19Jan Watson DUO LCD battery charger overview
I picked up the Watson DUO battery charger about 3 months ago and I’ve been using it to charger almost every type of battery I own. The replacement battery plates are pretty affordable at $2 a peace and you can find them for just about any battery type you have. I personally spent the extra $35 on the Watson version because there were a number of reports of the Pearstone version buzzing or generating loud noises, but you can pick up the Pearstone DUO charger for around $45 while the Watson will set you back closer to $80. Might be worth the risk if the place you buy it from has a decent return policy.
After three months I haven’t run into any real issues. The charger does a great job with all the batteries i’ve thrown at it and seems to charge batteries slightly faster than the Canon OEM charger. It was a little pricy compared to other options, but so far the Watson DUO LCD battery charger has been a pretty reliable unit. I’ll report back if anything goes wrong, but so far so good.
18Jan Aputure V-Screen VS-3 7 inch IPS HDMI field Monitor features Firmware update
Quick heads up, if you have an Aputure VS-3 IPS monitor, there is a firmware update available here. This update addresses the focus peaking issues I mentioned in this earlier post. So far i’m still pretty happy with the VS-3, i’ve been testing it on a few projects with the Canon c100 and the monitor, unlike the c100, has done pretty well. Hopefully I’ll get some side by side shots of the c100 and 5d mark III posted this weekend, the graininess and layout of the c100 controls has yet to grow on me. Audio interface and top handle are great but when i’m just trying to film me speaking into the camera, the c100 is a pain to use. Also I’ll be upgrading the Aputure VS-3’s firmware this weekend and posting some focus peaking results.
17Jan Samsung 840 EVO 500GB drive $279.99
If you are in the market for a large capacity SSD, the Samsung 840 EVO is currently one of the best performing options on the market. Normally the 500GB version of this drive will set you back around $315, but right now you can pick it up for just $279.99 with free shipping on ebay. This one ebay’s one day sales, as i’m typing this there is currently 16 hours left on this sale and they’ve sold almost 300 drives. So if you want one, you should probably act fast.
17Jan Cold shoe thumb screw 1/4 20 rig mount
Alright, this slightly over prices little guy looks pretty handy. It’s a 1/4 20 threaded stud with a thumb screw and rubberized grip on the bottom and a cold shoe adapter on the top. In the past i’ve used 1/4 20 all thread studs to attach cold shoes to a rig. At $9 this is a bit more expensive than that option, but it’s certainly easier to attach and use.
While $9 is a little over priced for this adapter, i’ve seen similar items labeled “Hot Shoe Relocator” for sale for $30 + shipping. I went ahead and ordered a couple for testing and I’ll report back on the quality once they show up. These would be great for Blackmagic pocket camera owners who need to mount a simple microphone or light to the top of their camera and it would be pretty useful for just about any camera cage.
16Jan Matin Outlast leather DSLR hand strap – Road test
I’ve been using the Matin Outlast leather hand strap since 2011. After 2 solid years of continues use I thought it might be time for a road test update (you can find my original review here). After all that use the strap is still in great shape, looks nice, and is still a relatively comfortable fit.
After 2 years of use the Matin leather hand strap has held up. For a somewhat suspect item from South Korea, I wasn’t actually expecting to get this much life out of it. As you can see the connection strap is still solid with very minimal signs wear. Buckles and snaps are still in good shape and the strap retainer is still keeping everything in place.
The hand padding on the Matin leather hand strap has flattened out a little bit over the last two years, but that’s something i’d expect from a leather product. All of the threading is still in good shape and the wear has softened the leather, making it a little more of a comfortable fit.
The only part on the Matin leather hand strap that really shows it’s age is the tightening strap. When wearing the strap for 4 or 5 hours at a time I occasionally reach down and tug on the strap to snug things up. You can see that after a few years of doing this it’s started to wear out the leathers edge. It looks a little bit beat up but its by no means end of life.
Overall, the Matin leather hand strap has performed up to expectations. It still looks pretty nice after all this time and it’s become more comfortable with age. I think i’ll probably be able to get at least another year or two of use out of it before it’ll have to be replaced. I’d have no problem recommending this to anyone who likes this style of camera strap. At $48 it’s a little price, but the quality and style ended up being worth it.
15Jan DSLR FILM NOOB Quick tip of the day – Fast DSLR focusing tips
After a few months of tinkering here is the final result. A new (hopefully weekly) show format that covers one tip a week. I’ll still be posting full length reviews at random intervals, but i’d like to make sure there’s a steady stream of video content to go along with everything else I post.
You can find out more about using an IR remote for quick focus here. The Canon RC-1 remotes I use has been discontinued and many for sale online have doubled in price, for around $3 to $6 you can pick up a generic IR remote that’ll do pretty much the same thing. Just keep in mind the generic IR remotes aren’t as durable and don’t send the IR beam as far. I can generally count on the Canon RC-1 to start and stop recording at 50 feet, the generic IR remotes are good to about 20 feet on the high side.
14Jan Canon 6d body’s back under $1500 on ebay
Looks like the Canon 6d is swinging back down to holiday sales levels. Currently the Canon 6 body is available for $1475 with free shipping on ebay. You can also get it as a combo deal with the Canon 24-105 f4 IS lens for just $1900
. That means you’ll be paying about $1400 for the body and $500 for the lens, that’s pretty good when you compare the $1700 body price and $700 lens price on Amazon, a savings of about $500. As with all of these Ebay sales, they don’t last long, so if you want one you might want to move fast.
14Jan NEEWER Dual Channel Wireless Stereo Microphone set
I’ve been seeing these NEEWER Dual Channel wireless stereo mic systems pop up on both Amazon ($195) and ebay ($175). According the the description the unit uses wifi bands to transmit two channels of audio back to a single receiver. Both transmitters come with a lav microphone but also have a built in mic somewhere on the transmitter. Batteries are rechargeable and there doesn’t appear to be a whole lot in the way of controls.
The receiver on the NEEWER Dual Channel wireless stereo mic system comes with a cold shoe mount for DSLR cameras and everything appears to be at least somewhat well thought out for the price. Not sure on the audio quality and if you’re in a heavily populated wifi area you might have some coverage issues, but it could be an option remote locations and less populated areas.
If any of you are brave enough to give the NEEWER Dual Channel wireless stereo mic system a try let me know. I’d be interested to find out how it works out. I’m currently trying to get a review model in for testing, if I do i’ll post some audio results.
UPDATE: While doing some more investigating I came across a slightly more advanced version. $75 more gets you an full screen display and a few more buttons to make adjustments. No idea if it’s worth the extra, but it looks a little more fancy.
13Jan Used Gear watch: Beachtek DXA-SLR DSLR audio adapter
I’ve had a Beachtek DXA-SLR audio adapter in my kit for a number of years and while the pre-amps aren’t as good as the ones offered by Juicedlink, the DXA-SLR makes up for it by offering a much more user friendly interface and far superior mounting options. While the DXA-SLR will normally set you back around $300 new, if you don’t mind buying used you can get it for far less.
Right now on ebay you can pick up the Beachtek DXA-SLR audio adapter used for a buy it now price of $150 + $12 shipping. That’s a savings of around $140. That’s a pretty darn good price if you’re looking for your first on camera audio interface. You might also want to take a look at my audio interface guide before you make the plunge.
13Jan Used Gear Watch: Canon 5d mark III body $2618
After the holidays 5d mark III prices bounced back up to around $2900, but you can still find used and refurbished bodies on ebay for a bit less. Right now there’s a Canon 5d mark III body with a buy it now price of $2599 + $19 shipping. That’s a pretty decent price and it saves you a few hundred dollars over the cost of a new body. There’s only one available so if you want one, nows the time.
