You bought your first camera and are ready to shoot that short film or music video you've planned. But once you get to set, your batteries don't last as long as you need, you're pulling focus off the barrel, and your director can't see what you're shooting.
Buying a camera and lens is only the first step in having a usable rig.
For this week's "Deals of the Week," we found three accessories on sale to solve these three problems. You'll need a few more things to get it all working, but it's a perfect first step to make sure you're prepared for set.
Let's build out your camera rig!
1. Batteries and Power
Whatever battery your camera comes with, it'll most often just power your camera. There are some camera systems that can power accessories, but that will further drain the little battery pack you have inside.
That's where cinema batteries come in. These chonky units can power your camera and accessories all day and come in a variety of mounting options, from V-Mount and Gold Mount to the (fairly) new B-Mount.
IndiPRO Tools Micro-Series 98Wh V-Mount Kit
This Battery Charger Kit includes two IndiPRO Micro-Series 98Wh V-Mount Li-Ion Batteries and a V-Mount Dual Battery Charger with XLR Output. The battery features a 6.6Ah capacity and 14.8V output, which are sufficient to power most professional cameras. In addition, the 98Wh capacity is just under the travel limit, which makes these batteries perfect for projects on location.
Yaroslav Altunin2. Wireless Video Transmission
When shooting, it's important to have your team know what the frame looks like. This is where wireless video transmission systems come in. They'll take your video signal and send it wirelessly to a monitor in video village or the one your AC has in hand. This means you won't be crowded by your camera team or director as you shoot, giving you more freedom to move around and get that perfect composition.
Modern filmmaking relies heavily on these systems and they've become more affordable as more companies continue to push the affordability of filmmaking tools.
Hollyland Mars 400S PRO SDI/HDMI
Add up to 1080p60 wireless video transmission to your gimbal, mirrorless, or DSLR camera rig using the lightweight Mars 400S PRO SDI/HDMI Wireless Video Transmission System from Hollyland. The transmitter provides HDMI and SDI inputs and the receiver offers SDI and HDMI outputs. It features extremely low 0.1s latency with line-of-sight transmission up to 400' to the receiver and up to 300' to the Hollyview Wi-Fi app.
Yaroslav Altunin3. Follow Focus
All cinema lenses come with gears around their focus rings. This is done so you can attach follow focus units, which allows you to focus the lens without wrapping your hand around it.
While wireless follow focus units exist, there's nothing like the simplicity of having a regular unit on your camera. It's quick to use and you don't have to worry about signal interference.
SHAPE Follow Focus Pro
The SHAPE Follow Focus Pro Full Kit is a dual-sided follow focus system that mounts on 15mm rods and features an adjustable arm. This puts the gear at the optimal position for the lens, no matter what the diameter is. The unit allows for quick attachment, removal, and re-positioning, while the included extension adds a second focus wheel for dual-sided control
Yaroslav Altunin
