Once only in the domains of Hollywood and high-end sports, cablecams have started to become more common of late. There are a number of DIY solutions out there, and a couple ready-made commercial cablecam systems. One of those companies is High Sight, who’ve announced a new “Mini” cablecam, designed for use with motorised gimbals such as the DJI Osmo.
A cablecam designed for gimbals is a pretty interesting idea, but it makes a lot of sense. Suspending a gimbal underneath something isn’t exactly uncommon these days. There’s hundreds of thousands of drones with camera gimbals attached the same way. So, why not a cablecam?
High Sight say that the Mini uses both speed and position sensing systems to create “perfectly smooth movement”. It features a fully autonomous mode “ping pong” mode, which just leaves it travelling back and forth along its path unattended. Great if you just want to leave a camera recording the scene as a wide shot you can cut to from the main camera with a little movement interest.
It’s made from machined aluminium for maximum durability, and has a 1/4-20″ tripod mount for attaching gimbals. But I suppose you could also use it to mount a tripod head with a 3/8-16″ adapter, although I wouldn’t recommend that with a big DSLR or mirrorless unit due to the low payload limit.
- Max payload: 3.3lbs / 1.5kg
- Max speed: 10mph / 16kmh
- Weight: 1.3lbs/0.6kg
- Dimensions: 7.48″ x 2.3″ x 3.2″ / 189 x 58 x 81mm
- Battery: Rechargeable Lithium Ion
Interestingly, in the information I’ve seen, there doesn’t seem to be any mention of timelapse. Also, while it has a 10mph maximum speed, it doesn’t state a minimum, suggesting that this option is purely for video. So, if you were thinking of using this for hyperlapse, you may be out of luck.
Regardless, as good as cablecams are, they’re often not perfect. Being able to attach a gimbal is a huge step towards letting you get that smooth silky footage over long distances relatively inexpensively.
The High Sight Mini is available for $995, and comes with a 175ft cable reel, charger, and anchoring system. It’s substantially cheaper than their higher end options, and less expensive than much of the competition, too. You can find out more information about the High Sight Mini or buy your own through the High Sight website.
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