technabob » tripod

digidudes tripods: let a little dude hold onto your camera

technabob — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 02:32:09 +0000

Who are the DigiDudes you may ask? Well, I’ll tell you. They’re little dudes that not only look cool, they’re fully functional tripods for your compact digital camera.

Just unscrew DigiDude’s head, screw your camera onto his dismembered body, and you’ll be holding your camera still with style and attitude. DigiDude has three bendable legs which help him to stay steady on any surface.

The little dudes come in five characters: G-bling-Money-Son, iChomp, Pinky Scorsese, Snot Buster, and BoltBot – each one with a unique personality and style. iChomp is my personal favorite, thanks to his disproportionately tiny lizard hands.

They hang neatly on your keychain or backpack so you have a nice way to stabilize your camera wherever you go. DigiDudes are available now over at the aptly named community-generated product site Quirky.com for $19.99 (USD). There are only 250 available in the initial pre-order batch, so you’d better move quick if you want one.

zgrip iphone 3gs handgrip to help steady video shoots – for a price

technabob — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:00:33 +0000

Yep, I’ve got an iPhone 3GS, but I have to say that as much as I love that it can shoot video, I still have a tough time keeping the picture steady while shooting. There’s nothing quite like a little shakycam action to make you lose your lunch when you play back your home movies on the big screen. So I was stoked when I saw this awesome looking iPhone 3GS handgrip was coming out – until I saw the price tag, that is.

The Zgrip iPhone PRO from Zacuto is a serious stabilizing mount for your 3GS, letting you shoot professional-quality video instead of accidentally getting your fingertips in the shot – or worse yet, dropping your JesusPhone on the ground while you’re trying to get the perfect shot.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

Simply snap your iPhone 3GS into the form-fitting grips, and start shooting. The mount can be adjusted to just about any angle you want, and provides a rock-solid mount for capturing your first Spielberg moment.

So what’s not to like? The big problem is that the ZGrip PRO sells for a whopping $295 (USD), making it just $4 bucks less than a 32GB iPhone 3GS. Yeouch. I suppose if you want to get serious about shooting video on your 3GS, it’s worth a look. But for most of us, the price tag is a non-starter. On the plus side, Zacuto is working on a simpler consumer model that loses some of the adjustability, but should cut the price significantly. Stay tuned.

I guess I’ll have to stick with the shakycam for now.

[via DigitalDrops via TFTS]

http://www.zacuto.com/zgrip-iphone-pro

remote-controlled paintball turret is ready for action

technabob — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 00:33:00 +0000

Do you hate most of your neighbors like I do? I was hoping to get my hands on that paintball-firing robot so I could deal with them, but it turned out that was a one-of-a-kind deal. So it gave me a little thrill when I realized I could surround my property with an arsenal of remote-controlled paintball turrets to keep them at bay.

These wireless paintball turrets are just what the doctor ordered when it comes to taking out your aggressions from afar. The EMT Wireless Paintball Sentry Turret comes with everything you need to send paintball pellets flying while you sit safely in your living room (or behind a bunker). While it’s designed primarily for use by scenario-based paintball enthusiasts, I don’t see any reason you couldn’t put one in your cubicle at work.

The $1959 setup includes the paintball turret, a substantial tripod base, CO2 tanks, a color CCD camera with video transmitter and a wireless remote with a nice little 3.5-inch monitor (or a 7.5-inch upgrade pictured above) so you can aim at your unsuspecting victims. The controller’s joysticks pan and tilt the turret, and can fire up to 400 paintballs with the push of a button. The whole rig runs on rechargeable batteries and CO2, so you can use it anywhere (although there is a slight up-charge for weatherproofing).

Upgrades include a high resolution camera ($299), virtual big-screen goggles ($429), a 1000-ball hopper ($189) and other custom quoted options such as a night-vision scope, extended range transmitter and more.

[Two grand too rich for your blood? Be sure to check out the wired version of the turret, which costs a measly $1399.]

pocket tripod perfect for casual photographers

technabob — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 03:22:13 +0000

No, it doesn’t have three legs, so it’s not really a tripod, but it serves the same basic purpose. This ingenious little device screws into the tripod thread on the bottom of your camera, providing it with a stable platform for you to take impromptu photos from.

The Manfrotto 797 Modo Pocket camera mount is so tiny, that when folded up it fits easily on your keychain. The mini stand has a hinged design that lets you adjust the angle of your camera, as well as the ability to deal with angled surfaces. It’s got four tiny rubber feet to help stabilize your camera too.

Unfortunately, I haven’t found a place you can order these outside of France, but you might be able to get one shipped to you by Digit-Photo if you happen to Parlez-Vous Français. You also might want to check with B&H Photo, since they carry the Manfrotto line.

antique camera conceals webcam

technabob — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:45:55 +0000

Looking at its boxy leatherette exterior, you might think this was an old camera from the 1920s or 30s. But you’d be wrong. In fact, it’s a digital webcam that you can hook up to your computer for capturing video.

The RetroCam connects to any PC via USB and mini cables (for audio). The camera captures 640 x 480 video and still image through its real glass lens, and there’s also a concealed microphone for grabbing audio. A little blue LED automatically lights up whenever the camera is active, so you know when you’re being recorded. It even comes with a matching tripod stand to complete the look.

You can find the RetroCam at UK gadget shop BoysStuff for £24.99 (about $45 USD).