GearComments Off on Kessler Lamprey – 200lbs. Universal Suction Mount
Dec032018
Kessler has announced a new 200lbs force rated suction mount. TheKessler Lamprey is a 8” suction cup with cheeseplate top, offering a variety of mounting options for camera, lighting and grip accessories.
Suction mounts in filmmaking are generally pigeon holed into car rigging, however Kessler quote that the Lamprey is suitable for “any non-porous surface” such as windows, table tops and (of course) car body panels.
The 8” suction mount has a built in pump and is rated for 200lbs.
On top, things are kept fairly universal, a cheeseplate array of 1/4-20 & 3/8-16 threads and holes means you can use the Kessler Lamprey in a variety of configurations.
GearComments Off on A Smart Remote That Can Add Features Your DSLR Doesn’t Have out of the Box
Dec032018
No matter what camera you have, it will be missing some feature available on another brand or model. I found that with my Canon DSLR, and when I moved to a Sony a7 III, I gave up some good features and gained a few.
During my Canon days, I became interested in a product called the Pluto Trigger. I was really interested in catching lightning where I live in the Arizona mountains. So, I picked up a Pluto Trigger for that purpose, and quickly realized it did a whole lot more for $119.
The Pluto (let’s shorten its name for brevity) packs a boatload of features that can enhance any DSLR. It supports Canon, Nikon, Sony, Minolta, Panasonic, Olympus, Pentax, and more. You’ll need a connecting cable to your remote port on your camera, and the company offers 13 remote cables that can control more than 300 cameras.
The Pluto uses an iOS or Android app for control. It’s easy to use and actually pretty self-explanatory when you are out in the field.
Action cams, GearComments Off on DJI Osmo Pocket – Tiny 3-Axis Stabilized Camera with 4K 60fps Recording
Nov282018
DJI just announced the smallest camera with mechanical gimbal ever – DJI Osmo Pocket. It can take 12MP stills and record true 4K video at up to 60fps. There will also be a handful of accessories available for the new Osmo Pocket.
Right now, DJI is having an event in New York City called “Because Life is Big” and they announced their smallest camera with a 3-axis mechanical gimbal ever – the DJI Osmo Pocket. Nino Leitner from the cinema5D team is attending the event to bring the fresh information to our readers – we will also share a video about the announcement with a first hands-on tomorrow.
Just like previous generations of Osmo, this is a very compact camera with a mechanical gimbal and a handle. Although the word compact is getting a whole new dimension here – the DJI Osmo pocket is incredibly tiny – it only weighs 4.1 oz (116g) and it is 4.8″ (122mm) long. The camera can record true 4K video at up to 60fps with 100Mbps bitrate.
The DJI Osmo Pocket uses built-in dual microphones and advanced noise-canceling algorithms to ensure high quality audio. The built-in Li-Po battery offers up to two hours shooting video in 4K (30fps), but it is not interchangeable. On the back of the camera grip there is a touchscreen display to monitor the image and control the camera, two buttons for quick controls and a universal port to connect various accessories.
GearComments Off on The Nikon Z6: The Best Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera (Except for One Thing)?
Nov272018
With Nikon’s shiny newZ6hitting the shelves in a matter of weeks, Kai Wong puts it through its paces at a nearby zoo, testing its autofocus and all-round performance with the help of a seasoned, Nikon-shooting photojournalist.
Photographer Paul John Bayfield has been shooting Nikons in the field for several years, so he’s the perfect candidate to see how the Z6 compares to its DSLR counterparts, and discuss how it stacks up against the Z7.
As mentioned elsewhere, the autofocus system just doesn’t quite compare to the 3D tracking offered by the likes of the D850 and the D5. For Nikon enthusiasts, this was undoubtedly something of a disappointment. The new combination of contrast detect and phase detect systems implemented in the Z range seems to be in its infancy, and prior to the launch of the Z7, expectations were high thanks to the 3D tracking in Nikon’s DSLRs that had set the standard by which it would be compared.
GearComments Off on Profoto B10 Versus Godox AD400Pro: The Best Strobes Compared
Nov212018
A few months ago, we released our first impressions of the new Profoto B10 portable flash unit, and many of our readers claimed that we didn’t give it an honest review because it was wildly overpriced. Today, we are giving the critics what they asked for: we are going to compare it to the Godox AD400Pro.
Both of these flashes have more similarities than differences. They are both compact, battery-powered flashes that can also be plugged into AC power. The true differences are found in the details, and we have compiled the most detailed comparison in Fstoppers history. Let’s get to it.
GearComments Off on Check Out These Amazing Deals on the Canon 5D Mark IV and 6D Mark II
Nov212018
If you’re like me and have been waiting for the right deal on the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Camera, now is the time to buy. It is currently the lowest online price ever at B&H Photo. There’s also a great deal on the Canon EOS 6D Mark II DSLR Camera.
In order to snag the $2,449 price for the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, you need to order theprinter kit, listed at $2,799. This includes a $350 mail-in rebate that you will need to send in by December 31, 2018. The normal price for this kit is listed at $3,354. That’s a savings of $905!
GearComments Off on Roland V-02HD – World’s Smallest Video Mixer
Nov202018
At Inter BEE 2018 in Tokyo, Roland introduced their new video mixer – the Roland V-02HD – which happens to be the world’s smallest device of its kind. It can mix two HDMI video inputs up to 1080p and embed analog audio to the resulting HDMI output.
Roland V-02HD is new compact video mixer (also called “micro switcher”) primarily designed for smaller events or productions where size plays an important role. It is capable of various tasks and combines more standalone units in one. It can function as:
simple switcher
scaler
input expander
audio solution
inline video effects compositor
Mixing Two Video Inputs
With this product, Roland is allowing also smaller productions to record or stream output from two cameras. Using a live switcher onsite lets users have an immediate deliverable. The Roland V-02HD takes HDMI output up to 1080p from two cameras and seamlessly switches to a connected recorder or live streaming encoder. The operator can switch between cameras using the dedicated controls on the device. There is also FS-6 foot controler with pedals included, so the person switching the signal can operate one camera at the same time.
GearComments Off on This Week’s Top Pre-Black-Friday Deals of the Week – Nikon D750, Mavic Pro, Sony A9, MZed and more
Nov202018
The Black Friday craze is already kicking into full gear, and there are more great deals than in any other week. Even now there are some outstanding offerings like Nikon’s full frame D750, the Mavic Pro Fly More Combo, a discounted Sony FS5 and Panasonic EVA-1 and much more. Check it out!
After combing through all the deals our partners B&H and CVP are currently offering, we came up with these 10 items. Our American readers will have the B&H selection to choose from, while CVP might be more interesting to our European readership. Here’s what we found:
B&H: Nikon D750 with Battery Grip, Battery, SD-Card and Shoulder Bag – $600 Discount
With all the mirrorless craziness going on right now, one could easily forget that cameras like the Nikon D750 are still highly dependable and nearly indestructible workhorses for any hybrid shooter. The first of our deals features a full frame 24 MP sensor shooting 6.5 fps with continous autofocus and 1080 60p with good autofocus. The battery grip improves the FPS in photo mode, and the battery pack will keep you shooting for hours. The included shoulder bag provides ample storage space for the body, two lenses and a few accessories.
GearComments Off on Google Pixel 3 Users Are Reporting Camera Failures
Nov202018
As friends and families get ready to get together for the holiday season, Google Pixel 3 owners are experiencing a bug that could get in the way of capturing special memories. People are reporting camera error messages and their phones failing to launch the highly-touted camera.
Charged reports that hundreds of Pixel 3 owners have taken to online channels such as Reddit and the GoogleProduct Forums with complaints that their cameras are no longer working.
For users affected by the bug, their cameras are unreliable — it frequently shows “Camera Error” messages and some users have resorted to rebooting their devices multiple times a day to get the camera temporarily working again until the next error shows up. Others have found that rebooting doesn’t fix the problem.
Apple, GearComments Off on I Bought the New iPad Pro So You Don’t Have To
Nov132018
I’m no stranger to the iPad. In fact, it once caused me not to get a job at an Apple store shortly after college. I was asked in an interview, “What do you think of the new iPad,” and I answered honestly (mistake number one in a job interview I would learn).
“I’m not sure how I feel about it, it doesn’t really do what I would want it to do.”
I didn’t get a call back for a second interview. Little did I know this would be the start of my rocky relationships with tablets.
In 2012, I bought refurbished a 32GB “New iPad.” With its retina screen, I told myself it would be the perfect portfolio alternative, and I could make myself look so cool by bringing a digital device to a client meeting, instead of a printed book.
“Who prints photos anymore? Clients will see me as cutting edge!”
That device currently is sitting on the floor next to my bed, unable to be updated past iOS 9, with a dead battery. I rarely use it anymore because of how slow it has become. And it certainly didn’t win me any clients. I think I may have used it professionally once or twice to have someone digitally sign a contract or a model release.
Cinematography, GearComments Off on Win $9000 Worth of Filmmaking Gear with Syrp, Renan Ozturk & cinema5D
Nov122018
Take part in a draw to win $9000 worth of camera gear! Find out how – the first live prize draw is happening very soon in the YouTube live stream above.
Together with Syrp, Manfrotto and Freefly we are giving you a chance to win a massive amount of kit.
We’re giving away 5 prizes and that means more chances for you to win! All prizes are based around Renan Ozturk’s camera gear – learn more about him and his adventures by clicking here!
GearComments Off on 10 Years of Micro Four Thirds: A Look Back at the Panasonic Lumix G1, the Camera That Started It All
Nov122018
In 2008, Olympus was teetering on the edge of photographic irrelevance, and Panasonic wasn’t a serious player in the camera industry. All that changed, however, when the latter launched a brand new mirrorless interchangeable lens system, dubbed Micro Four Thirds, with the Panasonic Lumix G1, released towards the end of that year.
While the G1 and Micro Four Thirds was technically not the first mirrorless camera (that would be the Epson R-D1), one could consider it the Ford Model T of this style of camera, a sort of mirrorless for the masses.
The system was formed as a partnership with Olympus, with both companies producing cameras and lenses that worked with one another (others, such as Blackmagic and whatever was left of Kodak would join later). The system itself was a miniaturization of the existing Four Thirds standard, a format championed by Olympus that ran a distant third to the APS-C and full-frame sensor sizes popularized by the two largest camera manufacturers, Canon and Nikon. The sensor size is physically smaller, about half the size of a full-frame camera such as a Canon 5D Mark IV, but Olympus and Panasonic bet that size, weight, and cost advantages, as well as an open format for other companies to adapt and use in their cameras would outweigh the physical disadvantages inherent in a smaller sensor, such as a noisier image.
GearComments Off on Canon and Nikon Are Approaching the Mirrorless Market From Opposite Sides, but Who Is Right?
Nov112018
With Photokina behind us and the unprecedented amount of new cameras and lenses announced over the past few months, we’ve had some time to let the dust settle, and there is something very interesting about just how differently Canon and Nikon are approaching the full frame mirrorless camera market. The question is: who is right?
Over the past few months, both Canon and Nikon have released their first full frame mirrorless cameras, Canon with the EOS R and Nikon with the Z7. Canon markets the EOS R as a sort of prosumer/enthusiast-level camera along the lines of the 6D Mark II and priced to match at $2,300 for the body — very similar to the 6D Mark II’s price on release. This contrasts the Nikon Z7, which is being touted as a sort of mirrorless D850, and its $3,400 price tag suits this comparison very well.
While two cameras having different prices isn’t interesting, when we take a deeper look into their currently available, upcoming, and rumored lenses, we can see the different approaches that Nikon and Canon are taking with their mirrorless full frame cameras. Alongside Canon’s enthusiast-level camera, they have released four lenses: the 28-70f/2L zoom, the 50mm f/1.2L, the 24-105 f/4L, and the 35mm f/1.8 Macro. If you notice, three of those four lenses are L branded, Canon’s professional-level branding.
Cinematography, GearComments Off on This Week’s Top 10 Deals for Filmmakers – Canon 1DX Mark II, ZEISS Lens, Litepanels and more
Nov112018
There are a couple of new interesting deals for filmmakers available. We selected the best 10 offers of filmmaking gear from our partners’ online shops for this week. Including the Canon 1DX Mark II, a ZEISS ultra wide-angle lens, Litepanels LED lights, a case for the DJI Ronin-S, a Dell Alienware laptop and more.
I went through the current deals on our partners’ websites and selected the top 10 offers currently available, which I think could be interesting for you. First, there are B&H offers listed for our readers based in North and South America and then a couple of deals from our European partner CVP. By shopping at our affiliate partners’ stores you are supporting cinema5D through our buy links, as we get a small affiliate commission when a purchase is completed.
Now, let’s take a look at this week’s top 10 deals for filmmakers:
The Kandao QooCam is a handheld 360 and 180 3D VR camera that creates great looking VR video for social media. Check out our Kandao QooCam review and test videos.
Kandao is one of the most innovative players in the VR camera space at the moment. This is an increasingly contested and fast developing market at the cutting edge of computational photography’s disruptive infiltration towards the mainstream.
The QooCam comes from the makers of the Obsidian Go, Obsidian R and Obsidian S 8K and high speed 360 VR cameras. We’ve covered a number of recent developments from Kandao here on cinema5D including the recent 8KVR live streaming demonstrated at IBC. We also covered the announcement of the QooCam back in May.
Before getting too deep, here are the sample videos shot with the QooCam.
QooCam 3D 180 / 360 Videos Samples
Below are the videos I shot while in Istanbul and in L.A. The top video is 3D 180, and the bottom video is 360. If you’re not set up for the full VR viewing experience, I recommend watching these on your phone rather than desktop, you’ll be able to move your phone around as a virtual window on the scene.
Nikon’s newest super-telephoto is another addition to its PF series of lenses that use a phase fresnel lens element in order to reduce the size and weight of what would otherwise be a much larger lens similar to more traditional fast, super-telephotos. The maximum diameter of this 500mm f/5.6E PF lens is 106mm, and it’s just 237mm long. It weighs about as much as the AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR lens, which is quite a feat for a lens with such reach. Most fast 500mm lenses weigh about twice that much. Naturally, this lens features Nikon’s dust- and drip-resistance as well as a fluorine coat on the front element to help repel dirt and moisture (and to also make it easy to clean).
GearComments Off on Nikon Announces the Nikon Z6 and Z7 Mirrorless Cameras
Aug232018
Nikon is finally here with its first professional, full-frame mirrorless cameras: the Z6 and the higher-megapixel Z7.
UPDATE: Pre-orders now open. Order now to get in line before everyone else.
We’ve waited for a long time for this, and now, after watching Sony from afar, tonight Nikon announced its answer to Sony’s rather successful a7- and a9-series cameras. The Z6 is Nikon’s low-light, mid-resolution body, high frame-rate body while the Z7 is a high-resolution equivalent. Alongside the Z-mount system, Nikon also introduced a new AF-S 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR compact, super-telephoto lens with the standard F-mount. But let’s dive right into the specifications for the Z cameras.
Cinematography, GearComments Off on DJI Mavic 2 Pro & Mavic 2 Zoom Announced – Plenty of Improvements
Aug232018
Finally – today is the release day for the new DJI Mavic 2 drones. The DJI Mavic 2 Pro with integrated 1″ sensor Hasselblad camera and Mavic 2 Zoom, the world’s first foldable consumer drone with optical zoom capability. Both drones offer lots of smart features, flight time of up to 31 minutes and a more stable video transmission system.
The new DJI Mavic 2 Drones. Source: DJI
Every drone enthusiast was waiting for this. The day when DJI releases their new Mavic 2 drone. That day is today! As we already know since a month ago – DJI is not revealing one new drone, buttwo new drones. Number one: Mavic 2 Pro, the world’s first drone with an integrated Hasselblad camera. Number two: Mavic 2 Zoom, the world’s first foldable consumer drone with optical zoom capability. Both drones share the same foldable body design and offer a flight time of up to 31 minutes as well as a more stable video transmission system.
Brief History of the Mavic
When the original DJI Mavic Pro (our review here) came out in 2016, it caused a small revolution in the drone world – it featured an unprecedented combination of portability and image quality. With its foldable design it fitted in every bag and made drone shooting accessible to masses. Even despite its low bitrate of 60Mbps, and therefore not so great dynamic range, it carried much more strengths and is still a very popular product, to this day.
New DJI Mavic 2 Series Drones. Source: DJI
In january 2018 DJI presented Mavic Pro’s smaller brother – the DJI Mavic Air (hands-on video here, Mavic Procomparison here). It featured a higher bitrate of 100Mbps in a smaller, lighter and more affordable body. There were, however, some trade-offs when compared to the older Mavic Pro. For instance, the lower range due to different wireless technology used (OcuSync in Pro vs Extended Wifi in Air).
Both the Mavic Pro and the Mavic Air shared the same 1/2.3″ sensor. The field-of-view of the lens was 26mm (full frame equivalent) with the Pro and 24mm (full frame equivalent) with the Air.
DJI Mavic 2 Pro – Image Quality is Everything
The DJI Mavic 2 Pro features the brand-new camera module which DJI co-engineered with Hasselblad. The partnership with the medium format photography pioneer is very clear, as the Mavic 2 Pro proudly carries the Hasselblad logo right above the lens.
Cinematography, GearComments Off on PolarPro Quartzline ND Filter Review – a new Gold Standard?
Aug192018
I first got to know PolarPro cinema series ND filters about 1.5 years ago when I was conducting a GoPro Hero camera review fitted with their set of filters. (See my review here). Now they are venturing into the professional large diameter filter world (up to 82mm), essentially claiming a neutral color balance and near perfect optical quality. Is this claim true? Read on to find out.
In this review, I’m testing the new PolarPro Quartzline ND 64 filter and PolarPro ND16 / PL (polarizer) filter. Those filters are made of 99.9% fused quartz to ensure optical clarity with a very low refractive index. The frames are built from machined brass to ensure they thread on smoothly – very essential as I have experienced seized up filters from aluminium frames myself already. A very nasty experience …
PolarPro claims a neutral color balance, zero color shift and near perfect transmission by the optical coatings. For more information about the available filters and sizes, please head to Richard’s article.
GearComments Off on Hasselblad’s XV Lens Adapter Lets You Use V Lenses on the X1D-50c
Aug192018
Hasselblad has launched its new XV lens adapter, which lets you mount old V system lenses on the new X1D-50cmedium format mirrorless camera.
The XV adapter, which Hasselblad says “bridges its legacy and its future,” supports Hasselblad’s full lineup of C, CB, CF, CFI, CFE, F and FE lenses — it adds compatibility for over 60 lenses that range in focal length from 30mm to 500mm.
