Manfrotto Rig

Posted on December 29, 2008

Here’s a rig I built with a vacuum cup lifter from Lee Valley and a manfrotto 035 superclamp. The superclamp has rubber inserts to help it grip the metallic surface of the vacuum cup lifter. You can attach any tripod head to the brass spigot and use this rig to mount your film or video camera to a car, window, or any other even, non-porous surface. The vacuum cup has a capacity of up to 175lbs. To be completely secure I think I would have an additiona vacuum cup or guy lines attached especially if mounted on a fast moving vehicle. All in all this rig ended up costing less than $100 CAN. A professional rig would have been in the range of $300-$500. I can say with certainty that the benefit of using the superclamp for this type of setup over other clamps you could obtain at the hardware store is significant - the clamping pressure is strong and consistent. Also the superclamp can be used for many other applications and the vacuum cup can be used to pull dents out of your car.

~Colin

Lucy

Posted on December 29, 2008

This is Lucy.  Lucy and Cecil are just a couple of Becky’s Mom’s animals.

Lucy is shown here staring at her ball which she drops at your feet over and over again all day long in hopes that you will kick it down the hall.

-Steve

Sea Salt

Posted on December 29, 2008

This is Cecil.  He is the little cat from the ‘I has a sunshine’ post a few weeks ago.  He’s a little bigger now and has learned to pose more dramatically.

When you hear his name called all the time it starts to sound like ’sea salt’.

-Steve

Merry Christmas to all!

Posted on December 24, 2008

…and to all a stress free and full belly Christmas!

I’m out of town for a week so I’ll see you all next week.

-Steve

Dangerous Lantern Part 2

Posted on December 21, 2008

Here’s the second installment.  Much safer as its lid is actually meant for it and the base is wider so it won’t fall over very easily.

It’s still using normal lamp oil however I’ve learned that extra virgin olive oil burns smoke and scent free, is non-toxic, burns very slowly and perhaps best of all is the safest as it will only ignite through a wick and will not accidentally ignite if the wick fell into the jar.

So beware Colin!  Perhaps dump out the lamp oil and swap it for olive oil.

The next step is to use a bigger jar and have the wick inside it to protect it from wind and passing cat whiskers.

[edit: I’ve since learned that lamp oil is not combustible, it is flammable so it will burn on a wick, but if you put a flame to the oil it will just put the flame out, so whew… nice and safe]

-Steve

Colin’s Christmas Present

Posted on December 20, 2008

This is possibly the most dangerous present Colin has ever received.  It’s a lantern I made out of an old light bulb and two bottle caps.

Credit also goes to my Mom and jack-of-all-trades Chad who helped with ideas for the base, which would have been much better than an upturned bottle cap if only we had some more random things laying around the house that would have served better.

The instructions are somewhere on Instructables.com I believe, however I can’t find the post anymore.

Consider this the dangerous beta version of homemade lanterns.  Bigger, safer ones are on their way very soon..

-Steve

PS Colin, sign the following statement “I ________ do not hold Steve responsible for any fire/explosion/burns/horrific happenings that may come as a result of this Christmas present.” Signed __________

Oh Summer, how I miss thee

Posted on December 17, 2008

Becky and her old bike on the old Rail Trail heading out to Omemee.  I’ve been biking regularily in the snow and ice and cold this year and therefore miss the sun and clear trails of a warm Summers day.

-Steve

Destructo - this is what happens when a building burns…

Posted on December 13, 2008

Eventually it gets torn down, in this case 7 months later…Steve’s previous post inspired me to do a time lapse of this building getting torn down. I didn’t have the best angle but you get the picture. I haven’t done a timelapse in awhile but enjoyed the return to Premiere Pro nonetheless. Perhaps I’m mentally preparing myself for the 5d mark ii. Here’s the full version, hosted on Vimeo, which may be my new favorite site. Oh, and the music is by Justice - Waters of Nazareth. I first heard this song in a snowboard video film entitled “That’s it…that’s all” - awesome.

[link to video]

~Colin

This Old Hospital

Posted on December 5, 2008

Taken today of the old PRHC.  It’s coming down very quickly so I figured I had to get pictures before it’s too late.

-Steve

5d mark ii, av, videos, reviews and more

Posted on December 4, 2008

As the 5Ds are finding their way into the independently wealthy or recently broke photographers out there, there is more information to share:

-Vincent Laforet has a new behind the scenes video with the RedRock rig in use, and a steadycam for some smooth shots:

Now that is one sweet setup [link]

Also:

-Tips on editing video in FCP from the 5d mk2 [link]

-Some discussion on the aperture issues with tips and tricks [link]

-Tips from Canon about shooting videos on the mk2 [link]

Things to look out for include a firmware upgrade to fix outstanding customization issues to make this into a more pro video camera; Videos that are shot with affordable (sub$1500) lenses  from people who know a thing or two about photography, video, and post processing; and some rig setups that are less than the price of the camera.

Worth noting is that this is not a camera for making feature length movies, as this article so poignantly points out [link], an area that many people are confused about. Augmenting your workflow with videos (not films) and shooting videos for web based distribution, and other smaller venues is where this camera will really shine. The unique style of the video you get from this camera with DOF, low light shooting is what sets this camera apart. Personally, I see the video function fitting well into my workflow for nature photography, short vignettes, and maybe some small production work.

Also worth noting that purely on its photography merits this camera shines much brighter than anything else out there. The only concerns I have are the softness in some of the photos which seem to be correctable by adjusting in camera sharpness or post processing.

This review was just posted with sample images, videos, etc [link]

~Colin

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