First of all, do you use a gimbal? great way to get smooth pro video with your DSLR or Mirrorless cameras. After going through a bunch (will be selling the left behind gimbals) I’m partial to the Ronin SC.

Coupled with a Fuji X-T4, and a SmallRig ball joint with a Feelworld monitor (I know, not Small HD, but does the job) this rig has great software, right weight, and responsive. That is a key element. Connects to a sweet app, easy to control through it, and even updates firmware from your phone. Well done!

There is one thing I know you feel if you have gone out with your gimbal rig of late.

The weight! Plus the fact that the configuration is a little unwieldy.

The question comes up as to how to carry, after your arms get a bit wobbly, or you need to tend to swap the camera battery replacement, media card swap., on the fly.

Once it’s built, I want to be able to easily use it, without breaking it down, and rebuilding, and remain mobile. So it was time to figure out a shoulder strap solution.

It started with perusing my new favorite accessory site, SmallRig. Well made, well thought out, additions for just about any gear you own.

After looking at a ring to fit the Ronin SC with 1/4-20 holes to add things like a mic, light, etc. I came upon this set-up.

Now the idea of having a safe and secure ring to add a strap to the gimbal, and not only be able to sling it on my shoulder when not in use, BUT also be able to help set it against my body for controlled moves, is a huge winner in my opinion. Especially if you are out and about these days, covering events, you have to be on the move.

The strap was the next consideration. Peak Design has been my favorite currently, as the ability to adjust the length, and lock up fast is critical.

Plus the comfort factor. The interchangeability of the strap for different gear, using the anchors, is key. It comes with 4 anchors and a 1/2-20 clip, usually to put on the bottom of your camera.

Yes, SmallRig has a strap, but since I already owned one, a bit of savings. The design is more to my liking in it’s ability to adjust and lock the strap to the preferred length.

I did add on these 2 small bits, to ensure the right spacing for the anchor cords.

 

So that is one way to give you some more gimbal transport freedom.

Another way is to connect one end of the strap to the ring, and the other end to the bottom of the gimbal, giving you a different weight distribution situation. Using another piece included with the Peak Design strap, and attaching that to the bottom of the gimbal. The same anchors that you have on the strap can then be attached to the bottom. Different balance situation

You can also spread the detachable tripod part of the gimbal, and use your body to help stabilize the gimbal even more, letting the legs spread on your body, while the rig is secured on your shoulder, and you further stabilize the shot, with your hands on the stem of the rig.

Basically this whole addition to your Ronin SC (or perhaps other gimbals as well) will make your rig a more portable, fast action, and comfortable tool to work with.

Check out SmallRig, Peak Design, and as always, BH is my top shop for gear.

Stay Healthy, Everyone!

WFH is the order of the day now, and a return to an office seems to be a ways off.
So now you are spending even more time in front of your screen, than ever before. Intently concentrating, making sure you are engaged, or looking like you are, forces you to stay on that keyboard!
If you have been feeling the strain on your body, you are not alone.
One of the best ways to help out the pinches, aches, and overall discomfort is to make the move to a stand-up desk.
And I’ve done the research. Most solutions are way too big, and being in an NYC apt, space is at a premium.

Check this out:
The Moft Z

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There is a 20% sale on if you’d like to get one of these!

I have always skipped generations on cameras as I feel that I’ll get the life out of my current bodies before I’ll see enough upgrades. Glass is forever, but the little computers we hold in our hands (ok, sensor upgrades) will keep getting better.

Having just done the research on the new Fuji X-T4, it was time. So many reasons for the upgrade from X-T2, but prime ones: in body IBIS, flippy screen, headphone jack, separate stills/video switch. 

Wish the headphone jack didn’t need a separate dongle, but have just dedicated a 3.5 mm headset to the dongle. Not a big deal. Working on a bluetooth solution. Concerned about latency.

But I digress.

The first thing is with new/new to you is the camera unboxing. Making sure all of the parts are there, get that hand feel on the body, to see what the physical updates are, and of course, charging the battery. Full charge, remember!

By staying with one line of cameras, the menu systems are usually familiar, and you can start to see any changes to that, which could affect your way of shooting. Usually not huge. And I’ll admit I do scour manufacture sites to see what the they call out as new.

So…..battery was charged, menu set and buttons customized to your preferred way of shooting, and now what?

My final bit of getting the camera ready for it’s first shoot comes with the addition of the SpiderLight Hand Strap. This is my absolute favorite hand strap, and sits on all of my cameras. The Lite version, as opposed to Pro, sits better for me on mirrorless. Pro adds another safety strap, if you like, for security more on the larger DSLRs.

Here is the main process of getting it installed. It’s easy, and I always feel secure and comfortable, even on a long day hold.

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Yes, the portable battery powered LED light market offers sooooo many options. You can honestly get the perfect light for what you require to illuminate.

Top of mind for me right now is small, portable, bi-color, with a decent battery life.

LumeCube has been a player in what I’d call the action LED light market. I own a few, and whenever I snorkel, this is on my action cam.

Bulletproof product, in my opinion.

When they introduced the lite panel last year, I was all over it! Looking for an event/trade show interview light, ticked a lot of the boxes, but had one main problem for me:

You couldn’t ramp it down enough. The quality of the light was great, but it was way too intense for the interviewee. I had to add some additional diffusion just to take it down a few notches. They did fix that issue and came out with the Lite Panel GO. I still wanted to get something that was even MORE compact.

The folks at Lume Cube heard this from a few folks, and went to work.

The new Panel Mini has so many cool features, and has an awesome battery life And not just by making it it smaller.

Well, it is smaller, but some of the best features is the fact that you can ramp down the output to 1%, select your color temp, and it’s about the size of a business card!

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OK, now that things are opening up, you can probably leave your house and get some air! Whew! Do it smart and safe, please!

Part of that is making sure you carry your own power for your phone. I think it’ll be awhile till you can plug in at the local restaurant or pub. And of course of you are on a trail, or beach, you’ll need a solid option as well.

And if you are powering things like a Sound Devices MixPre 3ii, or a Rodecaster Pro mixing deck for your podcast, you’ll want to show up contained, with no need to rely on power outlets. (Yes, pretty specific, but these will be covered in future posts. Best podcasting tools)

Here are some solid options for you from Mophie (big sale right now!) and MyCharge.

This first one is in my bag for all walk around: fast charge, small footprint no extra cables needed, fully contained. The MyCharge Turbo.

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