Time-lapse videos can be an interesting and intoxicating way of showing the passage of time, but sometimes a lack of camera movement can make them feel stale. The TurnsPro is the latest device which aims to address this issue by rotating your smartphone, action camera or interchangeable lens camera as it shoots a time-lapse or video. We recently had a look at the TurnsPro, which has just met its Kickstarter target.
TurnsPro is not the first moving time-lapse mount we have seen, we've previously looked at the Astro, Radian, Camalapse, and countless photographers have strapped their cameras to kitchen timers to achieve a similar effect on the cheap. What TurnsPro hopes to do differently is deliver more customizable rotation settings, while still being accessible to a large number of photographers.
The TurnsPro allows users to select rotations clockwise or anti-clockwise ranging from 15 to 360 degrees over a time period of 20 seconds to 10 hours, and with the option of doing a single pan, or continually panning backwards and forwards. Setup of the TurnsPro is done via a simple display on the front and three buttons, and the screen is backlit for use during night shots.
It's important to note that the TurnsPro does not control your camera, or enable it to shoot time-lapse footage. All it does is rotate your camera while it's doing this, and gives users more controls than other devices. There are an increasing number of cameras and smartphones which can now shoot time-lapse natively, and there are always accessories like the Pico if not.
Devices up to 1 kg can be used on the TurnsPro, making it suitable for use with compact or action cameras, smartphones, mirrorless shooters and even DSLRs. At the UK Photography Show we saw it happily rotating away with a GoPro, an iPhone and a Canon Rebel XS and a kit zoom lens attached, though obviously considerably bigger setups are going to be a problem for it.
The mount itself measures 62 mm tall with a 78 mm diameter (2.4 x 3 in), weighs 300 g (10.6 oz) and is powered by four AA batteries, which will keep it going for approximately 10 hours. There are standard tripod mounts on top and bottom, which means you can use the TurnsPro with your camera attached, while it is mounted to a tripod. While it's not weather sealed, the team behind it say they frequently use it in rain with no concerns.
The Kickstarter campaign ends April 1, and has already met its funding target. A TurnsPro bundled with a mobile phone holder is currently available at a pledge level of £45 (around US$67) and, if all goes to plan, it should start shipping in June. £50 ($75) will get you a TurnsPro along with mobile phone and GoPro mounts, while £55 ($82) will net a white version of the TurnsPro which is intended for wedding photographers. There are also discounts for those wanting multiple TurnsPro units.
You can check out the TurnsPro Kickstarter pitch video below.
Sources: TurnsPro, Kickstarter