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In other news: DSLR + 3D camera support

Lightweight jib for DSLRs; Sachtler Cine DSLR head wins award; Cam Caddie stabilizing handle; and Neutron 3D goes Naval gazing.

Jib is smooth operator for DSLR cameras

ABC Products’ upcoming DSLR Light-Jib is a very lightweight and compact Jib-arm designed for DSLR cameras.

It uses carbon fibre tubes to keep the weight down (3.9kg) and packs small for portability. It is also claimed to offer an “extremely short assembly time of only a few seconds” and uses a QuickPin system to allow a rapid change of location and camera angle.

It offers a boom length of 1.52m and can carry cameras and accessories weighing up to 4.5kg (making it suitable for many compact camcorders too).

In use, it has a parallelogram bar that can be continuously changed allowing for an automatic tilt as well as precise adjustment of the tilt head angle. It also has a “special swivel system that enables the Light-Jib to glide avoiding any disturbing swinging when it is stopped.”

It includes a built-in level, quick release and built-in brakes (horizontal and vertical), and will be available in December for about €1,190.

www.abc-products.de

New Cine DSLR fluid head wins award

Sachtler’s new Cine DSLR fluid head has won the DV Black Diamond Award 2010 at the Digital Video Expo in Pasadena, California.

The head has been developed specially for HD DSLR cameras, such as the Canon 5D Mark II or EOS 7D, and has a special camera plate with an anti-twist safeguard that prevents the camera from twisting.

With a payload range of 1kg to 5kg, the fluid head uses Sachtler’s three-step damping system, which enables precise and smooth horizontal and vertical panning. The head’s robust metal housing protects it from exterior influences under challenging working conditions. It is compact, robust and offers precision when performing camera pans.

www.sachtler.com

Cam Caddie carries compact cameras calmly

Schneider Optics has become the exclusive worldwide distributor for the new Cam Caddie stabilizing handle and accessory holder.

It is designed to work with virtually any lightweight HD DSLR camera or camcorder, to provide a comfortable, solid camera platform that dampens movement while shooting.

Optional add ons include an Accessory Shoe for lights, flash units, microphones and monitors. The Accessory Wing and Tripod Adapter works with the Accessory Shoe to mount multiple accessories. There’s also a 1/4-20 Flash Shoe Adapter to attach multiple accessories to any flash shoe, hot or cold mount

The Cam Caddie Scorpion costs from $59.95. A kit including the Cam Caddie and three accessories costs $109.95.

www.schneideroptics.com

Neutron 3D rig press ganged into Navy promo

One of the first productions to use Element Technica’s new, lightweight Neutron 3D rig has been a US Navy promo showing the technology behind a recent mission launch that brought down a crippled satellite.

“The director wanted to re-create this event with two cameras in 3D mode with a system that was lightweight, flexible and could do both tight and wide shots in real locations like a war room at a restricted Navy base,” explained cinematographer Steven Douglas Smith (pictured). He specified two SI-2K cameras, Fujinon lenses, and view/playback on CineDeck. “The Neutron was simply the best set-up for the job.”

Smith had to get shots moving through corridors and around the electronics in a small missile ship as well as sequences within a naval war room. “We chose the Neutron because of its ability to act as a lightweight support device for these two HD cameras that we could fly on a Steadicam. Because 3D doesn’t like jittery handheld movements, the Neutron allowed us to move the camera in small spaces and still have it be effective in the 3D environment. Also, the Neutron has the ability to do swap over and change configuration from beamsplitter to two cameras side-by-side for long lens work. We wouldn’t have to use two separate devices,” he said.

“One of the things that I really like about the Neutron is the high-grade mirror they use. It doesn’t cause abnormalities in the image that you get with many lower grade units. The Neutron configuration is also extremely steady and rock-solid when in the 3D environment, and still extremely lightweight,” he added.

“We had to move quickly, had limited time in our restricted environment, and a lot of footage to capture. The Neutron performed extremely well, allowing us to capture the necessary material without reshoots or resets.”

www.technica3D.com