Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

 

Zoom H4n, Tascam DR-100 MkII & Olympus LS-100 Compact XLR Recorders Compared

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Zoom H4n, Tascam DR-100 MkII & Olympus LS-100

I’ve been using the Zoom H4n for a couple of years or so now when shooting with HDSLRs like the 5D Mark II and 7D.  Tons of other users around the world have been using it as well.

The Zoom H4n has a lot of stuff going for it – it’s compact, it’s relatively inexpensive and it provides much better sound quality than you get out of your DSLR’s internal mic.  However, the Zoom H4n isn’t the only game in town. [Read more…]

Installing FxFactory Effects for Final Cut Pro X

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH3iBAft2j8&w=640&h=360]

If you use Final Cut Pro X, Motion or After Effects, this video is worth a watch.  FxFactory offers a ton of plug-in options for FCP X and has a very slick integration and installation.  There are several plug-ins that are free and useful, so it’s worth a look even if you only spring for the free plug-ins.

Floatcam HD-DC Slider

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HD DC-Slider

Matthews Studio Equipment is launching the Floatcam HD-DC Slider at NAB 2012.  As the model name implies, this is a heavy duty version of the popular DC Slider, and can handle larger cameras like the ARRI Alexa.

The new FloatCam HD-DC Slider features a rail length of 73” (185cm), tracking length of 63” (160cm), vertical height of 79” (200cm) and maximum load of 70 pounds (32Kg) with rail and fulcrum weight of 50 pounds (23Kg). The counterweights top at 70 pounds (32Kg). And the mini jib specs are a working diameter horizontal at 63” (160cm).

More info in the press release below. [Read more…]

Western Digital My Book Thunderbolt Duo Drives Now Shipping (Finally!)

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WD My Book Thunderbolt Duo

We’ve been waiting a long time for this one folks – an actual, shipping Thunderbolt external hard drive for mere mortals.

Western Digital has announced pricing and that it is now shipping 4TB and 6TB versions of its My Book Thunderbolt Duo external hard drives.  I first looked at these at CES 2012, while they were still getting them ready for final production.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyt6jwohQ_M&w=640&h=360]

The dual-drive system is configurable as a RAID 0, RAID 1 or JBOD.  As a RAID 0 drive, the Thunderbolt connection puts a single unit in the 280MB/s transfer range.  Additionally, a daisy-chained series of 6 drives configured in RAID 0 will deliver transfer speeds up to 780MB/s.

The 4TB model is priced at $600, while the 6TB model is priced at $700.  WD says it is now shipping the drives.  Check B&H Photo, Amazon and WD’s online store for availability. I should have my hands on one soon and will report back as soon as I get a first look at its performance.

More info in the full press release below. [Read more…]

The Nikon Creative Lighting System, 2nd Edition – New Book

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The Nikon Creative Lighting System

The Nikon Creative Lighting System, 2nd Edition is a new book from photography Mike Hagen that addresses “the common frustrations associated with flash, and specifically teaches how to use the SB-600, SB-700, SB-800, SB-900, SB-910, and R1C1 strobes. ”

The Nikon Creative Lighting System, 2nd Edition retails for $39.95; however, it is currently available for $25.27 on Amazon.com.