Filmmaking Gear I Liked Way More Than Expected

Summary

In this video, the creator reviews six filmmaking gear items sent to him over the summer, which exceeded his expectations. He discusses how each item, from Condor Blue's camera system to F-Stop's eco-friendly gear wraps, improved his workflow. The video also covers a portable smoke machine and anamorphic lenses from Sur, ending with a new travel tripod from Fall Cam that rivals the FL Tech. The creator emphasizes the quality, innovation, and practicality of these tools for filmmakers.

Takeaways

• 🎥 The speaker receives a lot of film gear but only keeps the high-quality, problem-solving ones.
• 🛠️ Condor Blue gear transforms the speaker's FX3 camera setup, offering a balanced power supply and monitoring system.
• 📏 The F-Stop gear wrap is innovative with its self-sticking, Velcro-free design, making it versatile and eco-friendly.
• 🎶 Audio, the video sponsor, is praised for offering the best deal on high-quality music for independent filmmakers.
• 💡 Aputure's new MC Pro lights impressed the speaker with their brightness, build quality, and weather resistance.
• 🎬 The Sirui Saturn anamorphic lenses surprised the speaker with their quality, portability, and natural flares.
• 📷 The Fallcam Tree Root tripod exceeded expectations, offering a lightweight, durable alternative to the speaker's previous Peak Design tripod.
• 🌫️ Lensgo's portable smoke machine, though niche, is praised for its convenience in run-and-gun shoots.
• 🎙️ The speaker acknowledges how free gear can be hit or miss but is happy with the surprises from these six products.
• 🔋 The video focuses on products that solve specific issues, improve the speaker's workflow, and are likely to be appreciated by fellow filmmakers.

Q & A

What is the main challenge the speaker faces with new filmmaking gear?

The speaker finds it hard to keep up with the constant influx of new filmmaking gear and often receives items that are not suitable for professional use.

What are the criteria for the gear to earn a permanent spot in the speaker's kit?

The gear must either solve a problem the speaker didn't know they had or be so well-made that it justifies a place in the professional kit.

What is the speaker's policy regarding sponsored content?

The speaker clarifies that no money changed hands for the video, and they are not sponsored by any of the brands mentioned. They also mention that the manufacturers sent them the gear with no control over the content.

What is the main issue the speaker has with the Sony FX3 camera?

The Sony FX3 has a small built-in LCD that makes it difficult to monitor and use effectively on professional shoots, especially for focus and framing.

How does the Condor Blue system improve the speaker's experience with the FX3?

The Condor Blue system provides a base plate, rails, and a vmount plate that allows for better monitoring and power supply, making the camera more ergonomic and balanced to use.

What is unique about the F-Stop wraps compared to traditional gear wraps?

F-Stop wraps do not use Velcro; instead, they stick to themselves with a strong bond, are made from recycled materials and C-algae, and have a carbon-neutral manufacturing process.

Why does the speaker prefer Audio as a music source for their videos?

Audio offers high-quality music for YouTube videos and short films at an affordable price, with tools like stem track isolation and AI-powered song matching.

What are the improvements the speaker noticed in the Aputure MC Pro lights?

The Aputure MC Pro lights are significantly brighter, have improved build quality, and are weather-resistant with an IP65 rating.

What are the Saturn anamorphic lenses' unique features that surprised the speaker?

The Saturn anamorphic lenses are small, light, and have a natural flare that the speaker found to be a pleasant surprise compared to other anamorphic lenses.

How does the FeiyuTech TreeRoot tripod compare to the FlowTech tripod according to the speaker?

The FeiyuTech TreeRoot tripod is a lightweight, carbon fiber tripod with a quick locking system and a good head for its size, offering a more affordable alternative to the FlowTech tripod.

What is the main advantage of the LensGo portable smoke machine for the speaker?

The LensGo portable smoke machine is compact, has an internal battery, and is easy to transport without the hassle of spilling liquid, making it convenient for occasional use.

Outlines

00:00

📹 Filmmaking Gear Review

The speaker discusses the overwhelming amount of new filmmaking gear that is released frequently, and how it's challenging to keep up with it all. They mention that most of the gear sent to them is not suitable for their professional kit, but occasionally, they come across gear that impresses them either by solving an unknown problem or by its exceptional quality. The speaker shares their experience with six pieces of gear that exceeded their expectations this summer. They emphasize that no money changed hands for this review and they are not sponsored by any of the brands mentioned. They also address the common concern about receiving free gear, stating that after years in the industry, they have the budget to buy their own gear and that free gear is not as exciting as it might seem to some.

05:01

🔌 Condor Blue Camera System

The speaker reviews a camera system from Condor Blue that has significantly improved their experience with the Sony FX3 camera. They mention that while the FX3 is powerful, it has some usability issues out of the box, particularly with monitoring and power supply. The Condor Blue system, which includes a base plate, rails, and a V-mount plate, allows for better ergonomics and balance when using external monitors and V-mount batteries. The speaker praises the build quality and thoughtful details of the system, such as the ambidextrous DTaP plug and the power switch that prevents unnecessary battery drain. They also appreciate the premium cables and overall design philosophy of Condor Blue, which prioritizes quality.

10:01

🌿 F-Stop Gear Wraps

The speaker reviews F-Stop's new gear wraps, which are made from recycled materials and are carbon neutral, aligning with the speaker's personal values regarding sustainability in the film industry. Unlike traditional wraps that use Velcro, F-Stop's wraps adhere to themselves without the need for adhesive, providing a stronger hold and eliminating the loud ripping noise associated with Velcro. The speaker appreciates the functionality and quiet operation of these wraps, which could be beneficial in quiet filming environments. They commend F-Stop for their environmentally conscious approach and their commitment to quality without resorting to 'greenwashing'.

Keywords

💡Film making gear

Film making gear refers to the various pieces of equipment used in the process of creating films or videos. In the video, the speaker discusses the overwhelming amount of new gear that is released frequently, making it difficult to keep up. The term is central to the video's theme as it sets the context for discussing the specific gear items that the speaker found surprisingly useful.

💡FX3

The FX3 is a reference to a specific camera model, likely the Sony FX3, which is a popular choice among filmmakers for its powerful sensor and performance. The speaker mentions challenges with using the FX3 out of the box for professional shoots, particularly regarding monitoring and power supply. This keyword is directly related to the video's theme as it leads into a discussion about gear that enhances the camera's usability.

💡Condor Blue

Condor Blue is mentioned as a hardware manufacturer that provides solutions for camera rigs. The speaker praises their system for improving the usability of the FX3 camera with a base plate, rails, and a vmount plate. This keyword is significant as it introduces a brand and product that the speaker found to be of high quality and a great addition to their gear kit.

💡Vmount batteries

Vmount batteries are a type of battery used to power professional camera equipment. The speaker discusses how these batteries, in conjunction with Condor Blue's system, allow for a more ergonomic and balanced setup. The term is important as it illustrates a practical solution to a common problem faced by filmmakers.

💡F-stop wraps

F-stop wraps are protective covers for camera gear, made from recycled materials and designed to be reusable and eco-friendly. The speaker is impressed by the innovation of these wraps, which do not require Velcro and can adhere to themselves. This keyword is relevant as it showcases a product that improves on traditional methods and aligns with sustainable practices.

💡Audio sponsor

The term 'audio sponsor' refers to a company that provides music or audio services for video content. In the video, the speaker mentions that finding high-quality music for videos used to be a challenge, but they have found a reliable solution through their audio sponsor. This keyword ties into the video's theme by highlighting a service that解决了 a common issue in video production.

💡8l MC Pro kit

The 8l MC Pro kit is a lighting kit mentioned by the speaker as a significant addition to their gear this year. They note the lights' improved brightness and build quality, which has surpassed their expectations. This keyword is integral to the video as it discusses a specific product that has enhanced the speaker's lighting capabilities.

💡Anamorphic lenses

Anamorphic lenses are a type of camera lens that creates a distinctive wide-screen, cinematic look. The speaker discusses trying out some Saturn anamorphic lenses and being pleasantly surprised by their performance and portability. This keyword is relevant as it introduces a specific type of lens that has expanded the speaker's creative options.

💡Travel tripod

A travel tripod is a lightweight and compact tripod designed for portability. The speaker mentions the Tree Root travel tripod by Fall Cam as a surprise favorite, comparing it to the more expensive FL Tech tripod. This keyword is significant as it highlights a product that offers a good balance between cost and functionality.

💡Portable smoke machine

A portable smoke machine is a device used to create smoke effects for video or film productions. The speaker discusses a small, battery-powered smoke machine from Lens Go that they found to be surprisingly effective and convenient. This keyword is relevant as it introduces a niche product that解决了 a specific problem for the speaker.

Highlights

New filmmaking gear is released so frequently it can be hard to keep up.

The channel receives a lot of gear offers, but most are budget items not suitable for professional use.

Occasionally, high-quality gear arrives that solves unexpected problems or is extremely well-made.

This video reviews six pieces of gear received this summer that exceeded expectations.

Disclaimer: No money exchanged for this video and not sponsored by the reviewed brands.

First item: Condor Blue system for the FX3 camera, including a base plate, rails, and a V-mount plate for better ergonomics and balance.

Condor Blue’s system is well-made with thoughtful details, improving power supply and monitoring for the FX3 camera.

Second item: F-stop gear wrap made from recycled materials and C-algae, providing a strong, velcro-free wrapping solution.

F-stop wrap offers improved functionality, less noise, and eco-friendly production.

Third item: Aputure 8L MC Pro lighting kit, significantly brighter and more durable than previous models, with IP65 weather resistance.

Aputure MC Pro lights have high build quality, are very bright, and are suitable for harsh conditions.

Fourth item: Sirui Saturn anamorphic lenses, small and lightweight with natural-looking flares.

Sirui lenses offer good quality and are practical for run-and-gun shoots.

Fifth item: FallCam Tree Root travel tripod, a lightweight, quick-locking carbon fiber tripod comparable to the FlowTech.

FallCam tripod is fast to set up and durable, replacing the Peak Design tripod in the travel kit.

Sixth item: Lensgo portable smoke machine, small, battery-powered, and useful for adding texture to scenes in a portable format.

Lensgo smoke machine exceeded expectations with its convenience and effectiveness for run-and-gun shoots.

Final thoughts: Free gear can be hit or miss, but the items on this list have proven to be valuable additions to the kit.

Transcripts

I don't know about you but to me it

feels like these days there's so much

new film making gear coming out every

month that it can be hard to keep up

with and because this channel is growing

I get sent a ton of it a lot of it tends

to be stuff like budget mics or iPhone

mounts that are never going to work as

part of my professional kit so I just

end up saying no to most of it but every

now and again a great piece of gear

comes my way that surprises me either

because it solves a problem I didn't

know I had or it's just so wellmade it

earns a permanent spot in my kit so in

this video I'm going to dive into six

pieces of gear that I got sent this

Summer that I liked way more than I

expected to because there's a decent

chance you'll love it

too so standard disclaimer here no money

changed hands for this video and I'm not

sponsored by any of these Brands this

video does have a sponsor audio but all

the manufacturers mentioned here sent me

this stuff with no control over what I

said about it I did get sent most of the

stuff for free which seems to make some

people really

mad but if that's you nothing I can say

will make you happy so feel free to

either leave a comment telling me what a

sell it I am or start a Channel of Your

Own seriously though after 10 plus years

of doing this I already have all the

budget I need to buy gear so free gear

just really isn't all that exciting but

when something shows up in the mail that

over delivers that's the kind of

knowledge I want to share and so here we

are so to kick things off let's start

with something that transformed my

relationships to my fx3 because even

though we all know it's a super powerful

little camera there are some things

about it that make it challenging to use

on professional shoots right out of the

box and here I'm mainly talking about

monitoring and power supply because even

though it's got such a great sensor and

the built-in LCD is decentish it's just

too small to see what's really going on

in your frame especially if you're using

Focus speaking for a while I just stuck

a 5-in monitor on top and it helped but

then you have to power those usually

with Sony npf batteries and that makes

the rig incredibly topheavy and not that

fun to shoot with and so as much as I've

loved the fx3 I'm shooting on it right

now that means it's mainly only been

useful for you YouTube videos sometimes

as a locked off bcam for interviews or

as a really expensive GoPro that I can

mount on cars that's where this system

really shines from Condor blue now I

first heard about Condor Blue from Danny

G's Channel and if you don't know the

brand they're a great Hardware

manufacturer that fits into that sweet

spot between budget stuff like small rig

and obscenely expensive stuff like re or

wooden camera the system is made up of

this base plate some rails and then this

vmount plate and then with a couple of

cables you can power both your camera

and an external monitor using vmount

batteries in a way that's way more

ergonomic and balanced than how I was

doing it before now there's nothing new

about this idea exactly but Condor

Blue's version of it is just so much

better made than what I've tried in the

past and all the well thought out little

details really impressed me for starters

you can just feel how wellmade this is

like I feel good that it's going to

stand up to the abuse I put on gear

which is really saying something but

more than that it's the little things

like the fact that the DTaP plug is

ambidirectional and really easy to plug

into unlike the cheaply built options

where it's always way too tight and I

feel like I'm wrestling the thing into

place and then there's like this switch

that shuts the power off from the

battery to the Monitor and camera so

you're not constantly draining power

while the camera sits there on standby

even the cables they make are super

premium and just everything that Condor

blue sells seems to be designed with

quality in mind before anything else now

I already had their top handle and I've

been using it on my fx3 for a few years

now so maybe it shouldn't have been that

surprising but somehow the fact that I

like this as much as I did still was so

if you're an fx3 shooter and you want

your camera to work better as an aam

this is the best system like this I've

ever used and it's made that camera even

more useful than it already was okay

next up is something that really

surprised me because it's one of those

products that I didn't really think had

any room for improvement because it's

just been done the same way for so long

sort of like how the Sackler flow Tech

reimagine tripods now if you've worked

with film gear odds are you've seen one

of these before which is just a stand

donkey R and don't worry this isn't the

item because these have been around for

ages and lots of other brands make

something similar it's pretty easy to

see what's going on here it's just a

piece of padded fabric with velcro on

the corners that you wrap around your

gear it's simple and it works and I

didn't really think there was much to

change here so when fstop reached out

and asked if I wanted to try one of

their new wraps I didn't really get it I

have a great relationship with that

company though and I've been using their

bags for most of my video career so I

said okay but honestly I thought it was

was just more of the same but it's not

the same and what's going on here is

pretty cool so unlike every other wrap

I've ever seen the first thing you

notice about these F stoff ones is that

there's no velcro it's just one smooth

piece of fabric but through some sort of

sorcery that I don't really understand

you don't actually need the velcro

because any part of this will stick to

itself and when I say stick I mean it

because I can pull as hard as I want on

this and it doesn't move so it's

actually much stronger than the

traditional system

that also means it doesn't matter where

the corners line up which means you can

protect all sorts of really weirdly

shaped things plus there's no loud

ripping noise when you open it like

velcro which could really be great if

you're working on a quiet set so 10 out

of 10 for functionality already but

beyond that this whole thing is made out

of recycled material and apparently C

algae so the manufacturing process is

carbon neutral now not everyone is going

to care about this but personally I do

and since film can be such a wasteful

industry I love that f- stock is trying

to think this way I mean even the bag it

comes in is fully biodegradable and

f-stop does all this quietly without a

bunch of greenwashing slogans on their

website and I really respect that really

cool stuff that makes me like fstop even

more and makes me more of a fanboy than

I already was which is saying something

and speaking of being a fanboy there's

one tool that I've been using for every

single one of these videos for almost

two years now and it's definitely

something I liked a lot more than I was

expecting when we first started working

together and that's audio the sponsor of

this

video finding high quality music for

YouTube videos and short films without

getting sued used to be one of the most

annoying Parts about film making but

that's not really something I ever have

to think about these days and the reason

I've chosen audio over all the

competitors and believe me I've been

asked by them but it's because I

genuinely believe that it's the best

deal out there for independent

filmmakers and here's why for starters

if you sign up using the code Luke 70

it's just $59 a year which is about a

quarter of the price of what these

Services normally charge plus they've

got tons of Cool Tools like stem track

isolation and AI powered song matching

that helps you find similar music to

famous songs that you can use without

being sued and a bunch more stuff there

are also just really nice people who

really do have filmmaker's best interest

in mind and that's something I think we

can all agree to like so check out the

link below and use the code Luke 70 and

save yourself a ton of

[Music]

cash okay next up I want to talk about

lights because if you saw my lighting

kit video up dat from a few weeks ago

you'll know that I made a lot of changes

this year and one of the biggest new

additions was the 8l MC Pro kit but

before aperture offered it to me to try

out I'm just going to straight up say

that these things weren't really on my

radar I mean I knew what they were but I

already had a couple of the old MC's

plus some Aladdin and xun lights that

were about the same size in form factor

so I didn't pay much attention to these

and yes on the surface they're not that

different but after playing with them

for a while I'm really starting to

appreciate just how improved and refined

these are and I'm surprised by how much

I like them for starters they are a lot

brighter than the old MC's like way

brighter than I expected the website

says four times more powerful and I

believe it because it's pretty shocking

how much more power they got out of a

similar size body but more than that

it's the build quality of the new system

that's made a huge impression on me

because I beat the crap out of my gear

compared to other lights of this size I

have everything about these just feels

wellmade like it's all metal the buttons

are metal all the grids and soft boxes

just snap into place with magnets the

buttons feel great and even more

importantly they're super weather

resistant with an ip65 rating which

makes them safe from dust and Rain which

would be the main two killers of a light

like this that I'd expect all that means

that the MC Pros feel like the ultimate

version of the pocket light something

that I can stick on a lamp post outside

or hide in a bush and not worry about

them while still being able to throw

real light onto a scene now I won't

pretend that I need all eight of the

things that come the kit but if you do

the case and accessories that come with

the kit are amazing too but for most

people just a few of these will be

enough to be incredibly useful and I

definitely like these way more than I

was expecting next I want to talk about

lenses because lately I feel like more

and more new players are entering the

lens manufacturing game every day and

normally I say no to these offers

because the lenses they want to send are

generally just cine housed versions of

the same lenses I already have and I'm

not really looking to accumulate gear

just for the sake of filling up this

tiny apartment any more than it already

is and I sort of felt the same

resistance when Sur offered me these

they Saturn anamorphics now I already

posted a full video on these last month

but these really did surprise me with

how much I like them and they're quirky

in a lot of ways like the strange 1.6

time desqueeze factor which can be kind

of tough to calibrate with some older

monitors but the good definitely

outweighs the bad with these for

starters they really do look good

assuming you're interested in that

anamorphic style and when I got the

footage back to my computer I was very

impressed they're also so small and

light that unlike every anamorphic lens

I've ever used before you can actually

carry these things around and use them

on run and gun shoots without destroying

your back or the balance of the camera

my main concern starting out were that

the flares were going to look way over

the top like you get with those screw on

Blue filters that put you know crazy

lines through your frames but again I

was surprised because they're actually

nice and non- gimmicky looking I

personally definitely prefer the natural

flare to the blue one but to each their

own I'm not going to say much more

because the other video is already there

if you want it but for something that I

didn't expect to like at all this was a

great surprise all right two more things

to go here and out of all of them I

think this was probably the thing that

surprised me most mainly because I'd

never heard of this brand and they made

some big promises that I didn't think

they could deliver on basically the

company fall cam told me they created a

new travel tripod this thing called the

tree root that they were comparing to a

mini FL Tech and if you've been watching

this channel you know I'm a mega fan of

the actual FL Tech so in a relative

unknown manufacturer drops that

comparison I'm automatically suspicious

but last winter I destroyed my second

Peak design tripod and I didn't want to

try again with them and since I needed a

new small tripod to replace it I decided

to give it a try and this is it and

honestly they kind of deliver on their

promise in some ways anyways it's a

super lightweight all carbon fiber

tripod and has a unique Locking System

uh that's really quick to use and

normally I hate these kind of twist

locks but these somehow tighten and open

with just a quarter twist so they are

way faster than

normal the head that chips with this is

pretty good for a tripod of this size

and you can also swap it out for one of

your own if you'd rather and you can

also get it super low to the ground like

you would with the flow Tech now

obviously it's not a flow Tech because

it's like a tenth of the price and I

don't really know yet how it's going to

stand up to the abuse of long shoots in

the field I don't want to pretend I've

really put this thing through its Paces

yet but my first impressions from the

two shoots I did with it were really

good and it's definitely going to place

the peak design in my travel kit from

now on so another nice surprise here

because honestly I just expected to take

it out of the box and then give it away

to my camera assistant because I didn't

ask for this in the first place but I'm

sorry for him because I'm keeping it if

it's still holding up in a year's time

I'll do a follow-up because that would

be truly an amazing deal and last but

not least but also sort of least because

this really is a niche item even if it's

cool is this portable smoke machine I

got from lens go now I don't use smoke

or Haze all that much in my dock work

but the few times I've wanted to I found

the machine machines incredibly annoying

to carry around and the liquid always

seems to spill in transit so they're

just generally a pain but this is a tiny

little guy with an internal battery and

the whole thing fits into a really small

travel case now this is a smoke machine

not a haze machine and smoke and Haze

aren't the same and the stuff that comes

out of this is a lot clumpier and less

diffused than you get from a

professional Haze machine for a really

high Stak shoot or a feature film set

you're going to want one of the plug-in

machines but if you only occasionally

need to add texture to a space and do a

lot of run and Gun stuff like I do this

is something that's going to make your

life a lot easier I had extremely low

expectations for this thing but I'm

happy to say it easily surpassed them

and it's staying in the kit so there we

go six pieces of gear I liked way more

than I expected to getting free gear is

a mixed bag and sometimes I'm at a point

in my career where I don't actually want

the stuff lying around if I don't use it

but luckily the things on this list

don't fall into that category and I only

wish that all the boxes that showed up

at my door had stuffed this good inside

see you

[Music]

oh

[Music]