Sachtler Ace – Matte Box and Follow Focus

Sachtler is a worldwide leading producer of professional camera support equipment such as tripods, fluid heads, camera stabilizer systems, pedestals and lighting.

We delivered an industrial design solution for Sachtler which integrates the Ace tripod design language into its Matte Box and Follow Focus products, to maintain a common product identity across its range.

The industrial design focussed on providing a simplified and consistent user interface which allows the user to concentrate on their job whilst the Matte Box and Follow Focus perform efficiently and smoothly.

The Ace Matte Box design gives the user a professional shooting and filtering solution for preventing glare and lens flare. The design allows the use of standard size filters in two stages. The filter holders are held in place by an innovative push to release button which was developed further by the Sachtler engineering team.

The Ace Follow Focus design allows efficient and precise composition of shots by allowing users to set the focus points on their camera lens, so that when the hand wheel is rotated, the focus distance changes. The ergonomic design coupled with the precision Sachtler engineered mechanics gives users feedback and fine control of their lenses.

The resulting product brings a new level of refinement to the market place at this price point.

Fotocapio – Bouncelite Solo

Bouncelite is a professional product for controlling and modifying the light output from your hot-shoe mounted flash gun and the brainchild of professional photographer Tony Chau.

Tony came to us with a cardboard model, needing help to create a product which would not look out of place on a Speedlight flashgun. The product would need to excel in both form and function to meet the needs of the professional user.

Working closely with Tony the design was created to complement modern flashgun aesthetics, be easy to use, secure, durable and produce a quality and controllability of light unseen in the marketplace.

A quick change filter and secure mounting system were designed, engineered and tested to perform under professional use.

Materials research was conducted to find materials which would reflect and diffuse the light without suffering the effects of UV degradation.

An extensive prototyping phase using SLA’s and vacuum castings was used to determine and refine the material characteristics for the diffuser and validate the design for the mounting system.

We supplied a turn-key product development service from initial industrial design concepts through development, prototyping, detail engineering and transfer to production which allowed Bouncelite to be realised.

The design was fully detailed for injection moulding using PTC Creo and its ISDX capabilities prior to moulding with our production partner in the UK.

Bouncelite was launched with a successful Kickstarter campaign in August 2014 before been exhibited at Photokina 2014 and is now selling successfully worldwide.