iPhone Hardware Accessories

IMHO a hybrid gimbal can be the best compromise.
I use a Scorp Mini and so far I'm liking it.
It’s light (780gr), inexpensive, vey comfortable and with enough payload (1,2kg) for an iPhone with additional rigs, filters and lenses (I use it also with Sony A7III whit 85 1.8, and work very well).

Here a honest review, for iPhone users:

Whit beast cage you have to position the phone (iPhone XX Pro max) upside down, but BMC interface doesn’t flip the controls…I hope this issue will be fixed with next app version 1.3

The non-adjustable vertical counterbalancing is the only (tiny) disadvantage of the Komodo 5S head, IMO.

At extreme tilt angles you're working against the zero weight aspect of the phone. It's not terrible, but it is present.

I certainly approve of the ultralight aspect of this combo:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... arbon.html

Has anyone tried a Moment 58mm lens with the Blackmagic Camera app? I'm particularly interested in the T-Series lens.

Anyone tried connecting the Deity TC-1 to an iPhone? The connection method for a typical mic (such as RODE Go) combines the TC-1's scratch audio with the left channel containing the audio timecode and feeds that into the iPhone. This combination does not appear to work. I would like to get an adapter to isolate just the TC-1's left channel to feed that into the iPhone too see if that works.

Has anyone tried this and does anyone have any thoughts about whether or not it would work?

Add - The moderator of this forum saw fit to move my post into this thread where it will surely be lost as this question is not really related to iPhone-specific hardware. Too bad.

Posted this on the main forum - adding here to complete my thoughts (I suspected that if I could isolate the left channel of the TC-1 and feed that into the iPhone that I would be able to decode the timecode in Resolve):

I received a dual mono to stereo TRS adapter today and used that as follows:

TC-1 -> dual mono to stereo (plugging TC-1 into left side) -> TRS to TRRS converter > TRRS to lightning connect -> iPhone 12 Pro Max

This completely corrected the issue and I was able to record using the Black Magic Design Camera App using 'Headphone Input' recorded in stereo @48kHz, LPCM WAV. Brought this into Resolve and Resolve was able to correctly decode the audio timecode.

The dual mono to stereo TRS cable is a bit unwieldy - I have a smaller version of the adapter on order just to reduce the overall cable length, but it's easy enough to tie down the cabling to an iPhone rig.

Just in case anyone else attempts to shoot with this setup, I thought I'd post my solution.

Anyone tried connecting the Deity TC-1 to an iPhone?

Good that you succeeded in getting it to work. In response to a question that I raised here, Blackmagic said that it has no current plans to make an arrangement with Diety. When I asked Diety whether it was pursuing the question, I received no response. That was consistent with suggestions I've read that Diety support leaves a lot to be desired.

A couple of weeks ago, I ran into a snag getting a new Tentacle Sync E registered for Tentacle Sync Studio. Their support responded to me promptly and were very helpful in fixing the problem.

I'll be sticking with Tentacle.

I did some research on gimbals yesterday and came to two conclusions:

If I get a gimbal to use with my iPhone 15 and Beastcage (total weight 515g/18oz), it will be a Ronin RS 3 Mini or standard RS 3.

iPhone stabilisation, especially in Action mode, is at a point where there doesn't appear to be a benefit to using a gimbal, at least not enough benefit to outweigh the cost and the hassle of carrying a gimbal around and learning to use it.

Looking at the history of Ronin releases, I also suspect that we're only a few months away from RS 4.

Anyone tried connecting the Deity TC-1 to an iPhone?

Good that you succeeded in getting it to work. In response to a question that I raised here, Blackmagic said that it has no current plans to make an arrangement with Diety. When I asked Diety whether it was pursuing the question, I received no response. That was consistent with suggestions I've read that Diety support leaves a lot to be desired.

A couple of weeks ago, I ran into a snag getting a new Tentacle Sync E registered for Tentacle Sync Studio. Their support responded to me promptly and were very helpful in fixing the problem.

I'll be sticking with Tentacle.

I understand and having to use the lightning port to feed the TC-1 audio timecode is unfortunate (makes it difficult to use an external power pack, I suppose, and it would be nice if we could record stereo audio to access the scratch audio). For normal camera use, the Deity TC-1 is a better solution for me. It has a readout, for one thing, and can be fully controlled and sync'd to other TC-1s without the need for an iPhone app (and you can see the sync status and sync'd timecode right on the TC-1). Tentacle leave a lot to be desired in this arena and I expect that will change with the next generation from Tentacle. We'll see.

For normal camera use, the Deity TC-1 is a better solution for me... Tentacle leave a lot to be desired in this arena and I expect that will change with the next generation from Tentacle. We'll see.

Yes, Allen Williams covers the attractions of the Diety unit in the following video, and it's also less expensive. I'm just happy with Tentacle customer support:

The Neewer cage arrives either tomorrow or Monday. I'll report back.

The good news.

1) The cage is very well made, as are the handles. The phone fits perfectly and is well protected on its edges by rubber inserts inside the cage. The closure latch appears secure and immune to inadvertent opening.

2) The bare cage with the phone installed is not that much bigger than my old (relatively large) Otterbox case and it does fit into my shirt pocket easily. For me, this is a deal-breaker. That's where my phone lives.

3) The handles provide excellent handling protection against dropping, especially when you're manipulating the UI. This part always annoyed me, as you then have only one hand to hold the phone, often in difficult circumstances. The chances of dropping it are reduced considerably.

4) The handles are repositionable, even though they don't instantly snap into the cage the way some others do. They use a 1/4-20 screw mount and a locater pin. They make a huge difference to hand holding, greatly improving precision in operating, especially at weird angles. I love the handles.

5) The slide-in lens mount works well, is locked into place with locating pins and secures my expensive B&W 72 mm filter to the phone perfectly. However the mount is designed for a 67mm filter and the combination of the filter and the 67-72mm adapter causes the setup to vignette severely in the upper LHS with the wide lens. I'll have to invest proper 67mm filters if I want to use the wide lens.

6) The main camera's viewport is threaded to accept accessory lenses, the remainder of the ports are not.

7) The phone's native buttons are all exposed and are as easy to use as they are when the phone is out of the case. Similarly, the USB C cutout is quite large and should pose no problems for any USB connectors. I've not tried any right angle connectors.

8) The lenses are even more deeply recessed than with the Spigen case, potentially offering even more protection. Neewer should provide a blank slide-in to further protect the lenses while the unit is inside pockets that may contain junk as well as $2K phones.


The Bad News

1) The entire front (camera) side of the phone that was previously covered by the Spigen case is now exposed. Now at least the Blue Titanium and the Apple logo are plainly visible. This area is where a USB drive would live, so perhaps whatever drive mount I wind up with will help protect this vulnerability.

2) The overall weight of the phone is approximately doubled. I don't care. YMMV.

3) The cold shoe mount, potentially usable for a French flag mount, is inconveniently located at the opposite end from the lenses. There is another one beside (not above) the lenses on the end of the case.

4) The included allen wrench fits nothing on the case. Adjusting the handles will require an additional purchase. What were they thinking?

The available remote trigger handle would be a good investment, especially since it would work off the camera within Bluetooth range. Long exposures and remote roll/cut convenience would benefit, especially since my Bluetooth hearing aids provide wireless microphone capability.

All in all a good investment, despite the few shortcomings.

I think that I've figured out how to get smooth pans without purchasing a new lightweight fluid head. I think that I can use components that I already have.

I have this Gitzo panning base. It's discontinued, but can probably be purchased inexpensively on eBay. It's the same diameter as the top plate of a Gitzo Series 3 Systematic tripod. Indeed, the top plate of a Series 3 can be changed out for this. Or you can mount it on a levelling base, which is how I usually use it. Between the fairly large diameter and decent tension, movement is very smooth. I've thought about trying to use if for pans before, but there wasn't an obvious way to do it.

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Recently I put together an Arca-Swiss rail for fine-tuning composition and focus for close-up and macro photographs. Arca-Swiss sells this for a fair amount of money. However, if you use an Arca-Swiss large format camera, which I do, you can put it together yourself for a reasonable amount. Also, Arca-Swiss rail is sometimes available second-hand.

rail.jpeg (27.79 KiB) Viewed 16166 times

I can mount my Beastcage/phone on the focus rail and the focus rail on the panning base. I want to use the focus rail anyway, in particular with the Beastgrip macro lens that I've purchased. A length of rail (I have various lengths for my camera) should make a pretty good panning handle.

P.S. For anyone curious, this is where the parts come from. Arca-Swiss cameras are modular, so many of the components are the same for 6x9, 4x5, 5x7 and 8x10. The geared rail in the image above uses the same rail as any Arca-Swiss camera. The rail is dove-tailed to fit Arca-Swiss QR clamps. The component above with two knobs is a modified version of the function carriers (geared carriers) identified in the image below. The only other component is a standard Arca-Swiss style QR clamp.

as camera 2.jpeg (134.41 KiB) Viewed 16172 times

The good news.

Thanks a lot Peter. I appreciate the detail, and I'm sure that people looking for a cage will find the post very helpful.

In your point #2, is "deal-breaker" correct, or should it be "deal-maker"? Or am I just misreading it

Yah, "deal maker" might be a better choice of words. In any case it was a gating function.

If it wouldn't fit in my shirt pocket, it would have gone back.

The next step up [in video heads] is probably Gitzo's GHF2W 2-way fluid head (590g/1.3lb). This head has a counter balance system and adjustable drag. The problem is that it costs US$350 to $400.

A bit more on this head…

Released in 2018, this is the latest in a number of light fluid heads that Gitzo has made for decades. The market is photo/video and people, such as bird watchers and amateur astronomers, who use binoculars or spotting scopes. Gitzo appears to make the head sold by Swarovski Optik for its own binoculars and scopes.

The U.K. chain Wex Photo has the only YouTube video that shows the head in use. After an initial viewing, I found it helpful to turn off the sound and watch the footage. It isn’t clear that all of the video was shot using the Gitzo head, but it’s implied that it was used for at least several of the stationary, pan and tilt shots. Given how small and light the head is, I like the performance. I should acknowledge that I have a second interest at play here. I use binoculars for bird watching and sometimes for astronomy.

Some B&H purchasers have complained that the head doesn’t “fully lock down”. Within the birding community, this is common knowledge, and it was also true of the head's predecessor. It can be an issue for people who use heavy binoculars or spotting scopes and want to carry their tripod over their shoulder from one place to another. The optic may creep from its last tilt or pan position. I don't think that this is a concern, as a practical matter, for video. I don't walk around with my tripod and camera over my shoulder anyway. Nor does it appear to matter to the great majority of purchasers. Earlier this year, an administrator on a major astronomy forum said that he’s so happy with his Gitzo head that he purchased a second.

With any of these flat base video heads, the choice is either levelling entirely from the tripod legs or rough levelling from the legs and fine tuning with a levelling base. I've been using the same levelling base for a long time (I don't have a ball head), but I noticed yesterday that Manfrotto has dropped the price of its "438 Compact Leveling Head" from US$150 to $50. I don't know the reason. Maybe price competition from other makers?

I've gone ahead and ordered the Gitzo head (GHF2W). It gets positive reviews on wildlife and astronomy forums as a support for binoculars and spotting scopes, which for me is a significant consideration. At 590g/1.3lb, it's smaller and half a pound, or more, lighter than alternatives. Looking at the Wex footage above, shot on a very light tripod, I think that I can get decent results from it.

When I receive the head (UPS says Friday) I'll post what I think of it together with one or two photos.

If anyone in the U.S. is interested in the head, Amazon U.S., on behalf of Amazon Japan, is currently selling several for U.S. $300. It's also worth looking at retailers other than B&H/Adorama on price and sales tax, and not just at photo dealers. Still and video photographers are only part of the market. For reliable information about this head, I suggest starting at birdforum.net and the astronomy forum at cloudynights.com.

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First time ever that I've purchased something from Iowa, let alone a fluid head from a small business in a small town (pop. 9,400) whose customers are birdwatchers.

Nice people: http://www.birdwatching.com

Before today, the closest I came to Iowa was supporting Pete Buttigieg's 2020 run for the Democratic nomination, and reading The Guardian's terrific essays about that year's primaries by Art Cullen, Pulitzer Prize winner and editor of the Storm Lake Times (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_Lake_Times)

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The U.K. chain Wex Photo has the only YouTube video that shows the [Gitzo] head in use.

Thought I'd add this...

It turns out that the fellow who made the Wex video, George Johnson, is a freelance filmmaker. His client list, in addition to Wex, includes the National Health Service, the Metropolitan Police, Fortnum & Mason and the University of Gloucester. Website: https://www.georgeyjcreates.com

A video that he shot a few months ago shows that he's still using the same tripod and head. Looking at some of his videos, he appears to be getting good results from the head.

UPS is still on track to deliver the Gitzo head tomorrow, which would give me the weekend to try it out.

Independently of the above, I found a review that Johnson made last month on Canon's new hybrid Z lens interesting. At US$3000, not cheap, but should interest a lot of people who shoot both stills and video:

Review | Canon RF 24-105mm f2.8 L USM Z Lens

If anyone's interested in the Gitzo head, this morning B&H's Used Department listed one with condition described as "10 Good as new" for US$330. My experience is that B&H condition descriptions are highly reliable. If you call, the Used Department will tell you what its internal report says about where the head came from, etc: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/used/143 ... _head.html

Amazon U.S. is still offering some from Amazon Japan at $291: https://www.amazon.com/Gitzo-2-Way-Flui ... B07NVXFN1N

Mine is currently "Out for delivery", so I'll have the weekend to see how it performs.

This Gitzo head is well-built and I love the size and weight. I'll find out over the weekend how well it works. That's a Beastgrip Pro universal cage around the phone. The main lens is selected.

The Gitzo is mounted directly to my tripod's 3/8" stud. The head comes with a reducing bushing for 1/4".

The Beastgrip Pro cage is mounted on an Arca-Swiss style quick release clamp and plate that come with the head. See the photo four posts up. The QR plate is 70mm long. Gitzo also sells a 140mm long version if needed to balance a long camera lens, binoculars or spotting scope.

Gitzo rear.jpeg (286.31 KiB) Viewed 15529 times

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I've decided to keep the Gitzo fluid head after trying it out on a Gitzo Systematic Series 3 tripod with my Beastgrip cage and phone, a full frame camera with 135mm lens and 8x42 binoculars. I'm sold on its pocket size and low weight (590g), and I think that it's going to be a terrific travel head for stills and video.

I'm happy with tightening the pan and tilt knobs to hold my camera's position on stationary shots. I'm satisfied that I don't need a separate locking mechanism.

If I want to hold at the end of a pan or tilt and continue filming, the head tends to slip back very slightly. This isn't consistent and I may just need to practice with the head. If it continues, maintaining a light touch on the pan handle prevents it.

I’ve never relied on a tripod head’s bubble level, so I don't care about the absence of one. For my iPhone, the camera app tells me whether my phone is level anyway. For my 8x10 camera, for which Ilford black and white is now US$8 a sheet and Kodak colour is $30, I needed a new tripod and got a machinist's level for it If it didn't weigh 5kg, I'd use this tripod over carbon fibre any day - more choice on camera position, easier to level, and more stable with better dampening. Might look a bit odd supporting an iPhone, though.

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My experience as an Operator has led me to a love for bowl mount tripods and heads. Nothing beats that approach for quick levelling, especially on uneven ground. For motion picture work, the head needs to be quickly levelled in all directions and a circular bubble level works well for this. Seen just to the right of the red pan lock knob, the head's built-in level is tiny and, while effective, is not easy to see. On top of the camera at the RHS is a cold plate bubble level, used only when hand holding and when the screen may be difficult to see.

I love this Ifootage tripod. It's half the weight of its predecessor and is far easier to set up and adjust. Installed as seen here, the phone at full height is higher than my eyes. I'm six feet zip. At its lowest height, the phone is about a foot off the ground.

The Ifootage Komodo 5S head is working extremely well so far. I can execute flawless diagonal pans with the long lens. It's easy to lock off in either direction, is lightweight, beautifully manufactured and cheap as chips. $150 USD. My Sachtler Studio 7 (RIP) cost me $10K in the eighties, but it had to support a Panaflex.

*disclaimer* The the head was cold (4C) throughout recent tests. Fluid heads frequently perform better when cold. As do all those large knobs. They're easy to find and quick to use, even with gloves.

An already-owned Kirk unit enables easy (but not cheap) attachment of an Arca plate to the Ifootage plate. There are undoubtedly cheaper solutions, I had that unit sitting in a drawer.

My experience as an Operator has led me to a love for bowl mount tripods and heads.

Hi Peter,

Note that I said in the post just above yours that I tested the Gitzo fluid head with a Gitzo Systematic Series 3 tripod. The reason is that I use a Series 3. I can change out its flat top plate for a half bowl levelling base which, by the way, has a bubble level. The first minute of this older Robert White video shows the levelling base and the changeout:

As the iFootage page on your tripod shows, it works the same way except that the levelling base is an integral part of the tripod:

ifootage.jpg (77.72 KiB) Viewed 15281 times

Whether I level from my tripod legs or from the legs plus a levelling base depends on what tripod I'm using. For example, I can't be bothered using a levelling mechanism if I'm levelling a ground tripod like the one shown three posts up. Also, I'm pretty comfortable levelling my Series 3 tripod from the legs. I do it before I mount the camera on the tripod. I levelled the wooden tripod shown two posts above from the legs. According to the machinist's level, I did OK.

I'm happy to let the Apple, Blackmagic or Halide camera app tell me whether my iPhone camera is level.

An already-owned Kirk unit enables easy (but not cheap) attachment of an Arca plate to the Ifootage plate. There are undoubtedly cheaper solutions, I had that unit sitting in a drawer.

Why do you need to use an adapter to use an Arca-Swiss plate? Is iFootage's Seastars QR system an integral part of its tripod top plates?

EDIT: The Robert White presenter doesn't explain that the levelling base is fitted in a 75mm half bowl. See 1:24 of the video. The 75mm bowl is sold separately. A number of companies make these, and some are less than half the price of Gitzo's and work just as well.

Why do you need to use an adapter to use an Arca-Swiss plate? Is iFootage's Seastars QR system an integral part of its tripod top plates?

That's what the Komodo head wants. It's similar to a Manfrotto plate and clumsy big on the phone. I'm hoping a smaller Arca plate can live on the phone full time. So far, no.

The reality is that when working with the iPhone you really only need to be working in the NATO rail ecosystem.

ARCA SWISS and MANFROTTO become overkill.

Recently I came across the inverted ball head design for tripods.

For example the Sirui VHD-2004L 2 Series Aluminum Tripod with Leveling Head

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... minum.html

Interesting idea for balancing a light payload.

The reality is that when working with the iPhone you really only need to be working in the NATO rail ecosystem.

ARCA SWISS and MANFROTTO become overkill.

Recently I came across the inverted ball head design for tripods.

For example the Sirui VHD-2004L 2 Series Aluminum Tripod with Leveling Head

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... minum.html

Interesting idea for balancing a light payload.

What was Sirui thinking? That tripod weighs 2.53kg (5.58lb) and has a folded length of 67cm (26.4"). Introduced only four years ago, your link says that B&H has a "Limited supply at this price". That's B&H parlance for "this product is about to be discontinued". Indeed, Adorama no longer sells it as an individual product, and B&H is selling it at 65% off the original price.

In an earlier post, you include a photo showing you using a US$130 Manfrotto BeFree video head: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... video.html

You think that that head is "overkill"?

In an earlier post, you include a photo showing you using a US$130 Manfrotto BeFree video head: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... video.html

You think that that head is "overkill"?

Not sure if you are attacking my opinion or are asking for a legit critique of the BeFree video head.
If you read my post again I do say, regarding the inverted ball head "for example".

In an earlier post, you include a photo showing you using a US$130 Manfrotto BeFree video head: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... video.html

You think that that head is "overkill"?

Not sure if you are attacking my opinion or are asking for a legit critique of the BeFree video head.
If you read my post again I do say, regarding the inverted ball head "for example".

Hi Leon,

I was just asking a question. That Manfrotto video head that you have is relatively inexpensive (US$130) and weighs 400g (14oz). If that's "overkill", what isn't? I guess I also don't understand what Arca-Swiss is making that's overkill for what we're discussing. It doesn't make tripods, it doesn't make video heads, and its style of quick release is made by lots of companies at various price points.

I also don't understand what an inverted ball head accomplishes, and they are not inherently cheap. Some of them are quite expensive. The German maker Novoflex, not exactly bargain basement, has a whole line of inverted ball heads.

Inverted ball heads don't replace a video head. If you want to use the Sirui tripod that you've linked for video, Sirui says to add its VH-10 video head to the tripod and inverted head. The combined weight is apparently 3.7kg (8.2lb). The following is Sirui's own video on the setup from four years ago. Since then, the VH-10 was discontinued (replaced by something called the VH-10X), and it appears that the tripod/inverted head are themselves in the process of being discontinued:

I cannot argue with anything that you are stating.
All is true and correct. You give good research.

However, before this interaction between us were you aware of inverted ball head tripods?

You are welcome, now you can include this pointless knowledge(according to you) in future conversations. Or not.

I find my inverted ball head tripod rather ingenious, even though it is a mouthful to say.

I cannot tell you what Sirui was thinking, I wonder myself.
If you prefer Arca Swiss, good for you.

But vive la difference. It makes the world a more interesting place.

If you prefer Arca Swiss, good for you.

I don't have an Arca-Swiss ball head, or indeed any ball head.

Since you like inverted heads, I'm happy to tell you that Arca-Swiss has been making one since 2009. It's called the Monoballl p0 and it's Arca-Swiss's least expensive head. This is the 2009 press release: https://www.largeformatphotography.info ... ONOBALL-p0

This is the Monoball p0:

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This is the ball, on the bottom instead of the top:

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The 2010 Robert White video below explains how the p0 works and the reasons one might want one. It's still the best video about this head on YouTube, at least in English. People here from the U.K. will be familiar with Robert White. It's not far from Southampton. I've dealt with them for years because they're convenient to the Isle of Wight, where I've spent a fair amount of time, and because Robert White established itself as an international dealer, with competitive pricing, before just about anybody else. They were a small operation a long way from London, but they understood the internet. If interested, this is their website: https://www.robertwhite.co.uk

I tend to fix shutter to 180 degrees and expose by ISO and ND only, because I hate that stuttery action cam look.

Care to share any recommendations for NDs or VNDs for iphones?

Well, as attractive a variable ND may seem, they all have their drawbacks, cheap or not so cheap. First of all, they are just two polarisers crossing over each other to varying degrees. So, they have all the side effects of a polariser, wanted or not, like:
– eliminating some reflections
- showing weird colours on tempered, curved glass like windshields
- darkening LCD screens, depending on angle
- making human skin look unnatural, kind of 'porcelain' look
– finally, cheaper ones often don't have proper single stop markings and no hard stop before the dreaded 'X' shows up

Fixed NDs are much better optically, even cheap ones like K&F. They also sell sets, like 4 in ND4, 8, 64 and 1000. You'll not often need the 1000, not even on a sunny day in snow, this is rather needed in photography for long exposure at daytime. I took mine out of the K&F pouch and replaced it with a CPL, which is pretty much the only other physical filter you may need for the iPhone.

I use a clamp holder with a 52mm thread. It fits nicely on a naked iPhone 15, but is not advisable over a silicon hull, because light will enter from the rear. You can combine them for additional values, but the ultrawide will vignette. Mine are screw-in, but K&F also has these to attach magnetically, which should be very nice for quick changes.

While the variable one by K&F is making the picture considerably warmer, the fixed NDs are pretty neutral. I didn't even get significant IR pollution on a sunny day with the iPhone. It seems Apple is taking care of IR pretty well.

Is there a better option than a clamp type holder, Uli? Doesn't it interfere with the display side just about where you would normally have some of the controls? I've tried the Moment paired with an anamorphic lens and that at least attaches bayonet-style (wish they offered a similar holder without the anamorphic). Cheers.

Care to share any recommendations for NDs or VNDs for iphones?

To my mind, the basic issue is to decide whether filters are a long-term investment or a consumable.

Case makers have not standardised filter adapters. If you purchase a case and buy filters in the size required for its adapter, you are locking yourself into that case maker. If the case accepts magnetic filters and you go that route, you are locked out of cases that require screw-in filters. In addition, the required filter size may or may not work with other cameras in the future.

I have a set of 82mm neutral density filters that I use with step-up rings. 82mm is a size that will work with many cameras. I am not interested in buying more ND filters to meet Moment's requirements. I refer to Moment in particular because its website warns users of its cases not to use step-up rings. In my case, that means buying 67mm filters on top of my 82mm filters. No thanks.

This is one of the reasons why I've gone with Beastgrip. Its adapter takes 58mm filters, but Beastgrip invites owners to use step-up rings.

If I were doing something like news gathering, I would seriously consider a variable neutral density filter. I'm not under time pressure to shoot, so I use ordinary ND filters. I would also consider a VND filter if I regarded filters for a phone as a consumable, and wanted to lower my cost.

As Uli points out, you may also want to get a polariser.

Finally, I'm not convinced that using ND filters in order to avoid a higher shutter speed is always necessary. I'm new to using a phone to shoot video, but I've watched a fair number of iPhone 15 videos. In some cases, competent makers have said that they shot much of the video without filters. I've yet to see one of these people explain why, but I can think of one possibility. Is there a reason to preserve motion blur in a scene where there's little to no motion captured, or the traditional quality of motion blur doesn't matter, may not even be wanted?

Watch this Joey Helms video, which has had over half a million views. How many shots actually require ND filtration? Is it an aesthetic choice? I gotta say, I don't watch iPhone videos and find myself suddenly exclaiming "He wasn't using an ND filter!".

Helms has since made a video about how he shot that. It's worth watching. He uses a Beastgrip cage, but it's clear that he didn't use it, and therefore didn't use ND, throughout this video. By the way, Helms's actual name is Johannes Helms, and he isn't your ordinary YouTuber. He works for Google as a Creative Effectiveness Lead. There's some information on the internet about what that means. I think he shows corporations how to connect with potential customers on social media, such as on the Google platform YouTube.

There are quite a few other ways, I'm trying to stay minimalistic. As Rob already noted, most of them will lock you into a system.

What I'm using here is a clamp with a standard 52mm thread. With a sufficiently flat step-up ring you might use larger filters too. K&F offers a magnetic ring to screw into it and then you can quickly attach their magnetic NDs, so this system is not locking you in to only one manufacturer. I will use the same filters with a step-up ring on lenses with 49mm threads.

The advantage of the Cinema P3 app here (as opposed to BM's): you can keep the upper left corner free for the clamp. The scopes can be moved freely and there's nothing else of importance there. Tom (the developer) was probably even thing of such use.

Oh, and regarding that nice film you are referring to, Rob: it has lots of blur, from several multi-frame averaging shots to time-lapses. But if you have a closer look, with the skater for example, or in the metro, there's definitely enough motion blur and no GoPro look. Admitted, the fountain and birds don't have it, and the slow shot in the park doesn't need it, just like a few other slow shots.

I gotta say, I don't watch iPhone videos and find myself suddenly exclaiming "He wasn't using an ND filter!".

I do, and it often pulls me out of enjoying an otherwise nicely done video. Maybe a "deformation professionelle" from sitting too much in post and being trained to spot flaws of any kind. There must be millions of people who are not affected by a filter wheel projection or a single frame off-sync either.

I admit, it's not easy, since you neither want too long exposure times, not to loose dynamic range by EDR.
That could be an argument in favour of a variable ND.

Oh, and regarding that nice film you are referring to, Rob: it has lots of blur, from several multi-frame averaging shots to time-lapses. But if you have a closer look, with the skater for example, or in the metro, there's definitely enough motion blur and no GoPro look. Admitted, the fountain and birds don't have it, and the slow shot in the park doesn't need it, just like a few other slow shots.

Watch Helms's video on how he shot that film. I didn't say that he doesn't use filters. Indeed, we cross-posted and I made an edit to note that he uses a Beastcage. But the explanatory video suggests that that he made a lot of shots without an ND filter. In any event, the real question is: How many of these shots actually need a filter, assuming that one wants to maintain traditional motion blur?

There's a deeper issue here, which is that filming is changing. Whether one likes Helms's film, or thinks it's junk, it sells in the current environment. He is also not the only filmmaker I've seen say recently that he's not using ND as a matter of rote. I also think that a very small percentage of people shooting phone video are using ND at all, yet I'm not having apoplexy about it.

I gotta say, I don't watch iPhone videos and find myself suddenly exclaiming "He wasn't using an ND filter!".

I do, and it often pulls me out of enjoying an otherwise nicely done video. Maybe a "deformation professionelle" from sitting too much in post and being trained to spot flaws of any kind. There must be millions of people who are not affected by a filter wheel projection or a single frame off-sync either.

I think that we've exhausted the subject. There's already a long-standing debate on YouTube about 24/30fps vs 60fps, a debate that is not resolvable. Broadly speaking, this is a subset of that debate.

If you have 20 minutes, watch Florent Piovesan's "The 90 Year Old Cyclist", which he uploaded today to the Look What I Shot! thread: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4848&start=2500#p1005797

If I were shooting that on a phone, I'd use ND religiously. At the same time, I have no problem with Helms saying that he didn't for some shots, and I do question whether it's technically even necessary at times. I guess I take an "it depends" perspective.

Absolutely, and it can be used as an artistic expression.
Spielberg used the 'staccato' look for very strong emotions in "Saving Private Ryan".

I just tried to describe some of the options if you decide you want to use ND.
And, I'm still young enough to like Helms' film
(Can well be that all shots with motion blur were shot in the shade with low ISO.)

Further to my post above (6 up) about the Joey Helms film, it turns out that Helms has written his own description of his job at Google on his Linked-in page, where he appears as Johannes Helms:

Creative Effectiveness Lead, US Creative Works
Google
Helping YouTube's largest video advertisers to create more effective, made-for-YouTube video ads and content.

That film is a field demonstration for Google clients With over 500,000 views, I imagine it gets Helms plenty of cred when he's advising them.

Since you like inverted heads, I'm happy to tell you that Arca-Swiss has been making one since 2009.

Thank you for this info. Great piece of engineering.

People here from the U.K. will be familiar with Robert White. It's not far from Southampton. I've dealt with them for years because they're convenient to the Isle of Wight, where I've spent a fair amount of time, and because Robert White established itself as an international dealer, with competitive pricing, before just about anybody else. They were a small operation a long way from London, but they understood the internet. If interested, this is their website: https://www.robertwhite.co.uk

You may not be aware of this but Robert White himself died in 2016 at the age of 62 from a rare form of cancer. An amazing thing about his death is that he left a fortune to the NHS hospital that treated him for his cancer. The link below is a tribute to Robert White from the hospital website which makes for a very inspiring read:

https://www.uhd.nhs.uk/news/latest-news-list/134-2021/1280-celebrating-the-legacy-of-robert-white

My only purchase from Robert White was a Zeiss 50mm macro lens in 2015 - a nice personalised experience with a chat on the phone answering some questions I had.

Is there a better option than a clamp type holder...?

There's been a good deal of discussion in this thread about phone cages. Peter McLennan is using a Neewer iPhone 15 cage, which Neewer started shipping in early December. I'm using a Beastgrip universal cage until its iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max cages are shipped next month. SmallRig's iPhone 15 cage has been available for a few weeks.

People here from the U.K. will be familiar with Robert White. It's not far from Southampton. I've dealt with them for years because they're convenient to the Isle of Wight, where I've spent a fair amount of time, and because Robert White established itself as an international dealer, with competitive pricing, before just about anybody else. They were a small operation a long way from London, but they understood the internet. If interested, this is their website: https://www.robertwhite.co.uk

You may not be aware of this but Robert White himself died in 2016 at the age of 62 from a rare form of cancer. An amazing thing about his death is that he left a fortune to the NHS hospital that treated him for his cancer. The link below is a tribute to Robert White from the hospital website which makes for a very inspiring read:

https://www.uhd.nhs.uk/news/latest-news-list/134-2021/1280-celebrating-the-legacy-of-robert-white

My only purchase from Robert White was a Zeiss 50mm macro lens in 2015 - a nice personalised experience with a chat on the phone answering some questions I had.

Thanks for that. I knew that Robert White died, but not about his gift to Poole Hospital. Just did a search and learned that White and Tonight Show host Jay Leno became friends arising from their mutual interest in classic cars and motorcycles. Leno purchased part of White's collection (Brough motorcycles), and made a video for his Jay Leno's Garage Facebook page about his relationship with White and the gift to Poole:

https://www.facebook.com/jaylenosgarage ... 056584495/

Jay Leno and Robert White

white leno.jpg (114.21 KiB) Viewed 14477 times

There's a deeper issue here, which is that filming is changing.

No kidding.

Witness the emergence of such travesties as vertical video*. And the seemingly universal acceptance of the jump cut as an acceptable editing solution. "Kids today!"

New camera technologies, new distribution regimes and the universal availability of NLEs are revolutionizing nearly everything about the process and the results.

*As do nearly all cinematographers, I at first loathed the arrival of vertical video, especially since it seemed to have its genesis in ignorance and laziness. The phone is easier to hold in portrait orientation.

Now, I'm beginning to see that it does have its place in the filming world. BMD seems to agree with this attitude, offering a specific shooting mode designed entirely for those who shoot with the camera in portrait mode.

Anyway, that's all off-topic.

I'll soon get an appropriate pola for my Neewer cage because the benefits of polarization go beyond the, to me, somewhat limited effects of motion blur. I may get one very strong ND just so I can experiment, but only as a means of satisfying my curiosity, not to repair an imagined and insignificant deficiency in my footage. Motion blur or the lack of it is only apparent in a subset of shot types.

The Neewer cage has become a so-far permanent fixture on my 15 Pro Max and has adopted a place in my shirt pocket. Time will tell whether this lasts.

It's heavy. I'm much more aware of the phone than its predecessor cases that were of equivalent size. The metal aspect of the case/cage makes day to day handling much less aesthetically enjoyable than the softer nature of previous cases. Without handles, it's also slippery - an unforgiveable deficiency.

The flexibility offered by this cage over a case is undeniable. Its cost is not much more than that of a typical high end case that has no place to mount lenses, filters, handles, batteries, storage media, microphones, flags or whatever. Who knows? It may even provide a place to mount a front box.

Thanks for that. I knew that Robert White died, but not about his gift to Poole Hospital. Just did a search and learned that White and Tonight Show host Jay Leno became friends arising from their mutual interest in classic cars and motorcycles. Leno purchased part of White's collection (Brough motorcycles), and made a video for his Jay Leno's Garage Facebook page about his relationship with White and the gift to Poole:

https://www.facebook.com/jaylenosgarage ... 056584495/

Nice story.

I've been following this thread out of interest and you sure have covered a lot of ground. The Gitzo head looks very interesting. A trip to Wex might be on the cards for me soon.

Two of the features in yesterday's iPhone 17.2 release affect video.

It's now possible to shoot spatial video. This is Apple's press release on the feature: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/12/ ... ne-15-pro/

The existing ability to record spatial audio has been updated.

Also, telephoto lens performance has been improved. From the release notes: “improved Telephoto camera focusing speed when capturing small faraway objects on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.”

In order to be able to use 67mm filters I made a first version of what could be a universal accessory for MagSafe iPhone models, which can be put on and removed quickly

I copied the idea of the video posted by robedge some days ago

Update with some pics of the magsafe filter holder DIY:

In order to be able to use 67mm filters I made a first version of what could be a universal accessory for MagSafe iPhone models, which can be put on and removed quickly.

Hi,

Leon Benzakein posted your video earlier (November 4th). It's on the first page of the thread: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=191338#p996020

The posts that follow include Michael Tobin's video on a related idea, and a comment from Rick Lang.

A few days ago, Uli Plank said that he's using a phone clamp with a filter adapter. I've sent him a personal message asking if he could post a picture of it.

The Gitzo head looks very interesting. A trip to Wex might be on the cards for me soon.

I’ve used the Gitzo video head daily for the last six days, just seeing how it performs. I’m very happy with it. Definitely worth a look. I do think that it's necessary to use some common sense about payload.

I should point out that I use it with a heavier, more robust tripod than the one used by George Johnson, who made the Wex video.

I use a Gitzo Series 3 Systematic that provides a very stable platform for the Gitzo head. The tripod weighs 2kg (4.4lb). It has only 3 leg sections. No centre column. Maximum height is 152cm (60”). Collapsed length is 68cm (27”), just short enough to fit into the roller bag that I use when traveling. It’s the predecessor tripod to Gitzo’s current GT3533LS, which has almost identical specs: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... _3_3s.html

Johnson uses a Gitzo Series 1 Traveller. It weighs 1.06kg (2.34lb) and has 4 leg sections. Maximum height, with centre column extended, is 153cm (60.2”). Closed length is 42.5cm (16.7”). This is the B&H page (Gitzo GIGT1545T): https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/ ... _1_4s.html

I want a very solid support under a tripod head and camera, and I have a knee-jerk aversion to tripods that are very light, have 4 sections, or have a centre column. However, lots of people find them sufficiently stable. Johnson explains in his Wex video why he's gone this light, and he's happy with the results that he's getting with the tripod and head. I don't have a need to go really light, and I recognise that I'm out of step with most photographers on the question of tripod weight.

One technical point for people who are considering a tripod that comes with a centre column... Find out what impact the centre column has on your ability to use a levelling base, if you are interested in using one. Tripods that have a centre column that can't be removed rule out using a half bowl. That said, there are levelling bases that don't require a half bowl.

Edit: Added a missing word.

A few days ago, Uli Plank said that he's using a phone clamp with a filter adapter. I've sent him a personal message asking if he could post a picture of it.

Here you go. Having access to pro cameras if I want, I like a minimalistic approach with the iPhone 15. ND and sometimes CPL is all I want, but YMMV:

K&F_Vari_ND_sm.jpg (292.89 KiB) Viewed 13689 times

This is by K&F and it's pretty well made. The clamp (scroll) has a some protective material on the clamp side and around the inner ring too. When taken off the phone the clamp doesn't touch the filter. The diameter is 52mm and fits the iPhone 15 without a shell perfectly fine. As I already mentioned, it works well with the Cinema P3 app, while the clamp covers some important areas in BM's app, whatever the orientation.

Their filters are not bad either, at least the fixed NDs. Those are pretty neutral, and when I tested up to ND64 in the sun with some typical synthetic materials in black and also living plants around, I couldn't spot any significant IR pollution. I doubt these relatively cheap filters are taking care of IR at all, it seems Apple did.

The filter in the picture is a variable ND. Disadavantages are a pretty warm tint and no hard stops, so you can turn all the way to the dreaded 'X'. Oh, and the range written on the box is quite exaggerated. I used it mainly for testing dynamic range. For everyday live, I'd rather keep a small pouch with an ND8 and a 64 and go for it. K&F also has some stackable magnetic NDs in those strengths, but I didn't receive them yet.

Of course, a filter holder on the MagSafe would eliminate any issues with BM's app. But then, you couldn't fix a SSD or a MagSafe power bank there any more.

Thanks, Uli. Any comments on vignetting? Especially with the wide lens?

Kondor Blue and Angelbird have announced a MagSafe storage device for the iPhone Pro and Pro Max. I think that it's essentially a MagSafe version of an Angelbird card reader with a USB-C cable. It also addresses rigging. There are two versions, one for CFexpress Type B and one for SD cards. Price is US$100, currently available for pre-order.

Kondor Blue and iPhonedo uploaded videos yesterday:

Kondor Blue, with a Hollywood film trailer opening:

iPhonedo:

Kondor Blue website page: https://kondorblue.com/collections/late ... -angelbird

Nothing on Angelbird's site.

Peta Pixel October article rating CFexpress cards: https://petapixel.com/best-cfexpress-memory-cards/