Mark Schlicher

Never to early to budget, it's true...you must be strategic about your purchases, especially getting started in today's economy.

A quick, very rough rule of thumb is that cables will usually need to be custom-built (although the custom builders tend to make the same cables over and over), and will cost anywhere between $100 and $200 each. Some, like fiber and triax jumbers, considerably more ($500-700).

Thanks very much. Actually I suppose when it comes down to it, I can do any rig testing easy enough once I have a workshop under the belt.

 

Does anybody know if Tiffen or others have a workshop like the broadcast one, but for people who would have already completed a workshop?

How long was your previous workshop? The weeklong Tiffen workshop (there's one in December in Atlanta) has plenty of content to absorb and use even if you have had a workshop before.

There are some Master Class workshops offered from time to time but they are for operators with a significant amount of experience under their belts.

Try searching the forum website from Google (I forget the exact syntax). I find that the search function within the forum is very unreliable and misses stuff all the time.

 

When I say $1000, I was only talking about the controller, but it seems like I could get a system from Bartech, complete without the motor, for a little over $1500 including cables and the steadicam modification (though I'll have to try the ZC-9 to see if I like it), then there's just the motor.

 

Not sure I follow your logic or calculations. Here are the main options:

Zoe or Libec controller, (zoom-only). You add a Bartech (analog) focus receiver, motor, brackets, and Bartech hardwire focus control, and cables. OR

G-zoom with appropriate cables. Add Bartech (analog) focus receiver, motor, brackets. OR

Stanton gimble-mounted controller with focus motor. (used) No longer available new from Stanton.

CP J7 zoom controller with the focus controller option (used). Add Bartech analog focus receiver, motor, brackets.

All of these setups use the zoom servo in the lens. Only the G-zoom and J7 can access internal focus servos present on some lenses. All others require the Bartech receiver and a motor. If you build a setup around a Gzoom or J7, you should also have a Bartech receiver and motor anyway, to handle non-servo lenses you may encounter, as Ozzie pointed out.

Any way you slice it you are at $2100 for a minimum setup (plus motor) including a Bartech receiver ($1300), a Gzoom ($900). Or substitute a Libec or Zoe controller ($500 or so) plus the Bartech focus controller box ($200).

Notice that this is a Bartech receiver only. A setup with a complete BFD unit including transmitter is another $800.

You should also budget a few hundred more for brackets, rod mounts, and cables.

The weight carrying range of the Zephyr and the Glidecam are similar (Zephyr seems to be slightly higher). The Zephyr is about $1500 more than the Glidecam, but is generally considered to be very superior in design, engineering and performance.

Tiffen has good European service and support through a UK office. Don't know about Glidecam.

If the cost must be kept down, you should be able to get a Steadicam Scout for the same or slightly less than the Glidecam. It's top weight is slightly less than the Glidecam but has most of the same design advantages as the Zephyr.

Sold, thanks Jay!

$175 OBO shipped to CONUS

Anybody interested?

The Zephyr arm appears to be the same bones as the Flyer arm, with heavier springs. So maybe Zephyr springs would fit.

Or just replace with a Zephyr arm.

Unknown whether Tiffen would sell you these components/upgrades. Doesn't seem to be their mode of operation.

The other issue is that they design components to tolerences that work together. You may be overtaxing your gimbal or top stage or vest. May be better to upgrade to a Zephyr if you're chronically working over the Flyer's limits.

bump...charger sale pending...

Batteries reduced: now $195 for all three.

bump Now $100 SHIPPED to CONUS.

Firmware and DVD sold.

Magnum charger still available.

Sorry for any confusion. Brian is correct.

I've edited the original ad to help clarify.

Here's a few odds and ends:

1. Firmware chip for Anton Bauer Lifesaver 2702 Quad charger version 5.1. $20 shipped. Like new.Treat yourself to a firmware upgrade to the latest version that will correctly identify your Dionic HC and HCx batteries.

2. Anton Bauer Magnum Quad charger, $75 shipped. In working condition. Will ONLY charge NiCad Logic series (non-digital Propacs and Trimpacs). Or, buy it for four good battery plates for your DIY project (no d-tap, but otherwise can be wired as a normal battery plate).

3. Steadicam EFP training DVD. $12 shipped. Brand new, sealed, never opened.

Ground shipping to Lower 48 states included.

Pics...

(charger sold)

Selling three Hytron 50 batteries. Two of them show 2 hrs on the fuel gauge, 1 shows 1 1/2, when fully charged. My 2702 charger lists 2.6Ah/70 cycles, 2.6Ah/70 cycles, 2.2Ah/90 cycles. Lots of good life in these.

.

$275 for all. SHIPPED.

Ground shipping to Continental US included.

Yup. Until the Cinetronic, every other LCD at any price was a compromise. A compromise some ops were willing to tolerate and others were not.

I played with Robert's Cinetronic at Cinegear, and it really is daylight viewable in worst-case direct sun. No compromise.

Let's keep this discussion in perspective. We're talking about a Pilot. How much compromise is acceptable? What is cost-effective? The Marshall 6.5 is pretty darn good for the money but might actually be too heavy. It's also a big chunk of change measured against the Pilot's price.

For a Pilot an interesting compromise might be a 450nit Lilliput HDMI/composite/component monitor with their added transflective treatment. Their monitors start in the $200 range and if I remember correctly adding the treatment is another $200-300. www.lilliputweb.net. So you're around $500 for something that might be considered acceptable, considering the Pilot's price point. A solution based on a cheap, mass-produced monitor (with all its implied shortcomings.) I've never tried it but I would be interested to hear if someone else has.

Hey, Charles,

What do you think of the AJA HA-5 as an alternative to the Blackmagic box for HDMI to HD-SDI?

And, oh yeah everyone...it's the HA-5 I've been looking for all along. Hi-5 is another HD-SDI to HDMI box. Oops!

Tom and Charles,

Thanks for the info. Charles, most of the current Tokina zooms are for crop-sensor cameras (not a problem for me, as I have a 60D). I like the Tokina's manual focus mode. Can't find solid info about which Tokinas are parfocal.

Which Tokina lenses do you like on your 1D?

Looks like a Tokina 12-24 could be a good place to start on my 60D, for a wide angle zoom.

The Canon 16-36L would clearly be a good choice for fullframe.

Any other suggestions?

I also like the range of this crop sensor lens: Tokina 16.5-135MM F/3.5-5.6 DX.

I also saw the following lens listed as a parfocal lens. Tamron 24-135 SP F3.5-5.6. Useful focal ranges for both crop and fullframe sensors.

Either of these seem like they could be a good walkabout/interview lens.

Hi, Chris,

The version 2 adds an HDMI output to the SD output. I have a particular application (wireless HDMI video transmission) that requires me to have a "2".

If you have an HDMI output on your unit I'm interested!

Sidney,

Thanks for the reply. Let me paint a more specific scenario...

Goal: to be able to control zoom and focus on a DSLR with a gimble-mounted controller such as a G-zoom or Stanton. To allow quick reframes between shots and smooth live zooms during moves. Primarily thinking of this for live music events but thought it might have docco and sports application. Goal would be do this either with a specific lens, or to have a more universal solution that would work across a range of lenses.

Assumptions and understandings:

1. Focus can be handled by a G-zoom/Bartech/M1 combo or a Stanton zoom/focus control, with nearly any still zoom or appropriate cine zoom, with the right mounting brackets.

2. Still zooms don't track focus while zooming so they are probably not appropriate for this use

3. The exception I know of is the Lumix 14-140 but this is micro 4/3 and not relevent to the Canons

4. I don't believe there are any adapters for ENG lenses that would simply allow one of those to be used.

5. Iris is out of the equation; it would be preset between shots

Questions:

1. Does anyone make a ENG-style lens (built-in zoom servo and focus servo with a remote plug) for large-sensor cameras?

2. Could a BUZ be a piece of the solution? Does it interface with the G-zoom? What would be a light, wide-angle 35mm cine zoom that would work with a setup like this?

The only hypothetical solutions I can think of are a wide angle 35mm zoom lens, a rods setup, plus

1. a G-zoom and BUZ unit and zoom motor. For focus, the G-zoom is connected to a Bartech receiver and a focus motor, or...

2. A Stanton zoom/focus setup with motors for zoom and focus, with cine pitch gears

This would theoretically replicate on a DSLR, a live TV setup, wouldn't it?

Curious if these ideas work in practice. Curious if there are other solutions. I wonder if these solutions would also be the best with cine-style cameras like the F3, AF100, etc.

Bump-still looking for these...

Thinking about the use of Canon DSLR's in live (sports, music performance, documentary/reality) situations, and one limitation is the lack of wired, video-style zoom control.

Anyone found a workable combination of controller, lens, adapter, etc. that would allow live zooming with these cameras?

bump still available.

Knocking the price down to $125 OBO, ground shipment to to CONUS included.

PM or email me.

Thanks, guys.

Done!

Felix, I've found that AB's website is a bit difficult to find docs on.

They sent me the chip without instructions. Did you find this on their website or did tech support send it to you?

I sent some Dionics to John Ritter for recelling (shout-out for his always-excellent service!). He gave me some valuable information that I thought I'd pass along. This is my paraphrase...

Pre-2010 Dionics were constructed in such a way that some solder joints inside the case could break fairly easily with the batteries being jostled around. When this happens the display goes dead as the battery's protection circuit kicks in. The battery won't recharge or respond at all.

The thing is, the cells are still probably just fine....but if you put the battery on a shelf thinking it's already dead, then the cells will slowly self-discharge and eventually they will be irretrievably lost. But if you catch it right away, John can do a fairly inexpensive repair to "save" the battery.

As I understand it, more recent Dionics have been revised to make this problem much less common.