Posts in Gear / Equipment
Canon C300 Mark II Hands-on Feature Test + Footage

On Saturday I drove up to Canon in Hollywood, CA for an all-day workshop with the Canon C300 Mark II cinema camera. In this video I share why I went, show some of my favorite features of the camera, and share test footage that I shot on the camera. 

I currently use a Canon C100 Mark II as my main video camera and it only shoots 1080p, so I'm looking at what my options are for upgrading to shooting in 4K in 2016 and the C300 Mark II is one of the main contenders.

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RODELink Filmmaker Kit Review & Set-up

Sometimes when you're filming a video and the talent is moving a lot (like in a fitness video) or they are just really far away, running a wired microphone to them just isn't always an option.

When that's the case, a wireless set-up is the only way to get quality audio recorded without having someone follow them around with a boom and a shotgun mic.

In this video I review one of the most inexpensive wireless lavalier kits on the market, the RODELink Wireless Filmmaker Kit. I'll show you what comes in the box, how to properly set it up, and run a few tests on how it sounds.

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Should You Film in 4K? (& Mirrorless vs. DSLR)

4K video may be the future, but do you really need to be shooting in 4K or is 1080p enough? Also, why would you want to shoot in 4K even if you're not yet publishing at that resolution?

In this episode I chat with Caleb Pike of DSLR Video Shooter all about 4K video and why you might want to start shooting in it.

We also have a discussion about the pro's and con's of mirrorless micro 4/3rds cameras vs. DSLR's and cinema cameras, specifically the Panasonic GH4 & G7.

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Tripod vs. Monopod

Pacquiao vs. Mayweather, Tyson vs. Holyfield, Ali vs. Frazier: history is ripe with battles between giants. Among these encounters exists one of legend. Touted as the Battle to End All Battles we bring you Monopod vs. Tripod.

Long debated between grips and directors alike, the question of monopod vs. tripod is one for the ages. 
 
In this part of the DIY Video Guy saga we bring you the Pros and Cons of using each the monopod AND the tripod. To even the playing field we chose to compare models made by the same company and within the same price range. 
 
Whose corner are you in?

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Cheap vs. Expensive Lenses: When Should You Upgrade?

I love buying video gear and I'd bet you do too.

But when there are so many choices for what you should upgrade, you should really focus on what pieces are going to make your videos better.

In today's video show, I compare the differences between cheap and expensive lenses. I'll share why you'd want to upgrade, the added features and benefits of doing so, and show you side by side examples of techniques like racking focus with an inexpensive lens and an expensive L-series lens from Canon.

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9 Tips for Setting Up a Home Video Studio

Most of the clients we shoot videos for ask us questions about how they can set-up their own video studio in their homes or offices. 

Studios are a great tool for being able to record videos quickly and consistently, so in this podcast episode we're going to share what we've learned building our video and audio garage studio as well as share our recommendations for how you should go about putting one together for yourself.

The nine tips cover determining what you want the studio to be used for, how to lay it out, determining what gear is must have, making it permanent, and tips for controlling sound and temperature.

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dbx 286s Mic Pre-Amp Review + Set-up Walkthrough

When I podcast or record voiceovers I use a Shure SM7B microphone into a Focusrite 18i8, but recently I wanted to get more gain and processing on it before going into Adobe Audition. 

After some research I landed on the dbx 286s microphone pre-amp and processor. 

In this video review I'm going to walk through what cables you need to use it, what each of the dials on it do, what I set all of them to, and any pro's and con's of this unit.

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What's New in Camera Gear? (An NAB 2015 Recap)

Last week I spent a few days wandering the show floor at the National Association of Broadcasters conference & trade show in Las Vegas while my team was there filming Pat Flynn's keynote at New Media Expo.

While there I checked out some of the newest tech for making videos and got to interact in person with a lot of the companies whose gear and software I use to run Caleb Wojcik Films day in and day out. 

In this video recap you'll see the Canon XC10, SmallHD 502, BlackMagic Micro & Video Assist, RED Weapon Dragon 8k, and more. I recap of the trade show floor, what gear I'm most excited about, and see some of the newest tech out there.

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5 Must-Own Pieces of Video Gear

I've spent A TON on video and audio equipment over the past three years and there are a handful of purchases that have saved my tail a few times.

In this episode DIY Video Guy TV I share five different pieces of video gear and equipment that I never leave home without (and are worth investing in if you haven't already).

You'll learn how to make sure your gear doesn't get damaged while traveling or shooting, how to quickly change your camera from a tripod to monopod to slider, and more.

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iKan Elite iPad Teleprompter Review

If you're making a lot of scripted talking head videos, a teleprompter may be a solid investment to save you time during both production and editing.

I'd used one in the past while shooting a video course for a client, where some of the videos were nearly a half hour long and fully written out, but I just recently bought an iPad teleprompter myself and wanted to show how it works by unboxing it and showing you some of the features.

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What Video Lights Should You Use? (DVG 013)

Lights are one of the most overlooked pieces of equipment for creating a video.

Sure, having a fancy camera and great sounding microphone are important, but without proper lighting, the video can look horrible or even unwatchable.

In this episode I talk through six kinds of lighting you can use for making videos, the pro's and con's of each, and recommend specific brands for the different categories.

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Which Microphone Should You Use for Videos? (DVG 011)

If there was ever an episode to listen to with headphones, this would be it.

Today's episode is gonna be a fun one and a bit different. I'll be chatting about what microphone you should use in your videos and instead of just mentioning a bunch of different ones I thought I'd actually record using a bunch of them so you could hear some of the differences firsthand. 

You'll hear 10 different microphones, what they should like and why I use some for certain situations over others.

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