kwkeirstead
Well-known member
Here is a review of the new Beachtek Inc “KAMKIT” Camera Accessory Kit.
The Kit comprises a MultiMount bracket, boom mic shock mount, and top handle.
I purchased a copy of the Beachtek 5D Bracket in 2012 and after submitting some comments on this unit, the manufacturer kindly shipped me a copy of a prototype of their new bracket.
After several months of use on a Panasonic AG-AC160A recording some ten stage presentations there were no instances of the bracket coming loose or getting in the way of camera operations.
The KAMIT arrived in a cardboard box with paper filler. The three components were encapsulated in plastic packaging – contrary to some plastic packaging where you virtually have to demolish a product to gain access to it, the Kamkit packaging was easily opened from the top (no scissors/no box cutters needed) to reveal a hinged bottom.
The bracket is made of aircraft grade aluminium with a brass mounting foot that can be easily connected to a camera shoe. The distance between the mounting foot and the bracket is such that it is easy to work the thumbscrew. The slots have no backstops but have been tightly machined to allow easy slide in of attachments. The finger wheel is solid. Finger tight is all that is needed to secure the bracket to a camera shoe.
There are six shoes for mounting accessories (three horizontal, two vertical, one inside of the bracket frame). The two vertical shoes have ¼”/20 threaded holes to provide added security when mounting accessories on the vertical faces of the bracket. The unit ships with two brass screws.
The bottom face of the bracket has three holes that allow direct mounting of the bracket on the Blackmagic Cinema Camera. As shown in the picture below, the bracket is equally at home on a Panasonic AG-AC160A.
The Boom Mic Shock Mount has a shoe mount located in a T-shaped holder with four rubber connectors to the blue mic holder. The shoe mount is positioned within a 2 1/2“ slot that allows a mic to be moved forward or backward relative to the position of the bracket. The manufacturer states that the shock mount is “Highly effective at reducing vibration and hand holding noise”. It can be mounted on any of the 6 bracket shoes. I have two Rode Videomics that use special “rubber bands” – these mics can only be mounted in a shoe so I was not able to test the Boom Mic Shock Mount.
I did test the Top Mount Handle on the AG-AC160A. The logical mounting point on the bracket is the center shoe on the top row of three. The handle appears to be made of poly-material but I would not expect it to have any issues with camcorders weighing less than ten pounds. As the 160A has a built in handle, I don’t expect to have any use for the Top Mount Handle. I got a better center of gravity with the handle facing backwards instead of forward as shown on the packaging. I can see the utility of the handle on DSLRs and camcorders that do not have in-line handles.
I notice that B&H has posted a product page for the Beachtek Kamkit. Make sure you check out the pictures.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/925398-REG/beachtek_kamkit_accessory_pack.html
All in all, an excellent product and, in my view, a “must have” accessory set.
It will be interesting to see what the selling price is.
The Kit comprises a MultiMount bracket, boom mic shock mount, and top handle.
I purchased a copy of the Beachtek 5D Bracket in 2012 and after submitting some comments on this unit, the manufacturer kindly shipped me a copy of a prototype of their new bracket.
After several months of use on a Panasonic AG-AC160A recording some ten stage presentations there were no instances of the bracket coming loose or getting in the way of camera operations.
The KAMIT arrived in a cardboard box with paper filler. The three components were encapsulated in plastic packaging – contrary to some plastic packaging where you virtually have to demolish a product to gain access to it, the Kamkit packaging was easily opened from the top (no scissors/no box cutters needed) to reveal a hinged bottom.
The bracket is made of aircraft grade aluminium with a brass mounting foot that can be easily connected to a camera shoe. The distance between the mounting foot and the bracket is such that it is easy to work the thumbscrew. The slots have no backstops but have been tightly machined to allow easy slide in of attachments. The finger wheel is solid. Finger tight is all that is needed to secure the bracket to a camera shoe.
There are six shoes for mounting accessories (three horizontal, two vertical, one inside of the bracket frame). The two vertical shoes have ¼”/20 threaded holes to provide added security when mounting accessories on the vertical faces of the bracket. The unit ships with two brass screws.
The bottom face of the bracket has three holes that allow direct mounting of the bracket on the Blackmagic Cinema Camera. As shown in the picture below, the bracket is equally at home on a Panasonic AG-AC160A.
The Boom Mic Shock Mount has a shoe mount located in a T-shaped holder with four rubber connectors to the blue mic holder. The shoe mount is positioned within a 2 1/2“ slot that allows a mic to be moved forward or backward relative to the position of the bracket. The manufacturer states that the shock mount is “Highly effective at reducing vibration and hand holding noise”. It can be mounted on any of the 6 bracket shoes. I have two Rode Videomics that use special “rubber bands” – these mics can only be mounted in a shoe so I was not able to test the Boom Mic Shock Mount.
I did test the Top Mount Handle on the AG-AC160A. The logical mounting point on the bracket is the center shoe on the top row of three. The handle appears to be made of poly-material but I would not expect it to have any issues with camcorders weighing less than ten pounds. As the 160A has a built in handle, I don’t expect to have any use for the Top Mount Handle. I got a better center of gravity with the handle facing backwards instead of forward as shown on the packaging. I can see the utility of the handle on DSLRs and camcorders that do not have in-line handles.
I notice that B&H has posted a product page for the Beachtek Kamkit. Make sure you check out the pictures.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/925398-REG/beachtek_kamkit_accessory_pack.html
All in all, an excellent product and, in my view, a “must have” accessory set.
It will be interesting to see what the selling price is.
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