We sell a number of different quality shoulder mount rigs for HDSLR cameras, but often we have customers that just want to keep their cameras small and lightweight. One of the major advantages of shooting with an HDSLR is the ability to blend in with a crowd without anyone knowing you are shooting video. Here are a couple solutions that will allow you to add function and stability to your HDSLR camera, but still keep it small and relatively invisible.

iDC Run & Gun Kits

iDC has made a Run & Gun Kit for the Canon 5D Mark II, 7D, and Rebel T2i that is both small and very functional. The Run & Gun kit combines a modified Hoodman LCD viewfinder with a simple follow focus. The follow focus butts up against the lens and rotates focus or zoom using friction only, so there is no need for gears. The system does not utilize rods, which keeps it small and light. Additionally, the viewfinder is designed to quickly attach and detach from the camera for easy viewing. When held up to your eye with one hand on the camera body and the other on the follow focus, the Run & Gun kit is very stable and easy to use.

Zacuto Target Shooter

If you are looking for a small way to stabilize your HDSLR, then you might like the Zacuto Target Shooter. This small support is designed to add an additional point of contact with your body for increased stability. It may not seem like much, but with both hands on the camera, the extra support is sometimes all you need. The Zacuto Z-Finder Pro can also be added for better viewing and yet another point of contact with your body.

Manfrotto Monopod & Fluid Head

A unique solution that one of our sales agents, Matt Livingston, came up with is combining a Manfrotto 685B Neotec Monopod and the Manfrotto 701HDV fluid head. While using a monopod is not popular in the video world, it can be used as a useful stabilization tool for HDSLR cameras. Matt combined the monopod with the 701HDV head to allow for quick position changes as well as fluid pan & tilt control. Check out this music video Matt shot using his monopod creation, and four Canon 7Ds (with Zeiss ZE 21mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 100mm macro lenses) and a Canon 5D Mark II with a Zeiss ZE 85mm.

Recently, I got a chance to play with one of Canon’s newest lenses the HJ15ex8.5 2/3″ ENG-style HDTV lens. It features Canon’s advanced Vari-Angle Prism Image Stabilizer (VAP-IS) technology, allowing users to adjust for specific shooting situations – perfect for handheld work while walking, running, or on a moving vehicle. Check out the video to see my overview of the lens’s key features.

Canon has a new HDSLR camera and a new Final Cut Pro plug-in. The EOS 550D (or Rebel T2i as it is also called) is their latest HDSLR camera, with an 18 MP APS-C size sensor and the ability to record full HD video. In terms of video, the specs are very similar to that of the 7D:

• 1080 recording at 24,25, and 30
• 720 recording at 50 & 60P
• Full Manual Video mode
• HDMI output
• Stereo Mic Input

The big differences from the 7D is a lower ISO range (100-6400), and it records to SDHC or SDXC cards instead of CF cards. The sensor is not exactly the same, so some comparison will have to be made, but the price is significantly different at under $1000. Read a full review of the new 550D at DPreview.

The other big news is that Canon is developing a plug-in for Final Cut Pro. It will allow importing of ‘EOS Movie’ footage into FCP through the Log and Transfer mode. The plug-in will convert the QuickTime movies created in Canon HDSLR cameras into Apple’s ProRes 422 codec at approximately twice the speed of Apple’s standard conversion. Additionally, users will also be able to add timecode, reel names and metadata to footage quickly and easily. This is great news for anyone working with Canon HDSLR cameras. A beta of the plug-in will be available in March.

Many people have asked me about CF card requirements for shooting video on the Canon HDSLR cameras. Compact Flash cards come in many speeds, and the faster they go the more expensive they get. Canon lists the data rate of the Canon 5D Mark II and 7D video modes at a maximum of 330 MB/minute (a bit less for the 5D Mark II). That’s 5.5 MB/second video, which can be converted from MegaBytes to Megabits (1 Mbit = 0.125 MByte) to 44 Megabites per second. So what speed cards do you need? Well, to be safe I suggest cards with a minimum transfer of 8 MB/second, and there are many of these cards on the market at very affordable prices. You may see CF cards listed in X values (40X, 60X, ect), so to help you decode I have provided the following chart.

…continue reading CF Card Specs for Canon HDSLR Cameras

Switronix has released an adapter to power a Canon 5D Mark II or 7D off a power tap. It is a simple adapter called the XP-DSLR-C that allows users to adapt the Canon DC coupler directly to a battery or other source with a power tap plug. So an Anton Bauer Gold Mount will work as well as the D-Tap found on an IDX battery. This will greatly extend the battery life of the cameras, and the adapter has an additional power tap on it to power other 12V accessories. Look for an adapter for the Panasonic Lumix GH1 in the future as well.

Canon has announced the 1D Mark IV, a 16 megapixel, APS-H sensor camera (vs. APS-C in the 7D and full frame in the 5D Mk II) capable of shooting 1080P video at 24, 25 or 30 fps, as well as 720P at 50 or 60 fps. It’s got some pretty nice still specs as well, of course. As usual, Vincent Laforet has made a short movie with it already, Nocturne. Can a full frame 1Ds Mark IV be far behind?

In other news, the word on the street is that Canon will be releasing a firmware update in 2010 adding 24P and 25P video capabilities to the 5D Mark II. Good news for early adopters.

Zeiss has just recently launched two new ZE lenses, an 18mm T3,5 and 21mm T2,8. For those of you unfamiliar with Zeiss SLR lenses, please allow me explain a bit.  Zeiss makes a range of beautiful full frame SLR lenses and they come in a variety of mounts. They break down like this -  F bayonet (ZF), EF bayonet (ZE), K bayonet (ZK) and the traditional M42 screw threads (ZS). So these new ZE lenses are Canon EF mount and work fantastically on the Canon 5D Mark II and the new Canon 7D. I am especially fond of the ZE lenses because they are designed for manual focus control and have very little breathing. This is a real benefit for anyone shooting video on an SLR. With a geared ring they can easily be adjusted to work with a follow focus, and the focus ring stops in both direction for easier pulls. The 18mm and 21mm look great and will be especially nice on the Canon 7D which has a crop (APS-C sized) sensor.