Blackmagic Production Camera Shipping, Marked Down to $2995!

Looks like Blackmagic got sick of the attention being lavished on the recently-announced 4K Panasonic GH4  - and decided to reclaim the spotlight by issuing some headline news of their own.

In a press release this morning, Blackmagic Design announced that the long-awaited 4K Blackmagic Production Camera is now shipping - and that it would immediately be marked down by $1000 to $2995.

The new price is already reflected on the Blackmagic site - but was clearly not coordinated with resellers, because authorized retailers such as Adorama and B&H were still displaying the old price as of this morning.



Even though months have passed since Blackmagic's promised shipping dates of "July 2013"; and "end of 4th Quarter 2013", this is very good news - and not only for those who have had their cameras on pre-order for months.

Now (or as soon as these cameras start appearing in the hands of actual consumers), micro-budget filmmakers, documentarians and enthusiasts who want to shoot 4K have two relatively affordable cameras to choose from.  I won't go into the pros and cons of each camera (Andrew Reid of eoshd did an excellent job of that in his recent piece, "Which 4K camera for the masses? GH4 vs Blackmagic Production Camera"), but, at $3K for the Blackmagic and $2K for the Panasonic, clearly, these cameras are revolutionary.

So today, for the first time, anyone can buy a 4K camera for about what it costs to rent an Alexa for a week. These cameras don't have the Alexa's 14 stops of latitude, of course, but with these cameras, consumers and micro-budget professionals will be able to produce 2K (and in the GH4's case, 4K) images that are compliant with the Digital Cinema Initiative's Digital Cinema Specification for theatrical projection.

As an aside, the Blackmagic and Sony "4K" cameras are actually "Ultra HD", recording at a maximum resolution of 3840x2160 - which is not DCI-compliant for 4K.

The GH4 may not be able to output 12-bit 4:4:4 RAW - and it may only record 8-bit internally, but it is the only reasonably priced camera with the ability to record at the "True 4K" 4096x2160 resolution required by the Digital Cinema Specification.

Why did I say "reasonably priced"?  Well, the $12,000 Canon 1D C is DCI-compliant too - but you can buy six GH4s for that much money.

All of that said, this is a great day for independent filmmakers - I look forward to seeing what shooters can do with an affordable 4K Super 35 cinema camera!

If you've been waiting for Blackmagic to announce a shipping date before ordering your Production Camera, please click on one of the links above or the display ad below (as soon as Adorama updates their prices, of course!).  It won't cost you anything extra, and it will help to keep these blog posts coming.  Thank you!

Full Frame Prices Headed Down? Nikon D800 Marked Down to $2570!

The USA model Nikon D800 (with the full manufacturer's warranty) is on sale at Ryther Camera via eBay for just $2569.99 - $226.96 less than today's sale price at Amazon and Adorama!

If the D800 is on your Christmas list this year, this is a great deal for a capable still/video camera.  To refresh your memory, here's Sandro's promo film for this camera from last year:




The 5D Mark III is on sale too - as low as $2749 at Amazon.

This could simply be pre-Christmas camera discounting - or perhaps the $2298 street price of the new 36.3MP Sony A7r mirrorless is putting pressure on flagship full frame DSLR prices?

Poor Man's LCDVF Solution for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera

I apologize for the long break between posts, but a second trip to Hawaii got in the way (sorry) - this one was all business, though, and I had zero time for shooting, editing or writing blog entries.

But since my most recent return, I've been slowly addressing the challenges that I had on last month's vacation test shoot with the BMPCC.

One of the biggest challenges was glare on the LCD.  As readers of my blog posts and forum entries know, I am a big proponent of cameras with built-in EVFs.  One of the disqualifying weaknesses of DSLRs for me is their lack of a video-capable viewfinder.  This is one of the main reasons I don't buy or recommend DSLRs for video.

But I really wanted to get away from 8 bit 4:2:0 video cameras - and the BMPCC's 10 bit ProRes 422 and 12 bit CinemaDNG RAW were the only affordable option  - so I had to break the "built-in EVF rule".

As I wrote in an earlier post, I bought the Cavision MHE52 (along with an $8 3.5" LCD adapter) from Adorama before my BMPCC came in.  Sadly, there was no easy way to attach this viewfinder to the camera.  I had to place it over the LCD and then physically press the eyecup to my eye during the shot in order to keep it from falling off.  The screen looked great, it gave me another point of support for the camera - and it was the only way I was able to compose and focus my shots, but it slipped or fell off several times at critical moments.

It was nice that the loupe came with straps, so I could hang it around my neck and 'look like a director' - but this was not the optimum solution.

So when I came back, I ordered a $15 Viewfinder Sunhood from LCD4Video via Amazon.  This is a traditional LCD hood - but with the straps in a "V" configuration - designed to go around the lens in front of the BMPCC.   After adjusting the straps and the velcro size adjustment for the hood, it was a workable solution.

But I had lost a point of support.  Without an eyepiece, I could no longer hold the camera up to my eye for critical focus.  And there might be times when the sun was directly behind me that it would still lose the screen to glare.  I was resigned to switching the hood out with the Cavision in those situations.

Then I saw BMCC EF owner Chris Barcellos' post and video over on dvinfo.  He asked his wife to sew some black kitchen towels together, then wrapped them around a cardboard shade and stuck a viewfinder in the back of the contraption - not elegant, but it worked!

So I pulled the Cavision viewfinder out of the camera bag, wrapped the LCD4Video shade around it, and strapped the assembly back on the camera.  It was a perfect fit.  The entire screen was bright and perfectly visible, I was able to use my eye as a third point of support for the camera, and I have complete confidence that it won't fall off or shift during the shot.

This solution doesn't require you to glue a frame on your camera or buy an external EVF.  It also steadies your shots by providing a third point of contact with your body.  Another big plus for me, is that it takes me back 40 years to the Super 8 form factor. If I squint a little, I can see the outlines of my old Sankyo and Chinon Super 8 sound cameras!

If you like this solution, you can get the LCD4Video Sunhood for $15. Unfortunately, the standalone MHE52 is now $79.95 at Adorama, but you can get a $17 EZPhoto viewfinder from Amazon, and it should work just as well.

And if you want to go all the way with the retro Super 8 look - the Photography & Cinema pistol grip is $19 at Amazon.

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.  

Panasonic GH3 Marked Down to Match Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera!

If you're tired of waiting for your $995 Pocket Camera, or you have a gig coming up and need a camera right now - you might want to think about canceling your pre-order and getting a Panasonic GH3 body for $998 from Amazon (price good until 9/7/13).

Unlike the Pocket, there's no need to buy a hot shoe or an external battery charger to go with it - they're included.

As examples of what this camera can do, here are the winners of August's Hybrid Camera Revolution GH3 Film Festival. The categories are...(drumroll, please)....Narrative, Documentary, Travel, Mood, and Home Video. There were winners in only two categories this month (there are no rules, and the judging is completely arbitrary):

Documentary: The Barbershop by Rusty Earl



Travel: LA Vacation by Rob Woodward


Not bad for a $998 camera.

NEW Sony A3000 - Entry-level DSLR killer?

Okay, okay. Everyone is tired of this question - what's going to kill the DSLR? So far, consumers have ignored just about every alternative to heavy mirror boxes, mirror shake, a limited number of mechanical shutter actuations and viewfinders that are blocked by the mirror when shooting video.

Mirrorless cameras solve all of these problems - but despite the mirrorless "revolution", DSLR sales continue to rumble along, and relatively large and heavy reflex mirrored cameras beat mirrorless cams month after month on the sales charts - especially in the US market. Americans seem to want their cameras big - like their houses and cars.

 Nikon has admitted to dismal sales of the Nikon 1 - the Canon EOS M had to be marked down to $349 from its ridiculous $649 initial price to gain any traction - and you can't find an Olympus or Panasonic camera on the Amazon US DSLR Best Sellers' list anywhere in the top 20. As of today, the Panasonic GH3 is the top mirrorless camera on the list, probably because it is on sale for $998 (perhaps to compete with the $995 Pocket Cinema Camera).

David Taylor-Hughes over at soundimageplus says the mistake the mirrorless manufacturers made was to make their cameras too small (as an appeal to the youth market) - leaving the traditional DSLR design (and people who actually buy cameras) behind.

His principal criticism, though, is that these little cameras were too expensive - that consumers who make up the bulk of the market walked into shops and saw traditional DSLRs with higher resolution sitting next to a small, and often funny colored, camera with a 16 megapixel count and a higher price tag - and made the rational decision.

I have to agree. Poor first-generation EVFs; slow first generation autofocus; small, low resolution sensors and nontraditional design - all of these have been challenges for mirrorless cameras - but their Achilles heel has been that they are so darned expensive.

Why does a $796.95 Nikon 1 V2 body cost $100 more than a D5200 body, for example? And Nikon is surprised that Nikon 1 sales are tanking? I completely understand recouping R&D costs - but companies that don't sell cameras don't recoup their costs, and don't stay in business very long.

Which brings us to the new Sony A3000. Four and a half years after the groundbreaking Panasonic G1,  this is the first DSLM that looks like a DSLR, has the same sized sensor as a crop sensor DSLR, breaks the 20 megapixels resolution barrier - and actually costs less than an entry level Nikon D3200 or Canon T3i.

The Samsung NX20 came close - but, following in the footsteps of other low-sales mirrorless manufacturers, Samsung overpriced it.

The A3000 is certainly not perfect. Sony has cut unfortunate corners with it (non-standard hot shoe, no OLED, fixed LCD, no mic input, no wireless and no 60p) - but they have the big things right.  Shout out to Olivia Speranza from Oliviatech who does a great job of pointing out the pros and the cons in the official Signal by Sony video:




All of that said, the A3000 looks like a camera, not a candybar with a lens on it.  To my eyes, the somewhat more capable NEX-5T looks like a toy next to the A3000 in the video.

It has a DSLR-sized sensor, it's over 20 megapixels of resolution - and, most of all, it is affordably priced.

Consumers seem to have responded. As of today, preorders for the A3000 make it the best selling Sony on Amazon's DSLR list.

We'll see if this is a flash in the pan - or a harbinger of things to come. In my view, this camera will appeal to a lot of people who want a lightweight travel viewfinder camera that actually looks like a camera, has a big camera sensor with big camera resolution - and doesn't break the bank.

If Sony can actually get this camera into the retail channel, they will sell a lot of them this Christmas.

First Narrative Short Shot With Pocket Cinema Camera

Another sign that we may be about to get our cameras! They are starting to appear in the hands of consumers who don't seem to have special relationships with either Blackmagic or with dealers.

A talented amateur who goes by "Jsflimz" has posted a 1080p action short on YouTube.  As far as I can tell, this is the first Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera footage with the whole package - actors with dialogue, VFX, and post-production (cutting and grading). Check it out (please watch at 1080p):




This is clearly an amateur production with a couple of rough spots, but the dynamic range here is very exciting and, dare I say it, "filmic".

This is what I had hoped the camera could do - give amateurs access to the dynamic range and bitrate to allow them to get past the typical DSLR's horrid compression and 8 bit colorspace.

Reading Jsfimz' notes in the comments section is informative too - but not at all  like reading "American Cinematographer".  Here, the filmmaker describes his motivation:

"btw i dont have any experience at all. i just do this short films for fun. instead of getting drunk everynight. this and fishing is [sic] my outlet"

Nevertheless, he did a great job.

If you're as impressed by the image quality here as I am, and you've been waiting to see some narrative from this camera before ordering, you can go ahead and pre-order your Pocket Cinema Camera here or by clicking on the Adorama display ad below.

If you don't want to wait for the Pocket, you can order a Cinema Camera EF or MFT from Amazon. It won't cost you anything extra, and it will help to keep posts like this coming.

SHAME - Second Tier Profiteers Mark Panasonic G6 up by $100

No, this is not a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera

If you click on the image above, it will take you to a page where you can back order the Panasonic G6 at $749.99.  You can also get on the pre-order list for the camera for $749 at Adorama.

Sadly, however, if you do a search for the camera at Amazon, you'll be taken to a page that lists it for $100 above retail through a company called 6th Ave Express (I am naming them because I'm calling them out - but there's no link, because I don't want to encourage this behavior).

As it turns out, the folks at so-called "BigValue" are doing the exact same thing on eBay.

This is clearly not as pernicious as profiteering from food during a famine - or even from overpriced fuel during an oil embargo, but consumers deserve to know that it's going on.

I completely "get" the law of supply and demand - and that retailers should have some price flexibility to cover extra costs - but a $100 markup on a $750 camera?

As we used to say in the military, YGTBSM.  This is profiteering, pure and simple.

This isn't all the retailers' fault - ultimately, it is Panasonic's.  Once again, they have introduced a camera, promised a delivery date, and then failed to ramp up production to meet demand.

Sadly, this is a pattern. Panasonic cameras routinely miss promised delivery dates in North America, they have poor availability in the largest retail channels in the United States (that's being charitable), and they do not issue updates explaining the situation to consumers.

I tend to recommend Panasonic cameras on internet fora and on this blog because, in my view, their hybrid still/video bridge camera (the FZ200) and their DSLMs (the G6 and the GH3) are the best-in-class hybrids between about $500 and $1500.

That said, Panasonic's supply chain challenges are a real problem for the company and its consumers.  It is clearly a losing sales strategy - and it is not very helpful to the company's credibility among camera buyers and bloggers.

If anyone at Panasonic is reading this - you should know that it is becoming more and more difficult to recommend your cameras - because it is becoming more and more difficult to find your cameras at the prices you advertise on your website.

For now, hybrid still/video camera buyers with less than $800 in their budgets, who want moire-free video and terrific stills - and who cannot wait for the G6's supply challenges to work themselves out, may want to consider the Nikon 5200, $797 with the 18-55 kit lens at Amazon (or even less on eBay).

The G6 is a great camera, and a good value for the money at $750 with the kit lens - but it is a bad deal at $850, and I don't recommend it at that price.

If you're in the market for any of these cameras, please click on the display ads below.  It won't cost you anything extra, and it makes it possible to keep these posts coming. Thanks!

Sony RX100 Marked Down to $552

This is the camera that David Pogue at the New York Times called "the best pocket camera ever made".  Now that the RX100 II has been released, we're starting to see sale prices on the original model .  Right now, you can get an RX100 bundle - with a 16GB SDHC card, two batteries, an external charger and a carrying case for $552 with free shipping at 6th Ave via eBay.

This is a good deal for this camera, which still lists for $648 at Amazon and Adorama.

The RX100 is a great little 20MP still camera - and a very capable video camera too.  Here are a couple of examples from one of our sponsors, Vimeo:



This one was shot 80% with the RX100 and 20% with a Canon 5D and features Ellie Goulding's new track, Burn:



As of this post, 58 had been sold and "more than 10" were available.  If you want one at this price, you should jump on this eBay listing now.

SALE - Sony NEX-7 w Kit Lens $1029 @ DigitalRev

With the rumored imminent release of the "NEX-9" - it looks like we're starting to see discounts on the Sony NEX-7.  This was a breakthrough hybrid still/video camera when it was released - the first APS-C mirrorless camera with a built-in EVF and Sony's three wheel "Tri-Navi" system - far superior to the menu-based controls of the NEX-3 and NEX-5 series.

The NEX-7 is still generating buzz - Trey Ratcliff over at the great travel photography site Stuck in Customs recently published a provocative post called "Hello Sony. Goodbye Nikon. The Story of Why I am Switching from Nikon to Sony"  In the piece, Trey, a long-time Nikon shooter, explains why the NEX-7 is now his only travel camera:

"...the NEX-7 is the best for my kind of photography. I'm using it exclusively now and will be in the immediate future until something better comes along..."

And now that the price has come down, the NEX-7 is starting to become a much better value for money.  You can get a 24.3MP NEX-7 with the 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 kit lens for $1029 at DigitalRev right now - a couple of hundred dollars less than the same camera will cost you at Amazon, Adorama or Sunset Electronics via eBay.


Here is Kai's review of the NEX-7 from January of last year:





There are only a few left at this price, so get 'em while they're hot!

Happy 4th of July - Panasonic GH3 for $1049 at Samy's via Amazon!

Whether it's an Independence Day Sale or a markdown to compete with pre-orders for the $1199 Canon EOS 70D -  the flagship Panasonic DMC-GH3 has been marked down to $1049 at Samy's and $1069 at Amazon direct.

With all the recent talk about the 70D, it is useful to remember that the GH3 still has several real advantages over the $1199 Canon:

• Splashproof metal, magnesium alloy body
• 1080/60p
• 50mbps and 72mbps video recording
• Headphone jack

And, if you already have the GH3, and need an offset loupe that works with your shoulder rig, Varavon's Swivel LCD viewfinder loupe is now available on eBay for $214

NEW Canon 70D - Great Premiere Video - "Handmade"

Canon's new autofocus system, upgraded DIGIC 5+ processor and built-in wifi make this new camera a worthy entrant to the hybrid still/video market.  For Rebel shooters with a significant investment in Canon glass, but who can't afford a 5D Mark III, this camera may be the perfect upgrade.

Here is what it can do (in the hands of cinematographer Noboyuki Yanagibashi):



And here is the "making of" - narrated by Yanagibashi-san himself: Very impressive performance, and I expect Canon to sell a lot of them.  If you're ready to upgrade to the best crop sensor Canon for video, and you don't need a headphone jack or 1080/60p, you can pre-order your new 70D body for $1199 at Amazon or Adorama.
And, for the latest 70D videos, please subscribe to my new Canon EOS 70D group on Vimeo.

Filmmaker Frenzy - Local 24 Hour Short Film Contest

My wife gets tired of all of the cameras around the house "not being used" - so when she saw an ad for a local 24 hour short film contest, she encouraged me to enter.  It turned out to be a great experience.  Every team was given a theme (this year's was "Don't Make Me Laugh") - and had to turn in a finished cut of a 5 minute (or less) film within 24 hours.

So I raced around trying to get B-roll before sunset, recruited my 7 year old as my co-star for the studio shots (he cost me 5 bucks), fought my editing software all night and turned something in the next day.

No, my so-called "film" didn't win - but it was terrific for an old guy like me to be around the energy, talent and creativity of young filmmakers again - 35 years after film school.  And it was great for my little guy to see himself on the big screen.

For all the folks in the San Francisco Bay Area, this is a cool little festival out in the town of Livermore at the Vine Cinema & Alehouse - a great little art house with dining tables inside the theater - where you can have food delivered from the Zephyr Grill & Bar next door.  Wonderful setup.

Whether you are an aspiring filmmaker, or simply have cameras around the house that are "not being used", you should sign up for next year's contest.  The organizers are great people, the venue is great, and it's a chance to see your work on the big screen.

A big thank you to the sponsors (especially Adam Reeves of ITB Designs) and congratulations to the winners of this year's Filmmaker Frenzy $500 award for Best Picture - local amateurs from a team called Red Canopy for a hilarious "mockumentary" called The Paul Baxter Story.  I hope to be able to link to it when and if it becomes available online.  Here they are, accepting their award:

For all you cameraphiles out there (which describes most of the readers of this blog), their film was shot on a Canon 5D Mark III in h.264. The movie looked very film-like on the big screen and the camera did a great job.

Interestingly, the best cinematography award went to a film shot on the venerable Canon 7D - a camera that doesn't get a lot of love here, but it really looked good on the big screen.

As for my film, Best Medicine - here is a picture from the screening.  My son got a real kick out of seeing himself on the big screen.  OK, I admit it, so did I.

Marked Down - Rode Videomic with Rycote Lyre Mount

The rap on the classic Rode Videomic has been the shock mount.  Review after review has praised the mic - but slammed the flimsy elastic mount.

Rode addressed this problem with a more substantial shock mount on the Videomic Pro - but the VMP is almost $100 more expensive, which can be a big deal for for the low budget shooter.

It seems that Rode has been listening, and has now integrated the classic Videomic with a Rycote Lyre Mount - dispensing with the flimsy elastic bands on the old mount, and replacing them with the Rycote's solid "Hytrel" thermoplastic - which is advertised to have the flexibility of rubber and the strength of plastic. Here's a Rode promo video with the details:

With this new mount, the Rode Videomic becomes a very good value for money - especially since it is now marked down to $169 at Amazon, and $149 on eBay.  As usual, there are only a few left at these prices, so, if you need an external mic, but your budget is less than $200, it may be time to pull the trigger.

Third Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera Video from John Brawley!

Great low light performance and awesome dynamic range - but, after seeing some of the recent 5D Mark III RAW footage (as in the clip below), it looks a little soft. It is definitely softer than my GH3 in equivalent lighting conditions.

I still want the Pocket Cinema Camera for the DR, though.  At $995 (body only), you won't find this many stops of dynamic range per dollar anywhere else.

Pre-order yours here.

5 Stars for Panasonic G6 at Expert Reviews UK!

Their verdict: "A good all-rounder that excels for video capture." The $749.99 G6 may be the best still/video camera below $1000 that Panasonic has produced to date.  It addresses almost all of the video shortcomings of the G series (by adding a microphone jack and full manual control of video), while improving on the still photo capabilities of all of the GH cameras except the $1298 GH3. A few headlines from the review after the jump.

• The autofocus speed gap between DSLRs and mirrorless DSLMs has been closed: "...autofocus that's just as fast as an SLR, and possibly even faster in low light."
• Electronic viewfinders have closed the gap with optical viewfinders: "Its electronic viewfinder is significantly bigger, and with a 1.44-million dot resolution, it's sharp enough to reveal more detail than its rivals' optical viewfinders..."
• The G6's wi-fi feature allows live monitoring of video (better than the GH3), but no live HDMI out (worse than the GH3) [personally, I prefer wi-fi monitoring - I have a phone and a tablet already, while monitors are an additional expense].

Read the full review here - but please come back and preorder your G6 here.  It won't cost you anything extra - and it helps us to continue bringing you the best camera and tech deals.  Thanks so much for your support.

Update - Amazon is offering 4% off this camera (and many others) until June 15th - time to push that cart through.

Update #2 - The G6 is now in stock in the US at Adorama and the Adorama eBay Store for $749!

New Canon 5D Mark III - $2900 on eBay - less than a BMCC!

Excited about the Magic Lantern RAW hack, but don't want to pay $3500 for a body-only 5D Mark III?  Here's a brand new 5D Mark III for $2900 from 6th Ave Express via eBay - less than the price of a $2995 EF Mount Blackmagic Cinema Camera.   6th Ave provides a 1-year parts and 90 day labor warranty. Limited quantity available.

I have not been a big fan of Canon DSLRs for video, but with the RAW hack, the 5D Mark III is suddenly back on the map as the large sensor, interchangeable lens DSL camera with the best resolution and dynamic range.  Sadly for Canon, it is now arguably better than some of the top-end "Cinema EOS" cameras, such as the $12,000 Canon 1D C  - and close to the image quality produced by the $14,000 C300.  Not bad for a $2900 camera.

Blowout prices on Canon's First Mirrorless - the EOS M!

Canon's first interchangeable lens mirrorless camera, the EOS M, was much anticipated less than a year ago, but has not been as successful as Canon probably hoped. Even though it takes great pictures and was heavily pre-ordered, sales fell off rapidly - possibly due to the camera's shutter lag, slow autofocus and lack of a viewfinder option.

With a possible replacement now on the horizon, prices for the EOS M have now dropped below $400 ($399.99 with the 22mm STM lens at Amazon and $381.20 silver body-only at BigValue via eBay).

If you are a Canon shooter with an investment in EF glass, and are looking for a smaller second body for travel - or perhaps a B camera for video - you might want to pick up an EOS to EOS M adapter ($159 from Amazon or $129 on eBay) and jump on one if these deals.  They won't last at this price.

Good News for Filmmakers & Videographers - Prices Coming Down on Panasonic GH3!

As Panasonic ramps up production and the camera seems to be in regular stock, we are starting to see discounting on the flagship Panasonic GH3. As of this post, the lowest "Buy It Now" price on eBay is around $1198 - while the lowest used price on Amazon is around $1157.




Even in a world where Canon Rebels are shooting RAW (!), the GH3 is still the lowest priced large sensor, interchangeable lens video-capable camera you can buy with a headphone jack, 1080/60p and a splashproof body. And let's not forget the multiple codecs (AVCHD, .MOV and MP4). As the street price for the GH3 goes down, it becomes an even better value for money.