Instead of shaping, coating and polishing glass to perfection, science will (some time in the future) be turning to titanium dioxide for optimal light and color reflection. And it comes in a tiny package. As in nano-tiny. Which means that, while it sometimes feels good to hold a heavy lens, it will be possible to package powerful lenses in ultra-compact camera bodies. Not hard to imagine what this might do for phone and action cameras, but I’m sure it will also make high-end equipment a lot more agile and versatile.

Hopefully that means that – at some point – even those of us working with zero $ budgets will get access to lenses providing million-$ picture quality.

Check it out, science geeks.

Any gear-happy hobby will eventually put you in a situation where you have to fly with one or more of your most prized (and probably highest priced) possessions, whether it’s a guitar, a set of golf clubs or, as is the case for most filmmakers, a selection of cameras and lenses. So how do you keep your electronics safe from baggage handlers and gate agents? Photographer Todd Owyoung from I Shoot Shows has written an excellent article on the delicate art of traveling with your gear. Read the full article here – or enjoy this ADD-friendly overview:

#1 Everything is replaceable – but clothing more-so than your camera. So always check in your cotton before you check in you Canon. Carry-on is your friend.

#2 Check and double-check your baggage allowances. It’s easier to stay calm, when the gate agents looks intently at your carry-on bag, if you’re absolutely certain it meets the airline’s weight and size restrictions.

#3 Choose the right bags. Padding is key when traveling with delicate equipment, so make sure whatever bags you use are keeping your gear safe on a bumpy ride. Todd recommends the Think Tank series.

#4 Be prepared to check your gear, if necessary. If you know you’ll be traveling with gear that won’t fit in your carry-on, make sure you’re adequately prepared. Solid shell flight cases are the way to go.

#5 Make nice with the airline staff. Hopefully the staff will show some empathy when it comes time to pick out the carry-on bags that will need to be checked. If not, politely ask them if the airline is going to assume full responsibility for insuring the total cost of the contents of the bag.

#6 Don’t pack in extra or exterior pockets. Use only the ones with adequate padding and protection. Even the overhead bin can be a dangerous place when your fellow passengers are trying to cram in their duty free items.

Now, take a deep breath and get excited about bringing your gear with you on your out-of-town shoot or your epic adventures. Like this couple did:

h/t I Shoot Shows

As reported by TechCrunch, Chinese tech company Xiaomi has announced a small camera similar to the GoPro Hero, but at a fraction of the price. The design and specs go head-to-head with the GoPro, even out-performing the American-made camera in some areas. At least on paper, according to TechCrunch:

Yi Action Camera (that’s the official English name for the product, Xiaomi told TechCrunch) records video at 1080p (60 frames per second) and includes a 16-megapixel camera that uses Sony’s highly rated Exmor R BSI CMOS image sensor. That’s superior on paper to the Hero, which records at 1080p30 or 720p60 and includes a five-megapixel camera.

Xiaomi also beats the Hero on memory (its 64 GB allocation is twice as large), and weight (it is 72g compared to 111g), while it has a slightly larger battery. Like the Hero, the Yi Action Camera can go as far as 40 meters underwater, which is probably the most important stat for those of us who like to take a camera near water.

The price point is especially interesting for budget-conscious consumers. The Yi Action Camera retails for roughly $64 dollars, compared to around $130 for the GoPro.

Sound to good to be true? Well, it kind of is. The device is being limited (initially, at least) to China. Still, I’m sure some will find it’s way to the US and it will be interesting to see how this will stack up against the GoPro when put to the test.

Check out the TechCrunch article for more info and pictures.

You – or someone else, it doesn’t matter, it’s a travesty regardless – have put blood, sweat and tears into getting your vision on camera. Whether it’s a short film, feature length, documentary, interview or improv, it takes time and effort to accomplish something watchable. And it can all be ruined by one thing, which a lot of amateur filmmakers fail to handle with the same sort of finesse and creativity that they would, say, a tracking shot:

Bad audio.

Ugh. I’ll say it again. It’s the worst.

But while lav mics, boom mics and a good on-set sound recordist all should be at the top of your priority list when making your budget, there are a few things you can do to up your sound game – even on a super tight budget. Hint: It’s in your pocket.

SIRI will never replace your boom operator, but your smartphone will be a welcome addition to your arsenal when you’re setting out to fight bad audio. Let’s face it, pretty much anything is better than your built-in camera audio. Here are a few ways you can use your smartphone (in this particular case it’s an iPhone) as a sound recorder on set:

1. Find an app you like (and use it often) – Apple’s Voice Recorder gets the job done, but you may find that you prefer working with Griffin iTalk. Do your research and try a few different ones – then buy the premium version, if such a thing exists.

2. Hide your phone close to your face – It sounds silly, but if your actor is wearing a button-down or a jacket, hide your phone in a pocket as close to the face as possible. It’s fairly easy to sync up the sound from your phone with the camera audio, especially if you have a slate or simply clap your hands before starting the scene, so you might as well use the extra source of audio. Even if it’s not perfect.

3. Your earbuds can double as a lav mic – Yes, that hands-free mic on your earbuds is not the pinnacle of audio engineering, but it’s essentially a lav mic just waiting to be put to good use. Put the phone in your pocket and tape the hands-free mic to the inside of your shirt, like you would any lav mic. Make sure the mic points in the right direction, as some earbud mics are directional. Instantly better audio.

4. Mix it up – Import your audio tracks from your iPhone directly into iMovie (or export the files and transfer them to any other editor) and sync up your audio. This is where the slate or the hand clap comes in handy. When your sound is in sync, play around with levels and EQ, so the different tracks blend together. Don’t take this step lightly – it’s all in the mix.

When you’re feeling second rate because you’re not using the fancy gear on your shoot, remember this.