Jony Jib Pro 21'
 

Just received the Jony Jib Pro 21' and have to say that I was quite impressed by it's ease of use and options for control.

There are a few, minor, issues on certain aspects.. such as the LCD monitor that I optioned for does not allow full-frame viewing, so a stray light stand or boom could be in shot, but not seen. - certainly not an issue with the Jib, but more on the monitor manufacturer.

At full range of 21' - using the JVC GY-HD200 - the balance of 150lbs was reasonable to operate this giant.

A minor adjustment to the mitchell machined head would be in order to fit comfortably onto the supplied Cartoni legs.

Some muffling on the focus control motor is needed, as it is a little loud - though not enough to be picked up by mic.

Also, even though it is not a listed option or inclusion, the use of a cantilever would have calmed my nerves based on the bowing of the unit.

I must add that Jony have really great customer support, as well as a great acceptance of input and suggestions in regards to their design.

JonyJib Pro
 

Patrick,
I also have a JonyJib Pro 21 (and I use the JVC 200 cam on it as well!)

Did you get the focus/zoom controller with it? I am having problems with the focus control not being reliable. It seems to slip quite a bit. How is your experience with it?

Would love to hear more about your experience with the jib. I've taken it out on 3 paid gigs so far. I'm getting better at it each time, but it's a pretty steep learning curve for me on the compound moves!

How much time does it take to set up this crane? -Break down?

Jony Jib Pro setup
 

I always use a 2 man crew to set my jib up at 21 feet. It's safer that way. We can get set up in about an hour.

Takes about 1/2 hour to tear down.

and whats the learning curve? You need someone trained - experienced to run it right?

learning curve
 

I've been shooting for about 20 years now and consider myself to be pretty adequate (especially hand-held stuff)

To operate the jib, especially on compound shots where you're moving the jib arm and the camera head at the same time, it takes some getting used to.

But, like most anything else, practice makes perfect. I keep my jib set up in my garage and try to roll it out a couple of times a week to practice.

If you're a good shooter, then I believe with some practice, you can be a good jib operator. Hope this helps!

Jony Jib
 

Hi guys,

I'm interested in purchasing the Jonyjib Pro 30' version of this jib but I cannot find many reviews on the net (actually none) and I was wondering about your true thoughts on the arm, remotehead (moto30), and if there is much bowing of the jib at lengths greater than 21'? Is the remote head motors loud? I have the Glidecam Vistahead which looks identical to the moto20 head and it's quite loud. I was also wondering what the end of the jib look like and how a remote head can mount to it. Is it a mitchell mount or a platform with holes in it?

The pictures on the site make the arm look really sturdy and thick. I like that but it's only what I see...I'd like to have a good indepth review of it! I'm considering the Jony, Cammate, or Jimmy but would like to have something above 21' in length.

I heard Cammate is coming out with the Cammate Retract jib (18') which is actually a telescoping jib like the supertechnos. Another company in China has one called the Gension SuperTechno. Quite expensive but I think worth the money for the shots that can be created...

Norm

JonyJib Pro review
 

Here's my 2 cents . . . the motorheads are very noisy. It would be pretty much impossible to shoot any close up dialog.

As far as bowing, I don't have the 30 foot model, but in my 21 foot jib, there is some bowing.

The motorhead attaches via 4 screws on a plate. You can attached it "over slung" or "under slung"

Also, I am having no luck with the focus controller I bought with the Jonyjib (very unreliable) and the zoom controller only has 1 speed and that's full blast!

Another thing to consider is that with the Jonyjib (and most others) you are going to need a very good, heavy duty tripod. And that's another big cost! The tripod I have for my Jonyjib 21 cost me an additional $1900 (and it doesn't even have the pneumatic tires so I can take it out on the golf course)

Here's a new company you might want to look at: http://www.dinamicam.com/Paginas/maxdv_eng.htm

They sell everything turnkey (including the tripod) and they have a new model coming out (MAX-DV8 - which I"m waiting on) at the end of June. It costs a lot less than the other jibs I've researched.

that's my 2 cents. Hope it helps.

Ralph, looks interesting; can you give us an idea of prices, given your apparent affiliation?

http://www.dinamicam.com/Paginas/distribuidores_eng.htm

That looks like a pretty solid design, but you may wanna add to your profile so you don't get accused of spamming... Steve

How much is the JonyJib 21 ft & 30 ft systems? How much is the Dinamicam system? I own a Jimmy Jib Lite (6'-18' reach) which is around $6800 with tripod. The dolly was an additional $3000 but well worth it. It has worked beautifully and flawlessly for the last 6 years. However, it can only fly systems 20 lbs and below but I've seen someone fly a loaded Varicam which I would never try. In my opinion, they are just asking for it. I really want a Jimmy Jib Triangle with a maximum 40 ft reach! The good thing is that my electronics and gears are identical to the Triangle package so all I'll have to get is the arm and remote head to upgrade. I think the Jimmy Jib systms are the best value for portability and ease of operation. They use a simple and lightweight leveling cable from the rear to the head. They are also the most commonly used full sized jibs in the industry.

Some of the pictures of the jib near the bottom of the JonyJib page looked like they were using the Jimmy Jib's Triangle remote head. The Dinamicam arm looks VERY similar to the CamMate's arm too.

Dinamicam jib
 

Without shipping costs, for a fully tricked out MaxDV & tripod/dolly (includes everything but the zoom/focus controller and monitor) you're looking at about $9550.

However, it won't be ready until late June. I'll be the first to have one in the US, and am looking forward to "test driving" it!

Price for the 21 foot JonyJib with everything (tripod/dolly, zoom/focus) was just a little south of $11,000 for me. I have attached big BetaSP cams to it (Sony 637, D30) but I'm mostly using my JVC 200 on it. Works well with all cams I've attached. And I'd really wish I had a dolly with pneumatic tires so I can take it out to more exteriors shoots and be more mobile.

Question for you . . . how do you like the electronics on your JimmyJib?

Ralph, don't know if you're into DIY much, but have you considered taking the top off an electric golf cart and mounting a jib on that? You couldn't ASK for a much better stable platform, as these have HEAVY batteries (several of them) located under the seat typically - pneumatic tires, slow-start with speed control, steerable, and probably cheaper than anything that claims to be for video use (especially if you buy a used one) - just a thought... Steve

They are great and I haven't had any issues. The gel cell battery lasts forever and the pan/tilt gears are very quiet. All of the electronics, controls and gears are identical to the Triangle. Other than the weight limit of the camera systems, I don't like how the control cable snake has to hang freely and then be looped at the end instead of being threaded inside of the head like the Triangle.