There is always a great deal of interest in the rig that I use to cover the various conferences. This year saw both some updates to the main options as well as a couple experiments.
Primary Gear
- SmallRig Universal Phone Cage, Smartphone Video Rig Kit with Handles
https://amzn.to/45TDqku - SmallRig P96 LED Video Light, Portable Camera Lights, 96 LED Beads for Photography Video Lighting, Rechargeable?https://amzn.to/46C14lI
- DJI Pocket 2 – Handheld 3-Axis Gimbal Stabilizer with 4K Camera
https://amzn.to/4km70VP - (NOTE: Current version is the DJI Pocket 3: https://amzn.to/4qrwNgF )
- DJI Mic 2 (2 TX + 1 RX + Charging Case), All-in-one Wireless Microphone
https://amzn.to/4qwC7j2 - (NOTE: Current version is DJI Mic 3: https://amzn.to/4bFgTvn )
- Stand for Magnetic Mic Holder DJI Mic Mini, Mic 1 2 3 Portable Handle for Rode Wireless Micro, GO 2 II, ME, Pro Wireless Lav Microphone Interview Handheld Handle Mount Adapter
https://amzn.to/4ambSFS - Manfrotto 055 Aluminum 3-Section Tripod with Horizontal Column
https://amzn.to/3LYl9fc - Manfrotto Compact Light Duty Joystick Grip Ball Head
https://amzn.to/3ZViaY2 - Camera Flash L Bracket, Dual Hot Shoes Mount Adapter
https://amzn.to/4bFW96K
Supplemental Gear:
- ShiftCam SnapGrip Pro – Mobile Battery Grip with Wireless Shutter Button
https://amzn.to/4qnKblZ - iPhone 6S Plus
- iPhone 17 Pro Max
The Shiftcam Snapgrip provides a superior one-handed photo (or supplemental video) experience that is free of the rig and tripod, with a tactile shutter button.
The Small Rig cage we used this year is built to accommodate an iPhone, which was part of the experiment at this year’s CES. We used it to capture slightly different angles and zoom levels to see what gave the best result, shooting with the DJI and iPhone at the same time. The two iPhones took turns being in the rig and on the Snapgrip.
Experiment Hardware:
- 1Mii Bluetooth 5.3 Transmitter Receiver for TV to Wireless Headphones
https://amzn.to/3NZctps - AKASO 360 Weatherproof 360° Action Camera Creator Combo
https://amzn.to/3ZZIAb3
One of the challenges of the show has always been Norbert’s ability to hear the interview that we’re recording. Even the short distance from the guest to him behind the camera can make it difficult or impossible to hear. Our idea was tot use a small bluetooth transmitter to take the interview audio and send it to his AirPods. It worked for the most part, though we decided we needed a transmitter with a better battery life. Overall, it was a successful experiment.
The AKASO was my first shot at incorporating 3D video into the workflow. While good, it really didn’t add that much from a differing perspective aspect, so this one goes back to the drawing board.
