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Give your Sony A7III “vlogging mode” with this totally warranty-voiding DIY hack

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Just to make it clear from the go, this will void any warranty you have with your camera should you try this. But, I think this video from MAKE. ART. NOW. is worth sharing, as not having flippy out LCDs is the one biggest complaints I hear whenever a new camera is released (if it’s not a Canon or Panasonic).

For those who vlog, being able to see yourself and the composition behind you is kind of a big deal. It’s why so many people vlog with Canon or a Panasonic GH5. But Sony doesn’t seem to want to join the flippy out LCD crowd, despite the calls for it. This (literal, physical) hack will let your LCD flip almost all the way to the front for (mostly) easy vlogging.

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Here’s how to hack a Polaroid camera to print on thermal paper instead of film

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Building an instant camera that prints images on thermal paper isn’t exactly a new concept. Just a couple of years, ago, we even encountered a Gameboy pocket camera from 1998 that uses the same principle. But hacking a Polaroid camera so it could use receipt paper instead of film? That’s definitely something we haven’t seen before, and Tim Alex Jones shows you exactly how he did it in this Youtube video.

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2 DIY Microphone hacks for the YI Action Camera

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The biggest problem with action cameras, pretty much any action camera, is the microphone. Whether it’s the original YI HD, the YI4K or even a GoPro, their sound just tends to suck pretty badly. But, it’s not really a surprise. The main intent of action cameras is for recording fast sports action with a wide field of view. There’s all kinds of noise going on that makes it virtually impossible to distinguish a voice easily anyway.

But, a lot have started using them for things like vlogging and family trips, because they’re small and lightweight. For these people, sound is important. Here are two videos which show a couple of different hacks to help you get a bit better sound out of your YI Action Camera. The first, by MrCsami swaps out the built in microphone for one with a built in wind guard. The second from shinyside removes the microphone completely, replacing it with a 3.5mm jack to use whatever microphone you wish.

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Here are five ways that a photographer can use a plastic bag

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Well, here is a random collection. If you have a spare nylon bag lying around, dont throw it away. As a photographer there is plenty you can do with it.

Ok, I am just kidding, you can throw that bag away. Hopefully, you have a recycling thing for nylon bags. That said, this random collection of photography uses for bags is kinda interesting. I would personally not use any of them if I had a choice (maybe the soft edge one is an exclusion), but in a cinch, you wanna keep this in the bag of your head.

Edit your videos using a game controller

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If, like some, you spend the same amount of time playing Doom 4K as you are editing videos, you will absolutely like this hack for using a game controller to control premiere.

Editor Casey Faris has a pretty sweet setup using Logitech Gamepad controller (about $20). The secret sauce is the actual mapping of the buttons. Casey uses a free software called xPadder  (here is a link to the free version)

Of course, using the gamepad only makes sense if it actually expedites your workflow, if it makes you go slow, there is no point in using it. And the magic to making it fast is mapping the right buttons to the right shortcuts. And what do you know, Casey shares his layout on the video link.

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Create an entire new keyboard of shortcodes with this hack

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If you are editing a lot of videos, you know that shortcodes and hot-keys are essential for fast editing. We actually shared a tip on using gaming keyboards for editing becasue they have more keys that you can assign macros to.

But LinusTechTips just upped the game of adding shortcodes by creating a whole 87-shorcut keyboard form a cheap $15 keyboard. Of course, the video editor from LinusTechTips is kinda of an extreme-case in the sense that he already has his entire letter-set, numbers, shift, alt and control combos assigned to macros and he needed MORE macro buttons.[Read More…]

One Up Your Editing Game By Using A Gaming Mouse

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If you are reading this blog, you know that we are big fan of keyboard short cuts, but for some programs, working with a mouse is unavoidable. I was talking with an editor friend, Ariel Hadar from Kaveret, and he showed me quite an awesome was to utilize a gaming mouse and keyboard to get the benefits that you would get when working with a keyboard while working with a mouse. The best of both worlds.

Of course, this means that you are the type that likes working with shortcuts, and just want to take it up to the next level. If you like working with menus, move along, this is not the hack you’re looking for…

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This Hack Claims to Add Internal 4K To The Sony A7S. We’re Skeptical

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What if Sony’s camera has so much more power internally than what they expose? We have seen Canon cameras getting a performance boost via hacked custom firmware – Magic Lantern, so the idea is not unthinkable.

Now, youtube user Nabil Fathi claims to have hacked the Sony A7S to record 4K internally, along with providing higher bitrate and better subsampling (HDMI 10bit 422). The message was attached to a video Nabil uploaded to Youtube:

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Quick And Easy Photography Hacks You Can Try For Free (Or Close To It)

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Who doesn’t love a good hack? Kai is here to share a handful of some of his favorite hacks as he shows you how easier ways to transport your tripod, create bokeh kits without having to cut tiny shapes out of paper, and support your camera without a tripod, along with a few other tricks. Some of the hacks have been around for a while, and some of them the majority of you will never find the need to try–but, with Kai’s dashing sense of humor, even if you will never try one of the hacks, you’ll at least have a good laugh while you’re learning about them.

Here you go:

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Install A Blacklight Filter On Your Smartphone Camera For 3 Cents

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Black Light can be used for spectacular photography or just for having some photographic fun, but if you just want to try out a quick trick for testing your home for bacteria there is a way to do it for a couple of cents.

Turns out that a certain mix of sharpie ink will block all light but back light. The folks at Hefty.co made a quick tutorial on how it’s made.

You would need a blue Sharpie and a purple Sharpie and some tape. Applying two blue tape layers and one purple tape layer will act as a filter for the smartphone flash. In total darkness shining that flash onto anything will reflect any black light (or fluorescent emittance) from found objects.

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