Tilta Hydra x Dan Ming Speed Pan System Base Kit

The Hydra x Dan Ming Speed Pan System is a rotating head built for high-speed pans. A wireless follow focus motor drives the geared base, so the camera swings a full 360 degrees precisely and repeats the move take after take. The ±15° tilt axis helps with framing, a leveling bubble and locking lever keep the head where you put it, and three NATO rails underneath carry articulating arms and suction cups. The Base Kit contains the head, plates and adapters.

A fast pan is hard to shoot: the camera has to accelerate, sweep the arc and stop exactly where it should. Dan Ming — 1st AC and systems engineer on F1: The Movie — designed a geared base for it that an ordinary follow focus motor drives. The rotation is therefore controlled from the focus wheel: precisely, smoothly and the same way every time.

A follow focus motor drives the pan

The heart of the system is a rotating plate with a geared rim. A wireless follow focus motor on a 15 mm rod meshes with it, so the camera turns exactly as fast as you turn the wheel — and the pan can be repeated take after take. The follow focus motor is not included.

360° around, ±15° up and down

Horizontal rotation is unrestricted — you sweep a full 360 degrees and keep going. The mini tilt head adds ±15 degrees of tilt, which is enough to level the horizon and to build a slight low or high angle while driving over rough tarmac.

Balance over the axis of rotation

Put the camera on the Manfrotto/ARCA quick release plate and slide it until it balances exactly over the axis of rotation. The pan then runs smoothly and the follow focus motor has no torque to fight. Tilta Dual Manfrotto/Arca-Swiss plates fit too — you may already have one on the cage.

Leveling bubble and locking lever

A leveling bubble is recessed into the plate, so you can level the base even on a dusty bonnet. The lever on the side secures the axis of rotation — the camera will not swing off on its own while you carry the rig or move it into position.

US and EU hole spacing

The underside of the base carries holes for both the American 2″ spacing and the European 50 mm one. Turning the base switches between the standards, so the kit fits cheese plates and accessories bought anywhere in the world.

Three NATO rails and the whole Hydra ecosystem

There are three NATO rails underneath. Tilta Pro articulating arms and Hydra electronic suction cups go onto them — that is how the rig gets spread across a bonnet or a car door. On top you will find 1/4″-20 and 3/8″-16 threads, a NATO adapter and an action camera mount.