Norbert von der Heidt

Hi Sebastion If you have a problem getting your J-7 fixed quickly, you may want to consider this item I bought from B&H photo-video. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/3613...ontrol_for.html It has an optional 8 to 12 pin adaptor. I'm in Beijing on the Olympics using it with Thomson Grass Valley 8000 cameras and it's absolutely great. It mounts easily on my Master's gimbal and the cable induces only minor balance issues. Plus at $230 + adaptor @ $90 I think, the price is right. Cheers Norbert

Hi All I'm in Beijing doing Cycling Road Races, Cycle Time Trials, Triathlon and Marathon. I have to admit I've been less than thrilled about how I've been utilized so far. On the Time Trials, they had me holding a shot of the top 5 riders sitting in the holding area,...hey, ever heard of a tripod??? I'm hoping it'll get better on the Triathlon but in the meantime here are some other pics. Cheers Norber

Hi All Had a phone call from Mike Boland this morning regarding the problem and he was very apologetic. We discussed the problem and in his opinion it wasn't something where I could open up the case and fix so he is sending out a replacement monitor. :D My many thanks for his concern and decisive action. Cheers Norbert

Hi I use the Libec ZC9PRO which is only $230 @ B&H photo-video. It is switchable for Canon and Fuji, has record button and offers an optional 8 to 12 pin adaptor. It's unique clamp design easily clamps on to my Master Series gimbal handle. Perfect for what I need. Here's the link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/3613...ontrol_for.html Cheers Norbert

Hi All Just goes to show, all those years of techie experience was good for something. After letting the monitor cool back to room temp for a few hours, I turned it back on where it promptly went into negative image display. I waited a minute to be sure it had settled and then gave the top of the case a light rap with my knuckles and sure enough, the picture flipped into a normal display and was fine for the next 4 hours that it was on. :D I suspect it's either a loose connection (cold solder joint) or a chip that needs to reseated in it's socket on the PCB. I'll have to wait till I get someone from Boland to give me the okay to open the case (don't want to void the warranty!) and do a check. At least it's not a problem that can't be easily rectified on location now, but I think for the long term it should be fixed. Cheers Norbert :)

Hi Lawrence No, that's definitely not an issue. I've had it on both sled and mains power, the video has been checked through my waveform monitor. I have 25 years tech experience in TV and the more I test, the more I'm sure this is a temperature dependent component problem. My next test will be the sure fire, tried and true "whack it and see if it changes" test. I've made a MP4 of the monitor as it started up this morning and I'll be sending it to them. It took almost 9 minutes to stabilize back to a normal display. On that note, I'm still waiting for someone from Boland to get back to me, but I guess the weekend got in the way. I'll give them till Tues here in Australia before I get too upset but gee, it would have been nice if I'd had some tech help Friday. I've read a lot of posts where you guys give kudos for the fast response, in some cases the same day a replacement is sent from manufacturers. I'd hoped Boland would have been in that class but I guess not. Cheers all Norbert

Hi all This week I became the proud owner of a Boland 8.4 HD monitor :D ....that is until I put it on my rig. It was displaying everything as negative images starting with the Boland startup screen to colour bars (which are reversed left to right) and live camera which looks like a film neg. :( I can stand and watch over 3 minutes as the screen slowly shifts colour, loses contrast, does a couple of flickers and then flips into a proper screen display. Obviously this is not acceptable from a Steadicam operational viewpoint. I have contacted Boland who was going to get a tech to contact me but that hasn't happened yet and I'm not thrilled with their lack of concern for my problem. Has anyone else had this problem and was it an easy fix? <_< I'm off to Beijing in two weeks for the Olympics and that's what I got the Boland for. If this is not going to be fixed I'll send it back and get a Transvideo instead with an AJA downconverter. Any other ops experiences would be appreciated.

Hi all This Myvu Solo came a part of a promotional email and I thought it was an interesting idea. Just wondered if anyone had any experience with these or something like them? http://www.myvu.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/64

Hi Ben Found this on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...2BSI%26otn%3D12 Thought it may be helpful :D Cheers Norbert

Hi all When this sort of thing happens, I'm curious as to why Tiffen charges $350 for the "upgrade" kit. In my humble opinion the arm was under-engineered in the first place. Any repair/upgrade should be free just like when a problem is found in automobiles, there is a recall and an upgrade/fix done at no expense to the owner. Why doesn't that philosophy work here? What makes us so special? Enquiring minds want to know. <_< Cheers Norbert

Hi all I've tried to analyze why I've always felt better goofy and it probably goes to the fact that I had a long history of handheld camera work for rock shows, docos, sports, etc before goin' steadi. I've always had a well developed sense of spatial relationships (played goal in ice hockey and play guitar) and I became very adept at operating to frame and follow shots at angles where I couldn't always see the viewfinder. This made my right hand/arm combo better for precise, controlled movements. My first Steadicam course was a disaster till I asked the instructor if I could switch over to the right side and it was like a revelation. Heaven forbid if circumstances should force me to have to try the dark side! Cheers Norbert :D

Hi Aaron :) In my almost 30 years experience in TV & film production, this business is not the place to go for getting away from bullshit hours, if that's important to you. I've spent too many nights sleeping in trucks, on floors or office couches at best, because of a 3 hr turnaround to the next shoot, than I care to remember. :blink: If this racket was all that peachy keen wonderful, everyone in the world would be doing it. It has a Dark Side, Luke. Just be aware of the demands of the business, both on set and off, and are you prepared to make those sacrifices. That's why it's always best to work your way up through the ranks. You end up with a better understanding and appreciation of what makes it all work and how you fit into it. Plus, in the long run, it separates the men from the boys, so to speak. Just something to think about. Cheers Norbert :D

Hi Jerry On that note, I'm just about to buy a Boland HD monitor for my Master Series Broadcast sled. Can you give some details as to cable name/brand and connectors etc. that are required for me to upgrade to HD capability. Cheers Norbert

Hi Jens :) I may be wrong but my technical experience tells me that in this digital age, real R&D is the domain of the big boys. I'm sure relatively little companies like Transvideo usually take commercially available hardware/software etc. and custom package it to suit their purpose. As an example, I have a Glidecam L7-PRO monitor I bought for $700 and too late found out it was just a rebadged version of another non-pro name company that sold theirs for $400. Why such a disparity in prices between the Transvideo and the Boland for example? It's not like we're talking Ford compared to Ferrari here either. They are both high end pro quality monitors that have very much the same specs and capabilities so where does double the cost come in? Sorry, I'm still not convinced. <_< Cheers Norbert

Hi Guys I honestly feel a lot of companies charge what they do because they can and we'll pay! <_< When I can buy a 50" Plasma TV/monitor for my home with all the HD bells and whistles for about half that, someone is going to have to go a long way to convince me I'm getting what I paid for with this monitor. For me as an operator, it's not like I really need a production quality monitor like that used for video village image control or pulling focus, that's not my department or worry. As long as I can see accurately what I'm shooting in the worst of lighting conditions and it's super reliable, then that's my main concerns taken care of. I've been in the TV industry almost 30 years as everything from a gopher to Technical Producer/Director and my film experience is limited to some 16mm shooting. Maybe for film it's different, could someone could give me their thoughts. Anyway, as soon as I sell my DVCPRO50 camera I'm buying a 8.4" Boland HD for around $3500 which will do me nicely and I'll be laughing all the way to the bank. Better me than them! Just my two centavos worth. :) Cheers Norbert

Hi Bud I just checked B&H, my fav store, and their price for a new one is $2745.95 so you may have a little trouble with your asking price. :unsure: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/4314...ransmitter.html Good luck with selling it. Cheers Norbert

Hi Dave I have to admit that I've only had the chance to try on one other vest and that was from and EFP rig so my perspective is limited but it seems to work for me or I have one of those strange shaped bodies that normally require the services of Omar the Tentmaker to fit so who knows. :D Concerning the rebadge, I wouldn't be surprised that, being the entrepanuer he is, he's outsourcing like everyone else nowadays. <_< Cheers Norbert

Hi everyone I just finished doing the 5 day intensive workshop given by Louis Puli, Phil Balsdon and Richard Narramore as part of the Summer Film School in Melbourne, Australia at the end of January. A great group of 14 students from as far away as Malaysia and the USA attended and we had a ball. For some it was their first Steadicam experience while for others, like me, it was a chance to unlearn some of the bad habits you pick up over time while also trying some new things. Collectively, we took almost 1000 pics and almost 2hrs of video documenting the week! The Grand Prix shot they dreamed up for us on Friday was a real challenge and I was happy with my effort. I'd definitely recommend taking a workshop like this if they are thinking of getting into Steadicam, damn the expense, it's worth it! Here are a couple of pics. Cheers Norbert

Hey Martin :D Just a note, for $1000USD the Progear's great! I use the vest with my Master Series Broadcast + Silver Spring arm combination and it works just fine, it was the long wait to get it and the lousy service after, that sucked big time!! This thing though isn't even close to the Progear in quality! Cheers Norbert "my two cents" von der Heidt

This motor was bought for use with my old Seitz system and I just found out it is not compatible so it's now surplus to my needs. Make me an offer I can't refuse! The HEDÉN M26T is a horizontal orientated lens servomotor for professional film-and Video/HD-cameras A high precision motor with tachogenerator Patented two-stage friction drive planetary torque amplifier that provides several unique advantages Negligible backlash High torque Extremely silent Lightweight and small size SPECIFICATIONS: Weight: 186 g / 6.56 ozs Length: 108 mm / 4.25 inches Body diameter: 26 mm / 1.02 inches Power supply: 12–24 V DC No load current: Approx. 90 mA Torque: Approx. 1.20 Nm Connector: LEMO size 1 4-pin

Hi Folks :( I'm hoping someone can fill me in on what the problem may be with John Seitz Technical products. As I can't afford the high priced spread like Prestons or Bartechs, I bought (silly me!) a second hand Seitz 8710A in Sept. from a Dave Edgar in Chicago that arrived DOA in Australia. Needless to say I wasn't impressed! Anyway, after a few phone calls to John, I sent off the offending receiver and MDA modules to Pennsylvania on October 6. After 2 months I'm still waiting for an answer as to when they'll be fixed, at what cost and when I can expect them back. I've regularly email him and ask for an update with most times no response and once in a while his answer being "next week for sure". I've been getting these promises for the past 4-5 weeks and I'm getting a little miffed. Any insight or suggestions as to what I can do to light a fire under him and get my gear fixed and back would be appreciated. How he manages to stay in business is beyond me! Cheers Norbert

Hi all I finally made contact with the right folks at Beijing Olympic Broadcaster (BOB), from info given by Sven, and I'm set to do "outside races" for 20 days. I have just received my 23 page contract for the Beijing Olympics and was wondering if anyone else had signed on and if they had any issues over some of the legal mumbo jumbo I'm now wading through. :( Please email me directly if you wish to discuss details as there may be a issue with confidentiality. Cheers Norbert "Beijing or Bust" von der Heidt :ph34r:

Just to add to what Stephen and Dan have said. I did camera CCU operation or vision control as they say here in the Antipodes, for almost 15 years back in Canada starting on second generation colour cameras. The controls for one camera alone occupied one half of a full equipment rack. I had the kind of control where I actually had to set the aspect ratio of the camera tube image on all 3 colour channels every time the cameras were fired up. The operator accessible controls that are available in menus on todays camera are pretty basic in their functions, limited in their adjustment range and too course in their degree of adjustment. At least to match 2 or more cameras exactly, in my opinion. Proper alignment of muliple cameras requires as a minimum: (1) a proper 45 degree lighting setup in a darkened room, (2) a 10 step gray scale chip chart, (3) a light meter to check for and help adjust for even illumination on the chart, (3) a professional CRT colour monitor of sufficient size to see things easily (LCDs still don't cut it), (4) a waveform monitor, (5) a vector scope, (6) a set of extender boards for the cameras you're working on as many of the adjustments necessary to do are not on the menus and (7) an engineers service manual to tell you what the tech specs etc. are that your'e working toward. It's best that you hire somone with the expertise and gear to do the job if want it perfect. When you don't know what your doing and to start doing it yourself is asking for trouble because it's so easy to get lost in the process and then I can guarntee, you won't be able to find your way back. I've been there a few times, so I know! Best of luck! Cheers Norbert

Hi all :unsure: I have a Mater Broadcast sled with the built in frameline gen that's producing some nasty interference on my Teletest 7" LCD. If I bypass the sled and use a video line directly from the camera to the monitor it's clean. When I hook up the stock 4" green screen in the system it seems to have only a small amount of interference/noise apparent. This all leads me to believe the MS frameline gen is at fault. To me, the interference looks like a horizontal sync crosstalking into the video. Has anyone had a problem with a noisy MS frameline gen in this way that they fixed. Also, the bottom frameline adjustment wheel doesn't shift full range to the bottom of the screen. All the wheels move the same. Has anyone had this issue and how did they fix it. Sorry to ask these questions but here in northern Australia we don't have easy access to all the high tech boys so it's pretty much DIY. Cheers Norbert :)

Hi all :D I have a Master Broadcast sled that has the monitor mounting module that uses two cap screws to lock it in place on the body. I'd like to upgrade it closer to the Master Film version with 24V capability and where the monitor mounting module slides up and down in the channel with the proper locking system. Could anyone please let me know if this is possible, at what cost approx. and what parts are needed to be purchased etc. Cheers Norbert ;)