Glif Review
A month or three back i got interested in shooting video in order to diversify my blog. Being a professional photographer the obvious route was to purchase a DSLR that shot high quality video. I did just that with the Nikon D7000. You can see my mini review here.... http://roninphoto.blogspot.ca/search/label/D7000
During that time i also explored my iPhone's capabilities for shooting video and discovered a quite a few things. While it's video isn't of the same quality of the DSLR (resolution, dynamic range, etc) it is very handy due to it's 'pocketable' size but there is one serious issue to overcome. The iPhone does not have a tripod mount and therefore it is very difficult to take video that isn't shakey.
With a little google help i came across a few solutions to the problem i faced, and amongst the mostly junk available the Glif stood out as being simple enough to work!
The Glif is available by itself or with two other components including the Serif and Ligature, shown connected below for easy keeping.
Glif, Serif and Ligature
You can attach the Glif to any tripod or ball head with a 1/4 inch thread. In this case i already owned a few mini ballheads and use one of them to mount the Glif to a Gorilla Pod tripod suitable for a small SLR. The iPhone is inserted into a groove in the Glif which holds the iPhone in place.
I would not recommend using this in portrait orientation unless you are in a safe and controlled environment. The copy i have does not hold the iPhone very well with lots of play if the phone is touched.
Inserting the iPhone into the Glif in landscape orientation holds the camera much more solid than in portrait orientation but still is not what i would call rock solid by any stretch of the imagination.
Once you add the Serif the connection becomes very solid. The top of the Serif locks using the upper edge of the iPhone to secure it in place. The lower portion of the Serif feeds into a slot on the Glif next to the tripod mount.
While i would not recommend buying just the the Glif itself, the Glif and Serif combo come highly recommended!
During that time i also explored my iPhone's capabilities for shooting video and discovered a quite a few things. While it's video isn't of the same quality of the DSLR (resolution, dynamic range, etc) it is very handy due to it's 'pocketable' size but there is one serious issue to overcome. The iPhone does not have a tripod mount and therefore it is very difficult to take video that isn't shakey.
With a little google help i came across a few solutions to the problem i faced, and amongst the mostly junk available the Glif stood out as being simple enough to work!
The Glif
The Glif is available by itself or with two other components including the Serif and Ligature, shown connected below for easy keeping.
Glif, Serif and Ligature
Serif
Ligature (allows attachment to a keychain)
The Glif acts as a kickstand for your iPhone giving you the freedom to kick back and watch a movie hands free.
Closeup
iPhone kickstand courtesy of the Glif!
Much more importantly than being a kickstand the Glif is also a iPhone to tripod adaptor! This means less shakey video, sharp photographs and so much more!
Glif mounted to mini ballhead
I would not recommend using this in portrait orientation unless you are in a safe and controlled environment. The copy i have does not hold the iPhone very well with lots of play if the phone is touched.
Glif setup on mini ballhead and Gorilla Pod.
Once you add the Serif the connection becomes very solid. The top of the Serif locks using the upper edge of the iPhone to secure it in place. The lower portion of the Serif feeds into a slot on the Glif next to the tripod mount.
Glif and Serif have a solid hold on the iPhone
Last week a couple friends and i took a chance on a ride deep into the back country on snowmobile in search of snow. Our ride out was about 15 miles over the worst of terrain, quite a bit without snow. I setup the Glif on the Gorilla Pod and cranked the 'Pod' around my handlebars of my snowmobile and made sure it was secure before trusting my iPhone to the Glif and Serif. To be honest up until this point i had some faith in the system but not enough to trust a $500 smart phone set up on it in the harshest of conditions! I kept a close eye on the iPhone the entire trip out checking to make sure nothing was rattled loose but incredibly the Glif and Serif held tight the entire ride out!
Example of video from iPhone, Glif and Gorillapod
(don't watch full screen as the blog has decreases it's size)
(don't watch full screen as the blog has decreases it's size)
So far i've had the Glif and my iPhone dangling from review mirrors, 'Jesus' handles, hanging from my 500mm lens, and attached to the handlebars of my sled and i'm sure it'll be stuffed into many other places in the coming months!
While i would not recommend buying just the the Glif itself, the Glif and Serif combo come highly recommended!
You can do just that by clicking on the link below.
RONiN photography (Scott Grant) offers print and image sales, print service, photographic and post processing instruction for both groups and private individuals. Photography services include weddings, engagement sessions, people and pet photos, corporate events and so on.
If you or someone you know are looking for a wedding photographer for 2012 time is running short! I'm getting heavily booked so please call or email to reserve your wedding day! I'm also taking bookings for 2013 and beyond.
If you would like to contact me please do so at scott@roninphoto.ca or call at (709) 639-5335. I'm located in Steady Brook, on the west coast of Newfoundland, in Canada.
Visit me on facebook at RONiN photography.
I also have a ton of images of all kinds on Flickr.
If you would like to learn more about RONiN photography please visit www.roninphoto.ca.
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