Zoltan Jonas

I won't pretend to act as technical support for the system, but that simply (and obviously) does not sound normal. Try submitting your grievances to the RTMotion crew, they'd be very interested to hear. In any case, that's a very unusual group of symptoms.

I've read of people's serious concern with the near-distance cut-out. This is apparently a symptom unique to this system. The symptom is only trully problematic within the highest powered transmission mode (to maximise range). Besides, you'd only really need maximum range for drone work, for which you're never really going to be very near the camera anyway. On the 'low' transmission setting, my trials have consistently caused a cut-out ONLY when the hand unit is within 20cm of the reciever, which, in any scenario I can realistically think of, is much closer than the two units will ever be, even if operator and focus-puller are standing right next to each other. It's an unfortunate problem for the RTMotion system, not because it poses as an operational weakness per-se, but because the theory of it casts a sebseuent doubt over the integrity of the system as a whole. I definitely don't think it's fair to be dismissisive of the entire kit over this single limitation. In any other respect, I've yet to have the system fail on me. It's a system that's delivered for me in many ways that Preston, Arri, Bartech, and Hocus could never - and that's why I chose it. The connection cutting out at very close range is the very least of my problems.

There is a BETA firmware available on the RTMotion website which implements a memory in the motor unit for its most recent calibration. If you have the motor calibrated to turn a DSLR lens, the motor will remeber the calibration between power cycles - the engineer claims it will remember near indefinitely. I've had this firmware installed since shortly after its release in February, and it's worked very well for me. It's very convenient to be able to switch batteries without manually recalibrating everytime I do so. ANY new calibrations of the motor are now done exclusively through the handset. The motor does not auto-calibrate on its own in this firmware. This is very helpful with DSLR work. It adds a very small extra step in the procedure for hard-stop lenses, as now you deliberately have to initiate a re-cal on your own. Kudos to the team for this update.

I've had my single-motor RT Motion kit for about 12 months now, and I find myself hugging the hand unit after every shoot. The compact size, relative to it's sheer veratility makes me question the size of the other recievers on the market. I've had Prestons and Bartechs on my Zephyr sled before. I'm glad not to have worry about mounting those any more. The *current* release firmware resets the motor between power cylces - fine for cine lenses, but a pain for DSLR lenses. A new BETA release firmware I've installed has the motor remember near-indefinitely (years) its previous calibration, making DSLR work much easier. I've given my big thumbs ups to the engineer for this. Any new calibration is done exclusively through the hand unit. THe hand unit's firware hasn't enjoyed much evolution so far, but the best bit is the knob, which has the perfect level of tensioning and fluidity to it. Sometimes I concern for debris falling into the iris slider, but I hardly ever need that anyway. I've come to love the thumb-wheel accessory also, in fact, it makes focus pulling on a DSLR shoulder-rig a whole new experience. I wouldn't do it any other way now. If/when my work expands, I can buy another motor, and and have a two channel system. Simple as that. Some minor gripes though: The securing bolt mechanism on the motor can get difficult to access. It works well, but is often buried around the lens and rails. Also, as I've suggested to RT Motion incessantly, I really need a run/stop trigger for DSLR cameras (though the USB). THis would make its integration into my rig complete. I know I sound like a blind fanboy on this product by now. Truth is, I'd never touched an RT Motion system before spending very serious money on it, and now it's totally indispensible.

Looks like I might pass my video upload. Carl Kresser has beaten me to it in timing and informative quality, what I'd have wouldn't even compare.

I finally shot a demo of some of the basic features of the system. I'll have it uploaded tomorrow or Wednesday.

Looks like it'll have to wait till nest weekend - the the camera and lens I wanted to use in the demo weren't available, sorry.

Hi Kyriacos, I completely understand your dilemma. I made a move on the RTMotion without the benefit of peer review. I'm in the midst of gathering some resources for a proper video review. I'm hoping to spend tomorrow with the shoot and edit. It may have to happen next weekend depending on equipment availability. I'll show the motor in action, but I won't be able to directly compare it to the other systems you mention. You'll have to judge for yourself from whatever footage I can put out.

Kyriacos, I've decided with some spare time this weekend to make a video review - properly. I'll have to pull a few resources together. I'm sure you've looked through the company website and seen all the photos at least. Is there anything specific you'd like for the review to focus on?

Hi Chris, there's beound to be a unit you can try somewhere around where you live. I tried holding out for this kind of assurance on my end, but it simply didn't come. Impatiently, I took a risk, and thankfully, to my benefit, and to everyone's who reads this, it delivered well.

Yes, fair point from Louis. You can't and shouldn't directly compare RTMotion to Preston. Completely different classes of product.

There is some truth about the motor mounting difficulties. It's a solid mount, but inconvenient to access in compact builds. The suggested filmtools bracket is a smart idea of course, but not strictly necessary. I'll live fine without one for now. Third party motors are not yet compatible (according to website faqs), as the receiver only provides power and networking, not driving signals. A dongle adapter has been mentioned to be in the pipeline, which would allow 3rd party motors. Not anytime soon though I imagine.

$8000 Australian dollars at the time - greenback has strengthened since then. My package included my needs for Steadicam - most power cable options, and all camera cables. Plus with the thumb wheel, spare marking disks, courier, it did add up. That didn't include the Canon batteries for operation. Ultimately, I'm very glad to have comprehensively accessorized. I just wish they'd make a usb dslr run/stop cable.

@Massimo Oh yeah, so you had a chat with Ash, good on you. I'm intrigued by the Tilta System. I have a vague recollection of it, just looking at the website, I remember passing by the demo model at CineGear several times, though I can't comment beyond face value at it's viability, except, if you're stated price for a 3 channel system is $5000, I wouldn't expect too much. My single-motor RTMotion kit cost around $8000, so that immediately speaks for itself. I know that you're looking for some objective reassurance before making such a financial commitment. I know the feeling. I took (in very large part) a leap of faith when purchasing the RTMotion 3.1, and that was after only scarce user feedback, and a superficial attraction to its design. Also, a local Steadicam colleague of mine was vocally sceptical about the company (though I'm sceptical of the true motivation of his opinion ;)) back when I was finally putting serious consideration into it. I am happy with it. It involved a moderate (in the scheme of things) investment, but now I'm confident about it. I have no regrets.

@ Massimo Hi mate, thanks for reading my impressions. True, I've had the system for many weeks now, unfortunately, I can't really add to my comments at this point - I've been on some extended personal travel since early April, and the kit hasn't had too much of a workout as a result. You may have noticed that I put particular emphasis on it's manual calibration routine, and this is because DSLR lenses are all that I've been able to test with the system so far. I regret not being able to comment on Cooke, Hawk, or Angenieux lenses at this time (or in general) - I usually find myself working with DSLR lenses, or Zeiss compact or master primes. The best I can suggest is attending a trade show. Your profile says you're in LA. MK-V had a display system on show at CineGear just last weekend. That would have been a good time. They were also present at NAB back in April. I'll be back in Sydney later this month, after which I'll obviously do further trials. All the best.

Hi Massimo, There is another thread on this system, on which I wrote up some weeks ago my honest, and favourable impression of the MK3.1 system: http://www.steadicamforum.com/index.php?showtopic=16890&p=101465 In response to a few comments above; Please don’t go comparing this unit to a Preston. We all know which unit it going to win if you do this. At such wildly different price-points there is no fair comparison I’m very happy with my unit, as I have elaborated in the above link. Admittedly, my unit arrived as I was to embark on some extended personal travel, so I haven’t had too much opportunity to road test it. The two occasions it’s been on set, it performed without issue. I’ve never had to use the transmission power above ‘Low’, so I can’t comment on the close-proximity wireless issue. I’ve used the system in conjunction with a Teradek Bolt, and a set of two-way radios. Whether or not these would in theory, or in practice, interfere with each other, they had no issues at the time. I’ve established friendly relations with the people at MK-V (RTMotion’s production partner), whom I’ve met at a few trade-shows, and to whom I’ve offered my constructive feedback. They have always graciously listened, and I confidently expect for the feedback to eventually be implemented. All the best!

REVIEW!!! WOO!!! I can finally write some impressions about the RTMotion Mk 3.1. Background: I've been tracking the progress of RTMotion for three years now when I was originally in the market for wireless lens control. Throughout that time, I have witnessed the prolonged delays that their development had faced, but eventually, around 18 months ago, I was pleased to see they were finally distributing their mk3.0 system. What quintessentially attracted me to the brand was the remarkably small size of their receiver unit, plus a whole load of specifications they claimed to include in the package, all for a price point that made the system potentially accessible to those like me, to whom a system like the Preston was well and truly out of reach. The one obstacle holding me back for actually purchase was that I felt uncomfortable buying without trying. But, living in Sydney, this was a very slim prospect. I held out until wider distribution could perhaps allow a local trade show demo, but that never happened. Then, in October last year, they announced the Mk3.1. The 0.1 numerically indicates only minor refinements, but these are evidently significant improvements. So, I finally made a move on the system, and after a protracted 10 week lead time, the system finally arrived at my doorstep. So! What I purchased: Hand Unit, receiver unit, 1 motor unit, wired thumbwheel, various camera run/stop cables, various power cables. £ 4456.00. I bought, for now, just a single motor system, but the receiver can accommodate 3 motors, so upgrading is simply a matter of purchasing more motors. The hand unit: The very first thing to notice about the hand unit, is that it's incredibly solid! It weighs a bit in the hand, but not excessively. You know you are holding something that will survive some rough treatment (from less considerate AC's). The focus knob itself is an absolute pleasure to handle. It has optimal fluid drag, is milled aluminum (just like the rest of the unit), and has gracious dampening at each end stop. The makers have well and truly nailed their design of this knob. I know I will never feel a Bartech the same way. I power it on, with a (separately purchased) LP-E6 battery. The button and display cluster initially felt slightly cramped, but in fact they're conveniently placed for the left hand. Crucially, the firmware boots in 2 seconds. This means that powering the unit off, and on again is practical to save battery, without the worry of losing time in the boot-up. I was jarred by the small OLED display, relative to what I've seen with the Preston. The display is quite puny, but I'm glad to report, that the info on display is well designed to fit into the space. I'll go through the menu system later. The Receiver: This unit is remarkably compact. Tiny! This has been achieved by transferring the driving electronics to the motor unit. There are the six ports: 3 motors, aux, camera, and power. These are all very self-explanatory. There are two 1/4" thread mounts, through which you can mount the unit onto the camera rig in practically any configuration. I absolutely love this. The small footprint means you can mount the unit anywhere, and you (or the camera ops)will barely notice it. This is a luxury I'll never enjoy with a Bartech, or a Preston. I can't stress how liberating this is, considering that in my experience, operating DP's are most often put off by the bulk, or weight, of wireless receivers. Whenever I'm unfortunate enough to work with a DSLR+lens, then the camera would otherwise be buried in an LCS kit. The motor: Equally impressive is the motor. Despite that the unit contains its own electronics, it isn't really any bigger than a full Heden, Preston, or M-One. It has a rod mount, as expected, and physically is no different than any other motor, and this includes noise output. RTMotion claim that its torque output is comparable to a Heden. So far, I haven't been able to try with a cine lens, only DSLR lenses. Which in turn, takes me to the next point; calibration. The system architecture, for now, means that the motor immediately begins auto-calibration upon receiving power. This is my first point of serious feedback to the company, and I made sure to point it out to them at NAB last month. If you're working with a DSLR lens, then brute-force with your hands is needed to stop the motor rotating in each direction. I would like for the hand unit to give the user the choice of either manual or auto calibration before the motor starts acting. I am delighted to discover therefore, that manual calibration has been very well implemented, and a pleasure to use. The menu system takes you through a very intuitive, and highly controllable manual calibration procedure that will easily let you calibrate as roughly or precisely as you like, very quickly. I'm very impressed of how well thought-out this feature is in-fact, considering how tacked-on it could have potentially been. I'm taking the Bartech's procedure into comparison here, and it is well on par. The menu: Though we have a small display, the menu is quite adequately designed and accessible. The menu system contains all the typical, generic, parameters you'd expect. Features I find most often to use are the motor response setting - fast, normal and slow. For wireless hand unit use, 'fast' is obviously the most responsive, but if the thumbwheel comes into play, it becomes very twitchy, and 'normal' is more comfortable. Slow is for very damp, gracious moves, more ideal for iris pulls, with iris slider. One other point I mentioned to the guys at NAB, is that I want to see a USB run/stop cable interface for DSLR cameras. They assured me this is in the pipeline. So, these are my first impressions. I really could write on end about each specific feature, but I'd rather just answer questions from other users. Please feel free to ask. I'm quite keen to spread the word on this unit. Zoltan Jonas.

That looks very neat Louis, good job! I used to regularly fly a Flyer before I got my Zephyr. Of course it only had the junk SD monitor, with that DIN(?) plug feeding it both power and video. You can fix this problem non-destructively, if you're adamant of preserving the original state of the rig. Simply find a female for the power/video cable for the DIN plug, and then extract, from the respective pins, the power and video sources into what ever connector interface you need - I had a bullet plug for power, and, of course, a BNC plug for video. I'd love to post a photo, but I don't think I ever took one, and obviously I haven't had access to this particular rig since I've had the Zephyr. Also, I think there was always some instability somewhere along the signal path - most likely in the adapter cable itself that made a digital signal very unreliable. I was glad to see that idea worked in theory at least, and judging by your own solution, in practice as well, just depending on the workmanship.

Hi Justin, how you doing? (We both attended the 2011 Robertson workshop in case you don't remember), I've been eyeing this system to the better part of two years now, observing through their modest little website its evolution to the current Mk3.1 version. I finally bit the bullet, and purchased a single-motor system back in mid January. I've been waiting for it since then to arrive (9 weeks now!), and not-so regular emails from Kris Bird tell me that they're suffering everything from an office relocation to a component supply gap. I'm trying to remain confident, and hope that once I do eventually receive, I'll forget about the drawn-out waiting period. Of course I'll write as much detail as I can on my impressions of the unit. I've read a handful of encouraging reviews (one's I'm sure you've come by). I believe a group in Tasmania are acquiring a system for their Octocopter, plus, a photo from SmallHD's website shows it in use on one of those Movi rigs, http://www.smallhd.com/gallery/author/sam-bell/ I've read some really supercilious garbage from Preston and Bartech fanbois. I'm not going to delude myself about RTMotion out-performing Preston - that would be foolish. But for their price, I would feel justified to expect out of it at least the performance of a BFD - which would suit me just fine. Before I made the purchase, I was assured to of two important factors - the rig is capable (with current beta firmware) of both manual and auto calibration, which is crucial for my needs. Plus they have a 2 week money-back guarantee if I don't like it. We'll see.

Don't know how to make the damned photos work: https://www.dropbox.com/s/n3jq2fottghixhr/2013-12-08%2015.24.06.jpg https://www.dropbox.com/s/dvjcckt04zcb9a2/2013-12-08%2015.28.42.jpg https://www.dropbox.com/s/n01zsv3bnz0qqqc/2013-12-08%2015.29.52.jpg

--->>>REVIEW<<<--- So for over a year, I've been planning a wireless video package for myself. Two entities I've since been wanting to marry together are the Teradek Bolt, and the SmallHD Dp7-PRO-HighBright. As this is a thread on the monitor itself, I'll focus on that, and post a link to my thoughts on the Bolt in the appropriate "Video Assist" thread. I wrote an earlier draft of this review some days ago, and simply didn't know where to begin, or what to focus on, so for the sake of concision, I've written a list of "Strengths", "Potential issues" and "Real weaknesses", and then elaborated on those points. I know that these are 'relative' terms. The closest rival monitors that I've had substantial experience are the TV-Logic 5.6", and the Marshall 7" SDI. I know that they're not exactly comparable, but it's set the basic benchmark for me in drawing my judgments here. So! Dp7-Pro-HB-SX (USD$2,999.00) Strengths: (Very!) Solid metal construction. Concise, elegant design out of the box Very sharp display Simple menu system Comes with an SD card Promises expanded future features - internal proxy recording, format cross-conversion etc. Comprehensively featured software. And, what everyone wants to know: gives you half (at the very least!) a hope in hell of visibility during daylight (but requires stringent optimization). Potential issues: Even a monitor as "bright" as this one is barely a match for the brightest-hottest-blazingly-scorching of days - without help. (Though I'm talking about the Australian summer here). Metal construction could make the unit a bit heavy for some on-board mounting setups. Smart-keys, though well intended, and intuitive enough, need refinement. Input-output ports on the bottom can be in the way for some uses. Breakout cable required for composite/component (who needs this anyway?). "Unstable" colour-bar generation. Internal help-guides are annoying and intrusive. Real weaknesses: Monitor ships, by default without any form of screen protection. Optional impact-protective acrylic layer is highly reflective, even if a matte screen protector is used beneath it. It's also a fingerprint magnet. Portable power solutions are optional extras, and the adapter attachment plate, despite being very solid, adds considerable weight. My monitor weighs in excess of 2kg with v-lock battery, and Bolt receiver. Should we expect anything less? (Somewhat trivial and archaic) - no 4:3 aspect ratio option yet. I happen to need it. Fan speed (thus, noise-level) setting, as of yet, un-assignable to a smart key. Sun-hood makes smart-key access rather finicky. ("Sunhood mode" elaborated on below) Third party accessories are likely needed for convenient hand-held use. Some forms of HDMI are improperly rendered, or interpreted as DVI. Curiously, this problem was solved in most cases by converting to SDI with the Blackmagic HDMI-to-SDI battery converter first. So, I'll elaborate first on the most important thing - the brightness; this is indeed a bright monitor. If you turn it on in a dark space, the logo splash screen can positively dazzle you! Today, I went out on the street, with a very unforgiving sun shining down on me at around 3pm, and only in the shade could I make out a usable image, even with the backlight cranked-up to 100. I don't think in these conditions that any monitor can realistically be expected to perform. I 'resorted' to the sun-hood, with which it was alright, and much more comfortable. Gathering from other's comments, I should also try it in overcast conditions (if I get any). The photos I've attached (as every other submission attests) do not properly depict the monitor's relative brightness to the environment. One photo illustrates the difference between shade and exposed. If you smartly customize the smart-key options, then optimizing brightness/contrast/backlight is easy enough. When the sun-hood is attached, the proximity-sensors seem to be confused, and you'll have to toggle into "sun-hood mode". This is where the options are spaced out onto every second smart-key option, to make button access easier through the sun-hood's rim - but at the cost of the custom layout of your options. Choose wisely. Depending on how you choose to accessorize the unit, it can either be neatly compact, or, as my setup shows - quite bulky and over 2kg. But ultimately, it gives a lovely, pleasurably sharp, image. The monitor ships without any screen protection. Thought the LCD panel is optimally bright when naked, there isn't any user in their right mind who would take this unit into the field without protecting it against sun and impact. The acrylic protector that you screw onto the very front is reflective, but I'd rather live with this, than to physically risk the monitor in the field. The designers obviously took a risk with in I/O placement. For onboard use, the bottom input sockets are convenient, but for hand-held, where the bottom of the monitor will meet your chest/abdomen, this will become very annoying. 1/4"20 screw-mounts on the bottom, sides, and top are nice, and I've taken to attaching the Bolt receiver on the top. This works nicely - but it does block access to the "lock" key. If you assign the proximity sensor on/off toggle to a smart-key, then this problem is more-or-less addressed if you have hand the unit to a director or whoever who might accidentally stuff up the settings. I like the multitude of scopes, all which can be very handy, and easily accessed through the smart-keys. The focus assist is well implemented, and easy to toggle. As is the false colour, which can be toggled with or without the IRE reference chart. Customer Service; SmallHD originally sent me a completely defective monitor, where the LCD panel was going nuts, and not functioning properly at all. They *swiftly* replaced it with a second monitor, which I also sent back, because at the time I was having issues with the HDMI, and I assumed it was a problem with the monitor. The 3rd they sent (the one in review) is working up to spec, and I quickly learned that the HDMI 'problem' was in fact an unlucky incident with the sources, rather than the monitor. In fact, with the BM converter, I'm having no problems with any HDMI device that isn't HDCP protected. Ultimately, I have to commend SmallHD for being helpful, very responsive, and keen to make me a happy customer. The only thing working against me is that at this stage, they don't do international dealer distribution, which means, no local support in Australia. Because of this, despite their strong support, it makes dealing with them from Sydney a geographical and temporal nuisance. Conclusion: My bottom line is that I'm happy with the monitor. As mentioned, there is big room for improvement in some aspects, but given the major selling point of the unit, I wouldn't (and couldn't) consider any other product in the price range. I'm happy to live with most of the weakness, as, in the end of the day (or in the middle of it, rather), I'll have a viewable image unlike almost any other monitor in its class. Thanks guys.

Nice video Bob, first time I've actually seen the system in action. I also plan to make a similar setup with my new SmalHD high-bright monitor.

Thanks for the insight. I was more hoping for a physical description of the manual calibration process - what knobs you have to turn, what limitations (if any) there are in the motor rotation to provide this. Of course any practical means of manual calibration is ultimately a good thing, in case you have some pesky DSLR lenses, or you need to use range limitation etc. You're description of the OLED display is the same as what I got from another user in another forum some months ago, which indicates that the company hasn't made any significant changes to it. Still, I hope to see that RTMotion can program some more practical uses of it. The 0-999 might still come in handy though, if you want it to be. Cheers.

Seems encouraging Jarrett. Their website says they've enabled manual calibration in the latest beta firmware. How, practically, has this been implemented? Is it efficient, say if you compare to a Bartech? Some months back (they've removed this claim from the website since), they proposed adding 'lens mapping', - giving distance readings, f-stop readings. What does the OLED display offer at the moment?