Here’s a new, extremely full-featured follow focus from Redrock Micro.  The microFollowFocus | blue Studio is the professional upgrade to the microFollowFocus version 2.  The design is generally the same, but is slimmer, and now includes two adjustable hard stops that can be used to set close focus and infinity so that you don’t pull past either of these on still lenses, which spin infinitely.  This ensures that your focus marks will stay in the same place from take to take.  You can also adjust the backlash and drag on this version so that you get the feel and performance that you want out of the device.  The gearbox is also flippable so that it can sit at the front or rear of the follow focus and fits even the shortest lens.  

At any time you can also add on a second focus wheel to the dumb side of camera, making the follow focus suitable for studio setups.  Alternatively, there is a non-studio version which does not include the second focus wheel extension.  This is a definitely upgrade in terms of finish and features for Redrock users out there, and is an excellent follow focus for those looking to buildout their camera kit for a studio setup at a reasonable price point.  Head over to Redrock Micro to learn more.

Above you can see the MicroFollowFocus | blue Studio on our C300 rig.  The camera is cheating toward the dumb side, where you have a better view of the additional focus wheel that can be used by your first AC.  That additional length ensures that your AC can stand slightly back from the camera so as not to get into the operator’s way.  Other gear in this rig includes the ultraCage | blue for C300 (which you can read about here), the ultraCage backPack with a gold mount for Anton Bauer Dionic HC batteries, and the brand new OConnor 1030D fluid head, which is an update of the OConnor 1030HD that I had been using previously.

Tonight GoPro released the specs for its HD Hero 3 which introduces 4K imaging to the tiny, wearable camera. (Note: The camera shoots 4K at a max of 12-15fps [depending on the aspect ratio selected], and 2.7K at 30 fps [the bump in resolution will help nicely for stabilization].)

One of the things I’d like to mention about GoPro in general is how they have fundamentally changed the public’s relationship with cameras.  Prior to this little camera appearing on the market, I remember a time where people were usually more focused on how to properly use a camera – or more to the point on how to figure out the manual and settings.    While the overly simplified initial LCD menus of the GoPro could in themselves be a bit of a juggernaut in their own right, what I’ve seen happen is something that I think is very much worth noting:    

Other than the smartphone, and notably the iPhone,  I’m not sure any single camera in the past decade has had more of an impact on how the average user interacts with their cameras.   The trick?   Well it’s actually a series of very important things packaged together just right…

First the experience:  Basically: point or mount then hit record or the shutter button, most users have chosen to focus more on their experiences, then the PROCESS of making an image or a video.   And I think that’s genius.  

There will always be a need and room for craft, lens selection, exposure decisions, shooting angle, camera movement etc. AND NECESSARILY SO!   But for most of th public out there (and many pros!), the GoPro is the perfect introduction to the value of simply capturing a moment – AND ENJOYING THE MOMENT rather than being stressed about framing, sharpness, focus distance etc.  let alone worrying about damaging the camera or having it stolen…

Then there’s the rest of the genius:  incredibly affordable (if you lose/break it – you may cry, but not as much as if you lost a 5D MKII with a 24~70mm 2.8…)   Size – so small you can wear one, two or even ten of them on your body.   In some ways I think GoPro introduced the concept of coverage or multi-cam to many average people – without them ever even knowing about it.   And lastly – the waterproof housing and mounts.    Go Scuba diving, kayaking, jump out of a plane, mount in on your car hood, motorcycle or bicycle helmet – we’ve all seen it done.

Until the release of the GoPro Hero (1) – the prosumer end of the market had products that were riddled with numerous buttons, menu settings, and technical jargon that average person was simply not familiar with – and it frankly stood in the way of many people getting into it…   The GoPro simplified all of that and has also become a standard tool on a huge number of top television shows and productions around the world.   Nothing about this camera impedes the user from experiencing something, and it allows them to capture the entire experience so they can revisit it later or share it with friends.

So in some ways, this is the most groundbreaking camera technology to come out in recent years, and that is likely all too often overlooked.  It is suited and built for an age where everyone is recording everything all the time and wants to effortlessly share it with others – not necessarily share an image with a note on their lens choice…   

Now the GoPro has released the third generation of its Hero camera – and the specs are pretty impressive.  The new camera has undergone a redesign which is 30% smaller and 25% lighter than its predecessor.  Once again, they have improved the sharpness of the lens, and claim to have doubled the low light performance (with the black edition model), as well as improved the sound recording so that it captures more "natural" audio (for things such as conversations), while still having a built in limiter that stifles wind noise at high speeds.  On top of that the camera has WiFi built in as a standard.  

There are three versions of the camera – White, Silver, and Black – which all include the improvements listed above.  In terms of frame rates and resolution, the White ($199) and Silver ($299) versions, are similar to the specs on the Hero and Hero 2, respectively.  The top end version of this camera is the Black Edition – which has a MSRP of $399 and boasts the following resolutions and frame rates: 4K @ 15fps; 2.7K @ 24, 25, 30fps; 1080p @ 60, 50, 48, 30, 25, 24fps; 720p @ 120, 100, 60, 50fps.  So not only is this camera capable of 4K imaging, it is also capable of 2.5x slow motion in full HD.  This version also comes with a wifi remote that can control the camera.  The WiFi also enables you to stream images to your mobile devices (Apple currently supported, Android coming soon) and after using the WIFI on a shoot just this past week I can state:  once you use it on your iPhone/iPad:  you’ll NEVER GO BACK… (do keep in mind there is a 3-6 or so second delay between what you are shooting and when you see it on your device.)   Also note: GoPro recently announced Protune feature – which is a firmware update for the Hero2 and included in the Hero3 – that allows for 24p, a neutral color profile,  and a 35Mbps data rate (vs the previous rate in the teens) which means you will get a much cleaner image (a lot less compression artifacting.)

Check out the below video to see how I have used my GoPro’s over the past few months (I keep them on me on almost all of my shoots).   While I’ve definitely used them on commercials (see below)  and numerous shoots – I love these because I can mount a few in several locations and then let them roll – or "fire and forget" as I like to refer to it – and just focus on the actual activity I’m shooting or experiencing.  

I Can’t wait to get one of the Hero 3s to go out and shoot with (I did get to play with one tonight in San Francisco.)

 Below is a Mountain Dew commercial I shot – you’ll notice the GoPro was mounted to the bottles for several of the shots.

There are very few gadgets out there that I can honestly say are "must haves" for just about every road warrior out there… but I think I may just have found one.

For every photo/video enthusiast, photographer, filmmaker, line-producer, musician, time lapse photographer, audio-engineering computer geek…. anyone who likes to always be on the road and on the go, ONE thing always seems to stand in the way of true freedom out on the road: PORTABLE POWER.

And I think I just found the ultimate gadget to finally say goodbye to limitation: the Freedom-1 Portable AC Power Solution battery pack.  You can carry an AC outlet with you wherever you go!

Say goodbye to those cigarette plug power adapters that constantly switch off, USB cigarette adapters & the spaghetti of power cords… this is one tight little package with impressive performance, designed to produce ultra clean AC power (i.e., for high-end electronics and photographic gear). No more running around to find power outlets, waiting endlessly for them to charge, or deciding which one to charge 😉

So, what can you do with the Freedom-1?

Well to start with, it makes charging accessories a cinch – but it will also make working with computers, video lights, and cameras on the road (and remaining cordless) a breeze…

Keep in mind that this unit has three 3-prong standard AC outlets, which can power just about anything—including a wide array of digital and cine equipment that can run off of this fully self-contained AC power source. It’s best to choose equipment that is already energy efficient (e.g., drawing up to say 200 Watts). The unit itself is relatively small and lightweight – weighing in at 12.3 lbs (5.5 kgs) with its removable F1 Power Module. Its smaller and far lighter than a standard car battery.

Have you ever needed to light your run-and-gun production, but you simply don’t have access to AC power outlets or generators?  

Well, I was able to power a Litepanels Sola 6 LED, which outputs the equivalent of a 350 Watt HMI for 54 minutes off of one F1 Power Module. The swappable F1 Power Modules are rated to provide power for approximately one hour with a unit drawing a full 100 Watts continuously.  With the Sola 6’s 104W draw, the math proves true. I’ve also been able to power one of the new iMacs for well over two hours (depending on CPU, HD performance of course) and to charge my battery units – be it Anton Bauers Dionics, RED Epic, Canon 5D MKIII, iPhone, iPad – you name it – at approximately the same rate they would charge off of a regular outlet (but while on a plane or in a car.)  

This opens up a whole new series of opportunities for powering an entire kit of LED 1X1 Litepanels, Sola ENGs, or Joker 200 HMIs  (the latter can be powered for 30 minutes per every Power Module or more, depending on your power settings.)  

The Freedom-1 will also prove to be a darling for DITs (Digital Imaging Technicians) out in the field who are working off raided drives, laptops and iMacs off of their cart and want to stay mobile. I know that when we shot "Epic 308" and drove in an RV for a week around the Californian coast – we were forced to use our RV’s generator (even while driving) for hours upon hours to power up our laptops, raided drives, camera chargers, and phones – which was extremely noisy and costly in terms of fuel and environmental impact. I would have LOVED to have this unit (or several of them to be honest) back then.   

Also if you like to surf the web all day in your car, in your RV/camper or any place without an outlet – my 11" MacBook Air lasted a full 8 hours – to the minute – while looping Tom Lowe’s Timescapes video at 1080p in video non-stop via Apple’s Quicktime player (while starting off of a full battery.) That means that one of the swappable Power Module units added an additional 4 hours and 39 minutes to the internal battery’s performance. With a second battery you can go for more than 12 hours…Oh and did I mention this unit is completely silent if you’re running less than a 200 Watt power load?  No more fans, buzzing etc. – in other words a really nice kit to have on set when you’re recording audio.

This is the perfect unit for running your reference monitor on set (wirelessly) as well as powering your lighting kit and/or camera kit.

For example, The 11" MacBook Air draws an average of 13-25 Watts, while the power hungry MacBook Pro 15" Retina lingers closer to 90 Watts when chugging through files (the range is between 25-90 Watts). Keep in mind that the power-hungry MacBook Pro 15" Retina can’t be powered by most airline seats that I’ve been on so far…)

As far as iPhones and iPads – this unit powers your devices up at just about the same pace as a standard outlet – it powered a dead iPhone 4s from 0% to 33% power in 29 minutes, 50% in 41 minutes, 75% in 65 minutes, and 100% in a little over 90 minutes.  The Freedom-1 easily powered up a MacBook Pro 15" Retina, an iPhone, and iPad 2 to nearly full power in under two hours (the Retina drew most of the power from the unit.)

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