From H(d)SLRs in Motion:

2nd Edition of Beyond Stills, e-Book for HDSLR Users, Now Available

The revised and expanded second addition of the e-book Beyond Stills: HDSLR Motion Capture for the Non-Filmmaker is now available. The second edition includes a more general discussion of HDSLR and interchangeable lens - mirror-less camera settings and operations regardless of brand, as well as discussion of the including menus, movie settings, and operations of Canon and Nikon HDSLRs including the Canon 60D, the Nikon D7000 and the D3100. The First section of the book focuses on the Camera - operations and settings; Part 2 of the book focuses on accessories to help facilitate motion capture; and the third section focuses on motion capture techniques. The book includes exercises which will better allow you to understand how your camera will behave under different shooting conditions. Additionally, the Interactive Resource Guide, which allows readers to access product and other information from manufacturers and was originally a separate publication, has been incorporated into the e-book. To view a video preview of the content, click on the thumbnail in the video bar to the right.
For more information or to buy Beyond Stills, click here .

A free copy of second edition of Beyond Stills is available to all those who have proof of purchased the first edition. If you purchased the first edition of the book from this site, your download instructions will be sent to you directly. If you purchased the book from the iBook Store, please contact me at Info@theimagician.com.

Be sure to check out the available Premium Content on the Beyond Stills site.

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.

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The Recoil: A Sub-$100 Shoulder-mount Stabilizer from Ikan

                                                             Image Courtesy of Ikan

There is a lot to like about the Recoil, a shoulder mounted stabilizer from Ikan: It is light; portable; offers three points of body contact; and best of all, is attractively priced at just under $100. The Recoil is made of a resin composite which accounts for its light weight and durability. The Recoil consists of a padded shoulder hook-arm/adjustable chest pad assembly, a long base plate, a short riser base plate, and a grip. According to Ikan, when using just the long base plate, the Recoil can support a load of up to ten pounds. The beauty of the recoil is that the base plates and grip offer a degree of customization for users. By way of example, I have mounted the short riser in the reverse of what is shown in the Ikan instruction guide in order to shorten the distance between my eye and the LCD display. The Recoil also can be used in conjunction with Ikan’s Element Fly series of stabilizers offering the ability to accommodate additional accessories that Ikan offers such as lights, monitors, and their Friction Focus.

Photographer Ron Herard puts my Recoil through the paces with a Canon 60D onboard (above and below.)

The thing I really appreciate most about the Recoil is the fact that the adjustable chest pad allows one to achieve a tight fit whether you are wearing a tee shirt or a sweater or an over coat. No matter what apparel I have had on, the Recoil fits snuggly and provides enough stability that I have had no problems adjusting my camera with minimal to no discernable shake. I do want to add that the chest pad may not be universally appreciated by all users: Some people will like it and others will not. From my perspective, it is the combination of the shoulder hook and chest brace assembly coupled with your hand placement, either on the camera or on the handle, that make this stabilizer so effective. As snugly as the Recoil may be adjusted to fit you, it is not intended to be used hands-free.

The one concern I do have about the Recoil is the durability of the foam used for the shoulder and chest pad. It is very dense, but a substantial amount of the chest pad is outside of the support plate. After thinking about this concern, I’ve decided to cross that bridge if and when it happens.
The Recoil has a MSRP of $99.99. In addition to the items previously mentioned, the Recoil comes with a storage/carrying pouch and an additional piece of foam for use between the base plate and some camera models.

For more information on the Recoil, visit http://www.ikancorp.com/



Disclosure: No consideration has been received in connection with this blog entry, nor has any manufacturer and/or retailer offered any consideration. All images which appear in this enty and blog are copyrighted and the property of their respective owners.



This article is protected by Copyright and may not be reproduced in part or as a whole in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the author.

Nikon d7000 Focus Tracking

Nothing scientific, just a quick test to see how the D7000 autofocus tracking works. My test was impromptu, and hardly perfect. So with the 18-105 kit lens on board, I asked my buddy Jason Strong to walk in a zigzag pattern and let the camera do its thing.

d7000 focus tracking from byron atkinson on Vimeo.

The HDSLR Camera Class of 2010- The Newest Arrivals

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HDSLR Camera Video Capture: Simple Manual Focus-Assist Solutions

As we are seeing, HDSLRs are indeed evolving with the inclusion continuous AF in video mode being offered as a feature in several recently announced models. While this addresses an often cited drawback to using HDSLRs, there are still users who may prefer to manually adjust and fine tune focus and/or circumstances under which manual focus is the most appropriate option. As many of you know, most of what we see in the movies and on television is shot using manual focus and with follow-focus devices. Think of a follow-focus as an intermediary between you and the lens, which allows precise movement of the lens to achieve focus without your hand physically having to touch the lens barrel. And as many who have been shooting video with HDSLRs can attest, the less you have to touch the camera and/or lens while shooting video, the less likely you will experience shaky footage.


Although they are available at several price points, many follow-focus devices need specialized equipment such as rails to be mounted to the camera, which can add expense and to the amount of equipment you have to carry. There are some models available that are self-contained units and do not require rails for additional support, but these units also tend to run a couple of hundred dollars.

For the person looking for a less expensive and space efficient focus-assist solution, you may want to look at the focus handles intended for use with medium format manual focus lenses. They can often be found in the “Used Department” of camera stores. They are generally priced between $6 and $30. These handles were made to fit around the focus ring of camera lenses and allowed the photographer to adjust the focus by moving the handle without touching the lens barrel. Guess what? Some of these work beautifully on some HDSLR lens focus rings. I find that the plastic models, such as the Lynn Handles “A” and “B”, are pliable enough to fit the focus ring of my lenses, and can be secured with the supplied screw or by twist-tie if necessary (the Canon 50 1.2L, 24-105L, and 70-200 2.8 IS are the three lenses I have used these handles on).




If you want functionality similar to that offered by the medium format focus handle, with greater certainty of fit for a wide variety of lenses, Cinevate, the Canadian-based manufacturer of camera and video accessories offers the Durus Focus Lever which can be

paired with various sized focus gear rings to offers a custom fit solution for each of your lenses. The MSRP for the Duras Focus Lever and the Durus Gear Rings are $69 and $37- $42, respectively. For more information on Cinevate products click here.

Redrock Micro offers the Nano Focus +Zoom Lever which when paired with their micro Lens Gears offers a degree of focus control.

The Redrock Micro Nano Focus+Zoom Lever and micro Lens Gear B mounted to a Nikon 35mm F1.8 Lens.
For more information on Redrock Micro products click here.

I do not want to imply that the focus handle/lever is a replacement for the traditional follow-focus. The precision offered by follow-focus gear adjustments is unmatched by the handle/lever solution. The handle solution does however offer a significant advantage over direct adjustment of the focus ring by hand. With a gentle touch, patience, and practice, you may find focus handles/levers of value in your relentless pursuit of motion!

As always, I remind you to check out the e-Book Beyond Stills as well as the Interactive Resource Guide embedded below:

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Disclosure: No consideration has been received in connection with this blog entry, nor has any manufacturer and/or retailer offered any consideration. All images which appear in this enty and blog are copyrighted and the property of their respective owners.

This article is protected by Copyright and may not be reproduced in part or as a whole in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the author.