In Broadcast - July 2013 - 48

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

WWW.INBROADCAST.COM | ISSUE 21 - JULY 2013

N E W S

InTECH
Egripment Launch Universal Dolly Cont.

Matthews Remote Control Kit

48

DSLR shooting. At NAB Vocas
demonstrated new shouldermounting accessories for the Sony
PMW-F5 and PMW-F55 – with a new
variable-position base plate which
is comfortable for conventional
shooting. The device incorporates
a Sony VCT14 locking mechanism
to move the camera from tripod

mount to shoulder mount instantly,
while front and rear bars support
a matte box, focus controller,
recorders or batteries. At the same
time, Vocas launched a dedicated
wooden Top handgrip. Also on show
was the Side cheese plate which
can be attached to the Cheese plate
at the top of the camera, providing
more threaded holes for
attaching

MovieTech’s Alpha Dolly

accessories.
The new Top handgrip also
adds a solid handle and 15mm
top rails to the Blackmagic Design
Cinema Camera.
Camera operators can now use
a short lens, matte box, handgrips,
and a follow focus all in the same
rig. As an aside, many Blackmagic
Cinema Camera users were relieved
to see the new 4K version of the
device in the same form factor as
the original, usable with all existing
grip investments.
With Vocas, innovation didn’t
come just in the form of new
devices, but also in new materials:
as camera sizes and weights reduce,
Vocas has followed suit and added
carbon rods to its product line-up.
Stronger and lighter than aluminium
rods, carbon may be the future for
prestige products.§
Matthews: In Vegas, Matthews
demonstrated the potential for
wireless control of grip with two
innovative products.
The Makalu System – a remote
head for live action, timelapse,
visual effects, cinematography
and videography is controlled by a
multi-axis jog box with a professional
joystick connected via WiFi to an
iPad Mini, iPad 2 & amp 3 or iPhone.
The system gives the user the ability
to connect to a Mac running the
accompanying eSpin0 software,
allowing for endless programming
and tweaking of motion control
camera moves.
Another remotely controlled
system, the Wireless FloatCam
Motion Control also launched. It
adds linear motion control functions
to sliders for timelapse, stop
motion and visual effects. Many
of the functions can be controlled
wirelessly at a distance of up to
150 metres. It also offers wired
connectivity where necessary.
American Grip: Demonstrating
that no all-new products does
not always mean a stand short on
news. Its grip range evolves year on
year, reinventing standard pieces in
accordance with customer’s needs.
Adapting products to use wider
yokes, enabling one touch tightening
on both sides of a clamp, making
minor changes to avoid ﬂammability
and reducing the size of stands by
the smallest amount can all make the
difference in portability and usability.
“Some of these are so simple it just
makes perfect sense.” Said a
spokesman. When it comes to
mature products such as clamps
and stands, evolution – not
revolution – is perhaps inevitable.
ARRI: The LMB-6 matte box
builds on its predecessor – the
LMB-4A matte box. Now suited
to larger-sized ﬁlters, (up to 6.6”
x 6.6”), this allows a lightweight

matte box to be utilised even when
extremely wide angle lenses are
used on the camera.
Vocas’ MB-215 follows suit,
allowing the maximum lens diameter
increase to 114mm (approx. 4.5”).
Thanks to the large diameter this
matte box clamps directly onto most
prime lenses. With a step-down ring
this matte box can be used as a clipon matte box on smaller lenses, or to
be mounted on 15mm rods through
the use of a bars adapter.
MovieTech: When it comes
to dollies, NAB saw a number of
miniature systems and sliders, from
the likes of Cinematics and MYT.
MovieTech, on the other hand,
has released its full-sized Alpha
Dolly. This new system combines
the traditional features of a dolly,
such as a mechanical column and
hydraulic arm, with the agility, light
weight and speed of a pedestal. Its
use of standard camera batteries
for power completes an innovative
and versatile package. As Dennis
Fraser commented at the start of
the article, each year sees every
piece of equipment improving:
there’s never an end in sight to
product development.
Rig Wheels: As if to prove the
point, Rig Wheels Magnetic Camera
Mount is a very novel magnetised
ball head unit. It is a sturdy platform
for a camera on any metal surface.
Using industrial grade highpower rare-earth magnets, their
static camera magnet mount has
the strength of 200lbs in a vertical
pull. At NAB the company showed
a new light-weight single-magnet
product rubber coated, perfect for
GoPro’s and small DSLR cameras.
Multiple magnet products can
support full-sized DSLR cameras
and secure themselves safely to
many a metallic surface.
Kessler: Many of Kessler’s
innovations at Las Vegas
included motion control systems,
enabling precise camera control
and movement, and timelapse
photography. However, the ﬁnal tool
in this round up is the astonishing
new Pocket Jib Traveler.
At ﬁve pounds, it’s designed to
ﬁt into a suitcase or backpack and
can support up-to 10 pounds of
camera equipment.
Erected without tools in under
a minute, it’s a great innovation,
with adjustable drag control and a
telescopic weight bar. Compared
with the heavy and improvised
mechanisms used by the Hollywood
of the sixties and seventies, this is
a wonder indeed.

Kessler’s new Pocket Jib Traveler

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/?first=Phillip&last=Izzard&search=Go https://twitter.com/inbroadcast http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpzEatLsHdE&feature=youtube_gdata_player https://facebook.com/InBroadcast http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/inbroadcast/id468652679?mt=8 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.branded.inbroadcast&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS5icmFuZGVkLmluYnJvYWRjYXN0Il0. http://WWW.INBROADCAST.COM http://www.msegrip.com/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuLjCOnM7t4 http://vimeo.com/60742241

In Broadcast - July 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of In Broadcast - July 2013