Canon 60D Closeout Price - $664!

The venerable Canon 60D is on closeout just about everywhere. Marked down as low as $649 a few months ago, it is now selling for $699 at all of the big online retailers - to include our sponsors Amazon and Adorama.

But if you want to save even more, you can get a brand new, USA model Canon 60D with a 12 month factory warranty for $664 from getitidigital via eBay.

As usual, the listing says, "limited quantity available" - so if you've been looking for a great price on a high end prosumer Canon DSLR, you may want to pull the trigger on this deal.

If this post has been helpful in making your buying decision, please order through one of the links above or the display ads below.  It won't cost anything extra, and it will help keep these blog posts coming.  Thanks!

Amazing Panasonic LX7 Still/Video Slow Motion Camera - $327 at Amazon

This is a terrific little hybrid still/video camera with full manual control, a fast lens and a standard hot shoe.  It takes great stills - but its secret weapon is 720p 120fps slow motion video (100fps in Europe).

Here are a couple of examples shot by London filmmaker Louis du Mont on Vimeo:

The Panasonic LX7 is on sale until September 28th at Amazon for $327.  If you want it in white, you can get it from Samy's via eBay for $328.

If you'd like to buy this camera, please click on one of the links above or display ads below.  It won't cost you anything extra, and it will help keep these blog posts coming.  Thanks!

Panasonic FZ200 On Sale - under $500!

In addition to its amazing 24x constant f2.8 lens, the Panasonic DMC-FZ200 superzoom is the only video-capable camera with an external mic jack and HD slow motion below $7000.

I have the earlier version of this camera, the Panasonic FZ150, and it is a great hybrid still/video camera even without the fast lens or 720/120p.

With these features, the FZ200 can create video images like these (please watch at 720P):




And it's not a bad still camera, either.

The FZ200 is on sale now for $499 at Amazon and $488 (with a full manufacturer's warranty) from BuyDig via eBay.

The Amazon sale lasts until September 27th - and there are only 8 cameras left at the $488 price on eBay.

If you'd like to buy this camera, please click on one of the links above or display ads below.  It won't cost you anything extra, and it will help keep these blog posts coming.  Thanks!

This is not a music blog, but....

...it is unbelievable to me that this woman is 67 years old.  Because it was free, I just listened to a few tracks from her new album, "Closer to the Truth".

Amazon is streaming full tracks from the album here until the album releases on September 24th.

Hats off to Cher.  50 years in show business, and still going strong.

Shameless Plug for my Pocket Cinema Camera Group on Vimeo

Shooters such as John Brawley, emm of Cheesycam fame, and others are starting to do some very nice work (and tests) with the Pocket Cinema Camera.  Here are a couple from the last few days that I really liked:

Black Hole Sun is BANISHED from John Brawley:




The Day of America's Downfall from David Dominguez:




Test Footage #3 from moribun:




If you want to see more great Pocket Cinema Camera video, please head over to my Vimeo group.
Pretty impressive for a $995 camera.  To quote David English's review over at Studio Daily:

"We’ve known for years that this camera was coming—or one that would be very similar. Everything was ready to converge for the optimal size, resolution, and price. We might not get a personal jetpack or robot maid, but we would get a pocket-size camera with a cinema-like resolution and broad dynamic range. Now that the $995 Pocket Cinema Camera is here, is it all that we imagined it might be?

On the whole, this is the camera we were looking for..."

If you haven't pre-ordered your camera yet, please use one of the links above or the display ads below.  It won't cost you anything extra - and it will help to keep these blog posts coming.  Thanks!

Blackmagic Fixes "Black Sun" - but for Pocket Cinema Camera Only

The subtitle of this post could be "Original Blackmagic Customers Left Out in the Cold".

There was an interesting thread over on the Blackmagic Forum yesterday.

• First, Kristian Lam of Blackmagic Design announces that the Camera v1.4.2 update addresses the "Black Sun" effect


• Next, BMPCC shooter David Talbert tests it out:

• It seems to work. Thanks and kudos all around.


• But BMCC shooters soon realize that the fix is for the BMPCC only and does not fix their camera's similar problem.


• BMCC shooters are not amused.


• Thread devolves into angry ad hominem insults and oaths to 'never buy a BM camera again'.

I have been tempted over the past few days to turn around and sell my pre-ordered (April 26th) BMPCC at a mark-up as soon as it arrives (they're selling for $1300-$1400 right now on eBay) in order to "upgrade" to a $1995 BMCC.

But why sell a camera that the company is actively working to fix -  in favor of a camera the company has ignored for over a year?

Upon reflection, I think I'll go ahead and open the Pocket Cinema Camera when it gets here - at the very least so I can shoot the detailed side-by-sides with the GH3 I've promised everyone.

If you're in the market for a GH3, a BMPCC or a BMCC, please click on one of the links above or the display ads below.  It won't cost you anything extra, and it will help to keep these posts coming.  Thanks!

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera vs GH3: Dynamic Range

No, my Pocket Cinema Camera is not here yet (grrrr), but Vimeo shooter Rinaldo Lima has posted a graded side-by-side of the two cameras.  Here it is:

Both produce great images, but even in a well lit scene, the BMPCC recovers the backgrounds better than the GH3 - especially the sunlit windows.

As soon as my Pocket Cinema Camera comes in, I will shoot interior and exterior side-by-sides of the two cameras and post the results.  Please stay tuned!

DSLRs Smaller, Lighter and Sometimes Less Expensive Than Mirrorless

Not to Scale

The pictures above represent another example of the traditional DSLR outcompeting a mirrorless camera manufacturer. The new mirrorless Sony A3000, with its DSLR-styling and DSLR-sized sensor, is actually larger and heavier than the 'world's smallest DSLR', the Canon SL-1.

Even with the weight and bulk of the SL-1's reflex mirror and mechanism, Canon engineers have done a terrific job of packaging this camera.

And so, despite what ought to be the mirrorless camera's natural size advantage, Sony cannot claim that the A3000 mirrorless is 'smaller than a DSLR'.

That said, at least the A3000 is competitively priced and doesn't stray too far from DSLR design norms.

Sadly, Nikon's mirrorless cameras have not been competitively priced and do stray pretty far from DSLR design norms.  I have railed about this before, but it bears repeating:  the strange looking Nikon 1 V2 is a great camera, but it is not worth $100 more than the D5200, which is the superior camera in just about every way, except size.

Bottom line?  As Canon gradually address the DSLR's weaknesses (e.g., size and bulk with the SL-1 and video autofocus performance with the 70D), the case for mirrorless becomes weaker and weaker.

If mirrorless manufacturers can't (or won't) produce cameras that compete on features, sensor size, camera size, image quality, and price - then the reports of the DSLR's 'imminent demise' that we've heard for the past few years may have indeed been premature.

If this helps with your decision to buy one of the cameras referenced here, please click on one of the links above or display ads below.  It won't cost you anything extra and will help to keep posts like this coming.

DEAL - Camera Cold Shoe Top Handle - $32.90 Direct from CoolLCD

Click on the image to order from CoolLCD

You can get this great CoolLCD Cold Shoe Top Handle for $39.90 from Amazon - or you can pick one up for just $24.90 (plus $8 shipping to the US) direct from Coollcd.

With this handle on top of the camera - and a $24.50 Rainbowimaging pistol grip screwed into the tripod mount, this becomes a great two handed rig for less than $100.

If you need one of these, please order from the links in the text or by clicking on the display ads below - it doesn't cost you anything extra, and it helps to keep posts like this coming.  

SALE - Sony NEX-EA50 Shoulder Mounted Camcorder for $2999

I have had my eye on this camera for a while.  It is a large-sensor shoulder-mounted camcorder with interchangeable lenses, power zoom and built-in XLR inputs.  It also takes pretty good 16.1 MP stills.   This camera has the added bonus of a built-in shoulder mount - so there's no need to pay for an expensive rig to get the camera up on your shoulder.

This is a great camera for newsgathering, docs and reality.  Here are a couple of examples:

The NEX-EA50 is on sale for $2999 at Amazon, at Amazon via Adorama, and at Adorama Direct. If you want a large sensor, interchangeable lens, shoulder mounted still/video camera with pro mic inputs for less than $3000, the EA50 is pretty much the only game in town.