The Makayama Movie Mount is essentially a case for your iPad 2 that allows you to “radically improve video capture” by attaching a number of professional photography related peripherals. Some of the possibilities include third-party wide angle and tele-lenses, microphones and lights, and a standard tripod (not included) for “stable shots, pan & tilt camera movements”.
Simply clip the iPad 2 into the case and attach your third-party accessories to one of the two standard hot shoes or screw fittings. Wide angle lens conversion up to 0.5x and zoom-angle up to 2x comes courtesy of a 37mm screw fitting that allows you to attach conversion lenses and even switch between the attached lens and the iPad’s lens on the fly.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2mKeAmEwOM&feature=player_embedded]
Another interesting use is the ability to attach an optical view finder, as the video above demonstrates, allowing you to capture video in lighting conditions when the iPad display might be hard to see.
There is also a free Movie Mount app (iTunes link) to accompany the accessory that gives you an impressive number of features for both video and photo capture. Among them is the ability to set and lock focuspoint, monitor battery level, 5x zooming for photo capture, and audio level monitoring. The app isn’t required to use the Movie Mount hardware, however.
You can pre-order the Makayama Movie Mount now for $69.95 (49.95 EUR) including shipping. Pre-order deliveries are expected to land sometime in October.
(via Mobile Magazine)
