Quick Gear Tip - At less than 3", these compact Mini Double Ball Variable Arms are a great versatile tool for mounting camera accessories such as monitors, led lighting, wireless TX/RX systems, etc. They offer a bit more range in positioning than a standard mini ball, but are much more compact than your typical Magic Arms.
The double 1/4" male thread is especially helpful if you work with cages and rigs, but they can also be adapted to shoe mounts if necessary with these little female adapters. You can normally find these Mini Double Ball Variable Arms for about $10 dollars (below).
The great thing about building your own rig is being able to design it specifically for your own needs. Of course most of how we assemble things together are based on what products are available to us. When we're introduced to new products, it opens up so much more possibilities. Industry standard 15mm rails are great for building form and support for your cameras, but here's a new concept that also add more function.
The P&C Swiss Rod has a few inches of 15mm rod on each end, and in the middle are alternating threaded and non-threaded holes. The pass through is designed so that items like a hot shoe can be positioned correctly before tightening. The male/female ends of the Swiss Rod are industry standard and can be used to extend (attach) to other manufacturer rods like Gini, Letus, and I believe even Zacuto, and more. The wide squarish design of the rod also helps nano clamps from slipping.
Even if you're not trying to replace rails on your build, by just adding a single P&C Swiss Rod, you open up totally new mounting options. The 1/4" studs can always be stepped up to 3/8" if needed. Taking advantage of the basic threaded ports, we've also found creative ways to mount the Swiss Rods on light stands or on the hot shoe of the camera to hold many accessories. With several items attached to one rod, the entire rod becomes a quick release system mounted to a simple 15mm clamp. The rods will be available from PhotographyandCinema.com
YouTube member TheEthanThompson has a very simple idea on how to use an articulating friction arm to add a bit of extra support when shooting hand held. The arm can be positioned much like a gun stock / target shooter to add an extra point of contact. My guess is you'll need at least the 11" version to give you more room for adjustments, and some sort of brace on the end to work comfortably. A handy little tip to know if you already have an articulating arm. [Thanks Ethan]
Hopefully people are pretty familiar with the Pico Flex Table Dolly and I don't need to give these little tools an introduction. There were two pre-orders open a few weeks ago which were wiped out very quickly once the item was featured on PetaPixel, Engadget, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, LifeHacker, and practically every other top gadget blog out there (thanks for noticing guys!). It's taken a while to get a few of these back in inventory, since Photography and Cinema is a small outfit.
Without hesitation, here's another opportunity. Small inventories move pretty quickly so consider it while it's available (International not available - just yet, sorry guys). Updates for International will be found at PhotographyAndCinema.com. Or follow me on Twitter when I make that announcement https://twitter.com/#!/cheesycam.
[Update] No longer available via Amazon. You can find more information of where these units will be available at https://PhotographyandCinema.com or at this time the package is available via eBay (click here).
Sorry everyone, I didn't expect the Pico to become so popular in just two days. There was only a small count of Pico Dollies manufactured and it's expected to sell out soon. There will indeed be another batch order (no ETA yet) which will then be open to International Shipping. To be notified when International Shipping is available, you can add your email to the subscription list here: https://www.photographyandcinema.com/index.php/international
Also since there were many orders placed without the optional friction arm, the website has been updated at some point so that the excess Friction arms can be purchased separately from here: https://photographyandcinema.com/
Just days ago the most popular design in power friction arms recently receives a significant price drop of up to 25% on eBay. This includes free shipping. Two common sizes available from 11" and 7". We have about 6 or more of the 11" and use it for just the most random things. If you've purchased these before, or have previously done your price matching, then you'll know it's a deal right now (click here).
With a new seller online, there's a huge price drop on the 312 Bi-Color LED video lights. Falling approx. $80 dollars off from the normal pricing, this is an awesome light to use both on and off camera. Come to think about it, this is probably the largest 'on camera' LED Video light - and it's color adjustable. To get the most flexibility on this large light, don't forget about the Variable Friction arms.
Unlike the Socanland 277 LED, this one can adjust and mix between 3200K-5600K, and comes with two Sony compatible NPF550 batteries + charger + Carrying Case + Metal Ball Hot Shoe mount + Diffuser Panel. The lowest price i've ever seen it in the world, no excuses, says a few available. Take a look at the video review above, and find it below.
Double Mini Ball Compact Variable Arm with 1/4 threads
Articulating Friction Arm
