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Author Topic: Mini Fluid head for Smartphones  (Read 1451 times)

Michael Erlewine

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Mini Fluid head for Smartphones
« on: October 04, 2019, 11:38:23 am »

I an getting more interested in video  with the iPhone 11 Pro Max. I have many fluid heads, but  for larger tripods. Does anyone know of a fluid head that is small, works well, and preferably has an arca clamp?
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Bart_van_der_Wolf

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Re: Mini Fluid head for Smartphones
« Reply #1 on: October 04, 2019, 12:22:41 pm »

I an getting more interested in video  with the iPhone 11 Pro Max. I have many fluid heads, but  for larger tripods. Does anyone know of a fluid head that is small, works well, and preferably has an arca clamp?

Hi Michael,

I don't have a direct answer to your question, maybe others can help with the specific question, but allow me to add a radical(?) thought.

I don't know for which specific shooting scenario you'd like to use a fluid-head for your mobile phone, but would a DJI Osmo Mobile 3 solve it? It allows setting the speed of the panning and you can let it track moving objects. With a suitable 1/4 inch to Arca adapter plate you can mount it on a stationary tripod with Arca clamp, and for longer sessions, you can charge the phone from the Osmo's battery. And it would also add the option of more dynamic images with a moving camera.

Cheers,
Bart
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Michael Erlewine

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Re: Mini Fluid head for Smartphones
« Reply #2 on: October 04, 2019, 12:32:06 pm »

Hi Michael,

I don't have a direct answer to your question, maybe others can help with the specific question, but allow me to add a radical(?) thought.

I don't know for which specific shooting scenario you'd like to use a fluid-head for your mobile phone, but would a DJI Osmo Mobile 3 solve it? It allows setting the speed of the panning and you can let it track moving objects. With a suitable 1/4 inch to Arca adapter plate you can mount it on a stationary tripod with Arca clamp, and for longer sessions, you can charge the phone from the Osmo's battery. And it would also add the option of more dynamic images with a moving camera.

Cheers,
Bart

I have one, yet I still want a small fluid head to do concerts.
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Michael Erlewine

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Re: Mini Fluid head for Smartphones
« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2019, 06:45:34 am »


Would this work?  Several like this on Amazon. Sirui, Sunwayphoto

What works is my Sony F5, with Miller head, and Sachtler Tripod.

Yes, the iPhone 11 Pro Max is great for reasonable-level media work and easy to cart around, but the Sony FS5 is, well, worth the heavy carrying for any important job. I am not saying that the iPhone 11 Pro Max is going on the shelf, but rather that these old bones would rather carry the FS5 for many things.
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Peter McLennan

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Re: Mini Fluid head for Smartphones
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2019, 01:12:58 pm »

It sounds like you're well serviced. Sachtler is as good as it gets in the camera support biz.
I thought you were looking for a simple, cheap head that would allow you to use your phone for shooting concerts.

Not sure how you'd record concert audio with a phone mic, though.  I just watched this, an iphone camera review shot on one:

https://youtu.be/U2geR06EvH0

...and was appalled at the sound issues presented by phone camcorders' onboard microphones.

"Sound is more important than picture"
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Michael Erlewine

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Re: Mini Fluid head for Smartphones
« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2019, 01:21:28 pm »

It sounds like you're well serviced. Sachtler is as good as it gets in the camera support biz.
I thought you were looking for a simple, cheap head that would allow you to use your phone for shooting concerts.

Not sure how you'd record concert audio with a phone mic, though.  I just watched this, an iphone camera review shot on one:

https://youtu.be/U2geR06EvH0

...and was appalled at the sound issues presented by phone camcorders' onboard microphones.

"Sound is more important than picture"


With the iPhone 11 Pro Max, I use the Shure MV88 that goes in the Lightning port.  It works pretty well, considering.

I shot this quick video with the iPhone 11 Pro MAx of my daughter (a well-known performer) on a song she wrotewith the MV88 Shure mic. Sorry, it has rolling lights that I wish were not there, but for a quick shot where I don't have the FS5/Sachtler, this gives me something usable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOZxyiYtyYM&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2tRsovRdwGY_KBHXB2ZjRJbJrXjMVnTEuV1vV21JwBU9QmjAYnOgg03Cg

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