Element Gear has three new Bluetooth triggers for the BMPCC 4K and Ursa Mini Pro.
Element Gear is a relatively new company from the Netherlands. All of their products are designed and manufactured in house.
Element Bluetooth Grips are CAD designed and CNC manufactured from walnut wood. To provide a comfortable hold they are finished with a beeswax and linseed oil coating (contrary to most Chinese manufactured grips which are lacquered – and therefore much less comfortable to the touch).
The three new Triggers & Grips for the BMPCC 4K and Ursa Mini Pro are:
- Element Bluetooth Grip (for Blackmagic Design)
- Element Bluetooth Trigger Box (for Blackmagic Design)
- Element Bluetooth sphere (for Blackmagic Design)
What is nice is that the Element Bluetooth Grip and the Element Bluetooth sphere are fully customizable in terms of size and what features you would like on them. You can even select if it is for your left or right hand.
The company offers a number of additional services (i.e. engraving your company logo, using different wood, altering the size and design). Some of these services are additional extras that will cost more.
The medium size grip fits most hands. Element Gear asks its customers to include measurements in centimetres of their hand so that they can determine the correct size. An additional fee is calculated for non-default sized grips.
Element Bluetooth Grip (for Blackmagic Design)
The Element Bluetooth Grip is a hand grip that offers Bluetooth control for the Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 4K (BMPCC4K) and the Ursa Mini Pro
The Element Bluetooth Grip lets you control your Blackmagic Design camera wirelessly. The wireless range is about 5 meter but the actual range depends on the interference of other signals. The closer to the camera, the better the connection. The Element Bluetooth Grip needs power through either USB or D-TAP.
Setting up is very easy. All you need is a (mobile) device with Wifi (i.e. smartphone, laptop) and the login code that is provided when you purchase.
You simply power up the Element Bluetooth Grip, log into the interface, and pair the Element Bluetooth Grip with the camera. After the setup is complete, the camera will automatically connect with the Element Bluetooth Grip as soon as it is powered and within range.
You can choose one, two or three buttons for the Element Bluetooth Grip. Each button can be programmed by yourself through the Wifi interface. For now, you can choose the following commands:
- Rec start/stop
- Instant Autofocus
- Auto aperture
- Change ISO
- Change aperture
- Focus far/near
- Zoom far/near
More commands will be added later. Some are not enabled yet by Blackmagic Design but might be enabled in the near future through firmware updates.
Element Bluetooth sphere
The Element Gear Bluetooth sphere has the same functionality and features as the Element Bluetooth Grip.
The only real difference is that it has been designed to be a spherical shape instead of a grip.
Element Bluetooth Trigger Box
The Element Bluetooth Trigger Box allows you to control your Blackmagic Design camera wirelessly. The wireless range is about 5 meter but the actual range depends on the interference of other signals. The Trigger Box gets power through either USB or D-TAP and can easily be mounted anywhere you like through the 1/4″ thread hole on the bottom.
You can choose one or two buttons for the Trigger Box, although the company will make custom versions if requested with additional features. Each button can be programmed by users through the Wifi interface. Currently, the following commands are available:
– Rec start/stop
– Instant Autofocus
– Auto aperture
– Change ISO
– Change aperture
– Focus far/near
– Zoom far/near
More commands will be added later. Some are not enabled yet by Blackmagic Design but might be enabled in the near future through firmware updates.
Price & Availability
Element Bluetooth Trigger Box (for Blackmagic Design) €175.00/€125.00
Cable is included in this purchase. Default cable length is 50cm. Please specify in the order notes if you need a different length.
Note: the casing is made out of ABS plastic to ensure maximum throughput of the Bluetooth signal. Contact the company for custom orders with different materials.
Element Bluetooth Grip (for Blackmagic Design) €450.00/€375.00
Note: the aluminum backplate of the final product is anodized black and the cable is a 90 degrees LEMO plug (instead of straight).
Element Bluetooth sphere (for Blackmagic Design) €425.00/€350.00
Note: the aluminium back plate of the final product is anodized black.
For all of the products, there is special pre-order pricing for the first batch (summer 2019). Orders close on June 30th, 2019. You will receive the product early /mid-July. (The following batch will be late 2019 for regular price.)
Price includes 21% VAT. Please notify the company if you have a valid intra-community VAT number, the company will refund the 21% VAT through PayPal.
The ErgoCine legacy continues
Ruben de Boer is the brains behind Element Gear and he is also now the contact point for filmmakers interested in ErgoCine grips. As you may well be aware, David Ford from ErgoCine passed away last year, but with the blessing of David’s family, Ruben will keep the ErgoCine grips legacy alive.
For customers who order the “David Ford Grip” (i.e. original ErgoCine model, wingnut and rosette are non-ErgoCine parts), 10% of the revenue is donated to IDFA‘s education program in memory of David.
Additionally, Element Gear will offer customer support to existing ErgoCine owners. As long as you can get the grip here in Utrecht, the Netherlands, he will repair and refinish the grips. Please note that this is not for full replacements, but only the parts and finishing to keep the ErgoCine grips like new.
