Camcorder support systems have rolled out this year on the NAB show room floor. Here are some highlights that we think shooters will enjoy: Anton Bauer Consumer and many prosumer shooters who are looking for more battery power will find the Anton Bauer ElipZ 10K battery an interesting advancement in battery life. This lithium-ion battery has a sleek, proprietary design that delivers 10,500 mAH @ 7.2 V. This could get you around 9 hours of runtime to most popular prosumer camcorders. The battery is also part of a bigger system, ElightZ and EgripZ. The ElightZ is a 10 watt on-camera light that draws power from the ElipZ 10K battery and has an adjustable arm for aiming the light. The EgripZ is a flexible grip that counters torque by adding support to your inner forearm. We tried it on for size and can confirm that it balances out one-handed shooting on prosumer camcorders, although we don't recommed you make practice of that technique often. If you do find yourself toying with the controls on the side of camcorder often, however, this certainly could be a benefit to you in terms of balance. The ElipZ 10k Battery Package (with charger) is available for $299, the ElightZ at $149 and the EgripZ at $129.
[image:blog_post:14157]Bogen/Manfrotto Tripods and monopods are critical for any shooter and Bogen/Manfrotto released two new video tripod heads, the 501 HDV and 503 HDV, and a new 561B monopod. We've had the 501 HDV tripod head in our office for sometime now and you can expect to see a review in the July issue. But, if you just can't wait, check out our Vidcast hands-on look with the 501 HDV tripod system. The monopod caught our eye, as they've now added a fluid tilt head to the system. Now, you can have a monopod with fluid pan and tilt– that's exciting news. The Manfrotto 561B monopod will be available at estimated street prices around $222. We're still waiting for the 503 HDV and 501 HDV pricing to become available.
[image:blog_post:14158]Tiffen Steadicam The Steadicam Merlin gives a consumer and prosumer shooters an introduction to Steadicam style shooting. At NAB, Tiffen reinforced their support (no pun intended) for this product and announced the Steadicam Merlin Arm and Vest. No longer will you need to rely solely on your arm strength to keep you Steadicam movements smooth. The system can balance camcorders up to seven pounds. The Merlin Vest is the lightest and thinnest they have made to date making it possible to hide under clothing (for whatever you would need that for). And, the Merlin Arm is a 7/8 scale version of the Flyer. This could be a great beginner's Steadicam system for shooters who want to make advancements into this technology. Pricing will become available shortly.
[image:blog_post:14159]Ugrip All the way from Denmark, the creators of Ugrip make their NAB debut with one of the most intelligent and beautiful camcorder support designs we've seen in a long time. This unique camcorder support system is completely customizable to fit a variety of additional gear (e.g., FireStores, wireless mic receivers, on-camera lights, etc.) on your camcorder securely and with the ability to fine tune the balance. If you're the type of shooter who needs to modify a prosumer camcorder system for a variety of professional gigs this is definitely a contender. We played with their Panasonic HVX200 suited with their Ugrip system (including LANC control) to support the additional Firestore and two wireless mic receivers and had a great experience. Perfect balance and control without adding a ton of weight. Pricing runs a little on the high side, but we definitely think it's worth it (it's designed out of light weight aircraft aluminum by a lift rocket engineer). The Diamond package is their flagship packaged, priced at $1837, but others are available. Each component can also be bought seperately so you can buy-as-you-go. Make sure to stay tuned, we'll have more NAB news and coverage coming soon.
Anton Bauer, Bogen/Manfrotto, Tiffen Steadicam and Ugrip show their support at NAB 2007
