IGUS Drylin Camera Slider Video Test Review

The eleven hundred dollar price tag derailed my temptation of the Philip Bloom Signature Edition Pocket Dolly by Kessler. Believe me, you get what you pay for in this day of age. His cinematic tool looks like a fabulous piece of machinery but a little steep in the wallet for most. A quick Google search came up with an unusual result. A German industrial manufacturer specializing in mechanical systems with polymer bearing technology called IGUS. Confused?



I did not believe this at first but a quick search of IGUS on Amazon.com came up with a surprising affordable camera slider solution. For one hundred and fifty dollars, you get a precision Drylin bearing slider on a four inch by three feet piece of metal rail. The IGUS W1080-B with pre drilled holes to be exact.



A Manfrotto 701 HDV fluid head and Benro Carbon Fiber legs from my friends at North Tampa Photography plus a quick trip to the local hardware store, you can be setup very quickly for your next cinematic masterpiece. Well, I would not call my quick holiday weekend production shoot at Hermano Family Dentistry anything but epic. Dental eye candy fits the description better.



I used a Canon EOS 1D Mark IV with EF 85mm f/1.2L, EF 35mm f/1.4L and the EF 17-40mm f/4L lenses. I paired the camera with the Sennheiser MKE 400 microphone for audio and used a Manfrotto 501 HDV fluid head for my other shots. The wonderful behind the scene photographs are provided by the "Time Lapse Guru", Getawaymoments.




The IGUS Drylin Camera Slider W1080-B is the perfect size to handle the heft of the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV with a large lens with no problem. Anything heavier on either ends of the rail can be solved by a two tripod system. For even a lighter rig, you can support one end with full size legs and the other end with a monopod.



The IGUS Drylin Camera Slider Video Test was an astounding success. This great value for the money cinematic tool provided an invaluable element to this production. This unbeatable combination from IGUS paired with an HD Dslr is a "must have" especially compared to the more expensive Philip Bloom Signature Pocket Dolly. You will be seeing more of the IGUS Drylin Camera Slider in my future productions.

IGUS Drylin Camera Slider Preview

I would like to introduce my upcoming HDdslr video test with the IGUS Drylin W Camera Slider with much anticipation. No, it did not come out of the box assembled as you see in the iPhone 4 picture but with a fluid video head, tripod legs and a quick trip to Home Depot, you can be setup very quickly.



I have a small video production shoot this weekend and I thought this would a great test bed for this neat little rig. Of course, I will have the video, production shots and a brief review of the IGUS Drylin Camera Slider very soon after. Stay updated on my Facebook Fanpage and Twitter!

Kodak Playsport Zx3 Video Test

My mini-clone son prompted me with a question during my daughter's 8th birthday party the other weekend. "Can you take a picture of me swimming?", he said with a smile. With that in mind, I went on a quest to find a practical underwater camera. Practical means inexpensive and good image quality in my opinion. A quick "Google Search" came up with a pricey Flip Mino HD, Go Pro Hero HD, Sanyo Xacti HD and other proprietary underwater housings for brand specific cameras. One camera that stood out of the "pocket camera" search was the Kodak Playsport Zx3 priced around $129 dollars.



The features of the Kodak Playsport Zx3 fit my Canon HD workflow very well. 1080p full HD video at 30 fps with a H264 video codec. The resolution matches my Canon HD DSLR format and the H264 codec matches my Final Cut Pro and iMovie'09 editing workflow. In addition, the Kodak features a 5 megapixel camera, a SDHC memory card slot with a capacity to 32gb, a removable lithium ion battery and a mini HDMI port to plug in the supplied HDMI cable for full HD resolution playback. All this for $129 dollars !!!



Now for the practical field test of the touted features of the Kodak Playsport Zx3 with my son at the swimming pool. The 10 feet depth limit of the Kodak restricts any deep sea diving but for all realistic purposes such as snorkeling and pool activities, the 10 foot depth is sufficient. I will look for video and image quality as well as ease of use underwater during this Kodak Playsport Zx3 video test and review.



The underwater resolution for such a small camera is remarkable. I did not expect Canon "L" glass resolution underwater but the color and sharpness held up well for a little camera. I edited the H264 footage with iMovie'09 with no problem. The footage played smoothly and exported the sequence with Quicktime. The camera's automatic exposure and shutter kept the video image stable and not "hunting" for proper exposure levels.



The 5 megapixel still camera function is convenient but not spectacular. Underwater images are prone to camera and subject blur followed by horrible dynamic range. Lack of shadow detail and extreme contrast made it difficult to get a decent still image. You have to take in consideration underwater conditions are not ideal for outstanding portraits. So, I took the camera above the surface for the land dweller video and image test.



All I have to say is keep the camera underwater after seeing this picture. My son handled the Kodak very well with simple push button ergonomics. Just like underwater still image quality, the above surface quality suffered the same demise. Horrible lack of detail and extreme contrast plagued outdoor image quality. My iPhone 4 takes better pictures in comparison. In my opinion, keep the camera in video mode and save yourself some grief.



Now for the drawbacks. The LCD view screen is unwatchable in direct sunlight above and below the water without using your hand as a makeshift viewfinder shade. I had to point in the general direction of my son swimming on occasion because the LCD screen was overwhelmed by glare. The lens has a fixed focusing distance of at least 3.5 feet. Keeping your distance is critical for sharp pictures and video. The battery life during my video and picture test lasted only 40 minutes before my battery level indicated red. My 16gb SDHC card at full 1080p resolution had over 3 hours of record time and over 999 still image capacity. So your battery will be exhausted before your card fills up. Light sensitivity of the Kodak requires an extreme amount of light for a decent picture. Mid day sun is ideal for proper exposure but not for flattering portraits.



Despite the drawbacks, the Kodak Playsport is the best bang for the buck for 1080p underwater video that uses H264 compression. In addition, you get a multitude of accessories included like a mini-HDMI cable, a USB charger and a AV composite cable to export to analog devices. This Kodak Playsport Zx3 will definitely be in my camera bag for my underwater outings.

You can view more in my Kodak Playsport Zx3 Video and Image Gallery.