Blimp THE END?

Hey Alex, just received my GH3 ( Completely silent ) yesterday with two zooms 12-35mm , 35-100mm f2.8 combine with the olympus em-5 ( nearly silent ) and all the good primes from olympus and panasonic 7.5, 12, 20, 25, 45, 75 mm. I think i’ll be one of the first to use it, i’m working monday on a movie set , I’m pretty sure i will say goodbye to my Jacobsons and my 5d’s… Finally ! In my case , to get the best pictures as possible, freedom and versatility is more important than sensor size, as long as a good post-prod is done ! I tried the nikon V1 system and it was not good enough for me to give up my blimps, but that 4/3 system …OMG ! Yes this is the beginning of the end of the sound Blimp ! Thank god ! From Yan

An interesting development to say the least – I have to admit I would not be sorry if this is the end!!!!!!! My friend the End – (thanks Jimmy) – Whilst the Blimp is no doubt a remarkably useful tool it is none the less a cumbersome bit of kit and creatively limiting as well as being heavy…… awkward …….. unwieldy and if ONE more person asks me what the BIG camera is for I will go mad because if I have been asked once I have been asked a thousand times what the big black old fashioned lump is used for – ITS A BLIMP A SOUND PROOF CAMERA HOUSING — A L R I G H T?  OK Calm down – sorry just hit a repetitive sore point—- so if this is it then I will I be one of the first in the queue to kick it into touch – In the meantime I want to see for myself and handle the Lumix before I commit the Blimp to the sledge hammer but I am optimistic as soon as I can I will be in a show room and testing it out. Watch this space!! Debate Welcome…………

Jacobson endorsement…….

 

Comment From Mike Padu: This account echoes how helpful Mark Jacobson has been and continues to be to his customers.

Jacobson Blimp……. Good account from Martin ……

Hi Alex, love the blog finding it very useful and informative. Just thought id share the following..I also had been waiting for a new blimp to come out

however as luck would have it I just recently refurbished an old Jacobson ( made for the F4 ) and it fits the D700 like a dream. It was used by the

stills guy on set for Roger Corman when he had his studios here in the west of Ireland some years ago. It was about to be dumped as no one knew what

it was !!! I had to get a larger hole bored in the front to take the bigger tubes, I also re-did the wiring for the trigger. All this was done with

instructions from Mark Jacobson in LA who was amazing help. I got a new tube from him for my 70-200 and he also provided new foam. He also thinks

he made that very box 15 years ago, a lick of paint and some polish and its as good as new 🙂 used it on set for a Disney show last week and its

amazingly quiet. I have to say there is a certain pride felt when shooting on set with a Jacobson

keep up the good work

Martin

Blimp Talk

Good news on the Aquatech Blimp if you are based in the UK apparently Fixation – London have them in stock now and are putting some into their hire stock, so that’s very good news as I have often been asked about where to hire a blimp, now I can say. I am certainly looking forward to getting mu hands on one…. But after some deliberation I personally have decided to put purchasing one on the back burner, Mainly because my Jacobson Blimp continues to serve me very well, the inside might need a re-furbish soon, but basically there is nothing wrong with it so: Don’t fix what isn’t broke….. A good philosophy that I believe in. SO I will wait till I am in London town and pop in and have a look at the Aquatech out of interest and to share on the Blog, but I’m not rushing it’s a big expense! Also I must confess I’m a little intrigued with the concept/idea of not needing a blimp at all. I am a little excited about getting my hands on a Nikon 1V1. Because I have got this idea that I will keep on with my Jacobson blimp but this camera with a lens adaptor for my pro lenses is going to have a silent shutter and produce brilliant Raw files so compliment my working practice and will be better because working in a blimp is limiting and it is going to cost a lot less that a new Aquatech blimp. OK I’m probably dreaming but sounds like a good idea????….. Oh and it is much more sexy thinking of a new camera than a padded box to keep a camera quiet. Hey you never know it might work….

Aquatech Blimp and TUBES

Here they are then tubes for the new Aquatech blimp….. The whole system looks very good I have to say…..  I am certainly tempted of…. course it would be good to see and handle one first…… But some one has to start somewhere? So may be I will make the jump? But I don’t really need one quite at this moment On balance if I was in need of a blimp this would be my choice.

 

SOUND BLIMPS       AquaTech’s new sound blimp virtually eliminates camera noise, and is designed for use on movie sets, sound stages and theaters, quiet sports venues, courtrooms and wildlife photography. Recently performed independent anechoic chamber lab tests demonstrated a 98% reduction in camera noise! Polyurethane construction makes it 19% lighter than our competitors’. The controls are fabricated of stainless steel, hard-anodized aluminum and high-strength plastic. The Aquatech sound blimp is not to be used in the water. Six models fit a wide variety of Canon and Nikon cameras, and all feature a tripod mount,  a single quick-release clip w/safety latch, shutter release and interchangeable lens tube system (required).  New AquaTech Lens Tubes will be availabe soon.

LENS TUBES Please refer to our Lens Tube Reference Chart for a full list of supported lenses.  For lens manufacturers or models not listed below, please contact AquaTech for additional Lens Tubes.

Blimp Talk

 V

An interesting development: That is the new BLIMP from Aquatech. And from my point of view potentially very welcome. Up to this point there has only been one manufactured choice on the market: A Jacobson blimp. Which is what I have used for the last twenty years. I have seen ‘Homemade’ versions engineered from various building blocks such as a Peli case. Interesting and serviceable but very ‘Heath Robinson’. So when I read an article in Professional photographer magazine, highlighting the new blimp I was genuinely excited. It certainly looks the business and well manufactured and aesthetically quite ‘Sexy’ as far as blimps go!!!! So I have contacted Aquatech direct and one of their suppliers in the UK. The bottom line is that the main blimp body has been manufactured and is ready for delivery but…. The lens tubes are to follow…. Interesting…. As to be honest without the tubes well!!!! Not useable!!! I am very hope full and optimistic that this could be a new generation of sound blimps but until we see or better still get our hand on the complete piece of kit it is in possible to make a fair judgement. The Jacobson blimp whilst an archaic piece of gear has worked admirably for me for many years. Yes it would be wonderful to carry something lighter. A Jacobson is a heavy lump to have hanging off your shoulder for ten hours a day as in my case. And also whilst I accept it is unlikely that Aquatech could develop any more control over the camera once it is set up and in the blimp.. I see from their photos that their is a window to see the LCD display on the back of the camera and a bigger. Brighter aperture to see into the cameras viewfinder .. But ….. the big question is how well the lens tubes work!!  A lot of noise is transmitted down the cameras lens barrel as I have discovered on my Jacobson blimp. If the lens touches the glass on the inside or the lens + camera are not central in the whole blimp then noise is generated. So the tubes are very important. I am very keen to see.

The bottom line is that on the basis my current blimp is starting to look a bit tired. I was in fact looking at it the other thinking it needs a refurbishment or replacement…. The foam is getting flat and the metal parts are rusting a bit… But it has done very well in some very harsh conditions for at least 5 + years…. Result I will almost certainly not be able to resist and will have to buy one as soon as the hole kit is together….. Expect a thorough review them sometime in July or August ??