In Broadcast - May 2015 - 38

38

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 5 - Issue 5 | May 2015

InGear

The Supporters' Club 2015
Contributing Editor Kieron Seth discusses the latest
innovations in camera supports and accessories...

L

ife used to be so easy for camera
support manufacturers. There
were so few types of serious cameras
- shoulder-mount, system-style and
handheld. Broadly this was pretty
much it. Anything much smaller just
could not deliver the video quality or
recording time professionals needed.
You now only have to think about the
mini system camera, such as ARRI's
Alexa Mini or the action camera Go Pro
type devices, let alone the ubiquitous
Canon DSLR and its competitors to
realise how difficult the job of grip
developers has become. And that's
even before considering the rapid rise
of gimbal stabilising technologies and
their application in airborne systems
and handheld stabilisers.
More bewilderingly, as far as
end users are concerned, new
developments seem to come in waves
as the new must have contraption.
Last year it was the Freefly MoVI type
support and stabilised GoPro mounts;
this year's favourite seems to be the
aerial drone. A great case in point is
DJI whose new Phantom 3 octopter
models include built-in HD or 4K
cameras, totally excluding the camera
manufacturer from the 'support'
mechanism. Indeed, so centre stage is
the aerial unmanned vehicle that there
was even a dedicated flying pavilion
at this year's NAB featuring a number
of manufacturers such as DJI, Canon,
Amimon, DSLR Pros, XFly Systems,
TeraLogics, Go Professional Cases,
ArrowData, Sky High Media, ZM
Interactive and Unmanned Vehicle
University.

Miller's Cineline
70 Fluid Head

Beside the cacophony of whirring
propellers, there are new weird and
wonderfully sounding devices hitting
the market, like the oddly-named
Camera Goat and Logger's Lunchbox
and the charmingly titled FotoKite.
Amid and alongside this fast moving
feast of equipment, interesting
traditional support kit is still emerging.
Cartoni
Cartoni's new MAGNUM fluid head
supports a payload capacity of 2595 kg (55 - 210 lbs). The mount's
reliable operation, a fluid feel (with
no transition in tilting) and five year
warranty make it an ideal for both
studio and outside broadcast cameras,
including those with long lens
configurations or bulky accessories.
Chrosziel
With the new Light Weight Support
401-FS7 for Sony PXW-FS7, Chrosziel
developed a support with integrated
shoulder pad and unparalleled slim
design. The ergonomic pad is slideable
and allows easy and safe rest of the
LWS on the shoulder. Its integrated
V-mount reliably fixes the camera on
a quick-lock plate. It is compatible with
Chrosziel 19mm DigiCine Bridgeplate
to support large zoom lenses.
Cool-Lux
Cool-Lux is adding a new line of
camera rigs to its accessory inventory.
The FS7 Cool-Rig, which features a
rosette mount for the Sony FS7 handle,
the ENG Cool-Rig, which features a
single telescoping hand grip, the Cine
Cool-Rig, with dual telescoping hand
grips, and the Classic Cool-Rig,
sporting a walnut handle.
There are options for
mounting
counterweights
or a cheeseplate to the rear of
these rigs, as well as a top handle
for carrying the rig or getting lowmode shots.
All Cool-Lux camera rigs include
a Cool-Lux SHIFT Baseplate which
features a flip-out tripod mount
that acts as a chest pad in
shoulder rig mode. The
baseplate is fully adjustable
to work with any camera,
and has over 4.5 inches

of balance adjustment via
a sliding dovetail camera
mount. The SHIFT Baseplate
uses the 15mm Light Weight
Support (LWS) standard for lining up
and attaching accessories.
DEFY
Compact, extremely light and
powerful gimbal, the DEFY G2X
includes pre-selected auto
tuned modes for different
camera weights allowing users to
bypass the need for software and
calibration. It is designed to overcome
the weight and complexity of earlier
units. With the system, operators can
begin filming, they claim, in as little
as three minutes of opening the box.
The G2X carries lightweight mirrorless
cameras and DSLRs.
DJI
A respected brand in the gimbal
sector, the company's new Ronin-M
is an impressive development on
its earlier model. Half the weight of
the original, it can still support up to
eight pounds of kit. Its load capacity,
however, is only part of the picture:
despite shedding many pounds, it
nevertheless boasts over six hours of
battery life, a quick release system
that allows users to mount the gimbal
to jibs and cranes and is claimed to
offer excellent rigidity. It has also
undergone a weight loss programme.
Glidecam Industries
Glidecam is launching its new
Devin
Graham
Signature
Stabilizer System. It builds on
its existing design to introduce
new features that include
an integrated Manfrottostyle quick release on
the top plate (while
retaining four-direction
micro-adjustment)
and innovative laseretched gimbal height reference
markers.
Libec
In the wake of its successful
ALLEX tripod system, Libec
is launching three new
slider kits - ALX - offering

DJI's Ronin-M
gimbal

slick and well-controlled pan, tilt and
slide movements at a temptingly low
price. Now available in three sizes,
customers have greater choice over
the length of the slider, an important
consideration in terms of creative
results and portability.
Miller Camera Support
Miller has announced the Cineline
70 Tripod System at NAB 2015. This
feature-rich, cost-effective tripod
is aimed at cinematographers, and
aims to improve workflows, boost
production values and capture highquality shots with smooth pans and
tilts. Built for heavy payloads, the
tripod has a capacity of 82.7 pounds,
providing stability and security
when supporting varying rigging
configurations. The sturdy HD Alloy
Ground Spreader, designed for rapid
setup and pull-down, easily attaches
to the Alloy Tripod and is optimal for
flat surfaces. The fluid head offers
advanced precision fluid drag control
with ultra-soft starts, smooth stops,
perfect diagonal drag transition and
counterbalance systems with allin-one-location control layout.
It also has dual side mounts
for monitors, accessories
and an assistant's box
front mount.
OConnor
Oconnor's
O-Rig
15mm
Libec's ALX
T tripod
Rod Support
System
is
designed to suit
the à la carte
configurations of today's accessorised
digital cinematography. The O-Rig is
designed to work with any camera/
lens combination in 15mm LWS (Light
Weight Support) configuration,
https://youtu.be/7Zx7JCnx83I https://vimeo.com/116610037 https://youtu.be/KPlqJbzAwdk
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