Lewis McGregor
Ok, it’s that time of the year again when we decide to spend money on things we shouldn’t be buying. Like most outlets, Black Friday has changed from a day of sales to a week of sales, and Amazon too has joined in the fun with Black Friday Week.
I don’t rate Amazon deals too highly. Many gadgets and gizmos often fall outside the range of professional filmmaking tools. Their camera-related deals generally consist of binoculars, polaroid printing, and tabletop tripods. However, you will sometimes find mixed in with the junk is a stellar deal that may be worth your attention.
To avoid spending your morning rummaging through the dregs of the black Friday pages, we’ve listed the standout filmmaking-related deals below.
Neewer Advanced 2.4G 660 LED Video Light, Dimmable Bi-Color LED Panel with LCD Screen, and 2.4G Wireless Remote – £91.99
This Neewer LED light is a timed deal; at the time of writing, over 10% has been claimed, so you’ll want to act fast on this one. You are reduced 20% from 91.99 to £73.59.
- DIMMABLE BRIGHTNESS AND 2 COLOR TEMPERATURE: With 330 White and 330 Yellow LED long-lasting bulbs, this light illuminates a variable white balance from Tungsten-Daylight from 3200 to 5600K; 2 separate knobs on the panel back for adjusting colour temperature and brightness; CRI 96+ can genuinely restore the colour of the shooting product or portrait; Clear LCD screen can show the brightness, colour temperature and power status of the light
- PREMIUM MATERIAL AND U-MOUNT BRACKET: Made of excellent quality aluminium alloy showing a simple, elegant appearance, the U-mount bracket enables the photographers to adjust the lighting angle according to the shooting environment
- 2.4G WIRELESS REMOTE CONTROL: It can easily adjust brightness, Channel and colour temperature from within 20 meters. Designed with 11 channels (1-10 Channel and “88” Channel) and with the remote control, this light allows you to control one 660 light or control multiple 660 lights at the same time by setting the channel Number of the remote as “88” to achieve more creative work
- AC/DC POWER OPTIONS: Power with AC Adapter (included) or NP-F550 NP-F970 Li-ion battery (not included)
- ACCESSORIES: Attaching barn doors to light sources creates a beam spread of light; it Comes with a white diffuser to soften the harsh light and a carrying bag to store the light and accessories
Manfrotto MVH500AH, Lightweight Fluid Video Head – £95
This Manfrotto fluid head has been reduced 32% from £140 to £95.
A high-functioning fluid tripod video head is a must-have for all filmmakers. You never want to have your pans and tilts stuttering from a cheap tripod head.
This lightweight, Fluid Video Head with a Flat Base includes all the great features you’d expect from a classic video head, with extra innovative touches to make your job even more accessible.
- Weight: 900 g
- Material: Aluminium
- Safety Payload Weight: 5 kg
- Counterbalanced Weight: 2.4 kg
- Tilt Drag: fluid cartridge with fixed drag
- Plate Type: 500PLONG
- Center of gravity: 55 mm
- Base Diameter: 60 mm
- Head Type: Video/Fluid Head
- Pan Bar Included: Yes
- Quick Release: Yes
- Working Height: 10.5 cm
Lowepro ProTactic 450 AW II Black Pro Modular Backpack – £149.99
This versatile backpack has been reduced by 35% from £228 to £149.99
The Protactic Bp 450 Aw Ii professional camera backpack expands upon the rugged versatility and armoured protection. Original protactic series is known for. This high-performance second generation offers a more adaptive interior, multiple access points, modular exterior attachment capabilities and a convertible utility belt.
Activzone back panel gives targeted comfort and support while all-weather aw cover protects gear from rain, snow, dust and sand. Includes utility pouch, water bottle holder, tripod cup and two quick straps. Internal dimensions: 30 x 16 x 44 cm. External dimensions: 36 x 22 x 52 cm. Laptop compartment dimensions: 29 x 2. 2 x 37 cm.
- 1 x Lowepro Backpack
- Flexible padded dividers
- Utility pouch
- Water bottle holder
- Tripod cup
- Adjustable quick straps
- Rain cove
Lowepro LP36892-PWW Tahoe 150 Backpack – £44.99
If that backpack is too expensive for your needs, Lowepro’s LP36892 smaller but functional offering may be of your liking.
It’s compact at 25.5 x 12.8 x 36 cm External: 27.5 x 21.7 x 40.3 cm, and can house a DSLR with a lens attached (such as Canon R5, with 18-135 mm attached; Flash plus extra lens (up to 50 mm). Likewise, there’s also space for a laptop.
WD_BLACK SN850X 2TB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 NVMe Gaming SSD £169
Ok, technically a peripheral for a gaming PC. However, TBs of SSD storage with a fast read & write speed is also ideal for editing heavy footage with extensive bitrates.
The WD_BLACK SN850X 2TB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 NVMe Gaming SSD is reduced 36% from £266 to £169
- Based on read speed. 1 MB/s = 1 million bytes per second. Based on internal testing, performance may vary depending on the host device, usage conditions, drive capacity, and other factors.
- PCIe Gen4 storage technology requires a compatible motherboard. WD_BLACK SN850X is backwards-compatible with PCIe Gen3.
- 1GB = 1 billion bytes and 1TB = 1 trillion bytes. Actual user capacity may be less depending on the operating environment.
Panasonic LUMIX GH5 Mk II – £999
Ok, now into the good stuff. Amazon has the GH5 Mk II listed at a reduced offering of £999. This is a saving of 18%, down from £1219.
- The GH5M2 delivers high-quality live streams up to Full HD 60fps to Facebook, YouTube and more without the need for bulky or complicated equipment.
- GH5M2 has a wealth of professional recording options that feature no video cropping. 4:2:2 10-bit recording is available up to Cinema 4K 30fps and ALL-Intra codecs up to 400Mbps.
- 5-Axis in-body image stabilisation gives up to 6.5 stops of shake correction, even when using lenses not equipped with OIS. Improved sensors detect and counteract handshaking.
- Expanded dynamic range and colour-grading flexibility with V-LOG are included as standard on the GH5M2.
- Weighing only 727g (body only), take the GH5M2 anywhere, with intuitively placed controls, high visibility free-angle touchscreen, and compatibility with lightweight and compact lenses in the Micro 4/3rds system.
- Video Capture Resolution: 2160p
Panasonic LUMIX DC-S5 S5 + L-Mount, 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 and 50mm F1.8 lenses – £1499.99
If you were looking to pack a little more punch and obtain an all-in-one package, Amazon also offers the S5 that will ship with the 20-60mm F3.5-5.6 and the 50mm F1.8.
- Dynamic Range: 12 Stops
- Native ISO: ISO 640
- Lens Mount: L Mount
- Audio Inputs: 1 x 3.5mm Mic Input
- Image Stabilisation: Yes
- Battery Mount / Type: Panasonic DMW
- Media Type: SD/SDHC/SDXC
- Photo Resolution: 24.2 megapixels
- Resolution and Frame Rate: 4k 60p
- Sensor: CMOS
- Video Outputs: 1x HDMI
- Weight: 0-2kg
- Wi-Fi: Yes
Nikon NIKKOR Z 28-75mm £799
Unfortunately, there are only a few branded deals from Sony, Canon or Nikon. However, one deal that has slipped through the cracks is the Nikkor Z 28-75mm f/2.8. Reduced by 16% from £949 to £799.
- Standard zoom range: fit in more of the scene at 28 mm. Nail compelling portraits at 75 mm.
- f/2.8 maximum aperture: the fast, constant aperture allows consistent exposure across the zoom range and clear shots in low light. Users can also shoot with faster shutter speeds in natural light.
- Beautiful bokeh: the large Z mount and f/2.8 rounded 9-blade aperture enable incredibly soft, natural-looking bokeh.
- Fast, confident focus: focusing is smooth, silent, and tack sharp—even when shooting at close range.
- Great-looking video: focus breathing is suppressed so the focus can be adjusted without affecting the shot’s angle of view. Smooth aperture control enables beautifully natural-looking shifts in brightness.
Art History for Filmmakers: The Art of Visual Storytelling £32.99
With a saving of 25%, this must-have book for filmmakers is a stellar Black Friday purchase.
Art History for Filmmakers is an inspiring guide to how images from art can be used by filmmakers to establish period detail and to teach composition, colour theory and lighting. The book looks at the key moments in the development of Western painting and how these became part of the Western visual culture from which cinema emerges before exploring how paintings can be representative of different genres, such as horror, sex, violence, realism and fantasy, and how the images in these paintings connect with cinema.
For more on recommendations, check out the following.
How Much Does It Cost To Get The Blackmagic Pocket 4K Operational?
5 Needed Essentials For a DIY Film Shoot
