So check it out, remember the top handle rig I talked about? Well using the same parts you can mount any follow focus with a 1/4 inch mounting point to your Magic Arm! Check out the video to see how I did this with my D|Focus.

Parts List

Affordable Manfrotto Style Base Plate

Not as many mounting options as the cinevate baseplate, but it is a fraction of the price. Get a couple if you can so you can use the same baseplate on multiple rigs, tripods etc.

Friction Adjustable Arm

These are great. There are so many uses for these arms so if you every switch up your rigging you will always have a use for one of these.

Friction monitor arms for a top handle, who knew? Check out this simple yet efficient rig.

Parts List

Cinevate Base Plate (Option 1)

Fairly expensive but a truly solid baseplate. If you plan on building out larger rigs this thing is build for larger work horse uses, as well as simple minimal setups.

Affordable Manfrotto Style Base Plate (Option 2)

Not as many mounting options as the cinevate baseplate, but it is a fraction of the price. Get a couple if you can so you can use the same baseplate on multiple rigs, tripods etc.

Friction Adjustable Arm

These are great. There are so many uses for these arms so if you every switch up your rigging you will always have a use for one of these.

Express35 Grip (Handle 1)

Really nice grip and can be used on 15mm rods. This is the grip you saw at the beginning of the video above.

Cinevate Grip (Handle 2)

This grip is a little more affordable than the Express35 one. And it has a 1/4″ male thread for accessories.

Remember that killer little shoulder rig I did a show on a while back? Well its price just dropped to $16 on Amazon. Grab yours before the deal is gone or they are out of stock! I’ve shot several projects using this little rig and it has perform very well for me. Check out the images below for a couple rigged up versions.

Folding Shoulder Rig

Shooting Contact Jugglers With Shoulder Mount

Shoulder Mount Used in "PILLOW FIGHT" Project

For a while I have wanted to start a newsletter and start giving back to you guys through giveaways. I have set up a TinyLetter newsletter which you can subscribe to via the box at the bottom of this post.

What You Get When You Subscribe

A chance to win free gear. I will be giving away gear to a lucky subscriber each month. Starting with an Alzo Digital Transformer Rig (review here). All you have to do to enter to win is subscribe to the newsletter via the box at the bottom of this post.

Exclusive content. You will find content in the newsletter that you will not find on the site. I will also put together various gear deals that I have compiled or found.

Only 2 emails a month. I hate spam too.

What You Won’t Get

Weekly post update emails – Keeping the emails down.
Cluttered emails loaded with images – I am a strong believer in keeping things simple, readable and clean.

In the next few months I will be giving away one of these items on the last day of each month.

• Alzo Digital Transformer Rig
• Nikkor 50mm 1.4 with adapter
• Cowboy Studio Rig + Book
• 16GB Card
• Tripod

Conditions and Terms:

1. You must subscribe to the newsletter.
2. Winners must have a US address to receive the item. (NOTE: If you live outside the US and are willing to cover shipping costs I will get it too you).
3. You can only subscribe with one email address (don’t be a cheat).
4. The giveaways may take some time to ship and arrive.
5. On the last day of every month one winner will be pick using random.org and will receive one the previously mentioned items.

Just a little iPhone video showing you what I used to shoot this little piece for my Cinegrain review.
I really love how compact you can get a 5n package. The DP4 is also perfect for this little setup.

Final video:

Stuff you see in this video:

Cinevate Atlas 10 FLT

Sony NEX 5n

Small HD DP4 Monitor

Canon 50mm F1.4

Davis and Sanford Grounder Tripod

Friction Monitor Arm

I was contacted by Kyle Hart who has developed a really interesting little stabilizer. He has developed a control system that I would have loved to have on other stabilizers I have used in the past. If you fund the project you can score an EZ Stabilizer for a reduced price. Check out his Kickstarter page for more info on how this Stabilizer is different.

There is so much gear out there for the DSLR shooter to choose from these days, and over the past year I have found 3 areas where you can save a ton of money and not compromise on quality. And yes there are other things to save money on but the items I want to talk about are necessities to every DSLR video shooter.

1. DSLR Batteries

Everyone needs power. And the brand name batteries aren’t cheap. Right now the Canon brand LP-E6 battery for the 60D/7D/5D is $60. Thats a tall order when you need 6 of them. But there is a different brand I have been buying from and their battery is only $16. The Maxtek LP-E6v batteries have performed great for me. Big savings. Now for the price of 1 Canon LP-E6 battery I can buy almost 4 off brand ones.

The same good news goes for T2i/T3i batteries. $40 for the Canon’s and only $9 for 2 off brand ones. Apparently there are fakes out there. Check out this comment for more.

Now that you can actually afford to buy several batteries you should consider grabbing a dual charger (T2i version here). Has Saved me tons of time and works with pretty much every brand.

2. CF and SD Cards

Everyone also needs a couple cards, some times 2 types of cards. There are so many different brands out there its difficult to figure out which ones are affordable AND reliable.

Quick disclaimer: With EVERY card brand there is a chance the card will die. Not every card brand is safe. I only work with 8GB and 16GB cards and I back them up all the time. So don’t come crying and cursing at me if your card dies. It sucks, and it happens. One brand I have found to be working great for me is the Transcend brand. $50 for a 16GB 400x CF card is a great deal. Same with the SD only $22 for a class 10 16GB SD. These prices are around half or more the price of compatible cards.

I have 2 of these CF cards and 2 of the SD cards and none of them have failed me which doesn’t mean they will never fail, but I would still recommend them. And don’t forget a good card reader.

3. Prime Lenses

This one is a little more subjective. I get emails all the time from people looking for a prime lens for shooting video on their DSLR. Its seems most people only consider Canon lenses for Canon DSLRs. Or Sony lenses for Sony cameras. But there is a whole world of other options out there, my favorite being manual Nikkor lenses. I get all my lenses from KEH.com they have a great rating system and fantastic warranties.

With Nikkor primes you have 3 levels. Non-AI (Cheapest) AI (Middle) and AIS (Higher). And for killer savings check out the older Non-AI “Nippon Kogaku” Nikkor lenses like this 50mm F1.4 for under $100.

All 3 types work well with an adaptor to Canon cameras. If you are a Nikon shooter check out this Nikon chart to see what your compatibility will be. I have a set of AIS primes and I LOVE them. They all match in color, very sharp, and they are affordable. If you’re low on cash grab a set of the Non-AI and upgrade down the road.

To attach all these magical lenses to your camera you will need an adaptor which will only set you back around 15 bucks.

Conclusion

So there you have it. 3 areas you can save some serious cash especially if you are getting started. So for $200 you could get a fast 50mm, a card or two and some batteries.

Have you got some money saving tips? I’d love to hear what gear you guys have found to save you some money.

Help Me Out

I Don’t charge any subscription fees, nor do I sell DVD tutorials so if you found this article helpful you can really help me out by purchasing gear from one of the links in this article, donating, or by purchasing from one of the links below. Thank you!