Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Switronix Introduces Power Cable for Nikon DSLRs

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Switronix has a new power cable for Nikon DSLRs that provides access to hours of runtime from any V-mount or 3-Stud battery. The Switronix XP-DSLR-EL15 power cable is compatible with all Nikon DSLRs that accept the Nikon EN-EL15 battery (like the Nikon D800 or D600).

The cables feature a regulated 9.2v battery paddle and an inline female P-Tap connector for 12vdc, housed in an enclosure. The XP-DSLR-EL15 also includes both red and green LED indication to display status of battery power.

Switronix power cables have been available for Canon DSLRs and other cinema cameras for quite some time and have proven popular for extending shoot time in video projects.  For more details on the new Switronix XP-DSLR-EL15, check out Switronix’s website.  It should be available soon at B&H Photo and other retailers.

 

Audio Recorder Shootout Videos

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

Here are a couple of great videos on some common audio recorder comparisons, as well as a look into mic polar patterns and best practices for recording audio with your HDSLR video.  In the first video we get a look at the noise levels on the Zoom H4n, Tascam DT-100 MKII, Sound Devices 702, Beachtek DXA-SLR PRO, Edirol R44, Tascam DR-680 and the juicedLink Riggy Micro and Riggy Assist.

This is a great video to bookmark for reference given all of the mic comparisons within. Being a big fan of the Tascam DR-100 MKII, I was rather surprised at how well the juicedLink Riggy preamps performed when recorded direct to camera.  They are obviously doing some good work over at juicedLink.

Next, take a look at this video with Olivia Speranza and Robert from juicedLink as he goes over some mic performance and behaviors, as well as other best practices when recording audio for video.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J1K-1UocI4&w=640&h=360]

[via OliviaTech]

Sony Sound Forge Pro Finally Comes to Mac

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Sound Forge Pro Mac

As Mac pro video users are scratching their heads on where to move for audio editing solutions after the demise of Soundtrack Pro, Sony has finally made Sound Forge Pro available on the Mac.

Sony redesigned the interface specifically for OS X and offers the ability to use legacy Sound Forge event-based editing as well.  It offers 64-bit/192kHz maximum quality and up to 32 channels simultaneous recording.

Sound Forge Pro Mac 1.0 starts at $269 and has a free trial available on Sony’s website.

Magic Lantern Firmware for Canon 5D Mark III Alpha Version Released

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The Magic Lantern crew have been knocking it out of the park lately.  The first public alpha build of Magic Lantern firmware is now available for the Canon 5D Mark III.

Magic Lantern 2.3 recently launched for other Canon DSLRs and delivered some impressive and stable new features.

Magic Lantern 5D Mark III Firmware

While the first alpha build of Magic Lantern for the 5D Mark III doesn’t quite offer all the features of version 2.3 on the 5D Mark II, it still presents some features that many HDSLRs want to see. [Read more…]

Kessler CineDrive Released

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Kessler CineDrive

Kessler has announced pre-sale dates for its new CineDrive motion control system.  CineDrive features multi-axis control over camera movements and allows you to fully configure key frames, bezier curves and precision positioning for your time lapses, stop-motion or live action shoots.

The basic kit will be less than $6000 and will include a Kessler CineDrive Brain, two motor bricks plus hardware to configure as a pan/tilt head and a slider motor.  An iOS app for the CineDrive system is in the works for the release (or soon thereafter) and an Android app will be available in the future.

[vimeo https://vimeo.com/41043399 w=640&h=360]

Pre-sale orders will begin at 1 PM ET on Wednesday, August 29. The sale will be limited to 25 orders at a first-come first-served basis to US customers only and with a one CineDrive system per customer limit. A second batch of CineDrive systems should be available in 1-3 months.

More details available on the Kessler CineDrive website.

‘Camera Warfare’ Sends DSLRs to War!

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYZmFo3_F1g&w=640&h=360]

In this fun video, Devin Graham puts DSLRs in the middle of a WWII firefight . . . and the DSLRs are the weapons.

After watching all the Canons go to war, check out the BTS video below for a peek into the making of this epic battle.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlGX1qsY8BE&w=640&h=360]

[via PetaPixel]

Trapezist Portable Mini Jib

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Trapezist Portable Mini Jib

The Trapezist Portable Mini Jibis a new, lightweight and budget-friendly jib from Light Craft Workshop.

The telescoping jib arm allows the package to collapse down to roughly two feet and pack away in an included bag.  It looks to set up quickly without tools and offers over a 4-foot reach in addition to the tripod height.

The jib has four 1/4″ screw threads and a magic arm that allows user to attach different kind of accessories for access on the user end, such as an external monitor, USB follow focus, audio recorder and other accessories.

The jib retails at $339; however, there is a special launch price $299. More details on Light Craft Workshop’s website.

Check out the quick overview video below. [Read more…]

PluralEyes 3 Free Beta Now Available

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PluralEyes 3

Singular Software unveiled PluralEyes 3 back at NAB 2012.  If you aren’t familiar with PluralEyes, it is a audio syncing program that took the HDSLR video editing world by storm a couple of years ago.  Read my PluralEyes review from 2010.

Some NLEs, like FCP X, offer syncing capabilities in the box; however, it’s not near as full-featured as what you can do with PluralEyes 3. I caught a brief demo of it and the sync speed with tons of clips is remarkable.  Additionally, the interface is not near as clunky as the older versions.  If you want to give it a try, the free beta for PluralEyes 3 is now open.

Right now, it’s only available for OS X 10.7 and will work with FCP 5/6/7 and FCP X 10.0.4 and Premiere Pro CS5/5.5/6.  Media Composer is not supported in this iteration of the beta release.

You can get it on Singular Software’s website.