Every now and then we stumble over an interesting Kickstarter campaign worth reporting about. The one we’re discussing here is no exception since the Alotech camera backpack seems to combine several well-thought out concepts and design approaches in one nifty product. Let’s take a closer look, shall we? Gear. We all love it, don’t we? I do, for sure but it has to be worth the cash. Shopping around for bargains might be cool at that moment but once your cheapo gear falls apart while out and about on a job might change one’s mind… Another important aspect is how to get your precious gear safely and comfortably from A to B. At this point this new Alotech Backpack comes into play. At first glance, this camera backpack seems to tick quite a few boxes and a lot of thought from the so-called Alotech design board (basically a community approach of discussing several aspects of the final design of the backpack) went into this. The Alotech Camera Backpack The above video is fun to watch, at least if you’re into slightly silly jokes – and goats. But, and this is more valuable than being funny, it shows off the vast features of the backpack which are the meat and potatoes of any travel backpack, of course. Let’s break down the major ones of the Alotech bag: Ergonomic hip belt & back panel that follow your back’s natural curve. Deep ventilation channels & breathable material that run down your back Instantly access your batteries, memory cards and converters Instantly access any camera or lens with the Arca Swiss compatible lens and camera holster requiring no adapter plates Expandable to fit both camera gear and non-photographic gear including extra clothing, sleeping bags, food… Fits airline carry-on standards (when compressed) Dedicated waterproof compartment for a hydration bladder Here’s another video demonstrating the capacity and compressed/expanded setups of this backpack: What I find interesting is that the Alotech is not a camera-gear-only backpack but follows a versatile do-it-all approach. You can haul your gear and your camping stuff all in one bag. Still, the Alotech is designed with close attention to camera related needs. Multiple full-size DSLR bodies, giant lenses, adapters, it all fits effortlessly into the dedicated camera compartment which comes with a bunch of adjustable dividers. Another design feature is the (optional) arca-swiss compatible mounting holster which distributes the weight of the attached camera and/or lens to your hips. The backpack’s back panel matches the curvature of your spine. And this, combined with Alotech’s own contouring suspension system and ventilation approach, is supposed to be much more comfortable to carry around. Furthermore, the Alotech backpack comes in three different sizes which you can micro adjust to perfectly match your body. Alternative straps for female shooters are available, too. To me, the Alotech ticks the most important boxes: Comfort, versatility, ruggedness. These aspects should be the main design goal for any backpack before thinking about further tweaking its feature set. Other Features The outer shell of the Alotech is made of waterproof fabric and so are the seamed YKK zippers. On the bottom you can find a compartment for storing a rainfly and built into the straps themselves there a two meshed, yet waterproof, pockets for storing small items such as spare batteries or memory cards. The main camera compartment takes a good amount of the available space of the backpack and you can use the supplied dividers to build your very own bag. The compartment on top of that camera/lens space is dedicated to non-gear items such as clothing and/or camping gear. A drone or tripod head will fit too, of course. Note: When using the backpack in its fully expanded form (camera compartment plus top compartment), the Alotech bag won’t comply with carry-on specifications. It does in “compressed” form, though. Two water bottle compartments can be found on both sides of the backpack and a tripod can be mounted on various locations around the backpack. Pricing and Availability The Kickstarter campaign is live and it’s running until August, 28th. At time of writing, the funding already reached 2/3 of its goal so it’s likely that this project becomes a reality. Early bird pricing is $299, regular Kickstarter pricing is $399. After the campaign ends, the official retail price will be $450. Additional camera or lens holsters can be added for $84 ($134 after the campaign). The guys at Alotech seem to love goats! As always, please be aware that this is a Kickstarter campaign, not a retail store! You pay in advance and hope for the best everything progresses smoothly. If not, your pledge might be lost. If everything does work out, you’re getting a great looking backpack at a pretty cool price. Your choice. Shipping is scheduled for Feb 2020. Link: Kickstarter campaign What do you think? Could this be your next camera backpack? What are your specific needs when it comes to backpacks? Let us know in the comments below!

Remember “I’m Back” from 2018? A conversion kit for transforming your analogue SLR camera into a digital DSLR. No, it isn’t a high-performance piece of gear for pixel peepers but it is a lot of fun to play around (and work) with! Now, almost a year later, I’m Back is back, with a new digital add-on for analogue medium format cameras! Samuel Mello Medeiros is a busy man. He is CEO of the company behind I’m Back and he seems to be a keen inventor and never-resting entrepreneur, indeed. After bringing the original I’m Back digital back for analogue (35mm full-frame) SLRs to market back in 2018 –read and watch our coverage here–, he felt that the family is still not complete. So he went back to the drawing board and, along with his colleagues, he created yet another digital back. This time for large, and undoubtedly professional-grade, analogue medium format cameras. the result is part of an Kickstarter campaign which is live as we speak. “I’m Back” Digital Back for Medium Format The concept behind this new line of digital backs is similar to the existing line for 35mm SLRs: Choose an adapter for your cameras make and model, attach the “I’m Back” digital back to that adapter and off you go! The build-in camera captures the image projected to the ground glass of the host camera through an attached lens. That way, all the grain and imperfection goodness of past days are being recorded to a SD card. This digital back was never designed to deliver perfect, high-res imagery. It was created to breath new life into long-gone tech while preserving its soul, so to say. Same goes for the new medium format digital back. Supported cameras include some famous medium format cameras such as: Rolleiflex Automat Mamiya RB67 Mamiya 645 Mamiya C330 Kiev 88 Hasselblad 500 / SWC / 1000 Bronica S Bronica ETSsi For each of these models (and more to come) there is a dedicated adapter, the digital back itself is the same for each of them. Technical Specs As stated before, the aim here is to create beautiful pictures and video, not to deliver high-end specs on paper. Having said that, the pure specs of this digital back are somewhat underwhelming but only on paper: The camera used for capturing the ground glass projection is build around a Panasonic 16 megapixel 1/2.33-inch sensor. It can shoot 1080/50p(60p) video or stills with a resolution of the aforementioned 16MP and that’s pretty much it. So you see, this is more about transforming old and dusty medium format cameras into digital cameras to have fun with but of course you can use this if you’re after that special in-camera look for a project. The “I’m Back” features a build-in touchscreen for controlling the camera settings and you also can hook up an external microphone and a USB battery pack to the unit. Furthermore, wifi is build in so you can connect a phone in order to stream a live feed to it and to control the digital back. Gadget or Creative Tool? The specs are not impressive. And that was never the goal for this device. It can’t compete with professional digital back add-ons such as the Mamiya Leaf Credo 50 Digital Back, selling for $ 19,995. It’s obvious that the “I’m Back” plays in another league well below professional gear. But still, in these days of pixel-count mayhem and overly sharp and clean imagery, a splash of vintage imperfection might be the cure. For us here at cinema5D this concept and Samuels presentation of the original “I’m Back” for 35mm cameras made such an impact, we just had to honor his efforts with a show award at Photokina 2018. Just like vintage glass, such as ARRIs signature primes or the freshly announced Sigma Classic Art Primes, this digital back has a certain look. As Samuel states, the “I’m Back” is dedicated to those who want to have fun and are tired to discuss about high resolutions and megapixels!!! And that’s it: Don’t pixel-peep but go out there and shoot something beautiful with all the imperfections and grainy oddities you might encounter on the way. The Kickstarter campaign runs until September 5th. All of the early bird tiers are already sold out but you still can get a digital back fitting your medium format camera for 399 CHF (roughly $ 400 / 360 €). You still need a SD card for recording stills and video since it’s not included, everything else you might need is. Just choose the correct adapter for your camera. Samuel with his new digital back. If everything goes smoothly, the new “I’m Back” adapter for medium format cameras should be shipped out by June 2020. Remember, this is a Kickstarter campaign, not an online shop. Things can go south pretty badly and your investment might be lost. However, since this is not their first product, you can expect some expertise and hopefully this new back will be delivered just as fine as the last one. Sample shot from the Kickstarter campaign (the resolution is not great since the uploaded photo was tiny already) Link: Kickstarter | Homepage What do you think? Is this digital back worth dusting your old camera again? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

If you are a DSLR/mirrorless shooter, you probably know this issue: broken HDMI cables and/or connectors due to excessive  strain on these tiny ports. The new LockPort XT3, especially designed for the popular FUJIFLM X-T3 mirrorless camera is available now, ready to save your precious camera. HDMI was never designed for in-the-field use (I think) and that’s why LockCircle had to invent their popular LockPort accessories in order to safe your camera from harm and yourself from going berserk. Ask yourself: How many HDMI cables have you destroyed while working with them attached to a DSLR/mirrorless camera? In my case, the answer is a solid 5. And I have to add one micro HDMI connector to the list as well.. LockPort XT3 – HDMI Port Saver for FUJIFILM X-T3 The LockPort was originally introduced for the Canon 5D mk.II in order to safe its mini HDMI port from being destroyed by a gigantic HDMI plug and the strain it puts on the port. Unfortunately, the company behind it, LockCircle, had to add more and more models to their lineup because each and every camera is a little bit different and there’s no such thing as a LockPort which fits them all. In the case of FUJIFILM’s popular X-T series of mirrorless cameras things are even worse. The already available LockPort XT2 for the FUJIFILM X-T2 mirrorless camera won’t fit its successor, the popular FUJIFILM X-T3. So Dante Cecchin, one of the co-founders of LockCircle, had to go back to the drawing board in order to ease the pain for X-T3 shooters. I actually asked him myself if he would be willing to create a LockPort fitting the X-T3 and eventually, he said yes! So after several destroyed micro HDMI cables I finally can stop worrying about the safety of the (very) tiny and (very) fragile micro HDMI port on my FUJIFILM X-T3. The LockPort XT3 itself looks just like any other LockPort: A (very) thin baseplate attaches to the bottom of the camera and holds the actual cage for the HDMI adapter in place. That adapter is a 90° micro HDMI to HDMI (full size) one which faces to the rear of the camera once installed. That way you now can use any regular sized HDMI cable for sending the video stream to an attached monitor or wireless video transmitter. The benefit is twofold: 1/ The cage holding the HDMI adapter takes away any strain on the flimsy micro HDMI connector on the camera itself and 2/ you can use any standard HDMI cable, no need for special micro – full size HDMI cables. The provided micro to full-sized HDMI adapter features gold plated contacts and is tested to work with 4K streams flawlessly. To mount the LockPort XT3 to your FUJIFILM camera, just use any tripod adapter plate and tighten the baseplate down with it. Since the LockPort baseplate is so thin, no longer screw is needed. If you are only shooting handheld you can also use a standard camera screw without any tripod adapter plate, your choice. Furthermore, the battery compartment of the X-T3 stays unobstructed. Pricing and Availability The LockPort XT3 is available now through the LockCircle Website here. It’s $ 119 / € 99 (plus shipment, taxes & duties). That’s the complete kit including the baseplate, the adapter cage, a 90° HDMI adapter, 2 hex tools and the needed 2 x 2 hex screws. For another $29 / € 26 you can order a spare micro to full-size HDMI adapter, 2 hex tools and the aforementioned 4 screws. Link: LockCircle Website What do you think? Do you use any LockPorts for your cameras? What are your experiences with this tool? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Today, SIGMA has officially added three new lenses to their already impressive lineup of full-frame primes and zooms: The A (as in ART) line of lenses now sports a new prime lens, the SIGMA 35mm F1.2 DG DN and a new zoom lens, the SIGMA 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN. Under their C (as in contemporary) line, SIGMA released the new 45mm F2.8 DG DN prime. UPDATE: There’s also a new line of cine primes under development, the so-called SIGMA Classic Art Primes will be officially announced at IBC 2019. Check out the last paragraph for more information! These three new lenses by SIGMA come in two flavors: Sony E-mount and L-mount for playing nicely with cameras of the freshly formed L-Mount Alliance (SIGMA, Panasonic and Leica). SIGMA 35mm F1.2 DG DN (ART) This lens is a top-end performer in terms of light sensitivity and that’s why it’s basically a huge piece of glass. As it seems, SIGMA has created a no-compromise lens here and in order to give you that fast F1.2 aperture in tandem with autofocus capabilities (!) plus high-end image quality the resulting lens is.. big. The lens comes with an aperture ring on the lens itself which can be set to automatic, or, more importantly for indie filmmakers, to manual mode. And to answer your question: Yes, the aperture ring can be de-clicked for smoothly adjusting the iris (11-blade rounded diaphragm) while filming. Same goes for the focus ring: In AF mode a large HSM (HyperSonicMotor) will quickly adjust focus for you while you can pull focus manually by switching to fly-by-wire mode. Within all these lenses names you’ll note DG (Digital) and DN (Digital Neo). DG is used by SIGMA to indicate that the lens is designed to perform best on cameras with full-frame sensors while DN branded lenses are optimized for mirrorless cameras (i.e. short flange focal lengths). Three SLD glass elements and three aspherical lenses including a double-sided aspherical lens are optimally arranged in a lens construction of 17 elements in 12 groups. By taking advantage of the specialized short flange focal length design, this 35mm lens not only is optimized for mirrorless cameras, it also takes advantage of the correction function inside the camera to correct distortion and peripheral illumination. In summary, the 35mm F1.2 can resolve over 50 million pixels. The AFL button on the lens itself which can be assigned with various functions is a nice addition to the feature set of the 35mm F1.2. Furthermore, the lens features a dust- and splash-proof structure, along with a water- and oil-repellent coating on the front element. It also comes with a locking hood. Swapping mounts between the Sony E-mount version and the L-mount version is possible but you have to send in you lens to an authorized SIGMA facility in order to do that. Specifications of the SIGMA 35mm F1.2 DG DN (ART) – calculated for L-mount: Lens Construction: 17 elements in 12 groups Angle of view (35mm): 63.4° Number of diaphragm blades: 11 (rounded diaphragm) Minimum aperture: F16 Minimum focusing distance: 30cm / 11.8″ Maximum magnification ratio: 1:5.1 Filter size: 82mm Dimensions (diameter × length): 87,8mm × 136,2mm / 3.5″ × 5.4″ Weight: 1,090g / 38.4oz SIGMA 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN (ART) This is the second lens of the newly developed DG DN series and it seems to be a beautiful lens for some starry nights astrophotography. Why? Well, because the super-wide 14-24mm range of this zoom is perfect for vast landscapes, the reasonable fast F2.8 aperture is a good match for the milky way above that vast landscape you’ve just framed up and the included rear filter holder will conveniently accommodate the filter needed for that perfect starry night shot. That’s why. This lens is also part of the A (ART) line and it also comes with the aforementioned DG and DN branding. One FLD glass and five SLD glass elements are arranged to suppress chromatic aberration and other nasty stuff. Three aspherical lenses, including a large-diameter aspherical lens at the front, are used to minimize coma flare. The multi-layer coating is combined with a newly developed NPC (Nano Porous Coating) in order for the lens to be less susceptible to strong incident light. Filter holder of the SIGMA 14-24 lens Just like the SIGMA 35mm F1.2, this new zoom lens offers an assignable AFL button on the side so you can customize this lens to match your workflow. Autofocus is handled by a stepper motor, which is also available for face/eye detection during video shooting, depending on your camera of choice. The housing also shares the same rugged design as the 35mm F1.2 ART lens. Specifications of the SIGMA 14-24mm F2.8 DG DN (ART) – calculated for L-mount: Lens Construction: 18 elements in 13 groups Angle of view (35mm): 114.2° – 84.1° Number of diaphragm blades: 11 (rounded diaphragm) Minimum aperture: F22 Minimum focusing distance: 28cm / 11.0″ Maximum magnification ratio: 1:7.3 Filter: rear filter holder Dimensions (diameter × length): 85mm × 131mm / 3.3″ × 5.2″ Weight: 795g / 28oz SIGMA 45mm F2.8 DG DN (Contemporary) To make this a threefold of new lenses, we need one more: The SIGMA 45mm F2.8 DG DN is not part of the ART family. It bears the C (Contemporary) logo on its side to indicate a versatile and performing, yet compact and lightweight lens. And just like the other two, it covers a full-frame sensor without any problems. Because this lens is intended for everyday use, it is a really lightweight piece of glass. It’s compact and won’t get into your way while shooting. It sports a dedicated iris ring (which can’t be de-clicked, though) and a stepper motor for handling AF operation. Minimum focus distance is just 24cm (9.4″) so this lens could become a very versatile lens, indeed! According to SIGMA the 45mm F2.8 renders smooth, classic looking, bokeh when used with a wide-open iris but it will produce tack sharp, more modern-looking imagery when stopped down a little. Again, versatility seems to be key with this lens. Specifications of the SIGMA 45mm F2.8 DG DN (Contemporary) – calculated for L-mount: Lens Construction: 8 elements in 7 groups Angle of view (35mm): 51.3° Number of diaphragm blades: 7 (rounded diaphragm) Minimum aperture: F22 Minimum focusing distance: 24cm / 9.4″ Maximum magnification ratio: 1:4 Filter size: 55mm Dimensions (diameter × length): 64mm × 46,2mm / 2.5″ × 1.8″ Weight: 215g / 7.5oz Silver version of the 45mm SIGMA Contemporary New SIGMA Classic Art Primes As a sneak peek, SIGMA also introduced a whole new line of cine primes today. The so-called Classic Art Primes come as an additional option along their already available Cinema Primes (see our extensive review here). This new line of primes bear the label Classic so you might guess where this is heading: SIGMA removed the coating of the front element in order to create a more silky/dreamy vintage look to these primes without compromising on performance. SIGMA 40mm Classic Art Prime on the new SIGMA pf camera. SIGMA will officially announce them at IBC later this year. It will be a whole set just like the existing Cinema Primes. And, as you already might have noticed, these new primes are a bit slower than the Cinema Primes. T1.5 becomes T2.5 (20mm – 85mm) and T2 becomes T3.2 (14mm & 135mm). If you think the SIGMA Cinema Primes are too sharp and produce a kind of clinical look, maybe this new set is worth a shot. We’ll keep a close eye on the further development, for sure. I think, just like with the ARRI Signature Primes, there’s a trend away from ultra sharp lenses towards lenses with a distinct character. Let’s wait and see how these new primes will perform (and handle flares etc). Links: Website What do you think of this new trio of full-frame lenses? Are you a SIGMA shooter already? What are your favorite lenses? Share your experiences in the comments below!

That one got us by surprise! Along with the introduction of quite a few new lenses for Sony E-mount as well as L-Mount, SIGMA has just unveiled their newly developed SIGMA fp camera, sporting a full-frame 24.6MP backlit sensor! It comes with some welcomed tricks and fresh ideas such as a dedicated switch to set the camera either in stills mode or in cine mode. So here it is: SIGMA’s first camera with true dedication for cine applications. It’s based on a traditional BSI Bayer sensor but this camera is unlike any camera I’ve seen in a very long time. According to SIGMA, this camera is free from genre or categories and it’s designed to be a true user-centric camera. SIGMA fp Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera The camera itself is really tiny, more a box than an ergonomic camera. That’s because SIGMA wants this camera to be as modular as possible to be able to cater for most shooting scenarios. From stills shooters to indie filmmakers, the SIGMA fp can teanform into anything you like it to be. That’s the idea. The back-illuminated Bayer CMOS sensor is 36x24mm with an effective resolution of 6,072 × 4,056 pixels, resulting a total of 24.6 megapixels [in an earlier version we mistakenly wrote 60 megapixels]. The camera uses the new L-Mount which makes total sense as SIGMA is part of the L-Mount alliance and already produces L-Mount lenses. SIGMA fp with attached viewfinder The SIGMA fp comes with a dedicated switch for putting it into either stills or cine mode. And each of the modes transforms the whole camera system in order to only display the items of importance to each use case. No more digging the menus for that specific video setting! Very nice. Furthermore, it comes with a dedicated video record button. Video Recording The SIGMA fp records either raw CDNG in 8, 10 or 12bit (externally to SSD) or it records plain h.264 into a .mov container either in all-i or GOP mode. Supported resolutions include: 3,840 × 2,160 (UHD 4K): 23.98p, 25p,29.97p 1,920 x 1,080 (full HD): 23.98p, 25p, 29.97p, 59.94p, 100p, 119.88p I couldn’t find any intel about color sub-sampling yet but will add these information once I have them. Another thing which is still a bit unclear is the fact that SIGMA states a 1.5 crop in the specifications. Maybe that crop applies to video recording (or UHD recording, at least). It also could be just an option (as seen in the menu – video above @ 2:34), which would be the best possible solution, of course. We will update this article as soon as we know for sure. still from the presentation of the SIGMA fp. For external recording, the video feed can be send out through USB 3.1 (GEN1) to a fast outboard SSD or through HDMI (4:2:2 8-bit only as it seems) to an external recorder. SIGMA specifically names ATOMOS Ninja Inferno and Blackmagic Video Assist 4K as supported devices. More makes and models should follow I assume. Note: The in-camera playback function of recorded CinemaDNG frames will be implemented later with a firmware upgrade so as of now you can shoot CDNG but you can’t play it back on the camera itself. Another curiosity: In their press release SIGMA claims that the fp is able to record 12-bit raw CDNG externally through USB 3.1 while further down in the specifications it reads that the camera is able to record 12-bit raw CDNG internally. We will have to wait and find out what’s actually the case here. Audio is being recorded in Linear PCM (2ch 48kHz /16bit). The fp camera records to one of the following types of media: SD / SDHC / SDXC Memory Card (UHS-II compatible). Furthermore you can use an external USB3 SSD which will be bus-powered. The BMPCC 4K springs to mind! Stills Mode vs. Cine Mode Since this camera sports not one but two cameras in one body, let’s run through the features of both modes! In general, this is really a nice (maybe even overdue) feature to have in modern mirrorless hybrid cameras. Using the dedicated switch you can flick between stills mode and cine mode effortlessly without any menu digging. stills mode vs. cine mode Furthermore, in each mode you only get the relevant information displayed on the screen and these information reflect the mode you’re working in. For example you’ll get a 16:9 image in cine mode without any overlaying icons. You can, however, enable some overlays such as audio meters or a waveform monitor. Additionally frame guides can be displayed (and adjusted of course). TC will be displayed in cine mode but not in stills mode. Exposure correction is a feature stills photographers need, video shooters not so much. You get the idea. I think this feature alone is a huge breakthrough for video capabilities on small mirrorless cameras such as this SIGMA fp. Other manufacturers should think about separating both modes of operation as well! Other Specifications The SIGMA fp is a tiny camera, indeed. With overall dimensions of 112.6×69.9×45.3mm and body weight of 370g, without battery and card, the SIGMA fp is not your average mirrorless camera. Maybe that’s why the fp stands for fortissimo & pianissimo: Strong and light at the same time. The rear TFT screen can’t swivel or tilt. It sports approximately 2.1 million dots and it’s a touchscreen, of course. The camera offers a 3.5mm mic input and, as a scratch audio source, a built-in stereo mic. It also offers a tiny speaker for audio playback but somehow SIGMA forgot to implement a headphone jack. That’s really a bit strange since this camera is clearly aimed towards video (at least in cine mode), so I can’t think of any reason to not implement a headphone out.. Maybe SIGMA adds this with a future module of some kind. Let’s just hope proper audio has not been forgotten here. The SIGMA fp offers a a so-called director’s mode, i.e. director’s viewfinder. With it you can mimic another camera’s sensor size as well as film cameras and even anamorphic lenses. Available and build-in camera profiles include the ARRI ALEXA LF, MINI LF, AMIRA, Sony VENICE, RED MONSTRO 8K and many more. So this camera could even be a directors accessory on fully-flegded productions. Not exactly necessary but still a nice addition. In a later firmware upgrade you will also be able to record and playback video while in director’s mode. With a whole stack of accessories for this new camera, SIGMA lets you transform it into whatever camera you like. Add a handgrip and a hot shoe for adding a flash? No problem! Need a proper viewfinder and a large handgrip along with a mount converter for shooting video? Not a problem! You really can transform this camera to match your exact needs for the given job. Pretty neat I’d say. For a full review we need to go hands-on of course but from what I can see here this SIGMA fp could be a really capable tool for stills shooter and indie filmmakers alike. In terms of power, the fp uses a SIGMA lithium battery (Li-ion Battery BP-51). And since the camera sports USB, you can charge the battery through that USB port, but only if the camera is turned off. SIGMA fp – Combating camera body heat. Pricing and Availability The SIGMA fp is set for a release later this year (around fall) but there’s no word on pricing yet. SIGMA’s Kazuto Yamaki holding the new SIGMA fp. I love this photo. A moment of pride Links: Website What do you think? Is this the camera you’ve waited for? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

DJI has just released their own take on a dual handle grip for their (very) popular Ronin-S gimbal. Maybe this is the solution for tired arms and sweating operators. Let’s check it out! Gimbals are a nice addition to any filmmakers toolbox but once it comes to actually operate one, you’ll see the downsides.. Pick up and shoot? Nope, quite a bit of setup and preparation time needs to be taken into account. A gimbal gives you the exact same smooth floating sequences a traditional Steadicam system gives you? Again, sorry but no. Most gimbals lack the 4th axis for smoothing out the vertical movement of your body while walking or running. Still, a gimbal, even more so a single-handed one, offers lots of new possibilities for indie filmmakers while maintaining a relatively small footprint in your bag. One issue remains, though: weight. Operating such a single-handed device will take a toll on your muscles over time. In order to fight that muscle fatigue, DJI has released the so-called Ronin-S Switch Grip Dual Handle. With it, you can operate the Ronin-S with both hands. Ronin-S Switch Grip Dual Handle On first look, this new accessory doesn’t offer anything over any of the other aftermarket solutions out there for transforming a single-handed gimbal into a dual-handed one. But the DJI solution has some tricks up its sleeve. It comes in five parts: The clamp-on ring for attaching it to the Ronin-S, two Nato rails and two handles. After attaching the ring to the gimbal, you’ll notice three access points where you can attach the NATO rails to the ring. That way you can either attach the rails on both sides of the gimbal for a classic dual-handle setup, or you can attach just one rail to the access point facing towards you and attach one of the grips to it for a vertical single-handed setup. This looks pretty familiar if you look at other gimbals such as the Zhiyun Crane 3 Lab. The handles attach, again, using the NATO standard, to the rail and can slide to whatever position which suits you best. Pricing and Availability The DJI Ronin-S Switch Grip Dual Handle sell for $129 and they are available now. If this offers any advantages over other third-party products lies in the eye of the beholder. What I like is the fact that the DJI solution mounts to the top of the Ronin-S rather than to the battery grip, resulting in a more balanced setup. Furthermore, both arms offer quite a few 1/4″ and 3/8″ mounting holes plus a cold shoe on the end of the rail. Nevertheless, I’m somewhat disappointed that DJI came up with such a trivial solution for their own gimbal. Maybe they offer a more advanced dual-handle setup in the future with a build-in joystick for one of the outboard handles and a focus wheel as an option. Furthermore, a solution for ditching the gimbals battery grip altogether for a more compact dual-handle setup would be nice to see. For now, we have to work with what we have and this Ronin-S Switch Grip Dual Handle, although being rather simple, is a nice addition to the already very capable Ronin-S. In case you missed it, here’s our very extensive video review and tutorial on the Ronin-S: links: DJI What do you think? Do you use single-handed gimbals or do you prefer a proper rig such as the MōVI Pro? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

MASV 3 is an online service for delivering (huge) files over the internet. It’s based on a pay-as-you-go model and the team behind it seems to be really busy adding more and more features to MASV. In this quick update we talk about the new Slack integration, freshly added desktop apps and the ability to extend the 10-day delivery limit. MASV has been around for quite some time now and in February 2019 the 3rd major release went live. Read my review here to freshen up your memory about MASV 3. Since then, some significant updates were introduced to the general public, including the three major ones that are the subject of todays post. MASV 3 now integrates nicely with Slack Extend the 10-day delivery window as a pay-as-you-go option New desktop apps for both Microsoft Windows and macOS As MASV improves its feature set, let’s break down these three new additions (and one more at the end of this article). MASV 3 Updates Collaboration. It can be tough to work with team members from various locations (and time zones) on one collaborative project. Tons of WhatsApp messages, myriads of emails, never-ending phone calls, you name it. Slack is here to help. It works much like any other messenger but it is purpose build for team communication. It offers so-called channels which you can join and each individual message acts like a post on which you can reply in a facebook-like manner. No more important messages buried dozens  of thumb-swipes up the timeline. While WhatsApp, Telegram and all the other messenger apps out there might be cool for casual chats, Slack is for serious business and collaboration among team members. The MASV team seems to know that since they now offer deep integration into Slack. Once you’ve integrated MASV 3 into your Slack account you can link MASV notifications to an existing channel or create a new one for that purpose. Now you will be notified once a member of your team uploads a file, who the recipient(s) is (are) and you’ll also get a ping once the package is being downloaded. And since you can manage notifications for each and every channel within Slack, you also can choose to not be disturbed at all. Your call. Over time, MASV will add more features to this newly formed alliance such as extending storage times for soon-to-expire un-downloaded packages, modifying download limits with one click, deleting packages that have already been fully downloaded, and maybe even the ability to upload to MASV directly through Slack. Downloading packages through Slack is also pretty easy since you or your team member just has to click the corresponding link from within Slack and that’s it, no extra steps required. Extended Storage By popular demand, MASV 3 now allows for extending the standard 10-day delivery window for downloads. This gives your clients more time to download a package without the need to upload it again and again. This is particularly useful if you’re sending out a package to many recipients. Pricing is -again- pay-as-you-go based. This allows for granular adjustments per package without paying for extended storage time on fast turnaround projects. The downside? Pricing can get a bit tricky since you have to calculate costs as follows: $0.25 / GB downloaded for 10 days storage + an incremental $0.10 per month per GB stored after the first 10 days. For example you will pay $0.07 for 1 GB of data stored for 30 days will cost you $0.07. For 10 GB that amount increases to $o.67, a full 100 GB will cost you $6.67 for the same 30 days. Head over to the MASV pricing calculator in order to check your very own pricing estimate. New Desktop Apps Also new are the desktop apps for both Microsoft Windows and macOS platforms. With these desktop apps MASV 3 will bypass the browser and therefore it’s much more reliable in downloading and especially in uploading huge packages. It will relentlessly try to resume up- and downloads, no matter what. The network is going south? You accidentally closed the lid of your laptop, sending it to sleep? You changed locations and/or networks? Don’t you worry, the MASV 3 desktop app has you covered. It won’t stop until the whole 493 GB package is being uploaded and you can rest assured it will outperform most browsers while doing so. The MASV 3 desktop app uses only standard ports and TCP so you won’t run into any firewall issues here. Furthermore, the need to zip packages becomes obsolete (and so do the problems that come with unzipping large packages with complex file structures), since MASV 3 will maintain your file structure as a whole without the need to zip anything. Embedding Upload Portals One more update: In most cases you will want to upload packages in order to send them over to clients. But what if you are working for an agency or post-production facility and you want to receive files from external freelance collaborators? Well, that’s what so-called portals are for. And now you can embed these portals right into your existing website for a seamless user experience. With this your co-workers can interact directly with your company without ever having to hassle with the MASV website. Furthermore you can brand that portal the way you like, so it integrates nicely into your websites color scheme. Links: masv.io What do you think of these updates? What kind of data tranfer methods and/or services do you already use? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

About a year ago we reported about DUO, a laptop accessory for doubling the screen real estate while working away from that multi-screen workstation. In 2019 DUO (which changed its name to DUEX shortly after the successful Kickstarter campaign) gives place to its successor: TRIO. TRIO is still about adding one extra screen to your existing laptop screen. so why is it called TRIO you might ask? Well, this new model is designed in a way that you can stack two TRIOs on top of each other, resulting in, you guessed it, a trio of screens. Mobile Pixels TRIO There are two models: the ´normal´ TRIO which sports a 12.5“ screen and a TRIO pro one which comes with a 14“ screen. Watch the Kickstarter campaign video below for a quick roundup: The TRIO is the result of user feedback of the original DUEX (aka DUO). The team has managed to make the TRIO 40% more energy efficient, lighter, more compact and they implemented the ability to adjust the brightness right into the unit. If you choose to get two TRIOs you now can clip both units together and extend your existing screen to the left and to the right. Or you can mount one of the TRIOs in portrait mode (hi there, geeky coders!) using the new and improved kickstand. When using two TRIO screens you now can rotate both screens to the back so they form a triangle, pretty neat for roundtable presentations! Just like the former DUEX, TRIO attaches to your laptop via four magnets. These magnets will hold the extra screen(s) in place but they won‘t safe your laptop screen from tipping over to the back and that‘s why the base of TRIO actually sits on the table so the units weight won‘t stress your laptops hinge too much. Specifications The smaller TRIO tips the scale at 1.5 lbs and it comes with a 12.5“ screen which fits most 13“ – 14“ laptops. The bigger 14“ TRIO pro weighs 1.8 lbs and it´s good for most 15“ – 15.6“ laptops. Both units draw less than 4.5W of power over USB (both USB type C and type A cables are provided) and both models sport a 1080p LCD IPS screen with a maximum brightness of 300 nits (cd/m2). The same USB connection is being used for transmitting the video feed from your laptop, that’s why you‘ll need to install a custom USB to eDP (Display Port) driver on your laptop of choice. If you‘re running a linux machine a custom DisplayLink driver is needed. Mac OS, Microsoft Windows, Android, Linux and Chrome OS are being supported. Pricing and Availability The TRIO Kickstarter campaign is alive and kicking as we speak, it runs until August 3rd and there are several tiers you can back: The TRIO in its super-early-bird appearance is $179, the early-bird tier is $199. the bigger pro version starts at $199 (super-early-bird), the early-bird tier is $219. All versions come with a sleeve, a kickstand, the aforementioned USB cables plus some magnets. TRIO is scheduled for a Jan 2020 delivery but please keep in mind that we‘re talking about a Kickstarter campaign here. Things can go smoothly or not. You never know, just know that it‘s not a shop you‘re buying stuff in, it‘s a crowdfunding platform with all the risks and benefits. While the last campaign was super successful, Mobile Pixels just had to announce a delay of delivery for the second batch of DUEX units on their Indiegogo campaign. This was due to an IC chip that became obsolete during production so they had to re-source another chip and redesign the circuit board. Not a major issue but just be aware that these things can happen during such a campaign. Alternatives If you are a Mac guy or girls and you own both, a MacBook plus an iPad, you also can use that very iPad as a second screen for extending your screen real estate. The popular Duet app syncs or extends your Desktop to the iPad in high quality and with zero delay. With the upcoming iOS 13 the same feature is build right into the OS — under the name sidecar. Links: Mobile Pixels | Kickstarter What do you think of this device? Do you have any experiences with the DUEX (DUO)? Share your thoughts in the comments below!