Of course, I do not recommend taking new equipment out for important work without familiarizing yourself with it first. However, I put myself through this challenge for the sake of discovering just how easy it is to get to know new gear in general. And the Syrp Genie II system passes that test. Indeed, once you become truly familiar with the whole kit, you only appreciate it more and more. Reliable Performance

Value is about much more than price alone, or even a straightforward spec sheet VS price comparison. There are many other factors involved, from very subjective things like convenience & user-friendliness to more objective things like long-term durability. That’s where the Genie Pan/Tilt and Linear come in. They’re created specifically to perfectly control the motion in your video/timelapse footage, so that it is perfectly smooth, and even repeatable. Lastly, you can also add more accessories that suit specialized needs, such as a product turntable, a Tilt Platform so that you can easily do 3-axis motion with your slider at any angle. Syrp Genie II Pan Tilt Linear Demo Reel: Video & Timelapse Footage The form factor of the device is incredibly compact, slotting into a regular camera bag with ease and is capable of full 180° degrees of tilting motion and 360° degrees pan.

Syrp Genie II Review – Cons

Not only is the system very easy to set up and get going, but also, it just works smoothly. I torture-tested the Genie II in as many ways as I could think of, and the only hiccups in operation that I experienced were understandable considering how hard I tried to intentionally mess things up. It wasn’t until my Central America trip in 2014 that I tried again, this time with better results. I did have three months to practice, and much like with any photography technique, the more you do it, the better you get at it. It was with that in mind that we began testing and reviewing the Syrp Genie II kit, a 3-axis motion-control system. Its capabilities are definitely going to appeal to videographers, as well as timelapse photographers. Next, get your one (or two) tripod(s) set up, with the legs placed stably; spread them out at a safer angle if necessary. (Especially if there is any wind!) Do you use a motion control device for your time-lapses? What’s the one tip you’d give everyone looking to take their time-lapse photography to the next level? Let me know in the comments below!

The Genie Mini is designed to be incredibly simple and is beginner time-lapse friendly. The Syrp App is equipped with factory pre-sets so you can start shooting straight out of the box with no technical expertise required. Just connect and shoot! Battery: Timelapse Mode: 48 hrs | Video Mode: 6 hrs | Charge time: 4hrs (Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery) Ramp the i’n’ and ‘out’ points of your movement in both time-lapse and video mode to achieve smooth eased movement control.

Disadvantages Of The Syrp Genie II System?

Mount Type: Camera/Ballhead: 1/4″ Screw for mounting cameras/ballheads | Base: 3/8″ thread for attaching to sliders, tripods and other systems (1/4″ to 3/8″ adaptor also included) Battery: Timelapse Mode: 24 hrs | Video Mode: 5 hrs | Charge time: 3hrs (Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery) The ease in, ease out feature allows you to ramp your movement at the beginning and end of your time-lapse or video move. Once set, the movement will slowly rise up to your desired speed at the start of your shot and gradually dampen down at the end before coming to a complete stop. Genie Micro allows the user to control their connected mirrorless or DSLR camera via the accompanying app. To use the Genie Micro, you simply slide it into the hot shoe on your camera, connect your camera, and pair it with Syrp's app, which is available on Android and iOS. Using Genie Micro, you can control ISO, aperture and shutter speed.

In my mind I had a vision of what I wanted, but again I didn’t quite know how to achieve it. That’s until I came across the Syrp Genie. Payload: Panning Payload: 33lbs (15kg) | Linear: Payload: 33lbs (15kg) (not recommended to lift more than 3lbs (1.4Kg) in a fully vertical position)In Use: Once you begin a time-lapse or video recording you can leave the Syrp app without disruption to shooting.

Next, let’s state the obvious: hand-held motion panning/sliding etc. is not an option if you want to shoot identical, repeatable video moves, or timelapses. You’ll need motorized control. Personally, I found that the best option is to store every plate, screw, and cable in a pouch that always stays with the main Genie devices themselves. Pre-assemble as many little bits of the equipment as you can before heading out on your job/adventure, too, because once you’re on-location, every minute counts. Last but not least, if you don’t do any steep angle motion, you should definitely consider avoiding ballheads entirely. (Beneath your slider, that is.) Just mount the tripod directly to the Magic Carpet. (There are both 1/4-20 and 3/8 threads on the sliders.) Powered by an in-built lithium-ion battery, the compact Mini II offers a battery life of 8hrs of time-lapse recording and up to 4hrs of video recording, all on a single charge. Also, you can set up your own dolly system with a skateboard and fixed points for the cord to wrap around. For me, having that extra length is a real bonus and I can’t wait to play around with that function. If you want your linear motion to be at an angle, however, things get a little bit more complicated. Because if the Pan Tilt is mounted at an angle, that effectively makes panning essentially impossible, and tilting only possible in the one direction/dimension that the slider is pointing. (Which you probably won’t get perfect, and will have to crop to level your horizon in post-production, by the way.)

This trendy remote for time-lapse sequences and camera control is useful but on the pricey side

Lastly, you can go ahead and mount your camera on the Pan/Tilt, via the provided plate. (It’s not Arca-Swiss, by the way; it’s the other fore-aft plate style…) Step 4) Set Keyframes Always set your camera / lens to Manual Focus (MF) not Auto Focus (AF). In Auto Focus mode the camera will try and find an Auto Focus (AF) point and if it can’t, the camera will not fire. IMAGE REVIEW OFF. Another thing I’m really keen to try out is setting up my slider at a 45 o angle so my time-lapse can run horizontally and vertically too creating two types of moment – as I said, the possibilities are endless with the Genie!