chris fawcett

Brad, That was getting surreal. Glad we got there in the end. Chris

Alec, Thanks for clearing up the confusion. Yes, I invert the entire sled for quickie low mode. Chris

Respectfully, no. In inverting the sled for a quickie low-mode (without remounting the camera on a low-mode bracket), there is no need to electronically flip the monitor. That the image will need to flipped in post because the camera is recording uside down is clear. Try it!

Since the camera is upside down, your X and Y axis' will be flipped, so that left is right, right is left, and up is down, and down is up. You need to invert and reverse the image or else you'll be operating completely backwards. i don't get it. If you flip the entire rig as described, without using a camera low-mode bracket, the monitor is physically "flipped" in conjunction with the camera. There is no further need to flip it electronically. It's a headflip, whever. Chris

Why would you need to flip the monitor in this configuration? Chris

A salient post, Alec. May I second it? Chris

Marc, You should use your normal grip; the one you use for pans/whip pans. That is the one that is best trained to control the rig. If you are still unsure, you can spin the post and correct its precessing with subtle finger movements until it seems to be spinning fine, then let go and see what happens. Read Jerry Holway's post at http://www.steadicamforum.com/forums/index...577entry14577 It's a reliable method of getting DB without too much headache. Best of luck, Chris

Obsessed, yes, like a kind of dynamic bulimia. Must see a specialist. Must learn to love those heavy rigs. Kyle, there is a really pedantic post at http://www.steadicamforum.com/forums/lofiv....php?t1992.html If you can manage to wade through it, you might feel more confident about the flyer's capabilities. Best of luck, Chris

Kareem, Good to hear from you again. I hope you are as irrepressibly well as ever. My girlfriend picked up that poster on a visit to Berlin. Otto Umbehr (Umbo) is a shadowy figure at best. He seems to show up mostly in his connection with the Bauhaus, though you can find other of his images with a google image search: Umbehr. So you pdf'd all the Steadipatents into single pdfs, or one BIG pdf? Now that would be fun. Chris

Nice one Kareem, I'd also take a T-shirt with my avatar!

Hi All, Any recommendations for a reasonable place to stay during Cinegear? Any offers of hospitality reciprocated with a 350 year-old warehouse apartment in central Amsterdam at a time of your pleasing. Hey, visiting ops welcome, whatever?though around IBC gets a little crowded. :) Chris

Let's stick together on this rate thing, people. As Ben Franklin said, 'We must indeed all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.' Just say no!

Wow Afton, Thanks a lot. You deserve a group hug. Chris

Dear Dan, For video work, framelines are handy for 4:3 and 14:9 safe when shooting in 16:9, though you can output the safe areas from the camera as well--if you are familiar with the camera menus--so they are by no means essential. For film work, I'm not qualified to offer an opinion, but I guess they are essential. I look forward to hearing the opinions of more experienced operators on this. Regards, Chris

I used it to pull 7 stops between inside and outside on a recent documentary, very easily. Zoom control is subtle enough to hide in a move. Never used the focus demand. It is bulky, however. Chris

Good plan Larry, I'll do it now, and end this interminable indecision. Thanks for the input, Chris

Dave, Try mounting the camera normally with the low-mode handle clamp attached (if you have one). Now mount a weight plate on top. The higher cog keeps the camera closer to the gimbal. Chris

Hi Leigh, A rough guide to headroom is that a person's body is more interesting than the empty space above the head, so as you move away (or zoom out), once the whole head is in shot, you can reveal more of the body. Once you have a full body shot, it is often best to keep the navel as the centre of the vertical axis. It's a rule that you break often, providing you have a reason to break it. Look forward to hearing your input, Job. Chris

Sure, At IBC 2005, I was quoted $1895, or $2,895 with frameline generator. Chris

It's a down-converter on a card, and it's not avaliable till the end of 2006. Teletest has no HD monitor. I spent a full day at IBC checking monitors: viewing angles, brightness, reflections, and variety of inputs. The two I liked best were Tiffen Ultrabrite, and the Archer monitor. The Hummingbird came third, only because a change in viewing angle makes the apparant exposure vary by plus or minus a couple of stops. If I didnt have to judge exposure, I might put it first. The Ultrabrite is 4:3, so that makes it less than ideal for HD, though it is exceptionally bright and very good in sunlight. I had written off the Archer monitor because it was cheap, but Steve Fracol woke me up to the fact that, for it's price, it is a very capable monitor. Take one onto direct sunlight, and you'll see what I mean. It outperforms many colour monitors I found no HD monitor that had all the input necessary to match all the cameras I might work with. I look forward to the day one comes out. Chris

It is a good monitor, but are you sure there's an HD version? Chris

So if it comes to it, you're prepared to eat yourself. Or did I miss something? Chris

This place has a good reputation. It's small and clean, and well located in an interesting part of town at a safe distance from the conference centre. http://www.bedandbreakfastamsterdam.com/ I might be able to put you up at no cost myself, as I live in a big house with people that travel frequently. I won't know for sure till just before the IBC, but a room might come free. Meanwhile, make a booking somewhere, and keep in touch. Work permitting, I look forward to meeting you at the show. Chris

Interesting too, Mikko, though no corcern for you, that Mac users will have to wait for Mac-compatible firmware for a Mac-enhancing product. The dock with the AV in/outs requires its own power supply as well. I really hope this is the one, but.... I'm really keen to hear what anyone with more experience thinks about this. Chris

Hi James, I'll see what I can do. Chris