Zacuto Z-Finder And Rode Mic Installation On A Canon 7D
If you find it difficult to shoot video with a DSLR (aka HDSLR) straight out of the box, then I've got some accessories that will help out alot. DSLR camera bodies were designed for photo shooting so the ergonomics are far from ideal for video production. My experience with the Canon EOS 7D has been a challenge at times but I’m still learning new techniques with the camera.
I know many of you are considering switching to a DSLR, but if you've only shot with video cameras in the past, here are some of the things to consider before using a DSLR for video production:
There ...
Canon 7D vs HDCam – Preliminary Test
Update: I've revised the original video and did some color correction to it. So after you read this post and watch the video, see Canon 7D vs HDCam - Preliminary Test Revisited. The difference is quite amazing!
The other day, we took out a Canon 7D and a Sony HDW-700/1080 to compare HD video shot with both cameras. This is a preliminary test and we're going to do another one sometime soon. One of the problems we had was that the 7D was on a photo tripod with a grip release on the head so panning/tilting was very difficult to keep ...
Create Professional Looking Videos Without Any Software Or Editing Experience
Now anyone can become a video producer and sell awesome looking videos without any editing experience or knowledge of any editing software! Yes, it's true! Anyone can create slick, professional looking videos while investing relatively very little time in front of the computer with Animoto!
I am jealous to say that even I cannot recreate the quality of videos produced by Animoto without spending hours and hours in an editing program layering graphics, images and videos.
Before I get into too much detail about Animoto, check out this beautiful full-length wedding video produced by SchmidtPhoto.com which incorporates photos and HD video shot with a Canon 5d ...
Western Digital My Passport Essential SE 750GB Ultra-portable Hard Drive Review
We're storing more and more files on our computer these days. And not only are we storing more... files are getting bigger and bigger. Music, videos and email attachments quickly eat up hard drive space, especially when you're working with HD video. When you're running low on space on your desktop or laptop computer, the 750GB Western Digital My Passport Essential SE Ultra-portable Hard Drive can help. It is super compact and offers
Creating Reflections in Photoshop
There are many ways to create reflections in Photoshop. In this tutorial, I’ll go through the method I used when working on graphics for an automotive related TV commercial.
Open your image in Photoshop. This happens to be a
If you’re looking to upgrade to big screen entertainment you’re going to want to watch this video. The home theater projector I’m sharing with you today is probably the best budget projector I’ve seen so far! This is the Vankyo Performance V630 featuring native 1080P resolution. It has a minimalistic design with a fabric panel on the front. It has 2 HDMI inputs as well as an SD card slot. And on the back there’s a headphone port, analog audio video input, 2 USB ports and a legacy VGA port for older computers. Up on top all the navigation buttons are available which comes in handy, but mostly the mini remote is all that’s needed. It runs on 2 AAA batteries which are not included.
Additional accessories in the box include the power cable, AV cable, an HDMI cable and screws for a ceiling mount. Just above the lens is a big focus ring and physical keystone adjustment dial. On the bottom, there’s 4 holes for a ceiling mount and up on front is an extension leg which helps to adjust lens angle when the projector is on a table. Once I got V630 in my media room I was immediately impressed with the picture! I was really blown away by how bright the image was on my wall even with daylight in the room! However, in a darkened room, the brightness and colors really look good. I’m using a plain wall but it would even be better if I had a real screen. And even with all the ambient light, the V630 still looks really good. So even if you don’t have the ideal environment I think you’ll still get a great viewing experience!
One thing about the Vankyo projector is that I think it would’ve been better if all the ports were on the back so there aren’t cables coming out of 2 sides. There’s also built-in speakers for times when you don’t have an external audio system connected. And it’s loud enough to use on its own. When you first turn on the V630, set up is minimal. With everything dialed in, movie watching should be a very exciting experience with the V630 and connecting a gaming console will really take your gaming to the next level! If you thought your big TV was great, wait till you play games on your wall! This projector can also be ceiling mounted using any universal ceiling mount. If your room supports ceiling mounting then this is the ideal way to go because it’ll free up floor space and you won’t have to have cables or furniture in the way. This is definitely the cleanest installation method.
For $250 you can’t go wrong with the Vankyo Performance V630 video projector. I think this is a projector you must consider if you’re looking for add big screen entertainment in your home!
Installing a hard wired smart switch or any wall switch can be intimidating. But in this tutorial I’ll take the mystery out of it so you can start building the smart home you’ve always wanted. The wiring requirements are all the same on any smart switch. There’s going to be a load, neutral and line wires in addition to the ground. There’s 4 wires total and it’s the same with the Teckin smart switch that I’m installing in this video.
But before starting, I’ll turn off the breaker for the room I’m working in. This tutorial is based on a single pole switch. That means there is only one switch that turns on the room light. There are no other switches that control this light fixture. To help with the installation I’m going to use the voltage tester to find the line wire. The line wire comes from the breaker box so it should have power when I hold the tester next to it. The load wire sends power to the light itself so it shouldn’t have power when the switch is off. But I can tell when power goes through it when I turn on the light. After I’ve identified the line and load I can start the installation. Just connect the corresponding wires together with the new switch.
Again I’ll turn off the breaker before doing any work. And it’s a good idea to do one more check to make sure the power is off at the switch. When there’s no power start by removing the wire nut on the line wire. Now take the black line wire from my smart switch and tie these together. And don’t worry, the rest of the installation is going to be very easy. Next disconnect the load wire. Remember that this is the one that sends power to the light fixture when the switch is on. And for those of you who have never worked with wire nuts, they have screw threads inside that grab and hold the wires together. Just make sure the wires are lined up and twist until tight. The ground wire is easy to identify because it’s usually a bare copper wire. The last and most important is the neutral wire. It’s required on all smart switches and it’s usually several white wires bundled together. The reason why a neutral wire is required is because it provides constant power to the transmitter and receiver in the switch for wireless communication. Depending on the age of your home, you may or may not have a neutral wire. If not you’ll have to talk to an electrician about your options.
Once all the wires are connected turn the power back on to this switch location. If the LEDs are lit up the switch is fully functional! But before stuffing the wires back in the wall box, turn off the breaker once more. You don’t want any power going through these wires when putting them back into the wall box. This is going to be a tight squeeze in the box with all the wiring and the body of the smart switch. But when it’s all in the switch can be attached to the wall. And one last thing, I couldn’t have done this installation without a voltage tester. The one I bought was only $15 and well worth it for DIY electrical projects! Last thing I added was a Lutron Claro Decora Wall Plate for a clean finished look. If this video was helpful please give me a thumbs up and hit the subscribe button to stay up to date on all my weekly videos!
There are many advantages to connecting a MacBook to an HDTV. You can use it as a huge second computer monitor or watch your favorite shows and YouTube videos on it. But without an HDMI port, the way to connect the two together might not be immediately apparent. It seems like there’s an adapter for everything and that’s definitely the case here.
In order to connect a MacBook to an HDTV you will need a Thunderbolt to HDMI adapter. It’s actually a 3 in 1 adapter because I wanted to be flexible and be able to connect my MacBook to a variety of monitors. The 3 in 1 means I can connect to an HDTV as well as DVI and Display Port monitors.
Connections are really simple. Just plug the Thunderbolt plug into the MacBook, then plug your HDMI cable into the adapter. Now plug the other end of the HDMI cable to one of your TV’s inputs. Make sure to select the correct input on your TV. So now I can use my HDTV as a big computer monitor or I can enjoy watching videos from YouTube and other websites on my TV.
It’s really simple with this adapter and I like that it has other inputs so I can use it on other monitors and projectors. I picked up this adapter for about $12 on Amazon so it’s a really inexpensive solution. It’s been really nice to have this adapter in my computer bag. Oh and one last thing, I wanted to let you know that audio does come through this cable. So we have video and audio coming through this single connection.
Is there such a thing as cheap good quality headphones? Well today I’m going to look at a pair of Bluedio H Turbine Bluetooth headphones and these run about $30 which is quite an affordable price.
These headphones look really nice just straight out of the box. And they come in white and black. The typical controls like volume, power and playback controls are found on the right earcup along with the USB charging port. On the left side is the 3.5mm port for the optional aux cable. The design of the headphones is really nice. I like embossed text on the earcups and the little notches around the center.
They did a good job clearly marking the Left and Right sides so they’re easily distinguished. When I first picked them up I was surprised they feel so light-weight and the plastic has a lower quality feel to it. It was something wasn’t expecting. But the top headband is nicely padded with breathable holes on the underside and it’s also padded up on top too. The earcups are nicely padded and have that leather look to them. These fit over the ear and the padding actually feels really comfortable. I can probably wear these for a longer period of time without my ears aching like on other headphones I’ve tried. And connecting these to an iPhone or other smartphone is really easy.
I was really surprised at how good these sound for a pair of $30 headphones. There’s definitely a full range of sound from highs to lows. The bass response is really good too. The bass is not as tight as other headphones I’ve used but if you’re looking for a set of headphones with decent bass, you’ll definitely find that with the Bluedio Turbine. For music listening it was really clear and I feel like I’m getting a nice full range of sound. So if you have a small budget for headphones give the Bluedio HT H Turbine a try. You’ll definitely get great sound quality for the money!
There are lots of Bluetooth speakers on the market but today I’m taking a look at one of the budget wireless speakers from Xeneo. This is the Xeneo X21 Bluetooth speaker and it’s water resistant and it also offers True Wireless Stereo which means you can run two of these together in stereo from your phone or computer without having to use an app to connect the two together.
The Xeneo speaker features two aluminum bass radiators similar to what you’d find on the JBL Flip and Charge series. This helps enhance low frequencies and produce louder sound. With the speaker being water resistant, it takes a lot of worry away when using these speakers outdoors.
To me the sound quality is about average where frequencies seem to be mainly in the midrange. And if you have an older non-Bluetooth device you can still connect this with the included aux cable. And if you happen to have no mobile device, you can simply insert a micro SD card into the speaker and listen to MP3s. And furthermore, if you find yourself without a handy audio source, there’s a built-in FM tuner to listen to your local stations.
But the feature I like the best about the Xeneo 21 Bluetooth speaker is the True Wireless Stereo. You’ll need to buy two speakers but I think it’s worth it. In TWS mode the sound is so much better than with the single speaker. It’s louder and there’s definitely more bass. You can also connect this to a TV and use it kinda like a stereo sound bar.
The Xeneo X21 speaker would work great in the bathroom or you can take it on the go. The Xeneo speaker will even fit in a standard bike water bottle holder. One speaker sounds pretty good but I totally recommend buying two of these and running them in stereo mode. They’re about $50 a piece and you won’t have to worry about them getting damaged in the elements. Overall the Xeneo X21 is a nice speaker packed with features at an affordable price.
If play Xbox you know how many batteries you can go through. And when you don’t have any fresh batteries around you might be taking a last minute trip to the store to stock up on AAs. But Fosmon has a great solution for rechargeable batteries. Please a take a look at my review video!
The Fosmon Xbox One Controller Charger and Batteries come with a charging station and two 800 mAh battery packs. The charging station is a dock with dual slots and provides high-speed charging of two controllers at once.
Each battery provides about 30-33 hours of playtime and takes about 4 to 5 hours to charge. Green lights on the charger flash while read more…
The Drocon Blue Bugs 3 brushless motor drone is an affordable alternative to the much more expensive DJI quadcopters. The Blue Bugs 3 can support GoPro and other action cameras. The brushless motors provide more power, longer running times and more accurate flight control than conventional electric motors. The Blue Bugs 3 is packaged with a camera mount but it does not include a camera. Only certain GoPros and other action cameras will fit with the included mount. I’m using this with the DBPower SJ4000 action camera.
The remote is large and a bit bulky like a DJI remote but it does feature a solid antenna mast. The Blue Bugs 3 comes with a MJX R/C battery and has 1800mAh capacity. The battery fits very snugly underneath the drone body and won’t read more…
The Drocon Traveler U818A Plus drone is packed with features that make this an ideal drone for experts and beginners! Out of the box, it requires very little assembly. Just attach the landing gear and camera and it’s ready to go.
The on-board camera can shoot 720P HD video and is also used for FPV flight. FPV viewing is achieved through a WiFi connection with a smartphone. In the package, there is also a 4GB micro SD card included so you can start recording with the Drocon drone right away!
The battery lets you fly for up to 15 minutes which is about 2 to 3 times longer than you get with other drones of this size. The remote is simple with one button take-off plus headless mode button so you don’t have to worry about directional orientation when flying.
At the top of the remote, there’s a slide out phone mount bracket. This mount holds phones securely and allows you to see the view from the drone’s camera on your screen.
Connecting the Drocon Traveler to your smartphone is easy with its built-in WiFi network. With the drone powered on, find the drone’s hub in your Wifi settings. Once connected, you’ll be able to use FPV or First Person View on your smartphone. Please see my video review to see all the cool features of this drone!
Another cool thing you can do is view the recorded video from the drone’s SD card right on your phone without a computer! This is really hand when you’re out in the field.
Your phone can also double as a remote control and for an immersive flying experience, you can activate VR mode and use VR goggles during your flight and fly from the perspective from the front of the drone. Just use your favorite VR goggles with your phone!
The camera has a 120 degree lens and shoots in 720P HD video. The quality is pretty good but not like that of a GoPro. However, you can get video from amazing angles during flight using your phone to start and stop the recording.
The Drocon Traveler is an affordable and easy to fly drone. However, don’t fly in enclosed areas like I did. I crashed the drone about 40 feet up in a tree but luckily I was able to fish it out with a really long pole! Now I’m able to fly it again on another day! Whew!
Camera sliders add an extra dimension to your shots. And this carbon fiber slider from Imorden is a handy tool that can help you create cinematic shots. I mainly shoot product videos for my YouTube channel and it helps me stand out from other product reviewers with my moving shots. The tracks on the Imorden sliders are made of light-weight carbon fiber tubing and are very smooth.
The ends have adjustable legs that can be pivoted and the feet are also adjustable for uneven surfaces. There’s a quarter-inch screw on the dolly to attach a tripod head for your camera. The dolly is quite large and offers several mounting holes for accessories including quarter-inch and 3/8” inch. Movement of the dolly is incredibly smooth even with heavier cameras. But the actual smoothness in your shot depends on how steady your hand is when sliding.
The ends of the slider has five quarter-inch screw holes but none on the bottom. That means you need to be creative when connecting two tripods on the ends. However, with the mounting screws on read more…
For years I really disliked the neck strap that came with my Canon camera. I always thought that it put my camera in an inconvenient spot whenever I wore it. To me, having the camera hang between my chest and stomach felt really uncomfortable especially walking around. It would swing weird and is in the way of things. Not to mention I felt like I looked like a tourist.
However, with the Imorden Falcon F-2 Shoulder Sling, carrying around my DSLR is now very comfortable and it sits safely on my hip. Here’s my video review of the Imorden camera sling:
The Imorden Shoulder Sling uses several metal buckles to connect the different straps. These are not going to break!
Attaching your camera is easy with the metal ball joint connector. It securely fastens your camera to the shoulder strap and they also include a safety strap so you won’t read more…
