Black Friday Specials

ahalpert said:
Sweet! I just scored a tamron 70-180 fe on lensauthority for $705, below my target purchase price of $800. (Its on sale at B&H rn for $1100.) And oddly enough, they didnt charge me sales tax?

This is what I feel like black friday/sales in general are for - things you want but dont need right away. If you really needed it, you would have overnighted it in time for your shoot. If you'd buy it for a lower price, then now's your chance

If they lure you into buying something you don't need/want, they win

Maybe lensauthority will have a used FX6 this time next year....more likely it will take 2 years
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They don't charge tax to NY. I think TN is one of the few states that doesn't charge tax to NY yet?
 
I'll have to look at Lens Authority to see if there are any Fuji lenses I "need", I've bought from them before and the stuff was in really good shape.
 
QuickHitRecord said:
Adorama's house brand COB LED lights are on sale. I have never used one but a 500w LED for $700? That's some pretty aggressive pricing.

https://www.adorama.com/clilmax500sl.html
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That is tempting!

I wonder if they're any good...quick look at reviews mentions fan noise and cumbersome set-up. Color quality I dunno

Just had an idea - LED manufacturers should make the fans super fast so the pitch is higher and easier to EQ out of the audio later. Is that plausible?
 
QuickHitRecord said:
Adorama's house brand COB LED lights are on sale. I have never used one but a 500w LED for $700? That's some pretty aggressive pricing.

https://www.adorama.com/clilmax500sl.html
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They've been $700 for a bit. Normal price is $999. I have one of the CLAR 500s and one of their 350s. They're stellar. I have no real problem with the fan noise and the setup is no more cumbersome than any other light with a control box like an Aputure. I do love that the control boxes are meant to sit on the ground like an old-school photo light kit power pack. The Aputures I had were meant to hang off of the stand or light itself and it was super awkward.

The 500 puts out a LOT of light. If anything, it doesn't get dim enough.

The 350 has two knobs to adjust the yoke angle, which kind of sucks but isn't a huge deal-breaker. I'd send it back and get another 500, but I like that it gets dimmer than the 500 for accent stuff.

I also have two of their S30 lights and one of the ellipsoidal lenses for them. They're plasticky, but they work great as a little accent or kicker light... or with a gobo to throw some texture on a plain background.
 
ahalpert said:
That is tempting!

I wonder if they're any good...quick look at reviews mentions fan noise and cumbersome set-up. Color quality I dunno

Just had an idea - LED manufacturers should make the fans super fast so the pitch is higher and easier to EQ out of the audio later. Is that plausible?
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It's actually the opposite. Larger fans spin at lower RPMs to move greater volumes of air. Lower RPMs = quieter sound. Small fans are the bane of sound mixers everywhere.
The two larger fans on the Godox VL300s are close to silent, although I have not yet been trapped in a small room shooting interviews with them yet but in a medium and large
room, the fans were completely inaudible.
 
ahalpert said:
That is tempting!

I wonder if they're any good...quick look at reviews mentions fan noise and cumbersome set-up. Color quality I dunno

Just had an idea - LED manufacturers should make the fans super fast so the pitch is higher and easier to EQ out of the audio later. Is that plausible?
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Talk to any audio guy. They do not want anything making high pitched sounds within ‘ear shot’.
 
I got a paper advertisement in the mail that had them at $150 in Ankeny Iowa. I'm not sure if you can order it online for $150, or if you have to go into the store on Black Friday. It will be difficult to make a mad dash to the checkout with a kayak. :grin:
 
jbregar said:
They've been $700 for a bit. Normal price is $999. I have one of the CLAR 500s and one of their 350s. They're stellar. I have no real problem with the fan noise and the setup is no more cumbersome than any other light with a control box like an Aputure. I do love that the control boxes are meant to sit on the ground like an old-school photo light kit power pack. The Aputures I had were meant to hang off of the stand or light itself and it was super awkward.

The 500 puts out a LOT of light. If anything, it doesn't get dim enough.

The 350 has two knobs to adjust the yoke angle, which kind of sucks but isn't a huge deal-breaker. I'd send it back and get another 500, but I like that it gets dimmer than the 500 for accent stuff.

I also have two of their S30 lights and one of the ellipsoidal lenses for them. They're plasticky, but they work great as a little accent or kicker light... or with a gobo to throw some texture on a plain background.
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Yes, that control box looks great. Looks like it can double as a power pack for other uses as well?

I have found that the Nanlite control box looks funky, but in normal use, I prefer it. I didn't expect that. Hangs on the stand and can be moved around without banging, and can either stand or lay on the floor. And with the power adapter part detached, the control unit is juuuuust light enough and the elongated shape are ok for hangin on a boom arm or pole rigging, in a way that boxes are not. However, I so rarely do that, I don't see it as a real advantage. The taller standing unit can be nice when making adjustments, as it can be adjusted without kneeling or squatting.

However, difficult to dislike Aputure's integrated battery charger for the 600D. And the 300D, while annoying when hung, has a locking attachment for the mark2, and the controller is probably the most versatile for indie filmers that need to sometimes put a light anywhere in less than ideal situations.



Kind of funny how they all are good in their own way. choices likely depend on one's work. I tend to like Aputure, but hate their bold colourful styling. And Adorama is cheap. Idk, I got the nanlite Forza 500 on sale, otherwise I wouldn't have been interested, the dual breaks is better than bad breaks, but is definitely an unnesecary design choice when there are other proven designs that make work life easier. The dal locking mechanism on the nanlite almost voids or nullifies any of its advantages in the LED COB world.
 
DJI is having some some substantial sales on their Ronins and drones.
Pros of buy at a discount NOW:
-You get a discount
-Tax policy may change (I don't know if DJI is charging tax. Adorama was not last year, but started this year)
-You have time in the pandemic to test the crap out of your gear.
-The US dollar is projected to drop against most currencies over the next 5 years.
-You feel like you're doing something "artistic".

Cons of Gear Acq Syndrome during a Pandemic:
-After you're done testing, it just sits on a shelf.
-Your warranty runs out before you even use it on a real shoot. It breaks on the first day.
-You muse how you never buy anything that appreciates in value. Like a house.
-That hole in your soul is still there when you look down at your chest.
-There's a reasonable chance you could die if not from the virus, then from the debt, and your kin folk will have no idea how much your gear is worth, nor do they give a rat's ass, so they just dump it off to a bulk Ebay seller.
 
dadoboy said:
There's a reasonable chance you could die if not from the virus, then from the debt, and your kin folk will have no idea how much your gear is worth, nor do they give a rat's ass, so they just dump it off to a bulk Ebay seller.
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Haha. I think about this from time to time. Maybe I need to write up an inventory and price list to include in my will.
 
osmo action, osmo pocket, osmo mobile 3, ronin sc pro combo

those look like the only things with 20-46% discounts. everything else is like a 5-10% discount. yawn. keep your powder dry and your soul hole plugged for now, i say
 
ahalpert said:
osmo action, osmo pocket, osmo mobile 3, ronin sc pro combo

those look like the only things with 20-46% discounts. everything else is like a 5-10% discount. yawn. keep your powder dry and your soul hole plugged for now, i say
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And those go on sale a few times a year anyway.
 
does anyone have experience with these peak design slings? the 5 liter version is 45% off - https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...design_bsl_5_sg_1_everyday_sling_5l_sage.html

not sure if it's big enough for my purposes. the 10 liter version is 44% off, though maybe it's too big for what I need... https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...10_bk_1_everyday_sling_10l_black.html/reviews

I'm looking for a bag to wear while I gimbal and carry a couple prime lenses (maximum size samyang 85 fe + sigma 24-70 fe), mirrorless camera batteries, a filter case and lens tissues. or a zoom f6 and 2 sennheiser g3 receivers instead of the lenses

I want it to be small, hug close to the body, and not limit my maneuverability. a sling seems like what the doctor ordered, no? a small backpack could do but I think they're too bulky and I don't need that much space. a messenger bag hangs too loosely and can bump into doorframes etc

the lowepro passport sling is also half off - https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1032319-REG/lowepro_lp36657_passport_sling_iii_black.html

not sure if it's as comfortable...certainly has less fashionable design but if that's the only difference, then it looks good
 
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