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Hi,
Here is another update on the camera shipments.
Some good news. If you have read my other posts about the causes of the camera delays then you know we have been dealing with a problem with our sensor supplier related to contamination of the glass that’s bonded on the front of the sensor. It’s not been clean and so we had to stop production of cameras.
There have been two issues here we have been dealing with, the first that the sensor supplier has not been able to see the contamination because their tests were not good enough, and secondly that they need to find a way of bonding the glass on the sensor without contamination.
The good news is that we got a small shipment of sensors that the sensor supplier had tested with their new test setup and they were all ok when we built cameras with them. This is good because they will now be able to see sensors that are contaminated and not ship us anything that’s unable to be used to build a camera.
Also, the sensor supplier has done a small run of sensors at the new company that’s bonding the glass and they got almost a 100% pass rate, which is also great. This means they finally have a solution to bonding on the glass that looks like it will work.
The plan at the moment is to do a small production run this week and we hope to get those sensors next week where we can build cameras using them and see how it all goes.
But things are looking quite good. This run of cameras next week will test the sensor supplier’s ability to build sensors without contamination and to also be able to test them correctly so we only get good sensors. If that’s all ok then we look like we will be able to move back into production.
I will update everyone next week when we know. I also hope to have more info on how fast they can ramp up with this new supplier and the new test.
I hope this update helps.
Regards,
Grant
Blackmagic Design
On Thursday December 6th Prokit will be hosting a Canon Cinema EOS Open Day at our Chiswick Showroom.
Canon’s Cinema EOS range represents the most comprehensive set of Super 35mm tools in the industry. We will have on demonstration:
The Cinema EOS Camcorders:
The ideal step-up from DSLR shooting and new to the range. Super 35mm sensor, AVCHD recording to SD card, XLR inputs, built-in ND filters…it’s the camcorder you wanted after your 5/7D.
Canon’s first Super 35mm video camera has become ubiquitous in the world of broadcast. Come and check it out with Canon’s Cine lens range.
Canon gave the C300 a shot of adrenaline and created the EOS C500: Capable of gobsmackingly gorgeous 4K output, 4:4:4 colour space and able to output 120FPS.
Keeping alive the DSLR form-factor that kickstarted this whole range, the EOS 1DC represents the future of stills/video crossover. As well as some of the best still image capture available on any DSLR, the 1DC is capable of 144mbps in 1080P and 4K recording in the form of Motion JPEG making it ideal for independent film production and photography.
Canon Cine Lenses:
We’ll have the Cine Prime 24mm, 50mm & 85mm lenses on demonstration, and the very exciting 14.5-60mm zoom and 30-300mm zoom.
4K Recording Solutions:
The C500 outputs 4K via 3G-SDI output, so you’ll need a 4K capable recorder to get the best from the camcorder. We will have a number of 4K external recorders on demo:
- Codex Onboard S Recorder – Ideal if you want to record the Canon RAW output for maximum latitude.
- Convergent Design Gemini 4:4:4 – Now with Canon RAW support for 4K up to 30fps
- AJA KiPro Quad – Records 4K 4:4:4 Pro Res files
Free Advice
Canon and Prokit product experts will be on hand to answer your questions and refreshments are provided. The day is free to attend and runs from 10am-5pm. Register your attendance by emailing enquiries@prokit.co.uk or on www.prokit.co.uk .
IMPORTANT : We cannot offer on-site parking on the day.Please use the Moran Hotel on the corner of Power Road and Chiswick High Road. They charge £3 per hour; or use public transport.
Buses – 391, 267, 237, H91. Nearest tube – Gunnersbury on the District Line.
Well this is exciting. Very exciting, in fact.
Canon have today announced the EOS C100, which is the AVCHD recording baby brother of the ubiquitous EOS C300.
When DSLR shooting went nuclear over the last few years, there has been a clamour for Canon to take the large sensor of DSLR and optimise it for video shooters. The C300 was the first answer to this, but with its 50 mega bit per second recording and £9K price tag it was squarely aimed at shooters working for broadcasters. There was a sense within the DSLR community that the camcorder wasn’t quite the low price/large sensor camcorder that would allow them to progress to a fully-fledged video camera.
Well, DSLR people…your time has come. The Canon C100 is slated for release in mid-late November and represents the ideal step up from DSLR shooting. Here are the key features:
- Same Super 35mm Sensor as the C300 with EOS mount
- AVCHD recording at 24mbps 4:2:0, 25/24P and 50i/60i, to SD card
- Uncompressed output from HDMI
- 2 x XLR Inputs
- Canon Log Gamma for widest possible dynamic range
- New Auto Functions…this is interesting, in 2013 support will be added for “continuous, automatic focus and iris adjustment”. It is clear from this that Canon feel the C100 will be used by self-shooters as these functions will certainly make things easier for those working mostly by themselves without the benefit of a crew.
So those are the features: What of the design and ergonomics? Well, it looks like a condensed C300 body with the LCD screen incorporated into the body itself rather than being a separate module. The handle incorporates the XLR inputs which then connect to the body just like the C300. I’m a fan: It makes the whole package nice and compact whilst still maintaining the modular nature of the rest of the Cinema EOS range.
Speaking of “the range”…the Cinema EOS range feels complete with this new addition. You have the C100 now right at the beginning of the range and designed for the post-DSLR shooter, the C300 is for the broadcast crowd who need the higher bitrate, and then you have the upcoming C500 for the commercial and cinema sector. Add to this the curious full-frame/4K motion JPEG 1DC and you have quite an arsenal now from Canon. And to think this all started with adding video to a DSLR!
We now have the C100 on our website with some preliminary pricing. We hope to get our hands on a pre-production model at the IBC Exhibition next week!
Today’s blog by Stuart
We’re lowering the price of the Canon 5D Mark 3 body to the excellent price of £2195 for a limited time.
The Canon 5D Mark 3 picks up where the ubiquitous full-frame sensor Mark 2 left off and improves on a number of features:
- Aliasing and Moire are a thing of the past due to the power of the new Digic 5 processor. The camera can now easily handle water, repetitive patterning (such as brickwork and checked shirts) along with complex diagonal lines with ease.
- On-screen Audio Monitoring and Level control: Just like a standard professional video camera
- Outrageous light sensitivity, and the ability to go up to higher ISOs without introducing noise.
- Beautiful wide LCD screen
- Improved ergonomics make the unit feel lighter in the hand
We’ve got the 5D Mark 3 on display here in the showroom on our Sachtler Ace tripod (picture), come down for a play…
Canon today unveils new products, which include a new high-end Entry DSLR, the EOS 650D. Plus 2 new ground-breaking EF lenses.
Prices and more info to follow.
EOS 650D
An ideal entry to the world of EOS imaging. The EOS 650D’s 18.1-megapixel sensor is superb for both still images and Full HD movies. A Vari-angle Clear View LCD II Touch screen makes shooting simple.
- Capture amazing detail with an 18.0 MP APS-C CMOS sensor and DIGIC 5 processor.
- Shoot Full-HD movies (1080p), with auto and manual control and continuous AF.
- Photograph fast action at 5 fps.
- Focus, shoot and control the EOS 650D from its Vari-angle Clear View LCD II Touch screen, and explore new shooting angles.
- Superb low-light performance with ISO 100-12800 sensitivity (extendable to ISO 25600).
- Accurate AF with nine cross-type focus points.
- Control off-camera flash with an Integrated Speedlite Transmitter.
- Tackle difficult lighting with HDR backlight control and hand-held night scene modes.
- Scene Intelligent Auto makes great photography easy.
EF 40mm f/2.8 STM
A versatile, compact pancake lens. A fast maximum aperture enables low-light shooting and depth-of-field control. STM provides smooth quiet autofocus when shooting video with compatible cameras.
- The compact pancake design of the EF 40mm f/2.8 STM makes your EOS even more portable, so you’ll always be able to take your DSLR with you.
- Movie Servo AF uses STM stepping-motor technology for smooth quiet focusing when shooting video with compatible cameras.
- Use an f/2.8-22 aperture range to control depth of field and shoot hand-held in low-light conditions. A circular aperture diaphragm delivers high-quality bokeh.
- Suitable for a wide variety of subjects, from portraits to landscapes. Great for discreet reportage photography.
- Pin-sharp images with fast, quiet AF with STM.
- Great image quality right across the frame with Super Spectra Coatings and aspherical lens design.
EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM
An all-purpose 18-135mm zoom lens with STM technology. STM provides smooth quiet auto focusing for movies, and Dynamic Image Stabilizer reduces vibrations in video footage.
- A compact 18-135mm lens for still photography and EOS Movies. Equivalent to a 29-216mm lens on a full-frame DSLR.
- Movie Servo AF uses STM stepping-motor technology for smooth quiet focusing when shooting video with compatible cameras.
- Capture shake-free movies with a four-stop Dynamic Image Stabilizer, which stabilises the camera even when walking.
- Autofocus quickly and accurately, even on fast-moving subjects.
- Shoot pin-sharp images with a four-stop Image Stabilizer.
- Great image quality throughout the zoom range from UD and aspherical lens elements and Super Spectra coatings.
- Get close to your subjects with a minimum focusing distance of 0.39m.
Hello Everybody,
Welcome to the first of our post-NAB reports! We saw so much it’s hard to know where to start, but we may as well start with the product type that got the most attention: The small matter of new cameras…
The Large Sensor Camcorders
In the large-sensor arena, this year’s NAB saw the genesis of low-cost 4K acquisition in the shape of new models from Sony and Canon, and the curious 2.5K resolution debut of Blackmagic’s Cinema Camera. Let’s deal with these one by one…
Sony FS700
Sony’s latest large sensor camcorder has been designed around the body chassis, layout and lens mount of their FS100 model, but the similarity really ends there: The internal specifications of FS700 make this a different beast altogether.
First of all we have totally new sensor capable of delivering 4K resolution via the 3G-SDI output when using an external recorder. The 4K output will not be active straight away, and will become usable with a future firmware upgrade. Although there is potentially a 4K recorder coming from Sony in the future, this NAB saw the launch of some third-party 4K capable external recorders which I shall cover in more detail next week.
So if 4K for the FS700 is a “future” capability, then what of the specifications on release? Well, as you may have read in previous blogs, the FS700 is set apart from closely priced rivals by its unique framerate capabilities. To quote the marketing blurb from Sony: “The camcorder delivers Full-HD quality images at 120 and 240 frames per second in an 8 or 16 seconds burst mode respectively. The NEX-FS700’s high sensitivity and low noise shooting capability makes super slow motion shooting more convenient without additional equipment. 480 fps and 960 fps rates at reduced resolution are available for faster frame rate recording.”
We saw some slow motion footage of the Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas shot by Alister Chapman, which you can see for yourself by clicking here. The YouTube footage doesn’t really do it justice: We saw it on Full HD OLED monitors on the Sony stand and it looked brilliant. There really isn’t another camera even remotely in this price range that has this kind of capability when it comes to frame rates and scalable resolution. Another nice touch is the inclusion of ND filters built into the front of the camera. Yes, that does mean increased girth at the lens mount end but it’s worth it if it means being able to knock down light at the flick of a switch.
All sounding good? Well, it gets better because the handgrip incorporates a zoom rocker. We all know what that means: Sony are planning a motorised servo zoom lens, meaning that the FS700 isn’t just for prime lenses and other fast optics. With the addition of a zoom controlled by the rocker, you’ll be able to use the camcorder in much the same way as a standard small sensor camcorder but with all the added benefits of the FS700’s impressive specification and capabilities (great low light performance, high framerates etc).
All in all the FS700 excites us. It’s scalable in terms of resolution, offers unique features at an excellent price and the eventual introduction of a powered zoom lens make it a great all round camcorder that will be ideal for accomplishing both cinematic and televisual aesthetics. And we’re taking pre-orders now…
Canon C500
Canon’s follow up to the wildly popular C300 gets their 4K ball rolling in a similar way to the Sony FS700 by equipping the camcorder with a sensor capable of 4K and a 3G-SDI output that will send out the 4K stream. So – like the Sony – no 4K on board but instead you’ll able to get that huge resolution onto the imminent range of 4K capable external recorders.
The C500 differs to the C300 in other ways as well. The 3G-SDI output will be capable of 10bit output, allowing you to go to recorder capable of that bit depth and technically extending the limits of what is possible in the post production grading process. Moreover, on-board you’ll be able to record up to 120FPS, making it a powerful slow-motion camcorder that will likely be broadcast legal due to the 50MBPS bitrate. In a necessary chassis design change from the C300, the C500 foregoes the side grip found on the C300 in order to make space for what looks like a heat sync/vent. One imagines that when in 4K mode, it gets a little hotter inside than its 8 bit/1080P relation.
Just like the C300, the camera will be available in the choice of EOS or PL mount. We’d love to know what you guys would put on the front: Would you be inclined to use feature and commercial level PL glass on a camera capable of such a resolution? Or would you stick it out using EOS glass from your DSLR days? It’s an interesting question, and we’d like to know your answers.
So enough of the tech talk on the Canon C500, onto what the footage looked like…
We saw a demonstration film played on Canon’s insanely impressive 30” 4K monitor (yes, I did say 30” and 4K in the same sentence) and put simply: It was quite beautiful. It probably helped that it had clearly been shot by a very talented crew, but what was striking was how sharp and “filmic” it was. I’m not normally one for the occasionally vague language employed by some of the online production community, and I would never say “filmic” unless I was attempting to convey the textural quality of celluloid itself, but in this case I can’t really find another adjective that really nails the feel of the C500 footage. Even then, it wasn’t so much texture on its own in a tactile sense, but more the way it interacted with the movement, colour and latitude around it. It was a type of aesthetic I hadn’t seen since I first looked at a Red R3D file with the RedSpace setting switched on: Full of detail, colour and punch, but without ever feeling like the OLPF-compensated sharpness of other camcorder footage. Of course, a demo real made to look brilliant through talented crew, high level grading and then displayed on a 4K monitor was always going to look great, but even if you’ve taken all that into account and the hairs on your neck still stand up…then surely you’ve just seen something that is just a little bit special.
The camera will be arriving sometime in the last quarter of this year. I can’t wait.
Blackmagic Cinema Camera
At a broadcast exhibition, always expect the unexpected. The unexpected can come in various forms: At last year’s IBC exhibition in Amsterdam, a man in a gorilla costume demonstrating a very strange piece of camera suspension kit casually sped past me with the aid of rollerblades. This year at I saw a middle-aged businessman singing “My Way” at a dedicated Karaoke tent (yes, really) outside the North hall. His audience? Nobody in particular, just exhibition attendee’s walking past.
Of course, the unexpected can also come in the form of a new product…
This year’s unexpected product was the Blackmagic Cinema Camera, which judging by its pricing, ergonomics and capabilities is directly aimed at the DSLR filmmaking community.
It’s intriguing, curious, it looks seriously weird…but boy could it be a neat little B-camera if it does what the specification says. We’ve blogged this already but I’ll run the important specs past you one more time: a 16mm (or ½”) sized sensor/EOS lens mount/touch screen interface/big range of recording options including uncompressed, Avid DNX and Pro Res/records to removable SSD drives. And the cost? About £2,000.
I have seen no footage to wax lyrical about like the aforementioned Sony and Canon cameras, and my experience so far has been limited to peering at this strange, silver, miniature monolith through the glass cabinet you can see in the picture above (which, in a way is kind of apt: the camera looks a little like a science project or an experiment). It essentially feels like a recorder with a sensor and lens mount installed, and of course the 16mm sized sensor will mean a 2x crop over 35mm. Still, the planned capabilities are impressive, and it will be interesting to see a company more famed for converters and recorders make their debut in the world of large sensor camcorders.
The camera is due for release in June.
The Small Sensor Camcorders
Sony expanded their range of small sensor camcorders with the introduction of two new models. They are actually covered in detail in a previous blog which you can read here. Suffice to say we saw them in action on the (enormous) Sony stand and they both look good.
The first model is the NXR-NX30, which is a like a cross between the MC50 and NX70. That means small and neat, recording onto internal memory or onto SD card in the NXCAM format.
The second model is the 50MBPS recording PMW-100 camcorder, which uses SxS cards. Think of this as a 1/3” sensor sidekick to the larger, shoulder mounted PDW-500 camcorder.
GoPro
Pumping bass. A racing car. Lots and lots of people. It could only be the Go Pro stand.
Last year GoPro acquired a company called Cineform, who create RAW codecs for high end recorders. It may have seemed an odd choice for an up and coming point-of-view camera company primarily concerned with extreme sports, but our visit to the Go Pro at NAB 2012 pushed a little logic our way and now we get it.
The result of the partnership is threefold: An upcoming flat/LOG picture profile to get the most dynamic range possible out the GoPro 2, the ability to shoot at a datarate of 35mbps (just under double the existing data rate) and their new “Protune Software” (basic version is free, fully spec version you need to pay for) which allows manipulation of footage, application of simple LUTs and some 3D manipulation when having shot stereoscopically.
The introduction of a higher data rate and flat picture profiles will make the GoPro 2 a more flexible and powerful tool than it already is, and make it easier to match the footage from the diminutive shooter to other high end camcorders.
So folks, that all for today. This week we’ll have blogs on camera grip, lighting and the latest on external recorders.
Today’s blog by Stuart Dennis
If last week’s Sony 4K announcement didn’t quite satisfy your appetite for higher-resolution-than-HD imaging then worry no more, because today Canon have also crashed the 4K party with the announcement of two very exciting and powerful new models.
Canon EOS C500
The first is a 4K update of the C300, called a C500 and essentially a 4K version of the aforementioned Super 35mm shooter. Here are the preliminary specs:
- 8.85MP Sensor
- 4K/2K output via 3G-SDI x 2 (this explains the large bulge on the right hand side)
- Same modular design and operation as the C300 camcorder
- Will be available in both Canon EF mount and PL mounts (just like the C300).
The Canon C500 is clearly designed to be a high resolution tool for top-end acquisition, and will be duking it out with the likes of the Red Scarlet, Red One MX , Sony FS700 and F65 in the world of 4K. No word on pricing yet but we can safely guess that it will be more than its older HD brother, the C300. Be aware that just like the Sony FS700, 4K recording is likely to be via the 3G-SDI and onto an external recorder (not supplied) and the onboard recording is likely to be HD resolution.
Canon EOS 1DC
The second camera announcement is a 4K recording, Full Frame sensor, DSLR-shaped camera called the EOS 1DC. The camera will record 4K onboard using the motion JPEG format, and looks a lot like the Canon 1DS, which also has a full frame sensor. In video mode the camera records in and image size equivalent APS-H, which is larger than Super 35mm (although presumably not as large as full frame).
Obviously these are all preliminary specifications, and when more info is available we will have a more comprehensive idea of the specific camera functions. Hopefully we will see both of these camcorders at the NAB Exhibition next week!
UPDATE:
Scheduled release date and RRP for EOS-C500: Q4 2012 – £16,666 + VAT
Scheduled release date and RRP for EOS 1-DC: Q4 2012 – £8,333 + VAT
Please be aware that as these prices are tentative and are subject to change.
Today’s blog by Stuart Dennis
It’s been an exciting few months for cutting edge camera technology. So far this year we’ve seen the launches of the Canon C300, the Canon 5D Mark 3 and also JVC’s entry into 4K imaging. It was about time Sony reacted, and reacted they have…
This coming NAB Exhibition will see three new – and very different- professional camcorders from Sony.
Sony NEX-FS700E Super 35mm Camcorder
The model that steals the headlines is the NEX-FS700E, which looks and sounds like a future-proofed update to the NEX-FS100, and to all intents and purposes it is an FS100 with the helpful and sensible addition of in-built Neutral Density filters. Using the same body chassis as the FS100, this camcorder packs a Super 35mm sensor behind a familiar E-mount and records AVCHD to SD-HC card. So far, so similar to the NEX-FS100. But the next two features set this apart from its predecessor and indeed the competition:
- 4K resolution output via 3G-SDI with a future firmware update
- Slow motion capabilities of 120/240/480/960 frames per second
Getting 4K from this camcorder will have large benefits: you’ll be able to shoot for cinema, have the option of cropping into shots if you’re going for a 1080P/2K finish, and get ultra clean chromakey shots thanks to this heightened resolution to name a few. However this 4K recording will not be on board the camera, and will instead be via the 3G-SDI output and onto an external recorder. Both output and recorder options will be added after the planned release of the camcorder in late June this year.
Now, there will be a bit of a resolution compromise for those ultra-high framerates, and right at the top end they are really “burst modes” (ie you only get it for a very short period) but still, Sony are neatly filling a gap here: quality high-speed filming at a low cost.
The estimated price of this camcorder will be around £7,000 for a body only and £7,600 with a 18-200mm E-Mount lens. Add to this that Birger Engineering’s long awaited Canon EF adapter is launching at NAB in two weeks, and the large sensor camcorder world just got a whole lot sharper.
Sony PMW-100 Compact Solid State Camcorder
Canon have had 50 megabits 422 single-chip shooters for nearly two years now in the form of the XF100 and XF105. In Sony’s world, 50 megabits has either meant spending £20K on the shoulder mount PDW models or adding a third party recorder onto their sub £10K range camcorders to record beyond the on-board datarates.
However, Sony have sensibly seen the high data rate light and will be debuting the PMW-100 compact camcorder at the NAB Exhibition. Here are the main features:
- 1/2.9” CMOS Sensor
- Capable of different datarates: 50mbps 422, 35mbps & 25mbps 420, and DVCam shooting at 25bmps
- SDI output, Timecode and Genlock capabilities
- Records to Sony’s SxS memory cards
Preliminary pricing looks to be just over £3,000. This camcorder will be ideal for events and corporate videography. Moreover the high data rate and colour compression will make it ideal for chromakey work. No word yet on some of the more specific features: Hopefully a “world” camera? Hopefully the familiar Sony menu system from their professional range? Hopefully uses an existing battery system? Make it happen, Sony.
Sony NXR-NX30E UItra Compact NXCAM Camcorder
Is the diminutive size of the Sony HXR-NX70 still too large for you? Want something even smaller, still supplied with professional level XLR inputs but with the added bonus of an in-built projector? If you answered yes to all of the above then the upcoming NXR-NX30E is for you.
This looks to be the smallest professional level camcorder we have seen. It uses the NXCAM format and looks absolutely tiny. Pro level XLR inputs allow you to use real shotgun and radio microphones, and the inclusion of a projector means you can review your rushes whilst on location/in a hotel room/with your clients. At Prokit we got to have sneak peak of this projector technology in its prototype stage last year and it really is very impressive!
Pricing looks to be a little over £2,000. We still can’t quite get over how small this camcorder looks: let’s hope professional features haven’t been sacrificed in the same way Canon did with the XA10!
Exciting times!
So there you go guys. Three new Sony models: One is a biggie in terms of capabilities and potential, one fills a high bitrate gap in the Sony entry-level range and the other is a pro level travel camcorder. We’ll be checking these out at NAB in two weeks and we’ll be keeping you updated with our impressions of the new Sony’s, as well as responding to Canon’s upcoming “EOS 4K” announcement, and the hot new products from other camcorder manufacturers. Sony have set a precedent with these new announcements…it will be fascinating to see how the competition responds.
Today’s blog by Stuart Dennis
We at Prokit had a wonderful surprise when we opened the door this morning, our first batch
of the eagerly awaited Canon 5D Mk3s!
We have been unable to have a proper play with it yet (that’s what the weekend is for) but our first thoughts for the body?
Is it me, or is it lighter? It’s you! Heavier by about 50g, improved ergonomics make the camera more comfortable in the hand making it feel lighter. Also there is finally a manual switch on the back for flipping between stills and video, so no more scrolling through umpteen menus when something catches your eye.
Below are some basic specs to remind you about the features of the MkIII and we’ll have a full review next week.
- 22.3 megapixel full-frame sensor
- 61-point AF
- 6 fps continuous shooting
- ISO 100-25,600 sensitivity, expandable to ISO 102,400
- Full-HD video with manual control
- 14-bit DIGIC 5+ processor
- Weather sealing
- 8.11cm (3.2-inch) 1,040,000-dot screen
- HDR mode
- A full-frame DSLR capable of capturing 22-megapixel images at 6fps and Full-HD movies.
We have 5D bodies in stock and a demo unit for you to get your hands on. If you wish to order one click here.
Dave.
Remember the TV show “Sliders”, starring John Rhys-Davies? Well if you’ve come to our blog today expecting a nostalgic piece on 90’s Science Fiction television then you’re in the wrong place (sorry), because today’s blog is about the excellent new SmartSlider Pro 800 system.
We’ve always been big into grip equipment at Prokit. We supply two dolly systems already (the Wally Dolly and Losmandy systems) but for the cameraperson or filmmaker looking for some simple movement without the bulk of a floor mounted dolly, a slider is the ideal tool.
Our SmartSlider Pro 800 is a portable, sturdy and lightweight slider system. The unit has 800mm of carriage travel, can handle a weight of 20KG and can mount directly onto a tripod half-bowl or onto two lighting stands. It’s smooth, well-built and its high weight capacity makes it a flexible system for many different camera types.
You can also add a High Hat section if you want to use your tripod head with full bowl-levelling, and a soft case is available also for easy transportation.
At Prokit we have sampled many different slider systems over the past couple of years and until now we hadn’t found a system that satisfied us: most sliders either fell into the “ultra-cheap” category (i.e not very good), or they were over-engineered and therefore very expensive. At £655 + vat we feel that the SmartSlider800 combines quality with value for money. We can’t stop playing with it: it’s just perfect for simple moves.
We have the SmartSlider Pro 800 on display here in our showroom, so feel free to come down and try the system with your camera and tripod head.
By Stuart Dennis
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