I have a Kessler set up, bit I'm looking for something very portable, quick to set up, and inexpensive, fo weddings , etc. I guess I'm looking for the jibv equivalent to the slider ( I have a glide track).

I've looked at the web pages for Cine City in India and also the Tommy jib's smallest rig. They both seem to be priced right and fairly portable.
I'd like to hear what anyone else thinks and reccomends.

Bruce Yarock
Yarock Productions (http://www.yarockvideo.com)

Hi Bruce,

Have you checked out Cobra Crane's small jib setup?

CobraCrane BackPacker :: Digital Juice (http://www.digitaljuice.com/products/products.asp?pid=1491)

I have a Kessler crane (5 and 8 foot) as well, but I'm thinking of this Cobra Crane back packer setup for portability.

Best,

Jeff,
Thanks for rthe info. It looks interesting. Have you also looked at the tommy jib and the one from cine city India?

I'm going to call digital juice tomorrow and see ir they have one in stock, since they're here in florida.
Bruce Yarock

don't forget the Kessler pocket jib & dolly combo - I use them for weddings.

Paul,
The pocket jib is way more expensive than what I want to spend, plus it looks harder to set up than the one that Jef mentioned ( and the other two I mentioned). Alo, I lready have a glidetrack .
I just want something easy and inexpensive. Ther's just never time or space to set up and use my Kessler 8'/12'.
Bruce Yarock

Jeff,
Have you seen one of the Cobras in action and tried it personally?
Bruce Yarock

I'm also in the market for a Jib. Before now, I was going to buy the Kessler Pocket Jib. Does the CobraCrane Backpacker have any sizable disadvantages? It sure is a lot cheaper.

I ordered the cobra crane backpacker and will have it Wednesday. I'll post once I've tried it.
Bruce Yarock

Hi Bruce,

Sorry for the late reply. Been out shooting homes for a real estate show we're conceiving, thus the need for a much smaller, and easier jib.

No, I haven't had any experience with the Cobra Crane; but I didn't have any experience with a Kessler before either :)

From the video that Digital Juice has up, the Cobra looks like it's fairly easy to setup and handle. And the price is attractive as well. (Which is probably why you bought one :)

Please let us know how it works out for you Bruce. I'd be interested in how the Cobra is transported (in a backpack?), how it's setup and used, and how quickly it can be packed.

Good luck,

Jeff,
I'll let you know how it works after I put it through its' paces on Thursday( supposed to be here omorrow afternoon). I'm planning to use it for a wedding on Saturday.
I've really loved the jib shots we've been able to get with the Kessler, but it's so big and time consuming to set up, that I rarely get a chance to use it.Most of what we're doing lately is smaller, quick jobs, with limited time and space, and hopefully we can now incorporate some jib shots in these productions.

My girlfriend/partner was surprised and concerned that I just spent another $375 on video gear, so I told her that the person to blame was a guy named "Anselmo":)

Bruce Yarock

I ordered the cobra crane backpacker and will have it Wednesday. I'll post once I've tried it.
Bruce Yarock

Please do. I would be interested to hear what you think.

I got it late wed and set it up pretty quickly. The instructions are pretty sketchy...it's basically one page with tiny pictures that aren't to helpfull. I had to call them as I was setting it up to ask how to jib and tilt the head simultaneously. Basically, the jib arm controls the up and down motion , and you use the tilt on your tripod head to tilt the camera, like for overhead shots lookimng down. This is the reason they reccomend putting your pan arm on the left side of the head. This way you're using your right hand to do the traditional jib move, and your left to tilt the camera .

Once you figure out the set up, it's pretty quick. I have a wedding on Saturday and I'm going to try and transport it all together ( minus the camera).It's a little long assembled ( 82" form camera plate to bottom of weights) but I think I can fit it diagonally in the back of my pick up. While they claim at Cobra that it takes less than a minute to set up ( assuming you break it down to shipping dimensions and put it in it's carrying bag), it's really more like 15 minutes, which isn't bad.

Although I only did a few shots in the back yard, it feels pretty good, and Im sure I'll get some good shots with it. The up-down and tilt will take a little getting used to. It helps that I have experience shooting with my bigger Kessler.

My one suggestion to Cobra is that they create a better set up manual ( maybe 2 pages with usable pictures) and maybe even a video dedicated to this model ( backpacker) with close ups of everything).

All in all, I'm pretty happy with it and look forward to trying it out on Saturday. I'll also post my results.

Bruce Yarock

Wedding gig canceled. I'll post after I've used it at my next job.
Bruce Yarock

Hi Bruce,

Hope you and yours had a nice Thanksgiving!

Sorry to hear about the cancelled wedding, but great to hear that you're happy with your Cobra Crane purchase.

And you should've let your girlfriend know that it was from a guy named "Eyebuymo" (From Nigeria?) and not from "Anselmo" :)

Best,

I have a new Cobra Crane jib and it works just fine for an FX1 with a heavy wide angle lens on the end.

I bought it as a first since I had never used a jib before. I did not need any instructions as it was intuitive to set up and use with the exception that I needed a long RCA cord.

Really easy to use and get the hang of right away and there customer service and support was awesome.

What about the Kessler KC Lite 8. It look to be a bit sturdier than the Cobra Crane Backpacker, and it's only $400. I know it's what a few adventure film makers that I know of use. Seem to be a pretty good options for needing something lightweight and portable, but still sturdy and capable, as long as you're using a pretty lightweight camera.

Kessler Crane™ - Quality Professional Camera Cranes, Camera Jib & Camera Support Products - KC-Lite Packages (http://www.kesslercrane.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=41&Itemid=104)

Hi Ben,

I don't own a KC Lite 8, but being an owner of a Kessler 8/5ft Crane, I can definitely say that Kessler's quality is very good.

But Bruce's original thread required that the crane be set up quickly and have some portability (which the regular Kessler Cranes are not; least which you can't put in a backpack anyway :)

But the KC Lite 8 does have a pretty good price tag on it.

Best,

Hey Jeff,

I don't know how small the KC Lite 8 breaks down to, since I don't have one yet. Hopefully I will soon. BUt like I said, I know of a few other adventure film makers that use one for their work. And a lot of time they hiking into shooting location and carrying everything on their back. So I would assume it's not to heinous to transport.

Hopefully I'll have on in the near future, and can speak first hand.

Cheers,
Ben

I was in the same boat recently. I looked at the KC Lite, but ultimately decided to get the Glidecam Camcrane 200, instead. (I used to own an Advanta-Jib, which I loved, but took longer to assemble on location than I now need.) I made the trek to the hardware store after doing a test-assembly, to purchase knobs to replace the bolts the unit came with. Now, it's pretty quick to assemble, though I do wish it had some form of brake, but I can't really complain for the $539 price (B+H). Well worth the purchase. (and I could use it with an existing set of legs -- the KC Lite would mean buying an additional head.)

Here's the first video we shot with it. Jib used in the first three shots.

YouTube - 2011 Nissan Altima 3.5 SR Review Roadtrip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECICP_b-sDo)

Hi Ryan,

Nice video, thanks for sharing!

How'd you get the jib inside the Nissan :) I guess the Camcrane 200 really is very portable!

Best,

Hello Bruce,

Bob Jones here from Skycrane.

Bruce, if I can be of any assistance in helping you make a choice for a jib that is easily transported... I'd be delighted to help you. Today, there are many choices for jibs... some good, some not so good.

I've been building jibs for twelve years and in the past I've built several custom jibs for folks that were traveling the world...
For lack of a better name... I call it the BAK-PAC-R

bob@skycrane.com or cell (949) 205-9451

Best Regards

Ryan,

What tripod are you using with your Camcrane?

Bob,Thankis for the info. I already bought the Cobra crane back paker, which I'm pretty happy with. For future reference, do you have a web site with info on yours? Also how much is it?
Thanks
Bruce Yarock

Hello again Bruce,

Thanks for your reply.

Glad to hear you've found a jib that fufills your needs...

Bruce, this is my Mac website... http://web.me.com/skycrane

This is the original Skycrane website... Skycrane Booms - the mini DV camera Boom (http://www.skycrane.com)
The original site has not been upgraded in some time, however, I'll be making some improvements on it soon with new footage showing set-up, function and different techniques using the Skycrane.

Bruce, prices range from $549.00 to $2150.00

If I can be of any help to you in the future... please don't hesitate to drop me a line.

Best Regards...
Bob Jones