A compact, affordable and energy-efficient solid-state 1080-line HD capture system will be demonstrated by Polecam on stand B10 at BVE 2010 (Earls Court, London, February 16-18). Centred on the proven Polecam man-carriable production jib, the system incorporates Panasonic's new AG-HCK10 1080i camera and AGHMR10 ultra-compact solid state recorder as part of a complete package.

The AG-HCK10 camera includes a 12x optical zoom lens, optical image stabiliser and three 1/4-inch CMOS sensors. Recording is to SD/SDHC memory cards which are available worldwide at relatively low cost in up to 32 gigabyte capacity (approximately three hours at 1920 x 1080 in highest-quality 21 to 24 Mbit/s mode AVCHD.

"This new recorder/camera combination from Panasonic is an exciting development," comments Polecam founder and Managing Director Steffan Hewitt. "Added to a Polecam, it offers potential customers either a versatile entry-level HD rig or a state-of-the-art HD medical rig, the medical area being one in which Polecam is gaining a growing reputation for excellence.

"Camera and recorder can both be mounted directly to a current Polecam. All the controls are exactly where you want them and large enough to be used with confidence even in low light. Iris, focus and zoom can be remotely operated from the front panel of the AGHMR10 recorder via up to 10 metres of cable. The recorder has a 3.5 inch monitor and an enlarged-display focus-assist function which can be used in conjunction with a larger Polecam-mounted LCD monitor or even instead of one. In terms of size and weight, the recorder is far more portable than any traditional tape or disc based device, and far more robust.

"Ten years ago an SD Polecam including a bulky and power-hungry luggable VTR cost more than £25,000. Today we can supply this complete energy-efficient rig including Panasonic HD camera and recorder for less than £20,000." 

Polecam USA and Camera Support are co-operating in a demonstration of the latest 3D high-definition production gear at Camera Support's headquarters in Burbank. The 3D Technology Promo is scheduled for Saturday January 23.

"Visitors will have the opportunity to try Polecam hands-on for themselves and seeing the creative advantages of the only man-portable 28 foot 3D crane on the planet," comments Greg Salman of Polecam USA. "Watch us build and rig the complete system in under 10 minutes and see at first hand some of the most realistic 3D ever captured on screen. Also on display will be the Polecam underwater head, counter-weight system, FFFS full-frontal filter system and a unique 189 degree HD camera/lens system that fits in the palm of your hand. Both in 3D and 2D, the Polecam system really can raise your production values through the roof."Steffan Hewitt, the inventor of the Polecam, will be on hand to answer questions and share his 12-year experience of ultra-mobile SD and HD video production. Visitors will also be able to get a close-up view of Camera Support's line-up of TechnoCranes, and a demo of Gekko Technology's high-efficiency LED lighting equipment.

Where: Camera Support, 2827 N. San Fernando Blvd, Burbank, CA 91504 Google map
When: Saturday, January 23rd, 2010, 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
Web: www.polecamusa.com or www.polecam.com
Who: Greg Salman, Polecam USA | Tel: +1 323 633 7033 | This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Tommie Rekstad of Pink Elephant in Gothenburg, Sweden has just taken delivery of his 7th heaven poles allowing him to reach 8m.

"This is without doubt the most significant step forward Polecam have made. 5 sections was always a bit difficult to fly for the untrained hand. Now, it's a no brainer and with the 7 sections (which are more stable than the old 5) it really does make Polecam unique.

In conjunction with the new Dumbell Mount, travelling abroad with a Polecam is so much easier and cheaper. We just buy the weights when we arrive on location from the local sports store. I've even borrowed them from the local jib operator. He needed 8 (25kg) of them and I only needed 1. It is also much greener to fly with less weight."

Tommie can be contacted on This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

"IBC2009 was a significant step forward for 3D television broadcasting," comments an ebullient Steffan Hewitt, founder and managing director of Polecam. "The show itself was well attended and our stand was busy, often crowded, from start to finish. Interest in the Polecam 3D Head was immense, our demonstrations being widely credited as the most natural stereoscopic pictures at the show."

"Effective 3D works particularly well with miniature high-performance cameras as these are small enough to match normal human eye-spacing, without the complexity and spatial errors that can result from using bulky cameras and a lot of correcting optics. We have been promoting ultra-compact HD cameras for years as part of the Polecam production system. A Polecam jib itself is a far more effective way of mounting and moving a 3D camera pair than trying retain eye-friendly images with tracked zoom lenses.

"The majority of people spend their entire waking lives seeing the world in 3D. If we choose to view in close-up, we move nearer the object rather than zoom our eyes. That is the key to successful 3D image capture and it ties in totally with the Polecam ethos. If viewers end up with a headache, it is because the producer is breaking the basic rules of human vision or trying to fix poorly-aligned shots with too much postproduction."

Polecam's 3D demonstration at IBC2009 was based on two Toshiba IK-HD1 3-CCD cameras mounted side-by-side on the Polecam 3D Head. The camera CCUs at the back of the Polecam rig fed left and right streams of HD-SDI into a StereoBrain processor developed by NuMedia Technology and Inition. The StereoBrain combined the two streams into a single 3D-compatible signal fed via HDMI to a 46 inch JVC GD-463D10 3D LCD monitor with 1920 x 1080 native resolution.

"Polecam 7th Heaven made its IBC debut," adds Polecam Sales and Marketing Manager Mel Noonan. "Our recently-enhanced carbon-fibre formulation has led to a new extreme rigidity of the rigged poles in the standard and 7th Heaven configurations. An 8 metre forward reach compared with the standard Polecam's 6 metres enhances further the creative flexibility and production values offered by Polecam. An 8 metre crane that can be easily transported by one person and set up virtually anywhere in ten minutes changes the traditional way of using a crane. You can just have it with you and decide your mode of working on the spot. Twenty crane locations in a day becomes possible. Not only does 7th Heaven allow a wide variety of smooth moves from any angle you can imagine, it offers a really fast way to achieve static shots in countless camera positions, from ground level to 8 metres high, all at full HD resolution or even 3D."

IBC was also the first IBC showing of Polecam's Full Frontal Filter System, FFFS. This enables Polecam operators to use high quality optical filters with compact HD cameras that have no integral filter mount. FFFS includes a Polecam filter holder and five 62 mm screw-fitting circular Tiffen filters plus a Cokin A121M Grad neutral grey medium filter. The supplied Tiffen filter set consists of infra-red cut; 0.9 neutral-density (equivalent to three stops); 85B daylight corrector; 85BN9 combined neutral density and daylight filter; plus a circular polariser. The system comes complete with a Cokin A121M graduated neutral-grey medium filter and a 62 mm adapter ring allowing the use of many Cokin-compatible filters. A LensPen lens cleaner is also supplied.

"Most cameras are optimised for a 3,200 Kelvin colour temperature setting," Steffan Hewitt explains. "Adding an orange daylight correction filter when moving from a tungsten-lit interior to outdoor sunlight delivers better dynamic range and signal-to-noise performance than using electronic correction. The FFFS kit also includes an IR-cut filter to attenuate any infra-red energy that might enter the lens as a result of using ND filters under daylight lighting or under dimmed tungsten lighting. The circular polarisers significantly reduce surface reflections and improve contrast in a variety of situations.

Considerable interest was shown in Polecam's new Universal RCP MkIII which allows comprehensive control of up to five different camera types from a single unit. It allows a Polecam cameraman to delegate camera control to a colleague in, for example, commercials production. The control format used is a highly robust audio sine-wave data signal which can run at 1,200, 2,400 or 4,800 baud. The RCP can be linked via balanced audio cable to the RX Box receiver which can be located up to and beyond 1,500 metres distant. The Universal RCP MkIII is compatible with Polecam-approved ultra-compact HD and SD cameras from manufacturers such as Camera Corps, Hitachi, Iconix, Panasonic, Sony and Toshiba.