In this episode of cinema5D Essentials, Li-Lian and Johnnie discuss how to monitor audio if you have a camera with no headphone jack. Bear in mind that you still need a microphone input in order to be able to use this tip.  Saramonic SmartRig+ What can you learn in this episode? Some of the recent small, video-capable mirrorless cameras like the Sony a6500/a6300 and the FUJIFILM X-T20 are equipped with a microphone input but lack a headphone output. This is a major concern when needing to monitor audio during shooting interviews, or when wanting to control audio in general. One of our solutions is to use the modestly-priced Saramonic SmartRig+ 2-Channel XLR Microphone Audio Mixer. In this episode we take a closer look at this device. Saramonic Smart Rig+ Pros: 2 professional XLR inputs Separate gain control knobs for each audio channel Can be used with a smartphone or a DSLR/Mirrorless camera It provides a standard 48V phantom power Better pre-amps then most DSLRs Offers a headphone jack to monitor audio Saramonic Smart Rig+ Cons: No headphone volume adjustment, which can get quiet at times No battery level indicator You monitor the sound that comes into the Saramonic, which is not necessarily what makes the camera is recording. Love this new episode and looking for previous ones? Look no further. Click here to see all our previous episodes. Music was kindly provided by Art List. What solution do you use when monitoring sound with your camera?  Do you have any special tricks to help combat the absence of a monitor jack ? Let us know in the comments section below.

My name is Ming Lai, and I’m a filmmaker and photographer based in Los Angeles, California. I work on a wide range of projects, from feature documentaries and short films, to commercials and corporate videos, to fine art and documentary photography. My latest project is Visions of Warriors, a feature documentary about four U.S. military veterans who participate in the groundbreaking Veteran Photo Recovery Project and use innovative photography therapy to treat their mental illness. This project combines all of my passions: documentaries, art, photography and social issues. Name: Ming Lai. Currently based in: Los Angeles, California. Language(s) spoken: English, Chinese/Cantonese (native speaker), Japanese (beginner level). Occupation: I’m a filmmaker and photographer. How did you get started in our industry? I’ve always loved film since I was a kid. However, my journey to become a filmmaker has been a long and winding one. I explored other careers like medicine and law, and worked in advertising before I started in the film industry. All of these turns have helped shape me as a filmmaker. I received a B.A. in English at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and then an M.A. in English at the California State University, Long Beach, doing my master’s thesis on Akira Kurosawa’s use of Japanese Noh drama in Throne of Blood, his film adaptation of Macbeth. I decided to go into advertising because it combined my diverse interests in literature, art, design, photography and film. I studied advertising at UCLA Extension, The Bookshop, and Art Center at Night. Then I started my career as an advertising copywriter. Through advertising, I learned how to make commercials on the job. After 9/11 and my sister’s passing, I decided to concentrate on my first love of filmmaking. While I was working in advertising, I studied filmmaking at UCLA Extension and directing at Judith Weston Studio for Actors and Directors. Then I started making short films. I also became passionate about photography, inspired by my father who was a professional photographer back in China. During one freelance copywriting assignment for a commercial, I was able to convince the ad agency to let me produce and direct it. From there, I continued working as a producer/writer/director, creating commercials and corporate videos for international clients, including Coldwell Banker, Epson, Fujitsu, Marukome, and Yakult. Later, I started to make feature documentaries. I produced, wrote, and directed Art Recession, a feature documentary about the importance of art education. The film was inspired by my sister Mini Lai, who was an artist and alumna of Art Center College of Design (ACCD), the California Community Foundation/Mini Lai Scholarship Fund, which benefits ACCD illustration students, and The Mini Show, a group art exhibition showcasing ACCD illustration alumni that raises money for the fund. Art Recession premiered at the prestigious Newport Beach Film Festival, won “Best Feature Documentary” at the International Family Festival, and is being digitally released by industry-leading FilmBuff. Current Assignments: My latest project is Visions of Warriors, a feature documentary about four U.S. military veterans from the Vietnam War era to the Iraq War who participate in the groundbreaking Veteran Photo Recovery Project at the VA Menlo Park, California and use innovative photography therapy to treat their mental illness. I was inspired to make this film after learning about Susan Quaglietti – a nurse practitioner who’s been taking care of veterans for more than 25 years – and how she created the program, combining her dedication to veterans, her nursing practice, her mental health training, and her love of art and photography. Visions of Warriors received a generous grant from the Stanford Medicine & the Muse Program, premiered at the prestigious Vail Film Festival, and has been nominated for a SAMHSA 2017 Voice Award. My team and I are finding that in addition to the general audience, the veteran, mental health, and academic communities are responding well to our film, seeing it as a tool to help veterans. The film has been screening at conferences, universities, and special events as well as film festivals. Our film wouldn’t have been possible without all the extraordinary veterans and mental health providers in the film, our talented crew and post-production team, and our generous grantors, sponsors, donors, and supporters. Hopefully, our film raises awareness about the rise of veteran mental illness and the power of photography therapy to treat it. We’ll be releasing Visions of Warriors on Veterans Day (11/11/17) to honor veterans. We’ll be self-distributing the film digitally through Amazon Video on Demand, Apple iTunes, Google Play, and more online retailers as well as on our site. Visions of Warriors – Trevor Crist, Director Of Photography What types of productions do you normally shoot? I produce, write, and direct narrative and documentary films. Usually, they explore the human condition, addressing subjects like war, illegal immigration, art education and mental illness. I also produce, write and direct commercials and corporate videos. In addition, I’ve been working on a film noir short film series called the Gumshoe Files starting with Gumshoe & Stiletto. The series is produced by Brian Sheesley, Matt Steinauer and myself, directed by Matt Steinauer, and shot by Dilip Isaac. “Gumshoe” was an Official Selection of the Telluride Film Festival and Raindance Film Festival. Gumshoe & Stiletto was selected by the Seattle International Film Festival and L.A. ShortsFest and was recently a Finalist in the Cine Gear Expo Film Competition. What is your dream assignment / job in our industry, and what are you really passionate about? I dream of directing my first feature narrative, as narrative films are what inspired me to become a director. I love how they can transport you to a different time and place. However, the best ones offer insight into the human condition. I’m currently developing a feature narrative for me to direct. I’m passionate about documentaries. I love how they have the power to raise awareness about important social issues and even inspire positive change. I’m currently prepping for my next feature documentary. In the work that you are presenting to us, now that it is done, what would you have done differently throughout the production? We shot Visions of Warriors over the course of a year and a half, making five trips from Los Angeles where my team and I are based, to Menlo Park, California, where the Veteran Photo Recovery Project is located. I would’ve loved to follow the veterans and their mental health providers for a much longer period of time, embedding into their lives. It would’ve provided us with even deeper insight. However, the schedules of all of our subjects were very tight, and it was cost prohibitive to do so, so we tightly planned each of our trips to maximize our shooting. For the RED cameras that we were using, we had three standard speed 128GB REDMAGs. Because we shot in REDCODE RAW with a compression ratio of 8:1, we had a max recording time of around 46 minutes, which can be limiting for long documentary interviews. Several times we had to stop an interview to change REDMAGs. However, we used this to our advantage to give the veterans a break from the intense subject matter. Because we had a small crew of only a director of photography, location sound mixer, production coordinator, and myself, we didn’t have a dedicated digital imaging tech to download, verify, backup, and manage the data. Sometimes, we would get backed up downloading the REDMAGs to our G-Technology G-RAID drives. I would’ve loved to have more REDMAGs to keep shooting with minimal interruption. Because of the high cost of RED cameras, we brought only one with us for each shoot. During one of our last trips, the RED Epic Dragon started to have issues, causing it to automatically shut down. At one point, we ended up shooting with both the RED Epic Dragon and my Canon 5D Mark III as a backup. The 5D Mark III held its own, but it would’ve been great to have had a true back camera to the Dragon or at least a 4K camera to better match it. When we returned home and sent the camera to RED for repair they discovered that the logic board had problems. Ultimately, they replaced the entire camera. Needless to say, Red’s technical support is exceptional. On location – Visions of Warriors What current camera, lenses, and sound equipment do you use? Typically, my directors of photography, location sound mixers, and I choose our camera, lenses, and sound equipment based on the project. On Visions of Warriors I worked with Dilip Isaac and Trevor Crist, two very talented DPs who have extensive experience from documentaries to narratives to commercials. Because we have experience with RED cameras and have been using them since the RED One, and we had access to them through my co-producer Matt Steinauer’s company, Infinite Siege, we used a RED Epic Mysterium-X (5K) and later a RED Epic Dragon (6K), both with Canon L-series lenses: a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 II USM lens and a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 II USM lens. We also had a GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition for action footage and my own Canon 5D Mark III with a Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens for behind-the-scenes video and photos. I loved the small size, high resolution, rich color science, wide dynamic range, and sensitive low-light capabilities of the RED cameras as well as the sharp, contrasty, and rich look of the Canon lenses. For sound on Visions of Warriors I worked with two main location sound mixers, Stacy Hruby and Micah Mucklow, who are highly experienced in documentaries. Stacy used Lectrosonics wireless lav mics, a Sennheiser MKH 416 short shotgun microphone, a K-Tek boompole and a Sound Devices 522 mixer/recorder. Micah was equipped with Sennheiser EW 100 G3 wireless lav mics, a Rode NTG2 shotgun microphone, a K-Tek boompole, a Sound Devices 302 mixer and a Zoom H4n recorder. I also brought my own Sennheiser EW 100 G3 wireless lav mics, a Sennheiser ME66/K6 super-cardioid microphone and a JuicedLink Riggy Micro RM-333 pre-amp. Because of Stacy and Micah’s great work, we were able to smoothly hand off to our accomplished audio post-production team: composer Sven Faulconer, sound supervisor Jeff Hutchins of Jeff Hutchins Sound Design and Channel Islands Foley, dialogue editor/music editor/sound effects editor/re-recording mixer Bruce Greenspan of Surfrider Sound Company, sound effects editor Roy Braverman of Bravermania, foley artist Danny Tchibinda, and Monkeyland Audio. What is your favorite light equipment and why did you choose that kit over other solutions? Like our camera and lenses, my DPs and I choose our lighting equipment based on the project. Dilip and Trevor have a strong background in grip and lighting. In fact, Dilip owns a successful grip and lighting rental company, Blue Images Films. On Visions of Warriors Dilip, Trevor and I wanted to create a natural but cinematic look. Because the veterans use photography therapy to treat their mental illness, the cinematography was inspired by iconic photo essays in Life Magazine and National Geographic that intimately capture people’s lives. We wanted the film to look cinematic but in a photographic way. The film is thus very still with precise frames and little camera movement to emulate still photography. There are many symmetrical shots with lots of negative space to depict the loneliness or alienation of the veterans. Conversely, there are also a lot of close-ups of them to allow the viewer enter their minds as well as many voyeuristic shots to peek into their private world. Sometimes, “Dutch” or tilted angles are used to show the disorientation of the veterans. We used natural light and shadows to further design these shots, illuminating or hiding the veterans and expressing their thoughts and feelings. For interviews, Dilip and Trevor used a K 5600 lighting kit with two Joker-Bug 200W lights and Chimera Light Banks. Dilip says, “It’s a great small, portable, and reliable daylight source. We mostly used natural light and used the Jokers and Chimeras to help wrap the key light. With the RED camera, the main concept was just controlling the source so we added a 40-degree grid to shape the light and keep our contrast.” For exterior shots, Dilip and Trevor planned them according to the position of the sun. They either backlit or 3/4 backlit the shot, filling in with a bounce card or muslin fabric. Visions of Warriors – Dilip Isaac, Director of Photography Do you use drones or gimbals in your productions? If so, what is the most effective way you’ve found to deploy them? Unfortunately, I haven’t used any drones in my productions, but I plan to use them in the future, especially as they’re becoming less expensive and easier to use. For my next feature documentary that I’m prepping, I’m planning to use a gimbal to follow our subjects and create smooth camera movement. Specifically, I’m researching smaller, lightweight gimbals that can be used with one hand to be less obtrusive to our subjects. I also want to be able to pull the camera and attached gimbal out of a bag to immediately start shooting in run-and-gun situations. What editing systems do you use? On Visions of Warriors I used Final Cut Pro X on a Mac Pro (late 2013) with a 3.5 GHz 6-core Intel Xeon E5 processor. I usually work with an editor on all of my projects. On Visions of Warriors my co-producer Matt Steinauer and a professional editor were originally going to edit the film. However, he became ill and wasn’t able to work on it. Because it was too costly to hire another editor and we had a tight post-production schedule, I decided to edit the film myself. Because I had used earlier versions of Final Cut Pro and Matt used both Final Cut Pro 7 and X, I decided to edit the film on Final Cut Pro X. It was a huge challenge learning how to use the program and edit a feature documentary. It was like learning how to run while running a marathon. However, the program was very intuitive to use. Editing in addition to producing, writing, and directing the documentary was very empowering, allowing me to constantly experiment and fully convey my own vision. How much of your work do you shoot in Log and what is your preferred way of colour correcting? Because my DPs and I often shoot with RED cameras, we usually shoot in REDCODE RAW. I love the flexibility that shooting in RAW gives us. Because the image is not “baked in” I can easily change the color temperature, exposure, saturation, and more without altering the original image. On Visions of Warriors Dilip and Trevor shot in REDCODE RAW. In addition to editing the film, I also color graded it, which was also a steep learning curve. I tested DaVinci Resolve and Final Cut Pro X’s Color Board, but I ultimately chose Color Finale to color grade the film. I liked how this plug-in allowed me to color grade the film within Final Cut Pro X, making the color grading process faster and more seamless. It was also more intuitive to use than Final Cut Pro X’s Color Board. Dilip, Trevor, and I wanted to create a natural but cinematic look to tell this non-fiction – but very dark and dramatic – story. Color Finale allowed me to easily achieve it with rich colors, strong contrast, controlled highlights, and deep blacks. We also created many black-and-white motion portraits of the veterans where they gaze into the camera for extended moments. These portraits invite the viewer to look deeply at the veterans, get to know them intimately, and try to understand their challenging lives, which tend to get stereotyped or ignored by the public. With Color Finale, I was able to easily color grade them, desaturating the images, adding contrast, crushing the blacks, and giving them the richness of powerful black-and-white still portraits. On location – Visions of Warriors How frequently do you travel, and do you have any tips when it comes to packing your gear? For my commercial and corporate video projects, I typically don’t travel and just shoot them here in Los Angeles, where we have a lot of filmmaking resources, so packing our gear is less of a consideration. However, on Visions of Warriors we made multiple trips from Los Angeles to Menlo Park, California. We used a spacious sport utility vehicle, so packing and hauling our gear was a little easier. We used a CineBag Production Bag to hold a fully assembled RED camera and its accessories. It allowed us to keep the camera built and immediately start shooting. We used a separate Tamrac shoulder bag to hold the additional Canon lens and assorted filters. Generally, I like a minimalist approach to filmmaking gear, especially with documentaries. I want my kit to be small, light and powerful. I’ve always been inspired by solo shooters who have minimal gear and yet produce incredible documentaries. I think the same thinking can be applied to all types of filmmaking. Less is indeed more. Visions of Warriors creator – Ming Lai You can follow Ming Lai and his latest creative work here and also find out more about Visions of Warriors by clicking here

The new RØDE VideoMic Pro+ is now available and it boasts many new features. It automatically powers on and off and gives filmmakers extended control over recorded sound. New RØDE VideoMic Pro+ RØDE Microphones is a Sydney, Australia-based company especially popular especially among DSLR and mirrorless filmmakers for their VideoMic series of on-camera microphones. Their newest addition to the line, the VideoMic Pro+, has now become available for pre-order. The product was announced in January during RØDEshow 2017 which celebrated the 50 years of Freedman Electronics, which RØDE is a part of. The new VideoMic Pro+ improves on the existing VideoMic Pro capsule/line tube and windshield. It has the same Rycote Lyre suspension system but it also boasts many new features. Detail of the new RØDE VideoMic Pro+ New features of the RØDE VideoMic Pro+ Automatic Power Function (with plug-in power availability) – great feature for run-and-gun shooters. Automatically turns the microphone on when the connected camera turns on and automatically turns off when unplugged from the camera. Built-in Battery Door – makes replacing the battery quite easy. Power Options – the VideoMic Pro+ can be powered by the new RØDE LB-1 Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Battery (included with the microphone), 2 x AA Batteries or continuously via Micro USB. Digital Switching – will ensure the user has full control over capture of the audio signal at the source, reducing post-production and editing times. The Digital Switching includes: 2-Stage High Pass Filter – reduce low frequencies such as rumble from traffic or air conditioning. 3-Stage Gain Control, with +20dB function – designed to improve audio quality on DSLR or mirrorless cameras. High Frequency Boost – will boost high frequencies enhancing detail and clarity in the recording. Safety Channel – helps ensure the signal does not clip when unexpected spikes occur. All new features are nicely explained in the video directly from RØDE: Key specs of the RØDE VideoMic Pro+ Acoustic Principle: Line Gradient Active Electronics: JFET impedance converter Capsule: 0.55″ Frequency Range: 20Hz – 20kHz (selected HPF @75Hz/150Hz) Output Impedance: 200Ω Maximum SPL: 133dBSPL Maximum Output Level: 7.7dBu (@ 1kHz, 1% THD into 1KΩ load) Sensitivity: -33.6dB re 1 Volt/Pascal (21.20mV @ 94 dB SPL) +/- 2 dB @ 1kHz Equivalent Noise Level (A-weighted): 14dBA Weight: 122g Dimensions: 111mmH x 66mmW x 170mmD Output: 3.5mm Jack The VideoMic Pro+ is available now for pre-order and it will ship with the LB-1 Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Battery, 3.5mm TRS Cable and Micro USB Cable. It is also possible to register the product and get RØDE’s 10-year extended warranty. There is more information and specifications directly on the RØDE website. Seems like RØDE really listened to their customers and perfected their best-selling microphone. I especially like the automatic power function as it has already happened to me a few times that I had to re-shoot a clip because I forgot to turn on the microphone – and if a microphone is plugged into the mini jack of a camera without being turned on, the camera also doesn’t record internal audio, which is a huge problem. This makes it much more convenient. What do you think of the new VideoMic Pro+? Are the new features enough to upgrade?

The MicRig is a simple and affordable solution that combines audio and support for your camera, smartphone or GoPro. Having had a successful campaign on Kickstarter with over $100,000 pledged over target, the MicRig from Sevenoak is now shipping to buyers worldwide. It is a combination bottom plate, handle and microphone, with a variety of accessories that make it compatible for any kind of small camera, from a DSLR to a smartphone. It is made from ABS plastic which is both durable and lightweight, and takes a total payload of up to 8lbs, or around 3.5kg. The bottom plate features a couple of feet that will keep your camera off the ground if you need to set it down, and the grooves on the bottom allow you to position your camera in a variety of positions for ideal weight distribution. A handle protrudes along the back and over, allowing you to easily carry your camera, shoot handheld, and easily achieve low-angle shots such as those typical of skate videos. The handle also provides a cold shoe to mount further accessories. The top of the handle houses what is the key feature of the MicRig: a pair of 9.7mm condenser microphones in X-Y stereo configuration, allowing you to get better sound quality than with the built-in mic in your camera or smartphone. A single AA battery can power the device for up to 75 hours, and can be changed quickly as it is easily accessible on the underside of the handle. The audio module offers a few switches for power, high-pass filter, and a 0/+10db boost — useful to increase the level at the microphone and reduce it on the camera, allowing for cleaner recordings by not pushing the camera’s preamp. The package includes all the necessary accessories to mount cameras as well as smartphones, various cables to connect to whatever camera type you decide to use with the MicRig, as well as a fluffy microphone windscreen.  All in all, the Sevenoak MicRig seems like a quick and lightweight solution to give better audio capabilities and some stability to a bare-bones DSLR or smartphone system, making it ideal for skate or other action sport videos. It seems overall less bulky, more stable and — at only $60 — a good alternative to getting a standard cold-shoe top handle and a basic microphone, though the all-in-one approach makes it a little limited in terms of expandability with more accessories. The Sevenoak MicRig is available for purchase now on Kickstarter in several packages with various optional extras.

The new Sennheiser ClipMic Digital is a lav for iOS that combines a high-quality Sennheiser microphone with the ease of use of your iPhone. Sennheiser is a renowned manufacturer of microphones in the industry, with their AVX wireless mic system already a part of the arsenal of many shooters. Their new ClipMic Digital is a lavalier microphone that plugs right into your iOS device via the Apple Lightning connector, using your iPhone or iPad as both a recorder and preamp. The Sennheiser ME 2 capsule The Sennheiser ClipMic Digital system consists of the tried and trusted Sennheiser ME 2 lavalier capsule and an analogue-to-digital converter from Apogee, a manufacturer with a big name in the world of converters and audio interfaces. The system is hardwired, meaning it is one piece all the way from the microphone capsule to the Lightning connector – you can’t just unplug the microphone for use with your favourite wireless transmitter, for example. Apogee AD converter The free Apogee MetaRecorder app for iOS allows you to record 24-bit, 96kHz WAV or CAF files, as well as link up to four recording iPhones and control them from a master device. It even offers Apple Watch support. Now to discuss the big elephant in the room. Although it is handy that the ClipMic Digital lav for iOS can work via the Lightning connector, the lack of a dedicated headphone jack in more modern iPhones means that it is not possible to monitor sound. While there are Lightning splitters such as this solution from Belkin, this device is designed to be able to use headphones while simultaneously charging your iOS device, so there is no indication that you could in fact monitor audio through one Lightning port while the Sennheiser ClipMic Digital is connected to the other. Also, by the time you add a splitter like this, you would be complicating what should be a sleek and simple solution. Of course, you could use the wireless Earpods or other Bluetooth headphones, but latency will probably render this solution useless but for the most simple of sound checks. So, for now it seems that this lav for iOS is best paired with the somewhat older iPhones with both a Lightning port and a headphone jack. If you are a smartphone filmmaker, journalist or Vlogger, or if you are a DSLR/mirrorless shooter and suddenly need a third audio track  — and you have a slightly older iOS device — then the Sennheiser ClipMic Digital lav for iOS could be a small, practical yet very high-quality solution to have in your arsenal. The ClipMic Digital is available now for $199/€191. For more information, visit the product page. Do you use your smartphone for any kind of audio-related uses in your productions? Could the Sennheiser ClipMic Digital lav microphone be for you? Let us know in the comments below.

Filmpower — the company behind the popular Nebula gimbals — have announced the new Nebula 5100 Slant 3-axis gimbal, a new line of shotgun microphones and a wireless follow focus system. Nebula 5100 Slant A couple of years ago, the Nebula 4000 from Filmpower was one of the many popular choices among a new breed of affordable 3-axis gimbal stabilisers for DSLRs and mirrorless cameras. A few incarnations later, the Nebula 5100 (covered HERE) offered amazing battery life, time-lapse support, unlimited rotation on all axis and strong encoded motors that needed very little balancing. The newest model, the Nebula 5100 Slant, has already been announced, coming only a few months after the original 5100 and offering some interesting structural improvements. The Slant part of the name refers to the new design of the roll-axis arm, which now sits at a 45-degree angle from the camera rather than totally perpendicular behind the screen. According to Filmpower, not only does this improve the overall rigidity of the unit, but it also allows for a heavier total payload: the 900g Nebula 5100 Slant can take camera systems up to 3.2kg — a whole 700g more than its predecessor. Additionally, the new design allows for a clear view of your camera’s rear LCD monitor for easier use. The Nebula 5100 Slant is available now for $999, and includes a Vono Shotgun Lite microphone described below. Vono Shotgun Microphone Vono Shotgun Lite Filmpower have also announced a shotgun microphone series for DSLR use. The company claims the Vono Shotgun is capable of a achieving stereophonic recording thanks to its two “mutually perpendicular sound heads with double audio frequency”. The Vono is available in two versions. The Vono Shotgun Lite ($60) is a compact version with a 3.5mm connector, and a hot shoe mount that also serves as a housing for the control switches. The Vono Shotgun Pro ($300) on the other hand is a longer microphone that seems to connect via XLR, and comes with a padded hard case. Both mics feature a metal housing with a shock-absorbing design, and come with both a foam and a fluffy wind cover. Vono Shotgun Pro Nebula Focus Filmpower are also releasing a new follow-focus system specially designed to work with gimbal stabilisers. The Nebula Focus is designed to mount on the camera’s hot shoe and directly over the lens, though you can also use it in a more common configuration on rails. The motor enclosure also houses the wireless receiver, making for a 2-in-1 solution that keeps things compact. The Focus also offers ultrasonic distance measurement, with readings appearing instantly on a display on the thumb controller. Filmpower claims this feature may be updated in the future to support auto focus via the unit itself rather than in-camera. The Nebula Focus is available for $650. For more information regarding the new products, visit filmpower.us. Have you used products from Filmpower in the past? Would you recommend them? Let us know in the comments below!

Another smartphone gimbal has hit Kickstarter. The SmoothVu aims to bring you not only stabilisation, but all the other necessary elements to create professional-looking video. At its core, the SmoothVu is a handheld 3-axis gimbal for smartphones and GoPros, just like the dozens of others that have been flooding the crowdfunding arena in recent times. Obvious features include a rechargeable battery that also charges your phone, and a companion app that offers face tracking, 360 Panoramic filming and Time Lapse options. However, the SmoothvVu also doubles up as a teleprompter with a text overlay option when in Selfie mode, making it ideal for scripted walk-and-talks. Nice! The SmoothVu also goes beyond the standard iPhone gimbal in that it also includes a small LED panel that attaches onto the smartphone mount. It is made up of an array of 12 LEDs and is rechargeable via USB, making it portable and low-profile. In terms of audio, the package also includes a little cardioid condenser microphone to capture better quality audio. The included wind cover will make it usable outdoors, and its rotating mount means you can point in just about any direction you need it to. The SmoothVu in all its glory The SmoothVu kit also comes with a portable tripod foot so you can set the gimbal down on the floor or on top of a desk, allowing it to go from locked down to handheld in a single shot without having to change mounts. The kit even includes a set of clip-on wide angle lenses for your smartphone, as well as a handy carrying case. Talk about a complete package! All in all, the SmoothVu seems like a great solution for those wanting to get into smartphone filmmaking. It seems ideal for consumers looking for an all-in-one kit, without having to worry about building their own rig from separate parts. In terms of professional use, this would be perfect for real estate agents wanting to create video tours, and could also prove useful for journalists, although the sound quality of the microphone remains to be seen (or heard!). The expected retail price of the SmoothVu will be $329, but you can get it for almost $100 less if you back its Kickstarter campaign. It will start shipping to Kickstarter backers from July. Let us know what you think of the SmoothVu smartphone gimbal in the comments below!

At NAB we took a closer look at the new Sound Devices MixPre-3 and MixPre-6 audio recorders that double as a usb-interface and bring pro audio to DSLR shooters. The MixPre Series in fact is Sound Devices’ first foray into the DSLR market. Small camera manufacturers tend to treat audio as a bit of an afterthought, but the MixPre promises to solve that with 8 tracks, WAV Poly format recording, high-quality preamps and a maximum sampling rate of 192kHz (MixPre-6). All the details and a full spec comparison below. Sound Devices MixPre Audio Recorders We originally reported on this announcement just before NAB, but thought we would visit the folks over at the Sound Devices booth to take a closer look at their new MixPre Series. Sound Devices MixPre-6 Audio Recorder Designed with small cameras such as the Panasonic GH5 or Sony a7S II in mind, both the Sound Devices MixPre-3 and Sound Devices MixPre-6 have Class-A mic preamps created by Sound Devices engineers. You can also feed timecode using the 3.5mm Aux/Mic in port, making it useful for professional productions where multiple cameras are in play. Here is the intro video to the Sound Devices MixPre series: The Sound Devices MixPre-6 is the larger of the two and features 6 inputs/8 tracks that can record to SD, SDHC or SDXC cards in WAV Poly. The base model (MixPre-3) has 3 inputs/5 tracks and a maximum sampling rate of 96kHZ, versus 192kHz for the larger model. You can power the Sound Devices MixPre series audio recorders a variety of ways: directly from a wall, AAs, via USB, or via a Sony L-Series lithium ion battery. Both models can accept a sled for either 4 or 8 AAs (not included), giving you numerous options when it comes to powering the devices. Below is a full comparison chat from Sound Devices that lays out all of the features in the Sound Devices MixPre-6 and Sound Devices MixPre-3: What do you think? Will the MixPre Series find its way into your kit for your next DSLR production? Let us know below!