28Feb DSLR FILM NOOB Podcast Episode 85
Episode 85 of DSLR FILM NOOB podcast is up. Mitch from planet5D.com joins me to discuss the new Canon 80D, Pentax’s New full frame K-1 Camera, Wifi audio options, Saramonic’s UwMic10 system and more.
You can find the show notes here. You can find the show on itunes here, Soundcloud, or under the podcast tab above. You can also leave questions on reddit at r/dslr.
26Feb Canon 80d, the Camera you wanted 3 years ago.
It’s been over 6 years since the Canon t2i was released. With the help of Magic Lantern, the t2i brought us headphone monitoring, focus peaking, audio level meters, in camera gain control and some other very impressive features. There have been 8 or so camera bodies released since then, but none of them have provided the value offered by the Canon t2i in terms of video features.
After all of this time waiting for Canon to make a video-centric DSLR camera, we are finally getting the Canon 80d. With this new interaction, Canon is finally including a lot of the video features that have been missing from the APS-C lineup, but is it too little too late?
What we get in the Canon 80d is a headphone jack, dual pixel AF, touch focus, and a flip out screen. However, what we are missing in this modern age is internal 4k recording, focus peaking, zebra patterns, no clean hdmi output, and a number of features that Magic lantern was able to provide in the late but great Canon t2i.
At a list price of $1200, the Canon 80d has some stiff competition. On the used side of things, you can buy the Canon 5d mark III body used for $1800. That’s only $600 more than the 80d and you get everything but dual pixel AF, plus the bonus of clean hdmi output. In that same $2000 price category we have used Canon c100 bodies that are selling for right at $2000.
In the same price range, we have the original Sony a7s which will set you back around $1500. You’ll get a full frame body, better low light performance, and the option to have a full fledge XLR audio adapter with the XLR-K1M upgrade. On top of that you’ll be able to adapt to just about any lens on the market thanks to the mirrorless body.
At $1000, we the Panasonic GH4. Pretty much everything you’d get out of a Canon 80d minus the sensor size, plus you have the option to shoot at 4k video internally and much more affordable lens options.
To top of the competition, we have the Sony a6300. At $998, we have an APS-C camera that is capable of shooting 4k video, has a suspiciously similar 24mp sensor and most of the features seen in the much more expensive a7 line.
With this kind of competition does the Canon 80d really make any sense? We now have so many options to choose from and all of them make the Canon 80d look a little lame. On top of that, many of us already own older Canon cameras that offer most of the features seen in the 80d. IS a headphone jack and dual pixel AF worth the upgrade?
24Feb DSLR FILM NOOB Podcast Episode 84
Episode 84 of DSLR FILM NOOB podcast is up. Devin from impulsenetworks.tv joins me to discuss the Kipon adapter ND, Friction mount, Vpad 150, and more.
You can find the show notes here. You can find the show on itunes here, Soundcloud, or under the podcast tab above. You can also leave questions on reddit at r/dslr.
24Feb Panasonic G7 for under $500 – Used Gear watch
If you are looking for a very affordable second camera as a backup to the Panasonic Gh4 or are just looking to start shooting 4k on a budget, the Panasonic G7 has dropped bellow $500 on both Amazon and Ebay. That’s a pretty tempting price (even if it is used), and a very affordable option for first time 4k shooters.
23Feb Movo SMM2 Zoom H1 shock mount
It has been almost a year since I moved to Portland and in that time, I haven’t had the room or the time to make or sell any of the somewhat infamous “NOOB Zoom H1 shock mounts”. With that in mind, I thought it might be helpful to check out one of the low price competitors. Meet the MOVO SMM2, at $12.99 it this low price shock mount seems like a pretty good deal.
At this price, you get what you expect out the MOVO SMM2, mostly plastic with what appear to be rubber o-rings as a suspension system. While this makes the SMM2 extremely affordable it also makes the suspension system very rigid.
Place a Zoom H1 in the MOVO SMM2 shock mount and it’s so well secured that you could basically use the 1/4 20 on the back of the Zoom for mounting. I’ll post some audio samples when I get a chance, but the MOVO SMM2 really needs some suspension bands that are far less rigid.
The cold shoe on the MOVO SMM2 shock mount is all plastic and it isn’t really designed for anything heavy. On the other hand, the suspension system would be better for a much larger, heavier mic, but the shock mount isn’t really designed for that. So what you end up with is a suspension system that is way to solid on an unsold frame which is a disappointing combination.
I’ll post a full review when I get a chance, but so far the MOVO SMM2 shock mount isn’t looking like a good Zoom H1 shock mount. It is hard to believe that my original Zoom h1 shock mount is still viable after all this time. I might have to fire up the 3d printers again.
21Feb Olympus 8mm f1.8 – First Impressions hands on
If you are transitioning from a full frame system like the Canon 5d Mark III to Micro 4/3, you’ll immediately miss the field of view provided by lenses like the Canon 24mm f1.4 and Canon 16-35mm f2.8. While a wide-angle perspective isn’t something you’ll use for everything it can be a very enjoyable look.
My search for good wide angle lens options started out with the Panasonic 7-14mm f4 which is very decent regarding image quality, it’s very lightweight, and you can pick it up for around $600. However, the f4 aperture was very limiting in low light conditions, and it isn’t very practical for any kind indoor shooting.
After almost a year of using the Panasonic 7-14mm f4, I finally got my hands on the Olympus 7-14mm f2.8, and it’s a great wide angle lens. The 7-14mm f2.8 is sharp wide open and has barrel distortion very well controlled very well controlled, build quality is top notch and the f2.8 aperture is a notable advantage. That said, the Olympus 7-14mm f2.8 thing is massive. Part of the joy of shooting with the M43 format is the absolutely minuscule size of both lenses and camera body.
While the Olympus 7-14mm f2.8 is a great lens, you will not find the term “minuscule” anywhere in its description. The all metal body is heavy, tough, and built like a tank and while those are all great features, if you want to travel light, this is not the lens for you.
With that in mind, I thought I’d give the Olympus 8mm f1.8 lens a try. The 8mm f1.8 is far more manageable in terms of size, and if you are looking for a compact, lightweight, wide-angle prime, the Olympus 8mm is in a league of its own.
As with any wide-angle lens, the front Element is bulbous and like many ultra wide angle lenses, there is a lot of barrel distortion. One unique feature of the 8mm f1.8 is the 4.6-inch maximum focal distance. That will give you the ability to fill the frame with only an eyeball. Here are a few examples of both the close focus distance and barrel distortion.
The build quality of the Olympus 8mm f1.8 lens is as good as any other Olympus lens in their lineup. An all metal body, built-in lens hood, and a fly by wire focus ring pretty much cover the outside of the Olympus 8mm. Focus speeds are ultra fast and the f1.8 aperture easily allows for low light indoor shooting. A lens like this makes me want to go out and shoot live band performances and skateboarding videos. So far, I love it and I really look forward to reviewing this thing.
21Feb DSLR FILM NOOB Podcast Episode 83
Episode 83 of DSLR FILM NOOB podcast is up. Devin from impulsenetworks.tv joins me to discuss the Olympus 8mm f1.8 lens, Panasonic 15mm f1.7, Monoprice tablets, OM-D E-m5 mark II price drop, and more.
You can find the show notes here. You can find the show on itunes here, Soundcloud, or under the podcast tab above. You can also leave questions on reddit at r/dslr.
20Feb Z camera E1 is finally getting better.
I’ve had the Z-camera E1 for well over 8 months and most of that time it has been a paper weight. While the included GH4 M43 sensor in the Z-camera is capable of a lot, firmware implementation has been a major limiting factor. At the time the kickstarter campaign started shipping, the Z-camera E1 came with firmware version .16 which barely qualified as an alpha release.
Since then, I’ve seen 12 or so test releases and at least 5 official updates. As of firmware version .26, the Z-camera E1 is finally starting to produce a decent image, while Z-log is pretty much useless. The menu system has been improved and Z-cam has finally made things like aperture and ISO settings easy to access.
With version .26, they’ve also fixed most of the lens compatibility issues that were present in earlier firmware updates. As of this writing every single Panasonic and Olympus lens I own work correctly with the Z-camera E1 which is up from only 3 supported lenses when the camera first arrived.
HDMI output quality from the Z-camera E1 has improved substantially. However, I’m still not getting audio pass-through via HDMI. Internal recordings captured on Micro SD card is still noise at ISO levels above 800 and the 4k image quality is still mushy, to say the least.
I still can’t really recommend the Z-camera E1 with the current iteration of firmware. $699 is a little too much for a camera that is still basically in beta. However, at this point, image quality is better than my Gopro Hero 4 black edition and continues to get better.
It seems the Z-camera E1 is following the Blackmagic approach to hardware design. Release a product, and then slowly make it work. That said, I think I’ll hold on to my E1, as of right now it is just good enough to use. Hopefully, it continues to improve.
With Cameras like the Panasonic G7 dropping down to $460 in price, you really have to need the clean HDMI output and form factor offered by the Z-camera E1 to justify the $699 price tag.
17Feb Vpad-150 144 LED Ultra Thin light panel – First Impressions
Before I even begin to talk about this LED panel, I’d like to point out that the Vpad-150 light panel packaging could use an update. If you are ever put in charge of graphic design for any kind of product, please use this as an example of what not to do. To quote T.J. Roe, a Graphic design artist that does a lot of fine work for me “It’s a light, it should look jazzy, bright, and making halos. Why don’t they focus a little more on light and how thin it is?”
Now that’ I’ve gotten that grip out of the way, I’d like to point out that the Vpad-150 isn’t your typical low budget LED light panel. While the Vpad-150 is very large in size, it is extremely light weight and very thin. The built-in cold shoe adapter, while plastic, is well made and provides a very nice audible click when adjusted.
The back of the Vpad-150 provides your typical Sony NP battery mounting plate and offers up the ability to adjust your light temperature between 3200k and 5600k. That battery indicator is a nice for a light under $40, you can power the Vpad-150 via a barrel plug and as usual, the light is dimmable from zero to 100% output.
Where the Vpad-150 really stands out is in it’s even spread. While other LED lights in this price range tend to provide a somewhat concentrated beam, the Vpad-150 takes the opposite approach, instead providing the spread of something like a CFL bulb.
As will most LED lights in this price range, don’t expect much throw out of the Vpad-150 light panel. Light starts to fall off pretty quickly at around 4 feet, but within the 3-foot envelope you end up with a pretty decent amount of diffusion.
I’ve been looking for some affordable LED lights that provide this sort of even fill and I think the Vpad-150 will most likely fit the bill. At $39 a piece, they are affordable enough to have 4 or 5 of them in a bag. The wall wort barrel plug power supply I use with my TorchLED bolt lights are compatible with the Vpad-150 and on top of that, they are feather light and take up very little space.
Right now I only have one in for review, but I might be ordering a few more in the very near future. So far, very impressed.
16Feb Audio-Technica System 10 – First impressions hands on
I’ve had the Audio-Technica System 10 sitting under my desk for more than a month and I’m finally starting to get some time to try it out. If you aren’t familiar with the System 10, basically it is another of many Wifi (2.4Ghz) based wireless lav systems that has hit the market over the last year or so.
At around $300 the Audio-Technica System 10 is in the middle of the pack as far as price is concerned. It’s $100 less than the Rodelink at $400 and $100 more than the Azden Pro-XD at $199. With that in mind, I think the real question is, how does it sound?
The answer is, surprisingly good. Take a listen to my test video above. This oddly shaped, strangely ported lav mic sounds great and actually gives the Rodelink a run for it’s money. While I’m not a fan of the proprietary connector or the size of the lav mic, build quality is top notch and audio quality is impressive.
Build quality of the System 10’s transmitter and receiver is only so-so. The transmitter (above) requires an antiquated none conductive screwdriver for input level adjustments. The transmitter and receiver are both 100% plastic which is unfortunate for something in this price range.
My biggest complaint about the System 10 however, is the built-in receiver battery. I understand that you can save money by building your kit out of plastic, but a none replaceable lithium ion battery in the receiver is a bit ridiculous.
Need to shoot all day? I suppose you could hook it up to an external battery, but even the cheapest $100 wifi lav kit allows you to change out batteries on both the transmitter and receiver. Why Audio-Technica decided to go this route is a mystery. When I get a little more time I’ll test out battery life, they claim 12 hours of use on the receiver and if that’s really the case then I should probably stop complaining, but it always makes me nervous when the battery on kit you need to use all day is “built in”.
Now that I have a new home and a little more time, there should be more posts like this. Keep and eye out for updates on the Audio-Technica System 10, because despite my complaints audio quality is top notch and it is extremely easy to use.
