Samy’s Tonight – Come On Down!
Rode VideoMic Go
Rode just introduced their newest mic, the Rode VideoMic Go and it’s a tool YOU should check out! This small, light, very inexpensive shotgun mic (under $100) is a great BIG way to improve the sound recording in your video. I don’t have a sound sample for you, but here are the specs hinting at it’s ability.
Lightweight at Only 2.6 Ounces
Rycote Lyre Suspension System
Powered by 2.5V Camera Plug-in Power
Integrated Shoe Mount with 3/8″ Thread
3.5mm Mini-Jack Output
Foam Windshield Included
Reinforced ABS Construction
3.5mm Coiled Output Cable Included
Once I have sound samples I can post, I will so you can hear its ability. It might be the perfect stocking stuffer :-)
Video of the Back End
I’ve become pretty obsessed with capturing video of all our aviation flights. Making them better and better, more and more unique is all part of the program. This means pushing the given to the custom. Here’s what I’ve got going currently. The main cameras (yes, more than one at a time) is the GoPro Hero3 silver. It’s straight off the shelf, using its wireless and the GoPro App on the iPhone for set up. When it comes to starting and stopping the camera, I still do it manually at the camera.
When it comes to attaching it to external surfaces of an aircraft, I’m using the NFlightcam Billet Mount (the red part unscrews so can be attached to hot shoe ballhead, sweet) and has the “Bright” Aviator Lens Kit. The Billet Mount works GREAT! A talk with the pilot comes first, discussing with them where I would like to place it and verifying that’s flight worthy. The Lens Kit is NO WAY dark enough to slow the shutter speed to remove the slap, slap, slap look of the props. I bought addition Neutral Density Material that I cut and have now mounted inside the lens port of the Hero. I had to purchase the GoPro Standard Housing Lens Replacement Kit for the tool to remove the screws to insert the neutral density gel. And that’s how the Missing Man video was shot.
The 58f1.4 AFS – Why f/1.4?
I have had A LOT of emails asking, why the 58f1.4AFS, Why f1.4? These are BOTH very valid questions and bring up the concept and implementation of DoF in our visual communicating. Depth of Field is one of our more powerful tools in arranging elements, commonly summed up as composition. Smacking the viewer between the eyes with the subject in part is done with the lack of, or the abundance of focus around that subject. And this degree of sharpness can be manipulated further with focal length and camera distance to the subject and distance between the subject and the background. In this pursuit, there are many lenses like the 24f1.4AFS all the way up to 200f2AFS that really make the most of the lack of DoF. In the animated Gif above, you can see with the new 58f1.4FS, when 8 feet away from the trunk with lichen (the focus point), how it visually “pops” when shot at f/1.4 compared to f/16 (as much as the 58mm closes down). It’s that focal length and that f/stop, f/1.4 that I personally like. I’ve tired the 35f1.4AFS and 85f1.4AFS and while they are sweet lenses, blazing sharp, the focal length doesn’t work for my style of photography. 58mm does and that’s why 58f1.4AFS for me. Hope this helps folks understand a little more about their own lens selection.
Coolpix P7800 in Yosemite
Yeap, I’ve got a new Coolpix, the P7800 and it’s really cool! I have the 7000 and just updated to the 7800. Why? There are a couple of reasons, the first being the built in variable zoom going from 28-200m which permits me a little more flexibility than a fixed 28mm (but I love the small size of the Coolpix A still) along with a max f2! It also has the built in viewfinder which really helps me as well. And tested here, it has excellent low light noise quality. I’ve just started to shoot with it but I really like it so far. Mtc.
Sensor Cleaning – Not Always Perfect
The video above is still the basic way I clean my sensors. Copperhill products simply rock, making it simple and painless, as much so as a product can. Recently though, I came up against a dirty sensor that quickly put me in sensor cleaning hell. I simply couldn’t get my sensor clean, it smeared and smeared and I couldn’t figure out the issue. At home, I do it in a heartbeat and it’s something I can do in my sleep. But in this instance, I was going through supplies like mad with no progress. It was driving me nuts. Then I figured out the issue.
One of the key components in cleaning our sensors is the rapid evaporation of the cleaning fluid we use. We don’t “dry” it all off, it evaporates off. At my office, there is no humidity so the sensor is dry before the swab can get to the other side of the sensor. In Texas where I was having so much trouble, the humidity was through the roof. Making the problem worse was the air conditioning running in the room. The cleaner wouldn’t evaporate, never, in those conditions. Headed to the outer bathroom area, turned on the hair dryer and warm up the air around the camera and cleaning was back to simple again. Why it took so long for me to figure out still bothers me but if you have issues cleaning your sensor, it might not be you! Working in warm, dry air makes all the difference in the world.