How To Light Paint With A Digital Camera

Most everyone has a digital camera, but the general user does not know all of the capibilities that it has. Even really cheap and inexpensive digital cameras can offer fun and interesting effects when looked into. The Canon Powershot ELPH 300HS is a very average camera that has a huge userbase, but what most people do not know about this camera is that it has the ability to have a slower shutter speed, and any digital camera or DSLR that has the option to slow the shutter speed can offer the person using it some really neat effects. One of the main things that I use a slow shutter speed for is light painting, and this is how I do it.

So as you can see, it doesn't take a really expensive camera for a person to be able to enjoy it's features. Look at your cameras menus and features and take full advantage of them.

[Review] Crumpler 3000 Compact Systems Camera Bag

I always enjoy a good camera bag, something that can protect my equipment and still look stylish and descrete. The Crumpler 3000 compact systems camera bag does just that, it keeps your camera equipment well protected, whilst keeping it stylish and descrete when out and about.

Upon opening the bad you are greeted to a lot of room inside for your CS Camera, including the Sony Nex-5 and Olympus Pen range. Also inside the bad are compartments for memory cards and a mesh pocket you can use to store backup batteries, flash units and filters inside. In terms of room I was able to fit my Sony Nex-5 with its 18-55 lens attached, and my Sunglasses case and a couple other things inside the main compartment, along with my spare batteries and lens filters inside the mesh compartment.

The bag doesn't leave too much room, but does keep your items secure, with a separater in the middle that can be adjusted to suit your cameras size. In terms of carry-ability, the bag can sometimes feel like its slipping off your shoulder, this may be because I choose not to use the included shoulder strap cover, but the bag does stay on the shoulder, even when moving about a lot with the intention of making it fall off.

The positives:

• Stylish design with minimal company advertiting
• Well secured with Velcro/buckle clip
• contrasting colours (Black outer, Green inner)
• Good storage inside
• Movable compartment splitter
• lightweight yet protective.

The negatives:

• Mesh can sometimes feel a little weak
• Could be shipped with a second compartment splitter
• Front flap could have more pockets

Apart from the negatives listed above, I really don't have anymore negatives with this bag. For short trips its perfect for its purpose, and saves carrying a big camera bag around with you.

The Crumpler 3000 Compact Systems Camera Bag can be purchased from Love Cases in the UK, where you can find many cases for cameras, and cases specifically for the Sony Nex-5, which I used in this review.

My Secret to FCPX Color Grading - Magic Bullets Mojo

On a regular basis, viewers tend to ask me how I edit my videos to be so colorful. Well, it's no secret that I use Final Cut Pro X as my main video editor. My secret weapon, however, is a plugin called Magic Bullets Mojo. Watch for examples of color correction and how I use this color correction software to my advantage!



Magic Bullets can be downloaded here: http://www.redgiantsoftware.com/products/all/mojo/

Red Giant is most well known for their full version of Magic Bullets that often plugins into major applications like Adobe Premiere or Adobe After Effects. Magic Bullets Mojo is a dialed down version of the application, giving you addition Final Cut Pro X Effects to add more in depth color grading to your video. While there isn't much wiggle room beyond the effects, you can adjust each color correction to your liking using a variety of sliders. At the price point of $49.99, I think this plugin is a must for any amateur/intermediate YouTuber, videographer or filmmaker using the latest version of Apple's Final Cut software!

Any questions are welcomed in the comments below. Thank you for watching/commenting/rating/subscribing! You guys rock!

Update on Aug 26, 2012 at 1:36 PM by Sean Boughner

Red Giant Software also make Trapcode Soundkeys; which is a great plug-in for working with audio and adjusting levels in your compositions. There is a great lesson on CreativeCow.net on how to work with Trapcode Soundkeys by Aharon Rabinowitz.

http://library.creativecow.net/articles/rabinowitz_aharon/waveform_1.php

Review: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Lens - Test Images/Video

At a price point of around $100, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 prime lens is on the radar of many new DSLR owners. I decided to get my hands on one six months ago and I haven't regretted it for a minute. Listen in on my thoughts paired with some test photos/video to help you decide if this lens is right for you!



As seen in the test footage, this lens performs beautifully in low light situations. This lens also gives your shots a very cinematic look with dramatic depth of field at the 1.8 aperture setting. I highly recommend this lens for any and all DSLR owners due to it's affordable price and impressive image quality. The plastic body is a sacrifice when mounted to a sturdy DSLR camera. You will never want to use your kit lens again! Except for vlogging, as mentioned in this video... ;)

Thanks for watching/commenting/subscribing! You guys rock! Any questions are welcomed in the comments below.

Olympus SP-800UZ

Pros: 2GB of built-in storage; one-touch movie recording; full, searchable user manual stored in camera. It is very accurate if you have a tripod and it records in HD VIDEO. Good lens, very user friendly. Very good price-tag for what it gives to the user.

Cons: Soft, noisy photos above ISO 200; long shutter lag; ineffective image stabilization; no electronic viewfinder; poor battery life.

Conclusion: If you care more about having a long lens at a low price than photo quality or manual controls, the Olympus SP-800UZ is an option. All and all, it’s a great piece of kit, and I have been using it to make youtube videos. (youtube.com/rvgilder)