DIY DSLR Cage Rig

My DIY DSLR Cage 

I am building up my Video set up for filming and wanted to build a quality cage unit to hold my accessories like an LED light, Monitor, and mic with a matte box. I came across a build by Jarrod at Just Basl Productions. Originally I found it at CheesyCam.

I liked the design, so I decided to set out to build my own. I decided to go with an all-aluminum  rig. It's a beefy unit that is very stable. I have it set to hold all my accessories, and my 7D. The unit is just a 1/4 lb heavier than Jarrod's redesign to lighten from his original unit. So the weight is about 6lbs. I could have shed some weight in my design, but I like the really solid feel.

 I can go from a top hand hold position, to a side grip, to clicking it onto a tripod with no effort. The rig allows me to do low shots and see what I am filming with the monitor, and I can easily get to the chest level shot. In many cases, I will just pop it onto a tripod and film from there, but it offers easy switches of mobility. The unit was just under $90 with a $45 monfrotto slide plate. Without the monfrotto slide, the rig was only a $45 build.

I also can slide my camera from this rig to my DIY Shoulder Rig by releasing my monfrotto slide and sliding onto the one on my shoulder rig.  

Monfrotto 357 slide release

Ebay Matte Box

 If anyone wants the parts list, drop me a comment on my blog, and I will post it here. The build is pretty much like Jarrod's with modified parts. So you can check out his video at Vimeo for the how to build it section. I want to give credit where it is due. Thanks Jarrod for the great ideas.

I did add mini rails to his design so I could slide on a matte box. I don't currently have a high end matte box, but this works to cut the glare when working in sunny conditions like we have in Arizona. 

Parts List:

(1)Top Handle:  6.25"Long x 1" rnd tube

(4)crossbracing  10"Long x 1.25" x .75" Channel

(2)Inset Crosscracing: 10 Long x 1" square tube

(4)Handle posts: 8" high x 1"rnd Tube

(2)Risers for camera plate": 4.5" long x 1.25" x .75" Channel

(4)Feet: 2" long x 1" square

(1)Camera Plate: 3.5"x7" .25"thick

(2)Tubes for Matte box: 3.5"long x .5"round

(1) bottom plate for tripod plate 6.75" long x 1" x .25"thick

All of the above parts are Aluminum which can be found at a local metal supplier. Not available at home stores such as Home Depot or Lowes, but cheaper.

(2) 4.5"x.25" carriage bolts for Matte box tubes (2) .25" nuts

(4) 1.5"x.25" carriage bolts for camera plate (4) .25" nuts

(4) 3.5"x.375" carriage bolts for uprights

(4) 3.5"x.375" Standard bolts for uprights

(4) double ended threaded connectors .375" for uprights

(2) 1.25"x.25" bolts for bottom plate (2) .25" nuts

Manfrotto 577 quick release plate or Calumet Quick-release Video Head Adapter (both are the same)

Lilliput 668GL-70NP/H/Y 7" monitor review

Not bad price for an HDMI monitor. I purchased this unit to go on my DIY DSLR video rig. I am finding also great for Still photography when I am composing through live view. I have good eye sight, but this makes it easy for highly accurate focusing and viewing everything in your scene. It also makes it much easier to see problems in your composition. 

This unit came with the 7” monitor with HDMI input and composite inputs. It included a Li-ion battery, stand, hotshoe ball mount, remote, sun shade, and power cord. They also sent along an HDMI to HDMI mini to connect to my Canon 7D. This was not in the box, so I don’t know if you will get this from every company you order from. I ordered mine online from Amazon for $199 with free shipping and I got it in 3 days. I was pretty happy with the fast turn around.

Video

When I connect the unit to my tripod, I use a super clamp I have with an umbrella holder and the included ball joint. These are things I have, so I don’t have to spend $50+ on an Articulating Arm. This set up works fine for my needs. 

Hugin Panoramic Software (Freeware Review)

Hugin Panoramic Software

I have been doing panoramic images for sometime mainly in HDR. The two softwares I have had access to have been AutoPano and PTGui. Both have their advantages. However, this is not so much about those softwares for creating panoramic images. As someone who teaches a variety of workshops, including that for panoramic photography, I thought I should sample software which students could get for free, as with the current economic conditions don’t allow for many to purchase a lot of software. So in my search I came across Hugin Panoramic software.  

If you are familiar with PTGui, Hugin is not a long stretch to learn. The interface looks very similar. It’s as simple as selecting your images, entering the focal length, and the crop factor of your camera. Click align, then create panoramic. Granted, this is if your images have the detail to create control points, which will easily connect the images. If not you will have to go through and add control points. This was, in my opinion, easier than the PTGui interface, and quite straight forward. After you have them aligned you can go to the output to let Hugin know what you are looking for, like a Tiff or Jpg or HDR (which needs work).

Most of my Panoramic images are in HDR. I did have a host of issues, which have never really been a problem with PTGui. I just found I had to process them differently. In PTGui, I stitch together all my HDR images then I tonemap the entire Panoramic. I found the software just kept giving me errors and with no result. So I decided to tonemap the individual images with the same settings then went to PTGui to stitch the Tonemapped Tiff together. Finally, after several hours of not getting anywhere stitching HDR images, this method worked, despite what the software was said to be capable of. It did a fairly good job, just on area in my Panoramic was a little ghosting. I figure with a little more time in making adjustments to the area with the ghosting to check the control points, I might have been able to fix it.  

For free software, Hugin works fairly well and is very close in style to PTGui. If you started out with Hugin, and you found that you wanted to upgrade to a $220 software because you become a panoramic photographer, the learning curve is small. If you were to switch to something like AutoPano, the software is a bit different in the interface. I did use the 64 bit version of Hugin, as the 32 bit crashed pretty quickly. However, I was pushing it with large HDR images, which didn’t have the best contrast. After the images were tonemapped for HDR the software has an easy time finding control points.  

You have to play with the software to get a feel for it, but I would definitely recommend it for those who want to save on Panoramic software. I will be making sure all my workshop students use it if they don’t have access to PTGui or AutoPano.  I will be reviewing some Free HDR software soon  for other workshops I create. As I know software accessibility for some is very limited. I have been finding open source software, which I have been very impressed by. If you have recommendations for any open source software, please leave a comment.  

Furthermore, I would like to let people know who teach workshops, that there is a brand-new  website for posting creative workshops. They are giving away free posting to the first 50 people that contact them directly then they offer a trial of $10 for 6 months which then goes to $15 per month to continue to post. They are looking to build their workshop listing as it is a brand-new  site. I paid the $10 for six months to help pay for the work for them to post. I believe in Donating to a good thing, including Open source software. It can take up to 48 hours to post your workshop, but the great thing is, they don’t take a cut of what you charge for a workshop. I have done tutoring, where the tutoring company takes 40%, ouch! Check them out at ArtsAZ.com. If your cities is not listed, they will add it. 

Zeh Bounce hits the UK in the April Edition of Digital Photo Magazine

April 2011

With Digital Photo Magazine's (UK) recent article on How to use your Flash, I am happy to see the popularity of the Zeh Bounce grow. They cover some different techniques, and they feature the Zeh Bounce in their section about using a bounce for lighting. It has also had a surge in places like Europe, especially Norway, which I guess does well due to many people living in smaller spaces. I am guessing more what in America would be considered apartment or condo style living accommodations. In smaller spaces such as an apartment or a house, this can be an ideal piece of lighting equipment.

"How to use Flash" article with Zeh Bounce. (Click image to read.)

 Why to use something like a Zeh Flash Bounce? Some of the best lighting I can get is with the camera's pop up flash. Not to say this is any sort of replacement for a studio strobe kit and gobos and such. However, where this comes into a great situation is in smaller environments. The Zeh Bounce is well geared to being used for things like family shots at family gatherings, or hanging out with friends on the weekend. This is where I found the bounce was great to have.  

Click to see larger image

When hanging with friends I like to bring my camera, but I am not always wanting to carry a ton of gear. I usually grab one lens,  my camera body and that's it. I will grab and slip the bounce into my back pocket, and I am off.  When I get to a friend's house,  I can easily shoot really nice lit images. I was at a small party with some friends down from Seattle, that had brought their daughter with them. She is so adorable I had to get shots of her. And as children do, she was running around and wondering the house, and I would occasionally grab a shot of her.  These shots in the hallway were completely lit with my pop-up flash and a Zeh bounce. The hallway was dark with all the lights off,  but my flash filled the area. The flash lighting cast all around her, giving a nice even lighting.  Now if I shot her with direct flash she would have been blown out. The great thing is these images are as they were shot, no post production work, such a exposure adjustments or color enhancing. They are as they came out of the camera.

  

all images©A. Zeh 2011 

I also find I like the image quality much better when the subject is surrounded by the light rather than direct lighting due to the more natural feel.  There is always a place for directly lighting your subject when you want to shape your subject or add a special drama, but sometimes you want a nice even lighting, and the bounce can achieve this. As with everything though, your environment will dictate what you need to light your subject matter with. However, if I know I am headed to someone's house to hang, I know in most indoor conditions, I can use my bounce to get a great shot. Unless they live in a mansion with 20 ft ceilings (but then I will try bouncing the light off a wall rather than a ceiling).    

Now if you are in a pinch you don't have a Zeh Bounce, you can grab a paper plate or a piece of paper to achieve the same effect. However, the reason to have the bounce was to have both hands free to control the camera quickly. Rather than holding a piece of paper in front of the flash, hoping I am directing the light ok while still adjusting the camera for the final shot. When you see a shot and only have a moment take it, the attached bounce makes for a quick photo. You have much less time involved in composing those candid shots.

Digital Photo Article (Click image to read)

So for a quick and inexpensive lighting solution, which allows you to forgo the extra pound of external flash, or if you just don't have $200-$500 to drop on an external flash, this might be a nice solution.  The Zeh Bounce, for $10 is a cheap solution. I have also tried translucent diffusers for the pop-up flash, but the seem to still let too much light through and give a bit of harsh light, which doesn't have a natural feel. They definitely have a place but bounce light has some of the most natural feel. So if you are shooting indoors in an environment like a home, think about bouncing your light. The Zeh Bounce available for Canon, Nikon and Sony. Also if you have never checked out the UK's Digital Photo Magazine, it's on of my favorite Photo magazines with great How to's for photography and Photoshop, and gear reviews. You can often find it a Barnes and Noble or save $3 and find it at your local Costco.

Foundations of a Working Photographer with Zack Arias - Another great CreativeLive Webinar.

I have now watched most of the first of three days of this great webinar. I have been shooting for 10 years and never really had any Photo classes.  Yes, self taught. However, as a self taught, we get selective on what we read and sometimes miss those important technical aspects that they may cover in a College Photography class, but really don't know if they do. Zack brings all your fuzziness around most aspects of Photography into a focused view. Day one is knowing your Camera, your Lens and Subject. I have clarified things I was a bit unsure of, but you don't think about until you are in the moment.  

If you have a chance catch the next two days. If you miss the free webinar, they offer a download after it's complete for $149.00. However, if you wanted to know all the important aspects of Photography, and you didn't want to sit through a whole semester of classes, then this is for you. And it would be cheaper than that class at the local university. Check it out and if not check out the next Free CreativeLive Webinar!

He really doesn't come across like he does in this Video Trailer. Actually very down to Earth. 

Zack's Blog: http://www.zarias.com/

Zack's Website: http://zackarias.com/

Zack's Workshops: http://zackarias.com/workshop/

CreativeLIVE Webinar (FREE): tomorrow 10-5 (Saturday April 30 & Sunday May 1 )