30Aug Speedbooster EOS M to EF mount coming soon?
Canon’s EOS-M camera is one of the only digital cameras in Canon’s lineup with a flange distance that’s small enough to support a speedbooster type adapter. Electronically, it’s also the easiest to adapt to Canon EF mount lenses. This video above appears to be showing a prototype version of a Speedbooster being used with an EOS-M camera
. The video bellow also demonstrates the exact same thing.
Right now you can pick up a Canon EOS-M body for as little as $200 on ebay. With an adapter like this you’d be able to get an extra stop out of any full frame lens and get the look of a full frame sensor on a crop sensor body. You’d effectively have the low light performance sitting somewhere between the Canon 5d mark II
and Canon 5d mark III
in a smaller package as well as all the features a Canon t4i offers. Sure your auto focus system wont be great which means the photography side of things will suffer a bit, but for a $200 camera body I think it could end up being a very amazing film tool.
On top of that, we’ll most likely be seeing the much improved AF system on the new Canon 70d being propagated into another EOS-M type offering in the next 6 to 8 months. Although the video format isn’t the same, this could be a poor mans Black Magic Pocket Camera. If the adapter is released soon, it could actually end up betting the BMPCC to market.
30Aug Get Canon DPP and EOS utility without a disc
In the past if you bought a used Canon camera that was missing the Canon utility disc or you lost the EOS utility disc that came with your camera you were pretty much out of luck. You could visit Canon’s site and under downloads you’d find upgrades to the utility software but you couldn’t actually get a hold of the instillation program.
Recently (at the beginning of this month) Canon quietly added a new selection to the “Driver & Software” tab. The new program is labeled “EOS Digital Solution Disk Software”. It took almost 15 years, but Canon finally realized that people needed another option for instillation. After all, many new laptops and desktops no longer include disc drives, until now the only easy way to get things properly installed without a drive was to buy a USB disc drive.
All you need to do in order to get things working is head over to Canon’s site. Select the products tab and click on cameras. Find your camera in the list and click on that. Then click on “EOS Digital Solution Disk” and accept the terms of service.
Note: If you don’t see your camera on the list, don’t worry, Just select another camera, the utility (currently 28.2A) is the same for every camera.
After that, a pop up window appears requesting your Camera’s serial number. To test this out I searched for a Canon Serial numbers and found this 0330113672 posted online. I entered it in and the download started without a hitch. I also tried it with the number on my Canon t2i (above) and it also worked just fine. If you don’t have your camera next to you try the above number, if that doesn’t work grab your camera, flip it over and type in the number listed in the white box next the tripod mount.
I’m surprised it’s taken Canon this long to realize this was a problem and address it but I guess it’s better late then never. If you’ve lost your Canon EOS utility disc, there’s finally an easy way to get a hold of the software. Hopefully this helps a few of you out, I know I’ve had to burn copies of my EOS utility disc for others in the past. Now I can finally point them to where the answer should have been all along, Canon’s website.
29Aug Adobe Lightroom 5 on sale
Quick heads up, it looks like there’s a 24 hour sale on Adobe Lightroom 5. This drops the price from the regular $149 to $99. Sale ends tomorrow so if you’re tired of using Canon’s DPP software you might want to check it out. A good friend of mine got me started using lightroom a few years ago and it’s been my go to photo editor/organizer ever since.
29Aug Gopro Hero 3 Combat Cage
I backed the kickstarter campaign for the Gopro Hero 3 Combat Cage awhile back. It’s a nice cage for the Hero 3 and there are lots of mounting points, but I’m feeling a little burned. The kickstarter was for $110 and now that it’s been backed you can find the cage on B&H and on ebay for only $99.
Usually kickstarter projects offer up some kind of discount as a reward for backing a project. In this case, you pay a penalty for backing the kick starter and everyone else gets the discount. The price difference isn’t outrageous, it’s just a bit of a slap in the face.
Regardless, taking a closer look at the Hero 3 combat cage, you can see that the metal frame does a decent job of shielding the front of the unit. However the lens does stick out past the metal housing which could be a problem if you are using a bare frame. The top is open so you have easy access to the waterproof casing latch and recording buttons and they’ve carved the logo into the front for looks.
From the back you can see that there are cutouts on both the left and right side of Hero 3 combat cage for button access as well as usb and HDMI port access. The Hero 3 is secured in place by a long allen bolt that slides through the two slits at the bottom of the cage. You also have 4 1/4 20 female threads in the corners for equipment mount and so on. Again the back of the waterproof housing sticks out past the Combat Cage, so there isn’t a lot of “drop protection” at the front or the back of the unit.
At this angle you can see the silver allen bolt that secures the hero 3. Above that, you’ll see that I’ve taken a dremel to the case for easier HDMI and USB port access. Using the cage makes it easy to take advantage of the USB to 3.5mm audio adapter and you can keep the cable from putting too much strain on the usb port by using a simple zip tie through the 3/8 inch hole at the top of the cage. Having access to the HDMI port makes it much easier to see what’s being filmed with the Hero 3. A field monitor is a much better viewing screen than the little detachable touch screen. I’ve even been testing the hdmi out with the Ninja 2 for better video recording formats.
For most uses, the plastic casing that comes with the Hero 3 is probably enough, but if you need multiple attachment points and the extra protection that a metal case provides, the Hero 3 combat cage could be worth checking out. Still, with the Hero 3 it seems a little odd to me that it’s easier to spend more money on camera accesories than the camera itself.
There are a few other cages out there in the same price range. If you’re in the market, you might also want to check out the Redrock Micro Cobalt Cage ($99) and the Lensse Aluminum Hero 3 Cage ($109), both of which provide more protection against front and rear impact.
28Aug Canon 50mm f1.4 or Canon 50mm f1.2?
The Canon 50mm f1.2 (above right) is a beautiful (and massive) piece of glass. Weighing in at about 1.3 pounds (590 g), this monster of a prime is a nice piece of kit. The 50 f1.2 is fully weather sealed with a solid metal housing and sports the smooth action of a large focus ring. It’s 8-blade circular aperture creates very attractive bokeh with smooth rounded edges in out focus areas and it’s generally an enjoyable lens to use.
On the other hand the Canon 50mm f1.4 (above right), which looks emaciated by comparison, weighs in at .63 pounds (290 G). It’s build materials are mostly plastic and the feeling that you get when holding this lens in your hand is that it’s adequate. While the focus ring supports FTM (Full time manual focus), the action of the focus ring feels a bit jerky in comparison. Bokeh is a little bit jagged, but overall it looks decent in most cases. Focus speeds and focus motor noise fall into the same category for me as the 50mm f1.2 and over all the 50mm f1.4 can create some great images.
Optically, both the 50mm f1.4 and 50mm f1.2 are more similar than different. Between f1.2 and f2 the Canon 50mm f1.2 has always seemed a little sharper to my eye, but beyond that things start to even out. Some feel that the 50mm f1.4 actually outperforms the 50mm f1.2 at f2.8 and above, but to me the difference is hard to spot in real world use.
Despite the difference in build quality and size, to me the biggest difference between the 50mm f1.4 and 50mm f1.2 is actually price. At around $1400 new and $1000 used, the Canon 50mm f1.2 will take a pretty big bite out of your budget while only offering a small improvement in image quality. By contrast the 50mm f1.4 provides a lot of value for $400 and the $1000 in savings makes it’s short comings look much more forgivable.
Despite the price difference, both of these lenses have their place. Years back I purchased the Canon 50mm f1.2 for it’s creamy bokeh and excellent low light performance. However, I held onto the Canon 50mm f1.4 for it’s lightweight design and less conspicuous nature. After all, nothing screams “Mugging” like a large red ring on the front of your lens, occasionally my work does take me to seeder neighborhoods.
I still love the 50mm f1.2, but if i’m planning to be on my feet all day or need to travel light, I generally pack the 50mm f1.4. A 5d mark III body already weighs about 2 pounds (860 g) and adding another 1.3 pounds to it can really wear out your neck and arms. I’ve even been toying with the idea of a 6d/50 f1.4 combo as my go to travel camera, just to save on weight and space requirements.
Depending on your budget and needs, I think many people will be more than satisfied with the value the 50mm f1.4 provides. However there are good reasons to spend the extra on the f1.2 as well. Before you buy either lens, take a look at what you already have, figure out what your total budget will be, and decide where best to spend those equipment dollars. After all $1000 could go a long way when buying audio gear, rigs, and so on.
If you’re still on the fence, you might want to consider renting each lens in order to determine which you think is the better fit. With these two lenses it usually boils down to size and price, but there could always be other factors that sway you in one direction or the other.
27Aug Aputure V-Mic D1 DSLR Shotgun Microphone audio Retesting
Aputure was kind enough to send me a replacement Aputure V-Mic D1 shotgun microphone and the audio results are much better. You can see in the original test (found here), that the first microphone I tested had a lot of self noise. The replacement I received last week sounds a lot better.
Note: The samples were converted to 192 kbps mp3 files for easier download.
For this first test, I’ve set the Rode Videomic Pro to Zero db of gain and the Aputure V-Mic D1 is simply turned on as it doesn’t have a gain adjustment option. The audio is being recorded directly into the Tascam DR-60D. In case you’re wondering I’m using this XLR to 3.5mm adapter for both microphones.
Here’s the audio sample (click here to download)
To make the audio a little easier to compare I’ve decided to leave the sample in a stereo file. The Aputure V-Mic is on the right channel and the Videomic Pro is on the left channel. It’s easy to see from the wave form above and hear in the audio recording that the V-Mic D1 provides a strong crisp signal. The noise floor is pretty much identical to the Videomic Pro. I’m very impressed with the audio quality of this replacement microphone for the price.
This test is setup exactly the same as the first test, however this time the high pass filter is turned on.
Here’s the audio sample (click here to download)
As you can see in the wave form above and here in the audio sample, with the high pass filter (bass roll off) enabled on both mic’s any room noise has basically disappeared. Again the audio quality coming from the Aputure V-Mic is pretty impressive for a microphone in this price range (around $100 on ebay). The signal level is also stronger then the Videomic pro when set to Zero db.
For this last test, I’ve recorded both mics in the same configuration only this time I have the gain switch on the Videomic pro set to +20db. It’s obvious that more gain equals a stronger signal into the recorder, but it’s less obvious what that difference actually sounds like.With the gain set to +20 there is a noticeable boost in signal level.
Here’s the audio sample (click here to download)
After listening to the audio samples from the replacement Aputure V-Mic D1, I’m pretty impressed. I was only lukewarm on the first microphone I tested, but the replacement his a big step forward. For the price you’re getting a lot of features and good sound quality. I’d still like to see a +10 or +20 db gain selection added to this microphone, but for the price it sounds pretty good to my ears.
Take a listen to the audio samples and let me know which one sounds better to you. I’m interested to find out what you guys think of the audio from this microphone. Now that I have the replacement in, i’ll be putting together a full video review over the holiday weekend so look for that sometime next week.
21Aug Canon 6d body Just $1499
Canon 6d bodies are back on sale again on ebay. For just $1499 with free shipping you can pick up a brand new Canon 6d body on ebay, there’s also a 6 months same as cash special going on. I might not be a huge fan of the 6d at it’s original price (over $2000), but at $1499 it’s a great deal. That’s a lot of camera with many of the features found in the 5d mark III (even if they are hidden in a menu). You can check out my full review here. At that price I might just pick one up as a spare.
Not sure how long the price will last, so if you’re in the market for a full frame body, you might want to jump on the Canon 6d body on ebay.
21Aug Pelican Memory Card Cases 0915 & 0945
Out of the blue I received 2 Pelican memory card cases in the mail. I’m not 100% sure who sent them or how they got my address. There was no note attached or any other information. Just a Pelican 0945 CF card case and a Pelican 0915 SD card case in a small box. I’ve had a few issues with Pelican memory card cases in the past and I’d made the switch to a different brand of CF card case as well as a different brand of SD card case.
The only thing I can think of is that my discussion with the Pelican vender about cracking plastic at NAB prompted a delayed response. Or I suppose some vender could have simply made the mistake of sending them out. So to whoever sent me these card cases, thanks, I’ll give Pelican card cases another chance.
Setting the Pelican 0945 CF case next to the Vanguard CF case I normal use, you’ll immediately notice the size difference. I’m not sure what the Vanguard case is made out of, but it feels a bit more substantial in the hand than the Pelican case. That of course isn’t necessarily a true mark of quality, but it is a reassuring feeling. Although lighter, the Pelican case does include a clip ring that the Vanguard case is missing. Having several hundred dollars worth of memory cards dangling from the outside of a camera bag or backpack doesn’t sound like a great idea to me, but I could see how it might be useful in some situations.
Both card holders suport 6 CF cards but each scures the cards differently. The Vanguard CF case uses a hard plastic “snap in” holder, while the Pelican CF case uses foam padding. Not sure how well the foam padding will last under rigorous use, but it’s a little gentler on the CF cards then the hard plastic snap in system. The latch on the Vanguard CF case (left) is a push button release, while the Pelican CF case (right) uses a snap lock flip over tab. The flip over tab is a little more secure and you won’t need to worry about a push button being triggered in your bag. That said, I normally store my CF cards in a thin sleeve which doesn’t provide any room for the case to actually pop open.
One thing the Pelican CF case excels at is water proofing. As you can see above, there is a thick rubber gasket surrounding the entire opening of the card case. The Vanguard CF case provides a small lip of plastic around the opening, but there isn’t any water proof seal. If you work in extreme conditions or plan to take your memory cards out with you for events involving water, this is probably the biggest reason to consider a Pelican CF case.
There isn’t much different when looking at the Pelican SD case, it’s the same exact case as the CF version with a different foam insert. This could actually be a problem if you carry around both types of card in the same bag. From the outside there isn’t really any good way to tell the difference. It’s probably a good idea to stick some kind of label on them so you know which one is which. Maybe a wacky eyeball sticker scheme could be employed, angry eyes equals SD cards and bloodshot eyes equals CF cards.
The SD card case I normally use only holds 8 cards, while the Pelican case holds 12. Memory cards feel a little more secure in the rubber padding used in the SD card case (left) while the Pelican’s foam insert still feels a little cheap. Again there’s a sizer difference and my normal SD card case (left) feels more substantial than the Pelican case (right).
Since both the Pelican 0945 CF card case and the Pelican 0915 SD card case showed up free of charge, I’ll give Pelican another shot. I have a pretty heavy filming schedule next month so I’ll be dragging these two cases along to see how well they hold up. If I remember maybe I’ll post a follow up road test at the end of next month to let you know how well they worked out.
20Aug More Low price DIY Mōvi camera stabilizer alternatives
A few months back I covered a lot of information on low price Mōvi alternatives (check out the post here). Since then the technology has progressing pretty fast and there are a lot of new options hitting the market. I thought it might be time for an update.
Above is one of the new lower priced alternatives. It’s a kickstarter campaign so it could be vaporware, however looking at the parts, it appears that most of it is off the shelf electronics, so I’d say it’s pretty likely to come out. Labeled “The Ghost” this stabilizer is basically a ready to use 3 axis kit for $1595. Looking closer at The Ghost, it appears the unit is using two GBM 5208 brushless motors on the roll and pitch and a ALEXMOS ArmBGC V2.0 motor controller kit. I don’t recognize the 3rd axis motor, but i’m sure it’s something common.
A lot of the brackets and mounting components for the motors are likely made from custom CNC parts. Altogether you are receiving a little over $800 in parts gathered together in an easy to assemble package for $1595. Considering the price of some of the other options on the market, the price isn’t that unreasonable. They’ve probably worked out most of the bugs and loaded the latest firmware onto the controller board which would save you a lot of hassle if you aren’t very DIY oriented. The kickstarter campaign only has 7 more days to go, so if you want one you should probably move quickly.
Moving down in price with a very similar parts list we have the HIFLY DSLR 3-Axis camera stabilizer. For $1300, you get motors, controller board, battery, and all of the extra hardware. The ALEXMOS ArmBGC V2.0 motor controller kit is also used on the Hifly. Basically the difference between The Ghost and the HIFLY is that the former is put together in the states and will most likely have english instructions with a small support community, while the latter comes from China and might require some technical expertise to get working properly. If you’re familiar with these types of controls and hardware the HIFLY DSLR 3-Axis camera stabilizer could save you $300.
If you want to save some more money and do a little more DIY work, this Russian gentlemen (designer of the controller boards for both The Ghost and the HIFLY) will be releasing the ALEXMOS ArmBGC V3.0 motor controller next month. At $260 the controller includes 3-axis controls with easy to setup software that allows you to use follow panning mode. Basically the unit still stabilizes your camera, but at a set degree of pan the motor will actually slowly pan the camera in that direction. With a little practice this could be a very cool feature.
Combine this new controller with a bare bones HIFLY for $545 (just motors and carbon fiber) add a battery for another $50 and you’re just shy of $900. This option will probably require the most tweaking and you’ll have to figure out how to mount the position sensor, route wiring, and attach the controller board with battery. Even with all that you should still be able to easily stay under $1000 making it the most affordable DSLR level option I’ve seen to date.
The cost of motors and sensors are pretty stable, but as the technology keeps progressing, i’m sure we’ll start to see even lower prices on motor controller boards and carbon fiber cages. With this level of camera stabilization in a package that’s less than $2000 I see a dark future for traditional steadicam operators. You’ll still need giant sleds and vests for 3d rigs and other oversized camera setups, but for those working on a budget it would probably be cheaper to buy one of these setups then it would be to higher a steadicam operator for a few days of work.
I’m still debating on which option I’ll be pulling the trigger on. I’ll try and keep you posted.
07Aug Gopro Hero 3 firmware update
Gopro just announced a Hero 3 firmware update alongside an update to the Gopro App. The update is supposed to fix a number of issues and bugs that were plaguing the original app and it’s interaction with the Hero 3 black edition. It also adds video playback and sharing for mobile devices.
The update is also supposed to fix some of the card compatibility issues a few people were running into. If you are one of the unlucky that had issues with noisy audio, give it a try and let me know if the update does anything to address the issue.
I’ve had pretty good luck with my Hero 3 black edition, but I’ve talked to a lot of people that have had all kinds of random problems. Most often I hear “it’s a great little camera when it works”. Hopefully Gopro continues to work on the camera and get it’s firmware to where it should have been when it was released. I’ll post some more info on it once I’ve had a chance to play around with the update.
You can download the latest firmware update here (Hero 3 firmware update) and check out a full review Hero 3 black edition here.
