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We are a small crew, this is why it’s handy to have one moving camera that needs no attention when we shoot. It means one less crew person while getting top notch B cam footage. And our slider package of choice for that is the Rhino Ultimate Slider (Amazon | B&H).
Having an automated motorized slider is a powerful tool to have in your box. It allows the same camera moves that your typical slider will allow. But it also adds an array of abilities to the team that a normal slider does not:
3D data creation is part of a growing trend in the use of computational imaging techniques within cultural heritage digitization shops. In particular, operational adoption of photogrammetry has been witnessed at such institutions as the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA), the Smithsonian, and the University of Virginia Library.
MIOPS has seen some measure of success with its rather popular MIOPS Mobile camera trigger. Well, now they’re getting into motion control with the launch of the new Capsule360. It’s a modular motion control system that offers up to 3 axes of movement. Paired with your Android or iOS device, it also offers real-time facial and object tracking.
As with some of the previous MIOPS projects, the Capsule360 is being funded through Kickstarter. Units start at only $179 for the early bird single pack unit up to $879 for the full “premium pack” (also early bird price) which includes 3 Capsule360 units, L bracket, slider, dolly, turntable kit and a mobile dongle.
“Gigapixel” and “Timelapse” aren’t phrases one often hears together. Both, individually, require massive amounts of storage to do well. When combined, things start to get a bit ridiculous. It’s been done before, though, at least as early as 2010, when Carnegie Mellon University’s CreateLAB made this.
Now, UK contact lens retailer Lens Store has teamed up with Nikon, Canary Wharf Group and photographer Henry Stuart to produce 24 Hour London, a 7.3 Gigapixel “timelapse” covering a 24 hour period over the city of London. The use of the word timelapse is a bit debatable here, but it’s definitely pretty cool.
When SYRP first introduced the Genie in 2012, we did not quite know how to swallow this new animal. It was a motorized panning head, but it had a wire-wrapping function that allowed to travel great distances, creating some very interesting results. Ever since SYRP evolved the system to include a second motor, a pan-tilt head a Cable Cam and a complete eco-system in general.
Now, the company is releasing their second version of the Genie – Genie II, and I have to say it makes a lot of sense.
The two most notable things are integrating PAN and TILT into a single unit. I mean, you could always kinda pan and tilt with the Genie, but it was a cumbersome solution involving a big bracket and two Genie minis. No,w this function seems a lot more mature and integrated.
The other big thing is that SYRP is bringing their app control (bluetooth) to the main unit. I have not seen the app yet, but I assume it will be similar to the app that drives the mini which is pretty easy to use.
Motion control has so many applications for both photographers as well as filmmakers. From creating 360° stitched stills with your DSLR to moving timelapse and video sequences. There are a lot of complete solutions out there for this, and there are also many plans out there for completely scratch built DIY projects. But there’s very little that sits in between.
PINE aims to change that. It’s not a complete motion control system, it’s just the controller. It lets you control up to four motors from a single unit, and you can chain multiple units together. And it will let you do this wirelessly using a mobile app on your phone. PINE is currently being funded through Kickstarter,
Motion control hardware and even fully articulated robotic arms have drastically come down in price the last few years. To the point where they’re very affordable indeed. I even have one of my own on its way to me as I type this post. As a result, they’ve found their way into more and more video productions. Especially music videos, like Kendrick Lamar’s Humble (lyrics probably NSFW).
But what if you don’t have the cash laying around to buy one? Or just can’t justify spending that much for something you won’t use very often? Well, Jordy at Cinecom has come up with a great technique that allows you create a very similar looking effect, but without the robot. It’s all done completely manually.
Edelkrone’s SliderONE, whilst small, is still quite mighty. The SliderONE was introduced back in 2015, and it’s proven to be popular with those who own one. Last year, they added motors and motion control. Now the whole thing’s been updated with a slightly longer SliderONE Pro. But it’s also received some pretty cool app updates, too, offering some great motion control options to let bend time to your will.
The Edeklrone Wing also sees a second generation update, along with a new Wing PRO. While not a slider, it offers slider-like motion, allowing for a lot of movement in something that takes up very little space. This, too, has seen an update, offering higher load capacity, as well as more stabilised movements.
What does it mean to have 4 axis robotic motion control?
Starting with just an eMotimo Spectrum St4 you have two axis robotic motion control – rotation (pan) and up-down (tilt). Add a slider and you’re got another axis – forward and back (push/pull). Add a new eMotimo Focus Fz unit and you’ve got your fourth axis – focus or zoom. (Or skip the slider and add a second Fz unit and you’ve got focus and zoom!)
So what exactly can you do with robotic four axis motion control? Think complex time lapse sequences with multiple silky smooth movements. Think live action video with precise movement and focus, zoom or aperture control.
If you are a timelapse photographer or film maker, the eMotimo Spectrum can enable you to make impossible shots – the possibilities are as endless as your imagination.
But what is it like to work with 4-axis motion control in the field? Continue reading for our hands on review of the eMotimo Spectrum St4.
Since initially discovering the Arduino, Eduard Puertas has spent a lot of time experimenting with it. It’s all an attempt to make his working life easier. As a stop motion animator, anything that makes his life easier is welcome. The Arduino allows him to automate many tasks that would be difficult to achieve manually. At the very least they’d take him a very long time to get perfect.
Eduard has built many automated motion control systems for his work based off the Arduino, including a slider. Now he’s revising his previous slider design to help improve things a little. He wants to keep the low weight while allowing for a larger load capacity.
Udi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.
Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe
Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.
John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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