The Blackmagic Video Assist 4K will get you many of the pro options at a lower price than others, and gives you the added option of recording video and audio. In my search, I haven’t found a better monitor below this price point, so it’s a solid starter option for microfilmmakers who want to create decent images without shelling out more than $1000.
Manufacturer: 3Pod/Adorama
Website: Adorama.com
Description: Stabilize your shooting on the go without the bulk of a tripod
Purchase/Rent: Purchase
Pricing:
Orbit 4 Carbon Fiber Monopod: $99.95;
Q3 Fluid Tripod head : $99.95
(Kits with other heads: $120-$180)
Expected Release: Available Now
Review Issue: #124 (6/16)
Update Issue: #130 (12/16)
Reviewed By: Jeremy T. Hanke
Final Score: 10 (out of 10)
If you ask any filmmaker what things they hate about tripods, they’ll tell you essentially the same things: they’re too heavy, they’re extremely awkward to carry, they’re hard to set up, and they’re hard to get level. Still, at the end of the day, they’re the only way to create a locked down shot without using a cinesaddle (or putting your camera on a flat surface and praying that it doesn’t fall or get knocked off).
Now, the monopod, on the other hand, is easy to set up, but, up until now, has been relegated to still photographers, due to the fact that it’s essentially little more than a walking cane with a camera mount on the top, making it essentially useless without a person there to actively stabilize it.
When Adorama first began selling goods related to photography, it was strictly as a reseller of other companies’ products, much in the same way that Netflix began strictly as a redistributor of other people’s content. However, times change; Netflix now has an entire library of critically acclaimed self-created content, and Adorama carries products from nearly as many specialty companies it either owns or exclusively distributes for as it does other brands.
Manufacturer: Tiffen
Website: Click Here
Description: GoPro camera Stabilizer
Purchase/Rent: Purchase.
Pricing: $59.95 core rig; $12.95 for extra weights (if you don’t have a GoPro viewscreen attached to your camera)
Footage: Click Here
Discount: Click Here
Release: Available Now
Review Issue: #109 (04/15)
Reviewed By: Jeremy T. Hanke
Final Score: 7.4 (out of 10)
When I was in college, the high end Steadicam rigs were just coming out and blowing everyone’s minds, as now Hollywood films could do long, elaborate following shots of characters that wouldn’t leave you nauseated. For years, these rigs were so far out of the price point of any low-budget filmmakers that we had to come up with our own stabilization devices that never worked quite as well, but were at least affordable.
However, now, in this world of ultra affordable cameras, like the GoPro, there’s an affordable stabilizer actually made by Tiffen, the originators of the Steadicam.
So, how well does it work? Well, read on to find out!
When 3Pod tripods first showed up a couple years ago, it was as a division of Flashpoint, the photography/videography accessory company whose equipment is distributed exclusively by Adorama. Recently, however, 3Pod has split of into its own separate company (although it’s still distributed by Adorama), so that they can focus marketing specifically on the tripods they’re making.
Award of Superiority
It’s clear that one of 3Pod’s missions is to make a sturdy, yet economical tripod that offers stiff competition to heavyweights like Bogen and Manfrotto and, from what I’ve seen testing out the V2AH, they’ve done a pretty good job with this mission.
When it comes to choosing lighting for your photography, it can become a bit overwhelming, since there are so many choices.
With that said, we’ve had a chance to really look at some interesting products and help you hone in on some really powerful solutions and the overall pricepoint you’d be looking at. In part 1 of this article, we’re going to look at traditional still light sources...