2010 Holiday Ideas To Take Your Imaging Beyond Stills

Recently, I've gotten numerous e-mails from people asking about accessorizing their HDSLR for motion capture.  So I decided to put together a little "guide" of  holiday gift ideas that includes some of my favorite "affordable" HDSLR accessories and gear:  With the exception of the cameras, most items listed are below $200.   I actually own and use every piece of equipment listed.  Additionally all the equipment is available at B&H. 

If you want to see the gear upfront and personal and you have any question about this gear, gear in general or HDSLR motion capture, join me on Thursday December 2 from 11to 1 in the B&H Event Space.  For more information or to register for the event click here.

The revised and expanded 2nd Edition of Beyond Stills:  HDSLR Motion Capture for the Non-filmaker will be available shortly.  The Second Edition has been revised and expanded to include a more general discission of camera settings and controls regardless of brand, as well a sections which cover the menus and movie controls for the latest Canon and Nikon releases. Much of the information and the links to product Websites that was formerly included in the seperate Interactive Resource Guide have been incorporated in the second edition. A notice will be posted here when the book is available. In the meantime, please enjoy idea guide!     To view the guide, click on the publication embedded below.

Open publication - Free publishing - More stabilizers

H(d)SLR Stabilizers: A Modular Approach

I recently made a presentation on H(d)SLRs to a group of photographers in New York, and two of the concerns the audience had included the amount of money needed to get your H(d)SLR video ready and the size of the equipment. It got me thinking about a reasonably-priced, handheld stabilizing solution that would allow for growth and expansion as needed. If your curiosity is peaked, read on….

The Modular Stabilizer in Four Acts.

Act 1
The foundation for this handheld stabilizer comes from British Columbia-based Cavision (designated 1 in the images.) It is their Single Handgrip with the RCP4590 plate. The grip folds down and attaches to the camera via a tripod socket. The MSRP of the Handgrip and plate assembly is $75USD. In this configuration, you have a solid platform to handhold your camera which provides two points (handgrip, plus free hand on camera) of stabilization.
Act 2
The next component is a LCD viewfinder accessory. I choose the Cinema kit from Hoodman, which includes the Hoodman Loupe 3.0, Eyecup 3.0 and a cinema strap to attach the Loupe assembly to the camera. While the Hoodman does not magnify, it does enhance the viewfinder experience, by cutting out stray light and providing three points of contact (hand grip, free hand on camera, and face) for stability. The kit retails in the vicinity of $115USD. This is where I find myself a little divided: While I do have the strap, I have had some issues with keeping the loupe firmly anchored to the camera with the strap on.
As an alternative to the Hoodman strap, there is the Redrock Micro Microfinder Loupe Accessory kit (as attached to the Hoodman Loupe and designated 2 in the images.) The loupe attachment fits to the Hoodman loupe and is seated between the camera and the Cavision plate. The MSRP of the Microfinder Loupe Accessory kit is $55.
A word of caution: do not handle the camera by the viewfinder accessory because it is sandwiched between the camera and base plate and its security depends on tightening the mounting screw in the tripod socket.
Act 3
The next component is for those interested in on-camera lighting and/or a microphone. The item of choice is the Cool-Lux MD 3000 Light and Sound Bracket (designated 3 in the images.) The aluminum bracket has two cold shoes at different heights, so it can accommodate a microphone and a light. It can be mounted on-camera in the hot shoe or on an off-camera accessory (as you will see next.) The bracket retails for just under $30USD.
Act 4
The final add-on is intended to provide an additional stabilizing point and to get the mike and light off the camera body. I realized that the Cavision pate had additional holes which would accommodate and extension arm. I happened to have a Sunpak E-flash Grip and Extension Arm from experimenting a few years back with their flat panel E-flash units (designated 4 in the images.) The extension arm is simply screwed into one of the holes in the Cavision plate. It can be placed on either the left or right side of the camera. It provides a second hand grip, and an arm with a ball head attachment that the Cool-Lux Bracket can be placed on to further isolate a microphone and or light from the camera. Some people may prefer the balance that the additional grip offers. The good news is that the Sunpak Grip and Extension Arm kit retails for $34.95. Note: The Sunpak Extension Arm will fit on the Cavision 5D MarkII and 7D Single Hand Grip and Viewfinder package which was previously reviewed.

(The handheld stabilizer rig is shown attached to a light stand for illustration.)
So there you have it, a modular stabilizing solution that takes elements from different product lines and combines them in a unique and functional way. I am particularly fond of this solution because it is not camera brand specific. Although I personally prefer the Microfinder accessory, one of the benefits of the Hoodman Cinema Strap is that the Loupe can be used with different sized camera bodies and/or bodies with or without a battery grip. We recently learned from one of our readers that the Loupe 3.0 does cover the screen of the new Rebel T2i,(thanks to Paul G for that info.) This stabilizing solution is easy to carry, easy to assemble/disassemble, and for people just getting their feet wet with motion capture, can be enhanced as their skills grow.
As always, we invite you to check out the current copy of “Outfitting Your H(d)SLR by clicking on the copy embedded below.



Disclosure: No consideration has been received in connection with this blog entry, nor has any manufacturer and/or retailer offered any consideration.

A Light and Portable Handheld HDSLR Stabilizer From Cavision

Recently, I was getting ready to go out and shoot some stills and motion for a personal project, and needed to travel as lightly as possible; this meant no monopod, tripod or larger stabilizer for video capture. I wanted a stabilizer that I could fit in a small to medium size camera bag, that was easy to store, required minimal assembly, and was lightweight for use with my 5D MarkII. My search led me to the Cavision Single DSLR Handgrip with Integrated Viewfinder. The Handgrip package is available for both the 5D MarkII or the 7D. (The difference between the 5D package and the 7D package is an additional spacer plate required because of the camera size differentials.)

On paper the handgrip package has a lot going for it: it is compact and the handle folds down, has an integrated swing away viewfinder which offers 6x magnification, is lightweight and best of all, is priced at $199. So I ordered one from a local retailer.



The stabilizer delivered all that it promised. It is lightweight, easy to get in my bag with the camera attached or detached, and nicely finished. No instructions are required as it is obvious that the camera is mounted by screwing it to the mounting plate. It also takes about two seconds or less to figure out how to engage and disengage and lock the hinged viewfinder. In terms of stability, with the camera mounted to the rig, there are three points of stability: One point at the hand grip, a second point at the eyecup and a third point can be established by the free hand, should you choose to place it on the camera.

In real world shooting, it works quite well with my collection of normal zooms and sub-200mm primes. But mounting the 70-200 zoom on it was challenging for me after a few minutes because the lens weight and length makes the rig front heavy. The viewfinder is a mixed blessing. I love the magnification; but it does not have a diopter adjustment which some users might prefer, nor is the viewfinder focusable. There is a price that one pays for the 6x magnification factor: There is some visible pincushion distortion (the corners bowing inward) when you view the LCD through the viewfinder. I mention this because some people may be disturbed by the visual effect of viewing the LCD where the corners lose their flat perspective and it potentially could affect critical manual focus of off-center subjects. I gave the rig to a couple of other photographers and they only became aware of the effect after I pointed it out. I did confirm that representatives of Cavision are aware that there is some pin-cushioning as a result of the higher magnification factor of their viewfinder. If you are using autofocus prior to the commencement of motion capture, the pincushioning if you notice it, is only a visual annoyance.

According to Bernie Koth-Kappus of the Vancouver based company, “We do have a wide variety of products for DSLR cameras, both at varying price points and for various different functions. One of Cavision’s primary goals is to create products that are universal and can fit a large variety of cameras. Because most of our systems are customizable and we already have many different types of components available, we can usually come up with a configuration for almost any camera.” As the HDSLR market continues to develop and mature, the ability to deliver products for various camera bodies and configurations is going to become increasingly important. In addition to the spacer plate to allow the 5D MarkII and the 7D to use the same stabilizer solutions, Koth-Kappus cites the development of a setup that would be suitable for the 5D MarkII with battery grip or Beachtek adapter (shown below on a shoulder mount stabilizer with extra accessories)



as examples of the ability and commitment Cavision has to crafting solutions. The company has an impressive lineup of attractively priced HDSLR related products from handheld stabilizers to shoulder mounts with follow focus ranging from $75 to around $900USD. Click here to visit Cavision’s website.

Disclosure: No consideration has been received in connection with this blog entry, nor has any manufacturer and/or retailer offered any consideration.


As always we invite you to look through the current issue of "Outfitting Your HDSLR" by clicking on the pages on the embedded magazine below: