Nikon has introduced a new robotics solution that allows professional photographers to achieve new angles of shots that have not been attainable in the past.

Bob
Martin a well known sports photographer, was the first to test the new system
at Wimbledon 2013, it is a fast action robotics system; the product of a
collaboration between Nikon and Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC), a designer
and manufacturer of motion control products.

Martin
used a Nikon D4 and one of MRMC’s SFH-30 robotic heads at the world famous sporting event. This robotic head
quickly moves and rotates the camera from positions, angles and locations that would
not normally be possible as it is remotely controlled.

Bob
Martin, sports photographer, has said: “The demand for new images at big sporting
events is what encourages me to push the limits of photography. Using this set
up, it’s proved that capturing the impossible is now possible, which is very
exciting for the future of photography.”

By
attaching a camera to the roof above Centre Court, Bob was able to capture
images from a location that had never before been attempted at the event. 

Bob
also used an MRMC Polycam configuration during the first week of Wimbledon; it
has three separate robotic heads all being used in synchronisation. As the master
head is controlled by Bob, two other robotic heads overlooking Centre Court
move at the same time to track the same subject, allowing Bob to capture the
same action from three separate angles.

James
Banfield from Nikon UK has said “Initially the robotics set up has been
designed to support sports photographers…allowing them to track fast moving
subjects, however there is great scope to use it for other areas of photography.”





it is indeed an exciting development in capturing fast action events, however I can’t imagine that there will be a high demand for the polyam configuration as it would need the photographer to have multiple cameras for the set up. However there are many exiting possibilities and uses for the robotic head and I’m sure we’ll see it put to the test in many different situations in the future.