Is This Came-TV's New Crane or a Massive Lego Set?

Has Came-TV created a poor man's Technocrane? This new jib is turning heads at NAB this year, allowing the user to extend the crane. Is it just a gimmick, though?

Technocranes and extendable/accordion cranes are nothing new; however, they've normally been reserved for people who could afford them. If you've got $138,000 lying around, you could pick up this one secondhand, complete with a truck to hold it in. Or for $3,400, you can pick up its baby brother. It's designed to have a gimbal attached to the top, allowing for stable camera movement. It also extends electronically, meaning it won't wear you out. All in all, it looks like they've put a lot of work into this. Here are the specs:

• Holds up to 33 lb/15 kg
• Extends to 15 ft/4.7 m 
• Comes with an aluminum hard case, a tripod, and wheels
• Takes a V-Mount Battery (not included)
• Designed to use a gimbal as a remote head
• Available for pre-order soon
• Cost: $3,400

The Problem?

Normally with a jib, you would place a weight at the controlling end to prevent the camera from tipping over. The problem here is that if you let go while the crane is extended, your camera and gimbal will come crashing down. There is no way around this. The further out the crane extends, the more weight you'll need to put on the other end. It would have been nice if they created a system to stop it from hitting the ground.

That's a problem that will just have to be addressed by the user. It could be worth putting up with when your 15-foot crane fits into these two small boxes. It looks to be about 6 ft/2 m when it's set up. 

It remains to be seen if this will start to become a common feature of small jibs; however, it's definitely a cool design, and we're glad that they pushed the boat out!