SmallRig’s new Tracking POV Kit, a project done in collaboration with Mikevisuals, is an arm extension kit with adjustable lengths and magic arms that is designed to get one very specific, niche video shot: the “POV tracking shot.”
It’s hard to think of a an accessory with a purpose as niche as SmallRig’s new Tracking POV Kit, as it’s only purpose is to facilitate the capture of a single type of video clip. While sliders, gimbals, and jibs are arguably designed to get specific looks, they have at least a few possible use cases across cinematography.
But the Tracking POV Kit instead is designed to facilitate the type of shot where a subject — usually an object like a camera, drone, or piece of equipment — stays locked to the center of the frame while the background moves. An inversion of the typical way scenes are conveyed, this type of shot is a useful creative element, if used sparingly.
SmallRig partnered with Mikevisuals to build a collapsible rig that attaches to both the bottom of a camera and to whatever object needs to be the center of the shot. Thanks to a wide range of articulation options, multi-angle adjustments are made possible to allow filmmakers to position the camera and subject precisely.
The adjustable arm comes with accessory mounts including 1/4″-20 threaded holes, ARRI 3/8″-16 locating holes, as well as NATO rails that quickly connect to magic arms to help adjust shooting distance. Both NATO rails are 8.1 inches long, suitable for different focal lengths of lenses, and feature scales for recording distance data, SmallRig says.
The rig can be extended between 27.6 and 19.3 inches and shortened 14.6 inches for easy storage. It has a load-bearing capacity at either end of 6.6 pounds. Finally, the 11-inch rosette arm, which shares the same load-bearing capacity of 6.6 pounds, also features a 1/4“-20 screw with locating pins and a NATO rail.
All these pieces work together to allow filmmakers to articulate the camera around a selected subject, but it should be noted that in many cases the rigging is going to be visible in the shot. Editors should expect to be asked to mask the Tracking POV kit out, since it can’t be avoided in cases when it’s attached to smaller objects that need to be shown fully, like a drone.
The SmallRig Tracking POV Kit is available to pre-order starting today for $119. SmallRig expects to start shipping units on January 15, 2024.
Image credits: SmallRig