If you live in Europe / European Union, and are looking for an affordable teleprompter to use with your DSLR and smartphone, you may have come across the Padcaster Parrot Teleprompter.
I think the consensus is clear that this model is the best for the price, but unfortunately for my fellow European countrymen, it’s not very easy (or cheap) to get one over here. This is extra true if we’re talking about the Padcaster Parrot 2…
So, I had to research. I didn’t want to pay unnecessary taxes to import stuff from the USA to Europe.
At first I thought that I had to resort to some (possibly) low-quality teleprompter made in China. But then I researched a little bit more.
And then I found a great solution right out from Germany: the Black Fish S!
From my best knowledge, the Black Fish S is the best alternative to the Parrot teleprompter:
- It has a good building quality for the price;
- It’s lightweight;
- It includes 1x replacement glass;
- It includes a slick Bluetooth and 2.4Ghz wireless mouse to control the teleprompter app;
- And it also comes with some extra accessories.
I really enjoy the fact that it also came with a pack of German gummy bears. I’ll keep it as an amulet to remind myself to take care of my own customers nicely too! (February 2021 update: Never mind, I ended up eating them 🤣)
At the time of this writing, you will see that the Black Fish S has 3 reviews only. Keep in mind that this product and manufacturer are relatively unknown, and that they are only available on Amazon.de and not on the other Amazon stores. This explains why there are so few reviews.
Out of those 3 ratings, one of them is of 3 stars, which is currently the lowest review. But if you read it, you’ll notice that it has nothing to do with the actual quality of the product itself, but because the teleprompter only comes with one (1x) adapter ring for your DSLR lens. Even though this is clearly stated everywhere, the buyer still decided to give this unfair rating to an excellent product…
This shouldn’t distract you that this teleprompter is the best choice under 100 euros.