Mikko Wilson

Hi,

First a quick note: we prefer to use our real names here on the forum, prerably as our username, but at least at the bottom of our posts. Just a Friendly thing you know :-)

You are lucky to have a rig avaiable to you for free. I'd sugest using it to learn as much as you can while figuring out a future rig for yourself.

There is much information online about these things.. if you are compleaty stuck, go to www.steadicam-ops.com and in the "Manuals" section you will find the Manual for the Steadicam Ultra. Rigs do vary, often a lot, but the same basic pricipleas and operating mathods hold true for all rigs.

Do you know what moddle rig your school has? - If not post a picture of it here and it'll be identifide in no time!

There are lots and lots of parts to a Steadicam, and many of them very important. There's a lot of complicated and very precise technology and engineering in use to build them - that's why they cost so much.

To compare to a car would basically be to say: "Why does a car cost so much, it's only an Engine connected throguh a gearbox to some wheels. Oh and throw in some brakes and a steering wheel." There is much more to both.

A workshop will definaly be a good way to go. Sounds like you are in the UK ("pounds") there is a company called OpTex that does them near london. Some operators also do one on one teaching. - I'll let them introduce themselves :-)

About brands (and without starting a "which rig is better" debate - this is my oppinon):

"Steadicam" IS a brand. It's the original rig invented by Garrett Brown, and currently manufactured by Tiffen.

Other good brands are MK-V, PRO, etc. there's a bunch, i'll let them sell themselves.

There are many others. One that gets thrown around a lot is Glidecam because of their fearce marketing. They are one of the low-mid range knockoffs. some knockoffs are considered worse, some better. I'll tread carefully here by not saying much.

Regardless of which brand you get, the general advice is (if you are serious (if you arn't, it's normally too expensive to just lark aroudn with)) is to get the best rig you can possibly afford, and then go with it. - This of course applies to most things, the more you invest, the more you get for it.

And just as other buisnesses, spending more on a rig WILL show up in the long run. - Some have more "bang for the buck" than others, but the ones with most bang, still take most bucks.

- Mikko

The stuff people come up with never ceases to amaze me!

How did this turn out?

- Mikko.

I'll chip in, though with technical info, not experience...

JR is specked to cary up to 4lbs - though i think it cna manage just a hair more with a weight kit that is avaialble to carry a PD150..

A fully loaded XL1 weighs in at a little over 6lbs. - Though you can take off the viewfinder to reduce wieght, and maybe get a little lighter depending on the lense used, i think that it might just be too much for the JR..

The Merlin (JR's .. replacement(?)) is specked for 5lbs. So maybe with some stripping of the XL1, you might be able to push it..

A GL1/2 woudl work well tho...

Just some number thoughts.

- Mikko.

Well I'll respond!

(oh how i hate dial up...)

Some really impressive stuff in there! I love the stuff in the war zone. Awsome shots!

But i think you reel is really long! I'd shorten out some stuff, especially from the "two brothers" bit.. i was (gladly) supprized to see something else pop up behind it. Maybe just some some shots from it to the end, just so teh otehr stuff get some show too.

I especially liked the shot in the jungle that stated as a lcok and then preded the couple weavign through the various trees and vines.

The first of the shots in the trenches looked hard! And when you dropped down the stairs ahead of the guy was really impressive, well matched to his ducking.

An Impressive reel over all, i'd just shorten it some or find a way to bring some of the later shots up to the front.

- Mikko

Mrfastback: (or whatever your name is.. - we use real names around here.)

this is the wrong topic for the wrong forum..

try www.dvinfo.net, or www.camcorderinfo.com..

and READ the forums, don't just ask blindly hoping for everyone to jump to your personal service.

- Mikko

I think it looks wheely funny... :blink:

...maybe it's for those wheel gorilla shooters.

it might decrease turn-around time...

And you know what they say...

(wait for it)

"One good turn deserves another!" :lol:

- Mikko

If you will be dooing some live stuff, then a Tally light is a preaty important accesory. Peter Abraham sells them...

Also you might want to look into some sort of zoom control. J7 is preaty popular.

- Mikko

Hey Rob, is your cage compatible with the AR?

- Mikko

Wait.. Steadicam on a Segway?! *PLEASE* tell me someone has pictures of this!

And I though on a bike was tricky...

- Mikko.

Wow, some cool stuff they've been up to over at Tiffen!

The new G-40 and G-50 arms look sweet! - they look just like the Flyer arm's big brother! Except for the "Ride" adjustment!

I can only image how smooth that arm is.. but how about some coments from those who've tryed it out at NAB?

Is it safe to assume that the Pro-vid arm will be dissapearing some time soon?

And looking at the Archer, my guess is that the SK will go too? yes? no? maybe with a G-30 arm?

Any word on the list prices of these units?

And a HD flyer, cool. (ok, I knew about that one..) but how much is it?

The Merlin looks kinda cool for the baby-cameras too.

Well done GB!

...and now I know...

- Mikko.

That isn't a servo driven zoom. :)

..well the servo can drive it too, but the rign is an actual mechanical ring, like on any 'real' lense.

However focus IS servo driven. - but you can plug in a focus (&iris) remote into the camera if you like.

Anyway, there's loads more on this camera a www.dvxuser.com - let's save this forum for the stabilizers!

Also... is there any footage FROM an AR posted anywhere? (though of course shots of it are also very welcome ;)

- Mikko

DUDE! the AR looks SWEET!

any more pictures anyone?

IBC can't come soon enough...

- Mikko

Well it's NAB time again.

I really wish I was there, but I'm just having to follow along via the proxy of the internet.

So, what's new? I'm eagerly awaiting new news from the show.. anyoen have anything cool to report?

Some topics i'v picked wiff of:

*Of course: AR.. it is 'officially announced' pictures? - the website apears to be down.

*The Clipper 2. With a NEW "G-50" arm .. sounds wild.

*New handheld wizzerd from Steadicam too.. "merlin"

*Any user reports on some of the other new rigs out? Smooth shooter? Others?

So much exciting stuff going on this year.

For example, slightly off Steadicam topic, but. Have you folks seen teh New Panasonic minicamera (HVX200) does HD onto P2 card in preaty mcuh any format. 1080i, 1080p (including 1080/24p - thats as close to film as you can get! and variable frame rates from 4 to 60 in 720p. Also does DVCPRO50 (so 'equvilant' to DigiBeta). All for $5995

Looks like good news with the possibilities of even more light wight HD work!

Crazy stuff!

- Mikko

I just noticed that steadicam.com has had a (long awaited) face lift.

kudos points to the guys over there, it looks good and it's MUCH nicer than the old layout.

- Mikko.

Here is one solution...

http://www.broadcastrf.com/

- Pictures on the front page say it all! (is that anyone here?)

I spoke to them a little at IBC last year, seem preaty decent, and not bad rates either :-)

- Mikko

I had a couple of hours spare so I threw together a short "music video montage" of my Grand Prix Shot at the SOA workshop last Oct.

For those who have taken a workshop, I'm sure it should bring back a couple of memories.

For those that haven't but will be soon, it's something for you to "look forward to".

The vid is called "Grand Prix Soundtrack" and it's in the Video Gallery of my website: http://mikko.n3.net

- Feel free to check out "Appletiger" too. It's a short I recently shot & edited.

As normal, coments are appriciated.

- Mikko

...Well there went my sugestion of a fully remote head on a Steadi...

Good thing it's remote too, as the (1st?) Opp has no monitor..

Hmm.. I wonder why they blurred the opp's face..

SIX gyros? I wonder where this baby get's it's power? Maybe there's a small reactor in the bottom pod too. :lol:

- Mikko

Since you asked...

the Flyer isn't very well advertised on the Steadicam website (Yo hoo.. webmaster!)

But there is some information there, there is a link to a PDF about it at the top of the front page at: www.steadicam.com

I dont' knwo if the Flyer officially replaced the mini, or even if then are still making the mini or not. But the flyer si the newer of the bunch.

They both use a similar sled, but he Flyer has a better gimble and monitor. The vest is the same. However the arm is where it's at. The mini's arm really is no more than a spring lamp arm. The Flyer's is a whole new arm that rivals the Master/Ultra arm in performance.

There's the main differences, though it would be nice ot see a litte more info on the steadicam website about it!

Oh! and I almost fergot.. if you are serious then a workshop is definatly in your future. But if for a "Canon XL1, part-time professional shooter " you probably shouldn't worry too much about it. But you will want to take one if you want to get good at it. ;)

- Mikko

Hmm..

*If* Nicolas has an original buisness idea, you just kinda blew it out of the water Peter.

- Mikko.

(Sorry folks for this one...)

Ahem.. *polite cough* just FYI: Glidecam IS a Nock-Off of the Steadicam. A decent one, but still a nock-off.

Just gota keep things in perspective, ya know. ;)

-Mikko

Break a leg (not really!) Hope all goes well!

- Mikko

Steadicam Workshops are held regularly aroudn the world.

Many are listed at www.steadicam.com and www.steadicam-ops.com

Good luck!

- Mikko

Will,

Thanks for the great reply!

Hmm.. I wonder if one could gang multiple ARs on seperate axis... Oh these are exciting times!

If only I could make it to NAB :(

...Yet another reason to wish it was allready September and IBC time...

- Mikko

Matt, nice thread.

I'll chime in with a comple more questions.

First.. when do we get to see a picture?

Also, a little more of how it works/what it does?

So it's basically a auto-leveling dutch-head (Z-axis roll) system?

If you where to (assuming clearances) roll the camera round in a big circle around the gimble, it would always face level as it made a big arc? - So automatic horizon correction?

Can it be trimmed? or better yet, operated manually? (To do a roll during a move?) - SO someone with a Lense-control radio system could also alter the horizon of the shot?

[Thinking out loud here] - Could the operator (or assistant) also remotly pan and tilt too with some sort of upgrade?.

Maybe this is a bit off topic, but would it work to put a regular 3-axis remote head on a Steadi, combined with AR's monitor alignment? Seems like that could do some wild stuff!

- Mikko.

I noticed the same thing about the seemingly high S/N - but I guess the sled is very similar to the mini's. - mainly new monitor, and of course the gimble.

I conclude, no S/N on the arm.. - vest has a diffenret S/N too.. :-)

...isn't the Flyer Stage basically the SK stage?

"Right way up"? ..do share!

- Mikko