Sachtler Gear Helps Capture Intense Action at Dakar Rally

For the second time, Sachtler (a Vitec Group brand) has furnished the eight-member DakarPress Team with professional camera support equipment at the 2010 Dakar Rally. In addition to the new Video 18 S1 fluid head and the Speed Lock CF tripod, a Sachtler camera stabilizer system was also used in 2010 – the artemis DV Pro MD.

“This is Dakar: Every day a new surprise,” says Léon Jansen of the official DakarPress Team. “You have to decide how you’re going to manage it.”

During the rally, the team not only has to fight against a lack of sleep and the highest UV index in the world – there is also the rough terrain to consider: “When recording in the dunes and at the camp, we used the camera stabilizer system artemis DV Pro MD,” says Jansen. “When walking, the system absorbs movement very well. Steady recording and perfect pictures are the result.

Although the artemis DV Pro MD was developed for smaller HDV cameras, the rigs offer all of the features of the big systems – for example, Dual Dynamic Balance with fine adjustment, the quick release coupling for easy disconnection and the six-core main cable with Lemo plug for a dependable connection to the module. For the 2011 Dakar Rally, the DakarPress Team is planning to have the operator film from the roof of the Jeep with artemis.

When the drivers appear, the DakarPress Team is already there and has just one chance to film the rally participants from different perspectives. Once again this year, Jansen and his team relied on robust Sachtler products, which also have to be compact, as there is only limited space in the Jeep. The lightweight Speed Lock CF tripod can be set quickly and provide solid stability. The new Sachtler Video 18 S1 fluid head is also ready for filming quickly. The Boost Button enables a quick shift in payload range, and the tried and tested Speedbalance technology allows for rapid fine adjustment.

“When the rally drivers come rushing up, things have to go quickly, or else you miss the moment for the best pictures,” says Jansen. “We decided in favor of Sachtler equipment because the products always function perfectly – even under the extreme conditions of the Dakar Rally. Neither rain, dust, nor the enormous heat in the Atacama Desert, the driest place on earth, could impair their functions.”

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