Roberto talks about composition and gives the following guidelines:

• Choose a selective focusing technique
• Placement and composition of your main subject
• Use converging lines
• Use repetitive elements
• Use Framing techniques

http://www.robertovalenzuelaphotography.com or follow Roberto on twitter at http://twitter.com/robertophoto

Roberto also mentioned the Magic Lantern Guides Camera Books that help your learn your camera and what the controls do.

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Marc Fuller’s Website:
http://marcfuller.com

Marc’s top 20 list of Wordpress plugins
http://marcfuller.com/2009/12/top-twenty-plugins-for-using-wordpress-as-a-website-cms/

Don’t forget about Marc’s Try-it, Like-it, Buy-it offer. With “Try it, Like it, Buy it” Marc will place on your server/host a full working demonstration installation of Kertesz II complete with functioning main page, blog page, contact, NextGen gallery etc..  Then you can explore it as much as they want.  If you like it and decide to use it, either as your entire site or as a complement to a Flash site, then you pay for it and Marc will support you in making it custom to your use – including placing it a new folder, importing your current blog (if you have one) etc. And then when ready to go live, revisit your hosting; doing page replacement if needed, WP tweaks, SEO adjustments, etc.  The price for all this remains at just $267.00 but not payable unless you decide they like it and want to use it and Marc’s services.

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Kerry Garrison
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Elmsford NY – December 29, 2009 –

Two key version 5.0 capabilities are Rear Curtain Sync and Pre-Flash Boost. PocketWizard’s rear curtain sync allows the photographer to set the shutter speed at which rear curtain sync automatically engages while optimizing the timing of rear curtain sync to fire at the absolute end of the shutter opening. Pre-Flash Boost provides enhanced E-TTL performance when using flash diffusers, doing bounce flash, or at ranges just beyond the normal E-TTL capabilities. By increasing the pre-flash power, PocketWizard has offset the loss of light in these challenging E-TTL situations.

Another significant new feature is Automatic Camera Detection. The ControlTL system can now automatically detect exactly which camera is being used to optimize system performance precisely for that camera. For Canon 5D and 5D Mark II users, this means the system will set the High Speed Sync crossover point to 1/320th versus the default of 1/400th to compensate for those camera’s slower shutter mechanisms. Camera compatibility for the Canon 7D has been added as well as E-TTL flash compatibility for the Metz 58 AF-1 flash.

Several other new features and refinements have been made and complete details can be found at www.PocketWizard.com/downloads. Current MiniTT1 Transmitter and FlexTT5 Transceiver owners can upgrade to the new firmware for free via the recently revised PocketWizard Utility.

About PocketWizard and the MiniTTI and FlexTT5

The PocketWizard MiniTT1 Transmitter and FlexTT5 Transceiver for Canon allow photographers to wirelessly control single or multiple off-camera flash units. These radios interpret the flash and exposure data communicated through the camera’s hot shoe and digitally transmit the information through a reliable radio signal. Photographers can place E-TTL flashes connected to a dedicated FlexTT5 Transceiver for wireless E-TTL operation wherever they need to illuminate a scene, even out of sight or in bright sun. Any change in ISO, aperture, shutter speed and even flash compensation is automatically communicated and adjusted wirelessly. A ControlTL system for Nikon is in the works as well as compatibility with some studio lights. The ControlTL system is also compatible for standard triggering with all PocketWizard radios.

For More Information

For more information on firmware version 5.0, including all new features and refinements, please visit PocketWizard.com.

###

To enter to win a copy of Gary’s book, you need to follow these instructions:

Go to Gary’s blog site at: http://garyfong1.xanga.com/

You may need to go back a little bit, but you need to find the answer to the question “What animal makes a good pet”

Send your answer to contest@cameradojo.com with the subject “Gary Fong Contest”. We will pull several names on Jan 15th 2010.

Be sure and check out all of Gary’s products at http://garyfonginc.com/

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This article is only going to be my first impressions of the lenses since I just got them and haven’t had a chance to use them in more diverse environments yet.

The Setup

For this initial use of the new lenses, I had a Canon 50D which has an APS-C lens so I don’t quite get the full effect of the FishEye lens, but still, it works quite well.

Unfortunately, the weather conditions weren’t ideal either since I had to brave 20 degree temps to walk around getting these shots (may not seem cold to some people, but I live in Southern California). With an overcast sky and snow on the ground, its not as if colors were popping as much as I would have liked, but you can’t beat a morning stroll through East Aurora New York in the morning, so off I went.

The Soft Focus Lens

Ok, this lens is NOT for everyone by any means, however, I absolutely love it! The soft focus lens diffuses the light coming into the lens by filtering through a series of small holes. The goal is not to create a completely defocused image, but to give it a softer quality. When I get home and get some more images, you will see how this can look with portraits. For now, I had limited subject matter to work with to demonstrate with.

The image here of the flower was the one shot I managed to snap off before throwing the camera in the suitcase and heading to the airport. While you can see plenty of detail, there is still a softness to it and the defocused background has a really beautiful look to it.

Here are some more shots with the soft focus lens:

Fish Eye Lens

A fish eye lens is another one of those lenses you don’t tend to keep on your camera much but when you need a REALLY wide angle, nothing can beat them. Since the Canon 50D does not have a full frame sensor you dont get a complete circular effect but the fish eye effect is still plainly visible. With some creative cropping and vignetting, you may not even realize a shot was taken with a fish eye.

Below is an example of a pre and post crop of the same image:

With a little cropping, the really distorted edges are far less noticeable.

Another thing you can do is use a fish eye to capture more of a scene than you could with a regular lens and then us Photoshop’s lens correction to straighten it out somewhat. The following images are before and after the lens correction was applied.

Here are some additional shots taken with the fish eye lens:

Summary

If you have a Lensbaby Composer or are thinking about getting one, the Fish Eye and Soft Focus lenses can be a terrific addition to your Optic Swap lens collection. Maybe they are even just the right excuse to go get a Composer now. For me, they are a very welcome addition to my collection and I cant wait to use them even more.

For more information, check out Lensbaby at http://www.lensbaby.com.

• Canon EOS 1D Mark IV
• Canon EOS 7D
• Canon PowerShot G11
• Canon PowerShot S90
• Leaf Aptus-II 5
• Mamiya DM22
• Mamiya DM28
• Mamiya DM33
• Mamiya DM56
• Mamiya M18
• Mamiya M22
• Mamiya M31
• Nikon D3s
• Olympus E-P2
• Panasonic DMC-FZ38
• Pentax K-x
• Sigma DP1s
• Sony A500
• Sony A550
• Sony A850

Release Notes:

• Camera Raw 5.6 and Lightroom 2.6 provide a fix for an issue affecting PowerPC customers using the final Lightroom 2.5, Camera Raw 5.5 and DNG Converter 5.5 updates on the Mac. The issue, introduced in the demosaic change to address sensors with unequal green response, has the potential to create artifacts in highlight areas when processing raw files from Sony, Olympus, Panasonic and various medium format digital camera backs.
• The Lightroom 3 beta has not been updated with this new camera support. If you’re working with one of these newer cameras and the Lightroom 3 beta, please use the DNG Converter 5.6 to convert proprietary formats to DNG files that can be used in the Lightroom 3 beta.

Download at: http://www.adobe.com/downloads/updates/

Kerry and Jules also announce their upcoming workshop on Jan 26th. For more information on the Light, Location, and Love workshop, please check out:
http://cameradojo.com/2009/12/09/light-location-love-workshop-with-jules-bianchi-and-kerry-garrison/

Be sure and check out Jules’ website at http://julescafe.com.

Don’t forget about our CameraDojo MediaSmart Server Giveaway

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Learn to Love Lighting no matter what the situation. From formal lighting in a controlled setting to on-the-fly lighting at a wedding or on location, after this workshop you’ll know how to get the shot!

Part 1: Love Lighting Lecture

Kerry will show you the most common portrait lighting methods to achieve classic portraiture styles. You’ll learn broad lighting, short lighting, loop lighting, butterfly lighting, as well as techniques for dealing with various lighting difficulties.

Jules Bianchi has been shooting weddings for over 10 years and knows about getting the shot in any situation. In an fun and informative style, Jules will show you how to keep your cool, grab your camera, and get the shot no matter what the lighting situation. She’ll show you how to work with your clients, put them at ease, and get those natural, unposed shots she is famous for.

Part 2: Love Location & Lighting

Jules will show you how she works her magic with an entire group to get fantastic images. Follow along as Jules addresses the technical issues of lighting, but also how to help her subjects loosen up, look natural and have fun in the process! Kerry will demonstrate the techniques of formal portrait lighting using his Westcott speed lights. Take all the information you learned from the morning and put it into action! You don’t want to miss this part of the workshop!

Workshop Schedule:

Choose your own adventure! You can choose Part One, Part Two, or both!

Part 1: Lighting lecture in the classroom – $99
Part 2: Live model shoot – both indoors and out with an entire bridal party! – $99

SPECIAL! Choose BOTH part 1 & 2 and pay only $149! This is a limited offer, so sign up now!

When: Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Part 1: Noon to 4pm
Vendor Reception: 4-6pm
Part 2: 6-9pm

To sign up for the workshop, please click here

Highlights include:

• Canon 1D Mk IV
• Lightroom 3 Beta 1
• Photek (http://www.photekusa.com/Digitala.html)
• Nations Photo Lab (http://www.nationsphotolab.com/)
• Bibble 5 (http://bibblelabs.com/products/bibble5/)
• Lens Pro To Go (www.lensprotogo.com)
• Studio Share (www.studioshare.org)
• PickPic (http://www.pickpic.com/)
• Simply Canvas (http://www.simplycanvas.com/)
• Black Rapid (http://www.blackrapid.com/)
• Spider Holster (http://www.spiderholster.com/)

And be sure and check out Ed’s work at http://www.lehighvalleyphotography.org/

Don’t forget about our CameraDojo MediaSmart Server Giveaway

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• Powered by Microsoft® Windows® Home Server software
• The  EX495 with an Intel® Pentium® Processor Dual Core 2.5 GHZ 64-bit
• Capacities: 1.5TB single drive. 3 empty hard disk drive bays for internal expandability.
• Expandable up to 17TB
• Network-based backup of PCs using Windows® Home Server as well as Macs using Apple’s Time Machine®
• Photo and video sharing with family and friends
• Remote access to digital media, files and PCs from any Internet connected PC or Mac®
• Media streaming of photos, music and videos to PCs, the entertainment center and remote devices including the iPhone®
• The HP Video Converter converts your video library on the server (including unprotected DVD’s) into a MPEG-4 (H.264) video format.(f) Plus, you control how your videos are converted by selecting the device your video will be played on or specify the video settings yourself.
• HP Media Collector automatically collects, organizes and centralizes your media files from multiple Windows PCs and Macs (including iPhoto®, iTunes®, and iMovie® libraries) to the server so you can easily find, share and stream your media.

What’s that all mean?

Technical mumbo-jumbo aside, the MediaSmart EX495 provides you with a network share for having a complete, secure file server on your network, gives you automated backups to both Windows and Macintosh client systems, and can convert video files into different formats and stream them to PC’s, Media Extenders, and even iPhone/iPod Touches.

The base unit comes with 1.5tb of storage and has 3 additional bays for additional drives as well as being able to use external USB or eSata storage devices.

What the EX495 is not, is it is not a RAID system like a Drobo is, instead it has a unique system that allows you to choose which folders you want duplicated across multiple drives within the system for redundancy. For example, you may want your pictures saved to two drives, but your converted videos you may not care about having a backup of. This helps optimize disk space within the system.

HP provided me with one of the units to solve the storage needs of Camera Dojo and I am so impressed with it that HP and Camera Dojo are going to give one away.

The Contest Details

This is supposed to be more about having fun than being super technical and instead of being a photography contest, this one is going to be about image manipulation. The winner will be chosen on originality and concept and not about being super technically proficient with Photoshop. The winner will receive an HP MediaSmart EX490 with 1tb of storage and Intel Celeron Processor.

What you need to do is take the Camera Dojo logo, manipulate it any way you want, put it anywhere, on body parts, 18 wheelers, etc. The idea is to have fun with this idea. To enter this contest, send your image (800 pixels wide on the long side) to contest@cameradojo.com with the subject MediaSmart Contest.

The contest will end on December 20th. Throughout the contest, the top entries will be posted to CameraDojo.com. To download a hi resolution version of the Camera Dojo logo, click here (right-click and select save as).

For more information about the HP MediaSmart Servers, check out their website at:
http://www.hp.com/united-states/campaigns/mediasmart-server/

This is a briefcase style gear bag for traveling in style and protecting camera equipment without attracting attention as an obvious camera bag.  The interior is cavernous and accommodates a host of camera configurations that enables photographers to keep all their necessary gear in one secure bag.

Top Features:

• Ballistic Nylon Fabric / YKK RC-Fuse Zippers
• “NO RHETORIC” WARRANTY
• Non-slip shoulder strap
• Professional luggage appearance

Gear Profile:

• Two regular or pro size DSLRs with lenses attached
• Holds 70-200 f2.8 attached to a pro size DSLR body

Photographer Profile:

• All photographers, from pros to serious enthusiasts.

Technical Specifications:

• ID: 14.5” W x 12.25” H x 6.5” D (37 x 31 x 16.5 cm)
  ED: 15” W x 12.5” H x 7.5” D (38 x 32 x 19 cm)
• 2.2 – 3.8 lbs (1.0 – 1.7 kg) depending on accessories used
• Lifetime Warranty

The Think Tank Photo Urban Disguise 70 has a retail price of $189.00

Source: Think Tank Photo

CameraDojo.com is hosted at BlueHost.com and apparently they have a size limit as to how much they back up for users even though they advertise unlimited storage. Because of this limit that they did not tell anyone about, all of the images for all of the articles on the site have been lost.

While I do have backups of everything, it will take me some time to restore from my off-line backups. Again, I apologize for this and hope to have it restored as quickly as possible.

Jim provides some good insight into current purchasing trends that Pictage is seeing and talks about how to incorporate this information into your business.

Jim also discusses some of the changes going on with Pictage and the upcoming Pictage PartnerCon.

Pictage: http://pictage.com

PartnerCon: http://pro.pictage.com/community/ppc/neworleans/

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Kerry Garrison
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If you look at the movie industry, rail systems have become the standard way to mount all of the gear wrapped around a digital camera system (in this case, I believe this was a Red system).  Notice the young lady carrying a massive display of equipment on her shoulder.  If you look closely, you will see that there is a person supporting her around the waist as she is walking on rough terrain, and there is a person to her right who is actually running the follow focus and focusing the camera while she walks.  All of this gear looks like something out of a Sci-Fi movie.. and actually, it is (District 9).  In this article, we will talk about building a rail system similar to this to wrap around a DSLR.

When using a DSLR for high definition video, there are several other things you need to make the recording as clean as possible.  You need:

1) Stability – the ability to fluidly move your camera around

2) Focus – DSLRs do not have auto focus like camcorders do.  Focusing a lens is much more clunky and harder to handle

3) Light Control – sometimes a lens hood just isn’t enough control over the light on the lens

4) Microphone – the internal microphone is not nearly the quality needed for a professional video

5) Live View – the small, internal display is not big enough to use when manually focusing and framing a scene

6) Lighting – in darker situations, a light is often needed to illuminate your subject

7) Lens Modifiers – there are lens modifiers that do not attach to a lens and need to be fixed in-line with the camera lens, like a depth of field modifier

Now, imagine being able to take care of all of these needs at the same time.  To do this, you need a frame around your camera with which you can attach all of these components.  With a good rail system, you get:

1) Stability – a shoulder mount and frame you can hold with both hands

2) Focus – a follow focus knob and gearing with which you can easily mark your focus points and smoothly focus the lens

3) Light Control – a matte box with french flag and adjustable side flags and removable filter holders

4) Microphone – a frame allows you to mount a microphone either on the hot shoe or on the frame itself

5) Live View – an external monitor can be mounted above or to the side of the camera for optimal viewing, instead of just the small, built in screen on the camera

6) Lighting – a lighting solution can be mounted above the camera and will move with the camera

7) Lens Modifiers – with a rail system, a lens modifier can be mounted in-line with the camera lens in a rigid and secure installation

To accomplish all of this, we need to start with a rail system.  And to my surprise, there are quite a few out there to choose from.  But with a DSLR, there are special needs to handle the height and weight of the camera and all of its size requirements.  This means that not every rail system will work with your particular camera.  Rail systems designed for DSLRs are a little more height adjustable to allow for the height of the lens off the bottom mount of the camera.  The more flexible systems allow for a battery grip or XLR audio box under the body too.

And as of the writing of this article, there are a few video-capable DSLRs on the market, but many more are coming.  I am basing the article completely around my Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

The rail system we chose to work with for this article is the IndiSYSTEM from Studio4 Productions out of Waterloo, Iowa.  This is a U.S. manufactured rail system that is constantly changing and evolving to meet the needs of modern DSLRs as well as camcorders on the market today.  Tim Ovel, the owner, is a really personable and knowledgeable guy, and a lot of fun to talk with.  Throughout the build of this system, Tim was helpful in piecing the needed items and attachments together to make the rig just how we wanted it.

This article will be the first in a series that goes more in-depth into building and outfitting a rail system.  For this particular article, we are going to focus on the rail system itself.

However, we have other components that will be completing this rig in the next articles in the series.  We have a 5.6″ High Def HDMI battery powered portable monitor from Ikan, an LCD light panel from Ikan and a stereo mic and accessories from Rodes.  Delkin provided us with a Pop-Up Shade for the 5D Mark II, which helped with the outdoor light.  These accessories will help to complete the setup for a full production camera.

Now, let’s take a look at the system we have built here.  The first thing you need to understand is that this setup is completely reconfigurable.  Before even the first photograph was taken of the rig, I probably went through a dozen different configurations.  With the complete flexibility of the indiSYSTEM, you can pretty much make the rig fit exactly what you want it to.

The components:

There are several pieces that make up the rail system.  Combined in any arrangement, these parts make up a rail system.

The rails.

The rails themselves are the basis of a rail system.  They are a platform on which all of the components are attached.  Typically, the base is made up of 2 rails made up of a strong material like metal or carbon fiber.  Many of the rails out there are 15mm in diameter.  They can be almost any length, although the common lengths are anywhere from 10″ to 24″.  The indiRAILSpro system is based on carbon fiber rails, which are both light and very sturdy and strong.

The camera block

The camera mount, sometimes called the camera block, is where you mount your camera.  This is kind of the hub of the rig.  In the indiRAILSpro system, this block has a mounting plate that locks down to the rails themselves to the block and is the basis of holding them in place.  The block is drilled and tapped with mount holes with which to mount quick release bases and plates to attach your camera or to mount the entire block to a tripod.

The shoulder mount

The shoulder mount is not always a necessary piece of a rail system, but it is a very common requirement for many people.  The shoulder mount allows you to balance and carry your camera, rig and accessories on your shoulder while smoothly operating it.   The shoulder mount for the indiRAILSpro is easily adjustable and can be angled to allow the rear end of the rig to be higher or lower as best suits your needs.  The newest shoulder mount was just designed before this article’s release and is a cool new take on their last shoulder mount.  It is light weight and very flexible in layout.  It not only adjusts the distance of the rig from your shoulder, but it also angles to allow just the right angle for comfort.  After all, our shoulders to slant at an angle and your shoulder mount should accommodate that.

The Front handles

Handles on the front end of the rails are how you control it when it is shoulder mounted.  If you don’t intend to carry your rig on your shoulder, then you probably want to tripod mount it, and handles wouldn’t be important to you.  The handles need to be adjustable and flexible as people’s arm lengths are different.  This was another nice feature of the indiRAILSpro system as length, angle and separation could all be adjusted easily.

The Matte box

A matte box has many functions. It allows you to control the top and side light that hits the camera lens.  It can allow you to easily insert filters in front of the lens too.  A matte box can also shape the image aspect by blackening the top and bottom of your image to form a wider aspect letterbox effect.  On top of all of that, it makes your rig look cool and professional.  There are lots of reasons to want a matte box on your rail system.

The follow focus

This is not a “must have” accessory, and it is not terribly important to people using a rail setup with their average camcorders as auto-focus works well in that arena with that gear.  But with today’s DSLRs and video, auto-focus is not there yet.  Plus, there are many reasons to manually control your focus when doing cinematography.  A follow focus system will give you complete manual control over your camera’s focus.

Other Components

As you build out your rig, you will find lots of other  accessories you want to add to make your videography easier and more effective.  Once we built out all we needed with the indiSYSTEM, we started to add some other electronics to complete the system.  Here is what we found most effective to add.

A Matte box for the camera’s viewing screen – Delkin Pop-Up Shade for the Canon 5D Mark II

This little attachment is an inexpensive way to get a bit of light control over the screen of the 5D Mark II (or most any other popular DSLR) when shooting in outdoor lighting.  It takes only seconds to install, and looks good on the camera.  If the positioning of the rail system is right and you can focus your eye on this screen comfortably while moving your camera around, a pop-up shade like this really can make a difference.  And at $25, it really is an affordable addition to any DSLR.

A Larger external display – Ikan V5600 High Definition 5.6″ Monitor

Let’s face it… the small display on the back of the 5D II may be O.K. for checking out your still photos, but it is really too small for monitoring live video while on the move.  When you are moving around with a rig this large on your shoulder, you want to really be able to see exactly what is getting recorded.  Ikan has a series of monitors that are compatible with the HDMI output from the 5D II and many other cameras and camcorders on the market.  With the help of the Ikan mounting arm, the V5600 display took our rails system to a whole new level.  I will go further in depth to this display and it’s features in a future review, but we really loved the light weight, the long life battery pack and the ease of mounting it to the system.

Ikan also makes an 8″ HDMI monitor for those who want a larger display.  It is not as high of a resolution as the V5600, but then the HDMI live video output from the 5D Mark II is only 480P, so most of that video res is wasted anyway.  We will do a more in-depth review of this screen in a future article.  You can see this dispay here:

Ikan V8000HDe 8″ TFT LCD Monitor with DV Battery Plate, 16:9 and 4:3 Switchable Aspect Ratios

Video Light

On-camera lighting is another nice thing to have to accent your shot… especially if doing live interviews.  With a rail system, you have more real estate to mount a larger light and battery pack on top of the rail system above the camera.  The ikan iLED 150 is a slick solution to put portable lighting on top of your rail system.  With 144 LED lights and adjustable brightness, the iLED 150 gives you a nice, controlled lighting solution that runs for hours on a single charge.  We will be doing a specific light review on this product in the near future.

External Microphone – Rode Stereo VideoMic plus the Dead Kitten

There are many ways you can go with audio with your 5D II (or 7D or any other DSLR).  One way would be to add an XLR adapter such as those from Beachtek.  These would allow you to hook up XLR microphones either to the rig or wireless or off a boom.  But there is another, much easier way to add a mic.  As the Canon 5D II and many other HD recording devices have mini-phono jacks as their only source of recording.  For this, a cold shoe mounted microphone with a mini-phono jack is often the ideal solution.  We used a Rode Stereo Videomic with a wind filter called a “DeadKitten”.  This unit attaches right to the hot shoe on the camera and plugs into the mini-phono input.  It is a powered mic, using a 9v battery, and it has some really nice features.  It is a stereo “shotgun” style site mic with X/Y configuration, which enables it to capture the true ambiance of the recording space.  This mic is said to be the world’s best selling stereo shotgun mic.  I will be doing a full review of this and several other Rodes mics in the coming weeks, but for now, you read some great reviews here:

Rode Microphones Stereo VideoMic On-Camera Microphone

Putting It All Together:

So, I have to say, putting this all together was the best part.  If you are like me and you like to tinker with things, this is a tinkerers dream. The system came in pieces and components ready to assemble.  I was a bit intimidated at first, but quickly dug into the project.  There were dozens of pieces to put together, but all was done with either thumb screws or allen wrenches that were included.

First – the rails.

I started with the rails… two 12″ long carbon fiber rods that are the backbone of the IndiRAILS system.  There are “blocks” that attach to the top and bottom of these rails and clamp down to hold the rails in place.  All it takes is 1 set of blocks and your rails are steady and firm.

Second – the camera block

The first block to mount is the camera block.  This is where the camera mounts and is kind of the core of the rig.  The IndyRAILSpro camera block is adjustable vertically, so the Canon 5D with a battery grip can still be adjusted to a good height to work with the rest of the attachments.

Inside the camera block I have mounted the “C” shaped mounting bracket and carrying handle.  This is also a pretty recent addition to the product line-up (one that I think I had a little influence in creating) and is an important addition to the rig.  This handle not only allows me to mount my microphone and other gear above the camera, but it is a firm handle to help carry a rather awkward shaped rig around.

Third – the Matte Box

Next, I attached the indiMATTEpro matte box.  It also mounted with a block on the front, which added further stabilization to the rails.  The height of the matte box can be adjusted to match up properly with the lens height on the camera.  The side and top flags are easily adjustable and can be tightened into position.  The height is also adjustable so you can easily align the opening and masking height with the particular camera setup you have.

Fourth – front handles

To give me something to hold onto, I next mounted the front handles to the rails.  These mounted to the rails with a block just like the Matte box mounts.  The handles are pretty flexible with good adjust-ability, and they lock down real tight when in position.  In a future article, I plan to mount a remote control for the camera to one of the handles to allow start and stop recording while on the move, as your hands tend to be pretty tied up while carrying all of this gear on your shoulder.

Fifth – shoulder mount

From here, I put on the shoulder mount.  This latest design of the shoulder assembly is pretty nice.  It is lighter weight than the last model and is more flexible in that you can easily switch which side of the rig you put it on and the length of the mount, as well as the angle from the rig and the angle to the shoulder.

Sixth – follow focus

The next item to add was the indiFOCUSpro.  This is probably the coolest addition to the rail system.  The issue with the 5D II and video is auto-focus… or the lack thereof.  And truthfully, you really don’t always want auto focus.  Selective focusing is much more dramatic and engrossing in your video production. The issue is that grabbing the lens to focus shakes the camera and is inaccurate.  The indiFOCUSpro comes with a large hand grip dial to allow you to focus more naturally.  It has a gearbox that drives gears to turn the lens.  It also has gear teethed rings to mount on the outside of your lens. With the 6 simple adjustment points, it is easy to clamp the ring down on your lens.  It doesn’t have to be tight, and the alan screw tips are rounded as to not mark the lens.  But I went down to the local hardware store and spend $0.86 on some thread protectors and cut them down to fit on the threads.  This made me more comfortable tightening the screws down on my expensive lenses. You can see these (orange and red) in the photo to the right.

Once aligned and adjusted, the follow focus is a great tool for focusing the lens.  It also has a white back plate where you can mark your focus points with a grease pencil (included with the indiFOCUSpro).

At this point the rail system is ready to take out and use.  All of the gear mentioned above has been mounted to the rails and the camera installed.  Here are a few finished shots.

Cost

If you have looked into these rail systems before, then you know how pricey they can get.  We studied the Redrock Micro system and Zacuto gear.  We were amazed at how fast you can spend $2.5k, $3k, $4k and more.  What really excited us about the indiSYSTEM from Studio4 Productions is how reasonable the pricing is for their solution.  The complete indiSYSTEM setup I have shown in this article (not including additional electronics or camera – mic, screen, light, 5d, lens) was just a little over $1,200 at the time of writing this.  For those of us trying to break into video production, many cannot afford $3k or more to outfit our gear to get started in video.  This is something to truly consider when looking for a rail system.

There is a lot more reviewing to do here, as we need to show this rig in action.  But for now, it took me long enough to get all of this gear together.  I wanted to get a basic overview review of the indiSYSTEM components done so we could start to familiarize ourselves with using a rail system.

Stay tuned to see this rail system in operation and for reviews of the individual components.

Here are the websites for the manufacturers of products in this article:

• indiSYSTEM (Studio 4 productions)
• ikan
• R0DE Microphones
• Delkin

Features

The new Think Tank Airport TakeOff is a new roller bag…no wait..its a backpack bag…no, it has wheels and and handle so it’s a roller…noooo…it has straps so its a backpack…ok, so maybe Think Tank Photo should have named this the FrankenBag or maybe the Schizophrenic. Regardless of the name, the Airport TakeOff is both a roller bag and a back pack. As we all know, usually when you try to make a hybrid of something, you end up with something that doesn’t do anything well. Knowing the folks at Think Tank Photo, our bet is that they managed to pull it off.

Designed to comply with international airline carry-on requirements, the Airport TakeOff accommodates pro-sized photography gear, including two pro or regular size DSLR bodies with or without lenses attached.  Its features include:

• Holds up to a 300mm f/2.8 and other assorted lenses
• Quickly deployable and concealable backpack straps
• Front cable and lock to secure laptops
• Lockable zipper sliders
• Transports tripods or monopods easily
• Adjustable sternum straps for tailored usage
• Holds Think Tank’s Artificial Intelligence 15 protective laptop case

Specifications

• Internal Dimensions:  13”W x 18.4”H x 5.25-6.75”D (33 x 47 x 13 cm)
• External Dimensions: 14”W x 21”h x 8”D (35.5 x 53 x 22 cm)
• Weight: 8.6 – 10.3 (3.9 – 4.7 kg) depending on accessories used

Setup

Like most Think Tank Photo bags, the insides have a virtually unlimited amount of flexibility and come with tons of pieces to allow you to create almost any configuration you would want. Included are same layouts for Nikon and Canon equipment or you can customize it to suite your needs.

For traveling, I want my bodies to be in the bag like their example, but going to a local wedding or engagement shoot I will have my primary body and lens outside the bag as I am always ready to get a shot right when I arrive or as I am leaving an event.

Regardless of how you want your setup to be, odds are you can manage to get there with the AirPort TakeOff.

Usage

At first glance, it appears that the TakeOff is a little smaller than the Airport International 2.0 although they are really both designed for international carry-on sizes. The main differences from the front is that the take-off has a very expandable front pocket with a latch while the Airport International 2.0 has a pocket but once you have any gear inside, the outside pocket is useless for anything fatter than a manila folder. Because of this, I have kept my reflectors in a bag outside of the Airport International 2.0. With the Airport TakeOff, I can fit two large reflectors in the pocket and still get my 14” laptop into it. Both bags allow me to strap my tripod to the outside securely and both roll easily while fully loaded with gear.

From the side you can see how the reflectors make the outside pocket bulge out in the front and I am a little bummed that the zipper lock from the Airport International 2.0 is missing from the Airport TakeOff. While there is a lock in a pocket under the front flap that can be used to lock the zipper, the cable isn’t long enough to lock the bag to something like you can with the Airport International 2.0. The ability to lock the bag securely and to lock it to a table or other immovable object is a a real win for the Airport International 2.0.

As a backpack, the TakeOff feels pretty balanced and the shoulder pads are comfortable and easily adjustable for different size people.

As for packing my gear into the TakeOff, I was surprised that I could actually fit everything into it very easily and although my 70-300mm won’t stand up in it, it still fit nicely and also made for a nice spot to put my Cable Management 10 on top of it. This is a typical wedding configuration with 4 lenses in the bag, a backup camera body, Lensbaby Composer, two flashes, video camera, light meter, filters, diffusers, grids, snoot, bounce card, cleaning cloths, Rocket Blower, Wolverine ESP backup system, SensorPen SensorLoupe, Canon CP-E4 Battery pack, roll of Gaffers tape, Pixel Pocket Rocket, as well as a stash of batteries, WhiBal card, cable releases, and a bottle of sunscreen. On the outside pocket I can fit my laptop, two large reflectors, and a tripod.

Results

Quality of a Think Tank bag is second to none, the zippers are the best quality, the seams and material are top-notch. Every single feature, pocket, corner, strap, D-Ring, and component has been chosen to provide a photographer with a camera bag that is going to hold up to the rigors of every day use. These are not cheap overseas bags. These bags are professional quality, so they do not come at cheap, eBay prices. With an MSRP of $299, even with discounted street prices, the Airport TakeOff is still going to be a fairly pricey investment but if you want a professional quality camera bag that is going to last years of hard-core daily use and help keep your gear is top shape, then its hard to go wrong with a bag from Think Tank Photo such as the AirPort TakeOff.

Score Card

Think Tank Photo Website: http://thinktankphoto.com

• A new “Canvas” section for placing the (resized) image onto a fixed size canvas. Useful when images have to have a fixed size but you don’t with to crop them (such as for sending them to photo labs or displaying them on a digital projector).
• Multiple different watermarks may now be added to an image.
• PNG watermarks may now be scaled proportionally.
• Watermarks can now be specified as a percentage of the width or height of the image while preserving the aspect ratio.
• Horizontal/Vertical insets now work in each of the nine watermark positions.
• The limit of 3 text annotations has been removed – add as many as you want.

Thanks to the Lightroom Lab for breaking this news!

Chase’s Links:

Chase on Twitter / Facebook

Chase Jarvis website: http://chasejarvis.com

The Best Camera: http://thebestcamera.com

The Best Camera Is The One That’s With You: iPhone Photography by Chase Jarvis (on Amazon)

Songs for Eating and Drinking: http://www.songsforeatinganddrinking.com

Show Host

Kerry Garrison
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[podcast]http://cd.pod-ad.com/content/CD/CD_068_ConversationChaseJarvisTalkingAboutWorld.mp3[/podcast]

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What do you do when your Airport International is just too big to lug around for a small shoot but your ShapeShifter bag won’t carry enough gear? Think Tank Photo has answered this question with the new Airport TakeOff camera bag.

Thank Tank Photo’s designers have invested a great deal of creative and engineering time into developing our backpacks and rollers.  And, as might be expected, photographers have asked “couldn’t you create one bag that serves both purposes?”  In response, Think Tank Photo just released a new concept in rolling camera backpacks, the Airport TakeOff™.

The key is that with most rolling backpacks you have to zip up the cover every time you’re not using the backpack straps.  This means that there is no way to roll it with the shoulder straps out.  You could, but the straps will drag on the ground.  So with the Airport TakeOff you can simply tuck the bottom of the straps under the bottom pads and roll. This is really the product’s key functional invention.

The Airport TakeOff™.  It is designed as a transportation solution that combines the portability of a backpack with the ease of a rolling suitcase.  Converting it to and from a rolling camera bag to a comfortable backpack is so easy because the straps can be simply tucked away to start rolling immediately, or, they can be completely zipped inside the rear panel.

Designed to comply with international airline carry-on requirements, the Airport TakeOff accommodates pro-sized photography gear, including two pro or regular size DSLR bodies with or without lenses attached.  Its features include:

• Holds up to a 300mm f/2.8 and other assorted lenses
• Quickly deployable and concealable backpack straps
• Front cable and lock to secure laptops
• Lockable zipper sliders
• Transports tripods or monopods easily
• Adjustable sternum straps for tailored usage
• Holds Think Tank’s Artificial Intelligence 15 protective laptop case

Specifications

Internal Dimensions:  13”W x 18.4”H x 5.25-6.75”D (33 x 47 x 13 cm)External Dimensions: 14”W x 21”h x 8”D (35.5 x 53 x 22 cm)
Weight: 8.6 – 10.3 (3.9 – 4.7 kg) depending on accessories used

MSRP:  $299.00

For more information, please visit http://thinktankphoto.com

Breeze Systems has announced the immediate availability of DSLR Remote Pro for Mac 1.0; Mac OS X based software to control Canon DSLR cameras from an Intel Mac. Breeze Systems’ highly regarded software has been used to control Canon cameras on Windows PCs since 2001. DSLR Remote Pro for Mac is the first full release of similar software for the Mac community. DSLR Remote Pro for Mac supports both current and older Canon cameras including the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, 1D Mark III, 1Ds Mark II, 1D Mark IIN, 1D Mark II, 5D Mark II, 5D, 50D, 40D, 30D, 20D, 1000D/Rebel XS, 500D/Rebel T1i, 450D/Rebel XSi, 400D/Rebel XTi and 350D/Rebel XT.

Camera controls are clearly laid out and easily accessible on the left side of the main window

DSLR Remote Pro for Mac offers a straightforward, easy to use tool to control Canon DSLR cameras from a Mac, display live images on a Mac’s screen*, autofocus and manually control focus* from the computer, automatic taking of shots for focus stacking*, plus comprehensive time lapse control. The large preview image optionally displays flashing highlights to indicate over-exposed areas, grid overlay and crop marks to assist accurate alignment, black and white images and focus point overlay. Customers can view pictures without interrupting shooting.

For more information, go check out: http://www.breezesys.com/DSLRRemotePro4Mac/index.htm

diyphotography.net
Great source of Do-it-yourself projects and low cost solutions

digital-photography-school.com
Fantastic site full of tutorials

blog.epicedits.com
Excellent articles on a variety of topics

photobusinessforum.blogspot.com
Articles on the business of photography

opensourcephoto.net
Best photography forum on the net

1001noisycameras.com
Best source of industry news available

strobist.com
Tutorials and articles for using small speedlites

studiolighting.net
Tutorials, articles, and a podcast about studio lighting

http://blogs.adobe.com/jnack/
The blog of John Nack, product manager for Adobe Photoshop

digitalprotalk.com
The blog of David Ziser

Show Host

Kerry Garrison
http://kerrygarrison.com Twitter Facebook FriendFeed

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This podcast is also available on iTunes.

• Nikon D300s
• Nikon D3000
• Olympus E-P1
• Panasonic DMC-FZ35**
• Panasonic DMC-GF1

**Note that in Europe and Japan this model is marketed as the DMC-FZ38. Unfortunately, due to a metadata difference between these cameras, files from the DMC-FZ38 will *not* be supported until the next Camera Raw and Lightroom updates.

Release Notes:

• Camera Raw 5.5 and Lightroom 2.5 include a correction to the demosaic algorithms for Bayer sensor cameras with unequal green response. Olympus, Panasonic and Sony are among the more popular camera manufacturers affected by this change. But the demosaic correction provides only a subtle visual improvement to the processing of those raw files.
• Lightroom 2.5 corrects for the following problem in Lightroom 2.4. Lightroom 2.4 on Windows continued to display the import dialog when a memory card was detected regardless of the preference setting “Show import dialog when a memory card is detected.”

I figured I would give it a try and see if I could keep my brand new Canon 50D looking brand new for a long time.

Features

It’s kind of hard to come up with an extensive features for the Snug-It Pro since it really consists of three basics parts. First off there is an LCD screen protector that adheres to your screen to protect it from scratches whether or not you are using the Snug-It Pro cover.

The Snug-It Pro cover itself is a rubbery slip-cover that goes over your camera and also has a plastic LCD cover for further protection.

In the image to the right, what appear to be brown spots are just thinner areas of the Snug-it Pro cover to make getting the lenses off and so you can see the camera model. With the Snug-It Pro cover in place, you can still get to all of the controls and ports on the camera.

Setup

Setting up the Snug-It Pro is pretty simple. The first thing to do is clean your LCD really good so that the first screen protector will go on good and not have anything underneath it. I lined up one edge with the LCD screen and kind of rolled it into position. Using a microfiber cloth was able to rub out a couple of air bubbles easily.

Next, I took my lens off and put on a body cap to help keep any dust out, and then slid the Snug-It Pro down over the top of the camera and worked it into place. There is a video later on in this article showing how to use the Snug-It Pro.

Usage

There are some pros and cons to using the Snug-It Pro although most people are going to be pretty happy with it. The few things that are issues for me are because of how I use my camera. I am a pretty heavy shooter so I always have a battery grip on it. This creates a problem in that the Snug-It Pro wraps around the bottom of the camera preventing a good fit with the battery grip causing the camera to not want to power on. A little trimming of some of the bottom allowed me to be able to get the grip on and working, but this caused another issue of the Snug-It Pro bulging a little making closing the CF card door difficult. Again, this is only going to be a problem if you use a battery grip. If you don’t, then you won’t have these same issues.

A second issue I have is that the top of the Snug-It Pro slides into the Hot Shoe mount which causes an issue if you use an accessory flash since you then have to pull out the top of the Snug-It Pro which causes it to bend backwards awkwardly. The last thing that is a little annoying is that the plastic LCD cover can tend to move around sometimes.

Results

Issues aside, the Snug-It Pro does what it is supposed to do and while it isn’t going to protect your camera from a long drop onto the sidewalk, it is going to keep your camera looking good for a long time.

At a street price of $34.95, the Snug-It Pro offers really good external protection of your camera although it may not be suitable for all shooters. If you use a battery grip or an accessory flash and you want to use the Snug-It Pro then you may end up doing a little cutting to make it fit your style better, but seeing as how trimming it up isn’t a major ordeal, I am not going to ding my grade on it too harshly for that.

Video

The following video shows putting the Snug-It Pro on the camera and talks about some of the pros and cons as I have talked about them in this article.

Score Card

Related Links

Delkin: http://delkin.com
Snug-It Pro Product Page: http://www.delkin.com/products/snug-it-pro/snug-it-pro.html
Snug-It Pro on Amazon: Delkin Snug It Pro Skin

Jamie talks about her techniques, equipment, dealing with animals, and getting great shots.

Be sure and check out Jamie’s work at:

http://cowbelly.com
http://cowbellyblog.com
http://cowbellyworkshops.com

Show Host

Kerry Garrison
http://kerrygarrison.com Twitter Facebook FriendFeed

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This podcast is also available on iTunes.

Prize Includes: [1] a 50 inch Viera Plasma HD TV; [2] Two Lumix Digital Cameras – one SLR and one point and shoot; [3] an HD Camcorder; [3] Toughbook Laptop Computer; [5] a Blu-Ray Home Theater in a Box and assorted Blu-Ray Movies, and [6] assorted accessories. Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”): $12,100.

The final insider will also receive a LUMIX G1 camera to give away to their community of readers/viewers.

To enter the contest, go to www.livinginhd.com/lihdinsider and sign up. I know I will be preparing an entry myself so I can bump up the quality of the videos I am creating for all of you so as soon as I get my submission in you will have the chance to vote for me and maybe win yourself a LUMIX G1!

Camera Dojo 7D Info: Canon Releases EOS 7D – The 50D’s Big Brother

DP Review on D300s: www.dpreview.com/news/0907/09073007nikond300s.asp

DP Review on EOS 7D: www.dpreview.com/previews/canoneos7d/

Check out Jason at http://www.canonblogger.com

Check out Jeff at http://sipperphotography.com

Kerry Garrison
http://kerrygarrison.com Twitter Facebook FriendFeed

You can listen to this podcast now using our player widget in the right hand sidebar

This podcast is also available on iTunes.