AGENDA NEWS
Tripod tech to compact gimbals!
SHUTTERSTOCK EXPANDS TO EDITORIAL VIDEO Global stock image market Shutterstock has invested in a huge range of editorial video footage, offering premium live and archival video clips, across news, entertainment, sports and fashion. The deal supplements stock video from partners EPA and London Entertainment with footage from Critical Past, Celebrity Footage and Viral Hog. Shutterstock has seen huge growth in its editorial video business from clients who want to buy curated video content. Shutterstock’s latest service uses a simplified model. The system provides licences to clients on a per- clip basis, instead of charging per second or by format. The edtorial video collection adds to Shutterstock’s content library that boasts more than 340 million images and 19 million video clips. shutterstock.com
Tripod giant Benro has invested in a whole new technology thinktank, and the first product to come out of this is the £269/$259 Benro Snoppa VMate, a three-axis gimbal camera. Boffins at the Benro Imaging Lab – a group of designers, engineers and technology experts – combined Benro’s stabiliser know-how with Snoppa’s action film technology to deliver 4K video in a tiny device. The VMate is a tiny gimbal camera with a 90-degree rotating lens. It can shoot vertically for social media or flip horizontally for widescreen filming. A 12-megapixel sensor enables 4K/60p video footage, and there is a dual-mic system, allowing users to choose between noise-cancelling or full stereo sound. The VMate has a small 1.2-inch touchscreen and a built-in mobile phone holder enables smartphones to be used for increased screen size or for remote control of the camera. On board Wi-Fi means phone and camera can connect quickly. Benro has also revealed its new Rhino tripods available in kits with VX ball heads. The four-strong range offers options for travelling and navigating tricky, uneven terrain or working with a complex studio set-up. The smallest tripod weighs just 1.2kg, with a maximum capacity of 10kg, and measures 35cmwhen folded. The largest measures about 170cm at full extension and supports a payload of 20kg, capable of supporting even the bulkiest of camera units. The final new product is the ArcaSmart 70, a unique two-in-one
camera and mobile phone tripod adapter that mounts to any tripod head. This enables filmmakers to switch between full-size digital cameras and mobile phones, quickly and with little fuss. With an Arca-compatible plate and universal three-way quarter- inch 20 screw, the £40/$40 ArcaSmart 70 is compatible with all Arca-style ball heads, three-way heads or gimbal heads and almost all types of DSLR or mirrorless cameras. An integrated spring- loaded clip extends from the adapter to quickly mount a mobile phone. The ArcaSmart 70 also features a cold shoe mount for use of external accessories, such as additional mics or lighting. benroeu.com
IMAGES Benro’s new range includes tripods, a tiny gimbal cam and smart clamping devices
BARGAIN MANTIS MONOPOD The Novo Mantis MP50 monopod is a lightweight, yet heavy duty, carbon-fibre monopod that costs just £99/$110. The six-section legs make the monopod very compact when folded, with a closed length of 413mm/16.3in. At full height, it reaches 1550mm/61in. Split into two sections, the tubed top section measures 32mm/1.26in in diameter, while the bottommeasures 16mm/0.63in. It offers a maximum load of 20kg/44lb. Large twist locks offer firm grip. The monopod is made from eight-layer carbon fibre, with a rubber grip to ensure a firm hold. The rubber foot unscrews to reveal a threaded hole on which Novo’s monopod video stand base can be attached. novo-photo.com
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