Peter Abraham

Good morning, There are times when we show up on set and the lens support for our lens isn't in the kit. Or it's in use on A camera. Now the LensLift can be put into play to solve this problem. It's a bit of kit I've always wanted and after seeing some Longplate builds that made use of such on-set fixes and piles of washers and wooden dolly wedges, it appeared time to come up with a bespoke solution. LensLift fits both into the Longplate as well as mounting into any 15mm rod setups already on the camera body. Email me to discuss both pricing and worldwide shipping. ( Camera & Lens used courtesy of Panavision NYC ) ( Lens build courtesy of Arri Rentals NYC )

Good morning. The Zalex group of accessories started in 1992 with the prototype of a Broadcast video camera low-mode plate. First tested at the Steadicam Workshops in Rockport, Maine, it showed great promise and inspired efforts to make bits that serve my needs. Since that first effort, parts have emerged such as an overhauled Model I/II/III/IIIA Vest, drop-forged steel docking bracket for older sleds, the Longplate, LensLift lens support system, Tally Light Kit, Arm Repo Mount and other items. The full complement of Zalex accessories can be found at our website: https://www.zalex-products.com We’re pleased to share that we have just taken delivery of another 60 Longplates. The Zalex Longplate fits all stages from all manufacturers. There are currently over 350 Longplates in use worldwide. This is the longest, thickest and therefore most rigid, dovetail plate available. Some of the benefits of flying with the Longplate include: º Comes with hardware that allows an Alex/ Amira/ Venice/ Sony camera to be mounted directly to the plate. Stop using a VCT-type of plate and mount right to the Longplate. º Slotted to allow for mounting of 15mm rod clamps for follow-focus, Talent Monitors, lights and other accessories. º Pairs well with the LensLift support system. º Notched for the safety bolt used by some models of GPI/PRO, XCS and Sachtler/ Artemis sleds. º Fully slotted for 3/8-16 lockdown screws, the Longplate kit includes adaptors that allow for ¼-20 screw use as well. º Readily locks into a tripod adaptor to save time on sled-to-sticks turnaround. In addition to the Longplate, the Longplate-M fits the Tiffen Medium Stage sleds. These includes the Archer 2, Zephyr and Scout. Email me for pricing and shipping information at: peter@steadicamproductionservices.com Fly safe !! Peter Abraham, S.O.C.

Borrow or get a Dremel tool. And the diamond dust coated cutting wheel. MUCH less chance of messing up your socket block than if you go with a hacksaw. The threads in the socket are fine. The end of the machine screw/ thumbscrews ALL mushroom over the years. It's not a branding flaw. It is just how the machine screws suffer with the constant pressure against the end of the screw. ( Usually but not always more on the top thumbscrew than the bottom. ) Slowly cut the screw off and then turn the musroomed end out and it will fall away.

Good evening ! I'm sharing some accessories that have proven to be very useful to myself and other Steadicam Operators worldwide. The web link at the bottom of this post will allow you to check them out. This post is about the Longplate. There are over 300 in use. I'd always wanted a VERY rigid vibration-free longer dovetail plate. In the 1990's I had one for my Master Series rig but it had a bit of flex, and was long but not as long as these. There is a different plate for all Tiffen medium sized stage sleds- like the Archer 2, Zephyr, Scout and so on. It can also be used on the Aero and several other sleds with slight adjustments to the sled stage. The Longplate comes with a kit of hardware that allows the Operator to mount the any Arri/ Venice/ Sony camera directly to the plate. In fact, any camera body that has the bottom configuration that locks into a VCT Plate can fit directly onto the Longplate. This eliminates a source of vibration, as well as removing about a pound and roughly 1 inch of added height. Please feel free to email me directly to discuss terms. Thank you so much for taking the time to consider the usefulness of the Longplate and looking over the photos attached. Best to one and all, Peter Abraham 35 Years Steadicam Operator 43 Years Camera Operator peter@steadicamproductionservices.com http://www.zalex-products.com

Good afternoon, Many items for sale and so I've parked them on my website. Each one is priced + Shipping. Glad to ship internationally, I do it all the time. Please do NOT message me here to inquire as to a particular item. Please do email me at: peter@steadicamproductionservices.com To help me differentiate, don't just write "Garage Sale" in the Memo line. Please specify the item, such as " Garage Sale: PRO socket block ", and so on. I accept Venmo or PayPal. Local New York City sales can be handed off instead of shipped. https://zalex-products.com/garage-sale/ Best, Peter Abraham

Hi Laurent, I don't know the specific sites. Whatever brand you own, look at the website owned by them.

This came in from Dean Smollar, S.O.C. He informed me that he'd transitioned from a back-mounted vest to a front and missed the arm clearance offered by that design. He decided to try my A.R.M. Arm Repo Mount. I did not design it to compete with the back-mounted vests. I just wanted to solve two 30-year-old problems I'd always faced, no matter what vest/arm/sled combo: 1. The arm bumps into the monitor corner sometimes. 2. The arm blocks a portion of my view of the monitor. The A.R.M. resolves both of these issues. Dean has permitted me to use his words and photos below. Please PM me if you're interested in this mod. It comes with machine screws. $ 225.00 USD. Free shipping in the lower 48 States. ------------------------------------------------------ " I love it! It has dramatically improved the view of my monitor, especially for long lock offs. In addition, I feel more comfortable in Don Juan thanks to the change in geometry of the arm. It makes it feel more like a back mount, which I prefer. I’ll definitely wear my front mount more often with this attachment! "

I'd be so glad to fly down to the island to work on-site..... ;) Logical that you'd feel rocking when inertia the bottom is reduced. Spreading out the weight tends to suppress any rocking. It's very similar to balancing the rig. The faster the drop-time, the more minimized any off-balanced issues are to your fingers because the mass of the pendulum has been increased top to bottom, and the rig is holding itself upright rather aggressively. ( A 1 second drop opposed to a 3 second drop, for example ) I am a HUGE fan of taking an extra 2 minutes when doing a build to build the rig and then set the gimbal to neutral. Zero G, as I call it. Then very carefully arrange both axis so that the system is perfectly balanced. Even a slow drop time is using bottom-heaviness to overcome elements that are trying to pull the rig to one side or another. Only way to know if your build is perfectly centered is to trim fore/aft and side/side while neutral. Then, ASSUMING your gimbal itself is centered, your rig can and will behave exactly like a planetarium machine. You can tip it upside down and to an extreme axis- and it should hang there immobile. Any slow roll or sway is then easier to locate. I used to do it at workshops I taught. If there's a rolling or tilting that you cannot pin down to errant loose cables or trim, then cast your eyes to your gimbal itself. A useful bit to engage in every single time you build. It MUST be done out of the wind, of course. Any breeze will push a rig that's at neutral around. As to the issue of how to center your gimbal, there are written guides out there depending on which gimbal you are using. Glad to help you with this- but better to get those already well-proven guides into your hands. Which gimbal is it?

Pleased to bump this because more and more of this new Longplate-M are finding their way onto people's rigs. PM me with any questions ! Exciting update- for Flyer owners, a possible inexpensive solution for the gear rack needed to engage your Fore/Aft with the Longplate-M !! Keep an eye out here for details.

I am a HUGE fan of this system !! As the designer of the Zalex Longplate and Longplate-M, I'm delighted that Justin has designed this robust clamp for all of those medium sized stage plates on the planet. Going to link through to this product on my Facebook Zalex page ! If you own a rig that uses that sized plate, this SOS is INDISPENSABLE !!! The SOS is something I wanted for decades. Was happy from the first day on set with mine. Peter Abraham, S.O.C.

I am the manufacturer of the Longplate and the Longplate-M. The M fits all Medium Tiffen stages including the Zephyr. The Longplate-M has been shipping for several months now. It comes with a custom-built kit of hardware that allows direct mounting of a Sony broadcast or Alexa type of camera bottom to the Longplate-M. Feel free to PM me with any questions. Best, Peter Abraham, S.O.C.

Hi Preston, I'm pretty familiar with the Zephyr. Indeed at that weight you are already severely over what it is designed to carry. You risk cracking the bearings in the arm ( it sounds a bit like popcorn when they crack ) because of the excessive pressure on them. You also risk having the main pin that holds the gimbal into the handle snap. You also can damage the bearing races in the gimbal itself. In all, a bit of a risk. Adding more weight only increases the chance of damaging components. Might be time to strip down the camera/ setup a bit or look for another used rig that's a bit larger in capacity. Best, Peter Abraham, S.O.C.

My two cents. It is not the gimbal. It is the fore/aft travel adjustment machine screw/ nut combination. Unless you've already resolved this, send me a PM and I can talk you through working it out. Takes about 3 minutes but a bit of prep to make a custom tool. Best, Peter Abraham, S.O.C.

Sure looks like a hand-built prototype of the Model II.

Charles....well done, mate.

Hi Will, You may have heard it from me- I shared that quote at every workshop I taught. A pretty good mantra.

25 years ago today, Ted Churchill died. For those of us who knew him it was a painful day and time in our personal lives and in our careers. For those who knew of him back then, it was a shocker and made them want to know more. There will be links coming in here that will provide nuance and detail and some incredible clips and videos of him. As Garrett Brown has often said, " I invented the Steadicam. Ted invented the Steadicam Operator ". Hope you're resting in peace, Teddy.

What Kat and Alec said. And I'll add this. Yeah, what was $ 30K 12 years ago is now found in good shape for a LOT less. If you have a reasonable pile of funding or cash around and want to dive into this, here's what I recommend. Everyone has strong thoughts on this, but we all respect each other's brand loyalties and efforts. Important to keep in mind if you're new to our community ! My two cents before I dive in? The Gimbal and the Arm are the heart of any stabilizer. Everything else kneels before those two elements. Why? Because they are the points of isolation between the movements of your body and the lens. Keep this in mind as you wade into brands, opinions, recommendations. My other two cents? If you have $ 30K to spend on a system and accessories, you really have $ 25K. Because there is no single investment that is more valuable and will give you a greater and longer-lasting return on your investment than a Steadicam Workshop. None. Now, I know I'm saying this during a temporary period of time when you cannot actually TAKE a Workshop. Trust me- and all others who chime in on this area- learning to operate from experienced Operators who are also good Instructors is a life-long gift. You will be 6 years in and realize you're drawing on some trick or tip you heard about or were shown at your Workshop. Start your career off right- learn the right muscle memory, the right approach, the right set of skills. SERVICE: A biggie. Use the Forum here. Ask around. If you buy into a solid design but cannot get it serviced by the manufacturer or service is onerous, think long and hard about it. Things break, fail, burn out on all brands and all models. Not to scare you or anyone reading this away. It's a fact of working with gear. There are only a few brands worldwide whose high-end design and engineering and manufacturing AND very granular support from working Ops make them good choices. This is truly a world-wide community of people who do this and support all others. The Internet is useful in this regard, because you could be in Tel Aviv ( a far location for me but it may be where you live ! ) and your arm breaks. Who do you call? Likely you put out the All-Call for help and sometimes ( literally ) within minutes a stranger is in touch, making arrangements to bail you out. It is what we do. These are very broad-stroke comments. In addition to the brand names, there is a small group across the planet of people and cottage industry companies that do extremely fine upgrade/ modification work. Recommendations and photos of work to be found here on the Forum by asking in this thread, etc. So- if you find an older rig that needs work, but the price seems very good, don't despair. It's like buying a house. Love the house but need a new roof? Fine. Get a roof put on and enjoy the house !! You will find people who post into this conversation who are intensely passionate about their brand ( in a positive manner ) AND/OR intensely negative about some other brand. It's human nature. This isn't a device like a car or a camera or a boat or something. We strap it against our bodies and dance with it to make our art, make a living and make the clients happy. It engenders intensely strong feelings and loyalties. In NO particular order: Any Steadicam brand rig from the Master Series moving forward. Great gimbals, great arms. Lots to chose from. Vests fit well, adjustable, etc. GPI-PRO. Started in the early to mid 1990's. Superb all around. Beware of Gen 1 battery hangars- only because those original batteries need to be re-celled or the hangar needs to be upgraded to newer battery technology. XCS- A high-end sled design. Those who own them LOVE them, far as I can tell. I've only flown them once or twice. Remarkably rugged, well-engineered, etc. Sachtler- A sled that has some respect from full-time Ops worldwide. I've flown them at trade shows. Some amazing design ideas. There are other brands that I have never touched and so cannot remark upon. Welcome to the community. There are NO silly or unreasonable questions. Ask away. Where are you located? Do you have access to anyone's rig to try it out? It's difficult to get to a stranger and be safe in terms of COVID-19, but there may be ways. Best, Peter Abraham, S.O.C.

Ahh this is good stuff. Always love learning WHY something came up and how it was approached, and what failed as an approach on the path to a successful concept and design. Thanks for this Jerry.

Hi, I'm quite familiar with that rig- I worked for Tiffen for a while and was there when it was designed. It is fair to say that you would want to avoid working up a very long post for that arm. The torque increased quite dramatically as the arm post is lengthened. Here's a whacky but much safer solution: find another Scout arm to buy. In 10 minutes' time you can make yourself a 3-segment arm. This accomplishes a few things all at once. It keeps the arm post short, and greatly increases your boom range. Just a thought. Best, Peter Abraham, S.O.C.

I took 3 long sections of tie line and braided them through the gap in the socket block assembly. I take it off and hang it from this short " rope" that isn't in the way at all when I'm operating. I use a segment of Home Depot hot water pipe foam insulator to pad the part of my stand that the arm ( and sled ) would bang against with constant docking motions. Works like a charm !!

The micro-panning side to side may be your hand. Or it may be something in the centering and set of your gimbal. As Kat said, what rig- and specifically what sled/ gimbal are you flying? To find out if it's your hand or the rig making the micro-panning motions, start a normal walking shot and after a few steps, completely remove your sled hand. The rig should remain aimed where you last aimed it. If it starts shimmying side to side, you will know you have a hardware issue. Let us know what you find !

A few weeks ago we started shipping the 160th Longplate ! They're in use all over the world on a great variety of sleds and stages. They are designed to fit snugly into the following stages: Tiffen GPI/PRO Sachtler Betz -- And any other stage that accomodates the full-sized mounting plate. These are 18 inches long and are thick enough that there's no vibration when using them. Whether the goal is to support long lenses or pack lots of accessories onto the front and back or mount a teleprompter and/ or Obie light at the far front end, the Longplate allows for endless variations. One of the main features is the accessory package. The hardware that comes with allows the Operator to mount either an Alexa or Sony broadcast type of camera foot DIRECTLY to the plate. This bypasses 2-3 pounds of metal plate, saves roughly 1" of vertical and removes the vibration from many quick-release plates. Below find a few shots of the Longplate in use. It sells for $ 325.00 USD and includes free shipping to the Lower 48 United States. International sales are welcomed and shipping is processed per order- and is never marked up. Payment is by Venmo or PayPal. For more information email me please at: Peter@SteadicamProduductionServices.com Best to all ! Peter Abraham, S.O.C,.

Finally- a Longplate for the medium-sized stages from Tiffen. This Longplate-M will work with quite a variety of stages. Some require that a locking mechanism be removed. Others allow it to drop right in. Here’s the list of drop-in stages: Archer 2 Zephyr Clipper 312/ 324 Vector Here’s the partial list of stages that might requite removal of a locking tab or gear wheel: Archer 1 Aero Scout Flyer LE Flyer The Longplate-M lists for $ 325.00 USD and shipping is included in the Lower 48 United States. Overseas sales are welcome of course- the original Longplate is used on every continent right now. I accept Venmo and PayPal. Local sales to the NYC area can be done by cash. Please do email me with any questions. Photos below of the new Longplate- M ! Peter@SteadicamProductionServices.com

Dunno about the vest- John Porter is right it looks like a modified Ultra Vest. Then again, I know nothing about that brand named above. Tim Tyler is our board Admin. I'd guess he might be able to change your name. Go to Messages and send him one !