JamieSilverstein

Will;

More importantly, have a great time on the show! You are the envy of us all. A nicer director cannot be found, and to do a musical will be tons of fun. Finally, why dont you try modifying a one of the lens mountable viewfinders from Arri or Panavision to fit on the JR. Wouldn't that be a more accurate tool for video village to work from?

Once again Congrats dude. Here is to a busy and prosperous year. For one and all

Mk-V is but one of the innovators in the field, but the one that for one reason or another seems to be getting the most press of late. Cinema Products was the first and the originator, George Paddock And PRO were also brave pioneers, venturing into newer terrain. Greg Bubb and XCS took the technology one full step further. As I have mentioned before, there have been many, from the people at Seitz and then Preston, all the way to Jim Bartell. Walter Klassen has to be mentioned, along with Jerry Hill, as does Bob Derose. Need I mention Misters Brown and Holloway. The list goes on and on, and each innovator is worthy of praise and admiration. Its not just one company and one rig or piece of equipment, each has its own merits and qualities. The thing that is so cool is that these guys went out and made this stuff and each one has made their stuff really really well.

For that they all receive my unwavering admiration

Its great to hear about all of Howard's gear, and I do believe that it is of good quality. In all fairness however, it should be noted that XCS has been making an outstanding 2" post for quite some time and it is compatable with PRO's rather excellent equipment as well. Additionally, both the PRO Gimbal and the XCS Gimbal are of the highest quality, one fitting both the 1.5" posts and the other only the 1.5" posts. Both these Gimbals are virtually frictionless, tool free and offer any operator wonderful choices. The XCS Gimbal can come with an ergo handle, which for my money is the best innovation in conventional steadicam since sliced bread.

I haven't used the Chrosziel or the other rigs out there, but it is pretty wonderful that there is so much choice for operators these days, not just in Rigs, but in monitors, vests and arms as well. So I salute Howard, George Paddock, Greg Bubb, the people at Tiffen, Chrosziel and Sachtler, and those like Jim Bartell, and Walter Klassen who make such wonder equipment for us to fixate over, endlessly discuss, angst about, save for and eventually, if lucky, use on the best jobs in the universe.

For any of you out there looking for gear, my advice to you is to take your time, see ALL of it, shop for what is best for your wallet, and your working situation, and plunge only when you think you are getting the best for the type of work that you do. Don't go on my word or any other until you have personally tried out as much as you can. Good luck!

So much choice, so little time! Aint life grand.

Jamie.

I tried to add some gear I'm selling to the correct forum today,  How do I change that? send me information thank so much :angry:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

First of all you need to register on the forum. Secondly, you need to become a paying member ($30.00 US) to be able to use the for sale section of the forum.

The Package remains the same, but because so many people have been asking......

YES I will split up the package, so if anyone is interested in just the sled,just the arm or just the vest, or any combination of the three, please feel free to get in touch.

Also you can see the items by going to the website listed below:

http://home.earthlink.net/~mailforfloating.../portraits.html

Steadicam package

Sled:

PRO 2 Dbox (w/ tooless thumb screw)

PRO J box

PRO 2 Post w/ Kipp handle

XCS Gimbal w/ergo handle 2

XCS dual telescoping monitor arm

PRO Lite Gyro base modified into Pro Lite by Tom Gleason. It comes with a battery meter that will read both batteries.

Transvideo 6.5? 16X9 LCD Monitor w/ cable & mounting plate

PRO Gyro Systems Power inverter and power/gyro cable. (this allows you to power thesled and Gyros from a pack that can sit on your back or on the back of a grip). Gyros NOT included.

One PRO Camera Plate.

Arm:

Masters Series Arm w/ Rob Luna?s Titanium Socket Block & 5 Custom master to XCS Gimbal arm posts, sizes ranging from 2? to 12? with arm post clamps and captive needle bearings. Arm was upgraded by Rob Luna to include latest style elbows and bearings. It is in good to excellent condition.

Vest: Daniel Sauve back mounted vest. The vest is made of dark green carbon fiber Suitable for a person with approx. 34?waist and about 5?10?tall. It is in good to excellent condition and is very comfortable. For those still using a front mounted vest, if it fits, it is a great deal and will add years on to your operating career. For those just starting out, it?s the most cost effective way to get into a back mounted vest around.

Package Price:$29,750.00

This is a wonderful rig that can handle any camera on any kind of project from a big budget anamorphic picture on down.

Please call or email for pictures and details.

Thanks for looking;

Jamie

917 796-4217

Silverodt@aol.com

On a show that I do monthly, we attach the monitor to the low mode plate using an arm off of the plate. The monitor sits just above the matte box. I power the monitor out of one of my camera ports and power the Cine Alta 900 with a battery off the back (one of the small Dionics batteries so its pretty light).

The best set up is using either a 6.5" or 9" monitor off of the arm and putting a wireless transmitter up on the low mode plate as well so as to avoid any additional cables. Depending on your prompter supplier, you can either do that or go with one BNC. I use my 12 volt cable out of the Jbox and had the prompter supplier make an xlr to monitor power cable, so its pretty self contained and not too heavy.

Jorge and BJ amplify my point exactly. To each his own. To Jorge the Masters arm is a ford and the CP3A if a BMW, to BJ the Silver Spring arm is great.

If I had it to do over again, I would go to each and every friend or vendor and try out their arms with what ever sled I had at the time and decide which was best for me. Then I would determine whether I could afford that arm and go from there.

Finally once I had all that in place, I would ask myself if the arm and the cost of that arm reflected the type of work that I am doing and would it pay for itself through that work. If not, then I would think about modifying my appetite and go for something more moderate.

As I previously said, I own the Masters Arm, I like it and I have put it to good use on episodic and features. It doesn't work for everyone, but then again it doesn't have to. It only has to work for me.

Mik points out a very valuable item regarding arms, service. Essential, and I know that the PRO is virtually indestructable so service for the others is of great concern.

secondly, the arm that you are used to and like to use is the best arm for you.

finally, the arm that you can afford that you like to use is the best arm for you.

I use a Masters arm. I have had it for 7 or 8 years, have had it serviced by Rob Luna once and bought it with a Masters rig that I have since sold. I like the Bar Bel and the PRO too but since I had the Masters and I was used to ISO elastic arms with no tools function, this was the best arm for me at the best price.

If I was doing light weight stuff (16mm, Beta) I might consider a 3A arm redone by those guys down under. So it also all depends on what market you work in and what camera you use on the arm as well.

I hope this helps.

Jamie

Jim;

My only question is when and where and how much. As they say, A bird in the hand tastes better than one thats dropping poop all over your head............... Errrrrr, ummmm thats not it, but I think you get the idea.... So long LCD technology, but when? One year, two? It takes a long time for a product to go from concept thru beta into factory production, as you all well know.

I guess what I am saying is that none of us should sell off our favourite monitor just yet in anticipation of the newest technology.

I'm as anxious as the next guy to see an even better monitor, but I also know that each and every design will take what seems like eons to those of us impatient souls..... And remember, don't look up at those geese flying overhead.

Next time in NYC, you better hang out with the rest of us!!!!!!!!!!!

Jamie

In a word, ACTION PACKER. Ok its two words, but for the money its a great way to transport the vest. That Will Arnot is such a wise man.......

Hey BJ;

First of all, the producer is a dumb ass and should be treated accordingly until she stops giving you a hard time for not owning a camera package

Secondly you should have told her to go find a steadicam operator who actuallly OWNED a 35 package.

Thirdly, there are a couple of operators who own or have owned packages, but in this day and age of Arri Lite and Millenium XL's, steadi mags and built in low mode brackets, it just doesn't make sense. And why get beaten up on the rental?

Fourthly, do you really want to worry about extra equipment?

Fifthly, tell dumb ass that she is a dumb ass.

I hope this helps.

Your pal Jamie.

Paul;

I bought the Blackbird monitor recently, which is a Hummingbird with a PRO Connector for power and picture and a Frameline generator. It mounts like most monitors do, with a 1/4" screw on the bottom of the monitor. I like it very much and if you look that the other thread about the monitor, you can get most of the info regarding what its like on the sled and where to get a hold of one.

To answer some of the questions addressed to me. First of all I am used to using a downconverter on all of my HD Shows and I really don't have a problem with about 85% of them.

Secondly, the image quality is great and the surrounding monitor is not really a distraction to me. I have enough on my plate making a shot, keeping it as solid as possible, and making sure that I don't trip over my own two feet to even have a chance to look at the rest of the monitor. So the ephemera is not of consequence to me. As for the differences between the MK-V and the "regular" Blackbird...... The MK-V has knobs for controls, and a heater in a different housing. That to my knowledge is the difference. I also think that there is a price difference, that made the "regular" Blackbird more attractive to me (you can call me cheap, if you'd like).

I hope that answered all of the questions, but if not, you can get in touch with me or just call Howard and ZGC.

I just wanted to update everyone on the visit from a Hummingbird that I had last summer. Guy Genin of ZGC came by early in the summer with a Hummingbird classic monitor. As I reported then, I was impressed with the quality of the picture, but had some reservations and wished certain things could be changed about the monitor about spending over $3000.00

Guy recently came back to me with a new and improved monitor, incorporating some of the changes that I suggested. The Blackbird.

The differences between the two are that the Blackbird has a PRO connector on the back so that I can come directly out of my sled or XCS level and not have to adapt to an XLR and BNC split cable. It also has the BNC/XLR option for those of you who prefer that option. The Blackbird also has a frameline generator built in, which is a good quality frameline, which does not tear, and is easily adjustable.

The picture inside the monitor is great. I shoot an HD project for A&E monthly, and this month I didn't need to think about a sun shade, repositioning or image degradation, which is what I did with my old LCD . The Blackbird is a bright and contrasty monitor. And I am talking about Bright and contrasty in the middle of a sunny day.

On my particular model, there are push buttons that control the menus. I must admit that it took me about 1/2 an hour to get used to the menus and buttons (I am a knob kind of guy), but once I got the hang of it, I had no trouble getting the controls to do what I wanted them to do, and quickly.

The Blackbird is more expensive than the original Hummingbird, but I have to admit that I like the additions and I think that they are worth the extra $$$.

I have sent ZGC my check and I am now officially a proud owner of the monitor. After defiantly struggling with LCDs for 4 or 5 years (since I sold my Masters and the green screen), I can honestly say that the day has come where there is a reasonably priced LCD monitor that provides a good quality picture.

Howard Smith has modified the Blackbird even more for those especially button challenged, but I think that both the button version and the knob version are great, and I believe that Howards version is more expensive.

Check both of them out for yourself and decide which is best for you at the price you want to spend.

The most encouraging thing about both of them is that you can now get a good image at a more affordable price.

So talk to Howard in Europe or ZGC in the US and decide for yourself.

There is some pretty amazing equipment being made out there and the research and development coming out of places like XCS, PRO, MK-V, IMP, and Tiffen just to mention a few ( and please don't castigate me for leaving out any others) is staggering. My hat is off to all of you.

Rob Luna's number is 323 938-5659

Louis;

I have been on an HD show for the past 6 months ("Rescue Me"), and I have used my Transvideo on it very successfully for that time. I guess the importance or value of the Blackbird/Hummingbird is the quality of picture at a price that is affordable. The real criticism I have of my Transvideo is that I am constantly working around the brightness/contrast issue. With the Hummingbird, I don't have to fiddle to get the angle where I want/ need it to see the shot. So if it means using a down converter with the monitor and getting a great picture or not using a downconverter and getting the same old LCD image, I think I'll opt for the down convert.

Until someone comes out with a monitor that is as bright and affordable for HD work, I think I'll keep waiting for the Blackbird.

I have experienced a pinging. I have taken off the covers and put some lub in there, but nothing has helped. I think its back to Rob Luna for a 5 year check up for me.

Jamie.

I have been taking to Guy Genin from ZGC (the people who bring you Cooke Lenses in the US)

who has informed me that ZGC is now a distributor for the Hummingbird and the BlackBird.

He asked to to poll the East Coasters in the Forum to see if we would like to have another get together to take a look at the monitor.

So here I go! Anyone interested in and available to get together and see the monitor in the next several weeks? He is interested in getting as many operators together as possible, so let me know, or BETTER YET........ call him directly at 973 335-4460.

When last I checked, Rob's email address was rluna56@earthlink.net

I have gotten about 3 years out of my other AB batteries and not much more. Try getting them recelled. I think that there are several places recommended by people on the forum that have done a good job of recelling old AB batts ( see the 2004 archives for names). It seems like the most cost effective way to get new power to your sled.

On Rescue Me, the show on which I operate, we down convert all, execpt to the DP, whose got those Big Ass Monitors. You know the ones that weigh about 600 lbs.

We use the Everts on Sony 900 and I am not all that unhappy with the image that I get.

Paul;

I have yet to buy a Hummingbird, but I have had it on my rig and played with it. It is pretty great for an LCD. I have several concerns about it however.

1) the model that I tested flickered when it was not at full power/brightness. I was told that Imp was working on that problem.

2) there is no standby switch, and the wait time between power off to on is pretty long. I am not sure that Imp is going to do anything about that.

3) Finally, I am in the US and I am somewhat concerned about purchasing a monitor from Europe........ It has nothing to do with the quality of the product or the origin, but the ability to easily ship and repair in a timely fashion. In the US, I can get my monitor to my vendor to fix and have them ship me a loaner in 1 day. With customs, security, etc. on both ends of the shipment, I am more hesitant. ZGC is selling the Hummingbird in the US, but they are not involved with the Steadicam market as of yet. I am hoping that Imp, Mk-V and ZGC can work out an arrangement so that all monitors honored where ever they are purchased by the seperate vendors.

If you are in the UK however, go over and see the monitor at MK-V. I think that you'll agree that it is heads and shoulders above the run of the mill LCD

Well put Larry. Now if I could only get Howard to return emails and anwser a number of questions about both the Alien and the Hummingbird monitor.

Fellow professionals from the USA and abroad; Lets not argue about the method of advertisment of the product, and lets not fight over the reality of the instrument. Lets find out as much about the product and embrace the new technology if it exists and if it suits our needs in our respective markets.

We are the ones who need to see it and master it, so that we can continue to provide our services to the film and TV community. If the Alien Revolution does exist make sure that Howard communicates with you and that you get a chance to see it...

Most of the reaction to the Alien seems to be less about what it is and more about fear of what it can do. If its here, its here. If it can make the Steadicam as it currently exists obsolete, then its up to all of us to make sure that Howard and MK-V treats each and every interested potential customer equally and with the utmost respect.

Don't argue over the fluff. Face the technology head on and master it!

I'd love to play too!!!!!!!

Haven't been on a fishing boat since.... well in a long time.