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Zhiyun’s Smooth Q4 brings improved ergonomics for faster use on location

Zhiyun has announced the new Zhiyun Smooth Q4 gimbal for smartphones. It comes with some ergonomic improvements over its predecessor with a redesigned arm that lets you deploy and start shooting with it very quickly when you’re out and about. And like many of Zhiyun’s smartphone gimbals, it features a built-in extendable selfie stick for when you want to get a bit more vlogging range with a wider background.

It’s available in two packages. The Standard Package contains the basic gimbal, mini tripod and power cord. The Combo Package also includes a small magnetic LED fill light with gel covers, a wrist strap and a case in which to keep everything safe. The gimbal itself offers a multi-function control wheel as well as intelligent shooting modes and one-click switching between landscape and portrait orientation.

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The world’s first camera that could shoot MPEG-4 back in 1999 was basically a vlogging camera

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When you pick any random point in history, if you could go back and talk to the people of the day, they’d feel that they were at the very pinnacle of technology in just about every respect. The latest breakthroughs in technology were just about as good as they were ever going to get, save for some incremental updates. Well, when it comes to camera tech, we couldn’t really be any further from the truth.

In this video, Gravis (otherwise known as Cathode Ray Dude), takes us back to the very end of the 20th century (now don’t you feel old?) with some bleeding-edge tech from Sharp – The first video camera capable of shooting in what was then a pretty new format, MPEG-4. When compared to cameras of today, it’s absolutely laughable. But in its day, it filled a very real need. The ability to send short video clips across the Internet.

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The Rode VideoMic GO II should be your new go-to low budget on-camera microphone

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Rode recently released their new Rode VideoMic GO II, replacing the VideoMic GO in their lineup. But this isn’t simply an update, it’s a complete overhaul, redesigned from the ground up. So, it presents a pretty major upgrade over its predecessor that inherits a number of features from its more expensive big brother the Rode VideoMic NTG, including the new holey design as well as USB connectivity.

I’ve been using one for a little while now and have done some tests and comparisons on the camera and when it’s plugged into a computer as a digital USB audio device. I’ve also done tests with and without the windshield to see how well it stands up to the breezy weather we’ve been having recently in Scotland.

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This is what vlogging would’ve looked like if you’d tried to do it 30 years ago

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In the grand scheme of things, vlogging is a pretty recent development. Thanks to the proliferation of smartphone cameras and the birth of platforms like YouTube, pretty much anybody can (and does) do it these days. But what would it have looked like if you’d tried to shoot a vlog with the camera tech of 30 years ago?

That’s what YouTuber Dan Mace wanted to explore in this video as he shoots the same vlog sequence twice – once with his iPhone 13 Pro Max and once with an Arriflex 16SR3 Super 16mm film camera – to see how the two compare both in ease of use as well as how the final result looks.

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The best vloggig rig – its quite unorthodox

I’ve only recently gotten into vlogging with my new YouTube channel, and I’m far more used to being in front of someone else’s camera for videos so this is a new world for me. I’ve played around and done a lot of research to figure out the ideal vlogging rig, and I think I’ve managed to create it.

Let’s start by defining what makes the ideal vlogging rig. It’s important to have a capable camera with a preview screen that can face the content creator (that would be me). Perhaps more important than the camera is the audio – we will watch bad video, but we won’t listen to bad audio! Next up, lighting. In low light conditions, we need to add our own light, and we should be able to match the colour temperature of the ambient light. Finally, a good, sturdy base for when we put the camera down and something ergonomic to hold onto. So, here’s my solution: –

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How to step up your vlogging game and film yourself professionally

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Filming yourself presents a lot of challenges. Anybody who’s tried to vlog with a DSLR or mirrorless camera will tell you that. There are a few challenges to overcome from nailing your framing and exposure to adding movement and interest to your shots to make it look like it’s not just you and your camera.

If you struggle with filming yourself, then this video from Moritz at Fenchel and Janish is for you. In it, Moritz talks you through six tips and techniques for you to make your life easier when you’re filming yourself to step up your production level.

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Sony’s ZV-E10 $899 E mount vlogging camera announcement coming tomorrow

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Sony was expected to announce its new ZV-E10 APS-C E mount vlogging camera on July 7th but the launch event was cancelled over backlash from China due to the date – which coincided with the anniversary of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident. Well, after recovering from that little snafu, Sony has set a new announcement date. July 27th. Yup, tomorrow.

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Sony’s expected ZV-E10 announcement on July 7th has been postponed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llQg01v5h2s

Sony had scheduled an announcement via YouTube streaming event for July 7th, but that event has now been postponed over what is rumoured to be “inappropriate” timing for people in China. July 7th marks the anniversary of the “Marco Polo Bridge Incident” in 1937. No official reason, however, has been mentioned by Sony.

The previously scheduled stream has been removed from their YouTube channel and Sony posted the simple 10-second video (above) in its place, noting the postponement. A new date has not yet been announced, although it’s expected to come soon.

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Sony ZV-E10 announcement on July 7th – first photo leaked already?

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Sony has scheduled an upcoming event to YouTube to begin on July 7th at 10am Eastern (3pm in the UK and 11pm JST). The event, it seems will be to announce a new camera, believed to be the Sony ZV-E10 – the follow up to their surprisingly popular ZV-1 vlogging camera released in 2020.

The main reason I think people suspect it will be the ZV-E10 is because of the similar-looking fluffy microphone shield shown in the thumbnail for the video. It was also part of their advertising for the ZV-1, so it makes sense. But it looks like somebody’s already leaked an image of the camera via Sony Alpha Rumors, a week ahead of the official announcement.

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Sony’s upcoming not-A6700 APS-C camera to be targeted to vloggers, not photographers

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The folks at Sony Alpha Rumors say they’ve seen the Sony new APS-C camera and that they’ve been able to discern some solid details from it. Like, the fact that it’ll be a 24-megapixel sensor (and not the rumoured 32-megapixel sensor), and the general overall design of the system.

From what they describe, it sounds a lot like the camera that the Canon EOS M50 should have been – You know an APS-C camera with flippy out LCD that shoots 4K video – but without a stupid crop in 4K mode, that they still have with the Mark II. Except, I expect the Sony will have better autofocus.

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