accessories', an extra few minutes of searching on eBay can earn you lots of dollars...

NO-NAME BIKE MOUNT (LEFT) AND GOPRO TRIPOD MOUNT

SmallHD DP4 and sunlight

BELOW RIGHT: WHITE SUNBURN SPOT

I have been using the SmallHD DP4 for about a month now. It's been sunny and that's the reason I have been shooting outside a lot, experimenting with different lenses, rigs, my new mattebox and glass filters. My DP4 made it a lot more fun and so much easier to shoot with these accessories and judge what I was doing.

But there is a big drawback to shooting in the sun with an Electronic View Finder (EVF): sunlight. And when I disovered a few spots/specks on my monitor and contacted SmallHD what these spots could be, they said they recognized the spots as coming from sunlight going into the EVF burning holes in your screen. The EVF is a magnifier: remember as a child using a magnifying glass to burn stuff? SmallHD says it takes no more than 30 seconds to burn holes in your screen. Considering that, I'm glad the damage was limited to a few spots...

Problem is that most often we're shooting with the sun in our back. So fiddling with equipment, searching your bag, talking to talent, whatever... 30 seconds is gone in a spiffy...

Is it a flaw in the design? I am not an engineer and cannot answer that. I have read that Zacuto's EVF has the same problem and most likely every monitor/EVF combo. Can't they redirect the sunlight so it won't hit the LCD? My uneducated guess is that -if possible at all- that would require very expensive optical engineering that would put the DP4 out of our financial range.
SmallHD has warned for use in the sunlight and consider this 'user damage'. But I have to give the company credit for the way it handles this issue. For now, clients are getting their DP4's fixed under warranty. In the future the sun warning will be more explicit in the manual and a lenscap for the EVF will be shipped with the package. I would add: preferably permanently attached to the EVF and with a big yellow warning sticker on the EVF itself. Because in the rush of the job, 30 seconds can pass before you can change a lens...

SOME SPOTS ARE ONLY VISIBLE WITH BLACK BACKGROUNDS

Return of the 15,- Pentax 6mm 1.2 (a succes story!)

grind down more on the side, as shown in picture

Ever since I bought my Pentax 6mm 1.2 cctv lens, I have not been able to focus on infinity. I paid someone €20,- to shave down the rear barrel of my lens but to no avail. I started grinding my c-mount adapter but that was not succesful either.
The problem is -and I know other buyers are struggling with the same thing- is that you don't know exactly how much to grind down of the barrel. People didn't get it and I didn't, either... It's not that the person who 'discovered' this cheap wide and fast lens, Seb Farges, wasn't helpful. He shared pictures of the mod but he was not able to explain exactly why simple 'shaving off a few millimeters' didn't work. But then, upon close examination and with the help of blogger Obakesan I finally noticed what I was supposed to do: shave off the outer side of the barrel a few millimeters more, untill you reach the screw on the side.
I bought a €35,- Dremel (electric tool) to do the job and after a few rounds grinding down the barrel... tadaaaa! Infinity! I am infinitely happy with the results... I will post some footage I shot with the Pentax soon. (Note: this is not a dirtcheap lens anymore: 15,- for the Pentax, 2 c-mount adapters@ 19,- together, 35,- for the Dremel... But the Dremel is a lovely tool: I used it to slice through metal today and it lived up to the task!)

GH2 AND PENTAX 6MM 1.2: TOGETHER AT LAST!