Rental Kit News

Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro upgraded with ISO 3200

Blackmagic have upgraded the firmware of their fantastic URSA Mini Pro camera. One slight downfall of the camera was it's low light performance. But now they have improved the noise at the current ISO levels which has allowed them to add in a new ISO 3200 option. Recent firmware...

Camera rigs - what works best for you?

Here at Maniac Films we love a well designed camera rig, because while it's possible to shoot great video with just a camera and lens, many film-makers quickly realise that they need to add extra kit such as monitors, external recorders, matte boxes and microphones to their set-up. Mos...

Ronin-S 3-axis 1-handed gimbal stabiliser

New in from DJI, we now offer the DJI Ronin-S 3-axis gimbal stabiliser, designed to be used one handed with DSLR & Mirrorless cameras. The Ronin-S is a lightweight and versatile solution which is idea for cameras such as the Sony a7s II and Canon EOS 5D. For video demos and tutoria...

Inglorious - Where Are You Now? music video lighting & jib hire

Back in August 2018 we hired our Losmandy Porta-Jib, Arri and Ianiro lights, Sachtler tripod and a camera rig to Nathan James, lead singer of rock band Inglorious to shoot two new music videos for their upcoming 3rd album. The first music video has just been released in advance of the a...

Teradek Bolt 500 LT 3G-SDI Wireless kit now available

A few years ago we invested in the original Teradek Bolt Pro SDI zero-delay wireless video system and have been very pleased with the results! Technology has moved on and Teradek have improved their offerings in the Bolt Family. Because of this, we now offer for hire the Teradek Bolt 50...

Using LUTS on Blackmagic monitors & cameras

As more cameras offer a flat recording format, which offers more stops of dynamic range and therefore more room to play with when grading the finished film, LUTS are becoming more important and are becoming a feature in more monitors and camera outputs. 3D LUTs or Look Up Tables are sim...

LED light & 4k Monitor hire for Pacapod shoot

We recently hired one of our 2k LED LS C300d lights to local videographer Pete along with a Blackmagic Smartview 4K production monitor and various grip items including a clapper board. Pete was filming a new campaign video for baby accessory company Pacapod. The shoot was located near L...

TP-300 Teleprompter kit - how to use it

Our DataVideo TP-300 teleprompter kit for tablets (such as the iPad or similar android tablets) has proved popular as an affordable, lightweight option for providing autocue on set. We offer two hiring options TP-300 Teleprompter: the basic teleprompter kit Teleprompter with iPa...

Aputure C300D LED film lighting upgraded

Our Aputure LS C300d LED COB Daylight light have just been upgraded with a new filter over the LED element. The original batch of lights had a slight issue,where the LS C300d bare bulb may cause a very slight green tint at the edges of the light's cast. It wasn't visible is using ...

Aputure lighting hire for Fitness centre promo film

Back in February 2018 we hired our Aputure LED panel kit and 1m Glidetrack Slider to Matt of Province Media to shoot a promotional film for Matt Luxton Heath & Fitness. The film was shot using Matt's GH5 in a day on location at the fitness centre. Matt used the Aputure lights hi...

New SSD recorder for the Blackmagic URSA Mini

Now available - The Blackmagic SSD recorder for the URSA Mini & URSA mini Pro cameras - ideal for longer recording times than CFAST cards. Blackmagic have brought out some fantastic 4K cameras recently, but one issue is the CFAST recording media, which is expensive and also doesn...

Aputure 2K LED film lighting now in stock

We now stock the Aputure LS C300d LED COB Daylight light - with dimmer and wireless remote control matching the other Aputure Light Storm series lights. This light can be powered by mains or from high rated V-lock batteries for use in the field. To date this is the biggest and brightest li...

'Before I Go' short film wins Audience Choice Award

Back in July this year (2017) we hired an Outdoors Location Audio Kit to Scott Stevens which was to be used on the shoot for his new short film 'Before I Go'. We have just found out that the film won the 'Audience Choice' award at the Two Short Nights film festival in Ex...

Radio Mics used for National Baby Swimming Week promo

Back in May 2017 we hired a set of Sennheiser Radio mics, as well as an audio recorder and camera top microphone to Tommy from Water Babies in Exeter. Water Babies is a nationwide company which offer swimming classes for babies and young children, allowing them to gain confidence and bu...

Tascam DR-10C micro audio recorders in stock

Maniac Films now stock the Tascam DR-10CS micro Linear PCM audio recorder. (for specs and hire prices see our Hire page) This is a fantastic little device that solves an issue that we would occasionally face when using radio mics - radio interference. Although radio mic systems are bec...