Today, we bring you our 11th LensVid Talk with a look at our recent reviews – the Think Tank SpeedTop Crossbody 15 shoulder bag and two teleprompters from Teleprompter People as well as news about the second version of the Hyperdolly, Insta 360 ACE pro, Canon multi-camera control app, the recent Sony paid custom guidelines Firmware for A7 IV, Premiere Pro Beta fill words the new and updated Hollyland Mars 400S II, Rode’s acquisition of Mackie and the “DIY” OWC Key Express 1M2 SSD case.
ThinkTank SpeedTop Crossbody 15 review (00:35)
During the first half of 2023, Think Tank released a new series of shoulder bags called SpeedTop with 2 models the small Crossbody 10 and the bag that we tested the slightly larger Crossbody 15.
We have mostly very good things to say about these shoulder bags (no small thing since we usually try to avoid this type of bag in favor of backpacks).
You can check out our full Think Tank SpeedTop Crossbody 15 review here.
The ThinkTank-Speedtop-corssbody 15
Prompter People teleprompter Review (03:47)
Over the past several months we have been working with two Prompter People teleprompters – the larger studio-sized Prompter Pal and the compact highly portable PrompterPeople PocketCue V2.
The U.S. company sent us numerous components and attachments to allow us to set up both of these teleprompters in different ways. We chose what worked for us and our specific workflow with two screens (one for the text and one showing the image from the camera (great for self-shooting).
You can check out our full review here.
BTS with the Prompter Pal on production
Insta 360 ACE pro (08:42)
The latest action camera from Insta 360 compares head to head with the recent announcement of the GoPro Hero 12 and the DJI Action 4. It incorporates a front screen and a tilt screen with a top angle (above the camera).
Here are the main features of the new camera
- 1/1.3’’ Sensor
- Optical design by Leica (16mm equivalent in 35mm with f/2.6)
- 4K 120fps Video and 8K 30p
- PureVideo for Low Light
- Clarity Zoom
- 2.4” top flip screen + front screen
- Gesture Control & Voice Control
- AI Highlights Assistant function
- Waterproof to 10m or 33ft
- FlowState Stabilization + Horizon Lock
As for pricing the Insta 360 ACE pro sells for around $430.
Official Inta 360 video of the Ace Pro
Hyperdolly (10:28)
The Hyperdolly is a Kickstarter project aimed at creating a unique motorized dolly that can hold a camera on a tripod (or low to the floor). The product which is trying to raise money on Kickstarter for the second time offers several improvements compared to the first attempt including:
- 2.4 GHz remote control system. Replaceable batteries
- Soft wheels. It’s a crucial change. Hyperdolly is designed for use on flat surfaces, but even on them in reality there are often defects such as cracks, bumps, seams between tiles, etc.
- 2 times higher maximum speed, compared to a previous prototype. Now it’s 27 cm/s.
More powerful motor - Larger dimensions for a more stable tripod stance.
- Added handle for easy carrying.
- Motor brake function added. Locks the front wheel between movements, preventing the dolly from rolling freely on inclined surfaces
You can back up the Hyperdolly on Kickstarter.
Official Hyperdolly video
Canon multi-camera control app (15:12)
A very interesting announcement by Canon brings a new app that can allow users of specific Canon cameras to control several cameras at the same time from a single app on a single mobile device.
The Canon Multi-Camera Control is a free-of-charge smartphone application that allows users to seamlessly connect, control, and monitor up to four cameras at once and is compatible with the XF605, EOS C70, EOS C300 Mark III, and EOS C500 Mark II professional cameras.
This is something that we have been waiting for from Sony for a long time and it seems that Canon was the first to release this sort of app although the restriction to the cinema line is kind of a shame (we could certainly see this as useful for people who shoot for example interviews with R5/R5C and other R series cameras, especially as solo shooters).
More info on the multi-camera control app can be found on the Canon website.
Official Canon multi-camera control app video
Sony paid custom guidelines Firmware update (17:37)
While Canon is releasing a free app, Sony decided on a controversial move by releasing a paid ($150) app only for the A7 IV that lets the user create up to 4 gridlines that you can view either on the LCD or the viewfinder.
This can critically be useful for school/ID photos, all sorts of team sports and events, and other situations where you need to be able to make sure that you frame the image the same again and again with people of different heights.
What do you think about this idea of a paid firmware update that does only one thing? is it worth it? and what is the future of firmware updates for Sony cameras?
More info on the paid firmware from the Sony site.
Premiere Pro Beta fill words (24:15)
Removing fill words from a video/interview can be an annoying task (we will be the first to admit it – just watch some of our early videos on the LensVid channel). With the recent update to PP beta, you can now see and also remove single or multiple fill words with a single click.
The main issue from our perspective is that you still need to cover the gaps created by all those cuts and to this, there is no AI answer at the moment (B-roll or cutting to a second angle is probably the best option but if you are a lot of fill words – that can make the video unwatchable.
Hollyland Mars 400S Pro II (29:13)
Hollyland announced a second, updated version of its Mars 400S Pro. The updated version includes better transmission range and lower latency, as well as an improved cold shoe.
More on the Mars 400S Pro II can be found on the Hollyland website.
Official Hollyland video of the Mars 400S Pro II
Rode buys Mackie (31:49)
Rode recently announced the acquisition of the American pro audio manufacturer Mackie. This will enable Rode to expand its growing list of products even further with speakers, mixers, and other products that Mackie has been specializing in for years.
The official press announcement from Rode.
OWC Key Express 1M2 – USB4 SSD (33:18)
OWC recently announced a new external NVME SSD case that supports USB4. The drive called Key Express 1M2 has large aluminum cooling fins and can come with up to 8TB of NVME storage but can also be purchased as a stand-alone case for those who want to choose the DIY option.
More info on the new drive can be found on the OWC website.
Official OWC Key Express 1M2 video
You can Check out all of the LensVid Talk videos here. If you want us to cover any specific topics or products in our upcoming LensVid talks please let us know in the comments or on our YT or Facebook pages.
Iddo Genuth 
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