BeyondHD: Heavyweight Gimbal Champions

It's an exciting start to 2016, as two of our favourite and ground-breaking product ranges have introduced major new upgrades and products to cater for high-end film and TV stabilization/support.

Double Helix gyro Stabilised Gimbal
Since 2013, BeyondHD have been working exclusively with Letus and their amazing, Helix gyro-stabilization product together with the fantastic body worn ExoSkeleton support solution.

We have now started shipping the new Double Helix, which is set to revolutionize handheld stabilized shots for large film and TV cameras. With tests successfully carried out on giants such as the ARRI 65, it promises to handle lighter payloads such as a fully loaded RED/ARRI Alexa with any prime, zoom or anamorphic with absolute ease due to its incredible new motor capabilities and magnesium construction and design.

Continuing to utilise the Letus patented optical center balance/stabilization, the Double Helix will support payloads up to 25kg with a unique lens support, designed in conjunction with ARRI to completely remove all stress from the lens mount itself.

Already on production with the latest Prime Time series Penny Dreadful, with award winning DoP John Conroy, the Double Helix is set to become the undisputed king of handheld gimbals.

However, the story does not end there, as the Double Helix is also supplied with a separate 4th Axis motor and mounting kit, allowing the same ground-breaking payloads to be mounted on a wide variety of camera tracking vehicles such as our Porsche Cayenne high speed camera car or our electric all-terrain quad bike, plus cranes, wire-cams, boats etc., providing class-leading remote-head vehicle stabilization, (also inverted), for film and TV cameras at a very exciting new price point.

The ability to lock individual axis allows the system to be used in a wide variety of modes and on steadicam, where finally a true whip pan is possible, whilst still having stabilized tilt and horizon.

Exo-Cine, body worn support for Gimbals
Of course, most operators know that even with the smallest handheld gimbal and modest compact camera, much more than a few minutes of hand-holding becomes impossible and the shake induced by muscle fatigue cannot be stabilized by the gimbal.

Since 2014, the ExoSkeleton has become the class leading, made for gimbals solution. The original MkI was designed for payloads up to 13kg, so perfect for the original Helix and other units such as the MOVI 15 etc.

With the introduction of the Double Helix, we are delighted to announce the new MkII Exo-Cine, capable of taking a massive 25kg payload and stabilizing the effects of walking, whilst also allowing the largest of camera/lens/accessory payloads to be used by DoP's to get fantastic "floating" stabilized shots, the very first time of using.

Exo-Cine is also joined by Exo-Pro, which will replace the MkI and is uprated to 14kg.

Both the Cine and Pro version share a brand new arm and wing design, allowing even greater movement for the operator and the ability to slim down the profile to allow the operator to easily manoeuvre through doors and up stairs. Not only are film and drama productions now covered by this solution, but now the Double Helix will easily support broadcast cameras such as Grass Valley, Sony etc., and with the ExoSkeleton, sports and live events can allow any camera operator to go mobile and achieve fantastic stabilised shot for extended periods of time... No problem, for example, running the line at a football match for 50 minutes.

BeyondHD are a specialist supplier of high-end stabilization equipment and vehicles, including remote control tracking vehicles, SteadiSeg, the world's first electric quad camera vehicle, Porsche Cayenne fast tracking vehicle, the most advanced broadcast and cine drone (Aerigon, the Black Armored Drone). And in another world first, BeyondHD are the first company to operate a brand new type of manned aerial filming platform, the commercially-rated Gyrocopter, a fully enclosed aircraft with the stunning DynaX5 5-axis gimbal.

Whether you are filming on the ground or in the air, BeyondHD have the very best in innovative equipment and services to get the shot you once only dreamt of.

Image: Helix Exo.

www.BeyondHD.tv

This article is also available to read at BFV online here.

(JP/MH)