New Year, New Gear!

I've been on the hunt for a reliable, inexpensive light-weight director's monitor for years. I think I may have found a decent solution, albeit, not perfect. The Teradek Serv Pro iOS WiFi transmitter came out last year at NAB. It's small profile, combined with the fact that it works on iOS immediately caught my eye. No longer do I have to hand off a huge, clunky monitor to the director or client. I love the look on people's faces when I hand them an iPad mini with picture on it! The best part is that it can stream to up to 10 devices at once. Since I'm not a millionaire, I don't have x10 devices to test it, but with a few devices hooked up, I didn't notice any considerable difference. It's versatile, able to handle both HD-SDI and HDMI signal. Another plus is it's re-link time. When you lose signal, it doesn't take long to re-up once back in range. That was a big drawback of the Teradek Cube system. The Vuer App is great! Loads of tools including LUTs and screen grabs. Now the cons, there is definitely a lag. It's small, but if you are working with a focus puller or puppeteer, this might not be the tool for you. Also, the range is as limited as the WiFi in your home. Don't expect the type of performance of the Bolt systems. Another issue I had was the mounting points could use a re-think. I ended up using Velcro with a bongo to attach it to my rig. All in all, I'm very happy with this product.

I've been waiting for something like this Manfrotto Nitrotech N12 head forever! I had been using the 504HD fluid head for years. Unfortunately, as the rig grew, the weight surpassed the payload for that head. This Nitrotech boasts a 12Kg or 26lbs max payload. This can more than handle what my C300 handheld rig weighs. The center piston innovation helps achieve this as a counter balance. Another bonus for me is that the head has a flat base which connects nicely to my slider. It has a longer Manfrotto style plate. It's also a side loader which makes taking it on and off easy. It's a great price and a great weight, perfect for the traveling shooter!