I mean, seriously—how did we get here? A grown man, writing about titanium rods. I once knew a producer who drilled holes in his toothbrush to shave grams while trekking the Himalayas. That’s the altitude of crazy we’re dealing with. Look up “first world problems” and my face is probably staring back at you.

But here’s the rub—sometimes the indulgences matter. Not in the big, life-altering way. More like in the quiet, stolen moments that make the grind feel less like a grind.

Take my morning coffee. I weigh the beans, grind them by hand, fuss over a V60 like it’s sacred. Then I dive into waveforms and scopes, only to come up for air an hour later and… cold coffee. One lukewarm sip and the ritual turns to ash.

So I bought a heated mug. Yes, it’s ridiculous. Yes, people mock me for it. And yes, I deserve it! But you know what? I don’t care. Because when that delayed first sip is still warm—still worth the effort—it feels like I’ve hustled the universe into giving me one small win.

That’s exactly how I feel about Bright Tangerine’s 15mm Titanium Drumstix.

On paper, they’re just rods. Accessories for accessories. But these aren’t the cheap tubes rattling in the back of a kit drawer. These are forged from sterling-grade titanium, machined in the UK to two-micron tolerances. That’s aerospace precision. They don’t flex like aluminium, don’t shatter like carbon fibre, don’t weigh a ton like steel. Two 18” 19mm rods? 232 grams. Compare that to Wooden Camera’s 900g steel pair and you start to see the appeal.

I run 9” rods for my EVF now. The handle balances better when it’s forward of the Venice mount. And when the weather turns Arctic, the titanium doesn’t flinch or crack. Add a lifetime warranty and you’ve basically got rods built to outlast the rest of your rig.

Confession: I’m obsessive. Always stripping weight, shaving bulk, chasing balance. I ditched the Arri studio metalwork, went back to the Sony top handle and 15mm rod assembly, dropped a Rush VCT plate underneath, stacked an Anton Bauer dual V-Lock micro and TX inline behind it—clean, balanced, no noga arm circus.

And yet, like most of us, I’ve got a drawer full of rods: bent, dented, heavy, disposable. The Drumstix feel different. Like the heated mug, they’re indulgent, sure, but they don’t just sit there. They show up every day. Smooth, solid, silent. Secure a fat lens, clamp on motors, hang an EVF—no slippage, no binding, no drama. Even if the weight savings are just a few hundred grams, when you’re humping a rig for twelve hours, it matters, at least mentally.

So yeah, titanium rods are indulgent. But like that heated mug, they’re not about the work itself. They’re about the worker. They don’t make the pictures better, they make me better. A little calmer. A little happier in the chaos. A little more in the flow.

I’ll toast to that—with coffee warm, of course.

*Currently drinking www.duda.coffee (not sponsored, they just roast awesome coffee).

Titanium, Coffee Mugs & Camera Rigs

North Light Observations