Setup

As you can see in the picture above (next to my RigWheels slider, for size comparison), the rig is quite adjustable, this mean that there are a lot of screws and nuts you can adjust to get a perfect fit on your rails. This is great because it gives you a lot of flexibility but it also means a longer setup time compared to prebuilt solutions.

Setup is easy, just put the slider on top of your rails and push the side parts until they are flat on the side surfaces. The difference between this rig and the others is that you have 8 wheels to check instead of 4. Tighten everything up and move the slider around to make sure none of the moving parts are loose. This is the rig with the longest setup time I have played with but it is still very manageable. The biggest issue is if you have to move the central camera plate. In this case, you will have to unscrew/screw 4 more bolts.

Also note that you can reverse the camera plate and use the slider on a flat surface (ex: table, ground, etc), without the side wheels. I have a lot of fun playing with it this way on my quartz counter top.

Smoothness

This has to be  the slider strongest point: thanks to its big wheels and 8 points of contact, it is nearly impossible to get a rough slide. In fact, your biggest limitation wont be the slider but the rails you will set it on. It will have to be perfectly straight with a a constant width.

Build quality

Lets be honest, the slider does not have the polished look of something made by Kessler or Cinevate. It is all screws and nuts. Then again, we are not in a beauty contest! We want something durable and in this department, the all metal construction of the MYC slider fits the bill. While you may have to tighten the nuts once in a while, this thing is build to last.

One of the big plus of this slider is that it can be used for timelapses. While you can technically used a video slider to shoot stills, most of these are too small or have too much drag which is not a desired feature when working with time lapses where you have to be able to move the slider fractions or millimetres between shots.

Conclusion

I like it! On top of being one of the cheapest slider solution, it gives great results. Its only flaw is its size and setup time which make it a bad choice for event videography. But for films, real estate, concerts, etc.. It is a great tool.

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Lets face it, while rigs look cool, they are not always the most practical solution. I have talked about my new love relation with using a monopod instead of a rig and it is not like you have any room on it for a light or microphone.

This is where the J-Cube comes in. It is an adapter you put on your camera hot shoe adapter which gives you 3 slots to fit your gear in. These slots are cold, which means they can’t trigger a flash. But if you want to power a pocket wizard, you can always plug it in the PC sync.

Sorry for the bad product picture, this thing is quite hard to photograph and I could not use my white tent…

Product review

When I got my review unit, I was quite surprised to see how heavy it was. I was expecting a cheap plastic gizmo. I was in for a surprise: this thing is metal solid and all the adapter slots are made in metal which is a nice change from all the chinesse stuff I have tested recently.

How heavy? Heavy enough for you to notice but nothing to worry about.

I have to admit that I could not fully test the product since I dont have any receiver or light that could fit on the hot shoe adapter. So my test procedure was to put a flash on top of it with two pocket wizard on the side. Result: something totally ridiculous but the important thing to remember is that the J-Cube held very well and there was no slack in the system, even after I shook it a few times.

Should you get one?

If you have to record audio + use a light and require everything to fit on the camera (ex: monopod or tripod), this product is going to be a god send. It works as advertised and its build quality means it will stay with you for a while.

If you never had to plug anything else than a mic in your hotshoe, this product is not for you.

You can buy it straight from BH PhotoVideo.

Notice: j-Cude is a site sponsor so maybe you should not trust me… or maybe you should!

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The product

After some googling, I bought the Polaroid grip on Amazon. Note that it is also available for the 7D.

I used to use a Canon battery grip with all my previous cameras and I really appreciated its texture and built quality. The Palaroid grip feels pretty much the same. The finish is not as great at what you can find on a Canon grip but it is close enough for me.

Trigger

The one big difference, and that is something you notice as soon as you take you first shot, is the different feel of the trigger button. It does not feel Canonish at all. You really have to press it hard to take the picture. Is this a bad thing? Not really, you get use to it after a few minutes but it could be an issue for people who put the AF and trigger on the same button (which is a bad idea anyways)

Handling

The handling is excellent. It does not feel slippery at all and the added weight really improve the balance of the camera.

Comfort

As you can see in the pictures, the grip texture is very similar to the one on the camera body and it not just a textured hard plastic like some other grips.

Batteries

While the grip can use 2 standard Canon batteries, you can also use an adapter to use standard AA batteries which is a great thing when you are travelling.

The features

Canon grip only provide additional battery capacity and better handling. Polaroid grip on the other hand is going the extra mile to add value, such as…

Intevalometer

The key feature of the grip (and the reason I picked it) is that it comes with a built-in intervalometer. It means you have one less piece of gear to put in your bag. From now on, whenever you are shooting, if you see an opportunity for a time lapse, you can do it. This is something Canon should put in all they camera bodies, like Nikon, until then I will use Polaroid grips.

Clock

When the intervalometer is not used, it shows the time.

Remote IR trigger

To top it off, Polaroid added an IR sensor on the grip and gives a remote trigger. While this is a great addition, I think they should have put the sensor somewhere else because there is not much room for it to see the emitter.

The bad

I have used the grip for around 10 hours of shooting so far and it performs great but some things could be improved:

• The documentation about how to use the intervalometer is erroneous! I am probably going to post a tutorial on this soon to save you all some time!
• The grip texture attracts more dirt than the one on the body (as you can see on my pictures). Nothing problematic but if you are a neat freak, you should be aware of this!
• I had some random issues with the back LCD/intervalometer. The screen did not lit up. The solution was easy and worked every time: pull the battery off and push them back in.

Conclusion

At 80$, the Polaroid grip is a steal. I know there are some cheaper grips on the market but this is the best I have found in terms of built quality and features. I can hardly see how this could be a bad purchase. Even if you dont think you need a grip, you will appreciate this one for its additional features.

Where to buy

It seems like only Amazon has these right now. And remember, by clicking the following link before making your purchase, you help support this site and help me convince my wife that I should be doing this for a living!

Polaroid Battery grip for Canon 5DMrkII

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Call it Apple biggest mistake if you want but they built this app for people like us. People who shoot-edit-deliver all by ourselves. By simplifying the timeline and media management, they made it even easier for us to edit our clips.

Other than the multicam, I don’t really care about all the other ‘missing’ features from FCP7 since I never had to use them. I am not saying those who needed these should not be frustrated. Just that it does not affect me, nor does it affect you (most probably).

By rebuilding the app from the ground up, they gained a lot:

• The app is FAST! I edit H.264 without transcoding or proxying without any issues (so far).
• The new interface is very slick and functional (once you get used to it). Lots of refinements.
• Better integration with Motion.
• Rebuild the editing paradigms/metaphors to be better aligned with how people actually use the application.
• A software architecture that actually uses what OSX has to offer.

Now the bad part

I installed the app without realizing that my current plugins would not be compatible nor would I be able to open my old projects. This seriously sucks. There should have been a warning somewhere. Not that I was stupid enough to upgrade in the middle of a project, but simply because I may want to go back to an old project and rerender it into another format…

iMovie import? Seriously, this is the thing you see when you open the app and it is a bit insulting.

Conclusion

Depending of what you do, there are a lot of reasons to hate FCPX, but there are a lot of reasons to love it too. And if you make a living from your HDSLR, odds are that you will love it.

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Content

The book covers the domain wide and large. Starting from answering the simple question ‘What does a wedding videographer do?‘ to giving advices on video editing and color grading.

As you can guess, it covers pretty much everything one needs to know to start shooting professionally. This is a very ambitious project and I think it is done reasonably well here in the sense that it gives a good overlook of what to expect, how to plan for it and what to do on D day. It is not a replacement for experience and I will call anyone who starts looking for contracts right after reading the book and idiot. Please assist a pro for at least one season!

This book is a starting point, know that you will need to deepen your knowledge in many areas. The hardest part when learning a new field (at least for me) is to structure your thoughts and know what you need to learn. Once you are aware of this list, the rest is much easier and I think this book serves this purpose well.

Moving from Stills to Motion

When I talked about this book to my friend (a wedding photographer), he wanted to know if the book would teach him how to add a video side to his business. While he is not the target audience for the book and some good chunk of it are valid for both stills and video, I think it can be of some help, especially when it highlights clients expectations regarding the end result.

Things I like

• The book includes a shot list that is a great starting point to build on.
• All the advices come from hard learn experiences.
• The book tone makes it easy/fast to read.

Things I really did not like

• As a lot of book on the topic of video, this one falls into the trap of describing how to use editing software.
• Some example are a bit cheesy and out of style.
• Some of the content is too beginner-ish.

Special complain

As weird as it may look, the book does not talk about HDSLR. Not even a a short mention! This puzzles me considering that wedding videography must be the most popular professional use of HDSLR. Yet, it was published in 2010!

Conclusion

If you are planning to shoot a wedding this summer, getting this book is a worthy investment. But lets face it: no book can prepare you for the craziness of a wedding day. Except maybe a 6-pack of RedBull.

You can get the book here from Amazon

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I havent tested it yet, but as with all IR system, based on my past experiences, it should work reliably except in very bright sunlight conditions.  Sells for 35$ or 65$ with the remote.

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This is where my friend Udi, from DIY Photography, steps in. His popular blog presents various DIY strategies to achieve the pro look using much cheaper DIY alternatives. While his blog usually only presents the end results with a quick description, he recently published an eBook that goes into every single steps of the building process.

You maybe thinking ‘why do I need instructions? Building a softbox is easy‘ and you would be almost right. It is easy once you have done all the mistakes and that is, according to me, the greatest value of the ebook: having someone else figure out the complicated stuff for you.

The book presents the building instructions for:

• Softboxes
• Reflectors/Diffusers
• Light restricters
• Light supports
• Ghetto set-ups (I loved the underlight section, great idea!)

As you can see, it covers pretty much anything you may want to build/need.

Are these DIY lights as good as pro ones?

As good, no. Nearly as good? Nearly. The biggest difference between the two is usually in the materials. Pro gear will reflect or diffuse the light better because the manufacturer has access to better materials to manage light. The difference is usually minimal and can often be solved by adjusting the strobe power or zoom level.

Should you get the book?

If you are thinking about building a home studio and you value your time, I strongly suggest you do. It is cheap and will worth many times its price in time saved!

You can get the book here.

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What is covered?

Pretty much everything! But very superficially. The ebook gives inspiration and tips and shows how using the various variables can yield different results. It gives the readers a working photographic vocabulary enabling them to expand their learning process afterward. When starting something new, it is always hard to know what you don’t know. By covering pretty much everything this ebook gives a good idea to the novice of what is out there for them to learn, experiment and master.

Layout and presentation

The eBook is very easy to read. Most topic are covered in a page or two and there are a lot of illustrations. The pictures are not as impressive as some I have seen else where and a bit too manga-ish for my taste but I am a picky guy.

Should you get this book?

If you dont have never taken photography course or have never read a book on the topic, this is the perfect book to start with. On the other hand, if you already know the basis and are familiar with terms like rules of third, quality of light and negative space, I would suggest you to go for either the Photographers eye or the Photographers mind. Photo Nuts and Shots will be just too superficial for you. That being said, if you never seem to be able to shoot great pictures, get the ebook. It will improve your photography a thousandfold!

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Unfortunately, I have not played with the USD FF yet so all my comments are based on what I saw in the published material and their website.

The Okii USB controller

Usability

Easy to use and setup (once you learn how to use it). No need to setup the camera on rails and put gears on the lenses. This is a big plus!

Flexibility

The controller does not just control the focus, it can be used to control many other camera settings without having to touch the camera which is a must when doing remote shooting. This is so useful!

Range

Since this is an USB product, range is limited to a few feet. It is unclear if it would work with USB extenders/chained hubs.

Focus control

While marks on a focus disk are good, having the controller store the exact position of the various focus point is even better.

What about the Jag35 EFF then?

Range

It can send its signal over a much longer range than what is possible with an USB cable.

Flexibility

The Jag35 EFF can change the zoom range of the lens, not only the focus. This is not something I see myself doing often, unless the camera is set in a remote location and I have two motors: one of the zoom wheel and another for the focus. Still, it is possible.

Rack Focus speed control

The Jag35 EFF gives you total control over the speed at which the focus should change. This is a blessing and a curse since it means someone has to be in charge for rotating the focus wheel at a constant speed.

Conclusion

To me, it is clear the USB FF Controller has the upper hand. The only people who should go with the Jag35 EFF are those who need range, zoom control or don’t like having a controller telling them at which speed the focus should move.

If anyone is interested, I would gladly trade my Jag35 EFF for one of these!

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Pros

It is more precise than what I expected. I never had an issue to get critical focus. All you need is an external monitor and you will be set.

You can use it either to change focus or zoom level which make it quite flexible. Get two and you have total control!

I tested the unit from a distance of a few meters using a standard cable without any issues. And with the upcoming wireless controller, this will only get better.

Cons

1) It is noisy. Enough to make you forget about using the camera audio. As you can see in the video, the amount of noise depends of the motor rotation speed but even at the slowest speed, it is too much for the internal mic.

2) Since the motor does not rotate 360 degrees, it will eventually hit its limit and when it does, it will give a small kick to the gear which will create a small bump in the video. This is very easy to manage: never turn the wheel until the very end! To better illustrate this, I marked these spots in the video (near the end). Using a very heavy tripod can minimize this issue.

3) The motor is not rotating in real time. There is a small delay between the moment you start rotating the control and the moment the gear starts to move. From my limited experience, this is not a big issue since it only happens when doing rack focus. But here is a video to show it (I put a mark on the wheel to have a reference point).

It is also worth noting that I installed the rig on top of a piece of foam to exaggerate the motor generated shake. When installed on a tripod, this is much less of an issue.

4) As the battery is wearing out, the motor speed will decrease so make sure to always use fresh batteries.

Construction

If you take into account that it is not a pro level gear, you wont be disappointed. All the metal parts are well machined and my only real issue is with the cable connectors. They look like the weakest part of the system and I expect them to fail eventually. I am probable going to fill this spot with putty to protect it.

The other thing that looks like a design flaw is that it is impossible to install a marking disk on the focus wheel without doing some serious DIY. It would have been very easy for Jag35 to tap the hole so we could screw in a disk but they did not.

Oh also the color… Orange is not really pro looking. Please make the next batch black! I know branding is important but I dont want my rig to look like a Christmas tree!

Who needs this?

The Jag35 Electronic Remote Follow Focus has a very limited range of uses. But, as long as you are working within this range, it is the only product able to satisfy your needs at a reasonable cost.

Typical use cases are: installing on a crane or any other impossible to reach spot, … Ehh.. I could not find more uses. The promo video shows it on a shoulder rig but, when I tried, I could not get satisfactory results.

Should you get it?

Unless you have a crane or know exactly what you want to do with it right away, wait. This is not an investment I would do. I got mine and will probably put it on my gear renting list.

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