Tom Wills

Blair, I think Sydney is referring to the fact that the Varizoom rig is, in fact, a BFD. (or at least a rebranded one) Check Jim Bartell's post here: http://www.steadicamforum.com/index.php?showtopic=7410&view=findpost&p=33272 The Hocus Focus is a nice rig, but I don't know the legalities of using it in Canada. I know that it's not FCC certified for use in the USA yet. The BFD (at least to my eyes) is a step above that - much more in line with the HoFoPro, which runs about the same as a Bartech rig. The other advantage for those in North America with the BFD is that Jim Bartell is on the same continent for service. I can't really discuss true differences, as I've never tried a Hocus Focus, but the time I have spent with a Bartech has assured me that it's what I want to buy.

It was a Lilliput sales guy. Thanks for letting me know that the picture isn't even representative of the correct model. Strange, considering I've been consistently referring to the 668. I was less concerned about how the top one looked than how the bottom one looked, though honestly, the top one is pretty much what my current monitor looks like in sunlight. I think that if their return policy is good, I'll pick one up just to try it out. At the least, at $400, it's a not terribly expensive HD director's monitor. At best, it's a livable upgrade for the next few years until I can afford a "real" sled. And Sam, sorry if I'm filling up your thread with discussion about a monitor you're not interested in!

Their sales guy sent me this picture comparing the regular version with the sun-bright version. The regular version seems to have some kind of film on it, which might contribute to some of why it looks so awful, but the sun-bright version is faring pretty well, considering that according to the EXIF data on the pic, it was pretty damn bright outside! (ISO 100, F 6.3, 1/160 shutter) As I said, no Transvideo, but it looks like it's actually doing what a transreflective monitor should. http://tom.willsmediagroup.com/lilliput.jpg

I also doubt that it's going to be anywhere close to any of the high-end monitors out there, but it might be an upgrade from something like the Pilot monitor, depending on how they make it "sunlight readable". (note that I put it in quotes!) And considering that my current monitor washes out on overcast days, anything would be an upgrade. I know that there was a company that was making other small and inexpensive LCDs transreflective for about $600 including the monitor, so that's a possibility for what Lilliput is doing. Lilliput's charging $160 for the mod alone. Again, I doubt it'd be a Transvideo or even a competitor to the 7" 700NIT Steadicam monitor at the price it's at, but it might be on-par or better than the original 500 NIT Flyer one, and cheaper too.

I'm looking into a new monitor I saw someone discuss on here a bit ago, made by a company called Lilliput. The model I'm looking at is the 668GL. It runs off of standard composite video, component HD video, or HDMI. It's a pretty generic Chinese monitor, but it's got some interesting features. It's got BNC inputs on the back (rather than a strange breakout cable), it's got an internal battery, and it's got a hard plastic sunhood that you can put on it, which is only a few inches deep (better than some of the huge 6" deep ones for what we do). The most interesting thing though is that they say they offer a "sunlight readable" version. I think I'm going to take the plunge, since it's only $375 for the sunlight-readable version.

Charles, The link you posted just sent us to the search page. I think what you were looking to link to was http://www.nebtek.com/proddetail.php?prod=730-ST_MNT . Right?

I've played with the Varizoom controllers, and rent a BFD for my rig. Varizoom does sell a rebranded BFD, but the "TOC" system is different - their take on an FIZ system. http://varizoom.com/products/controls/vztoc.html The controller feels nice in the hand - though the zoom control is somewhat strange in its placement. The motors seemed responsive (though this was on a showroom floor, so your mileage may vary), and the rig seemed decent. However, it is nowhere near the price range of a BFD! A wireless kit with one motor, receiver, and the hand unit is over $10,000. The hand unit alone is almost $3000 (and I don't know if that's the wireless or wired version). I'd go for the BFD. It's solid as a rock and easy to use for you and for your 1st AC.

Hey Charles, Love the rig! Much better than what I cobbled together with velcro for a shoot I did on the 5D. One question though - is the top rod necessary? For this last shoot, the DP had a build-up that he liked for his camera (offset shoulder plate, monitor, handgrips, etc...), and so when we went to Steadicam I just pulled the camera (which was mounted to the rods) off of the rods and put it on my rig. With a top rod in place, that would have taken a lot longer. Also, I know it's not final, but what would be the weight of just the plate with front and back rods? It's easy enough to add on a bunch of weight to make it fly well on a heavier-duty rig, but I think there could be a market for this kind of kit on rigs like the Pilot too - not enough inertia with a bare SLR, but most buildups making it a little too heavy.

The 5D should have come with a cable that connects to a headphone-looking jack, with 4 connectors instead of 3. It then splits it out into the usual Red, White, and Yellow RCAs. Just hook up the yellow RCA to the Pilot's RCA input, and you're good to go. Since the 5D can't output HD while recording, and the Steadicam's monitor isn't HD, there's no point in using HDMI anyways. If you're missing that cable, you could probably find one at an electronics store.

Hey Nick, Vortex Media makes a power cable that goes from the EX power connector to a 4 pin XLR. You could use it as is or chop it up to make your own one with a Lemo. http://www.warmcards.com/DC1.html Hope this helps!

All set with a lovely Model 2 suit! Thanks!

I'm looking for an old vest, to start piecing a rig together. It doesn't have to be pretty, and I don't even mind if it needs a little bit of work. Anything front-mounted will do - EFP, Model 2, Model 3, etc. My budget is pretty low, but if you've got an old backup vest you could use to get rid of, let me know what you'd want for it. Thanks!

Afton, When I measured up one of them for a project I had planned, I found them to be 15/32" (halfway between 7/16" and 1/2"), and 32 TPI. This makes it a standard thread a "National Special" - note, not NC (Naitonal Course) or NF (National Fine) - but one that is hard to find. I did find a tap on McMaster-Carr though. http://www.mcmaster.com/#taps/=7s2tle As I said, I had to measure it out, so I might be off on the pitch of the threads, but the diameter is definitely 15/32". Good luck!

I don't think the weight capacity on your Flyer should include the weight of the sled. You certainly shouldn't be topping out the rig with an XL-H1. The XL-H1 is not a terribly heavy camera - especially compared to the RED and ENG setups that some people have flown on their Flyer LE systems. Take a look at some of Mike Germond's posts. He's flying a quite heavy live studio camera on his rig, along with 2 monitors and a ring light on the lens, all on his Flyer LE. Check it out. I'd venture a guess that that's heavier than your XL-H1 setup. The thing with good rigs like the Flyer LE is that if you overload it, you won't have enough room to adjust the arm to float properly. You'd tension the arm up fully, and it'd still sag - if it doesn't do that, you're not above the weight capacity. Really, if it flies, it flies. As to getting Dynamic Balance, it sounds like you're doing the right thing by placing the CG of the camera behind the centerpost - but it really only needs to be very slightly behind the post on a rig as small as the Flyer. I've never been an expert in DB, though, so hopefully someone else can chime in with help on that! Good luck with your rig! I always salivate over the Flyer LE every time I get to fly it - such a nice rig for the weight range.

I was just curious to see if any of the greater Toronto Steadicam operators would be attending the ProFusion VIdeo Expo this weekend. Steadicam is going to be there, as will a bunch of the major camera manufacturers. I'm going to be out there on Saturday with a friend of mine, and I'd love to meet anyone else who's there from the Steadicam community. For anyone who hasn't heard of this (I hadn't until last week), here's their site: http://www.profusionvideoexpo.com/ Can't wait to get out there and fly some rigs! Hopefully I'll see a few of you there! :)

Blair, Take all that I say with a grain of salt, as I’m quite a newcomer to the world of Steadicam at this point. I’ve only ever taken the 2-Day Flyer/Pilot workshop, and Steadicam isn’t something I excel at, or understand on the level of those who will respond to you, or have responded already. However, as someone who’s in the lower echelons of production, and looking to become a Steadicam operator myself, I can tell you first hand that yes, you not having experience behind a camera will cause you some real barriers to operating a Steadicam. I took my workshop in 2008. It taught me how to put on the rig, set it up, and handle it in a way that didn’t immediately show my lack of skill with the rig to bystanders (all of which are important points – especially the last!). However, what it didn’t teach was how to create the beautiful shots that the operators who do this professionally can. Fundamentally, the camera side of Steadicam is the art form – the rest is just the mechanics of making the rig do what you want it to. Being able to compose a shot, visualize where things will land in your frame, pick out problems in shots before they happen, and create moving pictures that tell a story is critical. The Steadicam is just a tool in the filmmaker’s toolbox – it’s a way to move a camera freely, but it’s still the same camera, and to do the shots justice, you still need to know that side. While taking the workshop will give you the mechanics, it can’t teach you shot design, or framing, or how and when to use movement. While I’m sure you could learn all of this after your workshop, it seems needlessly complicated to have to be juggling 2 skills at once when you could learn one at a time, and then have both skills under your belt (and be able to proficiently operate conventionally while honing your Steadicam skills as a bonus!). I know that when I took my workshop, I was 18, and understandably far from an expert on the camera side. It took me another whole year before I even was comfortable taking my (very small, cobbled together) rig out on even the simplest, lowest budget shoots – because while I then knew how to set it up, I still couldn’t make competent shots with it. I was still struggling with how to compose a frame, how to make something tell a story, and even more with how to work on a set. Even now, my Steadicam shots still aren’t up to my own standards, even though my conventional operating has gotten significantly better. The situation could have been a disaster, had I had loan payments to make, instead of about $4000 of my own money sunk into the rig. If I could do it again, I probably would have waited until I was a somewhat competent shooter at this age before I took my workshop, so I’d have more of an idea of what I was doing. Even now, with 2 years since my workshop, working as a grip and live broadcast utility (and yes, a few really low-end Steadicam jobs here and there), I still feel pretty uncomfortable with calling myself a Steadicam operator, and I think that if I had the solid background of operating, composition, and shot design behind me, I might be able to do a better job. Sorry this was so long, but I hope it helps. Best of luck, and I hope that you’re able to find your way into this field, one way or another. It’s pretty magical once it sinks its hooks into you.

Mike, They press right onto Socket Head Cap Screws. They actually engage both the outside of the head and the hex inside, so it's a really secure drive. The ones I own came from McMaster-Carr, and are found here: http://www.mcmaster.com/#thumb-screws/=72qxpn You can even get some with the screws already in them, which can be nice.

To add insult to injury - not only does this cost about what a BFD setup would cost, but the control itself actually works like a zoom rocker. (the comment on Vimeo said that it's like a "Playstation joystick") It's just blindly spinning the motor proportionally to how hard you push the wheel in different directions. So, no marks, and pretty easy to buzz focus.

Actually, taking a look at it again, I see that I did miss something - the top portion of the compact vest isn't as tall as the standard one is. The spar does appear shorter to my eyes though - I suppose someone who's done more than just take a look at this vest quickly at a workshop should chime in.

I've attached a screen capture I took from the original Flyer manual. It looks like the big difference is the length of the main spar, so perhaps if you need the longer one, you could contact Tiffen about it. Also, you need to use your full first and last name on this board.

The video from the Landmine Podcast has a little bit of the Zephyr in it - Personally, I'm hoping it comes in in the Near-$10k market, right about where the Glidecam X-22 fits in. At that price point, it's the clear winner in terms of competition, and still has some price wiggle room for most people to be able to get a few accessories with it.

From the PDF on the Steadicam website, they'll be selling it with an HD compatible monitor which should be more daylight viewable, and have a "wide viewing angle" - sounds like a new Steadicam monitor to me. And, while HDMI probably would have been a great option, it's not a real production connector - it's non-locking, it's got a lot of connectors in it (more to go wrong when in a coiled post cable), and the standards for it keep changing. I'd rather have to buy or rent a little Blackmagic HDMI to HDSDI converter if need be, rather than deal with having to re-wire the sled when HDMI 1.4 (or 1.5, 1.6, 1.7.... ad infinitum) comes out. For a rig in this weight class, it should be a professional instrument, with professional connections. To anybody who was at NAB, is there any talk of pricing or availability for this thing? If it comes before Christmas for under $20,000, I think I might just go for it. It really is the rig I've been waiting for.

I think I'm in love. I knew I should hold off on my itchy new-rig-buying-finger for a while. Looks like this might be just the upgrade I need!

From the picture, you're clearly missing at least a piece or two. The gimbal handle should definitely be held to the rig. While I've never gotten a good look at the guts of a JR gimbal, since it's roughly the same one that came with the original Merlin, here's my guess about the problem. I can't quite tell from your picture how much of this is missing, but the metal post that goes through the guide ring should a bearing inside the guide ring, and then through the bearing that is now loose, and then be secured by a very tiny little screw. Without that all being together, I don't know how well the rig will work, but I'd imagine it's not very safe.

According to the Ultra2 Manual, which talks about the HD UltraBrite 2, it's in the Utilities menu, under "Setup 4". It should be under "Image Orientation", if the manual is correct. See page 69 of the Ultra2 Manual here: http://www.steadicam.com/images/content/U2_OSD-Functions.pdf