Erwin Landau

And I like the color... one off's but still.

Hi Richard,

I have been using the various generations of XCS plates over the last 6 years. It is a different approach. I had 13 PRO and DeRose plates to accommodate the different hole spacings on the various Cameras and I replaced them with just two from Greg. I must admit, trying to squeeze all the different hole pattern on to one plate carries some compromises with it.

But also my biggest beef with my old plates was that I couldn't adjust them sideways. You could use the Arri plates that gave you three patterns parallel to each other but the biggest amount of side travel had to be compensated with the D-Box... I was envious that only when using Panavison you could slide the plate to find the CG with slotted holes... for the 3/8-16 screws you always had only holes and no slots, exempt for the Compact plates, but again very confining. Of course two holes or one hole in conjunction with the locating screw gave you a perfect alignment. The design of the Ultimate dictates that you can center the plate exactly on the CG of the camera as your side to side adjustment with the Ultimate is restricted. So don't forget that these plates were specifically meant for the Ultimate sled and only later made it's way to different manufacturers...

The XCS plate gives you only slots. Two along side and three lateral for the 3/8-16 and again three lateral for the 1/4-20 and one slot for a location pin. Slots make it easier to find the right hole pattern and of course harder to line it up straight. But you always have the camera that gives you a straight edge to line up the plate. Also make sure to use only Greg's camera screws that have a recess neck, it gives you these additional millimeters to reach a threat in the camera body.

I'll take these short comings in exchange for improved rigidity, three rock solid iris rod mounting places and space I gained in my case with getting rid of all the other camera plates... And of course for a couple of XCS Ultimate specific additions like the two 3/8-16 threats on the top for monitors or Cinetape, etc. and the dovetail on the back for the transmitter bracket...

I can live with the compromises... actually after so many years it does not really feel like a compromise.

Thank you very much Alan. Got the PDF... Appreciate it very much.

Fly safe,

Erwin

And there is that bugger hiding!

Oh yeah here is Charles' set up... minus Battery and minus Harddrive... but with way more cables...

My usual place is on the dumb side of the camera, it usually of sets the weight of the Preston Motor... at least it did with the AJA, the Decimator is, as said earlier, a little on the light side.

No comments about the cables... it's a mess and I forgot to add the run cable...

FYI:

I think it's a mood point...

I replied a while ago to this offer and never received anything... So I'm guessing that he was/is overwhelmed by the demand and just stopped send it out.

But good luck,

Erwin

For the first time since I started with steadicam and had a collection (32 I believe) of Anton Bauer Compac's, I have now one size batteries for all my needs. 8 Dionics and 4 Hytrons... same case, same size, same cut outs in the case or standby bag... how nice... It was... I guess that will now change... again... darn.

But still looking forward to check them out...

I know it's early to bug you with detailed info... but would that be an addition to the charger line up or a replacement?

I own two 2702's and a TWQ... so as the TWQ is a "dumb" simultaneous charger but only at 50 watts and the 2702 is a "smart" sequential charger but at 70 watts... I assume that the new charger would be a smart charger with display charging at 70 watts or more and simultaneous?

Having owned the chargers for a while if you put 4 depleted batteries on each charger (2702 and TWQ) they will have 4 batteries ready and charged at literally the same time...

Just asking,

Erwin

It's hard to find one were it's all about the Gimbal...

Can you still see a clear vieuw on your tb6? It looks like its a difficult angle to watch the frame. Just curius.

 

Best

Hi Job,

It's a bad angle on the picture to show... but the view of the TB-6 is actually hugely improved. Your right hand is usually directly where the screen would be, but with the ergo the hand is about 2 inches further away from the center post/ Gimbal cup and it gives you a clear view to the green...

Later,

Erwin

PS: Actually, Greg used to send out demos... give him a call if you are seriously interested.

So I used the Redbyte for the first time this weekend with the RED. Charles Papert was so nice to let me use it for a couple of days...

Very nice set up, small lightweight, easy to use and adjust. And it basically worked very well. Plug and play.

Though I had two little hick ups:

- Video ground issues every time the camera lost power. Remedy was to unplug the power from the Decimator, but only at the Decimator side and replug and the picture was back and clear... As I had only one power cable I was not able to investigate if in fact the cable was at fault or the connector on the unit or my sled..

- Video interference with my Preston. As my AC turned the Focus nob, I got bigger or smaller 45 degree lines on my monitor... I didn't have time to investigate and I didn't see them after a while as I just concentrated on the image... so i couldn't tell you if they went away as I blocked them out of my mind...

I had discussions with owners and the power plug does bug me. It's a regular 12 Volt prosumer plug with a 90 degree twist lock. If I buy one the first thing would be to add an isolated Lemo plug and even add the video to the power plug even if that would void the warranty... common it's $400.-bucks...

I attached a size comparison between the AJA and the Decimator. Even though it's "only" a third smaller it's actually more than half the weight...

Later,

Erwin

I posted a topic a while back... actually in the Arm section...

http://www.steadicamforum.com/index.php?showtopic=60

Later,

Erwin

And here in regular mode...

It pushes the rig further out and places your operating hand a little farther away from the gimbal, making nicely a whole to see your monitor better...

Works for me, might not work for you.

Okay... of course I had to take the picture myself...

Here my friend and A cam op Jesse Feldman, trying his hand on my steadi.

Invert the Sled, add a J-bracket and you get lower but still have the same handling and feeling...

As always, everybody's own... works for me.

It's hard to find one were it's all about the Gimbal...

haha, good catch!

 

Maybe I should photoshop the biggest imax camera possible onto my rig..... Or maybe onto a pilot or merlin, that could be fun.

 

~Jess

You mean something like this?

Whilst we're still vaguely on topic, can someone explain to this idiot exactly what it means to 'center' a gimbal - and when would I know mine needs centering?

Ed: Balance your rig statically, rotated or tilting your rig 90 degrees. Nothing should happen, the rig should return to it's balanced neutral point. If your Gimbal is not up to snuff the rig will start to lean to wards one or the other side being off level. That means that the 3 axes are not intersecting at the same imaginary point inside the centerpost, which means that the Gimbal is not centered. But make sure that gimbal is clean before you do so or it will give you fouls results.

I don't think that the size of the center post has anything to do with ego. I think that goes more into the size of the car you drive and how much horsepower it has (BTW: Red VW Van with 201 bhp)...

Having used the 3A 1.5" with the Alu post as well as the one with the carbon fiber one and later owned a PRO with the DeRose center post and the early GPI center post it was outright a tragedy. On wip-pans were the base stopped a split second after the rest of the rig... annoying as hell. That prompted me to get a custom post made... Greg Bubb was so kind to provide me with the necessary resources and a lot of his time. Which ultimately lead to the purchase of a whole Ultimate...

Jerry you must admit that a 2" post gives you more stability then a 1.58" which was, according to several former CP employees including one which unfortunately no longer is with us, had more to do with starving Paddock and his PRO for Gimbals then increased stability, at least I have never seen an outrigger and stabilizing cable set up provided for an XCS, BearBel, or Betz sled in super post mode.

Going from my 1.5" PRO gimbal to the 2" XCS gimbal (6 years and 3 generation and counting) was for me quite an improvement. I felt that with the larger diameter bearing I had a better feel and control over the rig. As i used the over size grip (2.1") on the PRO before it was immediately familiar because the diameter is identical on the Ultimate gimbal AND it was tool-less which was new back then... for me at least. If you feel that something is not right there is no rational way to convince anybody otherwise... So you have to find the parts that make you feel comfortable so that you can concentrate on the shot and not think about the equipment.

Everyone his own. Mine works great for me and the sales numbers speak for itself.

Peace,

Erwin

Have you got anything a little more obscure? ;)

Yes, but I couldn't find it that quickly... :rolleyes:

PS: I'll look through my archives... man way to many pictures. 10'000 plus and counting....

<< Maybe some of the 20+ year veteran ops can explain how and why, and at what point the Steadicam operator position had to begin providing $29,000 focus systems, video transmitters / receivers etc as part of their kit rental ???>>

I'm not a 20+ year vet but I hope I'll do.

In the beginning there where no accessories available... nobody knew what they would need or even where to get it, as it was a totally new game. Only by working on set, operators would start to think: Wouldn't it be nice if we had... and went out and got it designed/made.

Most AKS that we use today, came to be by people wanting something and made it them self... (not bought or produced from/by CP) and later would find it's way in almost every operators bag... The Gorelock (brain child from Bob Gorelick), Donkey Box (Chris Haarhoff), [working] Wireless FF (Larry McConkey, John Seitz), Wrap Grips, Lowmode brackets, Dog Bones, tele post, etc (Bob DeRose), lighter more rigdit Vest (Mark O'kane), Side to Side adjustment (Bob DeRose), Antlers (Jerry Holway), Proper Gyro set ups (Larry McConkey), for and aft on the lower J-box (Bob DeRose for the 3A, George Paddock for the EFP), and so on and on and on... Pretty every single operator has invented or streamlined something on his set up that is not widely available... or even unique.

About the Follow Focus...

I'm sure that the wired Follow Focus was just fine, even Panavision made a big deal out of the fact that you didn't had to touch the Panaglide... But...

You couldn't count on CP to come up with on set usable equipment. LC-3 or WRC-4 anyone...? (The only good part were the SLD motors, for almost $4000.- a pice, 20 years ago) They shopped the WRC-4 around as a wooden box to get units sold before they started production... So Larry McConkey hooked up with John Seitz to come up with something that actually worked and worked well. The Seitz Follow Focus, if you open the calibration door you will find Larry's name there.

Anything and everything you needed you had to show up with and bring to set. We are actually carrying less then we used to. If you look at the early check list, there where items like Videotap, Steadimags, Lens adapter gears, Lowmode bracket, different video camera adapters (Ikegami anyone?), even a clip on matt box (to get back on topic) or as far as his own camera that would work with the steadicam. His or her own monitor with receiver and array of Yaggi Antennas...

When I used to own a BFD and got on set and used to be greeted by the AC with the words: Oh... a Bartech! Don't you have a Preston? I wanted to shaw the hand unit into his #@%@... I mean take of my Follow Focus and tell him to get his own.

It came down to whatever you bring on set will make your life easier, if you don't own it you are out of luck!

Now with most parts that we use becoming industry standard, yes you ask yourself, why would I need to own it, just let production rent it for you.... right? Let the AC bring his own FF... Let the production rent you a rig (I heard Glidecam's are widely available), It's a tool that you need to do your job. Do you need all the latest and greatest toys on the market? No! but be honest, it makes your life so much easier on set, doesn't it?

It's just a matter of time until the Producers will not be paying for your gear anymore... then they will pick up a beat up sled from the rental house and we will have concluded our circle back to the beginning of steadicam, when a couple of boxes showed up on set and the producer told you to figure it out as it would be up, the shot after next... memories! (Not mine... that would be the 20+ vet guys...)

I hope I utterly confused everybody,

Sincerely,

Erwin

Anybody can upload any picture the Ergo Handle in low mode?

Here we go...

SOLD !

Thank you very much.

Hm....

No Harddrive... No Battery... No Power Cable... No Video Cable...

What can I say...

Sen....

If you concentrate enough you will eventually see through the wall... or Lens cap... so I hear from my sansei...

Remember the Steadicam Insurance add where the "Operator" was looking through the Eyepiece while operating...

I can see they have no clue what we do for a living...

Colin Hudson is inviting everybody to watch the Movie with him:

"CROSSING OVER"

At the:

The LANDMARK

10850 West Pico Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90064

We are going for the 10:10 PM showing

Tomorrow Friday Feb. 27th 2009

Make sure to buy Ticket online to get good seats

Website:

https://tickets.landmarktheatres.com/Landma...x?TheatreID=267

Hope to see you there,

Erwin

I never do a job without insurance from production and that being the case, the only risk to my gear is if my apartment goes up in flames.

 

Dan

What if the Company decides it doesn't want to pay your lose? Even though you are carrying there cert... Do you have time and money to sue the company?

What if the company has a $2500.- deducible per incident and wants to take that out of your pay check?

What if the Companies insurance is fake?

What if a companies cert is revoked?

What if somebody brakes into your car while traveling to or from Location?

What if you crash while practicing?

What if you lent someone a piece of gear and this person doesn't have insurance or has no money to pay for it?

What if your gear is on order after a crash but you need to start a job and the production says we already paid for rental, why should we rent a rig for you?

What if your monitor just goes up in smoke?

What if you get mugged while loading your gear and production is already gone?

What if you just quickly help out a friend and crash?

What if you have to rent equipment yourself from a rental company?

What if you borrow someone's gear and it gets damaged?

What if you have to order equipment months in advance because of lead time but the Production Insurance is dragging it's feet?

What if... I could go on and on, but I don't want to bore you, you get the idea...

That are all cases that have happen, actually a couple of those to me... every one of those a carrier ender unless you have several tens of thousands in your savings account. In my now 9 years of steadicam I had damages in excess of $75'000.- that my insurance had to cover... not including thousands more that came out of my own pocket...

So no, your own Insurance is not optional, unless you want to retire early do to bankruptcy.

My policy not only covers damage or loss but also (at replacement cost):

- rental units

- provides me with coverage for rented or borrow equipment from 3rd parties

- can go head to head with other insurance companies

- provides me with a cert for a rental house if I have to rent or borrow additional equipment.

I had this discussion many time over the years. Many have taken my advice and where happy and many have not and called me with the words: "If I only had my own Insurance..."

It's between $150.- and $250.- a month... usually not much, right now it seam a lot until you get a bill for $20'000.- that you can't pay for...

Just my 2 cents.

Erwin