Hague puts HD DSLRs in the frame
B Hague has introduced a new, low-cost camera support system for HD DSLRs. The Hague Digital SLR Camframe costs £64.95.
DSLRs can produce great HD video but are difficult to hold for handheld filming. The Camframe should not only make it easier to hold, but can also provides somewhere to fit accessories, such as an audio recorder.
It has a large camera plate with adjustment forwards and back to get the right balance depending on the lens being used. It can also be repositioned from centre to the left or right to get the camera in the required position. Also on the base of the frame are three mounting points for a monopod or a tripod quick release plate, for going from handheld to tripod mounted with the camera still attached to the frame including any accessories you may have fastened to it.
The Camframe has handgrips on both sides and on top of the frame. On either side of the top handgrip are accessory shoes for an external light or microphone. An additional handscrew is supplied to attach any other accessories to the base of the frame.
Extreme Flymount
Hague Camera Supports is joining forces with Flymount to sell a new mount designed for extreme sports. The new Flymount is a waterproof camera mount for action sports and is strong, compact and lightweight, for use on mountain bikes, windsurfers, quad bikes or hang gliders. It is made from high grade glass reinforced nylon and stainless steel, to survive salt water or impact. Although designed primarily for waterproof/shockproof cameras, it can be used with any small camera with a 1/4-inch thread.
iPhone Mounts
The improved video performance on offer from Apples latest iPhone 4 makes it even more likely to be used for low-budget production. The Hague MMC Mini Motion-Cam stabilizer is claimed to be “the most popular small stabilizer on the market” and Hague has now added a new mount to make it iPhone compatible. It has also released a standard i-Mount for mounting an iPhone onto any standard camera mount, such as a tripod, dolly or monopod.
www.b-hague.co.uk
www.cameragrip.co.uk
Off the charts – IE on target
Image Engineering’s new Double-Checker is a handy, relatively inexpensive double-sided chart in a pocket format.
It has the Siemens star TE148 on one side and the white balance sheet TE115 on the other, so that users can check their lens and do an accurate white balance. The TE148 is designed for making camera lens adjustments and checking back focal distance. Besides the Siemens star in the centre it has four smaller ones in each corner. On the TE115, the density of the white area is 0.15 (based on BaO4S=0), which corresponds to a remission of 70%.
The chart comes with a cover, for protection on location, plus a neckband, and costs Euros40.
Mounts, cables and controls for the nanoFlash
Hawk-Woods has launched a range of camera accessories for Convergent Design’s popular nanoFlash HD recorder, including DC power cables, BNC cables, mounting options and a remote tally cable.
All the DC cables are reverse wired for nanoFlash use only. Configuration options include 4-Pin Hirose (M) to 4-Pin Hirose (M), 2-Pin D-Tap or 4-Pin XLR. Nano compatible BNC cables are manufactured to HD 3G standard and available in variety of lengths.
To mount the nanoFlash on the camera, Hawk-Woods has two alternatives: the XE-60 nano plate is compatible with the mounting bracket on the Hawk-Woods V-Lok or PMW-EX camera adaptor ranges, while the XE-64 adaptor allows the HD Recorder to be fixed to the Hawk-Woods BP-EX3 adaptor (pictured).
Its XV-04 nanoFlash remote tally cable has already become a best seller, and solves the problem of operating the Recorder while it is situated behind you. The remote cable is compatible with Sony PMW-EX1/EX3 cameras, and has an operating button that slides over the camera’s existing recording button. A cable-mounted red LED shows the drive is in use and can be positioned near the camera viewfinder for ease of display.
3D remote control and other accessories
Chrosziel has developed a new eight-motor remote control for 3D Rigs. The Aladin Mark II uses new hardware and software, with a new user interface, but retains compatibility with existing Aladin models.
It has a spectrum analyser that indicates field intensity of the selected channel and reveals possible interfering signals in the complete transmission range. It is an open system with a USB interface, it is possible that, once adjusted, distance and/or angles between the cameras on a 3D rig will be tracked automatically when the focus is changed. Delivery is expected in the Autumn, and the price for a basic four-motor unit will be similar the existing three-motor unit, while the eight-motor version will only be slightly more.
Also new is its MatteBox 456 Academy Double with two rotating filter stages for PL lenses with up to 12mm focal length. It uses a new impact-resisting carbon design and will cost Euros1,430. The existing MB 456 Academy Triple with three rotating filter stages is also moving to the new carbon design.
Chrosziel has developed a LightWeight Support (401-424) for Sony’s HXR-NX5 camcorder. Most new camcorders just require a simple height adaptation, for the HXR-NX5 required the base plate to be changed due to the extremely lateral position of the tripod mount, resulting in a new base plate, distance bolt and camera platform. A conversion kit is available as 401-424P and costs Euros126, the complete LightWeight Support costs Euros293.
