Padcaster Transforms Your iPad Into A DSLR Camera
by Tommy Ly
April 18, 2012
A few weeks ago, we told you about the Padcaster rig for iPad. At the time, there was nothing but a teaser video that was shot with the Padcaster, but no information on what it actually was. After being unveiled this week at the National Association of Broadcasters conference in Las Vegas, The Verge had a chance to make this video of their hands-on time with the Padcaster.
At $199, Padcaster consists of an aluminum frame with a urethane insert that holds the new iPad. The frame has threaded holes around the perimeter so you can mount the Padcaster on a tripod, or attach lights, microphones, and other accessories to the rig as well. Unfortunately, it'll cost you an extra $79.99 for the Lenscaster, which allows you to add a DSLR lens to the Padcaster for some shallow depth of field or added focus range in your videos.
Impractical or not, using the Padcaster will make shooting 1080p video on your iPad easier, especially with a 9.7 inch Retina display viewfinder. I know what you're thinking: For the price of a new iPad, the Padcaster, and the Lenscaster, you could get a decent DSLR. That option would be more portable and actually make sense to take out and shoot video with, but with a DSLR camera, you can't play games, read books, or do anything an iPad can do.
For more information, visit the Padcaster website.
