Even though I have talked about this setup several times, recent events have prompted me to bring it up again and for good reason. As I am writing this, I am on a cruise ship sailing towards St. Maarten. One thing about cruise ships is that they make a good chunk of money selling photos. They take photos of you getting other ship, arriving at ports, at dinner, and they have multiple static setups with different backgrounds. When you are needing to pound out hundreds of portraits per day you can’t be spending a lot of time messing with your lighting. So what lighting setup do they use for quick, simple, and consistent lighting? The standard three light portrait setup of course.

Let’s dissect their secret recipe and see how they are using the three light setup so effectively.

To the camera right is a 32″ softbox as the key light. On the camera left is a 42″ umbrella as a fill light, and then high right off the background stands is a third light with a honeycomb grid as a hair light. Why does this setup work so well that they use it exclusively at every one of their stations? The answer is simple, its because it works. The softbox provides some nice directional lighting while the umbrella softens the shadows. The high gridded light adds a splash of hairlight which looks natural for both indoor and outdoor scenes.

While the cruise ship is using 500 watt second monolights, a Westcott Apollo, and a Westcott umbrella, you can put together the same setup for much less. Let’s break down all of the pieces and see what it would cost to replicate this tried and true lighting setup.

(3) Blackbelt Lighting BB560 speedlites @ $95 each
(1) Blackbelt Lighting. Stealth 32″ Softbox @ $79
(1) Blackbelt Lighting 10′ x 12′ backdrop stand @ $85
(1) Blackbelt Lighting Ninja Speedlite Triggers @ $65
(1) Blackbelt Lighting swivel mount @ $15
(1) Shoot through umbrella @ $10
(1) Blackbelt Lighting Samurai Light stand kit @ $65
(1) Bogen Superclamp
(1) Expoimaging Rouge Grid
Printed backgrounds from Backdrop Outlet

All in you are going to be between $700 – $900 depending on the background you get. While this may sound like a lot of money, you would easily spend over $2,500 for big name products. The beauty of a setup like this is that it is a very versatile lighting kit that makes for a great starting point for building upon as your skill increases.

Features

Before we get into the one feature I really bought the DS214 for (yes, I bought it, full price from B&H, this is how much I wanted it) let’s go through some of the other features that make this unit such a cool device:

• 2 mic channels via the stereo minijack input
• Audio Input Meters
• AGC Disable (to get better SNR from cameras without manual control)
• 30dB typ max gain
• Headphone Amplifier
• Low-noise preamp
• Enclosure fabricated from Aluminum, Approx 3.5″ x 3″ x 1.7″

If you are not an audio expert, you might not know what most of that means, fear not reader, I will do my best to explain it as I understand it.

Our current video DSLR cameras have a single stereo microphone input but usually our microphones only feed in the audio in a single channel (left or right, sometimes combined). Sometimes, we want to use two mics for real stereo input but the difficulty is getting the audio levels to be level between the two channels. With the DS214 (and a specific cable) you can feed two channels into the amp and adjust the input levels with dials on the front of the unit and use the audio level meters to help adjust the levels. Thanks to a headset jack, you can also monitor the audio stream to make sure it is sounding good as well. By integrating a low-noise pre-amp, you can boost the input levels to ensure a goof quality recording.

That is about as technical as I can get without risking the possibility of being completely wrong, so if someone wants to chime in in the comments to help clarify this, please do.

The final feature is the AGC disable (much more on this latter) which rather effectively disables the aforementioned AGC in the camera to allow the camera to record good clean audio.

AGC Disable

There are plenty of amps available with a plethora of features but the DS214 has a feature specific to what I wanted, and this is AGC disable. When you turn on the AGC Disable feature the DS214 mixes both of the left and right channels into a single track that is fed into the left channel while a tone generator feeds a signal into the right channel. The generated tone tricks the AGC system in the camera into thinking there is a lot of noise coming in which causes the AGC to essentially shut off.

While your camera ends up with a really clean audio track on one channel, you also get an unusable right channel that you need to delete in post production. If you are using Sony Vegas or Final Cut, JuicedLink has some instructions for removing the right channel. If you are using Adobe Premiere Pro 5.5, I have come up with the following instructions:

Right click on video clip in the timeline and select ‘Edit Clip in Adobe Audition’
In Audition, right click on sound file in file bin and select ‘Extract Channels to Mono Files’
This will create a file for each channel
Delete the original file and the <filename>_R file
Double-click on the <filename>_L file
Do any processing you want
Save file
Imported new sound file back into Premiere
Right click on video clip in timeline and select Unlink
Delete the audio track
Add new audio track into timeline and align with video track (should snap into position)

How Well Does It Work

To be sure that I was going to get the best results I actually read the DS214 Manual which includes a section on tuning the AGC Disable for the 7D. Once all setup, it was time to try out the new system. I connected an Audio-Technica ATR-3350 Lavalier Microphone ($21) and pinned it up near my collar like normal. The resulting audio was so good you could hear every breath I took. I actually ended up having to move the mic from my collar to about mid-chest and turn down the input gain a little. The result was crystal clear audio at a great volume.

Is It Worth It?

If you are planning on doing a good amount of video work and you really want to save time in post production by not having to sync audio that you recorded to a secondary audio device, the $144 may end up paying for itself in very short order. If I only did occasional video, I probably wouldn’t spend the money, but since I do a large amount of video for different client projects and have a huge amount of video work planned for next year, even saving a few minutes per project will pay for itself many times over.

Built-In Obsolescence?

For me, the DS214 was purchased to overcome a shortcoming in the Canon 7D audio system. That being said, the Canon 5D Mk II had the exact same limitation which was eventually overcome with both a firmware update as well as the Magic Lantern firmware mod. The current firmware on the 7D is not allowing the Magic Lantern team to create a package for the 7D. This could literally change overnight if Canon releases a firmware with the ability to disable AGC or allow a Magic Lantern modification. The question is, does the DS214 becoming nothing but an expensive paperweight when this day finally comes. The answer is….no.

Even when the AGC disable feature is no longer needed, I will still have a great pre-amp with separate audio input controls, visual audio indicator meters, and a headphone jack for live monitoring. With these extra features, the JuicedLink DS214 will continue to serve multiple purposes for my video recording purposes.

What Could Be Improved?

The only real issue I have is dealing with how to mount the DS214 to the camera. For me, almost all of my video work is done in a studio with the camera on a tripod. With a simple adapter, I can put the DS214 on the camera’s hot shoe making it very conveniently placed to plug into the camera’s mic port. What would be ideal (in my opinion) would be a way to mount it under the camera and then attach a tripod quick mount to the bottom of the DS214. This would be more convenient when using the camera off the tripod. If you are using some kind of cage for your camera than you probably have more flexibility in your mounting options.

If you are using the 7D and want to use in-camera audio then you really have no choice right now. Until the 7D has a means of disabling the AGC system, there simply isn’t a way to get really good quality audio into the camera.

Juicedlink: http://juicedlink.com/
B&H: juicedLink DS214 $144
Amazon: JuicedLink DS214 $144

The KCWtechnica Rigging System only uses major industry standard connection points.  5/16″, 3/8″, 1/4″, 5° incremental, 15mm & 19mm.  KCWtechnica’s exclusive innovative clamps/converters allows using 15mm rods to 19mm to imperial standard rods.

Kit Contents

• 2 – 15mm 12″ Extendable Aluminum Lens Support Rods
• 4 – 15mm 6″ Extendable Aluminum Lens Support Rods
• 2 – 7″ Aluminum Hex, knurling Rods
• 2 – 4″ Aluminum Hex, Knurling Rods
• 2 – Aluminum Handles/Weights
• 8 – 15° Locking Rod Clamps
• 2 – Rod to Camera Plate Holders
• 1 – Formed Padded Shoulder Plate
• 1 – Lens Support
• 1 – Camera Mount Plate
• 1 – 3/8″ Mount Screw
• 1 – 5/16″ Mount Screw
• 2 – 3/8″ Flat Head Screws
• 2 – 3/8″ Ball Head Screws
• 2 – T-Handle Wrenches
• 1 – Padded Mil-Spec Ballistic Nylon Organizer Case
• **Added are: 2 additional 6″ 15mm Rods + 1 Formed Padded Shoulder Plate + Nylon & Padding to Mil-Spec

The Stage 1 rigging kit is going on sale soon for $995 but until then they are taking pre-orders at only $845.75. While this may still sound like a lot of money, since it is a modular system, allowing you to build numerous configurations, the kit becomes very affordable instead of buying complete components for all of the different rigging designs.

Head over and check it out at http://kcwtechnica.com/shop/mrk-modular-rigging-kit-basic-stage-i

Isn’t “Suck” a little harsh?

Actually, to say that the audio recording sucks is an understatement. My two-year old $600 Vixia palm sized camcorder does better audio than my 7D. So no, the poor audio recording is a major failure on the camera manufacturers part and can actually be fixed via firmware if they chose to. One thing that may surprise many people is that they get better sound from the on-board microphone than they get with a high-end studio microphone. No way, the cheap, tiny, built-in mic works better…how is that possible? The answer is the one thing that makes the on-board mic work “so so” and higher end microphones almost unusable is Automatic Gain Control (AGC). What AGC does is to monitor the audio stream and then boosts the audio signal to make sure it is picking up the audio. The reason this sort-of works on the built-in microphone is because of the ambient noise in most situations. With any ambient noise, the AGC will “hear” some noise and the AGC won’t kick in. With a really good microphone, you can get such a clean audio signal that there is no ambient sound which will send the AGC into overdrive, thus filling the audio stream with tons of noise as it tries to boost the signal.

All the camera manufacturers have to do is to allow the ability to disable AGC in the firmware or preferably have a setting option such as High, Medium, Low, Off. This would allow for selectable gain control depending on the situation and the microphone used. That’s it, a simple firmware change and there would be no need for this post. However…none of the DSLR manufacturers have seen fit to include this obvious setting.

Creating Non-Sucky Audio

There are several ways to get really clean audio and we will look at some of these options so you can decide if one of them is more suited for how you want to work.

Secondary Recording Device

From the dawn of time (or at least since video recording started) high-end video production has consisted of using separate devices for video and audio recording. Have you ever seen a clap board and wondered what it was for? A clap board is used by the editor to sync the audio and video since they are recorded on different devices. For cinema production, this is a tried and true process so moving to DSLRs does not affect their workflow at all. For budget filmmakers who have used camcorders, moving to separate audio and video tracks can be frustrating and difficult to sync up properly. Add to this that even a slight variance between the two devices and a long film clip can actually drift out of sync. One  of the most common secondary audio devices is the Zoom H4N. I actually have the older Zoom H4 which isn’t available anymore.
Pros: Excellent Audio
Cons:  More work in post, additional expense

AGC Disabling Mixer

For post production speed it is definitely better to have the audio and video already mixed together. This prevents and audio drifting and issues with syncing (until you start using multiple cameras anyway). One solution I have found is the JuicedLink DS214 Amp which features AGC disabling. The way the AGC disabling works is that the DS214 feeds a generated tone through one of the stereo channels while sending the microphone audio through the other channel. This tone sound essentially shuts down the AGC because it becomes overwhelmed with noise thus lowering the gain to the minimum and letting the camera record very clean audio. With the DS214 costing $144, this isn’t a cheap solution but it does do the trick and as soon as the firmware allows for true disabling of the AGC control, then you can disable this feature.
Pros: Allows variety of microphone gear to work well, less work in post
Cons: Only allows for single channel audio recording, additional expense

Magic Lantern Firmware Hack

While we wait for Canon and Nikon to come to their senses, the folks over at Magic Lantern have created a firmware add-on for some Canon cameras that adds a nice set of features including audio meters and the ability to disable the AGC function. The downside here is that the Magic Lantern firmware is not available for the Canon 7D yet or for Nikon cameras.
Pros: FREE!, True AGC disabling, Auto Meters
Cons: No 7D support, No Nikon support

Summary

If you are getting started with DSLR video, it is only a matter of time before you get frustrated with trying to get good, clean audio. Hopefully you will find one of these options to suite your needs and budget to help you get exactly what you are trying to get.

The folks at Magic Lantern have released some videos showing that they have video recording working on the EOS 50D which has never had native video recording before. Of course, since the 50D doesn’t have a microphone you will need to use an external audio recorder such as a Zoom H4 or similar device and then syncing the audio and video in post production. While this may sound like a pain, dual-device recording is actually the industry standard for best quality audio.

While the Magic Lantern Firmware isn’t officially released for the 50D yet, it looks like it is almost ready so you 50D owners out there that have wanted to get into video, now is the perfect time to go find a good audio recorder and get ready for some DSLR Video love coming your way soon.

However, if you have a 5D Mk II, 550D, 600D, or 60D you might want to head over and check it out.

Magic Lantern Wiki: http://magiclantern.wikia.com/wiki/Magic_Lantern_Firmware_Wiki

Practical Uses of ND Filters

Some photographers, especially nature and landscape photographers have long been familiar with neutral density filters most notably for allowing you to shoot a scene with a longer shutter speed for scenes such as waterfalls to get that silky effect to the water.

If we go back to the basics and look at the Sunny 16 Rule, this tells us that is bright sunlight at ISO 100 and 1/100th shutter speed, we will need to be at f/16. If we adjust our shutter to our video setting of 1/50th, then we need to be shooting at f/22 for a proper exposure. While this may work in some situations, if you want any creative control over your aperture settings, you will need to cut down the lighting entering the camera, again this is a great use of ND filters. Instead of using a faster shutter, we can simply use darker ND filters to cut down the light to where we want it.

Choosing an ND Filter

Most neutral density filters are fixed at a particular setting and generally come in settings from 1/4 stop all the way to 10 stops. Buying a small selection of ND filters is certainly one option, although a much more versatile option would be a variable ND filter that lets you adjust the density across a wide range.

The Variable ND Filters from FADER are an excellent example of this type of functionality. With the FADER Filters you have a range of 2-8 stops which, if we go back to our Sunny 16 Rule, only needs four stops to allow us to shoot at f/2.8. This allows us a broad range of creative control with your aperture.

At a bit over $300, these filters don’t come cheap so if you are on a budget you might want to get a couple of less expensive ones to start off with.

Fader Variable ND Filter

Using an ND Filter

There is nothing special or magic about using an ND filter, once it is on your lens it’s just as if someone dimmed the lights and you continue to set your exposure using aperture and ISO adjustments (remember, not shutter speed because we are locking that down to 1/50th second).

The following video demonstrates this concept by shooting the same scene and adjusting the FADER filter to make the scene darker while opening the aperture to compensate.

Summary

I hope you are enjoying these articles on getting started with DSLR video. Even though shooting video with a camcorder or other dedicated video camera is so easy that even a kid can do it, shooting video with a DSLR is actually quite complicated and requires a very different skill set than shooting still and often requires specialized gear to get top-notch results. If you are doing any video work, please post in the comments and let everyone know what you are doing.

Not all of us have hundreds of dollars to spend on fancy gadgets like focus pullers but we can borrow from the concept and with a little ingenuity come up with a way to accomplish the same result.

Parts Needed

What you will need

I hope I don’t scare you off with this extensive list of components you will need to put together.  Ok, just kidding, odds are most of you will have the items you need lying around the house. All we are going to need are two rubber bands and a pen (I find a fine point Sharpie to work the best).

I managed to find two Sunday newspapers that I snagged the rubber bands from and stole a Sharpie off my wife’s desk.

Setup

All we need to do is to place one rubber band on the focus ring and the other rubber band on the part of the lens next to the focus ring that is not going to rotate.

To set my first focus point, I find it easier to use the photo mode’s autofocus or use Live View and zoom in close to make sure your focus is as sharp as possible. Now you make a line on both rubber bands that line up so now we have the first point. Next, we set out focus on the second focus point and mark the rubber band on the focus ring in line with the stationary band.

Focus Point 1

Focus Point 2

Now we are set to go into video mode and start shooting. When you are ready to change focus, you just rotate the focus ring to line up the second focus point line. If you are setting up multiple shots, you can use different colors of pens to correspond to different setups.

Results

Your finished result will be entirely dependent on how well you originally set your focus points and how smoothly you can turn the focus wheel without it being jerky or moving the camera. With a bit of practice, you should be able to get pretty good results.

The video below demonstrates what you can do with this setup. The video was shot on a Canon EOS 7D with a Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 lens and is actually my very first attempts at using the setup.

As you can see, the results aren’t too bad for a first try. If you are an aspiring filmmaker on a tight budget, give this technique a try and see if you can add some nice focus pulling effects to your videos. If you have done any, please post links in the comments.

ISO and Aperture

The good news is that two out of three aint bad. What I mean by this is that ISO and Aperture affect video exactly the same way that they affect stills. ISO will make the sensor more sensitive to light so just like stills, you can increase the light into the camera by increasing the ISO setting which, just like stills, will add digital noise to the image.

Just like still images, Aperture will open or close the lens’ aperture diaphragm to allow more or less light into the camera which will affect the depth of field.

So long as you already have a good handle on ISO and Aperture, the same principles apply to both stills and video so you already well on your way.

Shutter Speed

With stills, shutter speed is fairly simple to understand, a longer shutter will allow more light but may add motion blur while a fast shutter speed can freeze motion but cuts down on the amount of light entering the camera. The confusing part is how this affects video. Many new video DSLR owners simply think this affects only the light since the frames are already moving. The reality is that the shutter speed can have a significant impact on the video image and most of the articles on the internet are painfully difficult to understand.

The traditional standard for video is 24p (which is actually 23.976 frames per second) which is very pleasing to the eye and is pretty much the standard for camcorders and DSLR video recording (much more on this is available on Wikipedia).

To achieve a film look (which has just enough motion blur between frames to look natural without being “smeary”) you need to follow the 180 degree rule which, simply put, says that your shutter speed should be double the frame rate. This is one of those times when I want to say “don’t worry about what it means, just go with it” as the technical explanation is quite…well…technical. Tyler Ginter did a really good job explaining the technical side of this on his blog post 180 Degree Shutter – Learn It, Live It, Love It.

While I am not going to try to explain the whole 180 degree shutter concept, I will instead just jump into what it really means to you and your video.

Since we already know that when we are shooting stills with action, a slow shutter speed will have motion blur and a fast shutter speed will freeze action. When we translate this concept to video, a slow shutter speed will create a smeared look to the video. If the shutter is too fast there isn’t enough motion blur to smoothly transition from frame to frame causing a stuttering or staccato effect. If you have ever looked at something moving with a CRT monitor behind it you will know what this stuttering can look like. Sometimes, this can be used for creative effect like in the opening of Saving Private Ryan.

To see how this looks in actual video, I did this quick comparison of 24p video shot at both 1/50th (yes, I know 1/48 is double the 24fps but most cameras can’t do 1/48th shutter speed so we have to take the closest option which would be 1/50th) and 1/300th shutter speed.

What about exposure?

The issue with exposure is not when things are too dark as we can open up our aperture and increase our ISO (only to a certain point before we need additional lighting anyway) but when things are too bright, we only have a few options. If you are already at a small aperture and a low ISO and 1/50th of a second will result in an over exposure the temptation is to increase the shutter speed, but this is going to violate the 180 degree rule and cause the stuttering video.

The only way to knock the exposure down is with the use of a neutral density filter. The most versatile filter is a variable neutral density filter that allows you to dial in the amount of filtering. A good example of this is the Fader ND Mark II which is adjustable from 2 to 8 stops.

The real beauty of using a filter with this much versatility is that you can shoot at the relatively slow 1/50th of a second at wide open apertures to create a very short depth of field that just isn’t possible with regular camcorders. The ability easily create different depth of field shots  is a key reason many filmmakers are jumping onto the DSLR video bandwagon.

The Exception to the Rule

Let’s face it, every good rule deserves a good reason to break it and the 180 degree shutter rule is no different. In fact, there is one really good reason to break it and that is when you are specifically shooting for video that will be shown in slow motion. If we use the basic rule of having a shutter speed that is double the frame rate, when we slow down the video we will end up with more blurry video. If you shoot at faster shutter speeds, when you slow the video down you will get cleaner looking video.

This actually brings up a major difference between shooting stills and video. With stills, our final output will be a still frame. Sure, you may use some panning and zooming in a slidehsow which may require cropping that isn’t very tight but lets not digress too much. With video, you really need to think ahead about how the video will be played back. Will the video be sped up, played at normal speed, or slowed down as this final product needs to be considered when choosing the shooting settings.

Summary

Hopefully this has helped make some sense out of the shutter speed issue with DSLRs. If you are just going to be shooting video for yourself, you may not care much about all this but if you are trying to really make your video look its absolute best, and most certainly you can achieve incredible results with the current video enabled DSLR’s, then this is one of those topics that you really need to get a handle on.

Differences between camcorders and DSLRs

Many of you are probably own some kind of camcorder. These small, handheld video cameras are actually pretty amazing for their price with 1080p video for under $700. If these little wonders are so good, why do we even need DSLR video? For one thing, the sensors in the consumer camcorders are relatively small and the have a single lens with a fixed focal length. This doesn’t allow much in terms of creative shooting like being able to blur a background. Most don’t even let you select a focus point and they try to guess what you want. Are they REALLY 1080p video, well yes, technically speaking but they are not “broadcast quality” images. Just because something puts out video out 1920×1080 resolution does not mean the image quality is going to be that great.

On the opposite end of the spectrum are DSLR’s that can shoot video. In comparison to high-end, dedicated video cameras, DSLR’s can actually have a BETTER image because the sensor size in a DSLR is larger than in a video camera and the ability to use many different lenses allows for very creative shooting.

The big downside is that most (and this IS changing) current video-DSLRs do not have full-time autofocus. This can be a huge challenge for many people who have come to rely on autofocus for their still photography. Add to this moving subjects and trying to adjust focus on-the-fly, and you can be in for a very challenging shoot. Also take into consideration that the ergonomics of a DSLR are not really suited for shooting video so trying to hand-hold a DSLR while shooting is almost certain to add unwanted shaking or movement. One of the other things to consider is going to be accessories to help you shoot video better (more on this below) which may include a tripod with a fluid head, a good microphone, a stabilization system, viewfinder enhancements, constant lights, and software to do the editing. If you go “all in” you can easily spend more on video accessories than you did on the camera body.

Getting Started

I am going to start with assuming most people are going to be shooting video that is not destined for broadcast TV or movie theaters but in future articles we will get into fine tuning our video and camera settings for those applications. For now, we will start with the basics just to get things going.

Equipment

Depending on what you are shooting, you may or may not need all of the things mentioned here and I will try to point out when and where different pieces will be used.

Tripod and Fluid Head

While you probably own a tripod, the head on it is likely not smooth enough for video. As you tilt and pan, it is very hard to get a real smooth motion. For video, you want was is referred to as a fluid head which will really make a huge difference in controlling your camera for video. If you have a tripod with a removable head, you can just buy a head made for video and use it when needed. Good fluid heads can cost hundreds of dollars but a fairly decent one such as the Weifeng WF-717AH can be found for around $70.

Monopod

A monopod can really be a lifesaver when it comes to video since it can help you steady your camera instead of trying to hold it still for extended periods of time. Another little trick is to put the bottom of the monopod into your belt or pocket and extend the monopod so the camera is eye level, this technique can help you get really smooth pans but is going to be fairly bouncy when walking. For this purpose, you can find a cheap monopod at Walmart for about $15.

Batteries

If your camera supports an add-on battery pack, I would highly recommend you get one and some extra batteries. Running your camera for extended periods (which means the LCD is on as well) can suck the life right out of your batteries before you know it.

Microphone

As you can probably guess, the on-board microphones on DSLR’s are not going to give you superb 5.1 Dolby stereo audio. In fact, its fairly poor mono audio and with no windscreen in front of it, you can pick up a lot of noise. A fairly popular microphone is the Rode VideoMic which runs about $149. I happened to have a Zoom H4 recorder which not only has two mics for recording in stereo but also has two XLR connectors so it is extremely versatile. I just needed a $2 audio patch cable and a hot shoe adapter. Of course, if you aren’t planning on recording video and always plan on just having a music soundtrack, then you really aren’t going to need a microphone.

Lights

If you have a bag full of 580 EX II’s, they aren’t going to do you any good when shooting video, you will need a constant source of light. While certainly I am a big fan of big LED light banks like Ikan’s, they are outside my budget. With a couple of small lights like the YN160 you can get generally decent lighting for about $75.

The YN160 can be mounted on-camera or on a light stand and can use seven different types of batteries including regular AA cells.

Software

This is where things can get crazy real fast. While you may find lot of people suggestion that you can use Windows Movie Maker, the video files directly from the 7D and the 5DMkII are NOT compatible with Windows Movie Maker. There are tools to convert the files but now you are getting into a real headache. If you have any software suggestions, please post them in the comments as I would love to hear about them.

I am going to do my best to offer up some suggestions here based on different price points:

Free Software

• iMovie (Mac)
  This is USUALLY free as it is bundled with most Macintosh systems (as far as I know)
• Lightworks (Windows)
  Lightworks is an open source editor that is actually quite powerful but is somewhat lacking in documentation and tutorials

Consumer Grade

• Adobe Premiere Elements 9 ($99 for Mac/Windows)
  Probably one of the better mid-range tools available and at a reasonable price
• Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD ($95 for Windows)
  Vegas is an extremely popular editing program with a very nice feature set

Pro Grade

• Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 ($179 for Mac/Windows)
  My personal choice as I work on a high-end Alienware Windows 7 machine
• Final Cut Pro ($300 for Mac)
  FCP and Premiere usually take turns beating out each other on features. With Final Cut Pro X, I think it takes the lead.

Summary

Hopefully this wasn’t too much to start off with and I really want to hear from you and find out if you are interested in more articles about DSLR video. I will leave you with this little video I did as my first video project with a Canon EOS 7D.

In this post we are going to look at how to control exposure by manipulating the different settings on the camera such as ISO, Shutter, and Aperture.

What is exposure?
Exposure is, simply put, the amount of light that enters the camera and hits the sensor. The more light that hits the sensor the brighter the scene will be. If too much light hits the sensor, parts of the image will be “blown out”, this is considered to be over-exposed. A scene that is too dark and the details in the shadows are lost is under-exposed.

Under Exposed Image

Over Exposed Image

How to control exposure
There are three camera settings that control the exposure, these are:

• ISO speed
  • Controls the sensitivity of the sensor to light
• Aperture
  • The aperture controls the size of the diaphragm over the shutter, the smaller the aperture number the more open the diaphragm is, allowing more light to enter.
• Shutter speed
  • The slower the shutter, the more light will enter the camera

We will look at these settings in more detail to see exactly how the play together later. First, you need to start thinking of light in terms of “stops”. A stop is not an exact amount of light, it is a relative amount of light, each stop of light doubles the amount of light. For example, if we have a single lightbulb as our base light source, adding a second lightbulb (doubling the amount of light) increases the light by one stop. If want to increase the light by another stop we have to again double the amount of light to four lightbulbs. Understanding this is going to be the key to understanding how the different camera settings affect our exposure.

ISO Speed
As already mentioned, the ISO speed will control the sensitivity of the sensor. The lower the number, the less sensitive. For low light you will need a higher ISO number to make the sensor more sensitive. The downside is that the higher ISO the more digital noise (grainy look) will show up which will degrade the image quality.

Each time you double the ISO speed you increase the exposure by one stop, so ISO 400 will give you one stop of exposure more than ISO 200, and ISO 800 will give you one more stop over ISO 400 etc. Some cameras have some in-between ISO settings to provide a finer level of control.

You currently see high ISO performance as being a major selling point for new DSLR cameras as this allows them to shoot in lower light conditions with less noise.

Pro: Higher ISO allows shooting in lower light conditions
Con: Higher ISO settings result in more digital noise

High ISO Digital Noise

Aperture
Aperture is a little confusing because the larger the number the smaller the size. The largest aperture lenses are f/1.0 although most of the good prime lenses start at f/1.4 – f/1.6. Zoom lenses typically are not available that can do more than f/2.8.

So besides letting in more or less light, what does the aperture actually do? The more light that comes in at a particular shutter speed, the shallower the depth of field. If you want more depth of field you use a smaller (higher number) aperture setting.

Pro: Larger apertures allow more light in and thus allow shooting in lower light conditions
Con: Larger apertures reduce the depth of field which may not be desirable

Shallow Depth of Field

Deep Depth of Field

Shutter
The faster the shutter, the less light enters the camera, the slower the shutter the more light will enter the camera. If you are shooting in low light conditions, you may need a slower shutter speed, however, too slow of a shutter and you can introduce blur from the subject moving, accidental camera movement, or both.

Sometimes a little blur can help portray movement and action, a sharp bike rider with a blurred background will make the rider look like he/she is moving fast where a tack sharp image shows no motion at all and would make the same image look boring. While blurring on other images can ruin the image.

Pro: The right shutter speed can really make an image more dramatic. Fast shutter speeds can freeze action, slow shutter speeds can add a dramatic motion blur.
Con: Fast shutter speeds require lots of light, slow shutter speeds are harder to control

Fast Shutter Speed

Slow Shutter Speed

Summary
By understanding the three variables that control exposure along with the pros and cons of each one, you will be able to better control the different options that are available to you.

Often we try to use the fastest shutter speed possible to help avoid blur but when shooting a moving object you sometimes need some amount of blur or it can look like the subject of the image is sitting still. In many cases you want to have the sense of movement to help convey the story of the object.In the case of the ceiling fan we want to show a little movement of the blades since the moving blades is going to be more typical of what you would see by looking at the fan once installed. We also want to show that this is a five-bladed fan so we have to be careful not to have too much blur that we lose all the details.

Let’s take a look at a series of shots taken at different shutter speeds:

1/10th Second - Way too much blur

1/25th Second - Better but lacking detail

1/40th Second - Looking good

1/100th Second - Not enough, just looks fuzzy

1/200th Second - Almost no movement

As you can see the photos taken at the two extreme ranges show either far too much blur or not enough blur to make for a good image. The photo taken at 1/40th maintains a little more detail than the images shot at 1/25 making it a more suitable image for our use.

Summary

The whole point here is to get you to experiment more with shutter speeds to capture a sense of movement, action, or speed. By adjusting the shutter speed you can control how much or how little the blur effect will have.

New LCD
Ok, its got a higher resolution display, nothing to complain about here, I couldn’t care less about an articulated screen even though it potentially could come in handy in some situations. For the improvements in the screen I will go ahead and mark this down as a nice improvement.

New Multi-Dial Control
Canon, in their infinite wisdom, has decided that we need to hold our cameras differently now. After five generations of bodies having the exact same back layout they are going to change it and screw us all up for a while while we have to retrain years of muscle memory and knowing exactly where our controls are. Changes like this are ok in the lower end consumer camera, I am calling this one a fail.

On-The-Go-Image-Resizing
For wedding photographers that try to get a slideshow up and running at a reception from shots taken at the ceremony, this is pretty cool. Otherwise why do I need my camera doing my work for me? Then again, I only shoot in RAW anyway. Calling this one a wash unless you have a specific need for it.

Stupid Camera Tricks
In comes the Point & Shoot effects, soft focus, B&W, Toy Camera, Miniature….yawn…I can do that on my camera phone, I don’t need to do that in my DSLR. Fail.

Video
Yes, the 60D can do HD video. No surprise here, all new DSLR’s can do this. Not a win because it’s expected in any camera now. For older camera owners this may be a small win for you if you want to shoot some manual focus video.

Speedlite Command Mode
First seen on the 7D, the 60D can now control remote speedlites. Although this feature is somewhat limited compared to actually placing a 580EX II on top of your camera, it is still a win for the 60D.

Electronic Level Display
Have trouble getting a level image? The Electronic Level display shows you in the camera if you shot is level or not. I have wanted this feature since it was introduced in the 7D.

With a price point of $1,099, the 60D sure seems like a great deal, I just can’t wrap my head around whether its any better to get the 60D versus the 7D or maybe even wait to see if there will be a 5D Mk II replacement soon. The 60D sure has some interesting features but also changes some things around that some people may not appreciate.

Here’s Canon’s current consumer dSLR lineup, plus the 50D, for comparison:

Below is the complete press release:

Canon’s New EOS 60D Digital SLR Camera Unleashes The Creative Potential Of Digital Photography And EOS Full HD Video With New In-Camera Imaging Features

New EOS 60D Offers a Vari-Angle LCD Screen, EOS Full HD Video Recording, In-Camera RAW Processing and Creative Filters and 18-Megapixel Resolution Among Class-Leading Specs

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., August 26, 2010 – High-quality digital capture and skillful post-processing go hand-in-hand for superior end results, and more control over in-camera image processing means less time editing and more time shooting. At the same time, the overwhelming popularity of Full HD video recording with other current EOS Digital SLRs has led to customer requests for more advanced features such as manual audio level control and flexible LCD screens. Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, delivers all of these features and more with the new EOS 60D Digital SLR Camera. For the first time on an EOS camera, the EOS 60D DSLR boasts a three-inch Vari-Angle Clear View LCD screen, EOS Full HD video recording with manual overrides including audio level control, and in-camera functionality for RAW image processing plus Creative Filters to manipulate images after taking them. Designed primarily for advanced amateurs, the EOS 60D replaces the EOS 50D and boasts a broad array of new features that make it easier for photographers to add personal creativity to their images. Whether it’s capturing an overhead shot on the Vari-Angle screen at a graduation ceremony, or converting a color image to black and white for a nostalgic look, Canon is delivering in-camera features and functions that empower advanced photographers to capture, display and print the images they want.

“The EOS 60D has been designed to offer the image-capture and the Full HD video features customers are looking for as they continue to expand their photographic skills. The exciting new features of the EOS 60D make using a DSLR camera more attractive and easier than ever before. We want everyone to experience the great image quality a Canon DSLR can offer with features and functions that they will appreciate and use,” stated Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A.

For the first time in the history of the Canon EOS System, the new 60D camera features a large Vari-Angle 3-inch Clear View LCD screen with 1,040,000 dot/VGA resolution plus anti-reflective and smudge-resistant coatings for bright clear viewing from any angle. The new LCD screen is ideal for composing low-angle or overhead shots whether capturing still images or Full HD video clips.

Another first for the EOS system is the EOS 60D camera’s new Multi-Control Dial, which places a Multi-Controller and Set button inside the Quick Control Dial. This new control layout streamlines camera navigation for vertical as well as horizontal shooting and enables a cleaner camera design. Responding to customer requests, the EOS 60D also features a locking mode dial, which makes camera operation more secure by preventing inadvertent changes to the photographer’s selected shooting mode.

While the photography mantra of “get it right in the camera” still stands true, Canon’s new EOS 60D gives advanced photographers an edge with new in-camera features that enable users to enhance their images without a computer even after they have been shot. For the first time ever in an EOS camera, the EOS 60D features in-camera processing of RAW image files, new reduced resolution image copies, and post-processing creative image filters for exceptional flexibility in digital image rendering.

• In-camera RAW image processing features include Picture Style, White Balance (WB), Color Space, High-ISO Noise Reduction, Peripheral Illumination Correction, linear distortion correction and chromatic aberration correction. These powerful in-camera editing tools will allow photographers in the field to produce optimized images on the spot and generate JPEG files at various resolution and compression settings for immediate sharing, without affecting the original RAW data.
• Another great new feature for photographers-on-the-go is Canon’s new image resizing function. After capturing full resolution or smaller JPEG images, the camera can generate lower-resolution copies using menu commands. New lower-resolution settings include 1920 x 1280 for optimal display on HD televisions, or 720 x 480, ideal for immediate uploading to social networking and other photo sharing web sites. The original high resolution files remain unaffected by the image resizing function.
• Available for the first time in an EOS camera are Canon’s new creative image filters. Familiar to Canon PowerShot users, these fun photo effects help make a great image more dynamic, even after it has been shot. Canon provides four artistic filters that allow photographers to capture an image and then create and manipulate a digital copy of it.
• The Soft Focus effect filter helps dramatize an image and smooth over shiny reflections.
• The Grainy Black and White filter can give a different nostalgic perspective to any shot.
• Canon’s “Toy Camera” filter deliberately adds vignetting and color shift for a creative option when shooting a colorful scene.
• Users can also make a scene appear like a small-scale model, simulating the look from a tilt-shift lens, with Canon’s Miniature Effect filter, great when shooting any scene from a high vantage point.

Each of these filters can be applied to a captured still image in-camera to create a second “filtered” JPEG version, leaving the original RAW or JPEG file unaffected.

Another addition to the camera’s Live View function is Canon’s new Aspect Ratio feature whereby the Live View screen can display cropping lines for 1:1, 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratios in addition to the standard 3:2 ratio. These cropping lines make it easier to compose images in Live View, and they can help to expedite printing when using Canon’s supplied Digital Photo Professional software. Custom aspect ratios are also applied to JPEG images whether captured directly in-camera or created with the EOS 60D’s in-camera RAW image processing function.

In addition to its new still capture capabilities, the EOS 60D features Full HD video capture at 1920 x 1080 resolution with selectable frame rates of 24p, 25p or 30p. Native 24p recording helps videographers achieve a more cinema-style look for their footage without the need for post-processing. The EOS 60D builds upon the great video capabilities Canon has introduced in recent DSLR cameras and packs them into a camera photo enthusiasts will love. Full HD video capture, along with selectable cinematic frame rates for both NTSC (National Television System Committee) and PAL (Phase Altering Line) standards, will help the EOS 60D to be the camera of choice among film students and photography students alike.

The new EOS 60D camera’s movie mode also includes manual controls for exposure as well as manual audio levels in 64 steps, much like the latest firmware update for the EOS 5D Mark II HD-SLR. Users can set audio levels on the rear menu screen before shooting begins; once recording is initialized, audio adjustments are not possible. In addition, Canon has added an electronic Wind Filter to the audio controls within the movie shooting menu.

Canon has also included an in-camera movie editing feature, allowing users to shorten a video file by clipping segments from the beginning or the end, removing unwanted portions without outside software. This feature can dramatically accelerate workflow by reducing the time needed to upload video clips to a computer for further editing and assembly. The EOS 60D also includes Canon’s Movie Crop mode, which allows users to achieve 7x magnification when shooting SD video. Unlike the digital zoom feature found in many compact digital cameras, Canon’s Movie Crop mode crops the image directly from the CMOS sensor at full SD resolution to preserve image quality and still provide additional telephoto power.

Providing access to the right lens for any given shooting scenario, the EOS 60D DSLR camera is compatible with more than 60 Canon EF and EF-S lenses. The EOS 60D DSLR’s video functions are supported by two key proprietary Canon technologies, a DIGIC 4 Imaging Processor and a large APS-C-sized CMOS sensor capturing fine detail and color with an amazing cinematic depth of field. The Canon EOS 60D allows for three video recording modes – Full HD and HD in a 16:9 aspect ratio and Standard Definition (SD) in a 4:3 aspect ratio, all at selectable frame rates. The EOS 60D Digital SLR camera will record Full HD at 1920 x 1080 pixels in selectable frame rates of 24p (23.976), 25p, or 30p (29.97); 720p HD recording at 50p or 60p (59.94) and SD video at frame rates of 50p or 60p (59.94). The EOS 60D features a dedicated button to initiate live view for both video and still shooting. Once engaged, the same dedicated button will start and stop video recording.

Along with the adjustable LCD screen, the new EOS 60D DSLR features a class-leading 18-megapixel Canon CMOS sensor, a proprietary DIGIC 4 Imaging Processor, a 9-point Autofocus system and Canon’s exclusive iFCL Metering System (Intelligent Focus, Color, Luminance) giving it the power of a professional-level camera. Capable of capturing fast action, the 60D DSLR can shoot full resolution still images up to 5.3-frames per second (fps). The EOS 60D records its images and video clips to the photographer’s choice of SD, SDHC or new extended capacity SDXC memory cards.

The 9-point AF system on the new EOS 60D features f/5.6-sensitive cross-type focusing on all nine focusing points. Like the EOS 7D, the center AF point is a hybrid of standard cross-type and special diagonally-shaped “X” cross, with high-precision sensitivity for f/2.8 and larger aperture lenses. Complementing the AF system, Canon’s iFCL metering system, identical to that on the EOS 7D and Rebel T2i, takes color information into account and includes a 63-zone dual-layer metering sensor that reads both illumination and color for consistent results in all lighting conditions, keeping exposure levels stable from shot to shot, even as the light source changes.

Photographers will enjoy shooting in low light thanks to the EOS 60D DSLR’s wide ISO range from 100-6400 (adjustable in 1/3-step increments from ISO 100-6400 and expandable to 12,800) allowing it to capture beautiful images without flash during family milestone events such as wedding ceremonies, while still being equipped with a built-in pop-up flash for shooting the cake cutting ceremony and reception. The EOS 60D’s pop-up flash features a built-in Integrated Speedlite Transmitter for control of up to two groups of off-camera EOS Speedlites without the need for an external transmitter, providing an economical solution for multi-flash shoots.

Making accurate composition more convenient, the EOS 60D’s optical viewfinder provides 96 percent coverage along with Canon’s built-in single axis Electronic Level Display, which utilizes the exposure level scale below the picture area to let the photographer know when the camera is level. The Electronic Level Display is also visible on the camera’s LCD screen in both Live View and Movie modes. An artificial horizon display illustrates horizontal roll, allowing the photographer to know when the camera is in a fixed level position. The entire camera has been durability-tested to 100,000 exposures making the EOS 60D a reliable as well as a powerful imaging tool.

The Canon EOS 60D Digital SLR camera is scheduled to be delivered to U.S. dealers toward the end of September, and will be sold in a body-only configuration at an estimated retail price of $1,099.00ⁱ. It will also be offered in a kit version with Canon’s EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom lens at an estimated retail price of $1,399.00ⁱⁱ. The Canon BG-E9 battery grip is scheduled to be available toward the end of September and sell at an estimated retail price of $270.00ⁱⁱⁱ.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), a top patent holder of technology, ranked fourth overall in the U.S. in 2009†, with global revenues of US $35 billion, is listed as number six in the computer industry on Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies 2010 list, and is on the 2009 BusinessWeek list of “100 Best Global Brands.” Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. At Canon, we care because caring is essential to living together in harmony. Founded upon a corporate philosophy of Kyosei – “all people, regardless of race, religion or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future” – Canon U.S.A. supports a number of social, youth, educational and other programs, including environmental and recycling initiatives. Additional information about these programs can be found at www.usa.canon.com/kyosei. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company’s RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.

† Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.

All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.

Availability, prices, and specifications of all products are subject to change without notice. Actual prices are set by individual dealers and may vary.

ⁱ Pricing subject to change at any time. Actual prices are determined by individual dealers and may vary.

ⁱⁱ Pricing subject to change at any time. Actual prices are determined by individual dealers and may vary.

ⁱⁱⁱ Pricing subject to change at any time. Actual prices are determined by individual dealers and may vary.

Understanding the problem

In the intro, we stated that the Canon wireless speedlite system has a lot of features and is reasonably flexible in how you can use it. While that is true, there are some serious limitation to the system that Canon has yet to address, and given the installed base, probably isn’t likely to address in the near future.

The primary problem is that the Master light needs to communicate with the slave units and does this via bursts of flash just before the main flash goes off. This “pre-flash†happens so fast that you can’t tell it from the main flash. This works quite well in optimum environments like inside your studio. However, once you get outside and you have issues like the sun interfering with the speedlite’s communication, trying to use modifiers that block communication, or worse, trying to put speedlites in places with no direct line of sight such as outside a door, or around a corner, and the Canon system by itself starts to have issues very quickly.

While there are inexpensive radio triggers available and some of them work very reliably, the problem is that they only allow you to use use speedlites in manual mode only. Now this may be ok for you, and it is for many people, they lack several very key features:

1. The ability to use Canon’s eTTL system for automatic exposure control
2. The ability to remotely adjust the power output of the slave units
3. The ability to use high speed sync

Again, these things may not be of interest to you based on the style of shooting you do, but for many people, these are critical components of getting the lighting they want.

How the ControlTL System Solves the Problem

While I will go into more technical detail in a moment, simply put, the ControlTL system intercepts the signals going to the speedlite and transmits the information over radio frequencies to the remote receivers.

There are two available components as part of the system, the MiniTT1 transmitter and the FlexTT5 transceiver. At a minimum you need one transmitter and one transceiver which would allow you to do off-camera lighting in eTTL mode and allow you to adjust power output by adjusting the flash compensation on your camera body.

Adding additional transceivers and speedlites adds to the flexibility of the system and allows you to build up to using multiple zones, ratio control, and remote setting of manual settings.

Why is eTTL Important?

Is eTTL over-rated or the magic bullet? For the most part, eTTL does a pretty good job the majority of the time. Let’s say we are shooting a scene and we set our camera to ISO 200, f/5.6, and 1/60th of a second shutter speed. The Canon speedlites will do a pre-flash to determine the best flash output for those settings and adjust accordingly. If we then change our camera settings to ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/100 of a second, even though we have effectively adjusted the camera settings by two stops, the eTTL system will determine that it simply needs less flash output to properly light the scene. Of course, with any system that is trying determine how to light something, it isn’t always going to be perfect because the camera simply can’t read your mind to figure out what it is you are trying to do, but generally speaking, eTTL does a pretty good job most of the time and can be a big time saver in getting your lighting dialed in.

ControlTL Modes

The new PocketWizard ControlTL system has several basic operating modes, the following are explanations of the basic setups.

• Basic eTTL Mode
  In the most basic mode you need either a MiniTT1 transmitter or a FlexTT5 transceiver on the camera’s hot shoe shoe and a flash on a FlexTT5. In this basic mode, all speedlites  are grouped together into a single zone.
• Ratio eTTL Mode
  This mode requires Canon 580 EX or EX II be in the hot shoe of the MiniTT1 or FlexTT5 that is in the hot shoe on the camera. Remote flashes can be assigned to zones A, B, or C by selecting the zone switch on the remote FlexTT5 module. The ratio control is managed on the speedlite mounted on the camera. You can also use a Canon STE2 Commander on top of the camera to adjust the lighting ratios.
• Wireless Manual Mode
  “Wireless Manual†system allows setting a remote flash to a desired manual level from the MASTER flash. You must use a 580EX II on the MiniTT1 or FlexTT5 as transmitter. The original 580EX or earlier flashes cannot perform
  this function via ControlTL radios. “Wireless Manual†uses controls similar to ratio mode.

In both of the eTTL modes, the new PocketWizards double the output of the pre-flash boost for determining exposure making it more accurate, usable at longer ranges, and improves functionality when using modifiers such as umbrellas and softboxes.

One feature that I love is being able to use high speed sync. The way high speed sync actually works is that the flash will output thousands of small bursts very quickly to provide virtually continuous light output when the shutter is moving at high speeds. The downside to HSS is that it’s pretty harsh on batteries. The MiniTT1 and FlexTT5 communicate directly with the flash and PocketWizard came up with a means of optimizing the burst output to match the shutter speed which can result is massive improvements, 2-4x improvement in output power, 2-4x increase in battery life, and 2-4x faster recycle time.

There is yet another mode called HyperSync which allows high shutter speeds with studio strobes. While you do take a light output hit in this mode, it can enable some incredible shots that were previously impossible to get. This is a mode I am really looking forward to playing with more.

Finally there are even optimizations for rear curtain sync that ensure the flash goes off as late as possible ensuring a proper exposure while making sure the shutter is in the right position when the flash goes off.

Although you may have heard that putting a ControlTL device on your camera’s hot shoe will fool your camera into thinking there is a flash there, this is not completely accurate. The only in-camera flash control you have is Flash Exposure Compensation. Any zone control or ratio adjustments have to be done with an actual 580 EX/EX II mounted on top of the MiniTT1 or FlexTT5 device.

When the Zone Controller is available, this will help solve the ratio issue by allowing independent adjustment of three different zones without having to have a speedlite on the camera itself. This will allow photographers with two speedlites to use them both off-camera with individual output control. The Zone Controller can also operate each zone in manual or eTTL mode for maximum flexibility. The Zone Controller should be shipping at the end of May for around $70.

How I use the PocketWizard ControlTL System

I can’t really address every possible scenario but I can tell you how I have been using the ControlTL system in the shooting I have been doing. This generally breaks down into a couple of different situations. As seen in this first image, a remote flash on a lightstand is outfitted with a Lumodi Beauty Dish to provide directional lighting and make it appear as if the subjects are being lit by the sun. Shooting at this distance and still having eTTL control of the flash is a huge benefit. This is also used with high speed sync to be able to properly expose for a bright sky and still get a proper exposure on the subjects.

Usually only a simple adjustment of the flash compensation is all that is needed to dial in the exact look that I am going for.

The second most common usage is the ability to place a subject is complete shade to minimize harsh shadows from the sun but still provide the look of an afternoon sun but with far greater control over the contrast.

The bottom line is that the ControlTL system provides the means accomplish the style of images that I try to create with minimal setup time and quick remote adjustments.

Is the ControlTL System for you?

You are the only person who can decide if the ControlTL system is the right fit for your photography style and especially your budget. The components are not cheap, this is a system designed for professionals. The MiniTT1 transmitter sells for $199 while the FlexTT5 transmitter sells for $225. With the Canon 580 EX II selling for $445, a multi-light setup starts to get expensive very quickly.

Why not just use studio strobes and radio triggers? There are certainly situations where that is appropriate and even preferred. However, studio strobes are not as portable, do not offer eTTL control, cannot do high speed sync, and can’t dump their light fast enough for higher speed shots. The small speedlites are extremely flexible and having them be able to be used at fairly long distances gives you control over your lighting that you simply can’t get with a studio strobe.

For more information as well as numerous instructional videos, check out the PocketWizard website at http://pocketwizard.com

Disclosure: CameraDojo, Kerry Garrison, and associated editors do not receive any monetary compensation for any reviews or articles written for the
CameraDojo.com website. PocketWizard supplied loaner equipment to use for this article as well as several upcoming lighting tutorials.

Tamron website: http://tamron.com

If you look at the movie industry, rail systems have become the standard way to mount all of the gear wrapped around a digital camera system (in this case, I believe this was a Red system).  Notice the young lady carrying a massive display of equipment on her shoulder.  If you look closely, you will see that there is a person supporting her around the waist as she is walking on rough terrain, and there is a person to her right who is actually running the follow focus and focusing the camera while she walks.  All of this gear looks like something out of a Sci-Fi movie.. and actually, it is (District 9).  In this article, we will talk about building a rail system similar to this to wrap around a DSLR.

When using a DSLR for high definition video, there are several other things you need to make the recording as clean as possible.  You need:

1) Stability – the ability to fluidly move your camera around

2) Focus – DSLRs do not have auto focus like camcorders do.  Focusing a lens is much more clunky and harder to handle

3) Light Control – sometimes a lens hood just isn’t enough control over the light on the lens

4) Microphone – the internal microphone is not nearly the quality needed for a professional video

5) Live View – the small, internal display is not big enough to use when manually focusing and framing a scene

6) Lighting – in darker situations, a light is often needed to illuminate your subject

7) Lens Modifiers – there are lens modifiers that do not attach to a lens and need to be fixed in-line with the camera lens, like a depth of field modifier

Now, imagine being able to take care of all of these needs at the same time.  To do this, you need a frame around your camera with which you can attach all of these components.  With a good rail system, you get:

1) Stability – a shoulder mount and frame you can hold with both hands

2) Focus – a follow focus knob and gearing with which you can easily mark your focus points and smoothly focus the lens

3) Light Control – a matte box with french flag and adjustable side flags and removable filter holders

4) Microphone – a frame allows you to mount a microphone either on the hot shoe or on the frame itself

5) Live View – an external monitor can be mounted above or to the side of the camera for optimal viewing, instead of just the small, built in screen on the camera

6) Lighting – a lighting solution can be mounted above the camera and will move with the camera

7) Lens Modifiers – with a rail system, a lens modifier can be mounted in-line with the camera lens in a rigid and secure installation

To accomplish all of this, we need to start with a rail system.  And to my surprise, there are quite a few out there to choose from.  But with a DSLR, there are special needs to handle the height and weight of the camera and all of its size requirements.  This means that not every rail system will work with your particular camera.  Rail systems designed for DSLRs are a little more height adjustable to allow for the height of the lens off the bottom mount of the camera.  The more flexible systems allow for a battery grip or XLR audio box under the body too.

And as of the writing of this article, there are a few video-capable DSLRs on the market, but many more are coming.  I am basing the article completely around my Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

The rail system we chose to work with for this article is the IndiSYSTEM from Studio4 Productions out of Waterloo, Iowa.  This is a U.S. manufactured rail system that is constantly changing and evolving to meet the needs of modern DSLRs as well as camcorders on the market today.  Tim Ovel, the owner, is a really personable and knowledgeable guy, and a lot of fun to talk with.  Throughout the build of this system, Tim was helpful in piecing the needed items and attachments together to make the rig just how we wanted it.

This article will be the first in a series that goes more in-depth into building and outfitting a rail system.  For this particular article, we are going to focus on the rail system itself.

However, we have other components that will be completing this rig in the next articles in the series.  We have a 5.6″ High Def HDMI battery powered portable monitor from Ikan, an LCD light panel from Ikan and a stereo mic and accessories from Rodes.  Delkin provided us with a Pop-Up Shade for the 5D Mark II, which helped with the outdoor light.  These accessories will help to complete the setup for a full production camera.

Now, let’s take a look at the system we have built here.  The first thing you need to understand is that this setup is completely reconfigurable.  Before even the first photograph was taken of the rig, I probably went through a dozen different configurations.  With the complete flexibility of the indiSYSTEM, you can pretty much make the rig fit exactly what you want it to.

The components:

There are several pieces that make up the rail system.  Combined in any arrangement, these parts make up a rail system.

The rails.

The rails themselves are the basis of a rail system.  They are a platform on which all of the components are attached.  Typically, the base is made up of 2 rails made up of a strong material like metal or carbon fiber.  Many of the rails out there are 15mm in diameter.  They can be almost any length, although the common lengths are anywhere from 10″ to 24″.  The indiRAILSpro system is based on carbon fiber rails, which are both light and very sturdy and strong.

The camera block

The camera mount, sometimes called the camera block, is where you mount your camera.  This is kind of the hub of the rig.  In the indiRAILSpro system, this block has a mounting plate that locks down to the rails themselves to the block and is the basis of holding them in place.  The block is drilled and tapped with mount holes with which to mount quick release bases and plates to attach your camera or to mount the entire block to a tripod.

The shoulder mount

The shoulder mount is not always a necessary piece of a rail system, but it is a very common requirement for many people.  The shoulder mount allows you to balance and carry your camera, rig and accessories on your shoulder while smoothly operating it.   The shoulder mount for the indiRAILSpro is easily adjustable and can be angled to allow the rear end of the rig to be higher or lower as best suits your needs.  The newest shoulder mount was just designed before this article’s release and is a cool new take on their last shoulder mount.  It is light weight and very flexible in layout.  It not only adjusts the distance of the rig from your shoulder, but it also angles to allow just the right angle for comfort.  After all, our shoulders to slant at an angle and your shoulder mount should accommodate that.

The Front handles

Handles on the front end of the rails are how you control it when it is shoulder mounted.  If you don’t intend to carry your rig on your shoulder, then you probably want to tripod mount it, and handles wouldn’t be important to you.  The handles need to be adjustable and flexible as people’s arm lengths are different.  This was another nice feature of the indiRAILSpro system as length, angle and separation could all be adjusted easily.

The Matte box

A matte box has many functions. It allows you to control the top and side light that hits the camera lens.  It can allow you to easily insert filters in front of the lens too.  A matte box can also shape the image aspect by blackening the top and bottom of your image to form a wider aspect letterbox effect.  On top of all of that, it makes your rig look cool and professional.  There are lots of reasons to want a matte box on your rail system.

The follow focus

This is not a “must have†accessory, and it is not terribly important to people using a rail setup with their average camcorders as auto-focus works well in that arena with that gear.  But with today’s DSLRs and video, auto-focus is not there yet.  Plus, there are many reasons to manually control your focus when doing cinematography.  A follow focus system will give you complete manual control over your camera’s focus.

Other Components

As you build out your rig, you will find lots of other  accessories you want to add to make your videography easier and more effective.  Once we built out all we needed with the indiSYSTEM, we started to add some other electronics to complete the system.  Here is what we found most effective to add.

A Matte box for the camera’s viewing screen – Delkin Pop-Up Shade for the Canon 5D Mark II

This little attachment is an inexpensive way to get a bit of light control over the screen of the 5D Mark II (or most any other popular DSLR) when shooting in outdoor lighting.  It takes only seconds to install, and looks good on the camera.  If the positioning of the rail system is right and you can focus your eye on this screen comfortably while moving your camera around, a pop-up shade like this really can make a difference.  And at $25, it really is an affordable addition to any DSLR.

A Larger external display – Ikan V5600 High Definition 5.6″ Monitor

Let’s face it… the small display on the back of the 5D II may be O.K. for checking out your still photos, but it is really too small for monitoring live video while on the move.  When you are moving around with a rig this large on your shoulder, you want to really be able to see exactly what is getting recorded.  Ikan has a series of monitors that are compatible with the HDMI output from the 5D II and many other cameras and camcorders on the market.  With the help of the Ikan mounting arm, the V5600 display took our rails system to a whole new level.  I will go further in depth to this display and it’s features in a future review, but we really loved the light weight, the long life battery pack and the ease of mounting it to the system.

Ikan also makes an 8″ HDMI monitor for those who want a larger display.  It is not as high of a resolution as the V5600, but then the HDMI live video output from the 5D Mark II is only 480P, so most of that video res is wasted anyway.  We will do a more in-depth review of this screen in a future article.  You can see this dispay here:

Ikan V8000HDe 8″ TFT LCD Monitor with DV Battery Plate, 16:9 and 4:3 Switchable Aspect Ratios

Video Light

On-camera lighting is another nice thing to have to accent your shot… especially if doing live interviews.  With a rail system, you have more real estate to mount a larger light and battery pack on top of the rail system above the camera.  The ikan iLED 150 is a slick solution to put portable lighting on top of your rail system.  With 144 LED lights and adjustable brightness, the iLED 150 gives you a nice, controlled lighting solution that runs for hours on a single charge.  We will be doing a specific light review on this product in the near future.

External Microphone – Rode Stereo VideoMic plus the Dead Kitten

There are many ways you can go with audio with your 5D II (or 7D or any other DSLR).  One way would be to add an XLR adapter such as those from Beachtek.  These would allow you to hook up XLR microphones either to the rig or wireless or off a boom.  But there is another, much easier way to add a mic.  As the Canon 5D II and many other HD recording devices have mini-phono jacks as their only source of recording.  For this, a cold shoe mounted microphone with a mini-phono jack is often the ideal solution.  We used a Rode Stereo Videomic with a wind filter called a “DeadKitten”.  This unit attaches right to the hot shoe on the camera and plugs into the mini-phono input.  It is a powered mic, using a 9v battery, and it has some really nice features.  It is a stereo “shotgun” style site mic with X/Y configuration, which enables it to capture the true ambiance of the recording space.  This mic is said to be the world’s best selling stereo shotgun mic.  I will be doing a full review of this and several other Rodes mics in the coming weeks, but for now, you read some great reviews here:

Rode Microphones Stereo VideoMic On-Camera Microphone

Putting It All Together:

So, I have to say, putting this all together was the best part.  If you are like me and you like to tinker with things, this is a tinkerers dream. The system came in pieces and components ready to assemble.  I was a bit intimidated at first, but quickly dug into the project.  There were dozens of pieces to put together, but all was done with either thumb screws or allen wrenches that were included.

First – the rails.

I started with the rails… two 12″ long carbon fiber rods that are the backbone of the IndiRAILS system.  There are “blocks” that attach to the top and bottom of these rails and clamp down to hold the rails in place.  All it takes is 1 set of blocks and your rails are steady and firm.

Second – the camera block

The first block to mount is the camera block.  This is where the camera mounts and is kind of the core of the rig.  The IndyRAILSpro camera block is adjustable vertically, so the Canon 5D with a battery grip can still be adjusted to a good height to work with the rest of the attachments.

Inside the camera block I have mounted the “C” shaped mounting bracket and carrying handle.  This is also a pretty recent addition to the product line-up (one that I think I had a little influence in creating) and is an important addition to the rig.  This handle not only allows me to mount my microphone and other gear above the camera, but it is a firm handle to help carry a rather awkward shaped rig around.

Third – the Matte Box

Next, I attached the indiMATTEpro matte box.  It also mounted with a block on the front, which added further stabilization to the rails.  The height of the matte box can be adjusted to match up properly with the lens height on the camera.  The side and top flags are easily adjustable and can be tightened into position.  The height is also adjustable so you can easily align the opening and masking height with the particular camera setup you have.

Fourth – front handles

To give me something to hold onto, I next mounted the front handles to the rails.  These mounted to the rails with a block just like the Matte box mounts.  The handles are pretty flexible with good adjust-ability, and they lock down real tight when in position.  In a future article, I plan to mount a remote control for the camera to one of the handles to allow start and stop recording while on the move, as your hands tend to be pretty tied up while carrying all of this gear on your shoulder.

Fifth – shoulder mount

From here, I put on the shoulder mount.  This latest design of the shoulder assembly is pretty nice.  It is lighter weight than the last model and is more flexible in that you can easily switch which side of the rig you put it on and the length of the mount, as well as the angle from the rig and the angle to the shoulder.

Sixth – follow focus

The next item to add was the indiFOCUSpro.  This is probably the coolest addition to the rail system.  The issue with the 5D II and video is auto-focus… or the lack thereof.  And truthfully, you really don’t always want auto focus.  Selective focusing is much more dramatic and engrossing in your video production. The issue is that grabbing the lens to focus shakes the camera and is inaccurate.  The indiFOCUSpro comes with a large hand grip dial to allow you to focus more naturally.  It has a gearbox that drives gears to turn the lens.  It also has gear teethed rings to mount on the outside of your lens. With the 6 simple adjustment points, it is easy to clamp the ring down on your lens.  It doesn’t have to be tight, and the alan screw tips are rounded as to not mark the lens.  But I went down to the local hardware store and spend $0.86 on some thread protectors and cut them down to fit on the threads.  This made me more comfortable tightening the screws down on my expensive lenses. You can see these (orange and red) in the photo to the right.

Once aligned and adjusted, the follow focus is a great tool for focusing the lens.  It also has a white back plate where you can mark your focus points with a grease pencil (included with the indiFOCUSpro).

At this point the rail system is ready to take out and use.  All of the gear mentioned above has been mounted to the rails and the camera installed.  Here are a few finished shots.

Cost

If you have looked into these rail systems before, then you know how pricey they can get.  We studied the Redrock Micro system and Zacuto gear.  We were amazed at how fast you can spend $2.5k, $3k, $4k and more.  What really excited us about the indiSYSTEM from Studio4 Productions is how reasonable the pricing is for their solution.  The complete indiSYSTEM setup I have shown in this article (not including additional electronics or camera – mic, screen, light, 5d, lens) was just a little over $1,200 at the time of writing this.  For those of us trying to break into video production, many cannot afford $3k or more to outfit our gear to get started in video.  This is something to truly consider when looking for a rail system.

There is a lot more reviewing to do here, as we need to show this rig in action.  But for now, it took me long enough to get all of this gear together.  I wanted to get a basic overview review of the indiSYSTEM components done so we could start to familiarize ourselves with using a rail system.

Stay tuned to see this rail system in operation and for reviews of the individual components.

Here are the websites for the manufacturers of products in this article:

• indiSYSTEM (Studio 4 productions)
• ikan
• R0DE Microphones
• Delkin

Overview

The Canon EOS 50D is a 15.1 megapixel DSLR with an APS-C sized sensor. The 50D is available in a body-only or as a kit with a 28-135mm f/4-f/5.6 IS lens. If you are getting into a DSLR for the first time, the kit lens is actually a really nice general purpose lens which, by itself, sells for $410 making the kit with the lens a really good bargain.

Features

As already mentioned, the 50D features 15.1 megapixels, built-in sensor cleaner, ISO ranges from 100 – 6400. Besides some better overall specs, what really makes 50D different from previous models is the high resolution LCD display. With a large LCD with high resolution you can really see when an image is clear and sharp. Another enhancement over previous models is face detection when in Live View mode to help focus on individual faces.

Product Features

• 15.1-megapixel CMOS sensor with improved noise reduction
• Enhanced Live View shooting includes Face Detection Live mode
• New Lens Peripheral Illumination Correction setting; HDMI output
• Capture images to Compact Flash Type I or II memory cards (not included)

Technical Details

• Camera type: Digital single-lens reflex AF/AE camera with built-in flash
• Image sensor size: 22.3 x 14.9mm
• Compatible lenses: Canon EF lenses (including EF-S lenses)
• Lens mount: Canon EF
• Sensor type: High-sensitivity, high-resolution, large single-plate CMOS sensor
• Effective pixels: Approximately 15.10 megapixels
• Aspect ratio: 3:2 (horizontal: vertical)
• Color filter system: RGB primary color filters
• Low-pass filter: Fixed position in front of CMOS sensor
• Dust deletion feature: Yes
• Recording format: Design rule for camera file system 2.0
• Image type: JPEG, RAW (14-bit Canon original), sRAW, RAW+JPEG
• File size: Large/fine: 5 MB (4752 x 3168); large/normal: 2.5 MB (4752 x 3168); medium/fine: 3 MB (3456 x 2304); medium/normal: 1.6 MB (3456 x 2304); small/fine: 1.7 MB (2352 x 1568); small/normal: 0.9 MB (2352 x 1568); RAW: 20.2 MB (4752 x 3168); RAW+large/fine: 20.2+5 MB (4752 x 3168); sRAW 1: 12.6 MB (3267 x 2178), sRAW 2: 9.2 MB (2376 x 1584); sRAW 2+large/fine: 9.2+5 MB (2376 x 1584)
• Color space: sRGB, Adobe RGB
• Picture style: Portrait, landscape, neutral, faithful, monochrome, user defined 1-3
• Image processing type: Auto, daylight, shade, cloudy, tungsten light, white fluorescent light, flash, custom, color temperature setting
• Auto white balance: Auto white balance with image sensor
• Color temperature compensation: White balance correction: +/-9 stops in full-stop increments; white balance bracketing: +/-3 stops in full-stop increments
• Viewfinder type: Eye-level pentaprism
• Coverage: Approximately 0.95x (-1m with 50mm lens at infinity)
• Eyepoint: Approximately 22mm
• Focusing screen: Interchangeable (Ef-D: grid lines, EF-S: point of focus, EF-A: standard focusing screen)
• Mirror: Quick-return half mirror
• Depth-of-field preview: Yes
• Autofocus type: TTL-CT-SIR AF-dedicated CMOS sensor
• AF points: 9
• Metering range: EV 0.5 to 18
• Focusing modes: Auto, one-shot AF, predictive AI Servo AF, AI Focus AF, manual
• AF point selection: Automatic, manual
• Selected AF point display: Superimposed in viewfinder and indicated on LCD panel
• AF-assist beam: Small series of flashes fired by built-in flash
• Metering modes: 35-zone full-aperture metering: evaluative, partial (9 percent of viewfinder at center), spot (3.8 percent of viewfinder at center), center-weighted average
• Metering range: EV 1-20
• Exposure control: Program AE (shiftable), shutter-priority AE, aperture-priority AE, depth-of-field AE, creative auto, full auto, programmed image control modes (portrait, landscape, close-up, sports, night portrait, flash off), manual exposure, E-TTL II autoflash program AE
• ISO speed: Automatically set: ISO 100 to 6400 (in 1/3-stop or 1-stop increments); basic zone modes: ISO 100 to 3200 set automatically; extension settable: ISO 12800; high-tone priority settable: ISO 200 to 1600
• Exposure compensation: Manual: +/-3 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments
• AE lock: Auto and manual
• Shutter type: Veritcal travel, mechanical, electronically controlled focal-plane shutter
• Shutter speeds: 1/8000 to 1/60 second, X-sync at 1/250 second; 1/8000 to 30 second, bulb
• Shutter release: Soft-touch electromagnetic
• Self timer: 10- or 2-second delay
• Remote control: Yes, with N3-type terminal
• Flash type: Retractable auto pop-up
• Flash metering: E-TTL II autoflash
• Recycling time: Approximately 3 seconds
• Flash-ready indicator: Viewfinder icon
• Flash coverage: 17mm lens angle of view
• FE lock: Yes
• Flash exposure compensation: Up to +/-2 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments
• Compatible flash: EX-series Speedlites
• Drive modes: Single, high-speed continuous, low-speed continuous, and self-timer
• Continuous shooting speed: 3 shots/second to 6.3 shots/second
• Live View shooting modes: Live View, remote Live View (with a personal computer installed with EOS utility)
• Live View focusing: Manual, autofocus
• LCD monitor: 3-inch TFT color LCD
• Resolution: Approximately 920,000 pixels
• Coverage: Approximately 100 percent
• Brightness adjustment: 7 levels
• Interface languages: 25
• Display format: Single image, single image + image-recording quality/shooting information, histogram, 4- or 9-image index, magnified view (approximately 1.5x to 10x), rotated image (auto/manual), image jump (by 10/100 images, index screen, by shooting date, by folder), slide show (all images/selected by date/folder)
• Image protection: Yes
• Erase: Single, check-marked images, or all (except protected images)
• Compatible printers: PictBridge
• Printable images: JPEG compliant to design rule for camera file system and RAW/sRAW images
• Interface: USB 2.0, NTSC/PAL selectable, HDMI mini out
• Battery: Rechargeable battery pack or AA alkaline batteries
• Camera width: 5.7 inches
• Camera height: 4.2 inches
• Camera depth: 2.9 inches
• Weight: 25.7 ounces (body only)

Setup

While you  can certainly take the camera out of the box and start shooting, I will run through the setting changes that I did and why.

C. Fn I : Exposure
Custom Function 3 changed to 1 to enable ISO expansion. This is needed to shoot at ISO ranges above 3200.

C. Fn II : Image
Custom Function 3 changed to 1 to enable Highlight Tone Priority. This enables Highlight Tone Priority which can help from overexposing important aspects of your image. Note however that when this is enabled, you will not be able to go over ISO 3200 regardless of the previous setting.

C. Fn III : Autofocus/Drive
Custom Function 3 changed to 1 to enable Multi-controller direct. This option enables you to select the autofocus point by using the multi-controller (mini joystick).

Live View Function Settings
Live View Shoot set to Enable to allow for Live View mode

Expo. Simulation set to enable so the LCD show how the exposure will look when the shot is taken

Grid Display was set to the rule of thirds overlay

Other Settings

Image quality was set to RAW.

Highlight Alert was enabled in order to show “blinkies†on the LCD to show overexposed areas

Finally, I made sure the date and time was correct, dropped in a compact flash card, formatted it and I was ready to go.

Using the EOS 50D

The first thing I get asked is “How good is the ISO performance?†so let’s start there. By default the 50D can shoot ISO 100-3200. If you enable ISO Expansion then you have ISO 6400 (H1) and 12800 (H2). However, just because you CAN go up to ISO levels like that doesn’t mean it really usable. The following image demonstrates the ISO performance from ISO 800 – 12,800.

As you can see, the ISO performance even up to ISO 6400 is actually pretty usable. Keep in mind that no noise reduction software was used to create this image, this is right out of the camera. Even some basic noise reduction will clean up the ISO 6400 images while the ISO 12,800 images would require some significant noise reduction to really make them usable.

Differences from the 40D

After the ISO question, the second most common question is “Is the 50D worth upgrading from the 40D?†so let’s compare a few key features between the two:

While not everyone will need the new features, I certainly think that many people who are more serious shooters like wedding photographers will really appreciate the high ISO performance, the larger megapixel count and the high resolution display. Those are certainly the key selling points for me.

50D Coolness Features

We have already looked at some of the biggest of the 50D’s features but there are a number of features hidden in the 50D that are actually pretty cool even if they don’t make the short list that everyone talks the most about.

• Peripheral Illumination Correction: This feature corrects vignetting that happens with certain lenses
• Live View Enhancements: Two different focusing modes are now available as well as a new face detection system for locking focus onto faces.
• User Settings Modes: Two modes on the main dial allow you to create two custom modes for your custom settings.

How big are the images?

Well, they are pretty big. The following chart shows typical sizes for the different quality modes:

Coming from using a 30D (8 megapixel) this means that my storage requirements have just doubled.

Does it take good images?

Of course it does. Here are some samples:

ISO 100 f/22 1/100 12mm

ISO 3200 f/4.0 1/60 12mm

ISO 100 f/4.0 1/1600 18mm

ISO 200 f/16 1/160 24mm

The 50D Controversy

There is quite a lot of debate about the sensor’s pixel density and how the smaller pixels and density are a recipe for more noise. While this is a very hotly debated topic a lot of it depends on your shooting situation. You will most certainly see extra noise in areas of images that are underexposed while if you are shooting well, or slightly overexposed images you can really move up into the higher ISO ranges. As we have discussed in previous articles, digital sensors loose detail in underexposed areas while maintaining more detail in overexposed areas, thus its safe to slightly overexpose to help reduce noise and maintain detail. A good rule of thumb is to overexpose by 1/3 – 1/2 of a stop, even more if you can without clipping. Learning the nuances of how your particular camera works and where it’s unique “sweet spot†is will help you to get the best images from your camera.

Is the 50D the best choice for you?

You are the only one that can decide if any particular piece of equipment is the right choice for you. What I did was to rent the body from Borrowlenses.com for a week to really put it through its paces and do some major comparisons. After using it in a variety of conditions, I knew it was the right choice for me at this time.

DSLR Sensor

What are you really cleaning?

There are two components that we will look at cleaning, the first being the focusing screen mirror. If you remove your lens and look into your camera with a lens off, you will see a small mirror.  Dust typically doesn’t stick to this surface very much, so a few quick blasts of air from something like a Rocket Blower should keep the mirror in relatively clean and clear.  This mirror, however, only affects what you see through your viewfinder and not what the sensor sees.

The second component is the “sensor”.  To get to the sensor you have to put your camera into sensor cleaning mode which moves the mirror out of the way, letting you get to the sensor plate. It is important to note that we are never actually touching the sensor itself.  The sensor sits behind a thin sheet of glass and it is this glass that we will be cleaning.  Knowing that you are actually going to be cleaning a piece of glass, and not the actual sensor itself, will hopefully make some of you feel a little better about this process.

And for those of you who take your camera bodies to Canon and get a free cleaning whenever you want (like we do), be aware that the days of free cleanings are about over.  Manufacturers are soon going to be discontinuing this free service, from what we have been told.

Lenspen SensorKlear II CCD Sensor Cleaner and SensorKlear Loupe

Tools of the trade

There are many things you can stick into your camera body to wipe down the sensor, but the goal of this article is to show you how to do it right.  There are many, many products available on the market to clean sensors in DSLRs today.  And quite frankly, many of them just don’t make sense.  Recently, we were at PMA in Las Vegas and we saw the myriad of cleaning products and solutions available for this job.  It is both overwhelming and confusing.  Then, we came across a product and a solution that just made perfect sense.  It’s called the Lenspen SensorKlear II CCD Sensor Cleaner and the SensorKlear Loupe.  These two items, together with a blower ball like the Giottos Rocket Blower or the Lenspen Hurricane Blower, make perfect sense as a solution to the problem.

Blowing out the camera

What are we getting into here?

The inside of the camera body is a dark and tight space.  To know what you are getting into, the the SensorKlear loupe is what you use to look into the camera to see if there is any dust that needs to be cleaned off the sensor.  This device is specially engineered to light the interior of the camera body and sensor surface, magnify the view to the eye and allow easy side access to get to the sensor.

There are also two kinds of dust that we will encounter.  Dry dust and sticky dust. Dry dust will make up about 95% of the dust particles you will encounter which is good news since they are easily removed with a blower ball.  A few quick blasts on the mirror, then putting the camera into sensor cleaning mode and then a few quick blasts onto the sensor is usually all you need for the majority of the dust you will encounter.  This should always be your first step when cleaning your camera’s sensor, and many times will be more than enough to solve your problems.  Once you complete this step, either check your sensor with a SensorKlear Loupe or put a lens back on, turn on manual focus and shoot a photo of a white background.  Check to see if there are any spots on your image.

Any dust that remains on our sensor and refuses to budge with just a simple blast of air is known as “sticky dust”.  This dust may be sticky from humidity or it is static charged and wants to just hang on the sensor.  There are several ways to get the sticky dust off and dozens of companies that are ready to sell you all manner of cleaning supplies to solve this problem.  In the worst case, it is possible that a spec might not be so easy to remove.  There are brushes that may work, or sometimes they just end up moving the dust around.  The other products offered are chemicals that will often leave a residue on the sensor glass (and yes, they ALL leave a visible residue… some just less than others).  Depending on the environment, some dust could even have some oil on it and the best you can do with brushes is to move it around and never get it to come off.  That’s when a chemical process and swab may (worst case scenario) have to be used to get that stubborn piece of dust off.

Lenspen SensorKlear

But outside of the worst cases (which RARELY occour), a simple blow, look and swipe should handle all your needs.  This is where the two piece solution of the Lenspen SensorKlear II CCD Sensor Cleaner and the SensorKlear Loupe make the perfect combination.  Let’s get into detail about these two pieces.

The SensorKlear Loupe is an electronically lighted eyepiece that sits over the body where the lens normally sits.  With it’s multiple LED lights, it gives you a wonderful, lighted view of your sensor that is magnified many times.  With this, you can see every spec of dust and debris on your sensor’s surface.  This is the only way we know of today to effectively see what needs to be cleaned.  You simply tell your camera to pup up the mirror for sensor cleaning, remove the lens and lay the camera on its back.  Then, you put the SensorKlear over the body opening and turn on the light.

The Lenspen SensorKlear II CCD Sensor Cleaner is a pen-like device with a hinge in the middle.  It has a capped cleaner surface at one end.  This cleaner surface is a specially designed chamois surface that is shaped like a rounded triangle to allow you to get into the corner of the sensor area and reach any surface.  Unlike brushes that can simply move things around, this pen can wipe just the area where the dust sits and pick it right up.  If the dust is sticky, it will usually pick it up too, or in some cases, it will move it around and turn it from sticky to dry dust, which can just be blown out of the camera.  Either way, there is no form of dust it cannot seem to handle.

Using the SensorKlear Loupe and SensorKlear II CCD Sensor Cleaner

So, the next step is to remove any debris we see.  We are assuming at this point that you have blown out the camera.  With the SensorKlear over the opening, there is a side access opening.  You simple bend the CCD sensor cleaning pen at a slight angle and reach in through this side access opening, watching the whole time throuh the eyepiece.  You make a small wipe or blot of the area where the dust is and it is immediately picked up and swept away.

We know that this sounds like a product plug; and truthfully, it truly is.  This is the first series of products that have actually made us feel comfortable cleaning our own camera sensors.  And that is saying a lot.  As a matter of fact, we heard rumors that Canon service techs themselves use these products for the work that they do on customer’s cameras.  I guess that makes sense to us too.  After all, its the best solution we have seen.

SensorKlear and Lenspen CCD Pen

Lenspen Website: http://lenspen.com

Authors

Maurice Naragon
Digital Creations
Website Development and Marketing
Professional Photography in Orange County, CA

Kerry Garrison
Orange County Wedding Photographer

Canon DSLR Hot Shoe

During a wedding shoot one day I noticed that my flash was only firing occasionally. After the initial panic, I quickly figured out that if I held the flash with a little counter-clockwise tension, then the flash worked fine. At the first break, I tried my backup camera and it was doing the same thing. When I got home, I checked it against my daughter’s 20D and it worked fine, and it also seemed that the hot shoe on my cameras was loose compared to hers.Another symptom of this is that the flash will switch from E-TTL mode into TTL mode and the exposure will usually be very overexposed.

After some research on the net, I discovered that this is not an uncommon problem for cameras that get heavy use. Typically, a quick trip to a service center will fix it, but the actual fix is quite simple and you can help ensure that it doesn’t happen again.

What you will need

Protective Plate

The tools needed to make this repair are quite simple, although small. What you will need is a very small flat screwdriver and a VERY small Phillips head screwdriver. A typical cheap set of jeweler’s or eyeglass screwdrivers should do the trick quite nicely.

To make the fix more permanent, you may want to get some mild Loctite or other thread adhesive. I would not use the heavy duty stuff as that is only needed under heavy vibrations and someday, someone may actually need to take your camera apart for service so the more mild version should work perfectly.

You will also want a good clean work area, preferably with a towel underneath everything, if you drop one of the damned-near-microscopic screws you will be in a world of hurt trying to find it in the carpet.

Getting Started

Hot Shoe Removed

I don’t know if this is the same for Nikon or other brands, but I would assume its not too different, if you run into this issue on other cameras, its worth a try before sending it to service.

When you are looking down into the hotshoe, you will not see any screws, they are covered by a removable plate that slides off. This plate is a good thing to have there as on one of my cameras several of the screws were completely backed out and would have been lost if that plate hadn’t been in place.

There is certainly a technique to popping the plate off which is a bit hard to explain but simple once you get the hang of it. The way I do it is to slide the flat screwdriver under the plate coming from the rear of the camera towards the front. You want to be gentle here and not bend the plate, it will come off with very little pressure. With the screwdriver under the plate, the goal is to lift the back of the plate (side closest to the front of the camera) so that a little lip on it clears the bottom section. With a little pressure on the screwdriver to life the backend, and a little pressure on the plate with a finger it should slip out of place slightly. A little wiggling should allow you to pull it the rest of the way out.

Screws Holding Hot Shoe

At this point you will have access to the four small screws that hold the hot shoe connector in place. if you just want to tighten them up, go ahead and do so and skip to the section of reassembling the protective plate. If you want to use a little thread lock, then continue reading.

The cleanest way I have found to remove all four screws without dropping them is to loosen them all up all the way and then place a magnet (I stole one off the fridge). This will allow you to lift the hot shoe connector and all four screws at once. I then clean up the connector and the camera to remove any dust or debris that is there and put the connector back on the camera. If you are using some thread lock, you just need the smallest dot of liquid on the threads, you can do a quick dunk if you have small enough fingers or apply a little to the threads with a toothpick. Put the screws back in and tighten them up.

Putting the plate back on

Plate Rear Hooks

Oh sure, you popped off the protective plate like a pro, did a solid to your camera with a little Loctite, so putting this little piece of spring-steel back into place should be child’s play right? Its actually pretty easy to screw this part up and end up wondering for an hour what the heck you did wrong. Take special note of the picture here showiing how the plate goes back in with the little hoops going DOWN towards the camera. Those little hoops slide into two slots on either side so you have to make sure they are lined up when you push the plate into place and the rear lip slids into place. If you don’t have those two hoops in the right position, removing the plate again to reseat will be an excersize in frustration.

Trust me on this one, I am speaking from experience here. Once the plate is back in place properly, you are all finished and ready to go. If you are using some thread lock, be sure and give it a little time to dry before attaching the flash and torquing the screws, you might end up loosening them before they get glued into place which would really not be a good situation to be in.

At least you now have one thing you can fix if it becomes an issue for you.

Author: Kerry Garrison

I think screen protectors are way overpriced.  You can pay $10 to $15 for a piece of plastic film smaller than the palm of your hand.  That just doesn’t seem right.  Fortunately, I happen to have a box full of old Palm Pilot screen protectors laying around and I usually just cut one of them to the size of my camera’s screens.  They are durable, scratch resistant and provide decent protection.  I bought several dozen of these in a single ebay auction, so I didn’t feel ripped off at paying $14.99 for a clear piece of sticky plastic, as many companies charge for their “custom cut” screen protectors.

Overview

While at the PMA tradeshow in March ’08, I met with a Giottos distributor named Bill Hodges, who was very enthusiastic about their products.  Bill showed me an product line that I was not familiar with in the Giottos lineup… the AEGIS Pro Optical Glass Screen Protectors.  Unlike the simple plastic films you can buy for $10 to $15, these Giottos screen protectors are $24 to $45.  Now, I have never been comfortable paying $15 for a piece of plastic film smaller than a playing card, so what could possibly make me spend two to three times that amount to protect my camera screens?

To answer that question, let’s look at some specs on this product.

AEGIS SP 80 series
• Transmission 420~680 nm: T≥98%
• High translucent, optical glass sheet made from Schott glass in Germany.
• Both sides 12 layers coated, from “LEYBOLD†Germany
• 12 Layers improve LCD backlight transmission while reducing reflections or glare
• Elite Schott glass protects and clarifies LCD images
• Includes Micro-Fiber Cleaning Cloth
• Available for digital cameras and DSLR’s including Canon, Nikon and Fujifilm
• Adds no significant weight or bulk to the camera body
• Resistant to acid and alkali prolonging the life of the LCD
• Easily applied using pre attached 3m double sided tape
• No air bubbles
• Glass surface reaches 8-9 and the elastic pressure is 4kg/cm2 to help it withstand impacts
• Removable and replaceable if it gets scratched or damaged

I have found that most LCD screen protectors fall into one of two categories; the plastic stick-on film sheet or the flip-up sun shade housings.  Stick-on sheets are prone to peeling off, bubbling, and have little to no beneficial optical qualities while LCD hoods/screen shades & covers are bulky and cumbersome while only minimally preserving the LCD image.

Setup

The Giottos AEGIS Glass Screen Protectors are very different from the start. The package has an interesting pull-up transparent tab that has the outline size of the screen protector that you can lay over your camera screen to confirm the size. With 12 layers of Anti-Reflective coating, plus being made of glass, they protect the LCD panel from not only abrasions and scratches , but impact too.  The multi-layer coating supposedly improves clarity and color quality as well as the life of the LCD.

I picked up two of these screen protectors; one for my Canon 5D Mark II and one for my Canon G9.  The two models I picked up were obviously different as the screen sizes of the displays on the two cameras are just a little different.  So, I started with the SP8301L for the 50D and 5D Mark II.

So, enough of all the marketing hype… what is the user experience?  What is this thing really like?  Well, first, the application to the camera screen was fairly simple.   Since it is rigid, it is easy to move around and pre-position.  There were no air bubbles to worry about, but not just because you are applying a rigid piece of glass, but because the glass is actually suspended above the screen surface by a fraction of a millimeter.  The only sticky surface is around the edges of the protector, and the thickness of the sticky substrate suspends the glass above the screen.

Installation

There is protective plastic on both sides of the glass sheet.  I cleaned my screen well with a micro-fiber cloth, peeled away the bottom film first, then lined the glass up with the screen.  My first shot was not perfect, so I used a fingernail to peel it up and re-apllying it.  Not too challenging.  Once in place, I rubbed it down with a cloth and peeled away the top protective layer.  The fit to the 5D II is perfect.

Usage

Checking at the final result, it looks great.  The protective cover has the Giottos logo in the black trim around the outside edge which covers the Canon logo.  This is the most visible thing you will notice every day  But as you can see by the photo it simply looks like part of the camera.  The surface of the Schott Glass is a little more reflective than the anti-reflective coating on the original screen surface, but you only notice this when the camera screen is off. Once it is on, the picture is bright and clear.  I actually find it much easier to see in bright sunlight than it was before the Giottos screen cover was on.

One More Time

Next, I installed my second screen protector over my Canon G9 screen – model SP 8300.  This was a little tougher as the screen fit was not as perfect as the one for the 5D Mark II.  The cover for the G9 was actually a couple on millimeters shorter on the vertical dimension than the Canon G9 screen.  This caused me to lift and re-seat the cover a couple of times to get it to where I could best see the camera’s screen through the glass.  Now, the end result is absolutely fine and the screen is 100% visible, but the Canon logo at the top is only partially covered.  This is a very small detail, as I guess I was expecting absolute perfection here.  However, I am completely happy with the end product.  With the small body of a camera like the G9, you tend to touch the screen more and it seems more prone to being bumped or scuffed by being laid on the screen, so I think this application is even more crucial than putting it on my pro body.

Protector in place	Removing film cover
With Protector Installed

Results

I have now tested both of my cameras outside in sunlight, in the shade, in the dark, in about every possible situation.  I have to say that I have no real complaints at all.  About the only criticism one might have is that the new screen is a bit more reflective than the original surface, but it isn’t bothering me.  After reading some reviews online, I see that there are various complaints about size, reflectivity and the screen not sticking.  I have to say that I do not see any of these issues with my two experiences.

Summary

The only reason to really put a protector of this sort over your camera’s screen is to protect the original screen and protect the value of your camera.  Let’s face it… these cameras are electronics.  In today’s market, electronics are the fastest depreciating item you can buy (outside of a home – but that’s another story).  To keep the value of your camera, you need to keep it looking new.  But you don’t want to have to look through some bubbled, misty looking piece of plastic film the whole time you use your camera.  So, is it worth a little more to invest in a quality piece of glass like this?  I think so.

Unlike traditional tripods, Alta Pro’s Multi-Angle Central Column (MACC) System allows users to move the central column as needed from zero to 130-degree angles in variable vertical and horizontal positions. This allows more angle possibilities than any tripod on the market but its solid design maintains its stability.

Its Instant Swivel Stop-n-Lock (ISSL) System feature allows photographers to securely reposition the central column in one simple movement, in just a few seconds, with maintaining the tripod’s stability. Designed to support an array of camera types including DSLR and video cameras, camera setup is quick and easy.Alta Pro’s design also enables macro photography and special wide-angle shots with additional attachments that can be mounted to either end of the central column. Alta Pro is one of many new-for-2009 products introduced by VANGUARD at PMA 09, including :

• SBH ball heads – A lightweight line of stable magnesium alloy-constructed ball heads with tilting and ultra smooth movement, designed to support heavy equipment
• Kenline i-Pro bags – With three patents and lots of why-didn’t-I-think-of-that features, this line of soft-sided photo-video bags was designed for professional and amateur photographers by photographers
• Pampas bags – Line of durable and convenient sling-style, soft-sided camera and accessories bags for on-the-go photography
• Endeavor, Spirit, and Sereno binoculars – Industry-leading protective coatings, enhanced durability and special features are uniquely designed for an array of professionals

Alta Pro Multi Angle

Kenline Bags

Source: Vanguard USA

YOU WILL LEARN…

• 32 ways to use your on and off-camera flashes for creative and dramatic effects.
• 10 of the best camera settings and lens choices for creating striking images on every job.
• 7 ways to use the new DSLR video capabilities to transform your product offerings.
• 10 “Magic Bullet” techniques to make your digital workflow nearly effortless, highly efficient, and fun with today’s top software from Adobe Lightroom, NIK, and LumaPix: FotoFusion.
• 20 new product and solid marketing ideas targeted to today’s customers to add substantially to your bottom line.

PROGRAM BONUS:

• Tour Handbook including: program notes, photography, marketing and more
• 2 Hour DVD with extended program content
• $100 Rebate from American Color Imaging
• 1 year membership to WPPI and Rangefinder magazine, a $99 value
• FREE 3 month membership to DigitalProTalkPlus.com, a $45 value

$2,500 in Door Prizes at EACH location and 4 Grand prizes totaling $20,000

If you sign up now, the price is only $59!! At the door the price is $79 which is still an amazing deal.

Go visit the Digital Wakeup Call website for additional information and to sign up. This event is most likely going to sell out in every city so I highly recommend you get registered as soon as possible.

Getting the Camera

Since I am not sponsored by Canon (any help here would be appreciated – wink wink) and I haven’t been able to justify the cost yet, I decided that another way to get one for a little while was to call up the good folks over at BorrowLenses.com. I hooked up with Max to get a weekend rental on the 5D Mk II so I could use it on a wedding shoot I had planned as well as to play around with the other features. If you have never rented equipment, you can’t go wrong by using BorrowLenses.com as their prices are great and you don’t get slapped with a huge deposit (no deposit in fact), but more about BorrowLenses.com in an upcoming article as I review their service.

I got the camera and couldn’t wait to slap in a card and start playing with it.

First Impressions

When picking up the body the first thing you notice is the surface has a much better texture on it than previous cameras making it easier to hold. The form factor is much like the 30D/40D/50D/5D. For users of those mentioned cameras, the control layout will be very familiar with the only noticeable exceptions being that the delete button has shifted due to the large screen and the top LCD illumination button has been moved to the right side of the display. For people moving up from a 30D/40D you will notice the lack of a pop-up flash and no preset modes on the mode dial (this is much more of a Pro camera than a consumer camera after all).

The large LCD on the back is just stunning with its much higher resolution display which enables you to better see if an image is sharp and in focus.

The new menu system is super clean and sharp looking on the big display although a little hunting around the first few times to find some of the features will be in order. The only thing that threw me for a loop for a minute was figuring out how to setup exposure bracketing. Not wanting to turn to the manual, I figured it out quickly enough. What I did have to crack the manual for was to figure out how to  use the video mode. Simple enough, go into Live View mode and press the Set button in the middle of the large dial on the back to start/stop recording.

First time setup

Before really being able to push the 5d Mk II to it’s limits, you will need to go into the menus and setup a few options first. Here are the things I did to get it ready for my tests.

C. Fn I : Exposure
Custom Function 3 changed to 1 to enable ISO expansion. This is needed to shoot at ISO ranges above 6400.

C. Fn II : Image
Custom Function 3 changed to 1 to enable Highlight Tone Priority. This enables Highlight Tone Priority which can help from overexposing important aspects of your image. Note however that when this is enabled, you will not be able to go over ISO 6400 regardless of the previous setting.

C. Fn III : Autofocus/Drive
Custom Function 3 changed to 1 to enable Multi-controller direct. This option enables you to select the autofocus point by using the multi-controller (mini joystick).

Live View Function Settings
LV Func. Setting set to Stills+movie, Screen Settings set to movie display

Image Quality
Image quality was set to RAW.

Finally, I made sure the date and time was correct, dropped in a compact flash card, formatted it and I was ready to go.

Shooting the 5D Mk II

Like many people getting the 5D Mark II, I have been shooting APS-C sized sensors for the past few years as I use a 30D as a primary and a 20D as a backup. Functionally, the 5D Mk II is virtually identical in how to operate the camera although the shutter sound is different and quieter. The big difference comes into play when using the same lenses you were using on the smaller sensor. If you aren’t familiar with this phenomenon, the smaller sensors in the 20D/30D/40D/50D are smaller APS-C size sensors versus the full frame sensor in the 5d Mk II. The smaller sensor size introduces an effect referred to as a zoom factor (also known as crop factor) which, in essence, magnifies the focal length of your lenses by 1.6.  To put it into simple terms, subjects on an APS-C sized sensor will appear closer (as if zoomed in by 1.6x) and the same lens on the 5D will give you an wider field of view. If we take a 50mm lens and put it on a camera with an APS-C sensor, what we get is basically an 80mm lens. A 70-200mm on the 50D becomes a 112-320mm lens on the APS-C sensor. This is interesting to note that a telephoto lens will get you more reach on a smaller sensor but you lose width at the smaller focal lengths. With my typical lenses, I now have to move closer to the subject to get the same effect as before, but I now have the added bonus of wide angle lenses being wider than before.

Image shot with 50mm on 30D (APS-C)

Image shot with 50mm on 5D Mk II (Full Frame)

Ok, so how about this ISO stuff, how good is it really? Yeah, well, its pretty damned good. On my 30D, it pained me to go up to 1600 ISO, on a 40D, 1600 would give you a very usable image but 3200 got to be a bit much, on the 5D Mk II, 3200 is a no-brainer and 6400 will give you very usable images. Moving up into 12,800 gets to be noisy but should be usable with a good noise reduction software while 25,600 ISO is basically unusable unless you convert the image to black and white and then you will get something looking like an older newspaper image.

Comparison of ISO settings from 5D Mk II

A feature that first appeared on the 40D is Highlight Tone Priority which can be a saving grace in numerous situations. Instead of going into how great this feature is, please refer to David Ziser’s post about Highlight Tone Priority.

What’s missing from the 5d Mk II?

Yes, the 5d Mk II is a huge leap forward for Canon, so much so that some shooters with the higher end 1Ds Mk III are actually “downgrading” to the 5D to get the improved sensor cleaning and higher ISO performance. But surely the 5D Mk II is not the Holy Grail of cameras, something must be missing right? Well, of course, otherwise it would be an $8000 camera. So what is it that we don’t have on the 5D Mk II that it’s big brother has?

• Dual memory card slots
  Many people think this is a major disappointment that the 5D wasn’t outfitted with dual memory slots to provide real-time redundancy when shooting.
• Built in battery grip/portrait grip
  The original 5D didn’t have one, and the 5D Mk II is aimed at the high end Pro-sumer market, not the professional market so this is an option. Unfortunately, the 5D Mk II uses a redesigned grip so existing ones will not work.
• Long life shutter
  The big gun 1Ds Mk III is rated as about double the shutter activations as the 5D Mk II (150,000 (5D) vs 300,000 (1Ds)).
• Dual Digic processors
  While the 5D Mk II does have the newer Digic IV processor, the 1Ds Mk III has dual processors for faster image processing.1

Granted, the higher ISO performance, larger, higher resolution LCD screen, improved dust reduction, 21 megapixel , full frame sensor, full HD video, and significantly cheaper price does make for a very compelling camera.

Focusing on Video

Yeah, the 5D Mk II is the Grand Poobah of DSLR’s that can shoot video with its full 1080p video capture. Being able to use all of the lenses at your disposal to shoot video is quite awesome indeed to achieve the same shallow depth of field that you can get in stills. So look out Sony, your days of being a video camera manufacturer have come to an end and the 5D Mk II is taking its rightful place of the King of all things video…..well….not exactly.

There is no question you can get stunning HiDef video out of the camera, there are plenty of examples online. But let’s look at the reality of shooting video with the 5D Mk II.

First off, abandon all hope of using autofocus when shooting video. If you are using the on-board microphone, you will hear constant whirrrr whirrrrrrrr whirrrrrrrr as the contrast-based autofocus “attempts” to focus. In some situations it may do alright, but the majority of the time you will end up with lots of times where the camera is trying to focus but tracks back and forth a few times before locking on. You really need to consider the camera as a manual focus camera when shooting video. Use autofocus in still mode to get your focus, then switch to video mode with autofocus off for best results. As for the built-in microphone (located just underneath the 5D logo), its alright for playing around, but anything serious will require an external mic plugged into the microphone jack on the side of the camera.

5D Mk II LowRez Video from Kerry Garrison on Vimeo.

Sample HiDef Video from 5D Mk II from Kerry Garrison on Vimeo.

Megapixels = Mega Storage

Oh sure, we all SAY we want more megapixels, but you really have to think of the ramifications of that. Here is a comparison of the same image taken with several of the different available image quality settings:

This means that a RAW file from the 5D Mk II is 4 times larger than a RAW from a 30D and even the 5D Mk II’s Fine JPEG is 2mb larger than the RAW file on the 30D. That’s 1/4 of the number of images I can fit on the same memory card and a typical wedding shoot for me will balloon from 10gb to 40gb. Add to that the additional disk space required to hold the images, and the addition computer horsepower (CPU and RAM) needed to process these huge files and you need some seriously beefy hardware to use this camera to its full potential.

For best results, UDMA Compact Flash cards are recommended, using these will speed up write times to the disc. Keep all of these things in mind if considering moving up to the 5D Mk II as it could turn out to be a bigger investment than just the camera itself.

Using the 5D Mk II

The first project I had was a small wedding reception, shooting out on a golf course at 11am presented some really harsh lighting conditions, the highlight tone priority system did a great job at keeping the subjects from getting blown out. One thing that I noticed was that the autofocus was really fast and super accurate. This is compared to the 30D that I normally shoot with. Normally I will get a handful of out of focus shots for no apparent reason, of almost 500 shots, there were only two that were out of focus, a significant improvement in the autofocus system over my camera.

The shutter noise is fairly quiet and doesn’t draw attention which is nice for quiet ceremonies and for catching candids without disturbing anyone.

For all your Shamu fans out there, here are some shots from Sea World.

5D Mark II - 70mm 1/640 f/9 ISO 200 Mode: Program sRAW1

5D Mark II - 70mm 1/5000 f/8 ISO 200 Mode: Program sRAW1

5D Mark II - 70mm 1/500 f/8 ISO 200 Mode: Program sRAW1

5D Mark II - 24mm 1/25 f/6.3 ISO 400 Mode: Manual sRAW1

5D Mark II - 42mm 1/60 f/2.8 ISO 400 Mode: Manual sRAW1

Is the 5D Mk II Right For You?

I only had the 5D Mk II available to me for a few days but I am completely impressed with it from a technology point of view. One of it’s biggest selling points is also one of its biggest problems, and that is the size of the images. A typical wedding will take up 30gb of space and just a simple day at an amusement park could easily eat up 6gb.  The ability to use the smaller sRAW sizes is a plus, but its painful to have to limit the camera, something I think I could get over easily enough but it remains to be seen if it is too limiting for doing paid wedding shoots in the reduced file format sizes.

Unless you already have a beefy uber-computer and have more compact flash cards than pairs of underwear, then there are going to be some hidden costs of getting into the 5D Mk II. I am probably fairly typical (or at least not abnormal) in that I am currently shooting with a 30D and put together some numbers as what it would take for me to purchase and use the 5D Mk II, and this is not upgrading the CPU or RAM in my machine as it isn’t that terrible to work on images with what I have.

That’s well over $4,000 with tax and shipping and isn’t counting having another as a backup. I would certainly recommend the 5D Mk II to anyone who can afford one, but, for myself, I need to take a look at the 50D before deciding to save up for the 5D.

Author: Kerry Garrison

Rental Equipment by: http://BorrowLenses.com

A common complaint of female photographers is that photo backpack shoulder harnesses are designed for average-sized men. The shoulder straps on the StreetWalker have been specifically engineered to fit a wider range of sizes for both genders.  Women in particular will appreciate the StreetWalker’s very narrow and vertical profile, especially when combined with the shoulder harness design.

The three new StreetWalker backpacks are:

• StreetWalker — This slim, lightweight backpack will hold a Pro Size DSLR with 70-200 2.8 attached and hood in position. It includes a monopod/tripod mounting system, a contoured harness and air channel for increased comfort, and lots of pockets and organizers for customization.
• StreetWalker Pro — This backpack is designed for a Pro Size DSLR with up to a 400 2.8 attached, or a 70-200 2.8 attached and hood in position. It also includes the monopod/tripod mounting system, the contoured harness and air channel, and lots of pockets and organizers.
• StreetWalker HardDrive — This backpack will hold most 15″ laptops and a Pro Size DSLR with 70-200 2.8 attached and hood in position. It also includes the monopod/tripod mounting system, the contoured harness and air channel, and lots of pockets and organizers.

The StreetWalker backpacks were designed by veteran camera bag designer Lily
Fisher.  “First and foremost  these lightweight backpacks give photographers quick access to their gear while allowing them to maneuver easily through crowds,” said Fisher.  “Additional benefits are the slim profile and adjustable sternum straps.  These backpacks also offer a unique benefit to women photographers, which is that the shoulder harness has been designed to  fit our unique body types.”

Specifications:

StreetWalker
Internal Dimensions:  8.5″ W x 16″ H x 5.5″ D  (22 x 41 x 14 cm)
External Dimensions:  9.5″ W x 17″ H x 6″ D (24 x 43 x 15 cm)
Weight:  2 lbs – 2.8 lbs (0.9kg – 1.3 kg) (Varies based on accessories used)
Price:  $139.00

StreetWalker Pro
Internal Dimensions: 9.5″ W x 16.5″ H x 7″ D (24 x 42 18 cm)
External Dimensions: 10″ W x 17.5″ H x 7.5″ D (25 x 45 x 19 cm)
Weight:  2.6 lbs – 3.4 lbs (1.2kg – 1.5kg)  (Varies based on accessories used)
Price:  $159.00

StreetWalker HardDrive
Internal Dimensions: 11″ W x 17″ H x 6-7″ D (28 x 43 x 15-18 cm)
External Dimensions: 11.5″ W x 18″ H x 8.5″ D (29 x 46 x 22 cm)
Weight:  3.6 lbs – 4.4 lbs (1.6kg – 2kg)  (Varies based on accessories used)
Price:  $179.00

Source: Think Tank Photo

I have had the hardest time dealing with camera bags over the years, from my first backback that got so heavy I couldn’t lug it around anymore to my uber cool Airport International 2.0 which is great for big jobs but what about when I want to go a little lighter? My old backback is too large, and my Airport International is too big, and my Modulous Speed Belt can’t hold enough nor is appropriate when traveling. So what does that leave? Fortunately, Think Tank Photo’s Mike Sturm has come to the rescue. Mike is the designer responsible for the newest and coolest backpack design from Think Tank Photo, the revolutionary ShapeShifter.

Why is the ShapeShifter so cool?
The problem with most camera bags is that they are designed for particular purpose, either trying to be lightweight and carry minimal equipment or being big enough to carry a large amount of gear. The ShapeShifter is designed for both, in expanded mode it can carry a couple of full size DSLR bodies, a few large pieces of glass, a good amount of accessories, AND a 17″ laptop.

Ok great, you can haul a bunch of stuff with you and your laptop easily, so what, the bigger rollers from Think Tank Photo allow you to do that easily enough. What is different with the ShapeShifter is that oncd your camera gear comes out (possibly moved to your Speed Belt) you can pull a zipper around and compress the backpack down to about three inches thick with your laptop still in it.

Features include:

• It can be compressed to 3 inches in width once your equipment is removed.
• Dedicated neoprene pockets for 2 pro size DSLR’s, 70-200 2.8, 24-70 2.8, wide angle 2.8, and strobes.
• Holds up to a 17†laptop in rear compartment.
• Front pocket organizers for your digital essentials.
• It can carry tripods and monopods.
• The Pro Speed Belt can be attached and quickly released.
• After your gear is removed, you can continue to carry your laptop and accessories, but in a much smaller package.

Who is the ShapeShifter for?
Since neoprene equipment bags inside the ShapeShifter don’t provide a lot of padding, the ShapeShifter is certainly not the best solution for travelers if there is any chance that your bag may have to get checked as luggage. For domestic flights the ShapeShifter is a great solution since domestic flights allow for a carry-on bag and a personal item such as a camera bag or laptop case. Since the ShapeShifter can hold you basic gear as well as your laptop you should always be able to carry it on and stuff it overhead or even under a seat.

Sports photographers who want an easy way to get their gear down onto the field but then want to compress the bag so there is a smaller profile to interfere with other photographers and easier maneuverability.

For photographers that use a modular belt system, you can remove most of your gear and still keep a few accessories and flashes in the backpack and still compress it to save space.

Any photographer that has to carry a laptop around safely as well as a decent selection of gear but doesn’t need a large backpack just to carry the laptop after the gear is taken out.

How well does it work?
I am super impressed with the versatility of the Shapeshifter already and have had it less than a week. I can carry a good selection of equipment comfortably and securely. The first day I got it I packed it up for a wedding with my Airport International Roller keeping the lesser used equipment and spares locked safely away, I could keep a small amount of gear with me at all times. The next day I took off to shoot a protest rally and loaded up with lenses and strapped my tripod onto the back. Out in the sun for a couple of hours all the extra shoulder and back padding made very comfortable to haul around a day pack of gear. A few days later I needed to make a day trip to San Fransisco to give a talk and I wanted a minimul set of gear along with my laptop. Even with a camera body, flash, several lenses, and my laptop I was able to compress the Shapeshifter down to the smaller size making it very easy to walk through the airports, take the BART into downtown, and walk to the convention center. Without the Shapeshifter I would have taken a large laptop case and probably not have taken any camera gear, or I would have taken a small camera bag that could hold a body and one lens. Thanks to the Shapeshifter I was able to take a 30D with battery grip, a 17-40 lens, a 24-70 lens, a 12-24 lens, and a 70-300 lens, and a 580 EX II. I could have taken some larger glass but then I wouldnt have been able to compress the bag down as much. Also in the Shapeshifter is the power supply for the laptop, a Zoom H2 audio recorder, and Jobo DSLR tripod.

The Shapeshifter isn’t going to be for everyone as there are some people who take too much gear everywhere they go and while the Shapeshifter can hold a decent amount of gear, it certainly can’t hold as much as the roller cases from Think Tank Photo. But if you need mobility and a roller is too inconvienent, the Shapeshifter is a great solution.

The bottom line
It didn’t take long for me to be a complete convert to the Shapeshifter for most of the assignments that I do although there are certain situations when I would rather have my larger roller with me. For the typical day assignment, for traveling, vacations, business trips, sports shooting, and many other situations, the Shapeshifter will be loaded up and hanging off my back.

The Think Tank Photo Shapeshifter backpack is scheduled for released in December of 2008 with a price of $249 US. If you have a photographer in the family that needs something like this, the Shapeshifter is an excellent Christmas gift.

Review Points

Setup
There is basically no setup of the Shapeshifter, open the zippers, load your equipment, adjust the straps, and off you go. If you want to use the monopod/tripod straps they are included inside the bag and will need to be attached to the outside before use. I keep the short sider attached at all times and when I am not using the long adjustable side I detach them and put them into a pocket in the bag to keep them out of the way.

Features
The Shapeshifter is like no other bag available today, loaded with more pockets than you would imagine and the ability to hold large equipment and compress down for smaller gear as well as having a padded laptop area that can take a 17″ laptop, the Shapeshifter is the ultimate in photographic mobility. Pockets galore! There are more pockets in this thing than you can count. The quality of the construction is simply incredible, I have full confidence this bag is going to last for many years.

Usage
Your biggest issue with the Shapeshifter is going to be deciding on what pocket of the dozens of available are you going to put your accessories in. Obviously this large number of pockets, holders, built-in bags, etc was built for someone with a better memory than me because there are so many places to put things you may well forget where something is. I am certainly a big fan of the Shapeshifter now and have taken it around to show all my friends.

Results
Sure, you can get a camera backpack on eBay for $30 and you may even be happy with it, but the ones I have bough have fallen apart, had the shoulder straps break, and are big and bulky. At $249 the Shapeshifter is not cheap, but neither is the contruction quality. Camera bags of this caliber are not designed for the budget-minded hobbiest, these are serious tools designed with professional photographers in mind. If you want to spend once on a backpack that will outlast several cheap ebay bags and you want to be sure you are not going to have zippers pop, seams break, and have it wear out prematurely then the Shapeshifter is the right choice.

Product Review Scorecard

Product Page: http://thinktankphoto.com/shapeshifter
Company Page: http://thinktankphoto.com

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Think Tank Photo Shapeshifter Camera Bag from Kerry Garrison on Vimeo.

The Red system is completely modular so you start off with the brain that you want (ranging in price from $2,500 – $55,000) and add other modules like recording blocks, viewfinders, LCD displays, handles, batteries, etc. to build the exact camera system you want. Depending on the speed you want, you can choose brains that can do 1-30 FPS up to 1-100 fps.

As you can see from the specs, these are not just DSLR still cameras but are also uber-high quality motion cameras with shows like Jumper and Sanctuary being shot on Red cameras already.

While typical readers of Camera Dojo may never use these cameras it is worth noting where the industry is going as technology being developed at the top end of the spectrum does flow down to the devices that we can afford over time.

for more information, please visit the Red website at http://red.com.

• It can be compressed to 3 inches in width once your equipment is removed.
• Dedicated neoprene pockets for 2 pro size DSLR’s, 70-200 2.8, 24-70 2.8, wide angle 2.8, and strobes.
• Holds up to a 17″ laptop in rear compartment.
• Front pocket organizers for your digital essentials.
• It can carry tripods and monopods.
• The Pro Speed Belt can be attached and quickly released.

After your gear is removed, you can continue to carry your laptop and accessories, but in a much smaller package.

Pretec CF 233X and 333X CF cards use metal housing and ruggedized construction to provide extensive ruggedness making the card resistant to impact and shock – at least 10 times more durable than a typical CF card. With the green concept of reuse, recycle and reduce in mind, Pretec 64GB CF cards can be configured or reused to make a 256GB SATA or IDE SSD, the highest capacity 2.5†SSD in the world so far, by using Pretec Q-SATA, a patent-pending technology of flexible, scalable and modular SATA/PATA design based on up to 4 CF cards. This technology provides ultimate flexibility and ease of use, especially for those needing both CF cards and SSDs.

Pretec 233X and 333X CF cards will be demonstrated together with high performance digital cameras from Leaf, a business unit of Eastman Kodak and a world-renowned industry leader in providing cutting edge digital photography solutions, whose AFi professional camera was recently awarded “Product of the Year†at the Photoforum exhibition in Russia. The new Leaf AFi-II system delivers the fastest shooting speeds of any camera in its class, with a practically unlimited burst depth. These speeds are enabled by advanced communication and CF technologies and Leaf Capture software. “Leaf and Pretec share a similar vision -to offer cutting edge technologies and unique products with unparalleled performance and to provide our customers with exceptional quality and satisfaction,†said Seth Greenberg, Leaf Marketing Director. “We are pleased to have chosen Pretec as our exclusive storage partner at Photokina 2008 and to witness the excitement as Pretec breaks the CF card speed and capacity world records.â€

Pretec 233X 64GB and 333X 32GB CF cards with suggested retail price of $399 and $630 are slated to start delivery by Photokina 2008, and 233X 100GB and 333X 50GB are expected to start shipping by the end of 2008.

About Pretec
Pretec™ (http://www.pretec.com) offers a complete spectrum of small form factor memory cards and card readers such as CF, SD/MMC, USB Flash Drive, and wireless communication devices for digital imaging, mobile communication, and industrial flash markets. As the 2nd company in the world to offer CF cards since 1995 and the company to create CF I/O and SD I/O cards since 1998, Pretec has consistently demonstrated the highest capacity flash cards in the world: such as CF 3GB, 6GB, 12GB, 16GB, 24GB, 48GB and SD 4GB, SDHC 8GB and 16GB; the fastest flash card in the world: such as CF 80X and 333X, SD 133X, USB 166X, and SSD (IDE/SATA) 400X. With more than 200 patents granted or filed, Pretec has also been offering the smallest USB flash drive in the world with unique technology: such as i-Disk Tiny (“Best Gear of 2003†by TIME Magazine) and i-Disk Diamond; the most reliable flash card in the world: such as rugged PCMCIA, rugged CF card, and i-Disk Bulletproof, a water-proof, fire-proof, and bullet-proof USB flash drive.

*For more information, please visit www.pretec.com
*Note:i-Disk, i-Disk Tiny, i-Disk Diamond and i-Disk Bulletproof are trademarks of Pretec. All other trademarks mentioned herein are recognized as the property of their respective holders

First off you need to realize that studio flashes like the PhotoBasics StrobeLites are not automatic like the on-board or accessory flash on your camera. A studio light doesn’t know what you are trying to do and will not adjust itself for the camera settings you have dialed in. You also need a means of firing the lights off when you press the shutter, all that and more will be covered in this article.

Connecting the lights to your camera

PC Sync port on Canon 30D

The first thing we need to do is to connect the lights to your camera, for this we are going to need what is called a PC Sync port. On most Canon DSLR’s the PC Sync port is on the left side of the camera under a rubber flap. In the image here you can see the PC Sync port and the end of a PC Sync cable. In my typical setup I will have the main light plugged into the PC Sync port to fire it and the other lights will automatically fire at the same time because they have a built-in optical slave that will fire the flash when another flash is detected. Since this happens far faster then the mechanical shutter, the effect is that all of the lights fire at exactly the same. There is a limit of how fast the lights will sync to the camera but we will address that in a moment.

Weim Hot Shoe Adapter

If you are unlucky enough to not have a PC Sync port on your camera then you will need to purchase a hot shoe adapter. The recommended one is the Weim Hot Shoe Adapter which sells for about $50 at most places. This will got into your camera’s hot shoe (when an acessory flash plugs in) and has a PC Sync output port on it.

As I mentioned, the lights do have an optical slave so they will fire when another flash is used so you may think you can just use the flash that is built into your camera to fire off the big lights. While this will work to an extent, the problem is that unless you know how to adjust your flash’s output compensation, the flash is going to fire at a level that your camera expects will be correct for the given light, when the big lights fire along with the built-in flash, your subject will no be over-lit and the scene becomes overexposed.

Rear view of StrobeLite

The opposite end of the PC Sync cord plugs into the back of the light. In this image you can see the 1/8th inch mini plug port on the bottom right hand area of the strobe head. With the camera and the lights connected, you are all ready to take some amazing images right?

If ONLY it was that easy. Now actually comes the hard part, figuring out how to get the light set right for a proper exposure. Hang in there, it won’t hurt too much.

Getting the lighting right

Output Adjustment Dial

Nice, quality studio lights make your lighting easier right? I wish! In the last section I explained that your on-board or accessory flash will meter the scene and use the appropriate output for the exposure metering, not so with studio lights, at this point you are full manual.

On the flash will be an adjust dial to control the amount of light output. On the StrobeLites this goes from full power down to 1/4 power given you two stops of light output control. If you have a light meter and know how to use it, you have all the tools you need to get the shot right the first time. If you don’t have a light meter then you will need to continue reading.

Since I shoot with he same lights, in the same studio, with the same basic setup the vast majority of the time I know the basic light setup that will work without have to take too many test shots, I can usually get it dialed in within about three shots.  A key thing to note is that your meter in your camera is basically worthless at this point. You are going to want to shoot in manual mode otherwise the camera is going to try to adjust your settings for the metered light. In manual mode you have total control. So where should you start?

For most of my pictures I start with the following basic settings:

ISO: 200
f/Stop: 11
Shutter Speed: 1/200th second

In fact, those are the exact settings I used for the previous pictures in this article so far. Why these particular settings? For one, I like shooting at ISO 200, I like the results I get at that speed, f/11 is my normal aperture setting unless I am going for a particular depth of field effect. That leaves two ways to adjust the amount of light I need. I can either adjust the shutter speed or adjust the light output of the flash. You may think that you may want to go with a faster shutter speed to make sure you dont introduce any camera blur but in most cases you can’t shoot any faster than 1/200th or 1/250th depending on your lights/camera combination. With the PhotoBasics StrobeLites and a Canon 30D, I have never had an issue at 1/250th but I like the extra margin of safety of using 1/200th. Let’s take a look at what happens if you shoot faster.

Out of Sync Image

The image shown here was shot at 1/640th of a second, while this would be perfect safe if I was using the Canon 580 EX flash, the StrobeLites cannot sync with the camera at that speed so what happens is that the strobe went off too late causing the image to be partially cutoff by the closing of the shutter mechanism. Because of this issue we are limited to speeds of 1/200th or less so I usually will stick it at 1/200th and be done. That leaves adjust the light output higher if I need more light or using a lower output or a slower shutter speed if I need less light. Knowing that the only things I will need to adjust are my light output or shutter speed I have really reduced my possible settings from a handful down to basically one, and its either shutter speed or light output.

Since most of my shots are product shots, the lights are generally pretty close to the objects so I will start at a very low power output of the flash, if its too bright at the lowest setting and I am already at 1/200th of a second the only way to cut down on the light being captured is to move to a smaller aperture setting like f/22. If the light isn’t enough I can just reach up and dial in more light or use a slower shutter speed.

With a little practice and a handful of confidence, you will be getting your lighting dialed in within a few shots. Take your picture and then look at the histogram of the image on your LCD of your camera to double-check the exposure. If its too dark, bump up the light, if its clipped out, dial down the light. Nothing will beat just a bunch of practice with your own lights/camera/lenses/environment to get you familair with how your lighting setup will work the best and soon you too will be able to get it dialed in perfectly within just a few quick test shots.

Author: Kerry Garrison

Photokina
http://www.photokina-cologne.com/

Nikon D-90
http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/digitalcamera/slr/d90/index.htm

Canon 50D
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=139&modelid=17499

New Canon DSLR
http://www.canon.com/moon/en/

Nik Software Announces Sharpener Proâ„¢ 3.0
http://cameradojo.com/2008/09/04/nik-software-announces-sharpener-pro%E2%84%A2-30/

Wolverine ESP Digital Photo Album and Multimedia Player
http://cameradojo.com/2008/09/02/wolverine-esp-digital-photo-album-and-multimedia-player/

R-Strap Camera Strap Review
http://cameradojo.com/2008/09/04/r-strap-camera-strap-review/

Capturing a sense of motion
http://cameradojo.com/2008/08/31/capturing-a-sense-of-motion-with-shutter-speed/

Camera Dojo Lightroom Presets
http://cameradojo.com/lightroom-presets/

You can listen to this podcast now using our player widget in the right hand sidebar

This podcast is also available on iTunes.

Canon Sites
http://www.canon.com/moon/en/
http://www.canon.co.uk/

]]> http://cameradojo.com/2008/09/05/canon-readies-new-pro-level-dslr/feed/ 3 canon_moon canon_future http://cameradojo.com/2008/09/02/wolverine-esp-digital-photo-album-and-multimedia-player/ http://cameradojo.com/2008/09/02/wolverine-esp-digital-photo-album-and-multimedia-player/#comments Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:50:42 +0000 KerryG http://cameradojo.com/?p=686

I have been a fan of Wolverine products for almost four years now and my trusty Wolverine FlashPac was in need of an upgrade. Not that the FlashPac didn’t do it’s job, its just that it was pretty slow and didn’t have a display that could be used to view the images. Without hesitation I turned back to Wolverine to see what they had available and I found the new ESP Digital Photo Album and Multimedia Player. While the full name may be a bit long, it does convey a lot more of the ESP’s features as well as being a card reader, external hard drive, and FM radio.

Overview
The ESP is an incredible multimedia device that can handle most all of your portable multimedia needs from listening to MP3′s, watching videos, playing a photo slideshow, or listening to FM radio. While many people will love all of those features, from a photographers point of view the most important things to me are the ability to do backups of my compact flash cards in the field, review the pictures on the device, and to have a portable device to show potential clients a slideshow of my work. The ESP does all of these tasks quite well and at a price that won’t make you wonder why you didn’t just buy a nice laptop instead.

Top view of the ESP

Features
As already mentioned the ESP has a multi-function card reader that can either make backups to the internal hard drive of the ESP or when connected to your computer’s USB port your cards will appear of drives that you can access directly.

• Store and View Thousands of Photos

• • Download images directly from any digital camera without a computer
  • Use it to backup and carry all your digital images
  • Display JPEG, Bitmap, Tiff, Text and RAW images (most popular SLR Cameras)
  • Print directly to printers

• Store and Play Thousands of Songs

• • Supports five music Formats: MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV, AAC (MP4-audio) & CDA
  • Easy, drag and drop music files from your computer and play them instantly

• Store and Play Hundreds of Hours of Video

• • Supports: MPEG-1, MPEG-4, WMV9 and Xvid

• Built-in FM Radio

• • Listen and RECORD your favorite talk shows or music from any FM Radio Station
  • Scan and preset up to 18 different Radio Stations

• Plugs to TV and Stereo System

• • With the included Video/Audio cable connect the ESP directly to any TV or Projector
  • View a slide show of your favorite photos or watch recorded videos on the big screen
  • Connect to a stereo system to enjoy and share your music collection

Setup
The setup of the ESP is quite simple, it comes with both an AC adapter and a USB cable, be sure and plug it in until fully charged before using it the first time, after that the simple to navigate menu system walks you through everything you need to know.

“The ESP was a lifesaver for us at a fashion shoot when the assistant left the CF cards back in the car. With the ESP we would fill up a card, tell everyone to take a five minute break, dump the cards to the ESP and get right back to shooting.” – David , Esquire Photography

ESP Controls

Usage
The ESP’s operating system is very simple to use and works the way I would expect it to, when I insert a card it pops up and asks me what I want to do with it, I select backup and it just starts working. The main controls consist of the “joystick”, a menu button, and the ESC button.

Using just these three simple controls you can manage everything on the system. The “-” and “+” buttons control volume. The only other control is the power button on the right side as well as a lock control to keep the power from coming on accidentally.

At the bottom you can see a small mic port for doing audio notes and near the top are the LED indicator lights.

The has an optional docking station that can also be used for capturing video and audio from remote devices. Since I don’t have a use for that right now I didn’t get one yet to see how that works.

ESP Menu System

The menu system is an icon driven system with easy-to-read captions to help you navigate. Pushing left/right or up/down on the directional pad will move you from application to application and then pushing in will select the item. The Menu key will give you a list of available options from wherever you are while the ESC key will back you out one step at a time.

The main thing to keep in mind is that images that are backed up from a memory card are found in the Backup application instead of the Pictures application. You have to specifically copy images into the Pictures folder for them to be viewed there. This is a great way of having a photo slideshow of images without getting confused as to what images are from your current photo shoot.

What I actually like to do is to backup my images to the ESP and then if I have time, review them for focus issues or just for being a bad image, I can delete them right from the ESP and save time later when importing the images into my computer.

ESP playing video

For client meetings, I also created a couple of really nice slideshows using Proshow Gold and output them formatted properly for the ESP. Let me tell you, the image shown here does not do the ESP justice, the screen may only be 320×240 but the slideshows and pictures look fantastic on it. So far, everyone that has seen the slideshow videos on the ESP have been very impressed.

The ESP has a bunch of other features that I could spend a few more pages writing about but they really don’t have much appeal to me, these include the mp3 player, the FM radio, the audio recorder, and the Tetris-like game that is included. While those are nice add-ons, they really aren’t the main reason a photographer is going to want the ESP.

Tested Transfer Speeds (1gb of data)

Reader to Computer    3:31 minutes
Reader to ESP    3:43 minutes
ESP to Computer    1:44 minutes

Why the ESP?
Why would I choose the Wolverine ESP over the Epson P-5000? The simple answer is a cost/benefit analysis blows the Epson out of the running. For almost twice the price of the Wolverine ESP, the Epson P-5000 offers basically a nicer screen. When the folks at Wolverine decided to make a new device, they interviewed tons of photographers and asked them what they would like to see that would compete against the Epson units and the top answer was that they wanted a much more affordable device even if it meant having a lower resolution LCD display.  If I am going to spend $800 for a portable media device, its going to be a new laptop, not a small box I throw into my camera bag and use mostly as an external drive and card reader. Coming in at $329, the ESP is much more affordable and does it’s job exceptionally well. It’s a nice upgrade from my old FlashPac in terms of functions and download speeds which is a nice bonus as well.

What’s in the box
In the box you will find the ESP unit itself along with the nice quality carrying case along with the user documentation and CD, AC charger, USB cable, Audio/Video cable (to connect to TV), and Earphone.

Summary
The Wolverine ESP competes nicely against other units offering similar features and at a price that doesn’t give you sticker shock. The base features do exactly what they are supposed to do while there are enough extras to add even more value to the package. I don’t leave for a shoot without my ESP in my bag and often will be making my backups of my cards on the drive home. With my old Flashpac I would have to be quite far away to actually finish a large backup on the drive home but now it takes a fraction of the time.

Final results:

Website: Wolverine Data
Author: Kerry Garrison

Features

The official feature list is show here, we will dig into more of these later on:

• New 15.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor with improved noise reduction, wide range ISO 100-3200 (H1: 6400, H2: 12800), 14-bit conversion for smooth color tones and gradations.
• Next generation DIGIC 4 Image Processor for faster processing, 6.3 fps up to 90 JPEGS using UDMA CF cards; 60 consecutive JPEGS or 16 RAW using standard CF cards.
• 3.0-inch Clear View LCD (920,000 dots/VGA) with multiple coatings for improved viewing and smudge-resistant protection.
• Enhanced Live View shooting includes Face Detection Live mode.
• 9 cross-type high-precision sensors for accurate target subject acquisition and diagonal center cross-type AF point with f/2.8 and faster lenses.
• New Lens Peripheral Illumination Correction setting to automatically even the brightness across the image.
• Updated EOS Integrated Cleaning System with a fluorine coating for better resistance to dust.
• Creative Auto goes a step beyond full auto with on screen setting display.
• HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) output for displaying full high-resolution images on a High Definition TV.
• Compatible with over 60 Canon EF/EF-S lenses and most EOS System accessories.

The new sensor

As expected, a new sensor is built into the 50D that improves the light gathering ability by using bigger micro lenses over each pixel. Effectivily this will give you 1 to 1.5 stop of better noise reduction allowing you to shoot at ISO 3200 and have images that have noise that is closer to what ISO 1600 looks like on the 40D. Like the previous 20,30,40, the 50D is an APS-C sized sensor giving is a 1.6x crop factor and delivers images at 4752w x 3168h pixels. The integrated cleaning system is also claimed to work better than the one built into the 40D.

The new processor
The next generation of the Digic processor, the Digic IV is debuted in the 50D. This new processor is claimed to be 30% faster than the Digic III and provides a plethora of new features.

• Full size RAW (15.06 megapixels), sRAW1 (7.12 megapixelss) and sRAW2 (3.76 megapixels)
• Three levels of High ISO Noise Reduction
• Three increments of Auto Lighting Optimizer
• Peripheral Illumination Correction – This is a vignette control based on profiles of Canon lenses
• ISO 100 – 3200 is standard along with extended ISO of 6400 and 12,800
  

Better Storage

Although many of us were hoping for dual card slots, the 50D still sports a single Compact Flash slot although support of UDMA makes for faster read/write speeds.

Better LCD

The LCD on the rear has been improved with more resolution giving you 920,000 pixels which now gives you even great clarity than previous models. The Live Mode provided through the read LCD has also been improved with two types of autofocus now available including a simple quick mode that toggles the Live View off while the camera performs the focus and Live autofocus that uses contrast detection like we saw possible when using DSLR Remote Pro for tethered shooting. Like many new point and shoots, the 50D now has face detection when using the Live Mode autofocusing.

Shipping and Price

The EOS 50D is supposed to be available sometime in October at $1,399. As the camera gets closer to the release date I am sure more information will become available, especially from some of the sites that get pre-production units to test.

For a detailed hands-on preview of the 50D, check out: http://www.dpreview.com/previews/canoneos50d/

Source: http://www.usa.canon.com