Jim, there's more. We just announced a price reduction across the board on the MP.2 adapter series based on implementation of volume production on these items.

With respect to our optics, keep in mind that our 72mm flip or non-flip achromat is a very high quality macro lens that works beautifullly attached to any SLR lens via its 72mm threads. Now what if you could purchase this lens for use out in front as a macro, or behind the camera body for use on your LCD?

Hmm, and low angle shots with the 5D, lying on your belly kind of suck too :-)

Dennis,
Wouldn't using an achromat be far heavier than a loupe solution? I played with achromats before settling for a loupe because of weight issues. A fully loaded 5dmkII rig already weighs a lot and needs a fair amount of counterbalancing.

Dan

In my improvised loupe, I used a small objective from Surplus Shed that was being recommended by Daniel of DIY adapter fame. I am findining that with it, and my readers, I can get a pretty crisp look at the LCD.

The message we've got loud and clear is that folks shooting at strange angles and distances don't want a viewfinder. They want a multi-angle solution that can be viewed from 3 to 16 inches from the camera. We think it's kind of cool that you end up with a pretty amazing 72mm macro lens too. On the weight issue, the camera needs it, particularly if you're on steadicam! I just chatted with a fellow who actually requested a weight kit for the 5D. In Patrick's case (stillmotion) he flies with our Titan swing away mattebox and Proteus cage configured in what he calls "the perfect 5D flying rig". On our DSLR rig with it's rear projecting rails (at any angle), we strongly suggest using a counterweight which of course can be quicky removed ( about 5 seconds) for steadicam use. In our case I was using our 12V rails mounted power supply. Once the rig is set up like this, I found I could shoot very stable for hours without forearm fatigue. And sadly, I'm hardly an example of fitness these days :-) But that's another story...

As promised, the DSLR XY offset is finished field testing and now included as part of our DSLR rig. This addition allows up to 7 inches or so of offset left or right and the ablity to adjust the camera rails height +- 1.5 inches. It also allows you to lock the removeable shoulder component at any angle for shooting from the shoulder, hip or as a ground support. We just finished a crazy two days shooting with Patrick, Konrad and Michael from Stillmotion as part of the promotion for the new kit. I won't say much now other than it was a lot of fun, Michael was shot several times with projectiles at 200 mph, and one Steadicam flyer with our full rig ended up in two pieces after a "mishap". I should say that our DSLR rig and Titan mattebox took the hit and were used for the balance of the shoot :-)

If you stay tuned over the next week or so, you can expect a launch of the new DSLR rig, free stuff, and "Medusa" + "Atlas"...two things you've never seen before.

The height adjustment is important as one might run with or without an audio preamp under the camera.

Minutes before a recent shoot, I got out the drill, wrench and screwdriver to allow for the juicedLink on my shoulder rig. But sometimes, I might just want to quick-mount the camera. Quickly going between the two modes is a good thing.

Of course, one can simply clamp the preamp on the rails and get it out of the equation...

I just bought a battery grip for my 5D and am now looking at making a silly stack (from the top down):

- Shock mounted shotgun mic
- Camera body
- Battery grip
- juicedLink
- Kenyon KS-6 gyro

The rig would be about 40 cm tall and many kg, making it rather difficult to handhold, which is why the gyro is required.