The folks at edelkrone® have sure made a splash in the short time they’ve been around and they’ve just announced a new line of rigs called the ‘modula’ as well as a new follow focus that looks pretty versatile. The new rig is called the modula one – they’ve got quite a bit of options and you can see them on their site.

The edelkrone announcement

(click on the image to visit their full announcement – it is really much bigger than this!)

edelkrone modula and follow focus announcement

Modula One

edelkrone new modula one - click to visit their site to see complete details

edelkrone® Follow Focus

edelkrone® follow focus is a complete new design from the ground up. With this new approach many firsts have been achieved. The unique design gives a much better user experience and delivers a fluid workflow, ease of use, faster lens changing, better and more ergonomic handling.

edelkrone® Follow Focus

edelkrone® follow focus lower focus wheel

edelkrone® follow focus angles

Blogger’s Disclaimer: edelkrone is not a planet5D sponsor, but we’ll print all sorts of HDSLR related news – just let us know!

(cover photo credit: snap from the announcement)

Handyfilmtools is changing their name to edelkrone and in this video, they show a wide range of new products and video rigs they’ll be showing off at NAB. There has been some discussion on the planet5D forums about the Handy Base.X rigs if you happened to see that.

It appears this new gear will be available starting in May 2011.

planet5D reader Furinox sent us this news – thanks!

new gear demos!

edelkrone products for NAB2011 from Kadir Köymen on Vimeo.

come and see our new line of products at NAB2011 show at Las Vegas

This looks pretty impressive – we’ll certainly be looking them up at NAB next week! What do you think?

(cover photo credit: snap from the video)

We had a chat with Dennis Woods from Cinevate about the Proteus Simplis rig system they announced the other day (see this post for the info). If you have any interest in knowing more about this new HDSLR rig, I think you’ll find your answers in this 30+ minute interview. Of course, it is also available on the planet5D iTunes podcast channel if you want to watch it on the train on the way to work.

Our thanks to Dennis for spending the time getting things set up for this interview!

(cover photo credit: snap from the video)

Cinevate announced a new HDSLR rig called the Cinevate Simplis that appears to be light and compact but yet also has several configuration options – including a mount for their Cyclops viewfinder, grips, rails kit, shoulder mount as well as counterbalance. This could be an interesting rig!

Cinevate Simplis info

The Proteus Simplis DSLR Rig is the solution for anyone needing a lightweight, “run and gun” support rig. Incorporating a revolutionary system that allows a filmmaker the unique ability to customize and scale their rig as desired, Simplis is ideal for any filmmaker seeking a versatile, modular and upgradeable DSLR Support System.

Simplis Solo – DSLR Rig includes:

• Simplis Quick Release Plate
• Articulating ¼-20 Hand Grip
• Shoulder Stock
• 3 lengths of Shoulder Stock Rods

cinevate simplis rig with Canon and cyclops

Cinevate promo video

Cinevate’s Simplis DSLR Rig from Cinevate on Vimeo.

Introducing the Proteus Simplis DSLR Rig. This rig embodies simplicity and scaleability. At it’s core it is the foundation for countless, customized DSLR rig configurations.

It is the dslr rig that covers the complete spectrum of shooting styles and skill levels.

For more info visit cinevate.com/​simplis

This piece was shot/edited by our good friends at Imaginarium Studio. imaginariumvideo.com

(cover photo credit: snap from the Cinevate Simplis site)

We just found this wonderful interview on Vincent Laforet’s blog where Vincent and Illya Friedman (Hot Rod Cameras) discuss just about everything you wanted to know about using ‘cinema’ lenses (those with PL mounts) on the Canon HDSLRs (like the Canon EOS 7D (reviews)). Very interesting for anyone wanting to know more about PL mounts and cinema lenses.

Thinking of Modifying your HDDSLR to a PL Mount? from Vincent Laforet on Vimeo.

Here’s a great discussion with Illya Friedman, owner of Hot Rod Cameras, a company that is doing some very interesting things to Canon HDDSLR’s – notably: modifying them to support PL lenses.

[Source: original post where I found this was DVculture - but it looks like they may have found it on Vincent's blog]

(Photo credit: snap from the video)

This one has gotten a lot of attention for its simplicity and uniqueness and it was sent in by several readers – it is a DSLR rig made of wood! It is beautifully crafted and seems to work, but it does have some drawbacks. You can see more about it on their site.

DIY DSLR Wooden Shoulder Rig from Jonathan Clifford Bergqvist on Vimeo.

A wooden shoulder rig for a DSLR videographer. Two handlebars, one can change the focus.

For more info please go here:
http://athan.se/diy-shoulder-rig/

They also made a sample video:

Shoulder rig test from Jonathan Clifford Bergqvist on Vimeo.

Not so much a stability test, more on focus-handling so its recorded in slow motion to study how smooth the focus goes. As you can see, sometimes its a bit stuttery.. Probably because of the short distance one has to move the handle for it to change focus spot from one to another. If we could do the focusing distance a bit longer with the handle, it could minimize ugly stutter.

Please watch it in HD if possible. (aliasing is wonderful isn’t it?;)

(Photo credit: snap from the images on their site)

We met up with Clint Milby from ikan (one of our planet5D sponsors) at the ikan booth during NAB 2010 – and we got a lot of info from him about their latest equipment for rigging called “Elements”. “Designed with you in mind, the Elements line is everything you love about camera support, only lighter, smaller and simplified. With the Elements, you aren’t bound to someone else’s vision. You can customize your camera rig exactly the way you want it. At ikan, we understand one size does not fit all in regards to camera rigs or operators. We created the Elements to be customizable in an infinite number of ways so you get the features you need at the price you want.”

It was great to finally meet Clint as we’d swapped so many emails and he’s been so helpful to planet5D. Here’s the interview:

(Photo credit: snap from the the ikan page for elements)

We found this one on twitter somewhere last night – it was originally posted on this thread at cinema5d. Looks like it might be hard to walk behind, but the video coming out the front end is darn impressive. My teenage daughter was most intrigued by the probable reaction of this guy’s daughters… “Dad, don’t make one of those and wear it around me… OK?” she pleaded – HA – sounds like a great idea now! (shhh – don’t tell her I mentioned her in the blog ok?)

Marrakech.Travel from Julien Widmer on Vimeo.

Shot with 5D mark 2 in Marrakech, Morocco

Music by Nikkfurie / La Caution “thé à la menthe”

This Showreel regroup 34 different films, in “first-person” point of view, for the interactive visit of marrakech on www.marrakech.travel

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Montage extrait de 34 films tournés en vue subjective pour la visite interactive de marrakech sur le site www.marrakech.travel

See more images and discussion at cinema5d. If you’re wondering, he used a Panasonic FT-1 for the water shots (not the 5D2).

(Photo credit: snap from the video)

Yesterday, we posted about the Canon EOS 5D Mark II Helmet Cam reported to us by Rodney Charters (Director of Photography (DP) on the FOX TV series 24 – IMDB profile) and it has gotten a lot of attention! This morning, we found out how the helmet cam was really used – to promote the new movie “Terminator Salvation“!

We got to talk to Shane Hurlbut (imdb profile) – the Director of Photography on the movie “Terminator Salvation” who sent us this information:

“Shane Hurlbut, ASC designed the helmet mount for the Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera for 9 “Terminator:Salvation” webisodes that were part of the interactive marketing campaign for the movie. The webisodes were produced by Bandito Brothers, Warner Brothers and Wonderland Sound and Vision. The greatest benefit of the helmet mounted camera design is the small size, lighter lenses and the ability to capture the action in new and unique ways with amazing depth and sharpness.

Shane also used the helmet mount for the Canon 5D Mark II to film a roller coaster ride experience video for the “Terminator:Salvation” ride at 6 Flags Magic Mountain starring Moon Bloodgood and Common. The video was produced by Halcyon, Bandito Brothers and 6 Flags Corporation. It was designed to capture action shots from the first person perspective and create an intimacy to make you feel like you are in the middle of the action. (Editors note: here’s the Six Flags page for the ride – watch the video!)

Currently, Shane is filming “I Am That Man” directed by Scotty Waugh and Mike McCoy for Bandito Brothers, Legendary Pictures and Warner Brothers. He is using the Canon 5D Mark II camera in combination with traditional film cameras to capture the unique, undercover operations of the Navy Seals.”

Here’s an episode from the interactive website resistorbeterminated where the webisodes are posted.

planet5D thanks Shane for helping us understand more about the helmet mount!

UPDATE: 1pm Shane provides this additional tidbit:
“The helmet in the picture is a Tony Lee Carbon Fiber. It is the lightest helmet out there. We are doing upgrades to this technology weekly as we discover things while we are shooting.”

Ok, I’ve ignored this issue for a few days wondering if it was really really isolated, and after a few days, more than a couple have reported this, so in order to investigate the issue, I’m reporting it. I don’t think it is something to start a panic over, but it seems that it should at least be exposed to a wide audience to see if there are hidden cases that aren’t being reported.

Have a tip, a video, or a Canon 5D2 product to announce? Give us a shout

Several days ago, posts on twitter and a post on the Photography Show blog (by Gavin Seim) appeared asking if anyone had an incident where their lens had fallen off of a Canon 5D mk ii. Here’s a quote from the blog:

“Those who listen to the PPS podcast are aware that I recently sent my brand new 24-70 2.8 L lens to Canon for repair because it fell off my 5D MK2. I love my MK2, but I was on the dance floor at a wedding happily shooting away and next thing I know my twelve hundred dollar lens is rolling on the floor. Pretty disconcerting.

There’s was that chilling intake of breath from the crowd, that most of us who have publicly dropped a piece of gear are all to familiar with. Like any pro, I kicked the lens off the dance floor with disdain, while casually saying. “Heck that old thing. I have a whole case of them in the car”. OK seriously though, I kept cool and finished the wedding just fine. If you want to hear about that listen to PPS podcast #58.

Naturally Canon treated the situation as if I’d dropped the lens outright and the the repair cost me about $200. Not a huge deal. I figured perhaps I somehow hit the release button. Then I got to thinking. Should that happen since you we you have to to rotate a lens with some pressure to take it off. Probably most people thought I was being clumsy and did something wrong. I was using the camera quite normally however.

I was about to let it go when I found I’m not the only one this is happening to. Seems that there’s various reports coming in about lenses falling off the MK2. More all the time. So I decided to write this post to talk about this. Does this happen commonly? How about on other cameras besides the MK2. Do Nikon’s ever have this issue?”

It is a legit concern if people are having a problem and so I’m trying to spread the question. I don’t agree with the tone of some of the replies in that blog (read the comments)… some are making it sound like a huge issue and that everyone is having a problem.

The lens mount is a twist mechanism with a lock at the end of the twist. Obviously Canon has been making these for maybe a decade and I can’t imagine how there’d be a flaw in the 5D mk ii, but it is possible. After reading some of the posts, I spent a few minutes trying to abuse my 24-105 on my 5D mk ii and I couldn’t even force it to come loose with some vigorous shaking. Even pushing in the lens release button and letting it go (without twisting the lens to begin to remove it) would not make the lens come loose. But maybe that does happen in the case of these other users? Has it happened on other Canon bodies?

Sound off over in Gavin’s thread (best to keep everything together).