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[Woops] The Easiest Way To Lose $2400 In 24 Seconds
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I'll always remember a friend of mine saying that he loved the Canon 5D Mark II for film making because it was expendable and cheap compared to "real" video cameras (he crashed a lot of them). For most of us, having any piece of gear break is heartbreaking especially when it comes from our own stupidity lack of foresight. Such was the case for filmmaker and 3D Animator Kurtis Hough as he was doing a little beach videography. While on set for what appears to be The Goonies II, Kurtis encountered something pretty scary. After watching the video below you might want to reconsider not insuring your photo gear.
[Contest Entry] How To Convert A DSLR To Infrared, Light With Xbox Kinect
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The final day to submit your behind the scenes video for our contest is December 31st. With 30 days left, the videos are starting to pour in and they are getting better and better. I've never had any interested in infrared photography until I saw Mark Fore's contest entry. In the video below Mark shows us how he converted his digital rebel into an infrared camera for $6. He then takes pictures lighting his subjects with the Xbox Kinect. To learn how to turn your camera into an IR system, check out this website.
[News] New Nikon SB910 Speedlight Announced
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One of the biggest announcements I was really excited about this year was the release of Nikon's Flagship SB910 Speedlight. Many people were speculating that the revamped portable strobe would be smaller like the classic SB800, finally offer wireless syncing via radio, incorporate a small constant LED light for video, or add another half stop or two of power. Unfortunately none of those changes have become reality yet but the new speedlight does offer enough updates that anyone in the market for a powerful speedlight will want to check out the Nikon SB910. Click the full post to read the official Nikon Press Release. You can already preorder the Nikon SB910 as it should be shipping mid December 2011. Out of curiosity, if you could design the perfect speedlight, what features would you want that this new flash does not already offer?
[News] The New Nikon D800 Might Actually Look Like This
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Everyone has been waiting for the new Nikon D3s and D700 replacement cameras for what seems like forever. Nikon Rumors recently opened a whole can of worms as they released photos that the rumor blog owner stats as being 99% legit. However new speculations have come out from another reliable source over at DigitalRev. We here at Fstoppers aren't going to claim we know what the next Nikon DSLR will actually look like so instead we pose this question: Which version of the Nikon D800 do you think is more accurate and which one excites you the most? Click the FULL POST to view a side by side comparison of both speculated versions of the camera and leave your thoughts below in the comments. I'd actually be more interested in the DigitalRev version but that's just me.
[Gear] Fstoppers Holiday Buying Guide
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Happy Thanksgiving Fstoppers! I know we all haven't even started carving into our turkeys yet, but I wanted to let you know that I have just completed the Fstoppers 2011 Holiday Buying Guide. I made this guide to help narrow down some of the best ideas for gifts for the photographer or videographer in your life. I also made the guide easy to navigate based on budget by dividing the Guide by price. Don't have a lot to spend? Not to worry. There are plenty of great gifts under $100. Want to melt their face off with a ridiculous and unexpected gift? Check out the over $500 category. I will be updating the Buying Guide frequently all the way up until Christmas as more products go on sale or come to my attention. Also, make sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook to receive quick updates on fire-sale-priced products that won't last long enough to warrant adding them to the Buying Guide. Happy shopping Fstoppers!

[BTS Video] Matthew Jordan Smith Explains Metering Your Subject Perfectly
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Some of my favorite behind the scenes videos we've featured on Fstoppers are of Matthew Jordan Smith. He speaks well and always articulates his lighting and setups in a way that both amateurs and pros can understand. In this video Matthew talks about exposing for a high key background, metering your subject's face for dramatic studio light, and balancing ambient backlight with a studio keylight. I'll be honest and say that I've never used a Sekonic Light Meter but I can see how useful they can be for more advanced studio lighting. I think Matthew might be the only professional I know of shooting on a Sony DSLR! I guess it goes to show that your camera brand makes little difference in producing great images. Check out more of Matthew's tutorials here.
[Video] The Ultimate Strobist Backpack
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Now despite the way this apparatus looks, it's actually something that has been discussed by major photo industry companies. Event photographers continually struggle with needing to have their lighting equipment in just the right spot while simultaneously needing to be somewhere else to get the shot. Even if they do get everything in place, seconds later they will need to somewhere else. In the current economic slump, not everyone can afford an assistant, so what can you do? Build yourself a strobist backpack, that's what.
[Humor] Photographers Vs Videographers: Epic Battle Of The Century
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This video has been sent to us so many times over the last 24 hours that I thought we should share it. It was filmed at After Dark Education based in Tucson, AZ and is a pretty funny look at how some videographers and photographers view each other on a wedding day. Just a good fair warning though, if you were offended by Lee's tongue in cheek take on fanny packs then you might be shocked to find out the situation is worse than you previous thought :) I guess we can all pick on the Star Wars fanatics instead this time!
[Video] How To Take A Photograph On A 4x5 Camera
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10 years ago shooting on a 4x5 camera was pretty common among professional photographers. Today, many young photographers not only haven't seen a 4x5 camera but they have probably have never even heard of one. In this video Simon Roberts takes us through the steps of using the camera, editing the images, and the printing the final file. How do you guys feel about shooting on film and then processing the images digitally? Does that defeat the whole purpose?
[Deals] Limited Time Save On Sandisk Memory Cards And Pocket Wizards
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We are heading into the holiday season which usually means manufacturers and retailers are looking to hook up buyers with some pretty sweet deals. Right now through BHvideo.com you can get some great discounts on Sandisk high speed flash memory cards which are great as newer cameras offer more megapixels and greater video capability. Pocket Wizard is also offering a rebate on their flagship Flex and Mini radio triggers. Check out our Nikon Pocket Wizard Flex and Mini Review to see how far the new line of triggers have come over the industry standard Plus IIs. Act fast because these units rarely go on sale and hold their value really well if you ever need to sell them down the road.
[Video] Peter Jackson Explains How He Films The Hobbit In 3D
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I'm not sure I believe that 3D is the way of the future but the current technology behind it does fascinate me. Check out the video below in which Peter Jackson takes us behind the scenes of his much anticipated film The Hobbit. In this video Peter and his team explain how they use 2 Red Epics to produce the most realistic type of 3D footage available today. How many of you guys actually own a 3D TV? Maybe we all will one day but at this point, I don't know a single person with one.
Vincent Laforet's Latest Video Shot On The New Canon C300
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Out of the blue Canon just jumped into the movie business. Hours ago Canon just announced the new C300 video camera and minutes ago Vincent Laforet released "Movius" his newest short, shot on this unreleased camera. Patrick and I have been trying to get in contact with Vincent over the last few weeks (for a reason you will soon know) and I now understand why he was so "busy". Check out the short below and the BTSV in the full post.
Canon Just Announced The C300 Video Camera To Take On The Red
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Well this is quite a surprise. Canon has just announced the new C300 video camera. This camera will shoot in 4K (still unsure of frame rates) and will use NEW "Top-End EF" Zoom Lenses made by Canon. $20,000 which should compete nicely with the Red Scarlet and it plans to actually be available in January. All of the specs are still coming but if you want to see the most up to date info, head over to the Canon Hollywood Event liveblog on Engadget now!
Sick Trailer for the New GoPro HD Hero2
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So I am going through some of the slow-mo HD camera options that are on the market right now for an adventure I will be taking soon, and I stumbled upon the new GoPro HD Hero2. On their site they have one of the illest trailers I have ever seen for a camera, and I had to watch it several times. This isn't an ad for the camera and I am not saying that this is the one I will buy, but man what else compares? With that said, watch this trailer, it really is rad to see what kind of punch that tiny package can deliver! (that's what she said)
The Most Compact Video Crane/Jib On The Market
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A few months back we posted about the cheapest crane on the market and it was a huge hit with our readers. If you happen to have a little extra money (about $300) you may want to invest in the newest and smallest crane on the market. Check out the video review below. If this looks like something you can't live without, head over to eBay to buy one of these new jibs.
Novum Launches New BorrowLenses.com Website
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When someone turns us onto a product or service we really enjoy we like to spread the word. Our friends over at Novum Studios just recently launched the new site design for BorrowLenses.com and it looks great. The Novum team was responsible for the site design you see on Fstoppers.com, and since we are not web designers, they have been instrumental in helping us turn our ideas into working realities. I can't really say enough about Case Sandberg and his team so if you need any custom wordpress design work check them out. Also check out Borrow Lenses new site especially if you want to test or rent gear for an upcoming project.
Shooting the "Deadliest" Crew
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This striking image (pun intended) was shot by Blair Bunting for a Deadliest Catch ad for Discovery Channel. Curious to know how he did it? Well, luckily for us, his assistant Paul Morton filmed the whole thing, and Mike Maez was kind enough to edit it down into a digestible and inspiring video. Do not worry, it did not take any knocked out teeth or injured sailors to get the job done, but rather a couple of Pro-7a units and 3 high powered leaf blowers. Have a look and see for yourself!

via the ProFoto Blog
Has iPhone Video Footage Actually Been Used In A Box Office Hit?
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In May 2012, Marvel will release the comic superhero movie The Avengers. Some apple fans are suggesting that footage actually in the movie was shot on an Apple Iphone. The Avengers cinematographer Seamus McGarvey was quoted saying, "The beauty of photography or cinema is that you make every choice based on the content at hand. On The Avengers, I did a couple of shots on the iPhone and they are in the movie. In fact, they are in the trailer! I understand that sometimes there is no choice and you have to go for the cheapest option, but if you are limited for choice, you can still make poignant decisions that will effect the look of the film." It's pretty crazy to think footage from the older iPhone 4 (which only shoots 720) could ever be good enough to mix in with real footage taken on pro cinema cameras. With the amount of preplanning and the huge budgets allowed on these films, would they not just reproduce the scene again and capture it from all angles? I just can't imagine something happened spontaneously where the cinematographer's footage from his phone was the best possible footage. What do you guys think? Can anyone identify the footage in the trailer below?
Simple Tips On Getting Great Video Shots On A Slider
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Lee's wedding video A Moving Moment created a lot of discussion about how to get high production shots with minimal gear. The truth of the matter is Lee handheld 90% of the footage and used our favorite slider, The Atlas 10 Slider, for the remaining 10% of the shots. Olivia Tech has recently demoed a knock off slider called the Konova Slider and explains some simple techniques that can really up your video production easily and on a budget. Olivia is also using the main lens Lee used in his video, the Tamron 17-50 2.8 VC, which has the best vibration compensation of any 2.8 lens in this range. If you want the quality of a true Cinevate Slider for a little less money, we have had awesome results using the Cinevate Atlas Pulley System as a fully functioning slider. Just make sure you put a solid ball head on it first!
Canon Just Announced Their Newest DSLR, The 1D X
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Well the rumors were right. Canon just announced the 1DX, a rapid fireing sports shooter to compete with Nikon's D3s. Check out the full post to read the full press release and read about all the new features that Nikon will trump with the D800 in a few weeks. I'm kidding, I'm just a jealous Nikon shooter.
New Camera Requires You To Throw It In The Air
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Awhile back we shared a few videos of photographers intentionally throwing their cameras in the air. Well now the Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera actually makes that feat much easier. The new camera allows photographers to create 360 degree images with 36 individual cameras arranged in a buckeyball shape (any organic chemists out there?). Using an accelerometer, the spherical camera takes a photo at the apogee when there is the least amount of movement for surprisingly sharp images. It's also made of soft collision material which just begs you to throw it at someone's face or fling it with a water balloon launcher. The whole project is pretty interesting, and you can read more about it on Jonas Pfeil's website.
Nikon And Canon Each Set To Release A New Pro Camera This Month
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I just wanted to give our readers a little heads and let you know that both Nikon and Canon plan to announce new cameras this month. Canon is rumored to announce a 1D series camera (their pro sports camera) on Tuesday October 18th. The camera will have around 16mp and will shoot around 12fps. Nikon is rumored to release the extremely anticipated (and late) D800 but is rumored to completely change the direction of this camera from a cheaper D3 to a D3X killer. The D800 is rumored to be announced on October 26 and have a shocking 36mp sensor. Have these camera companies completely switched direction? I thought Canon was all about MP and Nikon was all about ISO performance. We will just have to wait and see.
Drone Octocopter Takes $58,000 Red Epic Camera To The Sky
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Using drone octocopters to take breathtaking aerial footage is nothing new. But what would the results look like if you could combine a stabilized drone with ultra high def 5K footage from the Red Epic? That's exactly what OMstudios did with their self proclaimed "OM-copter". By using the drone, directors can now produce stunning high def and slow mo aerial shots without the high cost of renting an actual helicopter. Of course you have to be able and willing to secure a $58,000 video camera to a remote controlled octocopter in the first place! Check out the OMstudio Vimeo Channel for some great commercials and other video projects.

The OM-Copter gives wings to the Red Epic from omstudios on Vimeo.

Future Versions of Photoshop Can Make Blurry Photos Sharp Again
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A new photoshop algorithm featured at the Adobe Max 2011 is almost too good to believe. Somehow engineers have figured out a way to take extremely blurry images (by photographers' standards at least) and render them sharp and usable with the click of a few buttons. The goal behind this software is not to fix improperly focused images but rather to fix motion blur caused by a shaky camera or a slower shutter. The crowd's reaction at 1:18 is worth watching this video alone but if this technology ever makes it to future copies of Photoshop then this will no doubt rock the digital world in a way we've not seen before.
Fstoppers Is Giving Away An Apple Macbook Air Through Twitter!
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Well the title pretty much says it all and you only have 3 day left to enter! Fstoppers is excited to announce a new twitter contest where you can win one of the brand new Apple Macbook Air 11.6" Notebooks. Click Here for details on how you can enter the Fstoppers twitter contest and win this macbook. Also make sure you enter before the end of October 12th since we are announcing the winner the following day.
The New Apple iPhone 4S 1080p Test Video Is Incredible
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Everyone was a little let down when Apple announced an iPhone "4S" rather than a brand new "5". Aside from being a little faster, the iPhone 4S also has a big jump in the camera/video department. This new camera is 8mp and shoots at 1080p with built in vibration reduction. Check out the video below to see what this little cellphone is really capable of. Update: The video was pulled a few minutes after I posted it. To see the video you can head over to Apples site and scroll down to the video section: http://www.apple.com/iphone/features/
Apparently Phase One Backs Can Take The Weight Of An Elephant, Hasselblad Can't
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Don't you hate it when your camera can't stand up to the weight of your pet elephant stepping on it? Ya me too, that's why I only buy Phase One (I mean I will after I win the lottery). Although this stupid test is fairly impressive, I would much rather see a drop test, as that will be the real issue for photographers and the durability of their gear.
Contest Entry: The 360 Project, Dancing Matrix Style
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Ryan Enn Hughes just submited his entry for our BTSV contest and it is quite impressive. Ryan teamed up with The Big Freeze and set up 48 D700 cameras in a circle and then fired them all at once as dancers did their thing. The photographs are pretty cool on their own but the real magic happened in post during the editing phase when Ryan teamed up with sound designers at Zelig Sound to create two incredible 30 seconds videos. Obviously this is an extremely high budget project but our contest will not be judge on that so don't be discouraged if you don't have 48 $3000 cameras to play with. As always, you can check out all of the submissions to our contest as they come in here on our forum.
How To Tether Your Camera To An Ipad Without Jailbreaking
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Last year I released a video explaining how to wirelessly tether your camera to an iPad by jailbreaking the iPad. Since then Eye-Fi has released a firmware update that makes wireless tethering possible without the need for jailbreaking. Now, not only is the whole process much easier to set up, it is also much cheaper because you no longer have to pay for the more expensive Pro Eye-Fi card, you can make this work with the cheaper Connect X2 card.
How To Use A Crane To Give Your Video A Cinema Quality Look
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In Jay P. Morgan's newest video he shows us how he uses a crane to bump up production value by using a crane. Now I know you might be thinking there's no way you can afford a crane but you would be wrong. Last month we posted this video review of a $125 crane that anyone can afford. I purchased one and I am really excited to try it out in the near future.