These will let me light on location using a V-mount Li ion battery as well as the usual studio setup, as shown here. I included illustration of the charger for the battery… this system gives reliable power for an all-day shoot whether to the lights or audio recorder for example. The 300 watt Husky LED panel runs only on wall power.
The S8 head carries up to 22 pound payloads, somewhat more than my Manfrotto heads. I like the included bubble -level light for low-light leveling of this head.
What do I NOT like about the 5D3/ Canon DSLR systems?
– No crop mode such as DX/ FX (Nikon got this RIGHT)
– No highly compressed 1080p/24 to reduce file sizes..NO 1080p/60!!!!
– No XLR inputs**
– Much more difficult to achieve ‘image overlay’ process in-camera (again, Nikon got this right)
– No built-in intervalometer (Please take a tip from Nikon??)
– Overheating during some longer video recordings**
– Beep mode is too quiet to be useful in a number of situations, especially outdoors
– (Overly)complex AF system
– Canon super telephotos tend to be much more expensive than Nikon counterparts
– No recording of an StdDef-quality vid version on a second card, for output to DVD/web**
– No ND filters built in ** (I’m reaching here….)
I prefer to use Nikons for photography and Canons for video… YMMV.
** these and other issues are well addressed by the Canon EOS Cinema camera line.
See
I also enjoy using slow motion as depicted here, but I usually do it in post (Premiere Pro/After Effects) rather than at capture.
I included several programs from the Adobe Master Collection CS6- my core software along with Lightroom for video and still imaging file storage and manipulation.
Also added was Nikon Camera Control Pro 2, which I recommend to Nikonians who want to be able to tether their captures. It supports stills and video.
For those who wish to share video, audio, text and/or photo files with me, please send them to my Dropbox if you have access to this feature.
I found this baseplate for $99 (no tax) last weekend at the Los Angeles Convention Center, while attending a Big Photo Show. The Hoodman rep was at the Samys section and I was intrigued by the prospect of using a compact, lightweight ‘rail’ to add or remove my 3″ Hoodman loupe to a DSLR monitor. This would make use in bright sunlight much easier.
After a short demo I decided to buy it, and I assembled it this afternoon (see images). The box has excellent schematic images showing the location and names of all of the parts. This is a modular design with 3 components: the onboard 1/8″ hex Allen wrench, the rail which accepts the loupe, and the baseplate which attaches to the camera base.
I’m pleased with the very lightweight of this unit, its build quality, and the ease of attachment and removal of the loupe assembly. The fit to the 3″ Nikon D600 monitor is excellent. Controls are positive and smooth. And it’s in Nikon colors- the main set screw is gold….[sorry, non-Nikonians]. I can easily reach the LiveView and other camera controls, because none of the baseplate extends over them.
This unit also adjusts for a 3.2″ monitor such as the D4, and all hex screws are of the same caliber so that the entire apparatus can be completely adjusted in the field with no additional tools.
SUMMARY: I highly recommend this item for DSLR videographers and still photographers, especially if you do a lot of field work and/or do not use a matte box. You won’t notice it until you need it.
baseplate (L), rail (R)
baseplate from below
attacheing the baseplate to the grip for Nikon D600
The bracket also fits 3.2″ loupes
microadjustments to fit the 3″ loupe to the bracket
the lower left portion of the vertical adjustment rail contains the 1/8″ hex wrench
no interference with battery swapout from Nikon grip
lateral view of complete assembly on tripod, with D600
closeup of main setscrew to adjust rail (gold) and QR plate from baseplate to tripod mount
Arca-Swiss compatible (Acratech) tripod quick-release plate attached
I’m beginning to use Kupo’s line of grip equipment alongside my Matthews gear and have been impressed- it’s very good quality, at a price considerably lower than Matthews’s lineup, and easily available in the southern CA area. I get mine from Samys Camera.
My 40″ extension arm and grip head w hex stud have been helpful for interview setups, instructional videos and studio stills; they make it easy to rig a light, microphone, flag, scrim or reflector with freedom of movement and great stability. I like that the grip head on the extension arm is permanently attached and will not rotate. They attach to any standard light stand.
At the same time, I can reserve the boom/jib for mounting a B or C camera.
Nikon D600, 70-200mm f/2.8 Nikkor, 1/160 f/11; Lightroom 4
After several months of intensive use, these are some of my comments about the D600:
It continues to impress me with its overall versatility, good build quality, audio and video features and (actually) more resolution than I often need. One of the times when I find the 24MP files especially useful, though, is when required to crop heavily for print formats. I find that in most of these cases, the shoots cannot be rescheduled. Although I don’t have power aperture as on the D800/D4, it can be approximated by using a lens with an aperture ring.
While in a -15deg F snow camp in December, I was happy to observe that the battery functioned normally (!)
My experience with the camera has led me to use the battery grip moderately often, but in the field the ability to take a much lighter body and not sacrifice FX and feature set has been a huge advantage. Among the features I seem to be using most are in-camera HDR, timelapse, bracketing, and rapid switching between DX and FX format without the need to change lenses. Almost anything that avoids lens changes in the field is seen as a benefit for me- less to get inside the camera, faster operation, being able to push ISO and other attributes of the body to make the most use of each lens.
The menus have become even more intuitive with practice, and I have very few complaints regarding them. The control layout seems excellent to me…..
Please call or write if you know of such a program? To my knowledge neither ControlMyNikon nor Camera Control Pro2.x, nor any other commercially available programs seem to support the D600 as of this note…… I would be very grateful for any insights!
Thanks in advance-
William Hooks
maximpactphotography 