Edelkrone joins eBay to sell of a few of the demo rigs that were being shown at NAB2011 before these items are available online. There seems to be a few of the double shoulder mount rigs available, and also that little traveling 'Pocket Rig'. The Pocket Rig folds to about the size of a DSLR battery grip, and unfolds to a shoulder stock and basic rod support. As usual, they've never been able to please buyers with pricing, (expect high prices) but if you're interested you can find the demo items being auctioned following the link below.
dslr stabilizer
DIY DSLR Cage / Fig Rig
Another video with a few different additions to the DIY DSLR Cage project. This time, YouTube member browncowvideo uses a Miter Track channel for the top rail. This allows the mounted accessories to be adjusted left and right. Another added addition is the swing out feet that allows you to rest the Cage on a flat surface, a very simple yet functional idea. [Thanks Brian]
Tilta DSLR Follow Focus, Matte Box, Full Rig
Tilta DSLR Shoulder Rig, Matte Box, Half Cage, Follow Focus
What's up with Tilta? I've seen a few of their small DSLR rig parts before, but it looks like they are slowly expanding on gear. Bruce pointed out today about their Follow Focus kit which includes two different gears, a set of base rails to mount, a dslr stage with battery door access, and a unique 'quick dock' solution to remove the entire system from a tripod or rig. I don't see a way to reverse the gears or adjustments for lash and tension, but it does have it's simple appeal. Anyone got more insight on these Tilta DSLR Rigs? They've even got a full Shoulder rig with half cage and Matte Box as well, but a bit too pricey for my taste...
Small Camera Monopod Tilt Head
With the new Sunpak Carbon Monopod and Velbon Ultra stick in the house, it's time to add a little tilt swag. I opted to try this small tilt head (no pan) to still keep things short and tight. It's pretty much the same design you'll find on certain Manfrotto monopods, but a third the price for the off-brand. I'm also going to try to use this on the Korean version SpiderTrax dolly to see if it keeps low and stable. You can find it in the link below and by searching for 'Tilt Head'.
Calumet Small Swivel Tilt Monopod Heads
If you don't find yourself in a rush to move the camera off the monopod, you might not require the quick release function. For this you'll find cheaper heads that use an underside clamp knob such as the Manfrotto 234 (below).
Varizoom’s New Little FlowPod
Steadicam has a smoothee, Cinevate once showed something for an iPhone about a year ago, Lensse has an iPhone version as well, but can be adapted to the GoPro. Somehow every company is finding a way to market tiny stabilizers for iPhones, Flip Cameras, and all types of point and shoots.
Olivia gets a demo from Tom McKay - President of Varizoom showing a regular FlowPod, as well as their new lightweight version. Now in the end of the video he throws out pricing, but when I was at NAB, I want to say that the smaller version was only around $150 dollars. That means it would be a bit cheaper than Steadicam's Smoothee as well as being a lot more functional.
I'll have to contact Varizoom to find out if the pricing he mentions was for the larger version that supports the GH2, because anything over $150 bucks seems a bit pricey. BTW, if you've followed Olivia's Vimeo profile she finally has her cast (broken wrist) taken off. Hilarious stuff... This was also a highlight from Episode 4 from her Myx-Rated Television show which is shot almost completely on Canon DSLR's.
Velbon UltraStick Monopod – Tiny and Fast
Nothing compares to a 'lightweight traveling camera stabilizer' like a portable Monopod. Whether it be for Photography or for Video, a Monopod can truly add stabilization on the fly. I wanted to travel light over to NAB, but still have some type of stabilization if needed. I ordered this Velbon Ultra Stick monopod, probably more out of curiosity about it's 'patented twist & release leg locking system'. After my first tests, I'm pretty surprised about how well it works, how sturdy it feels under the camera, and more impressed about how small this thing collapses.
If you caught me over at NAB2011, this was what I used under my 5D Mark II + 24-70mm F/2.8L + Rode VideoMic Pro. Often used just as a solid handle under the camera body, but for longer takes, I was able to extend it to carry all the camera weight. Collapsed, this thing is very very very small. Sets up super fast, breaks down even faster. The small size not only fits in my backpack, but it fits in the smallest outer pocket of my backpack. Collapses down to about 12.5" inches and weighs next to nothing.
Also Available at B&H
for Velbon Ultra Stick at BHPhotoVideo.com
Or Adorama
Velbon Ultra Stick Monopod via Adorama
This thing lives in my bag now, and it will be the first thing I grab for quick stabilization or when I want to travel extra light. I think i'll grab one of those Monopod belt pouches which should add more functionality..
iPad TelePrompter with 15mm Rails / Clamps
Crazy little iPad Teleprompter (iPad not included) shows up online. From the specs, it sounds good and price is not bad when compared with other prompters. Prompters are normally very expensive alone, and to see that this one comes with industry standard 15mm rods and clamps included in the price makes it even more interesting. This should help with the positioning of the prompter to just about any camera or lens combination, and still provide a very strong support.
States that it's less than 4 lbs, the 70/30 beam splitter is real glass (not acrylic), and appears to pack all the parts into itself down to about an inch thick. Sweet design and would be very interested if someone gets a video review on this soon.
[Update] Video below, thanks Chris.
2011 NAB Coverage with Olivia Speranza
I was able to network with a few friends around the Bay Area and thought it would be fun to just cover NAB2011 together. Besides myself, we had Waylon from Prodigy Studios, Leo from Doubletter Productions, and Roland from Myx.TV. I played camera operator while Myx-Rated television host Olivia Speranza talked to a few of NAB's exhibitors.
We ran into Jared Abrams of WideOpenCamera.com and El SKid over at the Jag35.com booth. It's my first time meeting any of these guys, and they gave us an exclusive first look at their CrossBow Evolution Shoulder Slider Rig.
Ok, it was a joke, we were just having fun over at NAB2011, and that's pretty much how the rest of the trip went. Glad to have finally met everyone in person, great bunch of guys (and gal). Can't wait to do NAB again next year. I'll be posting more product coverage in the next few days as soon as I can coordinate with the rest of the people I was hanging with.
Sunpak Carbon Fiber Pro Monopod
Ok, so i'll be off to NAB next week and this time I thought about just traveling light. Instead of a shoulder rig, I wanted to bring a tall standing Monopod as my main support. Much easier to travel with instead of a cumbersome Tripod which I have to level out. I didn't have time to to place an online order and have it shipped out before I leave, so I thought i'd just eat the cost and check out my local Best Buy electronics store. My weapon of choice is the Sunpak Carbon Pro monopod. This thing is super lightweight and they have the quick locks, not the rotating type. It's a four section Monopod which is perfect for fast setups (instead of messing with 5), but can't be broken down as small as a 5 section. That's fine, I actually was looking specifically for a 3-4 section.
Minimum length is about 21" but this thing is super super super light. It's said to be rated to support at least 15 lbs. but my goal is to travel with much much less. After feeling like i've spent a bit too much money paying retail store prices, I checked online to see the going rate. To my surprise, I actually got quite a good deal on this Monopod. Even the most generic 3 section Carbon versions with quick locks run for much much more than this Sunpak, and i'm very happy with the quality, size, and weight. It's listed as 0.55 lbs, Max Load 15lbs., minimum length 21", Maximum 56.3". This particular one isn't even available on Amazon, and because it runs for much more on eBay, i'm not too unhappy about this last minute purchase.
I suggest you stop in at your local Best Buy and check out the Monopod in person. If they are out of stock in the stores, they are also available on the Best Buy retail website (below).
Sunpak Carbon Fiber 4 section Monopod with Quick Locks
Optionally you could find it on B&H here:
Sunpak Carbon Fiber 4 section Monopod with Quick Locks