Why risk getting trampled to death when you can get killer deals from your couch! There are several great places to shop from this weekend. Check it out.

B&H Photo Video

HDSLRs, lenses, support gear, audio equipment and so much more.

Save 15% on Rentals from Borrow Lenses

1. Go to the Borrow Lenses website and choose your gear.
2. Select a time period and insurance (optional), and go to the checkout page.
3. Enter the code “Turkeytime” into the coupon box at the bottom to apply the discount.
4. Checkout and enjoy your gear!
5. Your order MUST ship or be picked up by 11/23/2011!

Amazon Black Friday Deals

Find the hottest deals on digital cameras, camcorders, lenses, accessories, and much more.

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!

DSLRs are fantastic. Great image, small, and have a close to film aesthetic. Aside from dynamic range, the main difference between an HDSLR’s image and film’s is grain. Grain carries such a warm organic feel to it. It kind of smooths over the whole image. Thanks to the folks over at CineGrain.com we can now bring that look and feel to our digital projects. With their indie collection its now very affordable to get a pack with tons of different film scans and effects.

I also love how simple it is to apply these scans. Simply drop them in your NLE set their composition mode to “Overlay” and boom. You’re in business

Check out their video above to learn more. Also watch the two videos I shot using their 8mm and 35mm scans.

8mm Effects

35mm Grain

Just the other day on twitter Sam Fack shared some pictures of a track he built for his Cinemover. I’ve been looking for something like this myself and was quite impressed with it. It looks like something that could easily be used with a couple light stands or tripods. Great job Sam!

Check out his tutorial below and a some footage he shot using it.

Video Description:

Well this is the first time for me being on the wrong side of the lens, so apologies for being slightly out of focus all the time.

This is a short video on a track that I made for a Cinemover (links below). The track is made up of System 30. It’s a really useful resource as you can pretty much make anything frame based that you could think of.

Links:

• Exel – http://www.exelcomposites.com/
• Cinemover – http://moveyourcameracheap.blogspot.com/
• Caleb’s site – http://dslrvideoshooter.com/
• My main Vimeo Channel – http://vimeo.com/samfack
• SlideShow video – http://vimeo.com/30489153

I found this video on Vimeo the other day and really liked it. It is a very clear and concise layout of the camera system. I hope Ryan continues making these.

Welcome to your camera system! In the 100 series of videos you will be taken through the basics of using your camera. In episode 101, Ryan introduces the basic components that makeup any camera system and explains their use and offers insight into their importance. He explores the importance of the camera body, lens selection, the follow focus, matte box, monitors, tripods, and light meters.

Video Description

With all these cameras getting cheaper and more people picking them up, I think a lot of people have begun to freelance full-time or on the side more than ever. One of the most popular questions I get asked is “how much should I charge my clients?”

Well, I’ve found an excellent answer/formula to this question and it comes from Mark Wallace of Adorama TV. Check it out:

I just finished clicking the “Back this Project” button for a film called “Man Child” by Ryan Koo of NoFilmSchool.com. I am not saying this to boast, or show off but rather bring something to our attention.

How often do we give to other’s films? For many of you the answer might be often. But for people like me its never, or rarely. Today was the first day I helped back something on kickstarter. I’ve never given before because I thought it had to be something “worthy” of backing, and while I know Koo’s film will be outstanding it got me thinking of all the other stuff out there. Why not back a crappy movie by a noob. Sure it might flop, or suck, but I would be investing in sooo much more than a bad flick. I am helping someone make mistakes, I am giving someone a chance to adapt and learn from those mistakes, I am helping to give someone a chance to exercise and strengthen their creative muscles. Heck, their film might be a hit! I guess the point is to look beyond the pitch video and help someone make and learn more about film. And you never know, you might be supporting the next Spielberg.

That said, Ryan is NOT a noob and I am confident his movie will be nothing short of awesome. I think you should join me in helping back Ryan Koo’s film. Not only will it help him make his killer movie, but its time we repay him for all the knowledge, time and effort he has put into the community through No Film School.

In case you are still on the fence, watch this clever pitch:

Back it today!

I’ve always enjoyed Vincent’s training. He is a very good teacher While most of the time he is pretty intense, in this series on lenses he lets loose a little bit, hangs out at vimeo and dresses up in a viking costume…

Check it out:

A lot of people post all kinds of stuff on the DSLR Video Shooter Facebook page, a lot of it I remove because of relevance. But I was excited to see this simple solution for dealing wind problems related to the built in mic on DSLRs.

From the post:

You might like this – Essential accessory for zero budget film making – eradicate wind noise from the built in mic now with Micromuff.

Jump over to micromuff.com to learn more and get yours.

DSLR Cinema: Crafting the Film Look with Video

Over the past year DSLRs have become a powerful tool utilized in cinema. From indie production to hollywood work, they have become a tool that is taken seriously by filmmakers everywhere. And now thanks to Focal Press and Kurt Lancaster, there is finally a physical guide to using them.

There are some cons to publishing a detailed guide like this on paper. But its sooo nice to have a physical book with this many features in ones hands.

Learn to think more like a cinematographer than a videographer, whether shooting for a feature, short fiction, documentary, video journalism, or even a wedding. DSLR Cinema offers insight into different shooting styles, real-world tips and techniques, and advice on postproduction workflow as it guides you in crafting a film-like look.

Also be sure to check out Cinematography: Theory and practice (the second book I mentioned):

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Quicktime File: Episode 25: DSLR Cinema Book Review