Merlin Video Rail Slider Video Review
In this video review, I take a look at the Merlin Video Rail Slider Camera Dolly.
Features:
- Dolly features 8 wheels for smooth tracking
- 4 of the bottom wheels can be removed for tabletop use
- 3/8’ and 1/4’ mounting options
- Included rails are 3 feet long
- Height and angle of rails can be fully adjusted
- Rails can mount on 2 tripods
After testing this rail system for a few weeks, I definitely say I’m impressed. The included wheels are extremely smooth, and just the fact that keeping the DIY community in mind while designing this product makes it the best system I’ve seen so far. Other systems on the market typically include a proprietary set of rails that can only be upgraded if you purchase a new set from the manufacturer. With the Merlin Dolly, you can easily use a plank of wood or your own rails to accommodate any length you need.
Overall, this is the perfect choice for anyone looking for a dolly system that can easily be customised to fit your needs. With it’s fantastic build quality and extremely smooth wheels, this is simply an amazing product.
Be sure to check out the demo below:
CamCaddie Scorpion Review
After testing the CamCaddie Scorpion for a few weeks now, I can definitely say I’m impressed. The Scorpion was designed to provide a low cost solution to stabilising video and mounting more accessories to your camera. Regardless of how simple it’s design may seem, surprisingly it can stabilise video quite nicely. I tested this rig with a Canon 550D and will be uploading my results in the coming days.
As for accessories, CamCaddie offers an Accessory Shoe, Accessory Wing & 1/4-20 Converter in a kit for $49. With these 3 accessories, you can mount virtually any camera accessory to the Scorpion with ease. I tested these accessories with a considerable amount of heavy accessories and it proved to hold up without any problems. This kit seems like the best solution if you plan on mounting external monitors, microphones and lights.
Note: A full list of accessories available at the CamCaddie store.
This camera mount can be configured in numerous positions as well.
Example: If you are looking for low angle shots, you can mount the camera facing forward and hold the Scorpion from the top to keep the camera close to the ground. For a two hand grip configuration, turn the camera on it’s side, use your right hand to secure the camera and your left to hold the Scorpion.
Overall, as a low cost mounting system for your camera, I really think this is the perfect choice for anyone looking to stabilise video and add numerous accessories to your camera at once. If you would like to pick one up, head over to CamCaddie.com and be sure to check back in a few days for the a full video demo of this product.
Editors Note: I am having issues uploading the video at the moment, so hopefully I can get that sorted before the end of the week. If not, I’ll upload it on Vimeo.
Electric-Avenues PA2V2 Review
In today’s episode, I’ll be featuring the Electric-Avenues PA2V2. After about a week’s use, I’ve been very pleased with the audio quality this pocket amplifier can produce.
The PA2V2 is short for Pocket Amplifier 2 Version 2 and is hand made here in Canada. This amp has a full ABS plastic enclosure and uses a ruby red translucent faceplate to hold the components on the front. The faceplate also allows you to see some of the components on the inside and the bright LED that illuminates when the power switch is on.
Battery life is pretty fantastic. I’ve been able to get the full 100 hours advertised on the Electric-Avenues website and charging is very quick with the included 3 Volt transformer. This amp also features a built in charging circuit, so you can use rechargeable AA batteries until their recharge cycles have been exhausted. This means that you can go for about 4 years without changing the rechargeable batteries. Of course if you aren’t able to recharge the batteries, you can always use 2 regular AA batteries with this amp.
The recommended setting for using this amp is to set the audio source’s volume to about 60%, and then setting the volume to whatever you like on the PA2V2. This seems to be very optimal, and produced very high fidelity audio. Bass, mids, and highs sounded very good, however, I think there should be controls for setting bass and treble. I would imagine this was not featured in this amp to keep the size relatively small.
Overall this amp gets a 10/10 for it’s fantastic size, audio, and build quality. I really haven’t found anything else on the market that can truly rival the quality of the PA2V2, so I definitely recommend it.
Special thanks to Gary from Electric-Avenues.com
Flip Mino HD Review
While the Flip Mino HD is not the best camera on the market for advanced users, it is still a fairly good performer for users looking for a simple camera for shooting vlog type videos.
As this camera is HD, it includes a mini HDMI port on the bottom for playing videos on your television, however if you would like to connect an external monitor while shooting, video you are out of luck. The camera simply switches into playback mode, and you are stuck there until you disconnect the display.
Video quality is decent, however noise performance is lacking. Even when good lighting is present, the small aperture on the Flip simply cannot take in enough light to produce a good quality video. In other words, using the camera at night makes the video almost unusable.
Speaking about unusable… The built in zoom on this camera is absolutely horrible. As the lens has a fixed focal length, the camera has to digitally zoom into the image which degrades quality tremendously.
Unlike other models, the Flip Mino HD features a magnet on the lens for mounting wide angle adapters. I have yet to try any, however I imagine there will be a lot of vignetting.
Overall, the Flip Mino HD gets an 8/10 for great build quality, and the fact that video is half decent for the size and money you pay for the device.
Lexar Reveals 64 GB and 128 GB SDXC Cards For Spring 2011
For the professionals looking for the highest capacity an SD card can offer, Lexar has finally announced they will be releasing 64 GB and 128 GB Class 10 SDXC cards in the first quarter of 2011. The product is mainly aimed for professionals looking to shoot high-resolution images and HD video.
If you are looking to purchase one of these cards, you’ll be spending $400 for the 64 GB and $700 for the 128 GB.
