US based manufacturer SmallHD make some awesome OLED and IPS monitors, which have been embraced by the filmmaking community. I own a DP4 monitor, which can serve as an EVF with an additional loupe. It’s a neat 4.3 inch monitor, small enough to mount pretty much everywhere on your rig and powered by affordable and readily available Canon LP-E6 batteries, of which I have plenty left from my Canon 7D.
Quite often, on set, it’s the little things that will make your life either hell or a breeze. HDMI protectors come in different variations and from different manufacturers. In the past, we’ve covered the HDMI protector/adapter from Lockport for the GH4, which converts the micro-HDMI port on the GH4 into a full sized HDMI connection, which is more secure than the flimsy micro-HDMI.
SmallHD also makes a very nifty HDMI port protector for the Canon 5D Mark III and Mark II. As we all know, the Mini-HDMI outputs on DSLR’s are a pain to deal with on set, as the HDMI cables can be easily unplugged due to the inherently fragile and flimsy HDMI connection. HDMI is a consumer connection meant to connect small portable consumer cameras to TV sets so one can see photos or videos on a larger monitor.
Professional video cameras feature HD-SDI -a far more robust connection, which includes a locking BNC mechanism so cables cannot get unplugged easily. However, in order to keep costs down and cables more affordable, camera manufacturers lean towards either a Mini or Micro-HDMI connection for DSLR’s or Mirrorless cameras.
Some quick specs on the SmallHD HDMI Port Protector for the Canon 5D Mark II/III:
- Patent Pending Design
- Specifically designed for Canon 5D Mark III
- Fast Installation
- Does not require use of 5D’s ¼-20 mounting point (unlike other protectors)
- Does not block other ports on 5D
- Incredibly light weight < 1oz
- Protects HDMI port from every angle (left, right, up, down, in & out)
- Protects from bumps/knocks on the connector
- Protects from harsh cable tugs
- Locks HDMI cable in place (Keeps monitor from losing signal)
- Locks USB cable in place
- Designed specifically for use with SmallHD mini-HDMI cable (INCLUDED)
- SmallHD mini-HDMI cable
- This product can not be used while using the Canon battery grip.
- Do Not Attach Camera neck strap to port protector in any way.
The HDMI Port protector from SmallHD is an affordable solution at only $49.99 which also includes a 1.5 foot HDMI cable from SmallHD. See the install guide they provided below.
SmallHD Canon 5D Mark III HDMI Port protector Install Guide:
Speaking of protecting your gear, another piece of equipment often necessary to rig your DSLR is a cage. The folks at Movcam are know for making high quality cages and rigs for all sorts of cameras such as the Canon C300, Kinefinity’s KineRAW S35, Red EPIC, the Sony FS700/F5 and others.
Recently, Dan Chung from newsshooter.com reviewed a per-production version their latest cage for the Sony A7s and he was quite impressed by the design, build quality and functionality. Similar cages for other cameras (and some for the A7s) have some inherent design flaws such as covering the hot-shoe on top for example. For other cameras, this may not be an issue, but the hot-shoe on the A7s can serve as a hot connection for the Sony XLR-K1M unit providing power and audio to the camera. So by having a cut-out on the cage for the hot-shoe above is a really useful solution.
Photo by Dan Chung
Check out Dan Chung’s review of the Movcam Sony A7s cage below and for more info read the full article here.
[via Cinescopophilia & Newsshooter.com]
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