The Wooden Camera 15mm Maxi Rod Light can be utilized as a traditional 15mm rod, but it also features a built-in light so that you can see lens markings, etc. when working in lowlight environments.
Back in June at Cine Gear 2024 in Los Angeles, Wooden Camera showed a prototype of its 15mm Maxi Rod Light.
Why would you want to use this?
Having a 15mm rod with a built-in light makes a lot of sense, especially for a 1st AC when running lens motors from top-mounted rods. It allows you to see what you are doing without needing to pull out an additional light when working in low-light environments. Sure, you could use a headlamp, etc. but if you already have something on the camera it is one less thing you need to worry about.
You could also attach one of these rods to a monitor like a SmallHD Cine 13 etc. to illuminate your hand unit or other tools.
This isn’t necessarily going to be a product that appeals to everyone, but I think it is handy regardless of whether you are a self-shooter or working in big crews.
Available Sizes
The Wooden Camera 15mm Maxi Rod Lights are available in 4″, 6″, and 8″ lengths. This should suit most people’s needs, although I would have liked to have seen some additional longer lengths for when you are running long lenses.
Specifications:
- 4″: Weight: 18.87 g (0.04 lbs)| Dimensions: 99.6 x 14 x 14 mm (3.48 x 0.55 x 0.55″)
- 6″: Weight: 28.3 g (0.06 lbs) | Dimensions: 151 x 14 x 14 mm (5.98 x 0.55 x 0.55″)
- 8″: Weight: 35.42 g (0.08 lbs) | Dimensions: 202 x 14 x 14 mm (7.96 x 0.55 x 0.55″)
Build Quality
The housing is made from aluminum, and the rigidity and strength are no different from any other good quality 15mm rod.
Power
The rod can only be powered through a 2-Pin LEMO connection. The voltage input is 11-36V. This type of power input does make its usability less versatile, but given who it is aimed at, having a LEMO input probably made the most sense.
When I spoke to Wooden Camera at Cine Gear 2024 they told me that they are also looking at potentially making a different version with an in-built battery. Having an in-built battery, at least in my opinion, makes more sense, because the light isn’t something you are going to have turned on for long periods of time. If you did make a version with an in-built battery you could also potentially put in a USB-C output so you could power other accessories.
How do you use it?
It offers 3 different, dimmable lighting options in Red, UV, and White LED, that are controlled by a joystick.
The little joystick controller is at the end of the rod where you can choose between white, red, and ultra violet light sources. You can also control the intensity which is nice.
Having an ultra violet option is handy, especially for anyone working with lenses that have luminous markings as it allows you to clearly see markings by using a low-output lighting source.
Real World Thoughts
The Wooden Camera 15mm Maxi Rod Lights work as advertised and I like the concept.
You can use them with lens motors and it is nice to have an in-built light.
Having three different light colors and having the ability to change the intensity is a nice touch.
My biggest issue is that they need to be powered by a LEMO connector and this not only ties up one of your power outputs, but it also makes it unusable for certain set-ups and not usable with cameras that don’t offer a LEMO output.
Caveats
Now, because of the design, you are not going to be able to use the Wooden Camera 15mm Maxi Rod Lights with certain rod mounts.
For instance, the top rod mount for the ARRI Alexa 35 doesn’t let you pass a rod through it because it ends up hitting the top plate. As the LEMO connector is on the end of the rod, it is impossible to power it. There are quite a few rod mounts on cameras, both top and bottom where you will run into this issue.
The caveat of not using an internal battery means it isn’t going to be suitable to use with certain rod mounts and camera setups.
Price & Availability
The Wooden Camera 15mm Maxi Rod Lights are now available to purchase for $249 USD. This does make them quite expensive, but for certain camera configurations having the in-built light will be a welcome feature for 1st ACs.
