chris fawcett

Nice. We've been testing this identical setup on the Steadiseg; that's one of the reasons the new hard mount is so strong. Works really well! All the best, Chris

I'm with Robin on this, The A2 is an amazingly flexible rig, capable of flying a wide range of cameras. I push the limits sometimes, right up to the carrying capacity of the arm, but I wouldn't recommend you make a habit of it. Chris

Hi Rich, Thanks for your interest. I haven't made any videos, but I've written up the steering technique in some detail in the User Manual, illustrated with photos. Have a look on the Steadiseg website, and if you think a video would be an improvement, I'll consider making one. All the best, Chris

Hi Junior, Maybe this was your problem: http://www.steadicamforum.com/index.php?showtopic=10575&view=findpost&p=54059 Read #2. Chris

Thanks for yours!

Probably not.

Hi All, Ulik and I will be exhibiting our new Steadiseg at the Tiffen Steadicam stand at IBC 2011, Hall 11.D36. Come have a look. We have many new features to demonstrate: an improved control mechanism, a stronger and more versatile hard-mount, and enhanced safety features. You can find more info on our website: http://steadiseg.com/ We look forward to seeing you there. All the best, Chris

Oh well, it sounds like you have a good alternative, Chris

You can also dismantle the Turf wheels and reverse them, so they have a much narrower configuration. I'll show you on the Steadiseg, if you are at IBC. All the best, Chris

Hi All, My last 3 jobs were with Alexas that had a modified battery plate to accept 24V V-lock batteries, so to keep things light up top, I burned through my own supply of 12V batts. Trouble is that battery A on my sled was powering all the 12V stuff including the Codex, so was causing frequent battery changes. You know the deal. Anyway I made this plate to fit the lower dovetail of my sled. I took a standard 12V V-lock battery plate and adapted it so it would accept 24V V-locks, and not accept 12V V-locks. I'll add some details below for those of you that are interested. I have a 3-pin LEMO trailing from the plate that plugs into one of the sled power outs, connecting to ground and +24V. Here are some pics. Now my on-board batts just power the 12V line. Sorry, it's not anodised yet! On a standard 12V plate, if we number the pins (shown in pic 4) as1 through 5, the pinouts are: 1 Ground 2 Charging 3 Unused 4 Unused 5 12V On the plate modified for 24V, shown, the pinouts are: 1 Ground 2 Unused 3 24V 4 Charging 5 Pin absent Hole 5 on the 24V batteries is blocked, so 24V batteries will not fit on a 12V plate. Correspondingly, the 24V plate has 2 protrusions, seen above (in pic 4), between pins 1+2 and after pin 4, so 24V batteries will not fit on a 12V plate. It wouldn't hurt to check my pinout specs listed above if you're going to make one. Obviously, you should disconnect the power tap on the plate. It works well. All the best, Chris

Take it apart. Not that hard on the G50. No need to worry about that at this point. A drop of teflon oil sparingly here and there in the future is sufficient. Chris

Maybe Fabrizio is right, but I'd be inclined just to wait and see. Probably no big deal. Anyone else?

Hi Matteo, I can feel comfy to mount the arm lower, for sure, but it limits your upper boom range. The closer the block would be to your shoulder, the closer it would mimic your biological arm range, but it gets in the way when it's higher. However, as long as you can get the lens where you need it, you can mount the block wherever you want on the spar. WD40 dries up and becomes gummy. Don't worry, you haven't damaged your arm. It might just need cleaning some time in the future. Any dust that gets in will stick to the residue. Watch out for sand! Wipe off the excess with a cloth and some Q tips (that might not be an international word—the sticks you clean your ears with) now, and it will probably be fine. All the best, Chris

Check your posture in a reflection from time to time. With the rig flying in perfect balance in operating position, and the vest located correctly on your body, you should be standing upright, leaning neither left nor right. Adjust side-to-side to achieve that. Now check your reflection from the side. The centre of your shoulder should be above the centre of your pelvis. Adjust fore–aft for that. If I used volume controls, I'd just turn them up to 11. Chris

Great to hear, I've used them only a few times, but you're right, they're really quiet. I like the stability. For slow walking, they're way better than spongy soles. I'll be experimenting further now. Thanks for the input! Chris

Thanks guys! That should do nicely. All the best, Chris

Hi, Can anyone recommend a rental house in Berlin? Kinos, dedos, and a Sachtler Video 20 is all that is required. Thanks! Chris

They're interesting, right? Do you use them on all shots? Chris

Since you mention it, I'm getting along really well with the Vibram Five Finger Komodo: Fast becoming my shoe of choice. Chris

Mike, If there is a retracting pin within the power XLR socket (and I think there is) on the camera, it will probably cut off the D-Tap too. You need to drill out your corresponding XLR plug, so the pin doesn't retract, and mark it as a special cable. Then you can power those components from the rig. Let us know, Chris

Hi Keith, You won't be poorer when you get a Pilot. You'll be richer. That's the point ;) Chris

Hi Keith, I doubt it! The Pilot sled is remarkably good for its price, and since you already have the arm and vest, it's—what is that quaint American expression?—a no-brainer, I believe. All the best, Chris

Hi James, Inverting the yoke handle in conjunction with your bracket is probably the most convenient solution. If you have an Ultra or an LX vest (might apply to any front-mount vest), you can disassemble the lower section and reassemble it so the spar is on the outside of the waistband instead of on the inside. This allows you to get the block a little lower, though having it that that low is not ideal. The further the stabiliser arm-mount is from your own arm mount (your shoulder), the more likely it is to compromise boom range. All the best, Chris

Hi Sanjay, No, this is a total re-design, based in part on what I learned working with Larry. He's meticulous and demanding, and tremendously innovative. We just added his wish list and mine together. His main inputs were that we find an alternative to the x2 wheels, which he declared useless; to strengthen the hard-mount way beyond its previous capacity and to make its positioning more adaptable; and to clear all obstructions from the operating side. We were able to achieve some of this by adapting the old model on set, but Ulik and I felt we could only achieve what we really wanted by beginning over again. All the best, Chris

Thanks Joseph, I'm delighted you like it. Anyone is welcome to write to me to see if we can arrange a demo. All the best, Chris