What’s Cool: Improves balance through center of gravity, and adds all day shooting ability, even with a light. Connects to all of the current HDV and MiniDV camcorders with appropriate cables. Tough composite housings for secure attachments to camera and tripod.
What’s Missing: The FSB Cell has a Sachtler tripod plate mount, limiting its compatibility with tripods other than FSB tripods.
What’s Cool: "G-Lock" works with gravity: the bigger the mic, the stronger the lock.
What’s Missing: May not appeal to the rugged K-Tek crowd, but you get an extremely sturdy and light pole for the price, while giving your boom operator a lighter load.
Pricing: A la carte for individual parts or sold as kits with case. Kits range from $600 to around $1,800.
What’s Cool: You only need a simple screwdriver to assemble these frames and they give you nearly unlimited configurations, on or off a tripod. The grips are tough enough for easy run-and-gun shooting.
What’s Missing: Pricing on individual parts and various sets can be a bit shocking at first, but the tooling is first rate and hand made. Custom kits are readily available (just ask). I’d like to see the company add microphone mounting to their product list, as the current generation of HDV cameras doesn’t really address on-camera sound. A good shock mount that doubles as a handle would be sweet.
Price: Ringlite mini kit with accessories and case, $2,995; 1x1 panel with accessories and box, $1,995; 1x1 kit with stands a 4-lite panels and accessories and case, $8,995
What’s Cool: Lightweight, cooler for talent in front of the lights. Long-lasting bulbs and lower juice consumption also mean it’s good for the environment and your budget.
What’s Missing: Durability, over the long haul of on-location shooting and field work, remains to be seen. But there has been little to no complaints from users thus far.
Kata Video and Lighting Bags (OC-86, OC-88 and OC-97)
Rating: HOT
Price: OC-86, $375; OC-88, $340; OC-97, $400
What’s Cool: Kata wins design awards for its tough but light bags that stand up to pretty much anything you can throw at them. The retractable wheels are nice on each of these models.
