REVIEW - iFootage M1-III (3) Mini Crane

The iFootage M1-III (3) mini crane ready to use,
with a Vinten Blue 3 tripod & Radian Pro wireless video set.

First Impressions
iFootage, the creator of the very popular Shark slider, recently added a new product to their impressive lineup: the M1-III (3) mini crane. When you see the bag that holds the mini crane, it is hard to believe that the crane can actually fit inside it. It's similar to the size and weight of a Vinten Vision Blue tripod when stored in its bag, but it is housing a complete camera jib system that can hold 15 kg (33 lbs) of weight and has a maximum boom range of 210 cm (83 inch). Incredible if you think about it! When I opened the padded bag I noticed the great amount of accessories you get included by the mini crane, all neatly tugged away in custom pouches. The mini crane comes with everything you could ever wish for and you can start booming your camera in no time. While taking out the crane I was surprised by how light it felt. It's rather difficult to imagine that it can hold so much weight while staying so light. That's probably because of having a square tube design as main support beam instead of a round one. I've been working with a camera jib in the past that is known for its portability, while still weighing about 13 kg (29 lbs)! It also has less boom range then this iFootage M1-III mini crane, and it was quite a pain to set up. This is the first time that a compact and lightweight mini crane (or pocket jib), originally designed for smaller cameras, manages to come this close to the specifications and performance of a camera jib costing 5 times as much, while weighing only 3,8 kg (8.3 lbs). The iFootage M1-III  mini crane beats the older jib I've worked with in the past in almost every way and it's a lot more fun to work with as well! I don't want to spoil the conclusion of this review, but I do have a new favorite camera jib...

iFootage M1-III (3) mini crane unboxed, showing all of its included accessories

The iFootage M1-III neatly stored in its nicely padded bag

Television Studio Camera - Update

The camera set is finally complete!

A couple of weeks ago I found this great Philips television studio camera. When picking up the camera I learned that it had been used till last summer and had to go when the studio changed all of their equipment to HD. Ever since HD became the standard I knew I had to be on the lookout for these cameras to pop up which isn't as easy as it may sound.

Update - See the camera in action!

NEW Vinten Vision blue3 and Vinten blueBridge - Review & Video

Vinten welcomes a new tripod (center) to their popular Vision blue range

Introduction

In 2011 Vinten released the Vision blue tripod (review here) which is aimed at the top end corporate market and for professional broadcasters looking for true Vinten performance and quality support for their lightweight camcorders. The Vision blue became very popular in no time and they actually sold faster then Vinten could produce them and they were selling like hotcakes and it became difficult to find them in stock anywhere. Apparently filmmakers around the globe had been patiently waiting for a tripod that incorporates all the bells and whistles you'll find on higher range Vinten products, but now specially tailored for their professional lightweight camcorders and fully accessorised DSLR's weighting between 4.6 to 11 lb (2.1 to 5 kg). People got to know about the great capabilities of the Vision blue tripod and began to ask for the same performance quality of the Vision blue, but with a higher load capacity. Vinten listened and released the Vision blue5 at the beginning of 2012, to support cameras ranging from 12.1 to 26.5 lb (5.5 to 12 kg). Word kept spreading and a new market surfaced. Asking for the now famous Vision blue tripod range quality, but this time for a slightly different (in between) payload capacity. That's why Vinten decided to add a new tripod to their popular Vision blue range: the Vinten Vision blue3! Ideal for today's intermediate weight and highly accessorized camcorders ranging from 6.6 to 14.6 lb (3.0 to 6.6 kg).

Watch the video to see it in action: Vinten Vision blue3 and Vinten blueBridge in Amsterdam

NEW Vinten Vision blue3 and Vinten blueBridge - Review & Video

Vinten welcomes a new tripod (center) to their popular Vision blue range

Introduction

In 2011 Vinten released the Vision blue tripod (review here) which is aimed at the top end corporate market and for professional broadcasters looking for true Vinten performance and quality support for their lightweight camcorders. The Vision blue became very popular in no time and they actually sold faster then Vinten could produce them and they were selling like hotcakes and it became difficult to find them in stock anywhere. Apparently filmmakers around the globe had been patiently waiting for a tripod that incorporates all the bells and whistles you'll find on higher range Vinten products, but now specially tailored for their professional lightweight camcorders and fully accessorised DSLR's weighting between 4.6 to 11 lb (2.1 to 5 kg). People got to know about the great capabilities of the Vision blue tripod and began to ask for the same performance quality of the Vision blue, but with a higher load capacity. Vinten listened and released the Vision blue5 at the beginning of 2012, to support cameras ranging from 12.1 to 26.5 lb (5.5 to 12 kg). Word kept spreading and a new market surfaced. Asking for the now famous Vision blue tripod range quality, but this time for a slightly different (in between) payload capacity. That's why Vinten decided to add a new tripod to their popular Vision blue range: the Vinten Vision blue3! Ideal for today's intermediate weight and highly accessorized camcorders ranging from 6.6 to 14.6 lb (3.0 to 6.6 kg).

Watch the video to see it in action: Vinten Vision blue3 and Vinten blueBridge in Amsterdam

Review and Video: Vinten Vision Blue

The Vinten Vision Blue

Background

Vinten Fulmar pedestal

A few years ago I got a chance of buying a Vinten Fulmar pedestal with MK-7 head mounted on top, to support the 132 lbs weighting LDK-6, which was part of my TV camera collection. Although this pedestal has been used and abused in studios over the last couple of years to capture many of UK's television history, it still works perfectly smooth like it was build only yesterday.

And there's a good reason why Vinten products are being used for creating television productions all over the world. Their equipment is build to last, is extremely reliable and they belong at the top of camera support.

Vinten Vision Blue Tripod

The Vinten Vision Bue Tripod

<< UPDATE: Review and Video are now online. Click here to read it >>

Thanks to Peter Harman, Vinten's Product Manager, I will be able to review the Vinten Vision Blue tripod soon. I'm really looking forward to this, because I think this will be a great tripod for the Sony NEX-FS100. The Vision Blue head incorporates adjustable continuously variable counterbalance which enables you to dial in the exact amount of counter balance needed for your camera. It's also equipped with the Vinten lubricated friction (LF) technology, which provides smooth movement of the camera. The Vision Blue is completely designed with today's lightweight camcorders and DSLRs in mind and it is able to manage payloads between 4.6-11 lb (2.1-5 kg) with a low center of gravity of around 2.2” (55 mm).