More Than 10 Years of eMotimo
Innovating since 2010
Where We've Been and Where We're Going
It's important to reflect back on where we've come from. Our track record of innovation as a forward thinking, industry leader, speaks for itself. You can learn more about eMotimo and its mission and values here.
Pre-ST4 Timeline
2010
Mar 2010: Brian leaves his day job for good.
Summer 2010: eMotimo is named and founded out of Brian's garage in San Francisco.
2011
Jan 2011: First eMotimo PT ships with Wii Nunchuk controllers!
Fall 2011: TB3 Orange is released, a 3-axis timelapse controller that integrates with Dynamic Perceptions Sliders. Basic Dragonframe stop motion integration is completed.
2012
Fall 2012: TB3 Black is released with more program memory, a wireless controller, external triggering, and an integrated Dragonframe Mode. We're an industry first with the ability to program 3-point moves with auto rounding and onboard control.
2013
Turntable [Tt] is released for product shooting and we add support for pano/giga features on the TB3 Black to make it more accurate and faster.
2014
Cart [Ct] is released to create a 3 wheel trackless system. Recognized that we're beginning to become hardware limited on stability and processor power to expand into the video market sparking initial ST4 concepts.
2015
February 2015: ST4 Development begins.
August 2015: We begin teasing the ST4.
October 2015: Last TB3 Black Sold.
2016
January 2016: First ST4's are shipped, introducing a 4-axis controller to the market, an industry first. Launches with PS4 controllers, integrated pan/tilt with additional 2 programmable axes, arca support for both pan and tilt, sunlight readable OLED display, and included hard case. Proven later to be one of the quietest rigs on the market.
The Evolution of the ST4
2016
May 2016: Multi-point moves are introduced with 5 on-board keyframes.
Mid-2016: GoTo frames, an open ended keyframe, great for product shooters and run n' gunners, introduced. Live record and playback is enabled, an industry first for any head less than 20K and still untouched by any other rig in 2020.
December 2016: Updates to our support system, eMotimo integrates a heavy-duty L-brackets and focus system. We introduce our Fz motor. With this system in place, the ST4 is turned into a flexible interview tool.
2017
Mid-2017: Basic Dragonframe integration introduced to the spectrum ST4 enabling stop motion using non real-time interface. Firmware continues to evolve, adding 9 keyframes.
Fall 2017: Dana Dolly integration is created and initially released.
2018
January 2018: eMotimo moves to San Diego.
Spring 2018: Formal announcement of Dana dolly integration.
September 2018: MYT integration released.
Late 2018: Begin working on Real-time Dragonframe integration.
2019
February 2019: Approved by Dragonframe as a Real-time integration.
Mid-2019: VMount and Gold Mount battery options become standard on all spectrums.
2020
May 2020: Inertia Wheels integration released, allowing for true real-time camera operation from thousands of feet away from the head.
August 2020: Announce built-out ready solutions and integrations to get users, shooters, and content creators back to work in the COVID-19 environment.
September 2020: New accessory coming!
December 2020: New Hardware coming.
2020 and Onwards for the ST4
Looking back, we're still seeing competitors release new products to try and beat the spectrum ST4. The strength of the ST4 lies in its solid and compact form that fits a ton of production cameras, the interface is bulletproof, ultra-reliable, and the easiest in the industry to use.
Reliability
There are still original rigs shooting away. We've shot on the hottest and coldest places on earth, no unit has ever been killed by the environment. We've easily honored and sometimes gone outside of our regular warranty to help keep rigs running and our customers happy.
Is the ST4 still worth it?
The eMotimo spectrum ST4 is our flagship product and will continue to get better. Will it be the last product we make? No. But, you're buying into something that was built to last for years, and instead of having to replace it with a fancy new gadget every year, we're able to continue to innovate and invest in the machine that started the 4-axis revolution. It's a rarity when a product continues to appreciate in value and expand its capabilities after you purchase it. We've got upcoming announcements showing how this rig will continue to grow and enable our users.
Stay Tuned
COVID has slowed us down a little bit, but the innovation drives forward. We know there's always a lot of choice in the market, with lots of marketing promises, but the spectrum ST4 is a proven and reliable product that is still leading the portable motion control market. Follow us to see where the ST4 and the industry is going next.