DitoGear Product News August 2011 – updates and a couple of new products

Our friends (and advertisers) at DitoGear have put out some interesting updates to a couple of existing products as well as bringing out a couple of new products – please have a look! ntroducing DitoGear ™ OmniSlider Servo and V2 firmware OmniSlider DitoGear™ Introduces the improved version of their flagship product – the DitoGear™ OmniSlider. The new servo motor option as well as new firmware are a huge leap and boost the performance of the device especially for real-time filming applications with film cameras.

DitoGear OmniSlider Servo Preproduction Units Testing from Dito Gear on Vimeo.

DitoGear™ OmniSlider V2 Firmware Details The new version of firmware is rather an evolution than a revolution. It has been rewritten from scratch and seriously optimized. It also brings several new features. Main changes are: The user interface has been generally updated so that it is much more intuitive now. Speed Damping and Max Speed dial controls operation has been significantly improved. New motion easing curves are much smoother and slicker. Linear scale has been replaced by hyperbolic curve. You can’t stop playing with it, so better watch out! The Motion Recording and Motion Playback features have been fixed and optimized. Now you may record 80s of real-time motion and play it back either in real time, timelapse or stop-motion mode with full camera shutter control. The positioning interpolation algorithms have been redesigned bringing much smoother positioning curves. The Timelapse menu brings now the full range of controls such as: interval, exp. length, number of shots and direction. Time is calculated automatically. The Stop-motion mode user interface has been also improved for ease of use allowing for controllable amount of shots per step. High precision video mode has been added allowing for shooting macro. The Settings menu has been extended, calibration features improved. DitoGear™ OmniSlider Controller is capable of controlling multiple devices such as: DitoGear™ OmniSlider Stepper, DitoGear™ OmniSlider Servo, DitoGear™ Hoist, custom devices. New DitoGear™ OmniSlider Servo As announced early this spring, DitoGear™ launches new and exciting motor option for the DitoGear™ OmniSlider. The new servo motor comes with an innovative proprietary motor controller allowing to overcome industry and competition’s weak points. The new DitoGear™ OmniSlider Servo advantages are: Vibration-free and oscillation-free performance across full range of speeds bringing ultimate motion smoothness as well as allowing for shooting video using magic arm or shooting macro. Low noise level allowing for working with the sound on a set across most speeds. Unmatched positioning precision of 0.1mm and full motion repeatability for VFX regardless of the battery power status. Unmatched range of speeds on one motor unit: starting from 1m / 450 days in timelapse mode to 1m / 3.85s in video mode. High torque and payloads DitoGear™ OmniSlider Servo horizontal operation payload is now over 70kg (over 150 lbs!) and vertical operation payload is up to 12 kg (over 25 lbs!). Lower average power consumption (even as low as 0.3A) allowing for about 48h of continuous operation (in timelapse mode) on a kit battery! Please note that in vertical operation under high payloads the current draw may peak up to 3.5A. Extremely easy calibration of the device: simply choose a predefined length, type in custom value or travel across desired working distance and optionally set your starting point. Then just power up the device at the beginning of the track. It’s that simple. Safe operation in case of power cutoff while operating in vertical mode. USB and CAN Interface for the DitoGear™ OmniSlider DitoGear™ Introduces also the new beta version of the interface allowing to control either the DitoGear™ OmniSlider Stepper or Servo from your PC other USB-enabled device. The interface comes with the basic communication protocol documentation allowing independent developers to craft their own software. In the future, the same USB and CAN interface will be integrated into the main unit controller. Get in touch with us for details. Pricing: USD 2,600.00 (EUR 1,850.00) for DitoGear™ OmniSlider Servo 1.5m. Check website for other lengths pricing. USD 684.00 (EUR 481.00) for DitoGear™ OmniSlider Servo Upgrade (motor unit & controller) USD 525.00 (EUR 369.00) for DitoGear™ OmniSlider Servo Trade-off Upgrade (motor unit & controller). Your stepper motor module and old controller need to be shipped back. Firmware upgrades remain free of charge or EUR 50.00 + shipping for instant upgrade. Please note that the prices may vary slightly depending on the exchange rates. Availability and orders: DitoGear™ OmniSlider Servo Orders start on 2011/08/22. DitoGear™ OmniSlider Servo shipping starts on 2011/09/12. 5 DitoGear™ OmniSlider Servo Exclusive Preproduction Units are available on 2011/08/22. Contact us for details. New Developments DitoGear™ is also proud to announce the upcoming product developments. DitoGear™ HexaCrane for timelapse and video We’re pleased to announce that we’re testing the prototypes of the DitoGear™ HexaCrane designed for real-time filming as well as motion-controlled operation in real time and timelapse mode. Key features at a glance: Workload: 12kg at 4.5m, 4kg at 6.0m Collapsible to 1.5m modules, ~12kg total weight excluding tripod and counterweights Quick and easy to assemble (5-7 minutes assemble time) Optional 1 or 2-axis drive for video and timelapse mode using DitoGear™ OmniSlider Controller(s) DitoGear™ OmniSlider 1.0m or a DitoGear™ Hoist may be used to drive the crane in 1 axis.

DitoGear HexaCrane Prototype Testing from Dito Gear on Vimeo.

Stage one: 1 or 2 axis motion control Stage one release will come without or with either one- or two-axis drive controlled from one or two DitoGear™ OmniSlider Controllers. Stage 1 production units are expected by the end of 2011. Stage two: multi-axis motion control As soon as the DitoGear™ proprietary pan/tilt head and multi-axis control system are released, the crane may be upgraded to a multi-axis motion control device including rotation, lift, pan, tilt as well as focus and zoom drive. Stage 2 development is scheduled for 2012. DitoGear™ PowerBox DitoGear PowerBox Prototype DitoGear PowerBox Prototype DitoGear™ announces also the launch of their PowerBox by the end of 2011. Key features: 70Ah or 35Ah capacities 3x precisely regulated (1.2 – 12V) 4-pin XLR power outputs 3x 12V cigarette plug power outputs 2x 8.2V power output designed for Canon DSLR Cameras Digital interface showing current draw and remaining operation time with dimmable LED backlight DitoGear™ DryEye Pro DitoGear™ DryEye Pro is a successor of the DitoGear™ DryEye Lite. This simple yet advanced product is targeted towards amateur astronomers, astrophotographers as well as film industry professionals and successfully prevents from dew condensation on your optics as well as lens freezing in extreme weather conditions. The DitoGear™ DryEye Pro calculates the dew-point automatically and keeps your lens temperature at the desired offset above the dew point minimizing the current draw and preventing condensation. The controller is compatible with the DitoGear™ DryEye Lite Heaters. Product launch to be expected by the end of 2011.