Ricardo Casco

Well I dropped away from the Steaicam world for too long, looking to get back into it. Since its been so long since I actually bothered to look into it, I'd like to know where I should put 10gs in

 

Considering the Zephyr, but if theres anything else thats essentially the same, better or worse It would be great to know

I'd like to buy one but i'm concerned about one of the terms and conditions in the warranty being "customer service staff shall be allowed to shout at will, when you dare to question or raise a known issue regarding the equipment".....also.....can I get one in blue?

 

I'd like to know how you managed to find that fine print!

Colors are only available in NyanRainbow (as seen in the images above), OverReflective-Pink, and Blinding-Chrome

Bring it to set, but only off a job you bid from Craigslist. I say you'll make it to lunch before someone catches on.

 

Probably doesn't have HD signal issues when people are on their walks nearby.

 

Hahaha, yeah thats probably true! I"ll try that

So after digging through a bunch of old boxes in the attic, I found one of my childhood friends, K-Nex.

And the box hadn't been touched for many years, so I decided to procrastinate on work this afternoon and build a "Steadicam" out of K-Nex :lol:

 

 

Here's the arm so far, issue is that it can't hold its own weight, which isn't surprising. I may seriously spend all night perfecting this, I can't wait to throw an iPhone or some light weight camera on it and check out the footage it can make. I really don't expect the footage to be good at all, but this will be a fun hobby.

 

 

And once its done, I may just pull a prank on someone and walk into set wearing this. And say "What??? This IS my Steadicam!"

 

This is a quick review for the BV Follow Focus (BVFF), the wired version I purchased cost 700$ with approx. 90$ shipping from Denmark to Houston.

Lets take it step by step:

 

 

 

Shipping:

The shipping was great, the package came nicely wrapped, it looked like it could have been hit by a gasoline truck and survive.

It came from Denmark all the way to Houston in about a week and a half, which is pretty great considering some people mentioned it could take a month.

 

 

 

The Outside:

The hard case it comes with is great! Very tough, made out of metals and plastic. It is also lockable, you will find the keys inside for each knob.

The foam cut is great as well, although pretty hard to position the cable and strap behind a flap that allows you to hold different colored markers, and other accessories, it works great.

 

 

Components:

Once you open it, you will find the following items inside the hard case:

• Remote
  
• Motor
  
• XLR Cable
  
• Neck Strap
  
• 2x Marking "Disks"
  
• Dry Erase Marker
  

 

<sarcasm> Overall the dry erase marker is the key item in this whole package, you might as well buy this just for the marker. It writes very smoothly and in a thick black color. I've already made another hard case specifically for this heavy duty plastic marker </sarcasm>

 

 

 

 

 

The Remote:

 

The remote is made out of metals and some plastic parts, the knob is nice and big on hand. The marking disk which slides on and off without having to screw anything is great, but it is also pretty small (About and inch of marking area from bottom to inner area) Although since it slides on and off, I'm sure the makers of this could make a bigger marking disc that can slide on the knob.

 

Also a cool little thing, the remote comes with batteries. So set up in minutes and ready to go. The motor doesn't use any batteries, the power is fed through the xlr cable from the remote. The remote takes in 6 AA batteries, which you may think is a lot, but not only does it last for ages, it also gives the remote a little bit more weight to feel heavier and tougher on your hand.

 

The remote has an XLR female input on the bottom, and on the side a keyring to attach the neck strap to.

 

The neck strap is vey nice and soft, it is also at a perfect length to let it hang while you turn the knob on the remote.

 

Now the remote has some buttons, I'm still trying to figure these. I'll be contacting the guy who makes these for all the instructions, and maybe add them to this tutorial.

The buttons are (from left to right) Limit, Speed (Hold for ON/OFF), 1,2,3,4. The buttons don't stick out, and have a nice bump to them. And also make a satisfying click when pressed.

 

The back part of it is just the battery holder, the battery cap comes off very easily to replace the batteries.

 

Here is the information given to us by Vladimir:

 

Supply: 6 pieces 1,5V AA type batteries.

Manual gear-turn limit setting.

Manual control function with damped focusing hand-knob.

5 programmable fixed focus positions.

Speed limit setting.

Battery low voltage indication.

Missed link to motor indication.

Dry wipe marking ring is lighted for easy use in dark.

It will remember last settings when batteries will be changed.

 

 

 

 

The Motor:

 

Some people have been saying that the remote is very loud, heavy, big and clunky, but I must disagree. The motor is pretty decent sized, although it may be bigger than normal, its not big enough or heavy enough to need to re balance a sled.

The gear on it is easily replaceable, I'm sure BV will release bigger or smaller gears in the future.

 

Speaking about loudness, since it is a servo motor, it will make noise. The faster you turn it, the more sound it makes, but at normal medium-speed moves its not so loud. Of course it would be captured on the onboard microphone, but its easy to deal with.

Specially how I mainly shoot music videos, I never find audio to be a problem since we aren't capturing any.

 

It is surprisingly strong, so it can turn any lenses. Even big telephoto ones

 

It clamps on to 15mm rods and has two pivoting points: The clamp to the 15mm rods, and the clamp to the motor plate which has another screw. So you can set the motor to be low at the bottom area of the lenses, or high on the top area of the lenses.

 

At the bottom of the motor there is the mini-xlr male input. Remember this uses an XLR to mini-XLR cable, the one it comes with is 5 meters, and you can easily extend or decrease length by purchasing another one.

 

The only part I don't like about the motor is that it only tightens to one rod, not two. So often I find myself having problems of the motor sliding off the gears on the lens. I fixed this by just getting a small bungee cord and putting pressure on it from the opposite side, so the gear doesn't fall away from the lens. Now I have a small bungee cord in the case at all times.

 

 

Here is the info by Vladimir:

 

BVFF high accuracy digital motor can turn cine lenses.

Torque: up to 13 kg/cm.

0,3 ° gear turn precision.

Gear pitch: module 0,8 (32P).

Gear turn angle: 240 °.

Adjustable motor bracket for 15 mm rods.

 

 

 

Response time:

 

I was actually surprised how good the response time is, I've used some higher end focus models that the lens turn before you even touch the knob, and some other ones that the delay is so long you might as well tell everyone to take 5 just to wait for the signal to reach the motor. Although it was pretty good on this particular system, I'll try to make a video showing the reponse time in different speeds. You'll be able to see the speed calculated by pixels with a piece of tape on the end of the knob and gear. Coming soon!

 

 

Overall: I like it, a lot. Its very durable and its great for its price: 700$. Its great even at its first released model, and we've gotten word they are working on some other models, including a wireless one.

 

 

Check out their site: www.bvff.dk

 

 

Happy focus racking!

Just bought a set of these, it should come soon. I'll give you guys a review of it

I apologize, even after years of using forums I completley forgot. I'm so used to the quick reply!

If you have 85 grand to spend at your age, from money you have made as a business then well done to you Ricardo, you must be doing something right!

Personally having started out on the likes of pilots, and flyers, I then moved up to buying an archer 1, and am now in the position where I will probably be picking up a big rig in 4-6 months time and building up a second steadicam kit, my journey so far being 2-2.5 years with regards to steadicam.

The one thing I learned and have seen in terms of resale value with regards to steadicam, is that I think personally the minimum buy in point for anyone considering getting any sort of basic rig, should be a flyer/zephyr, this gives you the scope to expand a little in terms of weight range beyond minimal DSLR set-ups and so on.

The second you touch any of those crappy knock off brands and are you talking about your kit dropping down in value astronomically the second you take delivery of it.

Branded high quality camera stabilizers hold their value very well compared to other types of camera kit (digital camera bodies for example).

I would say until you can afford to purchase the likes of a flyer or better, your best bet is workshops, and renting a flyer/zephyr to practise on as often as possible. That way you will gain useful knowledge and skill for minimal financial outlay, and even if you decide after this that steadicam is not for you, at least as a DP you will have garnered a good insight into what it's like to be a steadicam operator, whats possible in terms of shots, and how you can better work steadicam into your shoots.

It's a win win situation, and then ultimately you should at that point be much clearer as to where you will progress with steadicam both as a DP and as a potential/future operator.

I know another DP who is doing the same at the moment, he has 10 years plus experience in the industry, access to experienced operators, and no particular designs on being an operator himself.

However he feels that it can only be a good thing as a DP to expand his knowledge of steadicam.

Food for thought, good luck whichever way you decided to go, and well done for getting a business off the ground at such a young age, that's a noteworthy achievement on it's own.

 

Thanks for your comment. I've been really looking into the Flyer or Scout, but it seems for now my budget is kinda cut short. As soon as I'm able to finish paying off the camera, I'll sell the Pilot to go for the Flyer, even if it means a little loss, but having one is better than not having one

And I'm loosing many resources and shots I'd kill to have by not having one

 

I appreciate it

 

Ricardo,

 

Welcome to the forum. I'd second many of the comments here. Definitely take that two day Flyer Workshop. Well worth the minimum investment even if you have to fly to one, but they do occasionally pass through Houston/Austin/Dallas. I would also advise you to look at the used Flyer market and make that your minimum entry point. Anything else, would be a very short term prospect. In the meantime, maybe hire an operator for your Steadicam shoot days. Most production companies don't own systems unless it is going to be a key part of their business model. You're not an island there in Houston, you have Patrick Neese (EFP) in Austin, George Niedson (XCS) in DFW, Marco Naylor (Ultra2) in El Paso, and of course me in DFW with a Nexus. Not to mention no less than 7 big rig operators a few hours away in New Orleans. Most all of us work Houston on regular basis. Best of luck to you, FWIW, I started my production business some 20 years ago at age 15.

 

 

Sounds good, believe me I'd kill to go with a used Flyer, even a Flyer LE, I could stretch my budget to get a used non-le flyer, but I've googled to the 2000th page and can't find anything

For now the Pilot would have to do, we don't use a Steadicam a lot, but whenever we have a bigger project with a Red or anything like that I'd have to bring over one of you big rig operators

 

Hopefully something will pop up before I hit Checkout

 

Thanks

If you have 85 grand to spend at your age, from money you have made as a business then well done to you Ricardo, you must be doing something right!

Personally having started out on the likes of pilots, and flyers, I then moved up to buying an archer 1, and am now in the position where I will probably be picking up a big rig in 4-6 months time and building up a second steadicam kit, my journey so far being 2-2.5 years with regards to steadicam.

The one thing I learned and have seen in terms of resale value with regards to steadicam, is that I think personally the minimum buy in point for anyone considering getting any sort of basic rig, should be a flyer/zephyr, this gives you the scope to expand a little in terms of weight range beyond minimal DSLR set-ups and so on.

The second you touch any of those crappy knock off brands and are you talking about your kit dropping down in value astronomically the second you take delivery of it.

Branded high quality camera stabilizers hold their value very well compared to other types of camera kit (digital camera bodies for example).

I would say until you can afford to purchase the likes of a flyer or better, your best bet is workshops, and renting a flyer/zephyr to practise on as often as possible. That way you will gain useful knowledge and skill for minimal financial outlay, and even if you decide after this that steadicam is not for you, at least as a DP you will have garnered a good insight into what it's like to be a steadicam operator, whats possible in terms of shots, and how you can better work steadicam into your shoots.

It's a win win situation, and then ultimately you should at that point be much clearer as to where you will progress with steadicam both as a DP and as a potential/future operator.

I know another DP who is doing the same at the moment, he has 10 years plus experience in the industry, access to experienced operators, and no particular designs on being an operator himself.

However he feels that it can only be a good thing as a DP to expand his knowledge of steadicam.

Food for thought, good luck whichever way you decided to go, and well done for getting a business off the ground at such a young age, that's a noteworthy achievement on it's own.

 

Thanks for your comment. I've been really looking into the Flyer or Scout, but it seems for now my budget is kinda cut short. As soon as I'm able to finish paying off the camera, I'll sell the Pilot to go for the Flyer, even if it means a little loss, but having one is better than not having one

And I'm loosing many resources and shots I'd kill to have by not having one

 

I appreciate it

Give him a little break guys! He properly introduced himself and presented his case which is better and certainly no worse than others who have come before him.

 

Also, don't underestimate 17. I know a 16 year old who has a 3 camera multi-cam studio in his basement and has been incorporated in his own production business since he was 11. Yes, 11. He may still be a teenager but he's got the jump business wise over a lot of people.

 

Welcome to the Steadicam Forum Ricardo!

 

You definitely need to do additional research in the archives here and the search function is your friend. There's probably not a topic that hasn't been discussed and argued over the years more than once.

 

If you're really serious about Steadicam, the first thing you need to do is take at least a two-day workshop with Peter Abraham or whoever offers workshops in your area. It's worth flying to LA or NY if needed... yes it's that important. You find that advise permeating the past postings and from almost every operator.

 

Ultimately Eric is right but you have to find your own answers in life.

 

Robert

 

 

Yup I've done enough research to see those chinese/korean/indian knock off brands are pretty bad and so much research to probably already know how to use an Ultra2c without looking at it, just wanted opinions on them. I may be going with the pilot now, to kinda test it out.

 

I've always loved the idea of operating, as I mentioned I own a pretty decent sized prod. company (lights, cameras, jib, Mac workstation) and really the last thing we're missing is a good Steadicam

Specially how we've been doing SO many projects, and all these times I hit myself in the head wishing there was an operator nearby, but the only thing available is that terrible v20

 

I'm not even sure if its something worth to not go to film school about, and instead of spending 85 grand having someone tell me how a tripod works, or they need me to wax the c-stand because it isn't shiny enough, I could spend those 85 grand on a great rig, wireless follow focus, tally marker, transmitter and remote monitor, etc. And if I ever do break and ankle, I'll have this nice system I can sell and take me back to film school

 

I'll be considering that course strongly

 

Thanks everyone, I'll be wandering around the forums and posting my work to get everyone's opinion

17 ???

 

Let me make sure....

Yup, unless my birth certificate is a fake :)

Aloha all villagers of Steadicamforum. Let me introduce myself, my name is Ricardo, but call me Ricky. I'm a Director/DP, and 17. I've been starting a small video production company in Houston, and its going pretty great, but one of the last pieces of equipment I need is a Steadicam

 

I'm actually thinking of becoming an op, I've been running camera from broadcast to film related projects in music videos, churches, corporate videos, etc

I've flown a few rigs before, but limited to what people here have to offer, which is terrible (Glidecam V20, and some other chinese copies), but I can't really get good at it without owning one to practice all the time, and I don't feel like I want to be renting a terrible rig to practice

 

So my budget starts at 3500, maybe until 5500, preferably something that holds 20lb max of camera weight, or total weight (As I may be putting a Red on it)

I was thinking of getting the Pilot, thats my backup but the 10lb limit is just depressing

 

I'm sure you guys have spoken about these rigs, I've searched but havent really been satisfied, so I'd just like "rating"

 

 

MovCam

EEMOV

BassonSteady

Comfort Arm Vest Flycam5000 (I'm kidding)

KONOVA Pro201

 

I'm not really sure on which one I should go with, or if you guys have any other rigs you recommend that would be great

 

Thanks!