ETHICS STATEMENT: Kessler are my main site sponsor for three reasons. They are a great company, dear friends and make amazing gear. I truly believe in them as a company and the stuff featured on this page are incredible products! This is a round up of some of their newest gear. As Americans would say they are “sick” which I believe is a positive…in England we would say smashing or just plain old bravo! Read more on my ethics statement here
Eric recently visited me with his family and we did National Lampoon’s European Vacation! Minus Beverley D’Angelo…I was Clark, Eric was Rusty I guess?! After the whistle-stop tour Eric sat down in my kitchen to tell me about his new toys on-camera. You can buy them all now. Enjoy listening to Eric talk about his new babies, he is very proud and my great friend and site editor Preston Kanak does a write up, as he has used the gear more than anyone I know! All links are affiliate links and help keep my site alive. Any purchases made through them cost you nothing more than a regular link, so any support is truly and enormously gratefully accepted!
There are a few issue with the video. The card got ejected whilst writing and then corrupted. Eventually, after much work with Data Rescue 3 and then Disk Rill, I managed to retrieve most of the footage minus one audio track and a lot of image glitches. I have covered up as many of these issues as I could. I hope it’s not distracting! Sorry!
One of the least flashy but best things here are the new “Kwick release plate system”. Easily the best I have ever used. Arca standard I have them on all my cameras, rigs, tripods now. Simply brilliant and utterly reliable. Read more about them and the other stuff below.
Kessler CineDrive – Hardware Overview and Setup from Kessler Crane on Vimeo.
INTRODUCTION
By Preston Kanak
Film-making tools are continually evolving. It is becoming easier and easier to capture stunning images. One company that has been continually pushing the envelope is Kessler. They have developed a few more products to make film-making that much easier. Below is a quick look at some new products that were developed to help enhance your film-making experience.
Kessler Mounting Systems
Low Profile Ball Head
The first new product they have released is the Low Profile Ball Head. This tool will help lower the center of gravity of your camera by bringing your camera closer to the ground.
About the Low Profile Ball Head
The Kessler Low Profile Ball Head is an easy to use, ultra-low profile ball head system with a weight capacity of 20 pounds. The strong locking ball has 62 degrees of total adjustment. It features a 3/8”-16 thread stud on the top and bottom providing easy mounting to all the Kessler sliders and Shuttle Pods, without the need for an adapter.
The modular design allows the Low Profile head to be used on other Kessler mounting accessories such as the Cheese Plate, Multi-Angle Mounting Plate (for mounting a camera in multiple angle configurations including 90° for vertical slider moves), or the Kessler Kwik Release System. Other mounting accessories that accept a standard 3/8”-16 threaded stud are also compatible.
Kwik Release System
The second new product is the Kwik Release System. This system boasts a patent pending mounting system with a unique catch system. The base plate is also compatible with the Really Right Stuff & Wimberley (Arca-Type) QR systems.
About the Kwik Release System
The Kwik Release System is a unique, patent pending mounting system featuring solid billet aluminum and stainless steel construction. With a one hand drop-in instant latching and push button drop-gate release, this mounting system is strong, secure, fast and easy to use.
Once the mounting plate is snapped into the receiver, the plate can be adjusted but it cannot slide out of the receiver thanks to the secure safety stops. We also built in an ultra-strong adjustable cam lock that, once tightened, will secure the plate with absolutely no slip. We have designed the Kwik Release System to be as modular as possible with mounting plates available for cameras, sliders, motion control heads and more.
Multi-Angle Mounting Plate
Another new product from Kessler is the Multi-Angle Mounting Plate. The mounting plate can be attached in a 45° or 90° configuration and, coupled with the range of movement of the Low Profile Ball Head, will allow for configuring your camera at just about any angle you desire.
About the Multi-Angle Mounting Plate
The Kessler Multi-Angle Mounting Plate is designed to work in conjunction with the Kessler Low Profile Ball Head. The mounting plate can be attached in a 45° or 90° configuration and, coupled with the range of movement of the Low Profile Ball Head, will allow for configuring you camera at just about any angle you desire. The ability to mount to the LP Ball Head in a 90° configuration is ideal for doing vertical slider moves. With the optional Multi-Angle Cheese Plate, you can also attach various accessories and mounts; even another Multi-Angle Mount.
Multi-Angle Cheese Plate
You can use the Kessler Multi-Angle Cheese Plate with the Kessler Multi-Angle Mount to attach various accessories, like monitor mounts, mics, lights, etc. You can even mount another Multi-Angle Mount for specialized camera configurations.
Kessler Battery System
ION Battery System
The ultra-light weight ION Battery System features the new Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFiPO4 or LFP) technology, which provides up to 4 times the life of other conventional battery systems. Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) is a special kind of lithium battery that addresses the 4 major issues with current lithium technologies: Safety, Life, Power, and Environmental Friendliness. Weighing in at only 2.4 lbs (4 lbs in case), this compact battery has a capacity of 9.6 amp hours making it the most powerful and longest lasting battery on the market for the weight.
Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries have No Thermal Runaway and No Poisonous Chemicals, making them much safer than other conventional or lithium batteries. Because there are No Heavy Metals, this battery is clean, environmentally friendly, and recyclable. The ingredients are safe enough to be used as soil to grow plants.
Unlike conventional batteries, this long-life solution can handle 2000+ charge cycles! Since it is Lithium Iron Phosphate, there is no charge “memory effect” so you can charge the battery whenever you want to. No need to worry about fully draining and cycling the battery every time. We have built in a smart battery charger with charge meter so you can easily top off the battery before an all-night excursion into the desert.
We’ve wrapped the battery in a weather-proof padded case with built-in device storage and rain guard for when the weather gets rough. One female XLR plug and two female 12volt cigarette lighter plugs are built in for connection of up to three devices without the need of additional adapters.
If the battery reaches the end of its useful life, we can replace just the cells and get you back up and running at about half the cost of a new battery system.
The new Kessler ION Battery System will change the way you power your remote rigs!
The Shuttle Pod Mini
Out of all the new releases, the Shuttle Pod Mini is by far one of my favorite. It’s compact and modular, and the design allows for easy transportation for travel and hiking.
About the Shuttle Pod Mini
The Shuttle Pod Mini operates with the same functionality as the full size shuttlepod. However, what makes this system unique is its form factor. You are able to purchase multiple lengths of 3/4 inch square rails which makes this system perfect for travel. It is compatible with the current electraDrive systems and will also be compatible with the new Fusion system. This system also features a new dovetail belt clamp system, which gains you added travel distance. The Shuttlepod Mini can be supported by the All-Terrain Outrigger Feet.
12 comments
I wanted to thank you for your ETHICS STATEMENTS. Quality and honesty are the best business plan.
appreciate it.
p
Thanks for the great review!
btw. for recovering photos and videos from 20D and 5D2 I’m using PhotoRecovery and I it was 100% successful, so far.
The new products from kessler look really nice,
I like the vertical sliding idea seems really cool and I’ve never heard of it anywhere else.
In fact it’s the first time I’ve heard of it.
You are sick Philip. Absolutely sick.
Phillip,
HI, your photo (#4) of the track going out the window makes the track look bowed… does it stay straight or is that real?
Thanks
Florian
it was slightly bowed as I needed a light stand to support it. worked fine though…
Agreed, great products. Love my Pocket Dolly basic, though wish I had forked out a little more to get the variable tension model.
Really amacing products! Big ups to you for this really interesting review on Kesslers new products!
Hey,
Does anybody know how the slider performs on the rod connections? Does it affect a footage? Will be a little skip?
Thanks!
K.
what do you mean by rod connections?
Philip,
Kessler’s stuff is top notch. I got a ton of toys from them but the best part is how you actually have somebody to talk to and how stand up they are. Eric is unbelievable, as I have dealt with him directly often since they started over 6 years ago (more?).
One times I had an issue where I needed to replace some bolts (they replaced them with better ones for my k-pod) but I didn’t have a specific tool. He sent me the bolts WITH the tool!!!! and I live out here in Israel.
Amazing. I’m going to write a post about how, yes you can find something “close” to Kessler gear for a bit cheaper (kessler prices are a phenomenal value!), but in my opinion, over the long haul you will pay more due to other factors – like not having anybody to talk to when you need issues resolved.
IMO, quality people behind products is a huge value which should be considered when buying products.
I’m sure you could go on and on Philip about the quality of people they are and not just the quality of the products.
Then again, you have him over to your home, that should say it all right!?
Aviv