Posts in Gear / Equipment
$150 Lens vs. $4,000 Lens — The Differences Between Still & Cinema Lenses

You've seen them. Huge lenses that put the puny lens on your DSLR to shame.

Using a larger, more expensive cinema style lens on your camera when you're filming will do more than just get you a ton of likes on your behind the scenes Instagram photos though.

There are a lot of reasons you’d rent or buy a cinema lens instead of filming videos with a still photography lens.

In today's video and article we discuss the differences.

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DJI Mavic Pro — 3 Must-Have Accessories

I got my first drone a few months ago, the DJI Mavic Pro, but I found myself not using it very much. Traveling with all the batteries and cables was a pain, daytime shots were too bright, and if I couldn’t fly it most places I went.

Thankfully I’ve found a few third party add-ons to help with all of these problems and I’ve been using it way more lately.

Here are some of my favorite accessories for the DJI Mavic Pro drone.

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SlingStudio Review — Livestream 4 Cameras to YouTube or Facebook Live Wirelessly via iPad

I’ve done a few multi-camera live streaming productions over the last couple years and they are always a ton of work (and hassle) to get setup properly. 

Beyond needing the proper HDMI or SDI cables run to all the cameras I needed a person switching camera angles, another person running an audio mixer board, an expensive piece of livestreaming software, everything set to the same frame rate, and more. 

Now there is a better solution for running a multi-cam livestream, by yourself, without any wires, using only an iPad. It is pretty incredible and it is called SlingStudio. 

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5 More New Filmmaking Gear Updates from NAB 2017

As I shared in yesterday’s video, NAB is one of the big video conferences I go to each year because I get a ton of value from it. 

Between meeting other filmmakers in person I’ve only known online before and getting hands-on time with some of the video gear I am wanting to test out before buying, it is definitely worth any time and money I spend to be there.

In this video I break down my top 5 favorite things I saw on Day 2 of NAB Show 2017.

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Top 5 Favorite Things from Day 1 at NAB 2017

For the last few years I’ve been going to NAB in Las Vegas. The “National Association of Broadcasters” Show is where all the television, film, and video companies come to show off the latest in camera gear, software, accessories, and live broadcasting equipment. 

Now, that probably sounds like a pretty stuffy crowd (and parts of it are), but it one of the most popular events for independent filmmakers and video creatives each year.

This is my third time going and I go to not only check out the new gear announcements and plan any future investments, but to meet YouTubers, filmmakers, and companies helping us to do our video jobs better.

In this video I break down my top 5 favorite things I saw on Day 1 of NAB Show 2017.

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Fiilex K412 LED Light Kit Review

In my hunt for the perfect set of video lights to fly with and film my client’s videos, the next lights I tried are a set of LEDs from Fiilex.

The K412 set comes in a rolling travel case with 4 lights (two 360EX’s and two 180E’s), barn doors for each, three light stands, a softbox, and a cold shoe mount.

I’ve used these lights on different shoots over the past six months since filming this review and they’ve really helped me stay light and nimble when flying with all my video gear. (Normally I fly with a 67-pound case with two Kino-Flo Diva 401’s, which leads to paying more baggage fees too.)

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Westcott Flex LED Light Review

For the past two years I have done the majority of my lightning with Kino-Flo Divas.

The only problem is that I’m constantly flying to film for clients and need to set up and tear down quickly. I also have to light talent in a run and gun situation where the light needs to be held and moved while recording.

And while the light the Divas put off is big, so is the 67 lb case I have to lug them around in. I needed something different.

Enter the Westcott Flex LED Light.

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Sony 85mm G-Master Lens Review

I don’t typically choose to review lenses because there isn’t much to talk about or show other than comparing footage shot through it and there are so many variables (like what kind of camera it is attached to or compression on said footage) that I don’t really like even doing that.

This Sony G-Master series 85mm lens is different though. It is one of the few lenses I’ve used that actually has features that change how I might film or photograph something.

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Sony RX10 III Unboxing

In this video I unbox the Sony RX10 III, show you what comes with it, and I suggest two items that you should purchase alongside it.

With features like a 24–600mm optical zoom lens, 4K at different frame rates, 960fps slow motion, and crazy fast auto-focus, it is hard to dislike the Sony RX10 III. All in all, if push came to shove and I had to grab one camera off the shelf to use in any situation I think I would find myself reaching for it.

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