First posted in an earlier article, this particular Mini Rig is still a fairly new product. A tough one to find in the USA let alone the UK. Sometimes going under the description 'MagicRig'. There's a video along with some comments from a few people were able to grab these in that first article. For now, a few more Magic Rig mini shooters are available again shipping from the UK (click here)
MagicRig Mini Video Chest Mount Shooter Rig
For those just looking to support your basic DSLR setup, the 701HDV + Tripod over at B&H is a pretty sweet lightweight setup. Over at Amazon, this same setup runs you about $269. Sure the Amazon package comes with a useless monopod - not worth it. With the current rebates offered over at B&H you can get this very professional fluid head setup for around $184. Yeah, that's a pretty nice price you won't even find over at eBay. Olivia touched a bit on the 190XDB Aluminum tripod in the middle of this video (below).
Here's the kicker if you're reading this today (Sept 27th). With the Upcoming Rosh Hashanah, B&H will close tomorrow. So if you want to get your orders in, you've got until tomorrow morning for normal processing, otherwise you'll have to wait it out until Oct 2nd. OH WAIT! Here's another kicker. That rebate will expire before Oct 2nd To qualify your receipt should have an earlier date. Don't worry, you'll have until Oct 31st to send it in. I'd get on this one...
Upcoming Rosh Hashanah Closing B&H SuperStore and Offices will close Wednesday, September 28, at 1:00PM EDT through Sunday, October 2, at 10:00AM EDT.
The B&H SuperStore and offices will close at 1:00PM EDT on Wednesday, September 28, in observance of Rosh Hashanah and will reopen on Sunday, October 2 at 10:00AM EDT.
All Standard Shipping orders placed before Wednesday, September 28, at 7:00AM EDT and Rush Shipping orders placed before Wednesday, September 28, at 10:30AM EDT will be processed normally. Orders placed after the above times will be processed when we reopen on Sunday, October 2nd.
Online ordering will be unavailable from Wednesday, September 28, at 6:30PM EDT through Saturday, October 1, at 8:00PM EDT.
We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patronage.
Find it (click here).
701HDV Fluid Head 190XDB Aluminum Tripod Kit
Rebates also available for the larger 501HDV + Tripod kits (click here)
There's been a few announcements of Sachtler's latest Ace fluid head + tripod, and it's finally available for pre-order. What's all the buzz about? Well Sachtler tripod systems normally run several thousands of dollars. In fact, just a pan bar alone for a Sachtler Fluid head could run you well over $300 dollars. So it's surprising that this new Sachtler Ace Tripod system is as affordable as Manfrotto gear. With all of the incredible shrinking video cameras, my guess is Sachtler will stay in this space and produce more affordable systems going forward. There's just too much they're missing out on by staying overly high end.
So what could hold back product sales? Well for one, Manfrotto's pretty much cornered the market in Quick Release adapters. Choosing a Sachtler over a Manfrotto 501HDV tripod system like these (click here) means you'll lose the ability to move from one rig to the next with ease. Oh and hopefully the bad rap that Litepanels is having won't affect the sales of this product, because Sachtler is also a Vitec ground brand. There's already several comments about banning Vitec products since that Litepanels announcement.
Wondlan's showing off some type of 'wearable support' (shown above) that can be used to unload the weight from camera stabilizers like the Wondlan Ares (Merlin-like). Seems like the same idea Glidecam has with their Body-Pod.
Glidecam Body Pod for Hand-Held Stabilizer
But unlike Glidecam's Body Pod, Wondlan shows how it can be used to support a shoulder rigs as well. In that case, it sort of reminds me of the Tiffen (Davis & Sanford) Steady Stick.
IMO, the price is too high for something that doesn't come with a professional padded belt and strap. The images and descriptions aren't very clear either on how it all connects together. From this end it just looks like an adjustable stick on a belt.
The folding Fancier Mini Rig with quick release, shoulder pad, and counterweight I reviewed not long ago (found here) is now available to the UK following the link below. Best offers for £110 UK Pounds for anyone who mentions Cheesycam will be accepted and delivered free to UK.
Fancier FTV-50 Folding Mini DSLR Rig UK Seller
For USA buyers, you can still find the Fancier mini rig via Amazon (click here).
Fancier Folding FTV-50 DSLR Rig Counterweight
I'm all for traveling light, shooting with small cameras, and using Mini Stabilizer Rigs, but I don't know about this new one. It's being offered from the same guys selling the inexpensive single filter DSLR Mattebox (found here).
This new Mini Rig is a two handle flat folding design, that can be reconfigured for an offset. Looks cool, but things just seem out of place. The shoulder pad to handle distance is way too short, and the camera will probably sit too low (no riser). Nice try fellas, but I don't think this mini rig configuration is going anywhere. (Nevermind. Looks like sold at least 10 already).
The 701HDV and 501HDV are very popular fluid heads for Manfrotto and currently Manfrotto is accepting Mail in rebates dropping the price down a bit. You can find the list of all Mail-In Rebates for the 701HDV & 501HDV fluid heads bundled with Tripods (click here).
Manfrotto 701HDV and Tripod Bundles with Rebates
If you're just looking for a deal on the 701HDV fluid head alone without Mail-In rebates, Amazon ships Prime and is just $7 dollars over the rebate price.
701HDV Fluid Head Only
Unfortunately, no rebates apply for the popular 561BHDV Fluid Head Monopod. Many people have been asking about this one that has sold out on both Amazon
561BHDV Professional Fluid Head Monopod
With more and more small HD video cameras coming out every month, more and more companies are making lightweight stabilizers. Another mini rig are these little black and orange mini shooter rigs just starting to come around. John a.k.a. YouTube member TheDurko11 gives us a look at the unboxing and shows that even the clamp knobs are metal [Thanks John]. Redrock Micro has also been lining up lightweight stabilizers with their line of Nano Rigs (found here).
These new rigs come with one handle, adjustable camera stage with quick release plate, and adjustable shoulder / chest pad. Mostly metal and stainless steel, color scheme (not blue this time) designed after the World Series Champions - Go Giants! Found Below.
[Update] Seller has re-listed the item (below) and at first glance you'll see an incredibly high marked up price. The deal is that you can make an offer of $89 US dollars, mention this blog, and the offer will be accepted. Offers that don't mention this blog will not be accepted. One other important piece of information is that this listing is a 'Pre-Order', and the new inventory should arrive sometime this week. This auction comes from across the pond, perfect for the UK buyers.
[Update] Alternate Listing for these little Magic Rigs (Also a Pre-Order) listing
DSLR Magic Rig Orange / Black
It's pretty obvious this unusual rig is not following conventional and traditional designs. The question is what the heck does it do and how does it work? Who knows if it's even comfortable to hold, but with the high price of over $250 dollars, I doubt anyone will ever find out. There's some additional images and a look at an included Follow Focus. Might be a few good ideas for a DIY project.
