2010/09/29

Full Version of "The Bridge" by Marlon Torres

I just came along the very inspiring full version of "The Bridge" by Marlon Torres - and i HAD to share it! This was entirely shot on Canon 7D and 5DMKII DSLR cameras!

Check this link for more information.

Enjoy!


Favorite DSLR video sites

Just added some great DSLR related sites to my feed reader (after I deleted a lot of other sites) and wanted to share my favorite ones with you.

the site that let me fall in love with DSLR videos:

the guy that made me buy a Canon:

the site that shows the greatest equipment:

other great sites:

my little site:


Hope you'll take a look at these sites. Let me know if I missed a good one.

Cheers,
jonni

2010/09/24

Canon 550D underwater photo and video with the DiCAPac SLR Case

Since underwater cases for DSLR cameras are way to expensive for my budget ($1000++) I was searching for an underwater bag for my 550D and came along the DiCAPac SLR Case. It's a $115 (90€) bag for your DSLR camera which is meant to be waterproof up to 5m. It's pretty big so you can even put in a 7D or 5D if you want to. You can find even cheaper cases on ebay, but to be honest - I don't trust them. The DiCAPac case has a large optical lens with a diameter of 85mm, so you can use it with a big variety of lenses. And the quality of this glas is really good. I couldn't notice any light loss at all.

To keep this article short, here are the facts. After some tests I took a few underwater photos and shot some videos with this thing and it works! The quality is amazing! This is a product I can recommend without any doubt.

Here's a short video to show the abilities of this bag


But before you hit the buy button and get this thing you should be aware of some things. Handling your camera with this bag is really hard! You can fit 2 550Ds in this bag easily. I think it will work better with bigger cameras. Making adjustments during a shot is almost impossible. So you have to make all your settings first (even zoom and focus) and then start the shoot. Another problem I had was that my 18-55mm kit lens was way to small, so I had to push the tube for the lens against it all the time to avoid filming the inner side of the tube. But with some practice or by taping the tube towards the bag (or using a longer lens) you should get some really nice shots, even if this bag can't replace any professional case for your DSLR.

I can't wait to test this bag on a rainy day...

My rating:
price: 5/5
quality: 5/5
handling 2/5

Cheers,
jonni

2010/09/23

Z96 dimmable LED video light - how to use it as a strobe (bug)


Shooting video at night without enough light is almost impossible. You can pump up the ISO which will result in a grainy image or use an extra light source. In case you are searching for a portable but still powerful light source for run-n-gun shoots you should take a look at the dimmable Z96 LED video light. Build quality is good, the light is very bright and also dimmable, you get 2 diffusors and a shoe mount to put it on top of your camera and it works with 5 AA batteries. If you need a bigger light source you can get more of these and stick them together. The LEDs on mine Z96 don't have the same color. Some are white, some purple and some yellow. But this doesn't affect the light at all.

Check this post on cheesycam.com for more information.

I was really happy when I got mine. Tested it with an AC adapter (not included) and it worked really good - I'm still using it as my desk lamp with the AC plug. But when I put some batteries in it I noticed that it started to flicker after a while. First I thought it was a problem with the LED light but then I realized it was because of my batteries.



So if you need a strobe (maybe for a music video or to simulate some flashes) - this is how you get the effect: simply take 4 fully loaded AA batteries instead of 5 and stick in another empty battery. Then twist the dial till you reach the brightest light (not at the end any more but somewhere in the middle) and adjust it slightly till the light starts to flicker. Once it started to flicker you can adjust the strobe speed by twisting the dial. For me this effect is reproducible, I don't know if it works for every Z96 LED light.

Hope this was interesting.

Cheers,
jonni