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Holding on
While manufacturers usually provide a basic brace to hold their lights on a camcorder, such holders don't usually offer much flexibility. To answer that, 16×9 Inc. imported the Noga HoldIt articulated arm system. Users can position the HoldIt, nicknamed the “Israeli Arm,” in just about any angle and then securely lock it down. Available in various sizes, the three-jointed arm system can be used to mount monitors, lights, flags, and even still cameras. For single shooters, the arm comes in handy when you're forced to go with only an on-camera light. By moving the light beyond the usual on-camera hot shoe location, your subject enjoys much more flattering angles.
Price: $122 (4.2in.); $132 (8.3in.); $162 (9.7in.)
Burbank, Calif.; (818) 972-2839;
www.16x9inc.com
Panning and tilting
Remote control of panning and tilting operations opens up more shooting scenarios, but running multiple control and power cables can make for hard-to-rig setups. Hitachi Denshi addresses that with a fiber-optic version of its Eagle line of Pan-Tilt products. Spec'd for indoor use and controlled outdoor setups, the new Eagle PT101FO pan-tilt head handles all motion, video functions, and system power through a single fiber-optic cable, maximizing signal quality and workflow efficiency, according to the company. The unit can be paired with the new Eagle Command Module, which combines pan, tilt, zoom, focus, and camera controls with a four-channel switcher.
Price: $1,750 (PT101FO); $2,200 (Eagle Command Module)
Woodbury, N.Y.; (516) 921-7200;
www.hdal.com
Better images
Sooner or later, almost every shooter realizes that the MiniDV camcorder lens is what limits the quality of the final image. What to do? Well, how about putting on any top-notch 35mm still or film lens? The P+S Technik Oszi 400 series Mini35 digital image converter does just that. Oszi allows attachment of 35mm film or still lenses to the Panasonic AG-DVX100E/AG-DVX100A, the Sony PD150/PD170, and other MiniDV cameras. The result? Just about the same depth of field, focus, and angle of view as with a 35mm camera. Helpfully, ZGC, the U.S. importer, sales, and rental agent, provides useful tips for the device's best use on its website.
Price: $7,455 (Series 400); Camera Adapter ($2,200)
Mountain Lakes, N.J.; (973) 335-4460;
www.zgc.com
See more
Many DPs find that when shooting indoors, they just don't have a wide enough lens for tight spaces. Although most camcorder lenses can't be removed, add-on diopters such as VFGadgets' The Red Eye can help. (As a “non-zoom-through” wide-angle adapter, you must use it at set focal lengths.) Canadian cinematographer Rene Collins, CSC, developed the thin element, which threads directly onto a camera lens. Unlike some other adapters, The Red Eye eliminates bulk and weight by using high-index, high-clarity optical material, which substantially reduces the size and weight of the lens. The 0.7X aspheric Red Eye adapter increases the angle of view on most lenses by 30 percent.
Price: Four sizes from 58mm ($350) through 82mm ($490)
Toronto, Canada; (416) 686-1452;
www.vfgadgets.com
PLUG IT IN
The “Ken Burns look” comes cheap with MovingPicture, the flagship plug-in from StageTools. Back with version 3.0, the program pans and zooms on high-resolution still images from within an NLE timeline. Documentarians will enjoy new features like adjustable eases, batch rendering, and image-preparation options. Execution is easy: Dragging and sizing a framing box on an image changes the view and adds keyframes to the timeline. The motion previews in realtime. Also new is MovingChart, which takes text or spreadsheet data and creates animated bar, pie, and line charts in 3D. The resulting charts can be drawn over a video background and previewed in realtime. Currently available as a standalone, MovingChart will soon be offered as a plug-in. Price: $199 for either. (Middleburg, Va.; 540-592-7001; www.stagetools.com)
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