Genus Mini Jib

News

by Tim FokFebruary 11^th, 2014

Genus has teamed up with DSLR Devices to bring us another mini jib to the market. We’ve seen quite a few of these products surface over the last couple of years. With camera devices becoming smaller and more accessible, it’s only natural that grip equipment follows suit.

DSLR Devices brought us one of the first fully compact solutions to the jib. I myself am an owner of one of these jibs, and the new one seems to have addressed some of the short falls of the original micro crane.

The Genus mini jib utilizes a folding hinge and two twist locks to provide a single collapsible unit, solving a problem with the previous jib where it packed down into 3 separate pieces.

It has an increased payload of 4.25kg, weighs 1.25kg, is collapsible to a length of 84cm, and has an operating length of 180cm; it has a maximum height range of 187cm.

The mini jib has etched markings on the sides. I quite like this; it could make setups very quick indeed if you memorize your markings for a perfectly balanced system.

Like many of these compact jibs, it travellers without weights or quick release plates. The Manfrotto 577 is a great solution for this, and in reference to my previous comment on memorizing your markings, a Sachtler Sideload Plate has measurements on the side which would be another handy accessory to get all your adjustments precise (This Sachtler plate is compatible with the Manfrotto 577 adaptor).

The dark side of these products is their stability. Having used a few products in the ‘mini jib’ category, it seems inevitable that with a reduced form factor, comes a limitation in stability; sway and bounce movement are the two worst offenders here. The Genus Mini Jib certainly looks more reinforced than it predecessor, so I have hopes that it performs better in this regard; I won’t expect it to be quite to the stability of the Kessler Pocket Jib Traveller however.

Naturally it comes in at a price sitting significantly under the aforementioned Kessler, putting it inline with the Glidetrack Carbon Crane, a similar spec’d product. We’ll hopefully be getting hold of the Genus Mini Jib soon to conduct a first hand review.

Genus also have a universal motor controlled system in the pipeline, designed to attach to your lower jib arm and tripod leg. The motor operates a winch, controlling the vertical axis of the jib arm. More info on this when the product officially releases.