chris fawcett

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

Hi Thomas, I don't find it so big in practice. It's certainly light, and I like the compact antenna. Being able to clip it on a battery mount below is handy too when things get heavy up top. You get what you pay for, I guess. Chris

And I'm still using the Transvideo Titan HD/SD. Still flawless, direct-to-air, quality, no dropouts ever. Chris

Reinhard is working with Howard Smith of MK-V. I'm working with Ulik. Chris

Hi Tomas, You need to contact MK-V for those details. I wouldn't want to quote you the wrong price. All the best, Chris

Hi Alexander, Ulik, the inventor of the Handsfree Segway, and I redesigned it from the bottom up, based on experience of shooting with previous versions. We feel it's safer, stronger, more comfortable, adaptable, and responsive. We built it from a wish list of various operators' feedback over the course of the last 3 years. Only you can judge if you think it's worth the difference. If you are interested, please check the website for more details. As an experienced operator yourself, I hope you'll find something of interest. I'd love to give any of you the opportunity to try it for yourselves. All the best, Chris

Hi Thomas, You can easily do the conversion yourself. It takes about an hour. Once it's done, you leave the Steadiseg in that configuration, though you can convert it back at any time. Removing the hard-mount for shipping takes 10 seconds. We supply the few tools necessary for the job. We recommend the x2 Turf for general-purpose use, and supply as standard a second set of narrow fenders for the smaller i2 wheels if you want to buy a set of those too at any stage. They narrow the Steadiseg down to 26 in (66 cm) for sets and narrow locations. All the best, Chris

Hi Thomas, Thanks for your inquiry. The price for the conversion kit is €10,700 including the Klassen vehicle-mount block. If you already own one of those, it's €10,000. That includes: The control-stick module. The inner structural fenders. 2 sets of outer safety fenders (for Turf and i2 wheels). Hard mount with high-mode extension. All the best, Chris

Dear friends and colleagues, I've been working for a year now with Ulik Kahlert, the original inventer of the handsfree-steering system for the Segway to completely redesign the Steadicam® Segway® specifically for camera-stabilising operation. It's stronger, more comfortable and responsive, and safer too. We'll be launching it at the Tiffen Steadicam Stand at NAB tomorrow, April 11. Please come and give it a try, Here is a link to the website http://steadiseg.com All the best, Chris

Try lengthening the velcro straps such that the ratchet buckle is forward of the padding. This might flatten the angle of the pull a little, and relieve the pressure. Chris

Hi, I just met an experienced Pilates instructor who knows about Steadicam. He works around the West Hollywood / Beverly Hills area out of private studios, and does home visits too. If you want to work on your core strength and general fitness, or you're recovering from an injury, maybe this is something for you. http://ericdhaun.com/ He's a great guy too, Chris

Yes, RED to 4-pin XLR is a common cable. Borrow one from a rental house, then use your 3-pin LEMO to 4-pin XLR that comes with the A2. Chris

On the question of non-functional balast, I think it has an undeservedly bad name. When the Pilot was released, I admit to having viscerally disliked the idea of these 'useless' weights. I didn't really get the concept myself until I got a load of the Tiffen Accessory Balance Weights. Now I prefer them to so-called 'useful' weight. I put just as many batteries and accessories as I need on the rig, put the gimbal more or less where I want it, select the post length appropriate to the shot, then trim the rig with the balance weights—above the gimbal or below it. They are cheaper and smaller than batteries, and they give you the ability to adjust the drop time by discrete amounts, without moving the gimbal or lengthening the post. They are so compact that you mostly don't notice they are there, until you wonder why the rig won't fit back into its case ;) If you are just starting out, you'll probably want to keep what batteries you're not using on the charger anyway. A battery you don't need and can't (for the time being) charge is even more useless. My 2lb Chris

Stackable batteries any help? http://www.idxtek.com/products/e-7

Yes! My mistake. I'll edit my post, so the next person reading this will be even more confused than I am. Thanks! Chris

Hi Matteo, I think the point is more about how the arm behaves. With a very light load, the arm will require less ISO, so yes, you turn it almost all the way in. Don't worry about counting threads. If the arm is sticky, meaning when you boom it up or down and release pressure, it has a tendency to stick at that height, then you turn the ISO knob clockwise, like Robin said. I know your arm, Matteo. It served me well! Keep asking if that's not clear. All the best, Chris

Yeah really, just dial out the iso when you don't need it. The G50 works fine at low loads. But more mass is more helpful inertia. Work light only when you have to. Chris

Thanks Sean!

Hi Thomas, Sorry, can't be any help here. Never seen that green line you mention, and so far have just used the standard antennae. If you get the high-gain set, I'd like to know how you get along. All the best, Chris

Anyone know where I might pick up a used Leica M8 in LA? Thanks! Chris

Coño tio, Glad you're OK.

Greetings back! If you mean that the rig hangs out of balance when you rotate it 180 on the stand and leave there, then you need to re-centre your gimbal. This should be something you can do yourself fairly easily, depending on the rig. If so, give us some details. One of us will probably know the rig in question. Chris