Something that anyone with a camera could appreciate. A way to film yourself handfree without the need of an extra person to man the camera. The SoloShot2 aims to accomplish this by automatically tracking you as you move, fly or anything else as long as you stay within 2000 feet from the camera.
It is a robotic base that attaches between your tripod and recording device (up to 5lbs) and has the ability to move both horizontally and vertically to get the perfect shot. Tracking you via a tag that you can wear or attach to something else you are focusing on, it will automatically move in all directions, keeping the target in the shot at all times.
The SoloShot2 also has the ability to control certain camcorders and DSLR cameras for zoom as well as starting or stopping the recording session or taking images. They can even network together for multiple SoloShot2 locations, just in case you need multiple angles.
The Tag that comes with both an armband and clip, communicates with the base from up to 2000 feet away. The band obviously so that you can wear the tag and the clip so that you can attach it to other objects like an RC device (ie, drone, plane, helicopter, etc) or vehicle. It is waterproof, allowing you to use it in many situations and is supposed to be light and comfortable when worn. They also plan on releasing additional accessories in the future for it.
Both devices have a battery life that is functional in most shooting situations. The base can last up to 8 hours (4 hours if it is being used to power a camera) and the tag can last around 4 hours. Of course, this means that you are looking at 4 hours unless you have additional tags. Both devices charge via USB, so if you have an external USB charging solution or an outlet nearby, it can be right back in the game without having to bring any additional batteries with you (assuming you can wait around for it to charge of course).
As for additional tags, it has the capability of tracking a number of them. This allows you to track multiple targets in the video or swap one out if it runs out of juice. Very useful if you don’t know how long the day will run nor have a power source nearby. They run about $150 per extra tag.
Both devices support future firmware updates, just in case any tweaking is necessary to maintain optimal performance. Something that any device–especially in its price range–should support.
For multiple angles, you can purchase multiple bases to track the same tag–or tags–with, easily by networking them all together. This could be useful in situations where a lot of distance needs to be covered; assuming of course that you keep all devices within range.
The SoloShot2 has multiple shoot modes including the ability to track fast moving objects smoothly at up to 25 degrees a second.
There is also an optional controller so that you can maintain control of the base and camera from a distance if needed. It allows you control the automatic zoom, video and image taking as well as marking various highlights in the video as you go. You can also trigger time-lapses, astrophotography features and supports firmware upgrades as well.
The SoloShot2 is available in multiple markets including Amazon and the price tag isn’t too bad considering the fact that it falls somewhere along the lines as professional equipment. Assuming of course that it doesn’t have any bugs that would chase a professional photographer or videographer away. We haven’t had the chance to put one to the test, so you will have to find out for yourself. The feedback from customers going around though looks pretty positive, so we don’t expect there to be any disappointment.
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