John Stout

I agree with Victor. You will be happier with the Zephyr. If you can find a used one, that is a good option too. We are getting rid of our Zephyr as we moved to a PRO rig. It is for sale if you are interested. However, my opinion would be the same even if I didn't have a rig I was selling. John

Mike, Did you get your triax jumper? What did it run you and do you like it? John

I am interested too. John

Bump

Just as a point of reference: Zephyr Rig Complete $11,975.00 2nd Battery Mount $650.00 Extra Zephyr Dove Tail Plate $350.00 4 Batteries and Simultaneous Charger $3590.00 Low Mode Bracket $395.00 Total Investment $16,960 Asking $12750.00

Suzanne Spera Operations Manager Phoenix Optix INC. 15 Gray Lane, Ashaway RI 02804 Phone: 401-637-4600 / Fax: 401-637-4606/ Cell 401-742-5798 E-mail: Suzanne@Phoenixoptix.com Website: www.phoenixoptix.com $600.00 for 6,7 or 8 ft model

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Steadicam Zephyr HD System includes: Vest Arm Sled HD Monitor Docking Bracket Extra Battery Hanger 2 - Zephyr Plates Arm Rain Cover Arm Bag Small Weights Thermodyne Case 4 - Steadicube Batteries Simultaneous Charger Low Mode Bracket Asking $12,750.00 plus shipping

Ruben, We have a Pilot rig that is in great shape that we are looking to get rid of. I has vest, sled, monitor and batteries. You can contact me at jstout@diakontv.com if you are interested. John

We just upgraded to the PRO vest and are trying to figure out a case for it. We tried putting it in the previous vest case the SKB version of a 1650, but it is not fitting well. The case doesn't close easily and we don't want to take the vest apart. Any suggestions since we are flying with it? John

Southwest is easy. A smile, please and thank you. I believe they have raised their rates though to $75.00. http://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/baggage/special-luggage-pol.html John

We have a client that does Steadi for their fashion show, but it is all about post for the video so they don't care about the Steadi being in the way of the audience. I know on Victoria's they do a lot of shots, but I think those are cut in and done during rehearsal. I am sure a couple of the ops that work Victoria's can comment. For a show that is at Fashion Week, it would be tough unless they themed it as "production" and then it would work and not be as distracting. John

Thank you. Just a great shot. I wasn't sure if it was from London or Sochi. John

Anybody know who this is, what show and rig?

Sadly they are no longer available. He said Kris Wilson had talked about a pretty simple 90 degree bracket he had built. I have been looking for his post, but haven't found it yet. John

Peter, The basic difference is the type of battery. It will run on V-Lock, Anton Bauer or AA batteries. I have a pilot that I am selling if you are interested. You can PM me for the details if you like. John

I have searched and searched in multiple areas, but can't find who is making the bracket that allows you to put a LCD on an ENG camera where the viewfinder goes. I remember that a couple of people had a few versions. One that mounted with a bar that let it hang over the lens shield. The other one slid in where the viewfinder went. Does anyone remember who had these? Thanks in advance. John

We subscribe to Eric's plan as well. We have 8 of the HCs, 4 of the HCXs and 3 of the TM4 chargers. We have just recently switched to AB as we are also switching to a full PRO rig. We have had IDX V Mount and they have been rock solid. We have not had any of the dropping problems others have. However, we needed to be more "standard" with the groups we work with and very few have V Mount. All have AB so we made the switch. If we can scrape a few more dollars together before the B&H sale ends at the end of March we are probably going to by a few more and another charger. They are almost buy one get one free based on the great price they are currently offering and that is just too good to pass up and not stock up.

Sent you an email. John

Actually that is exactly what happened. There were two repairs that came in while I was there. Got to meet a couple of ops from California so that was nice. The guys did take care of them right away. I was also told that even if shipping something in, it gets the same priority as If I was walking it in.

I have to tell you about the insanity that I experienced on Monday. We are upgrading to a Pro rig. However, before I spent the amount of money that we are about to spend I wanted to see the rig close up and look someone in the eye after our experience with our current rig's company. I arranged what I thought would be a one hour meeting with "one of the guys" to go through the rig, answer a few option questions and define our final gear list. Well let me tell you what I got. I got a meeting with the THE GUY. Jack was patient, and explained not only a top level view of the system, but intricate detail of each component, manufacturing, assembly and materials. I was convinced by users on the forums plus some individual emails with various operators that this is the choice for us, but after spending the time with the Pro team, I KNOW that this is the right choice. The care and detail that they put into their components is amazing. The detail that you would generally not see in the components is INCREDIBLE. Most companies cut corners on the areas you don't see, however, that is not the Pro way. I knew when Jack handed me a magnifying glass to see some of the bearings that are used in the top stage, it was just the tip of the iceberg as to what the day would hold for me. There are not a lot of people that are as passionate as Jack is about their product. I honestly believe that if we were in a life and death business, you could call Jack at 2AM and he would take care of the issue. Jack's story is incredible of how he came to the business and you should get him to share it with you. What Chad and Chris do with Jack to produce a rig is incredible. Their time is valuable, but yet they freely gave it to make sure that every question was more than answered and that they showed the craftsmanship that they have every right to be proud of. I now have a new appreciation for the tools that I will use to tell a story when operating. I joked with Jack that one thing that I think he could improve on is not keeping his passion bottled up inside. He beams as he shows off each piece of the system and tells of the way it was built and constructed. I think he would explode if he tried to keep it in. Jack's wife Michelle was great too. She makes sure to keep everything on task, which can't be easy with such a visionary. However, Jack is quick to say, check with Michelle, I just build the rigs. I could go on and on about what a great day it was and how much I learned, but I want to make sure that others know what a great choice they would be making with this company. In my opinion I don't think you can go wrong. I can't wait to get my rig from them. Now, off to hock everything I own to pay for it :) John

Thanks Brett. Good ideas. John

Thanks, we are pretty giddy. It will be a building process just like we did with the Zephyr. We currently have a Zephyr rig. We have Bartech and a boat load of cables. We will work with Terry on either modify or buying updated cables for the new rig. We are waffling between the Cinewave and the DP7 HB and the for a monitor. Unsure of which yoke will be our best choice. What are people using for return monitor on the sled?

Well, I am making the leap to the Pro rig. I have read a bunch, listened to many of you talk about how great the rig is, talked with the fine folks at Pro, etc. In a couple of weeks I will be making the trip to California and going to Pro. Going to be doing, vest, sled and Titan arm. What I want to know is if there are any suggestions from any of you that own Pro Rigs of things that I might want from them beyond the basics. Mounts, plates, etc. Thank you in advance. John