AWARDS GEAR OF THE YEAR SUPPORT
A tripod is every filmmaker’s first buy, but getting the right support kit isn’t easy. Adjustable fluid heads, monopods, motorised gimbals, sliders and rigs are bits of equipment you need – and there is always innovation in these areas. The simple tripod has been around for over a century, and there seems to be no shortage of ideas. The tripod is at the very heart of your kit, but every job is different. You might need a large, heavy unit for ultimate stability on a fully rigged-up cinema camera, or a smaller set of sticks for a mirrorless rig. And they vary greatly in price. Sachtler’s Flowtech 75 tripod has been at the cutting edge for years, thanks to its flat, carbon fibre legs and speedy set-up – but now it can be combined with the radical Aktiv8 head for quick use. Manfrotto’s answer is the Fast range, and both make it to our shortlist. The 635 Fast Single Carbon tripod with 504X head is lighter and smaller, ideal for middleweight cameras, while the 645 Fast Twin Alu tripod with 509 Pro head is a larger and more traditional twin-tube leg design: very different, but just as clever. Quirky British firm, 3 Legged Thing, hit the video market with the funky, yet functional Tommy tripod with AirHed Cine head. While Peak Design unveiled the carbon fibre Travel Tripod – very compact and a masterpiece of technology. Inmonopods, the 3 Legged Thing Alan 2.0 and Benro A48FD S4 Pro kit offer great design, but the iFootage Cobra 2 C180 is the one favoured by YouTubers. We tested it and loved it. The Shark Slider Nano bundle proves iFootage is making waves in kit, while Kenro Double Distance Sliders are as innovative as ever. With rigs, the launch of the Sony A7S III, FX3, FX6 and FX9 – as well as Red Komodo and Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro – saw the big names deliver. Check out the Vocas Sony FX6 Production Kit and Wooden Camera Pro Camera Cage for BMPCC 6K Pro to see quality. In stabilisers, the Manfrotto Gimbal 220 kit and DJI RS 2 proved big hits, while the Arri Trinity Rig Pro is expensive, but incredible.
Tripod system 3 Legged Thing Tommy tripod with AirHed Cine Benro A673TMand S8Pro kit
Camgear Elite 10MS AL Kenro video tripod kit (carbon fibre) Libec 650EX
Manfrotto 635 Fast Single tripod with 504X video head Manfrotto 645 Fast Twin Alu tripod with 509 Pro video head Miller 3001 Air Peak Design Travel Tripod (carbon fibre) Sachtler Aktiv8 kit with Flowtech 75 tripod Monopod 3 Legged Thing Alan 2.0 Benro A48FD S4 Pro kit iFootage Cobra 2 C180 Kenro videomonopod kit (aluminium) Libec TH-MKit Manfrotto XPRO four-section videomonopod SteadicamAIR-15 Slider Edelkrone Sliderplus v5 (long) Hague Camslide Drive iFootage Shark Slider Nano bundle Kenro Double Distance Slider Kessler 3ft Cineslider Rhino Slider Carbon 24in SyrpMagic Carpet medium Rig SmallRig Cage for Sony A7S III Tilta Sony FX3 Pro Camera Cage Vocas Sony FX6 production kit Wooden Camera Pro Camera Cage for BMPCC 6K Pro Zacuto Canon C70 Cage Stabiliser/gimbal Arri Trinity Rig Pro DJI Pocket 2 DJI RS 2 FreeflyMovi XL GudsenMoza Aircross GudsenMoza Lite 2 Premium 8Sinn Cage for Sony FX3 MovcamFX9 Standard kit
SUPPORTING CAST There has been no shortage of innovation from 3 Legged
Thing, Kenro and Sachtler
Manfrotto Gimbal 220 kit SteadicamSteadimate-S 30 ZhiyunWeebill 2 Pro
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PRO MOVIEMAKER
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