LitePanels Micro Is A Perfect Fit For Your Canon’s Hotshoe
Although the light on my Canon HV20 is quite powerful and actually quite gentle on my batteries the biggest design problem I have encountered is that putting Canon’s own wide-angle lens on the camera obstructs more than half the light and makes them impossible to use together effectively.
A company based out of Van Nuys called LitePanels has come to the rescue. I was able to stop by their booth at the NAB show this year and check out their latest offering – a perfect little dream of a unit called the Micro – that, like the Rode VideoMic feels like it was made especially for us.
Created in response to the overwhelming popularity of the MiniPlus the Micro harnesses the company’s ultra-efficient LED technology in a lightweight package. Ideal for any camcorder with a standard size hotshoe camcorder (like any of the Canon Vixia cameras or HD video DSLRs like the Rebel or 5D MK II) it mounts unobtrusively on top of the camera to provide soft, directional lighting.
Weighing less than 4 oz. (.11kg) and measuring 3.3″x 3.3″ x 1.5″ (83.8mm x 83.8mm x 38.1mm), Litepanels Micro produces 1.5 hours of continuous output from four on-board AA batteries (either standard or rechargeable). Or power can be supplied through a convenient 5-14V input jack located on the back of the unit.
In addition to the fact it has a standard hotshoe mount, the unique design of the mount features an adjustable tilt mechanism to allow for multiple mounting configurations. Additionally, an integrated on/off/dimmer dial conveniently facilitates smooth and instant 100%-0 dimming. Awesome!
The unit also features a flip-down filter holder for use with the system’s color/diffusion gel filters. Three filters are included: soft diffusion, 3200º tungsten conversion, and 1/4 warming (CTO) which means you can match daylight or indoor tungsten lighting with this little beauty.
For more information, contact your favorite dealer or Litepanels, Inc. at their excellent, informative website: www.litepanels.com
Top Cinematographer, Indie Guru Praise and Critique Canon’s HD Video DSLR
I was fortunate enough to attend the second year of a panel at the National Association of Broadcasters Convention in Las Vegas this week where Director of Photography Rodney Charters (24, Dollhouse) and Stu Maschwitz (co-founder of The Orphanage, blogs at ProLost.com) spoke about shooting a million dollar feature on a thousand dollar budget. The panel was moderated by Brian Valente, partner of Redrock Microsystems, LLC who specialize in anachromatic lens adapters for camcorders like the Canon HV20 and HV30.
Both panelists lauded the new HD Video /DSLR camera – the Canon 5D MK II for its “why didn’t they think of that before” adoption of HD video capabilities in a unit that inherently features a larger optics chip and shallow depth of field – in addition to the ability to use Canon or (with the right adapter) Nikon optics via pro lenses – something only possible before with lens adapters that run over a grand in themselves (from such companies as Redrock Micro).
The only gripe? The camera, in its present incarnation does not support 24p – shooting instead at 30P. Also, they 
both begged for more manual control – as of now, one has to do a “Nikon Lens Trick” in the vein of the olde Cell Phone Trick for the HV20 – the Nikon trick involves using a Nikon adapter half-screwed on to pull off some important manual adjustments.
I will be stopping by the Canon pavilion here at NAB 2009 to ask about any developments in the direction of a 5D MK IIa or MK III…
If you have any questions you would like me to ask, shout at me in reply to this post or on Twitter @ConstantChange
Comparison of the Canon HV20 to the HV30 cameras
Author: Hamid Hameed
HV30 is the replacement model for the much celebrated HV20. The list of upgrades includes a 30fps frame mode (in addition to 24p and 60i), an better zoom toggle, an improved LCD, and a black paint job.
The lens has a 43mm filter diameter to accommodate that killer fish-eye or telephoto lens hat will do an admirable job of capturing images. An automatic lens enclosure engages when the HV30 is turned on or off. To the left of the lens is a vertical panel containing a built-in flash, Instant AF sensor, and LED video light. Toward the rear are two switches – the Auto/P mode switch and the Tape/Memory Card switch. Toward the lens end is a rugged plastic port enclosure that houses the Mic, AV/Headphone, and Component-out jacks. Users can configure the AV jack correctly before using headphones. The built-in stereo microphone is mounted toward the lens end, evading hand interference.
Canon slapped a real Zoom toggle on the HV30 in place of the HV20′s thin strip of plastic. The Photo button is located behind the Zoom toggle. Another plus on the HV20, Canon chose not to tether the bit of plastic to the body of the camcorder. This time around Canon attached the plastic shield to the frame of the HV30.
The HV30 is as good as it gets, it puts out better quality than AVCHD now, and this will likely not change in recent years. So get it and have an enriching experience.
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