Cambo New Video Range at IBC: V15 & V40 Booms, Pan-Tilt heads & Tripods
CAMBO – the name synonymous with over 30 years experience in designing and manufacturing studio cameras and stands in the photographic business, have turned their precision engineering skills to the video market with their latest developments launched at IBC. They will be displaying their range of Video booms, Pan-Tilt heads & Tripods on Stand 538 Hall 11 at 2002 exhibition.
Following its premier at last years’ IBC, the Cambo range has been expanded to provide products for the serious amateur videographer as well as to the professional video and broadcast market.
The range now features two booms – the lightweight V15 and the V40 - capable of supporting cameras weighing up to 30kg and extending to over 4.6 metres. Also available are mechanical and motorised pan & tilt head options plus two heavy-duty tripods. The comprehensive accessory range includes boom extensions, LCD screen fixings and a battery converter enabling the pan & tilt head to be used on location.
The V15 Boom has been designed to be highly portable and will appeal to the weight conscious videographer as well as those needing to operate in confined spaces. Capable of handling cameras up to 18kg it has an 88cm standard reach and 79cm operating range, yet assembles and breaks down in seconds to a compact 94cm length. With the addition of the 0.8 metre extension piece included with the boom, the reach can be extended to 170cm with a 222cm operating range.
The V40 is Cambo’s premier boom and is the most complete boom system in the industry. Its modular design enables the user to extend the boom to just under 5 metres with the use of interlocking extension bars. The boom is quick & easy to set-up and has a high load to weight ratio with a carrying capacity of up to 30kg – remarkable in a boom weighing just 11kg.The smart counter balance system uses standard weights whilst the fine tuning blocks allows safe & secure camera lens and battery changes, without risk of damage to the camera. The V40 is designed to be easily operated by a single operator. Extremely portable with removable bowl arm, sectioned centre arm and removable counter-balance arm, the boom can be carried in the back of a car and quickly assembled for use.
Both booms feature 100mm detachable bowl arms, fluid-action base with locking facilty and universal 75mm & 100mm tripod mounts. The modular interlocking design provides fast, easy set-up with no screws or small pieces to lose.
To allow camera movement and positioning when the boom is extended or in-use, Cambo have developed a comprehensive range of accessories. The PT90 Pan-Tilt Unit provides precision controlled motorised movements with the V40 boom. The easy to use joystick control with Hall effect sensor operates two independent motors with 350-degree pan and a +/- 175 –degree tilt.
A switchable direction control allows the user to set the rotation direction on both movements so that it can be personalised for use. Well thoughts out add-ons have been designed to make operation easier. An LCD screen Adapter allows the user to mount an LCD screen onto the boom, whilst counterweights and stabilisation systems are available to accommodate heavier cameras.
Two prototypes are also being displayed on the stand this year. The lightweight telescopic DV-Boom weighs just 5.5kg and is designed for lightweight cameras and accessories weighing up to 3kg.
Like its V15 counterpart, it collapses down to a compact carrying size of just 121x22x16cm – so is highly portable. The boom extends from 135cm up to a maximum extension of 275cm in seven click stop positions. A useful feature is the tilt control handle which can be adjusted to keep the camera level or at a fixed angle throughout the vertical boom movement as well as allowing a full range of movements.
Cambo are also highlighting a new mechanical Pan-Tilt unit for its V15 & V40 booms. Whilst V40 users may prefer the motorised PT-90 unit, budget conscious users may opt for the new MPT-9 model. Weighing just 3kg it will support cameras up to 10kg and features an impressive 345-degree pan & tilt movement. A single control operates the pan-tilt functions, although a separate pan-tilt control for more flexible operations is available.
Both units will be available commercially in January 2003.
The Cambo Video Tripods boast an impressive 100kg-carrying load to accommodate the widest selection of professional broadcast video cameras with a choice of either a 100mm or 150mm bowl option dependent on the video head used.
The specification is virtually identical for each model – the differentiator being the size of video bowl offered. The TBV-100 features a 100mm bowl which can be adapted to 75mm with an optional bowl adapter, whilst the TBV-150 has a 150mm bowl – with 100mm bowl adapter as an optional accessory. The 150mm-bowl model provides the professional with the greatest functionality – enabling broadcast quality heads to be fitted. It is also capable of supporting ‘Box Lens’ models.
Both models mirror the other high specification features. Two section single lift adjustable height legs, high tensile aluminium construction for strength and rigidity, integrated bowl levelling device, extra sturdy leg locks, adjustable leg spreader and built-in spirit level. The legs are fitted with dual rubber feet with retractable spiked foot and the tripod body features a useful anchor point for securing a cable or chain for difficult location work. A new entry-level version of the TVB 100 is also available with chain spreader.
The maximum load capacity of 100 kg is bound to attract the most interest. With a relatively lightweight of just over 8kg the Cambo tripods offer a high carrying to size capacity and feature a closed length of just 86cm and operating height from 77cm to 120cm
Cambo Video booms and tripods are available from international distributors.
