Jason Torbitt

Agreed 100% with the comment re: lightweight triax. Try and get a 4mm diameter cable if you can, or as close as possible to it, otherwise you'll really struggle with balance and operating, trailing the main triax cable off the camera

I didn't make it down there unfortunatly. Did anyone meet the man himself? Any news or reports from the weekend? Jason :)

I'm saving up already...

Hi Job, For the downconverted video, plug into the BNC labelled 'Test Out'. That'll get the video into your sled. You can also adjust the output of the one of the other BNCs via the Menu, if my memory serves me correctly, for example if you want to power / source your transmitter from the camera rather than the sled. Other than that, it's pretty straightforward, everything is where you expect it to be. Good advice re: the superthin BNC cable. I have done this the last time I used the camera on the steadicam.

I wouldn't say that Baer-bel stuff is over-expensive, the price represents the quality which in my opinion is top class. I can recommend their low mode cage :D No I don't work for them, just a satisfied customer. The Chrosziel rig seems to be well made, but agreed not many people seem to have any of their gear. Their tiltplate looks to be a fine piece of work. Not too bad on price for the full rig either.

The Boxx seems / looks very impressive, and looks like a definate must-have. The lack of picture break-up is stunning, the stability of the image coming out of the thing should make it good for the ENG boys, never mind us. I like the idea of the battery mount, makes it even more practical. It may be worth holding fire for a short time to see what becomes of the time-delay, no doubt this will come down more on the next model. Component video too - fantastic, great for HD. It just gets better! Looks like a great new tool though

Plenty of info on this interesting looking new offering from Optex: http://www.optexint.com/xlh1/

Hi Jason Is it a single HRS4 for power & video? If so, here's the master series pinout from the manual. I would imagine it's the same for the ProVid but make sure you get confirmation first... Hirose 4-pin Pin 1: Power Ground Pin 2: Video Ground Pin 3: Video Out Pin 4: + 12v DC Regulated (1 Amp Max) Good luck

:( Bloody 'ell I was hoping to be there, however I'm (provisionally) booked for a job that day. Might make it...

Hi TJ Over a year late, but hey, I have one of these little fellas. Cam is about the size of a dice, is connected to 9v battery, video out is wireless to a small receiver box (RCA connector for video out). Lens adjustable, easy to focus on viewfinder image. Reccommended! You can get them from various places quite cheap, however I went to the electronics store today and saw an almost identical package for £150! It's good to know back-up is in your kit for times when the downconvertor goes down or you are stuck for options

I did a shoot the other day on a shingle beach, a single 3 mins 30 seconds steadicam sequence for a music video... which was tricky to shoot. The shingle underfoot was a mixture of small and larger stones, deep in places, sandy in others. The shot was looking out to sea, so horizon and framing were both critical, foreground and background action needed following. So messy underfoot, gusts of wind, you name it we had it all. Good news is that we nailed it by take 4, I walked away happy at the wrap. I was fortunate enough to be working with a great DoP and fantastic focus puller/assistant (cheers Luke & Warren :D ) All I'd say is make sure you have a good look at where you'll be shooting beforehand with the director, plan your route, lay down some marks, and have an assistant with you all the way.

Thanks for sharing that with us, Tom - that really is quite incredible, and something that we all hope won't happen to us at any stage in our working lives. It's evident how the rig pulled you down with it after you stumbled, you can see it hit the floor and sort of take you along with it. It's a reminder of the forces that we work with! I bet you were glad of the kneepads though - I also have a set of those! Glad that you are OK and the damage was minimal, and thanks again for the clips.

As mentioned, you could either hire an operator & rig for your shoot, or if you planned on doing it yourself, then 100% take a workshop. The only issue is that practice is hugely important after the workshop, so you would need regular access to a rig, which sounds like it may be difficult. Rigs that can are used most for these heavier cameras are the Master Series, Ultra, and the newer models (see www.steadicam.com for specs) There are also other options, such as the Glidecam Gold, which will get the job done. The ebay model isn't a 'Steadicam' brand model, it's homemade. It probably cost him that amount of money to buy the materials and build the thing. Good luck with your project.

If you need a hand, just give me a call 07749 961 604. Cheers. (I'll let you know in advance if I'm in your area so you can try the rig)

I've met one of the two Steadicam Ops who do a lot of the Scottish football, very nice chap. (If you're reading in - you know who you are! (nice work as usual the other evening on the Military Tattoo) Matt, I drove through Leeds today on my way back home from a job (I'm based in Manchester). I've got a Master Series- if I'm in/near Leeds again with the rig in the car I'll let you know and you can take it for a spin. I have a weight cage that will take your camera. Nice work with the music video, by the way Jason

They must have been on in the states, they cleaned up with the medals (as usual :D ) Mikko, in case you're interested, the host broadcaster was YLE. The wireless cams were D-Cams on the Steadicams (iris controlled from the scanner truck) I think they may have been 2 Provids, but one was customised with a colour LCD monitor and the other wasn't. I'd say that the rigs did belong to two of the operators as they didn't look like rental rigs - a few mods and the customised monitor is a bit of a giveaway. Awful weather you have over there :)

Hi all, Did anyone see any of the athletics from Helsinki last week? I was very impressed with a well organised steadicam setup. It looked like two Steadicams (ProVids) were on the go, each Steadicam had 2 operators, one operating and one assisting. (all 4 ops had their own vest) Well thought out, so the ops wouldn't get too tired. Great work from you guys, if you are reading in, especially during the many cloudbursts and thunderstorms. Driving rain and gear absolutly soaked but the ops held it together well. I wouldn't like to have been out there myself in those conditions. I'd be interested to know if focus pullers were used or it was an operator controlled job, the focus was spot on every time. A good example of how steadicam can be used to enhance productions. Just a shame the UK couldn't pick up more medals, a nightmare for us. :(

Hi Gus I saw some clips of Maradonna's show this evening on BBC News here in the UK. They showed the clip where he met Pele in the studio area. Was it you on the steadicam? Some nice shots, however it looked like the camera was on a triax cable? The shot looked like it was being affected by drag from the cable slightly, I know the triax is a nightmare with Steadicam- try attaching it to the shoulder of the vest with a good loop spare between you and the camera. Also try getting hold of some lightweight triax to make it a bit easier. Maradonna's certainly lost some weight!

Hi Kevin I am the proud owner of the sled in question. You mentioned you would like to get the battery further away from the post? I'm not sure what battery plate you have on, I have an AB plate. If you didn't know there's an allen key fixture hidden at the base of the plate which lets you to let the plate out away from the base of the sled. Gives you an inch or two but it can make all the difference. Obviously the monitor has a matching allen key fixture. Whilst I do like the green screen for all its benefits, I am in the process of getting hold of a 7" colour LCD and rigging it up to the sled - makes the rig a bit lighter for the longer days and should mean longer battery run times. Useful to have a good quality colour picture too. I've taken to using velcro cable ties around the lower post clamp 100% of the time, especially when the post is extended. I've never had a clamp open up on me but I'd rather not risk dropping the thing on the floor. I've heard many horror stories... I have the Master Series manual, so any other pinouts you need let me know and I'll see if I can help. Jason

Hi Bryan, I'm not sure about recelling options over on your side of the pond, I'm sure someone will be able to help out on that. But I wouldn't be afraid to go looking to see if you can get any cheap new / already recelled batteries to save you the trouble. I can remember people on here saying that they prefer to buy new or good condition used than to recell, from a financial point of view it may be more worthwhile. Once you have some prices for recelling you'll be able to decide for yourself. It may also be a good plan to get hold of one of the newer InterActive AB chargers, that way you can upgrade to Digital batteries which is useful. (The digital ProPacs don't work with the older chargers for some reason) I plan on buying the 2702 quad model when I can afford it. You also get the display readout and discharging options etc with that.

I have the same batteries with a Quad charger. The problem may be due to moisture/condensation inside the batteries, or heat. If the batteries are too hot or too cold (instable temperature) then they will not charge until the charger recognises that the temperature is stable and suitable for operating (Hence the red/green alternating lights) They probably don't need recelling.

Hi Thomas I've been thinking about something similar. Teletest do a little bullet styley camera. They have a load of cables and god knows what other gadgets that I have on my shopping list. The camera has hirose and BNC connectors, ideal for our use. Description is vague though, "general purpose camera". It might be worth giving them a call for full specs and to ask the question, as it looks like it could be just the job. Just the price of £245 to worry about... http://www.teletest.co.uk/productinfo.asp?part=OZA5100 It says it's designed for their transmitter, but as far as I can see it can be powered from the sled ok (12 volts)

You might want to try something gyrostabilised, as Bob and Rob have pointed you towards. You mention the type of mount they use for aerial filming. It's a Wescam. Take a look at these guys, they've got everything you could ask for: Aerial Camera Systems. Gyrons and such like! www.aerialcamerasystems.com

Have you seen the video of Garrett Brown riding a bike with the Steadicam on? You can see a clip of it in the documentary on his website

Job Scholtz has a Glidecam Gold, he will be able to tell you about it in detail, www.thecrew.nl I think is his website