Oct 16, 2014 | Field Reports
YA, I have a HUGE flashlight faddish. I just can’t get enough of them and I don’t know why. Seriously, it’s a problem, I have them everywhere. Well, when I saw the Blizzard 1000 Search and Rescue LED Flashlight I just had to get it. And I’m so glad I did! On the bright end, it BLOWS way my flashlights three times its size. The LED cranks out 1000lumens, that’s serious light! But it has four lower power settings which is really a cool feature. The way it does it is with a rotating collar so it’s easy to use. All aluminum, it feels great in the hand. Why did I go out and get a new flashlight, especially when I already have so many? Well, spotting light is a common part of biology management. But carrying a spotlight and camera gear just isn’t practical. When I can have this kind of power but is a very small package, I’m all over that. And for nightlight in Africa, its small size and weight along with power was perfect! It comes with a case that goes on your belt which is a nice touch. Now I know I’m not the only photographer out there who likes flashlights and with Christmas just around the corner, I wanted to pass along my latest find.
Oct 15, 2014 | Field Reports
Just can’t get a thing past you folks, which is why I never try. In this case, many saw in the video that I had gray skies but in the stills, I had blue skies. I was asked how I created such good lookin skies. Well, here’s how you can do it in mere seconds!
Oct 15, 2014 | Field Reports
“70 years ago they were fighting for our freedom and today their roll is to cause people to remember that.”
Thanks ever so much for the amazing response!!!! We are very proud to release this commemorative calendar and your orders tells us it will be hanging on hundreds of walls around the globe!. Featuring the planes of the Texas Flying Legends, this calendar for 2015 also includes history on every page. Help us remember by ordering one today. A portion of the proceeds will go to The Texas Flying Legends in support of all they do.
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Oct 14, 2014 | Field Reports
More and more folks are exploring video with their DSLR. And more and more are seeking advice from me in these regards. I am not no expert but I do know what does and doesn’t work for me which I try to relate to you here. My normal MO is to buy the best and learn how to use it looking for the best quality. And as you might imagine, most getting into DSLR video, going high end is not the goal. They just wanta to learn so some day, if the bugs bites, they are good to go. So, I went looking for video accessory products that do an excellent job at half the price or less of the great stuff. So I have two blog posts today on products I found that I can easily recommend. This is the second post.
Yes, you can use the LCD on your camera for this, but when it comes to critical focus and “remote” camera work, you simply can’t beat the new Elvid RigVision CM-7L 7″ Field Monitor with Shutter Release (I use is A LOT for remote still work as well when I can’t physically get behind the eyepiece)! It takes the old Elvid unit I used for so long and really made it real sweet! You can see the first big addition, the built in hood. I can’t tell you enough what a HUGE help! What I really like is that even with the built in hood, the RigVision weighs less than my original Elvid. The higher resolution is bright and crisp making it much easier to critically focus. I love that! But wait, there’s more!
Don’t let the back of this scare you. What’s key here to me is the cable clamp so you don’t accidentally knock out the cables (yes, done that more than once). What’s cool is the two jacks on the bottom left. You can plug you your heads phones and camera to this monitor so you can listen and start and stop the recording with a big button on the monitor rather then the one on the camera. This is important to me because so many of my videos, I a one man crew. I use the monitor to set up the shot, check lighting and start and stop recording. Big, bright, light, complete with batter or AC and case, this is a killer unit I can’t recommend enough to you!
Oct 14, 2014 | Field Reports
More and more folks are exploring video with their DSLR. And more and more are seeking advice from me in these regards. I am not no expert but I do know what does and doesn’t work for me which I try to relate to you here. My normal MO is to buy the best and learn how to use it looking for the best quality. And as you might imagine, most getting into DSLR video, going high end is not the goal. They just wanta to learn so some day, if the bugs bites, they are good to go. So, I went looking for video accessory products that do an excellent job at half the price or less of the great stuff. So I have two blog posts today on products I found that I can easily recommend.
I want to start off with a piece of gear everyone recognizes but don’t buy and that’s a mistake. The “clacker” as I call it serves many functions in our video productions. It’s not only fun but practical! I really like Acrylic Dry Erase Clapboard with Color Sticks (7×7.25″) because it’s well built, has a great sound and is erasable. One important feature of the “clacker” is that sound it makes to sync up the sound track of multiple cameras. I think you should have it to keep a visual note of what you are shooting, especially tests. It’s really one of the first things you should get.
Sound is everything! When wanting to pick up critter sounds, I still prefer the MS-77 but when it comes to interviews, I really like Polsen 16-Channel Camera-Mountable UHF Wireless System with PL-4 Lavalier Microphone. They don’t have the same range as the more expensive units but they do have the sound. The kit comes complete so you can receive and start recording instantly. What I like is they are very simple to use, set up is no more than plugging the cable into the camera body or mic (cables all included). And the case is pretty nice, good protection and easy to use. I can easily recommend this set to you!
While you can use these to rock out to you iPod, these Polsen Closed-Back Studio Monitor Headphones as the name implies, are to be used while recording with your DSLR. Don’t use the speaker built into the camera if you’re serious about your video. This set which as great quality sound, physically ver light and not even $30 is great solution. They fold up so take up minimal space in your bag.
Oct 13, 2014 | Field Reports
When we travel from the comforts of our home, we sometimes forget the little things. When we travel to another country, it’s not that we forget but rather, we don’t know the little things. And while no little thing in this day and age, all electrical outlets are not made the same. Heading to Africa and checking into its electricity, I found out our North America plugs won’t go into their’s without an adapter. So a quick search on the B&H website I found this Adapter Plug USA to South Africa for a couple of bucks. Planning for the worst case scenario, I got a new power strip with two USB sockets. Between iPad and GoPros, the USB sockets will get used. It’s such a simple little thing that only costs pennies but man, no power and these days, no photography!
