We took a closer look at the Tilta Hydra Arm Mini, a portable car-mounted cinema camera crane system that promises to simplify high-end car-based cinematography, while also making it more affordable. The Tilta Hydra Arm Mini was first introduced in June this year. This compact camera crane system looks like an attempt to democratize vehicle-based cinematography. Indeed, its $10,000 price tag makes it much more accessible than similar solutions in its class. Recently, my colleague Graham had the chance to see the Tilta Hydra Arm Mini in action at Irwindale Speedway motorsport facility in California. On the track, he learned more about the system directly from Nick from Tilta. Let’s see what he found out! Image credit: CineD Tilta Hydra Arm Mini: compact camera crane for lightweight gimbals To start off, the Tilta Hydra Arm Mini can be mounted on the roof of any car that can support its weight, which is around 70kg/154lbs (not including the gimbal and camera package). This makes it appealing for small companies or even single operators that can’t afford buying a specific vehicle model for this kind of productions. Another advantage of this crane is that it doesn’t require an army to setup. Indeed, according to Nick, two experienced crew members could suffice to have the Hydra Arm Mini up and running in a about 1 hour. Image credit: CineD The arm attaches to the roof of the vehicle via a 4 suction cup mounting system, measures 3.87m/12.6” in length, and can reach a...
Published By: CineD - Thursday, 15 December, 2022