27Feb Something fun for a Sunday Night. Rubber shot on the 5d Mark II
It’s Sunday night and I’m about to sink into the couch and enjoy a film shot entirely on the 5d mark II. If you’re up for a bad comedy/horror movie this might be just the thing to round out your night. Get it, round out our night? Alright that’s a horrible joke. Anyway Rubber
UPDATE: Finished watching Rubber. Fun Idea but very strange. Not what I was expecting at all. Watching the trailer I thought this would be a slapstick Horror Movie, but it turned into a kind of art peace. I don’t know if I’d watch it again, but they’ve got my money now so theres no going back. The 5d preformed well.
27Feb CPM FILM TOOLS Cube Cage 3.0 DSLR RIG Review
I’ve spent my weekend testing and filming. My living room is covered in camera rig parts and tripod stands. So what does all of this mean? It means that The CPM FILM TOOLS Cube Cage review is done.
So lets spend a little bit of time talking about the Cube Cage 3.0. As with all of CPM’s camera Rigs, the cube is made out of carbon fiber, making it a Light weight and solid feeling construction.
The handles have been upgraded from earlier models, making them feel much more solid, and the end caps add a nice professional touch. The Cube Cage differs from a lot of the other square style rigs on the market by using 15mm rails for the upright portion of the cage. The reason this is handy is that with the addition of a few rail clamps, you can move arms, handles, and other mounted gear to pretty much any position you like. The mounting Plate across the top gives you more then 20+ through holes for equipment mounting and if you’re a fan of 1/4 20 threads, CPM also sells threaded inserts that can be added to the through holes for about $13.
After spending some time with the Cube Cage, I decided that I prefer the handles to face downward. I have two reasons for this, one is that this prevents the rig from slipping through my hands, and two is that I found it comfortable to rest the rig on my wrist while operating the follow focus. I also lowered the handle on the left hand side to make the level at which my wrist rested more convenient for follow focus operation.
Another option to consider is the Tekkeon Battery kits. From what I understand this battery system can be adapted to power the Canon t2i, 7d, 60, and 5d mark II. The Tekkeon system can also provide enough battery power to keep your camera running all day. If this is something you’re interested in then you might want to take a look at a few of the camera adapters.
As mentioned in the video, I had two concerns about the Cube Cage after setting it up. The first (left side) is that there is no battery drop out for the camera. This means you have to remove the camera in order to change the battery. The second is that there was an Allen head screw on the quick release plate.
I emailed CPM and it looks like they’ve already noticed this and have a solution. A new bottom mold (left side) will be released in few weeks with a battery opening built in. This will allow you to easily change your battery out without having to remove your camera from the rig. The Allen head screw on the quick release plate problem is solved by adding one of these spacers (right side) to your kit. In the video I corrected this by placing a few spacer washers under the quick release plate.
Those were my only two concerns about the CPM FILM TOOLS Cube Cage, and knowing that there is already a fix on the way for both gives me a very positive feeling about the Rig. I think if you’re in the market for a Square Style DSLR camera rig, the CPM FILM TOOLS Cube Cage 3.0 should be at the top of your list.
If the Cube Cage 3.0 does end up on your list of things to buy, I would consider adding to your order the QR spacer kit (pictured above), a few Rod Clamps, and a Cube Threaded insert kit. These three items wont add much to the cost of your Cube Cage but, to me, are handy items to have.
CPM FILM TOOLS is always upgrading and evolving their DSLR Rigs and it’s nice to see a company that’s nimble enough to solve problems when something comes up. I think the Cube Cage could be a great fit for many DSLR applications. To find out more about CPM FILM TOOLS swing over to there site: cpmfilmtools.com
26Feb Want a 35mm f1.4 for less, try A Nikon Nikkor + adapter combo.
The Canon 35mm f1.4 and Sigma 30mm f1.4 are great options. But what if you want to spend even less money? Well then you might want to consider an old Manual focus lens like the . If you are willing to put up with bidding and waiting, this lens sometimes sells for as little as $250 on ebay.
It’s a little bit soft wide open, as you can see from the video, but for a price tag this low, you can’t expect it to be perfect. From strictly a cost to performance ratio the wins in my opinion.
Something else nice about Old Nikon glass is that the focus ring has a lot of travel and operates as smooth as butter. It does, however, turn the opposite direction when compared to canon Lenses so if you are using a Follow Focus try to pick one up that has a reversible gear box.
You’ll also want to pick up a . Make sure you buy one that has the auto focus confirmation chip built in. The chip basically feeds the camera some bogus lens information so that when you’re focusing you’ll still get the nice little red dot or square when your target is in focus. I suppose you could live with out it, but it only adds about $1 to the cost of the adapter. So I would say it’s worth it.
Noah wrote in and mentioned the . I haven’t spent any time with Pentax to canon adapters, so if anyone out there has had a good or bad experience, be sure to let us know. I will mention that I have nothing good to say about adapting Canon FD lenses to the current line of Canon cameras. If you are shooting on an E.V.I.L. (electronic viewfinder interchangeable lens) camera like the Panasonic GH2 then Canon FD lenses are great, but if you’re filming with a Canon DSLR, stay clear. The adapter adds an extra peace of glass, you get light loss, and the list goes on. It’s a head ache that’s not worth dealing with in my opinion.
25Feb Musician and Filmmaker.
You may or may not know that when I’m not filming, writing, researching, and working, I’m also a part time musician. I know what you’re thinking, “great another musician”, so I promise not to clog this blog up with crappy love songs and soft core acoustic crying.
But every great once in awhile I might just post one of my music videos for the hell of it. With that in mind. Here is a song about my bank.
25Feb More on Adding audio monitoring to your DSLR.
As promised here is the how to video guide, along with a quick demo. Yes My headphones are lime green, I know.
Back on subject, you’ll notice in the video that the Red HDMI cable is plugged in and working at the same time as the usb-composite adapter (Canon AVC-400ST is the proper name). Since both ports stay on while recording (note the flashing red light), you can monitor audio from one port and video from the other. On a Side note, the video output only works on one or the other. So if you’re using the HDMI port you wont get video out of the yellow composite connect, only audio will be output through the Red and White connector. And if you’re using the yellow composite connect for video, then you wont get any video out of your HDMI port.
One other very important thing to remind you all of is that this solution only works if you’re using an external field monitor. The screen on the back of your camera WILL TURN OFF as soon as you plug in the adapter. If you don’t have a field monitor then give my Dirt Cheap monitor project a try or pick yourself up a nice HDMI ready Lilliput 7″ 669gl monitor.
If the Connection demonstration at the beginning of the video isn’t straightforward enough for you to follow let me know and I can post a diagram. There are also a number of other headphone amplifiers available for more and less then the FiiO E5. If you go with one of them, make sure it has a good way to control the volume level. Some of the cheaper models don’t have any controls at all.
I’ve also received a number questions about the usb-composite adapter cable. As far as I know this cable comes with every new Canon DSLR so be sure to check your box before you start tossing things in the trash. A replacement for this cable is $25, so it’s probably not something you want to loose.
Again credits to: freyguyproductions for asking the question that got this project started and Christian Sundsdal for being the first guy to hook the FiiO up to a Rode VideoMic
So if you haven’t done it yet. Pick yourself up the FiiO E5 headphone amplifier and Female RCA Y to 3.5mm male cable and you’ll be well on your way to better audio on your next DSLR project!
Update: Filips pointed out in the comment section that this fix only works if you are using Magic Lantern. He is absolutely correct. If you have the 5D mark II or t2i you are good to go but if you’re using a 7D then no dice. The 60d is in the works but the Magic Lantern firmware update is still a beta version.
24Feb Adding headphone monitoring to the Dirt Cheap $28 monitor project
So if you gave the Dirt Cheap Monitor project a try awhile back, this might be just what you needed. Freyguyproductions wrote in asking “What would you suggest for stronger audio sources?” The first thing that came to mind was a hearing aid amplifier. So I started rummaging around the net and found something even better. The FiiO E5 headphone amplifier.
You only need 2 things: The FiiO E5 headphone amplifier and Female RCA Y to 3.5mm male cable. Use the same canon AVC-DC400ST cable that came with your camera (usb to composite rca). Yellow goes to your monitor and red and white to your Y adapter cable and plug the 3.5mm side into your FiiO E5 headphone amplifier.
For a grand total of $22 (almost ), you have an Audio source directly from the output of your camera so that you can hear everything that is being recorded. After I tried all of this I thought surely someone had already thought of it. So I did some internet surfing and found this guy: Christian Sundsdal who hooked it up to his Rode VideoMic, but for some reason didn’t hook it up to the output of his camera.
I’ll post a video covering the topic a bit better this weekend, but for now, It’s tested and works great!
24Feb Bargain Bin extra’s for your DSLR RIG.
These 3 Items are probably some of the most handy things to have around the house when you’re putting together a DSLR RIG, mounting camera equipment, or adapting your stuff to stuff. The best part is, “all of this could be yours if the price is right”.
What is the right price? Well lets work from left to right. The first one is the . For a price tag of between $2 and $5 (I paid $3.49), this might be the most bang for your buck. Need to mount a monitor or field recorder? Just slap one of these little guys on there and you’ll be good to go. The nice thing is that this one has 2 thumb nuts. That means you can snug one nut up to your device and use the other to tighten down to your camera’s hot shoe.
The next one on my list is the . For $7 this adds flexibility to your mount. I have to say this is probably one of the lowest priced ball head to cold shoe adapters I’ve ever found. The Flash Shoe Ball head doesn’t give you any bells or whistles but the closest ball adapter in this price and size range is the Mini Ball Head at $13, (it doesn’t come with all the extra stuff) so the flash shoe ball head is one heck of a bargain. The down side is that it is a little bit heavy and you normally have to wait about 2 weeks for a shipment from china. So if you think you might need a few down the road, you might want to order them all at once.
The Last one on my Bargain bin list (far right) is the . Not sure why this is the most expensive of the bunch but it does come in handy. At $8.49 you can add this to mount things on pretty much any position or surface of your RIG. This also works great at the end of flexible monitor arms and saves you the trouble of having to thread and un-thread items from your rig.
If you can find any of these cheaper somewhere else let me know. I think I could always use a few more.
24Feb Canon 35mm f1.4 v.s. Sigma 30mm f1.4 head to head Compairson
I recommend the Sigma 30mm f1.4 quit a bit, but it always seems like when i do, the first response I get is “what about (insert lens here)”. Many people aren’t very comfortable with 3rd party lenses or they feel like Canon is the only brand for them.
Most of my lenses are canon, but there are a few in my collection that aren’t. Sometimes this is because Canon doesn’t offer a comparable lens, but sometimes I just prefer the 3rd party lens (in the case of the Canon 28mm f1.8 v.s. Sigma 30mm f1.4).
I always thought once I bought the Canon 35mm f1.4, that the Sigma 30mm f1.4 would be out the window. This didn’t really end up happening. I looked at the Sigma 30mm f1.4 and made up some elaborate story in my mind about how I might have to send my canon 35mm to the shop and if that happened the Sigma 30mm would save the day.
In truth I think the Sigma 30mm f1.4 is just a great lens for crop sensor cameras. Do I think the Sigma 30mm out preforms the Canon 35mm? No, but after spending a few nights pouring through footage, I came to the conclusion that the Canon 35mm f1.4’s performance probably isn’t worth $900 to most people.
At end of this video I make the statement “I own both, so I’m probably not a good person to talk to.” The main reason for this is that I couldn’t make a decision on which lens to let go.
I also have reviews up on both the Canon 35mm f1.4 and the Canon 28mm f1.4 so check them out if you are still on the fence about the Sigma 30mm f1.4.
Take a look at the video and let me know which lens you think looks better. It’s a tough call.
23Feb Field monitors can give you headphone monitoring as well.
You wouldn’t want to Film something without looking at a monitor right? You probably don’t want to record audio for your film with out hearing it either. People are always looking for an audio monitoring solution for there DSLR cameras. Well if you are already in the market for a video monitor why not kill two birds with one stone?
Lets start with a few mid range monitors first. The Ikan VH7 (above) is a relatively new HDMI monitor on the market with a pretty good battery power option. For $399.95 you get an HDMI field monitor with a nice 1024 x 600 screen resolution(little bit better then the Lilliput monitor), a built in 1/4 20 mount, a power adapter plate for either Sony or Canon batteries, and the most important thing a headphone jack.
The HDMI Stream from your camera carries both the Video and Audio that your camera is recording. This monitor (along with the rest I’ll list) brakes out the audio and gives you a very handy headphone jack with volume control for audio monitoring. This feature is handy for every camera in Canon’s line up even the 7d if you’re using an AGC disabling device like the Juicedlink DT454. The nice thing about this method is that you are monitoring the audio directly from the camera. If you were just monitoring the audio from the mic alone, you probably wont notice audio that peaks the camera recording levels until you start editing your footage.
Next up is the New Sony CLM-V55 5 inch monitor. The Sony CLM is only 5 inches which could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on the configuration of your DSLR rig. The resolution is a little less then the Ikan at 800×480. The package includes a shade hood, cold shoe adapter, and an hdmi cable (batteries not included). It looks like Sony CLM is back ordered right now. You can get on the waiting list for the next dilevery date for a price tag of $352, which seems pretty reasonable for a Sony product and of course this monitor has a nice handy headphone jack just like the Ikan.
If all of that is to much for your budget, then this is probably the monitor for you. This clocks in at 7 inches, sports a 480×234 screen resolution, has a 1/4 20 threaded hole at the base, and of course it has a headphone monitor jack. The difference is with this monitor you use the RCA cables. The audio and video from your Canon AVC-DC400 cable (USB to RCA cable) plugs directly into the monitor, and of course gives you both a Video monitor and headphone jack with volume control.
This monitor probably isn’t the most elegant out of the list, as you’ll be left with a bundle of cables and need something like the batteries from that dirt cheap monitor project I posted awhile back to power it. But at a price tag of $52 you can’t really ask for much.
22Feb CPM DSLR Cubed Cage 3.0
The CPM FILM TOOLS Cubed Cage 3.0 just showed up at the house today. I’ll have a full write up and review once I have a chance to set it up and load it up with gear. Until then here are a few pictures of the Cubed Cage with my Canon t2i mounted on it, to give you a feel for the scale and build.
The Cubed Cage completely surrounds the T2i body and gives you dozens of places to mount equipment. The new CPM end caps also look sharp.
Over all it’s a very nice looking DSLR film Rig. I think I’m going to have a fun weekend putting this through its paces.
