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I'm looking to buy a used Merlin arm and vest in the United States (I'm in Wisconsin if that makes a difference). One with the buckle mod would be good.

I know not many people here would have something that consumer-ish, but I thought maybe somebody here started off where I am with the lighter rigs and then moved on.

Reply or PM me, thanks!

Watching many different operators over the past few months (which I've found is always a good way to pick up on good operating habbits), I've seen that there's really a variation in how far people will put their monitors from the centerpost.

I know that the monitor is moved to different positions for different cameras, but generally speaking where do you like to keep your monitor? Close and snug to the bottom stage? Sticking out from the sled a good half a foot or so? I've even seen people fly with the monitor extended out about half the lenght of the centerpost.

It'd be nice to get an idea also of if there's any prefered distance (shorter vs farther) for dynamic balance, reading the monitor easier, etc.

Thanks!

I ment more hypothetically, if it were possible. I was just trying to give an example to my main question of "does the arm just support the weight, or does it add to the smoothness over a hypothetical hand-held big rig".

I do understand that in actuality you can not actually carry any of those rigs.

Ive always wondered about Steadicam arm/vest systems: are they used only for supporting the rig, or are they beneficial to the smoothness of a rig?

I.e. If you could carry your Archers and Ultras with your arm alone, without getting tired or fatigued, would you still use the arm/vest? Would it be beneficial to the shot?

Thanks!

Also if anybody can tell me the length of the base rods combined (from tip of one to tip of the other) and the individual rod lengths that'd be really nice.

Can somebody tell me the length of a fully collapsed Zephyr centerpost? And also the length of the grip below the gimbal?

Thanks!

I'm looking to add a level of some sort to my monitor, but I'm not exactly sure which kind.

If you guys had to reccomend a digital vs a real one, which would it be? Or are there really no differences?

Also if I was to go digital, how many LEDs on the strip would you suggest for most accurate results?

I'm filming a local curling event with the Steadicam, and there's no room on the sides of the ice so I'll have to get on to the ice itself.

I can't get an HFT for this one, so it'll have to be on foot.

I'm quite comfortable on the ice, but are there any shoe covers, etc that have worked in the past for any of you guys?

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. I wasn't quite sure, since he had just "camera operator" for that but was a "steadicam operator" for his other works, but I suppose that makes the most sense.

Thanks!

Can somebody tell me who did the only Steadicam to be used in Frasier in the 5th season episode "The 1000th Show"?

I looked at all the websites I've been using to find other ops, but this one was one that never came up.

Thank!

Well, it may just be my fault, but my most recent job was a total disaster.

A local television company had a 48-hour film festival this past weekend, which meant I could get better wages (higher demand) and an easier job (amerature films).

At first I totally loved the idea. But an hour in to the shooting, I felt like I was living one of those animated films you guys make.

To begin with, I can recount one scene where, just like one of your videos, I was asked to make a shot more rough. When I said I wasn't sure I could do that, the director requested that I GIVE MY STEADICAM TO SOMEBODY ELSE who he thought could do the shot better. SOMEBODY ELSE!!!

That was just the start. The cast made WAY too many DP jokes (and let me tell you that they did NOT mean director of photography).

Did I mention that this was a first-person perspective film? Yes, it was about a woman and her boyfriend, and the film was supposed to be through the eyes of this woman. They of course needed her voice in it, but at first instead of just doing a voice-over later, they wanted me to let HER fly the Steadicam the entire time. Like before, I didn't let anybody else use it, but the fact that some people are such idiots as to request this sort of thing is amazing!

Finally the film itself was terrible, and I really couldn't feel proud putting my name on it. Which isn't actually a problem, because I WASN'T PUT IN THE CREDITS! But guess who was credited as "Camera "? The woman who did the voiceovers!

I did end up getting payed a lot more than I think I normally do at my level, and did only have to work 4 hours, but needless to say I will never be so open about clients again.

Has anybody else dealt with this sort of situation before? I suppose the best thing to do would have been to walk away, but I figured I might as well finish and get my money.

Not the best start to my operating career.

I'm going to be working as the A Cam for a live broadcast of a local concert, with one of the involved bands doing something with blacklights (similar to Defying Gravity).

Has anybody worked under blacklights before? Obviously I won't wear white, but are there any other tips you can give me as to approaching this situation?

I usually wouldn't jump into something I'm so uncomfortable with, but considering my rank in the Steadicam world the pay they're offering is amazing.

I have a few more weeks to practice, but any tips would be appreciated!

I'd like to own my own wireless RCA system, nothing too fancy and nothing at a level that pro companies might use, but something to work with. Could anybody make a suggestion?

I heard good things about the RF-Video systems, and they fit nicely into my price range, but I have no experience at all with VHF or UHF transmitters/recievers, so I really need some help on this one.

An ideal price is $1000-2000 including a reciever, and I'm not looking for 1000' ft range or anything like that.

Thanks a lot!

I've never operated a rig in the cold, but I was part of a commercial for a local grocery store that involved a large freezer like you described.

What the film team did then was to move everything in the freezer that needed to stay cold into another freezer, turned off the cooling, painted some boxes to look like frozen food containers, then shot things at room-temp.

Does anybody know who the steadicam operator was for the German movie "Run Lola Run"?

Hello,

I'm taking a Steadicam training course later this year, and after that I really hope to get into doing a lot more work with the Steadicam, including buying my own rig.

Now this question may be covered in the course, but I thought I'd give it a quick ask here.

It's become apparent to me that you don't just go out and buy a Steadicam, whatever type it is. From the posts I've read, it seems that there are a lot of acessories that get used.

So apart from the main rig, and obvious components (monitor, batteries, a stand, etc), what other things should I be keeping my eyes out for that a good operator should have in their bag?

I appreciate the help!

Does anybody know the names of the two operators who do Bi De Lut Live on Schweizer Fehrnseher Eins (SF1)? Or where I might find more of their work?

They also were the two operators for SF1's coverage of the Frauenfeld Schwingen tourament at the end of August.

I would love to see more of their work. If anybody ever gets a chance, visit http://www.sendungen.sf.tv/sf-bi-de-luet/Nachrichten/Uebersicht and take a look at some of the work they did.

Almost the entire show is shot by Steadicams, one operator on the Segway Handsfree, and the inactive cameras are almost never in the shots. I went to the Grindlewald episode and had a fantastic time watching the operators during the show.

I believe that Glidecam load limits, assuming you're not using it with an arm, represents the weight the camera can be balancing it with the counterweights included.

In order to go over, you'll need to supply your own extra weight to the bottom.

I might be wrong, but I think the gimble can take more weight, it's just that the included counterweights wouldn't be enough over 6 lbs.

Happy flying!

I got a chance to try one out at a demo in my area that was showing the Steadicam/Segway combo, and I just think they are the neatest thing! It almost creates a stable trackless dolly.

Since joining this forum I was surprised I haven't seen any mention of them, so I thought I'd ask.

Feel free to share any stories.

Thanks for the answers! I've looked at a few monitors and see what you mean about quality, features, and especially outdoor functionality.

This also prompted me with two new questions:

1. What is this digital level system? Is it a single dimension, or both horizontal and vertical indication? And is it comparable to an actual bubble level, or is it more like an aircraft's attitude indicator?

2. Why does the LCD screen remain dominant if a CRT would yield better outdoor results? Obviously it's bigger and more colour-accurate, but even in outdoor shoots I've watched, they always use an LCD.

Thanks again for all the help, I'm really liking this forum.

Sorry, after looking for a while at different monitors out there, I'm going to revise the $400 I am willing to spend to $1000. Not that it matters, I'm not looking for any direct suggestions. I just realized how weird I must look asking for a good $400 monitor.

Excuse my ignorance for this question, I'm sure many of you will think this question is a bit stupid. But I'm trying to make a shift from hand-held recreational filming to "playing with the big boys", and the monitor is one thing I just can't understand.

I was talking to a company that sells equipment for pro rigs, and the monitor they suggested I use was 7" and cost about $3000 (I consider that a lot). So I asked if they had anything less expensive, thinking maybe this was for the Hollywood pros only, but the rep said that any cheaper and I'd start to see a rapid decrease in quality.

Now I bough an 8" monitor for my car last year, and it cost about $70. Obviously a person can't use something THAT cheap for a pro rig, but I can't understand how something can go from $70 to $3000 while still serving the same perpouse.

So my question to you guys, some who may own one of thse $3000 screens, what makes them so much more expensive than a regular monitor? What qualities do they have that you can't get on something for say $400 (what I personally would be willing to spend on a monitor)?

Sorry again for my ignorance, but I simply can't comprehend the price. Everything else on a rig I can understand the difference between cheap and expensive, but not the monitor.

That's incredible! Looks like you guys had a lot of fun making it!

Hello,

I've gotten a few chances to operate pro Steadicam rigs over the past year, and I've fallen in love with them.

Right now I'm saving money to buy a Steadicam Pilot, but I'd like to begin right away with something smaller.

You guys here seem to know everything about stabilizers, so I wanted to post a link to the introductory-level stabilizer I'm looking at to see what you guys think.

The product is the Balvanz Enterprises stabilizer, http://balvanzenterprises.com/MiniDVStabilizerPro.html. At only $130, it's right within my price range, but I'd like to get some feedback first.

If this product just doesn't cut it, does anybody have other suggestions within this price area? Again I'm just looking for a nice way to be introduced to stabilizers with some good footage, not make a Hollywood movie.

Thanks!