WONKYCAM    The Beast  

 In recent years much has been made of putting a remote iris/focus receiver on the side of the hand held camera. Modern schedules and increasing complexity of shots makes it necessary. Indeed many of the scenarios I’m involved in these days simply cannot be achieved without remote focus and iris.  

The development of miniature TX/RX high frequency video modules has rid the operator of ‘the cable’ connecting that inferior deceptive video image  to the gathering of pond life around the monitor.  

LCD TFT screens are still a difficult area but improving.  

Put together these very complex technologies and you have very simple and logical solutions to new challenges.  

Wonky can be fitted to any camera light enough to hold away from the eye. Indeed too light a camera can be a disadvantage; thus I developed Wonky around my XTR Plus, removing the viewfinder system and developing my own flexible handle using a ball joint to suspend/support the camera in one hand while steadying and operating effectively with both hands. Furthermore Wonky has been transferred at short notice in the camera truck to the Prod for the need to use the sophisticated options for TV sync and varispeed.  

The placement of LCD screen, glasses or Pussycam helmet (ex) is a matter of personal choice and practicality for the required shot. Of course it all has to be catered for in the harnessing which joins camera to human body; thus various positions have to be cabled.   

I have to admit that while it is simple in principle, the fact is, it has taken eons, fortunes and great pain - both physical and mental - to actually bring together something that works in real life for the whole crew as well as me.  Many issues are involved in order to make the unit immediately flexible on set given the increasingly unworkable schedules that TV is so clever at inventing.  

The camera is broken down into its lightest possible form and everything is remoted by specially built cable to the operators body where a Wonky control centre delivers to and from the camera interfacing with the operator.  

The result is that with body control stamina and operating experience very smooth shots can be achieved as well as violent ones.   

This device does not supersede nor aspire to be better or worse than any other camera support systems such as Steadicam or vibration isolation type devices. It simply does different things. Horses for courses.

If you’re as mad as me, you can contact me via my website  

Daf Hobson

Wonkycam - 2001