The system began a few years ago when I needed more light stands and, like most DIY types, didn’t want to pay a lot for them. I happened to have a lot of 3/4″ PVC and 1/2″ metal conduit laying around so I started experimenting. My goal was to come as close as I could to the functions of a retail light stand. The basic stand fits the bill except for the fact that the legs don’t collapse. Since this was a DIY project I wasn’t limited to manufacturer’s accessories. I could dream up as many different add-ons as I wanted. The simple stand soon grew into a complete light support system.
The Steadify claims to replace all your tripods and monopods
This is an odd one, and I’m curious what you guys think. When I first saw this, I thought “that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen”, but a couple of friends said it looks quite useful to them. The more I thought about it, I could see potential uses. But some of the claims made in the Steadify’s Kickstarter campaign are a little off-base.
The first of those being that it is “the first wearable stabilizer”. You can see what they mean by “wearable stabilizer” from the photo above. But that not really true, as this idea’s been floating around for years (and you can find similar for about a third of that price on eBay).
Steadicam gets into the monopod game with their new carbon fibre “Gas Lift” Steadicam Air
Cameras becoming smaller and easier to manage has led to monopods becoming more popular as a preferred camera support. As many are coming to the world of video from photography, a lot of folks already own one, so it’s only to be expected. They offer more mobility with a sort-of stabilised handheld feel to them.
Tiffen’s new offering, though, takes video support to quite an extreme. Capable of holding up to 25lbs (11.3kg), the new Steadicam Air is a lightweight carbon fibre monopod with an easy foot pedal for quick height adjustments. And it weighs only 3.5lbs (1.6kg).
Tenikle is not a creature from your nightmares – It’s a camera mount
This has to be the weirdest yet coolest looking camera mount I’ve ever seen. It’s like a JOBY GorillaPod, but with suction cups. Despite obvious inspiration from a certain aquatic animal, the Tenikle has only 3 legs, not 8. Each of these legs is not only bendy, but also has several suction cups.
Combining bendy legs with suction cups certainly opens up more camera positioning options, with less gear. The Tenikle is currently on Kickstarter with just over a couple of days left, and it’s absolutely smashed its $15K goal.
Libec’s new HFMP video monopod lets you go completely hands-free
Shooting video from a tripod isn’t always the easiest thing to do. They’re big, unwieldy, and while they serve a fantastic purpose, they’re not always fit for purpose. At sporting events, for example, it can often be difficult to turn quickly enough to follow fast action. For regular events where you’re mingling with other people, they just get in the way. This is where monopods step in.
Libec have today announced their new fluid head Hands-Free Monopod (HFMP). While other free standing monopods are available, this one is specifically designed for the heavier rigs many of us find ourselves using for video. It has a thicker centre pole, stronger clamps, and bigger, locking feet. It comes in two flavours, monopod-only, to which you can attach your own head or as a kit. The kit includes the monopod and pan tilt head, which can also double up for use with regular 65mm bowl head tripods, too.
Instagram is now testing out multi-user support on select iOS devices
Last November we made note that Android users around the world were starting to see multi-user support pop up in the app here and there. While the feature is still yet to be made public, it appears as though iOS users are now experiencing this A/B testing as well.[Read More…]
Facebook rolling out Live Photos support for its iOS app
Back in September, Apple introduced the world to Live Photos, a new feature supported by its iPhone 6s and 6s Plus smartphones that capture 1.5 seconds video and audio both before and after a full-resolution still image is snapped.
Now, Apple wasn’t the first company to release a feature like this – not by a longshot – but with Apple’s ubiquity and comparatively un-fragmented platform, it’s easy to see why a company like Facebook is working on implementing Live Photos support in its iOS app.
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