Gear Geek

Widget for Cameras: ioShutter

Mark E. Johnson — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 21:31:42 +0000

Back in the days of yore, we all carried metal cable releases with us. If you were locked down on a tripod and needed to either trip the shutter without touching the camera or hold the shutter open for a long time, this was your tool of choice. One end had a plunger or bulb on it, the other screwed into some threads in the middle of your shutter button.

Life was simple … and then electronics took over cameras and, with it, came electronic shutter releases. While the shiny, braided metal ones cost about $10, the new wired ones ran to almost $100 at times.

Eek.

The folks from Enlight Photo (who also brought us the Frio) have decided to Go Big when it comes to small shutter release cables, tying your camera in to your smartphone for a ton of control.

Check out the video for details.

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The ioShutter is about $70 from your favorite online retailers and both the free and Pro apps are available in the App Store now. Android versions coming soon, they say.

And if you need a chuckle, read the reviews on the free version where people complain it doesn’t work unless you buy the cable …

If you’ve got a tip, if you’ve got a trick, if you’ve got a widget, if you’ve got a gadget that you think everybody else in the industry should know about, send me some information on it and I’ll get it out there.

Widget for Video: Cineskates

Mark E. Johnson — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 13:55:44 +0000

This looks like a really cool solution to creating high quality video movements – much more flexibility than traditional dollies or tracks.

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Cineskates systems start at around $300, which includes the skates, tripod, head and a carrying bag.

Of course, before employing a system like this, you have to ask yourself if there’s an actual need for video movement in your piece. They look fancy, but they can also easily distract from your story – and it’s always the story that matters.

Shopping for Widgets

Mark E. Johnson — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:00:00 +0000

By definitions, we photographers (of the still, moving or hybrid kind) love our widgets. From big expensive widgets (like the newly announced Canon EOS C300) down through little things (like the Glif we highlighted here a while ago), we fall in love with the tools that help us tell stories better.

But, we’re also notoriously cheap. We work in an industry where every penny gets watched like a hawk, where we need to find the best deal on everything so we can keep at this. So the allure of online deals, particularly today, is hard to resist.

The idea of “Cyber Monday” – the day when online ordering is at its highest – is mostly a myth. But retailers like to use it as a lure to get you on their sites and, well, since it’s today, I’m a little surprised you’re even here.

So, a few quick tips about online shopping …

Go Big: Or, at the very least, go reputable. Every year I get reports from colleagues and students who say they found the best deal ever on the camera or lens of their dreams, hundreds of dollars less than everywhere else. Can I believe it? The answer, sadly, is no. If the deal seems way too good to be true, it probably is. Before entering your digits into that sexy ordering page, do your journalistic research – type the name of the site along with the word “review” into your favorite search engine and see what pops up. If you spot that Nikon D3S for the price of a D300S, something’s wrong. Most often, it’s a bait-and-switch tactic. After placing the order, you get a phone call to confirm your shipping address, then the hard sell starts. There’s no battery included. Nor cables. Nor manual. Nor … well, there’s nothing included at all. You have to add on all these other things to get a useable kit. And, if you say no, then you’re backordered for months.
Go for Service: Customer service is a big deal. If something goes wrong, whether it’s a defective item or a shipping problem, you want someone to answer the phone. Going with reputable retailers will make that process a whole lot easier. Think about who you see sponsoring NPPA events, think about the places where, after you’ve ordered, you’ve never had to think about them again. Think about the places that have saved your proverbial bacon. Those are the places you want to give your business to.
Go Safe: Online fraud is huge right now. My Discover card was declined this weekend because the last three purchases, all legitimate, were made in three different states. It was a hassle, and a bit embarrassing, but I guess I’d rather be safe than sorry. Don’t buy online with your debit card, use an actual credit card. And even with credit cards, many will let you generate a “virtual” card number for specific retailers. All it takes is one person on the phone to write your number on a sticky note to start problems. (My wife’s numbers were stolen a few weeks ago, someone tried to order $3,000 worth of chicken caesar salads in Florida with it.)
Go Secure: Make sure that when you’re logging into a web site you’re on a secure site (meaning you see https in the URL) and you’re on a secure connection. Free wifi hot spots are extremely convenient but also a great opportunity for folks to monitor your web traffic, including grabbing logins, passwords and credit card info.
Go Call Your Accountant: Silly, I know, but if you’re thinking about making some major purchases, check with your accountant or tax preparer first. Depending on how you’re year is going and how you think next year will go, saving 10% now instead of buying after December 31 may not be the best choice. Look at your income and expenses this year and think about when your deductions would be more advantageous.

Al Tompkins at the Poynter Institute linked to a Mashable piece on 10 Tips to Avoid Cyber Monday Scams, some more good advice in there.

Spend some time looking at what you have in your kit now. What needs to be replaced? What will need to be replaced in the next few months? Does it make sense to buy-ahead on some items?

My guess is external storage prices won’t drop much. The floods in Thailand have hampered a lot of manufacturers and supplies are pretty tight. Memory cards, though, may drop for the day. Cameras and lenses won’t flex much, but there might be some software deals out there. Perhaps some deals on accessories like filters or camera bags and straps.

Let me know what you find. If I see anything great between classes I’ll post them here.

Widget for Mobile: The Wingstand

Mark E. Johnson — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:00:00 +0000

I love elegant, efficient and functional design and, this week, we hit them all beautifully.

I came across the Wingstand as a Kickstarter project a few months ago. If you’re not familiar with Kickstarter.com, you should be. If you have an idea you can post it online and seek pledges to make it come true. Once you’ve reached your pledge goal, your supporters pay up and you do whatever it is you said you’d do. If you don’t raise enough, no one gets billed.

The initial pledge for the Wingstand was $20 and I saw a use for it immediately. They showed up a few weeks ago and I’m using them all the time. Upcoming travels will see me use them even more. If you try to travel light and do a lot of writing on the road, using these to connect your tablet or smart phone to Apple’s Bluetooth keyboard will be heavenly. Check out the video …

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You can get them in white or black for about $15. Worth evey penny, even if you’re just looking for a cheap, light and portable reading stand for your tablet or ereader.

Widget for Stuff: The Grid-It

Mark E. Johnson — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Stuff. We have a lot of … stuff. And much of that stuff is small and tends to get tangled up. FireWire cables, USB cables, audio cables, power cables … and then there’s all the stuff we have to connect with them.

Is your bag just a mess of stuff? Yeah, mine has been, too.

But now, there’s the Grid-It from Cocoon Innovations – a neat way to keep everything organized and visible. Check it out …

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Prices start at about $10 for a 7.5 inch by 4.5 inch panel and top out at $50 for a panel that also serves as a sleeve for your laptop. I’m going to order a few more for my different bags …

Widget for Cameras: The Black Rapid RS-7 Strap

Mark E. Johnson — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:00:00 +0000

With every new camera you purchase you’re going to get a camera strap. It’ll be functional, maybe moderately stylish – but is it the best one for you?

For more than 20 years, I’ve swapped out the factory straps for aftermarket ones, usually Domke Gripper Straps. Reader Roxanne Evans, though, sent me some info on a newer style of strap from Black Rapid. Take a look.

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As noted, with one camera and a moderately sized lens this is a great option. It feels very natural and it keeps the camera out of the way if you’re moving though crowds. Check the Black Rapid web site for their other straps and solutions, as well as for some demonstration videos.

Widget for iPhone Users: The Gymbl

Mark E. Johnson — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 13:00:00 +0000

There are some days that I worry about the spelling ability of our society. The word gimbal, for instance, came into my lexicon when I first watched Apollo 13 but now Youbiq is marketing something called … a Gymbl. Which seems a few letters off, to me, but take a look.

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Who should buy this? Well, if you have an iPhone*, shoot handheld video (the grip setting is much easier to hold steady) or do a lot of panoramas, this be worth tossing in your bag.

* It may seem like it’s an Apple-centric world out there, what with all the cool widgets available for the iPhone. There’s a reason for this: while whether it is the superior smartphone OS is open to debate, the simple fact that there is just one phone allows inventors to build something that lots of people can use. I’d love to feature some Android-centric widgets, but with so many different phones running the platform, there’s no way to design a physical tool for all of them.

Widget for Transmitting: The Eye-Fi

Mark E. Johnson — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:00:00 +0000

For many years I’ve wanted to pick up a wireless transmitter for my DSLR cameras. Not that I set up a lot of remotes, but because it would make my life a whole lot easier in the classroom. Currently, I tether my cameras when we’re doing a demonstration, but that gets pretty limited.

The wireless transmitters, though, are a bit pricey. But then I heard about the Eye-Fi and I started to wonder if this consumer level transmitter, built into a Secure Digital memory card, could work. Here’s what I found …

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My answer, for my classroom: probably. Transfer speeds are quick enough and if I can build an action to automatically display the images on screen, I think it’ll work.

Now to convince my boss to spend the $100 so I can have one.

Learning Video: Simplifying Multi Cam Edits

Mark E. Johnson — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 15:12:30 +0000

It’s the standard interview set-up these days: A main camera up front, a second off to the side for cutaways. Maybe a third to show some more environment.

But then you have to get all of those clips synched up in your NLE and that can be a hassle. If only you had more eyes to work on these edits … well, you do. Here’s a look at Plural Eyes from Singular Software. It’s a handy chunk of code that will automatically sync up the footage from multiple cameras quickly and easily.

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Now, it isn’t cheap at $150, but it is available for most of the major editors out there like Final Cut Pro 7, Avid Media Composer, Sony Vegas, Adobe Premiere Pro and Edius. Thinking about it? There’s a free 30-day trial available which is what I used for the demo.

Thanks to Mike Roy up in New York for the lede on this one.

Learning Audio: Fixing Levels

Mark E. Johnson — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Ever been out recording audio and suddenly notice your subject moved closer or further away from your mic? Or you weren’t paying attention and moved that mic?

Yeah, me too.

Here’s a solution for you: The Conversations Network’s Levelator.

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You can use it on Mac, Windows or Linux machine and it’ll work on AIFF files as well as WAV files. It’s also free, but if you find yourself using it a lot you may want to leave them a little tip.