GEAR MINI TESTS
SYRP GENIE II PRO SLIDER KIT £3499/$3584 syrplab.com
Syrp’s Genie II Pro may look like a posh slider, but it is in fact a full-featured, modular motion control system that includes a slider with motorised linear motion control – plus a combination 360° pan-and-tilt head. The track is 3ft long, but can be extended by adding extra rails. And although the tracking devices can just be screwed into each other, they work perfectly with Manfrotto’s Move quick-release devices to make assembly even faster. These do cost £89/$99 extra, though. All the parts can be bought and used separately, but the kit bundles the most-used components into one package. If you’ve ever tried to work out which bits of the Syrp system you need, it can be confusing. But this set has everything. The heart of the system is the Magic Carpet Pro slider. Syrp offers a smaller, lighter and cheaper one called the Magic Carpet Carbon Fibre. But the Pro is more rugged and better for larger cameras and a bigger overall payload. A big quick-release ring lies at the centre of the Pro slider. Best of all, its built-in mechanical flywheel can be turned on and off by a single button. You could just fix a tripod head to the slider and push it with your hand. In this case, the flywheel damps down the slider movement to make it smoother. You can get away with hand-pushing the head for smooth motion.
To show its credentials as a professional slider, the track can be extended. Large lever locks on the side let you remove the end caps. With the supplied extension connectors, you can fit as many extension rails as you like. A 0.6m/2ft extension track costs £339/$466 and a 0.9m/3ft version is £399/$605 – add as many as you like. However, there is the matter of supporting them. You pretty much need two sturdy tripods for the track kit that’s supplied, and another for every extension. So it’s soon turning pricey and equipment-heavy. The track does come with adjustable legs, so you can use it on the ground or a flat surface. There’s a bubble level to make sure it’s flat, and its aluminium slider rails are pretty sturdy. To add motorised linear tracking, you need the Syrp Genie II Linear on the top. It’s thе nеw аnd іmрrоvеd vеrѕіоn оf thе оrіgіnаl Gеnіе аnd іѕ соmраtіblе wіth аnу ѕlіdеr, dоllу оr саblе саm ѕуѕtеm. The Genie II Linear comes with a capstan unit that clicks into place on the side. This has cord coming out of
each end, threaded through rollers at either side of the slider and fastened to a slotted clamp. When the device is activated, it slides along the rope. Using the free Syrp iOS or Android apps, set up precise motion-tracking moves with keyframing or time-lapse shots. The app has a virtual joystick for manual control, and you can set bounce-back moves – ideal for interviews. It’s easy enough to use and lets you update firmware wirelessly. But the real beauty is when you add the Gеnіе ІІ Раn Тіlt device on the top. Now, you have a programmable 360° of pan, tilt and linear motion in-app. “But the real beauty is when you add the Genie II Pan Tilt device on top, for a programmable 360° of motion in-app”
TOUCH OF CLASS The Syrp app has full control and is not too complicated
68
PRO MOVIEMAKER
Powered by FlippingBook