Wooden Camera – NAB 2022 Updates and General Design Philosophy

by Olaf von VossMay 4^th, 2022

At NAB 2022, we had the chance to visit the Creative Solutions suite and talk to Wooden Camera not only about their latest product releases but also about their overall design philosophy when it comes to bringing new products to market.

Channel Sales Manager at Wooden Camera, Matt Eidenbock took the time to explain the thought and design process behind each and every product the company brings to market. But of course, since the interview took place at a major trade show, we also learned about Wooden Camera’s latest products!

Wooden Camera has just launched a nifty Ultra Arm v2, as well as an Ultra QR articulating monitor mount (read our initial coverage here) that allows a production monitor to be quickly attached to a C-Stand.

Wooden Camera design philosophy

The equipment and rigging solutions offered by Wooden Camera are considered to be very well made, but also quite expensive. So what’s the thinking behind their products? Well, according to Matt, it’s all about ease of use. About ten years ago, the company was one of the first to make cages for cameras in the DSLR category, and a little later for the myriad of very capable mirrorless cameras out there.

These cameras have long been considered the non-professional counterparts to true cine cameras. But that’s no longer the case, I would say. Nowadays, almost any camera is a very capable device, and with a little skill and creativity, you can get some amazing shots out of any of them.

However, to use them properly, you need at least a little extra rigging hardware for these somewhat tiny hybrid cameras. Maybe to attach an external monitor or a microphone, to secure those notoriously fragile HDMI cables, the list goes on.

According to Matt, most of Wooden Camera’s staff has a strong background in (indie) filmmaking, so the entire team not only aims to provide useful tools to the filmmaking community but also knows what’s really needed. In addition to tons of feedback, they put a lot of thought into every single product they make. The extra rigging gear shouldn’t be hard to understand, it should be a solution rather than another problem.

Wooden Camera NAB 2022 updates

One of the new products, Wooden Camera has in store for NAB 2022, is the updated Ultra Arm v2, and this little helper is right in line with the company’s design philosophy that Matt talked about: Not only can you easily swap out the 1/4-20″ threads for 3/8-16″ threads, but you can also use what’s called the Ultra Arm Customizer to select the parts you need and build the perfect arm for your specific application. The whole thing still remains modular, of course, just swap out the middle part if you need a longer arm or choose different mounts.

The same goes for the new Ultra QR Articulating Monitor Mount: Pull off the VESA mount, and you get an Arca-Swiss mount without having to buy a whole new product. The price for this mount is $250.

Ease of use, modularity when it makes sense for the product in question, high-quality standards, and consistent design so that different products work well together, use the same types of screws, and so on are the basis of Wooden Camera’s design process here.

Link: Wooden Camera

What do you think? Do you own/use Wooden Camera gear for your projects? Share your experiences in the comments below!