Suggestions for lightweight 5 foot crane?

[JacePhoto]

Hi All,

I am looking to experiment with crane and is poison by Cobra Crane I. I haven't checked out the prices yet but what are the other options in local market?

Thanks.

- Jacephoto

[Bamboopictures]

Lau International sells the PhotoCrane also from the Cobracrane family. Good only for consumer-sized camcorder or DSLR. Or wait for this micro jib from WELCOME TO: DSLR-DEVICES.COM

[XsenseX]

Was waiting for dslrdevices for awhile but it seems like the final price with shipping is same as the KC Lite which actually is supposingly be better cause its branded.

[Bamboopictures]

Just took my DSLR-Devices microjib for a shoot last week and here are my thoughts:

Plus Point:
Weight: compared to my Steaditracker PhotoCrane, the DD micro jib is lighter for sure.
Set up time: Very fast just like the demo video.
sturdiness: Will take even the heaviest DSLR

Minus Point:

Length: A good 1.5 feet shorter then the PhotoCrane, I couldn't get very low perspective when my tripod is at full height.
Tilt control: Nightmare controlling the tilt ; Can tip the whole jib over if the you tilt too low. Very limited angle.
Safety: Very low safety score for the DD due to lack of anti-swivel pin or hole at the camera mount plate and the tripod attachment plate.
I strongly recommend boring your own holes before taking the jib out.
Operability: unlike the Photocrane, it is difficult to control the tilt on the DD micro jib when you are hand-holding the camera. As with most parallelogram design, the entire weight of the jib is pivoted at the tripod head. Got my finger almost crushed between the two parallel bars when tilting the camera.

Verdict: Although lighter and faster to set up, DD micro jib is not as safe nor as easy to use as the steaditracker PhotoCrane. A shame as the DD cost a lot more. When you take the counterweight into consideration, the weight savings over the photo crane is not much percentage wise. The parallelogram design of the DD is not as stable as the pulley cable relay tilt control of the photo crane.

[sibeiblur]

Bamboopictures,

thanks for the good review. I was undecided whether to order the DSLR-Devices, guess I will go for the Kessler instead.