Looking to get started with recording video on the go using an affordable rig paired with the smartphone in your pocket? We have been playing with the SmartCine Complete Universal Smartphone Video Kit by Sevenoak/Movo that looks to deliver an option for users looking to do just that.
The rig consists of a handle that screws on to a mount that your smartphone slides into. The mount then brings new features to your smartphone, including a powered stereo microphone, powered LED ring light, and attachable lenses. A single cable runs between the mic and your phone and you are ready to start shooting.
The entire setup is pretty simple and it features an internal rechargeable battery that powers both the light and the microphone. The handle features a rubberized grip to keep you from losing your grip, as well as a wrist strip (just in case you still manage to try to throw it at the ground somehow).
The LED ring-light is powerful enough to have a noticeable effect when shooting a subject at night and at close range. It doesn’t do much during already lit scenarios, of course, so you won’t be using it to increase the light much in the room as you would tripod lights. However, during low-light or evening situations, it is more than enough when your subject is close to the camera. Great if you want to shoot some amateur shots in pitch-black scenarios to mimick something like a scene from Blair Witch.
It features switches on the side to turn the light on and off and switch between low, medium or high intensity.
The optional lenses attach to the hole your camera is peaking through, and screws into place. You can choose to go without a lens or choose between using a wide-angle lens or a fish-eye lens, to help capture more within the image or add character to what you are capturing.
Since it depends on threading to the SmartCine itself and not your phone, you don’t have to worry about gluing or sticking anything to the phone itself (ie, like the metal washers that some lens solutions come with to attach directly to the back of a phone or case with).
The microphone is powered omnidirectional stereo mic and turns on via a switch on the side of the mic. You have the option of running it flat or with low-pass to get rid of some of the lows, and you also have the option of giving a 10dB boost (in case you feel your audio is a bit light in any given situation).
We found the microphone to be a little sharp when it comes to mid-highs and highs, without enough focus on the lows (despite running flat). You can see this in the unboxing video below toward the end of the video, where sample content was shot using the rig. The +10dB option was also selected so that you can see how hot it gets with it selected.
It still sounds good when you want to pick up a much fuller soundstage, but it would be nice to get some more of those lows in the mix as well.
You do have the option of monitoring the microphone using a pair of headphones. This way you know exactly what it is going to sound like in the record as you are shooting.
As mentioned, it is rechargeable and they promise up to 20 hours of usage before having to give it another charge. So it should last you plenty of recording time before having to worry about the battery. Chances are, your phone might die before it does.
They also provide a wonderful case to store it all in, that keeps everything neatly organized and protected.
Our Conclusion
It’s a decent rig to get you started with when you need something simple for mobile shooting. It could also be used for B-roll as well when you need to capture something quickly. Great for beginners, like school interviews and such, when you aren’t working with a budget of any kind. Good for beginner vloggers and so forth. The battery life is great, the light is wonderful as well. You can get it to fit just about any phone (as long as the phone isn’t in a case). The microphone is the only thing that isn’t perfect for the price range. It’s a bit sharper on the highs than it needs to be. Or at least, there needs to be more of a presence of lower frequencies to help balance this with. But then again, this is an entry-level option, so if sound quality is an important factor, you most likely will be looking for a more detailed/involved solution.
| Buy from Amazon | |
Our Rating | Average Price* $99.95 |
*Average price is based on the time this article was published
Video:
Additional Images:
Specifications:
- Transducer: Condenser
- Polar Pattern: Omnidirectional
- Frequency Response: 40-18,000Hz
- Signal to Noise Ratio: 74dB
- Power Supply: Built-in Lithium-Ion Battery
- Battery Life: 150 hours
- Plug: 3.5mm Jack
- Working Time: 20 hours
Are you a manufacturer or distributor that would like us to test something out for review? Contact us and we can let you know where to send the product and we will try it out.
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