Best all-around DSLR lens? Canon vs. Nikon vs. Tamron vs. Sigma

So you have a DSLR and want to buy a new lens. Of course there are gobs of lenses out there. And a gob of manufactures that make gobs of lenses. Basically, a lot of choices.

The folks at Crisislab have experimented with the workhorse lens of the photographer (24-70mm f/2.8) and compared four brands side-by-side.

These lenses are not cheap, but they could really improve your shots. And if you are looking to upgrade your DSLR, a new lens is usually at the top of the list.

These guys do a great job of comparing the lenses not only for still photography, but also for video. Which is important because so many people are using DSLR to shoot HD video.

Spoiler: They don’t even pick the Canon or the Nikon. They choose the Tamron! The deciding factor was the Optical Stabilization on the Tamron. Spoiler 2: They destroy lenses with baseball bats!

Cheap DIY clip-on camera mount, yes, please!

Many venues are preparing for the Christmas season. A lot of hard work goes into producing the various plays, concerts, and cantatas that are presented this time of year. Because of all this work, it it nice to have a video of the presentation. You and I, as the volunteer tech person, are generally placed in charge of this task. So why not make this year’s video a little cooler.

Instead of using one camera to record the show, get a hold of several cameras. Borrowing cameras from friends or people in your congregation is a great way to go. Another option is to purchase a couple mini HD cameras. They are fairly inexpensive, and take full HD video.

Now, during the production, it is unlikely that you will get to run around the stage getting close ups of your instrumentalist or the view from the choir loft. However, with the mini HD cameras, you can discreetly place them around the stage to get cool shots of the piano player’s hands or close up of the timpani or a the view looking into the crowd from behind the actors.

But how will you get the cameras to stay in place? With the clip lamp camera mount, of course!

In this video, The Frugal Filmmaker shows us how to make a cheap clip-on camera mount. It looks useful for clamping small cameras in areas where a cameraman would be distracting.
 

Have fun making an awesome multi-camera Christmas concert video!

How to keep your camera dry in Hurricane Sandy

I’m from the Midwest, so Hurricane Sandy isn’t effecting my state weather-wise. But if I was in the rainy area, I would use this DIY camera rain guard to get some great shots of the weather.

I’m sure we’ll get our share of rain, snow and sleet later.

TD Talk (Technical Director)

Last spring, our church bought a decent two HD-camera and video switcher setup. Since I am the Electronic Media (soon-to-be) major. I was put in charge of the TD or Technical Directing.

The cameras were placed within eye-shot of the switcher so I communicated with hand signals. I am really looking forward to when we finally get the two-way talk-back system online. Then I will teach my cameraguys these terms for camera directing.

These terms make it so much easier to get the shots you want.

Do you suffer from Shaky Video? Maybe a shoulder-rig is right for you.

I have a Canon HV30. It’s a nice little handheld camera. It takes HD video and is pretty easy to work with. If you have ever used a handheld video camera, you know the “awww man” moment when you watch the video and it is all shaky, especially if you, as the cameraman, were moving around.

These guys built a DIY shoulder mount for their DSLR camera. It seemed to work great for them, and the price was right.

So I built one to use with my video camera. It worked really well. I used it at a 5K event. It was very comfortable for standing still shots, and helped to steady the camera when I moved. The best use came as I rode on the back of a 4-wheeler, facing backwards and filming the 1st place runner. That was fun.