chris fawcett

Hi Job, I think you can convert any 2G Segway model, though I believe the x2 is the best to begin from. Reinhard should be able to supply you with the kit to convert an i2 as well. I charge a flat rate. I don't bill extra for the HF, or for anything else, but I imagine that most people do. For steps on/off, see earlier in this thread. It's different from the pedal version. I'd say it's a lot easier. Thx for the compliment! The HF either suits you or not. If it does, then shots like that are easy. Good luck! Chris

Hi Matias, The leanie has software that differentiates between steering and uneven ground. You can barrel along in a straight line, both wheels bouncing all over the place, and you remain upright relative to the ground. When riding along an incline, or with one wheel on the kerb, you stand upright, and the machine goes straight. I find that on the pedal version, the fixed steering column pushes you off balance. Steering is easier too. You don't have to think about pedals, you just turn your body, from the knees up, in the direction you want to go. Yummy...

Call Robin here: Tiffen Europe Ltd. Enterprise House Weston Business Park Weston on the Green Oxford, Oxfordshire OX6 8SY United Kingdom Tel: +44 1869 343835 Fax: +44 1869 343836 E-mail: support@tiffen.com And use your real name, please. It's a forum rule. All the best, Chris

Hi, I use the Zoe, and it's great, but I'd go for the Libec next time for the build quality. This is my all-time favourite, though. Sit down before reading the price. http://www.libraprobroadcast.co.uk/proddet...od=vocas-zif100 It clips onto the flyer yoke, and feels great. Chris

Hi Jess, I don't know the details, but it's got redundant systems that switch the machine off if there is any disagreement between them about what is going on. When this happens, it goes into an auto-shutdown routine that shakes the control post, bleeps like crazy, ands slows quickly to a stop. You can instigate this from the controller to see how it feels, if you like. Of course someone will fall off eventually. People fall off things; but my best friend, Nelys, who can't ride a bike without face-planting, was unconcernedly catching air on the HF last week jumping kerbs. Nuff said. Shiny side up! Chris

Hi Jon, I only have the x2 tyres at present, so can't answer your question. I'll be getting the i2 ones, then maybe the turf tyres too. The x2 tyres are fine for indoors, they are just wider, so you are limited to wider doorways. You can pump them up a little so they ride on the central rim, and are nice and quiet; but whether this is a good idea or not for other reasons, I don't know. A helmet indeed. I probably should, but it feels safer than riding a bike. I'll get a helmet for when I'm working around something that could run into me. Best, Chris

Hi Mark, Here's a little test shot I did with three friends this weekend to check out the Handsfree's capabilities: http://steadivision.com/handsfree.html I'm one-man-banding it, so it's a bit rough, but you get the idea. Fly safe, Chris

Hi Mark, For just stepping on of off without shooting, there's no problem. You hold the rig in one or both hands, then step, simple. With the machine in standby, and the kick-stand down, you tether the arm so it's doubled back on itself, then lift the rig off. You repeat the process to put it on. But the simplest way is to dock and un-dock without dismounting, though you can't bow down?that's the machine's cue to race forward! You have to push the arm down out of the yoke, so you are limited by your own strength relative to the lift of the arm. It sounds tricky, but after a few hours on the machine, you get very confident about manoeuvring in tight spaces. If I understand your question correctly, I wouldn't leave the rig unattended on the Handsfree in case some idiot would happen by. It's possible, but it's safer to leave it on the stand. For steps on and off while shooting, you must of course be soft-mounted. A step off is the easiest; just be careful to avoid the steering as you step. If the ground is level, the machine will mostly stay put. I'd rather have someone hold it, though it doesn't run away or anything. I've tried stepping on while shooting sideways, and DJ. I've also tried walking backwards and stepping on from the front of the beast without an assistant, and yes all things are possible. It's a question of practice. So far, I've only practised steps on and off, so can't report how successful they are in a real shot. So far, I haven't had to do a step, because I just rode it in and out of the building! I hope this answers your question. All the best, Chris

Bon Anniversaire mon pote! Have a wonderful day. Love, Chris

Hi All, Here are some pictures relative to questions asked in this thread about mounting the unit on an Archer, and the horizon options. I include some of the waveform options too. They are self-explanatory (I hope). http://steadivision.com/transvideo/ All the best from a very satisfied, Chris

True, But it's also, in most cases, an upgrade to digital level and (HD) frame-line generator too. Not to mention a solution to all your down-converter problems. If you do green-screen work, the waveform generator is invaluable too. Me, I just love the picture. All the best, Chris

I'l second all that advice, and add that a cable external to the post is no big deal. Run it from the front of the stage to the front of the monitor. It affects the handling of the rig hardly at all. If you use a wireless link for audio, you must either monitor the sound return from the camera yourself for dropouts, or have the soundo record the sound. In either case, recording one backup channel of sound on a camera mic is a good idea. If the soundo is recording stereo sound, you should use a timecode generator on the rig (like a Lockit box) and slave the camera to that. it will be slaved to the soundo's recorder, or master TCG at least every hour. Don't trust the camera's internal timecode generator, unless you have it on very good authority that is is reliable. Most aren't. In every sound set-up you consider, think about how it will be handled in post. Keep it simple, and have fun. All the best, Chris

You're very welcome. Sorry for the earlier misunderstanding. Chris

Hi Job, Copied from the brochure: OverExposure & Black Details Control A new tool is born for the CineMonitorHD SB family, the over-exposure and the Black Detail Control. Part of the ?Advanced Measurement Tool? pack, it colorizes the overexposed zones and the blacks of the live picture. The settings are: MAX LEVEL Sets the maximum allowed white up to 107 IRE WHITE CLIPPING Sets the acceptable safety level up to MAX LEVEL MIN LEVEL Sets the minimum allowed black down to -7 IRE BLACK CLIPPING Sets the acceptable safety level down to MIN LEVEL It is possible to activate separately the OVER EXPOSURE and the BLACK DETAILS This function is greatly appreciated when the lighting conditions are difficult, outside shots, Steadicam? operations. Available on: CineMonitorHD6 SBL CineMonitorHD12 SB CineMonitorHD15 SB There is no over-cost for this feature as it is a part of the ?Advanced Measurement Tools? pack. The ?Advanced Measurement Tools? pack includes the RGB Waveform, the Histogram, the Vectorscope.

HI Louis, You make a good point, but we are paying for more than 2 modifications. They invented the whole idea, implemented it, designed, constructed, and tested numerous versions of the 'saddle' before finding a workable system. They went through four wildly different versions of the hardmount, over a period of 18 months, before finding the best version for Steadicam. Reinhard tinkers with the software to make it more 'Steadicam-friendly' almost every day. For one slight modification to my hardmount, an aircraft factory in Germany had to spend 2 hours re-tooling a million-dollar machine for 30 seconds' work. It is the mark of any good idea, well executed, that it looks 'simple,' but the investment they put into this is huge; the commitment also. Their return, in comparison, is marginal. If you break it down, none of the stuff we buy is 'worth it' compared to mass-market items. There is a sister thread discussing why a small Steadicam monitor should cost more than a big flat-screen TV. I've been asked about my gear, incredulously: "So you're telling me this costs as much as a Porsche?" It's a similar question to "Why do you charge so much, when the guy with the Movcam will do it for 100 bucks a day?" You are right, Louis. It seems like a lot, but Reinhard and Ulik are not going to get rich off the Steadicam community?though I wish they would. If they did, they might come up with something else we would never have dreamed of. That's worth paying for. All the best from up here in the flat place, Chris

Hi Louis, I didn't mean to offend you. If I did, please accept my apology. Like Kareem says, we are talking about the Handsfree, not the basic Segway. All the best down under, Chris

Bring it to IBC, LE. I'll buy it! Chris

Let's not encourage knock-offs on this forum. 1/ They're usually crap. Bad development, poor engineering, and non-existent service. The forum is full of bad knock-off stories. 2/ Who's going to develop gear for us if we just wait for the knock-offs? 3/ They are illegal anyway. You?or the production?could conceivably be sued for using one. I'm sure you meant this lightly, Louis. Forgive me for for turning it into a serious point. B) All the best, Chris

Hi, If you mean for Steadicam use, Garrett tried something similar on his first model. This was before portable video monitors, so he had a fibre-optic cable from the camera viewfinder to his eye. I've tried it, and it's sick-making having your vision not change when you move your head, but change when you move the rig. How he managed to shoot such a great show-reel with this is beyond me; but pretty much everything Garrett does is beyond me. If I misunderstand your question, and you know all this, please excuse me. Chris

Hi Mike, I'll second all that, and add that the basic i2 Segway is deliberately louder than it need be, so people will hear it coming. Reinhard makes sound dampers for it. The x2 has more tyre noise, depending on the surface. I think they work out about the same. If you consider them as vehicle mounts, they are extremely quiet?noisier than a dolly though! Ramp loading is easy, because the machine powers itself up the ramp with a gentle push. Two people lift it easily. I lift mine on my own when I have to. The x2, though heavier, has lifting handles, which makes it perhaps easier to handle. I don't begrudge lifting it, since it does all the lifting for the rest of the day. You don't absolutely need a trailer. It fits into pretty much any European car, so in America, it will probably fit into the glove compartment. I'd consider the x2 model as the standard Steadicam unit. The difference between the two models is basically the tires, so you can buy an x2 handsfree, and have 2 sets (or 3, if you want golf-course friendly tyres too). I asked Reinhard about rain and puddles too. He said I could ride it along the beach, and get salt water on it. It's well sealed, but having said that, I don't think I want to go that far. I'd operate going down a single step, or off a pavement, no problem; but not up?not yet anyway. I'm a big leanie fan, so I'd really recommend that. Read the earlier post about riding technique, and you'll be switching on it in no time. Yesterday, I was playing with my (Reinhard's) hardmount, and realised I need to spend a whole day checking out all the mounting possibilities. It is really cleverly designed, and beautifully engineered. I'm smitten. OK, I'll stop now. You can contact Reinhard through his website: http://handsfree-transporter.com/ His email is: rental(at)handsfree-transporter.com All the best, Chris P.S. I found out last night that Segways now have the curious Dutch legal status of gedoogbeleid (technically illegal?but what the hell) shared with other substances loved and dimly recalled by tourists from all over the world, so I'm off for my morning coffee now?handsfree!

Hi Robert, It's on my Archer, though I'm probably on my way to a 312 in October. I'm taking the monitor with me! I made two 5 mm plates that screw into the mounting holes holes on either side of the monitor. Then I measured the centre of gravity, and tapped two holes that correspond to the Archer monitor bracket. About an hour's work for a total kludge like me. I'm having the plates anodised right now (vanity), so I can send you some photos within a week. Daylight photos I can guarantee you, but sunlight photos might take a little longer in this glorious Northern European summer. All the best, Chris

Hi Guys, This is a stunning monitor. The quality of the image continually surprises me. I'm not as interested as some of you in the equipment side of this job, but I'm realising how very important it is, for me, to have a great monitor. If I'm going to stare at something all day, it's really got to be this one. In strong sunlight, not only is it completely visible, but the picture quality is as good as it is indoors. Remarkable. Then there's the built-in horizon, the HD frame-lines (and there is another version that allows you to generate your own frame-lines), waveform generators, etc, etc. All of this is accessed by a row of buttons and a big knob. No hunting through menus is necessary. And the build quality...wow. It looks bullet proof?no vents, gaps, holes, nothing to let in dust or water. Enough already. You get the picture ;) Chris

That is funny. It seems these adjustments are made through a level on the handset I haven't accessed. Faster? Good luck! you'll get less range for sure. Have a ball, Chris

It is beyond self-programming from the remote, as I understand it. Best ask Reinhard yourself on that one. I rode Walter's hardmount once, and liked it a lot. Reinhard's version is much more adjustable, and very strong. He had an aircraft engineer design it, so the 46kg load limit includes all the factors you mention. It is a conservative estimate. Reinhard, who weighs considerably more than 46 kg swings from it to show its strength. It is made from aircraft-standard aluminium, and I never detected it flexing under even Reinhard's abuse. I think Walter does not offer the leanie version, so your preference there might affect your choice. Thinking of taking the plunge?

HI Jon, The knob I think you mean is the control to move the saddle fore and aft. You use it to set up where your centre of gravity is in relation to the Handsfree. It's mostly set and forget, but you tweak it for different loads. STOP PRESS on my statement about step-ons being tricky. Reinhard has just re-tweaked the software so that when the machine is in 'riderless balance mode' (that just means it is ready for use), steering is reduced to 20% of normal. So when you are mounting it, you can be more reckless?the control post waggles with little effect. Once all four rider sensors are engaged, the software now ramps the steering up to normal. I look forward to testing that tomorrow. Fun! Chris