The Genie Motion Control Time-Lapse Devicefrom Syrp is your key to the creative world of time-lapse photography or real-time video. The 4" cube takes up very little space in your bag, and at only 3.3 lb it's easy to make it part of your standard rig.

The Genie, which allows both panning and linear motion control, attaches to standard gear such as dollies, sliders, jib arms, and tripods. Simply attach it to your tripod or support and mount your optional camera and ball head to the 3/8"-16 stud atop the Genie. The weight of your equipment is rarely a concern since it supports up to 44 lb. An illuminated bubble level is built-in for setting up in low light. The Genie has factory presets such as Stars, People, or Clouds, but you can enter an unlimited amount of user presets into the Genie's memory for custom work. At maximum panning speed, a 360° pan takes five seconds, while 39" of linear movement takes just 23 seconds.

Linear time-lapse can be done on a rail or on a linear support system of your own making. While the Genie comes with 9.8' of rope to pull it across the rail, the movement of your time-lapse is only limited by the length of your rope. Kevlar-cored rope with lengths of 328', 164', or 32.8' are available separately. The Genie has been tested successfully on a homemade 60' dual-cable stretched over a lake.

Inputs include both USB for firmware and a sensor input. The free firmware upgrade enables bulb ramp-in and ramp-out functions, as well as HDR (High Dynamic Range). Ramping is the process of modifying exposure settings on a camera to maintain a desired exposure value while the camera is in Bulb mode. This is especially valuable for transitional day into night, or night into day time-lapses.

The sensor input accepts a motion, light, sound, or other type of sensor to start your program in response to specific stimuli. The Genie ships with both panning and sliding bases, two slider mounts, 9.8' of rope, and a multi-voltage charger for its built-in battery. A three-hour charge gives you about 12 hours of run time, depend on the weight of your camera. The Genie is compatible with approximately 130 cameras from nine major brands. A camera link cable must be purchased separately.