By Chuck Gloman, June 3, 2008
Manufacturer rep Jared Clarke (far right) instructs usage of the Type-S jib.
Adding vertical or diagonal movement to your production creates a distinct feel. No other tool can quite mimic the jib arm. Jimmy Jibs reach into the stratosphere, but there are smaller, more affordable jibs that fall in the 10'-or-less range — one of the newest is the Type-S jib from J. Michael Media.
The Type-S jib sells itself the first time you lay eyes on it. A jib does not have to be a complicated device with wires and pulleys - in fact, the Type-S is simplicity itself. Packed in a Storm Case weighing 39 pounds (the jib itself weighs 19 pounds), once attached to a tripod, it can handle cameras up to 12 pounds or more, depending on the capacity of your tripod. This jib falls into the “compact” family in that it’s easily transportable on a plane — if don’t mind explaining what’s in the long, black, flat case — or in a car trunk.
The case has places for just about everything you’ll need. Undoing the latches and seeing the full-color instructions, the assembly looks more complicated that it actually is. An online instructional video is available to assist in the set-up, and well as footage of what the Type-S jib did on some previous productions. One of J. Michael Media’s partners, Jared Clarke, arrived at DeSales University with our review-model Type-S jib and was available to demonstrate it.
The first step is to choose a tripod with enough strength to support the jib arm and camera. Sachtler immediately comes to mind, but our beefiest tripod was a Bogen. The “reach” of the jib arm depends on two factors: the height of the tripod and the length of the jib arm’s extension. The Type-S jib extends 3' from its collapsed position and is locked in place with pins.
Needing a solid base, set up the tripod and level the head. With just the first leg extension down and the spreader compressed, we were ready to add the jib arm. Their literature states that in “less than 60 seconds” the jib arm can be set up and ready to shoot. If Jared was not having us assemble it and explaining the process, I believe 60 seconds would be accurate. The first thing you notice about the jib is that it feels solid. The aluminum is covered with that same material that is sprayed on pickup truck beds (Rhino Linings) to prevent nicks and scratches. The black finish will not reflect light, but it will get warm if used outdoors in the summer.
The foam in the case keeps the metal from moving and allows you to see everything at a glance. Although you don’t need tools to assemble the Type-S jib, a screwdriver is needed to attach the jib to the tripod’s plate. Using both screws (1⁄4" and 3⁄8") for stability, the tripod needs no extra support.
The arms assemble only one way and the stainless steel bearings are simple to connect. With no cables to get in the way, this jib is really quite simplistic in design, yet functional. It really does not look that stable, but this is a well engineered piece of equipment.
With bubble levels in the correct places, you immediately know if your tripod and camera platform are “on the level.” Using an apple box, rest the camera bed and adjust it until the bubble is level. The camera is attached to the “bed” with an Allen screw and may be positioned horizontally or pointed straight down depending on your shot. Our camera, a Sony Z1, fit nicely with the LCD still able to open.
The next step is adding the weights to the back end to counterbalance the jib arm
. Like all jibs, you want the arm to balance itself in space. Although the Type-S jib does not ship with weights, they may be purchased at Wal-Mart in 10-, 5-, and 2.5-pound increments. Like a doctor’s scale, an ankle weight can also be wrapped around the arm and slid forward or backward to fine-tune the weight adjustment. Another nice feature here is a metal collar that clamps to the weights to keep them from moving. This also adds a little extra weight, so re-check your balance after using the clamp. With the jib arm at the shortest position, we needed 22.5 pounds to balance the Z1.
Using the chrome weight handle, the jib can be raised or lowered easily. Like power steering, a light touch with your fingers is all you need to begin the motion as well as being the braking. By means of the tripod arm, you adjust the camera head. Pushing down on the arm tilts the camera skyward, and pushing up tilts the camera bed down. After a few seconds, you become adept and using your left arm to raise or lower the jib and your right arm to control the head movement. There really is no effort needed to master the Type-S jib. Most forget that you can also pan with a jib and get a 360-degree movement.
The final step is mounting a monitor for the operator. The Type-S Monitor Bracket (available soon) attaches to the tripod head and is a self-leveling accessory that keeps your monitor positioned in the correct spot. Not having that accessory available, we mounted our monitor on the tripod head using an Israeli Arm.
The camera can begin with a shot right on the floor and extend up to 14' in one movement (again depending on the tripod height and arm extension). By adding horizontal movement into the vertical assent, our students created incredible shots that could be accomplished no other way. (One example is to have someone stand facing the camera and have the jib arm raise while the camera tilts down, which creates a strange effect as the background changes but the relative position of the talent does not.) Zoom control and follow focus are available, but we did not have that ability with our camera.
None of the students who used the Type-S had any previous experience with a jib. But in a matter of minutes they had mastered it. One mentioned to me that just by watching what another student did with the jib, he came up with a few new shot ideas for his next project.
Our reach was extended by having someone hold the camera while another removed the pin. The arm was extended 3' and the pin re-inserted. A visual guide on the side of the arm alerts you when you reach the end of the extension.
Wanting to try a larger camera, we attached the Panasonic HPX500 to the camera bed. Needing a little more weight to the back end, we attached a sandbag to the chrome handle and the camera balanced. Moves with a heavier camera are more difficult because of the weight at the end of the jib arm, but you still get dynamic shots.
J. Michael Media S-Type Jib
$2,499
DV Score:
Pros:
Robust, easy to transport, assemble and operate, with a simple design that works.
Cons:
Lacks of monitor attachment bracket, but that’s coming.
Bottom Line:
A great compact jib that will add value to your production.
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