Zoom

Bandrew's Favorite Things of 2015

Greetings Earthlings. I figured what better way to celebrate a new year than by celebrating consumerism and telling you all the awesome stuff I came across that I learned to love and would lose my mind if I were to lose.

Zojirushi Water Bottle: http://amzn.to/1ZFl1hf
You may think that it is ridiculous to have a water bottle as one of my favorite things, but this thing is amazing. There are two main attractions to this thing, how long it keeps drinks hot/cold (here's a link to the tested.com thermos comparison), and the locking mechanism. The locking mechanism was my main reason for loving this water bottle. It allows me to throw it in my messenger back at cons and not worry about it spilling and destroying a camera or laptop.

Fisher Space Pen: http://amzn.to/1O0br13
This is a no brainer. You just never know when you're going to need a pen, and this pen fits in your pocket extremely easily, and when opened, is a full pen. I adore this thing, and it's always in my pocket.

Zoom H6: http://amzn.to/1ZFl3Wt
This device changed the entire way that I record. I did endless research when looking at these types of devices and finally settled on this guy for a few reasons. It has allowed me to replace my Tascam US-322, upgrade from 2 XLR inputs to 4 XLR inputs (expandable to 6), record without my laptop, and still use this as an interface with my computer. It's the best recording device I've ever come across.

Canon 70d: http://amzn.to/1ZFl4cX
I don't think that this needs any sort of explanation. Prior to picking this up, I was making videos with a Go Pro and Logitech C920 Webcam. Don't get me wrong, both these cameras served me well, but this just improved the image quality of my Videos & Thumbnails that I can't praise this thing enough.

Canon 10-18mm Lens: http://amzn.to/1O0bvhq
I don't really have anything to say about this other than this thing is awesome. I got it because I planned on filming myself a lot, and I have found this on my camera almost all the time, except when I'm photographing a microphone.

Timbuk 2 Messenger Bag: http://amzn.to/1O0bASn
I searched for years to find a messenger bag and I finally did. This thing is amazing! I did a full review on it a few months back, and I can't recommend it enough. It has everything you need for daily life and con life. 

What's In Your Bag: Santa Fe Comic Con Edition

I just got back from Covering Santa Fe Comic Con, and I figured I would do a video of "What's in Your Bag?". I will link each item and let you know how it functioned in the convention setting.

  • Timbuk2 TSA Messenger Bag - This bag has yet to let me down once. Highly recommend it.
  • Zojirushi Water Bottle - Another item that has yet to let me down. It is a bit expensive but it will keep you hydrated and not ruin your computer/camera gear. 
  • Field Notes - Even if you are not going to a con, you need to have one of these in your pocket. You never know when you need to take notes, or write a to-do list, or have a brilliant Idea. I always have one in my back pocket.
  • Fisher Space Pen - This is my favorite pen and it always goes with me. Super small and reliable. And this is a custom version to commemorate hitting 100 subs on my youtube channel.
  • Google Acer Chromebook - I am a big fan of this laptop, and I use it more than my Macbook Pro, however, you do not need to take a computer to a convention unless you know you're going to be doing writing throughout the day. This was unnecessary. 
  • Neewer Lav Mic - These things cost about $7, and you get three of them for that cost. HOWEVER, this mic shorted out and yielded almost all my footage from the convention useless. If you are going to get these, be careful, and make sure to check the recordings and make sure they are working before recording anything important.
  • Zoom H1 - I love Zoom's recorders and this is no exception. I got so much use out of this thing. I set it on autogain, tossed it on the table at panels and hit record. It worked like a charm and it's small and portable. One of the most useful things I brought with me.
  • Emergency Battery - Lucky for me, I did not have to use this. But, I always keep it in my bag with an extra iPhone cable. 
  • Go Pro Hero 3 - This is another one of those devices that you just can't go wrong with. I love this thing and I filmed almost all my footage with this thing, however, the lav mic caused all of it to be useless. Not the GoPro's fault though. I do with there was a way to monitor microphone levels though.
  • Samsung NX1000 - This camera worked alright. In lowlight, it struggled, and I started to get some noise when I was in low ISO's, so I'm not sure if this is a great option for conventions. I didn't use the kit lens either. I did take a lot of photos, but many of them didn't turn out well. I blame my amateur photography skills for that, and not the camera.
  • Samsung NX 16mm Lens - This is a great lens, but just not for my needs. This is a lens designed for beautiful landscapes, and I'm sure it can kick butt at those. I will have to test that out and get back to you. 
  • Samsung NX 45mm Lens - This lens is the sex. That's what the kids are saying, right? Well I love this lens. It is beautiful, provides great DOF, and a big aperture and just all around great! I took the majority of my photos with this lens, and some of them look spectacular. When there was enough light, the photos turned out great. I have included an image taken with this camera, above.