Cameraman Mako Koiwai Pairs Cameras for Indy 500 3D Shoot

Cameraman Mako Koiwai has been heavily involved in New Wave Entertainment’s shoot for 3net of the 100th Anniversary of the Indy 500 in 3D.

Koiwai was one of the first to employ the new K-Tek’s Norbert Sport Jr. for a high-profile production. He says that the pairing of the Norbert Sport Jr. with the hot new GoPro cameras was a strong combination combination.

“By themselves, GoPros are too light for getting smooth handheld shots,” he says. “The Norbert Sport Jr. adds a bit of heft. They have solid handgrips and a place to add a neck strap, if you are carrying more than one at a time. I was able to push the cameras to the limits because of the added stability and performance of the Norbert Sport Jr. I don’t know of any other support that could do this.”

While much of Koiwai’s work is operating or assisting on high-end commercials shot with full-size cameras, he often adds GoPro shots.

“The Norbert Sport Jr. is always part of that support package,” he said. “Often the GoPro is used for car mount shots. However, just as often we’ll pull a GoPro for handheld – and that’s where Norbert Sport Jr. is there to stabilize these lightweight mini cameras, to insure professional-looking results.”

Koiwai has also been testing the new Norbert Sport Jr. for 3D GoPro set-ups where he can adjust the inter-axial distance between two GoPros. “I know of no other rig that would allow me to easily mount one GoPro upside down, which is what the GoPro sync cable requires,” he says.