Robert Skates

Selling my FLYER 24LE kit. Here is the link to the eBay auction. If a forum member uses the Buy It NOW, I'll refund the shipping fee. Also willing to cancel the eBay auction if someone wants to make an offer!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/STEADICAM-FLYER-24LE-w-HD-monitor-last-gen-model-/252954765233?hash=item3ae54767b1:g:OL8AAOSwYlRZJN2T

Peter, thanks for mentioning Showscan. When Jackson and Cameron first began talking about higher frame rate, Showscan was barely mentioned. Sad that so many who make a living writing about the industry have little idea of the history of our technology.

Avoid the M-one motor. The rental house I work for sent our M-one motor for repair in early February. They promised us it would be repaired and returned multiple times. Phone calls and emails go unreturned. 2 weeks ago they sent a Fedex tracking number but never shipped the item etc. Seriously avoid the M-one motor or look at it as a throw away item once it fails.

 

The M-one motor owned by the rental house I work at is now 2 weeks past the promised return date from Loonworks. Sadly it was sent out for repair a few days before I found this thread. We are looking at other motors or possibly taking the Bartech out of our inventory in favor of another Preston. We have both, but the Bartech is more popular with our clients on a budget and also those who use modified still lenses. We just can't risk more lost rentals while waiting for repairs. I'll post an update when the motor returns.

UPDATE: Still have not received our M-one motor back from Loonworks. Our calls and emails continue to go unreturned. We were told it would be repaired and returned on or around February 20th.

 

UPDATE: On April 10th I sent Loonworks an email informing them that I was reporting the progress of our M-one motor repair here on the forum. Don sent an email and Fedex tracking # that day. It seemed as if I got his attention. But wait, the package was never delivered to Fedex. He went through the trouble of returning my email and setting up the fedex shipment but failed to follow through and actually ship the repaired motor. All emails and phone calls continue to go unreturned.

The M-one motor owned by the rental house I work at is now 2 weeks past the promised return date from Loonworks. Sadly it was sent out for repair a few days before I found this thread. We are looking at other motors or possibly taking the Bartech out of our inventory in favor of another Preston. We have both, but the Bartech is more popular with our clients on a budget and also those who use modified still lenses. We just can't risk more lost rentals while waiting for repairs. I'll post an update when the motor returns.

UPDATE: Still have not received our M-one motor back from Loonworks. Our calls and emails continue to go unreturned. We were told it would be repaired and returned on or around February 20th.

The M-one motor owned by the rental house I work at is now 2 weeks past the promised return date from Loonworks. Sadly it was sent out for repair a few days before I found this thread. We are looking at other motors or possibly taking the Bartech out of our inventory in favor of another Preston. We have both, but the Bartech is more popular with our clients on a budget and also those who use modified still lenses. We just can't risk more lost rentals while waiting for repairs. I'll post an update when the motor returns.

On a job this summer that was planned to be mostly shots on trails, the director added several beach shots. This was a great lesson in the treachery of mesh trimmed running shoes. Brooks running shoes are great, I've been running in them for years. I wear a motion control stability model. The mesh keeps my feet cool on long summer runs. The mesh that lets the shoe breath also allows them to inhale an amazing amount of sand that seems to collect in the toe box. In a very short amount of time each shoe collected about a half cup of sand.

Lesson learned. Desert boots next time.

Jeff,

 

New to the forum but reading your post matches almost exactly a problem I am having with my

New Metal Gimbal. I am Flying a Canon 5D Mark II with a 17-40 L Zoom Lens Set to 40mm

and AF off. I was balancing on hole "M" because the more natural hole "N" blocked the battery door.

 

I find that using hole "M" requires the stage to be trimmed almost to the limit. So I moved it back

to "N" which improved things alittle...but same problem with drift like you. Do a drop test and

boom....balance gone.

 

Did you ever get this problem solved ? I do notice a very slight "play" in the gimbal itself...sort of

a very slight clicking sound when I move the handle up and down...did your do that ? Not sure how

tight it should be....

 

Graham

Gentleman,

I had the exact same issue. 5D Mark II w/24-105 lens set to 35mm. I use the "N" hole. Everything would be balanced perfectly then I do a drop test and the camera would then lean in that direction. Drop in the opposite direction the Merlin would be biased in that direction.

I sent the Merlin in for service. It came back from Glendale just in time for a 3 day job out of town. I did a quick test on a stand and the problem was much improved but not perfect. My job was in a remote National Park that required the crew to hike several miles between locations. I decided to just keep the arm, vest and merlin with camera on during a few of the hikes. It was easier than packing up and gave me a chance to practice operating up and down hills and over trails. Once I had the whole rig built and was operating the problem seemed to go away. Perhaps I noticed it less because I was concentration on the shot and keeping a level horizon. Or maybe the the long hike gave the gimbal a workout that eased up something that was sticking.