NAB 2012 was busting at the seams with new cameras, gear and software- to name a few. In this first installment of an OliviaTech NAB 2012 series of show coverage, we take a look at a few familiar (and some perhaps not so familiar) companies as they show us what they’re showing off for 2012. [...]

Varavon has improved their Slidecam Lite Slider by resolving some minor issues that now make the newest version even better. In the video above I compare their original Slidecam Lite rail design that was equipped with a passthrough 1/4-20″ and 3/8-20″ hole to their newest design which leaves the slider rail as a single solid [...]

Canon’s 60Da, dubbed the Astrophotography DSLR, shows off an almost carbon copy thumb print to the 60D but differs significantly with its new IR filter. The new IR filter has been upgraded to optimize infrared light sensitivity. What does this all mean? The 60Da’s IR cut filter is modified to achieve a hydrogen-alpha (Hα) light [...]

We’ve all experienced this situation before: while shooting video with a field monitor, the HDMI cable falls out of the camera’s port- fffff! SmallHD has created a solution to this annoying problem: the 5D MKII Port Protector. This item is NOT available for order until May 15th, but I was able to score one at [...]

Air Box Lights aims to improve your favorite on-camera LED light with their blow up softbox. The Air Box Light is a lightweight Litepanel LED light diffuser that inflates in one breath. This LED softbox is dramatically softer than a raw Litepanel with 300% more surface area. On-camera lighting can be soft and flattering with [...]

I often talk about how much we use the Tekkeon MyPower Portable Battery Pack. I’ve recently gotten a few questions about alternatives for portable battery power while on the go. I stumbled upon the PowerBag Deluxe the other day and discovered that beyond the backpack, there is a Messenger Bag and a Sling Bag and [...]

My buddies over at Think Tank Photo just announced the impending release of four new pocket storage devices for your DSLR Batteries, Strobist Gels, and SD Cards. DSLR Battery Holders (click here) and (here) — The number one sin in photography is running out of power. To help prevent that from happening, in May, Think [...]

Here is quick intro to the stabilizers that Lensse sent over. I’ll be getting more in depth with these, covering their differences, build and performance. Shown in the video are the MidX, DSLR Pro and i-Steady. Tweet This Post

The guys here at the studio mocked up a simple DIY jib that is not only ridiculously inexpensive to piece together, but also very straight forward. The point of this jib was to get a very wide range of motion from top to bottom with only a few feet of 0.75″ square tube, 1″ angled [...]

At CES / PA 2012, Richard from Habbycam shows me Habbycam’s upcoming DSLR Accessories Cage and mattebox. Richard tells me this entire unit will retail, with a follow focus, for around $300. It includes a cheese plate for mounting accessories, a 15mm industry standard rod system, a matte box which includes a rotating 4X4 filter [...]

The IndiPro Tools Baseplate & Follow Focus Combo is a simple, all-in-one mechanism for putting a follow-focus device at the front of your DSLR camera. The angled wheel of the follow focus makes a direct connection to the focus ring of your lens, turning it via friction. This simple setup eliminates the need for gear [...]

When we go out on location and shoot, keeping the camera setup to a minimum is typically the goal. In order to shoot quality videos we are never without an external audio recorder, a lav mic and and LED light. One solution to keeping everything together is this J-Cube. The J-Cube provides three additional coldshoe [...]

Here in Maui, i’m taking the Sony NEX-7 out for a more thorough review (I love it BTW). I’m using the lightweight shoulder pad on a Carry Speed camera strap system. There’s a PMA Las Vegas interview with Carry Speed (found here). Carry Speed is quick to attach or remove from the camera. The camera [...]

When shooting on a monopod, my only qualm is the lack of steadiness that a tripod offers. This is due to the points of contact with the ground. Obviously, as its etymology suggests, a mono-pod only has one (mono) foot or limb (pod). If I only had one foot, I would have serious issues with [...]

Canon 60D. Tokina 11-16mm 2.8. Flycam Nano (first generation). OTech reader, Veronica, recently asked me about a few different handheld stabilizers. After some discussion and research, my best bet for the price range she’s considering would have to be the DSLR Flycam Nano. This is a light and relatively affordable stabilizer that uses a stage [...]