Steven Nichols

OK so I figured it out pretty easily with the pictures, thanks ;) I think however some of the straps are way to long so I will cut them to my needs.

Thanks Tom... and sorry about the font size ;) So far I did not try anything but based on the DVInfo post, I think I am not the only one wishing for some instructions from Tiffen! But the picts should get me thru this.

I just got a Steadicam Merlin Vest Buckle & Belt Upgrade Kit for my Pilot... But it did not come with any kind of instructions :( Any idea where I could find that ?

I had a Pilot for over a year and it works great, except for the original 5.8" monitor. I would like to upgrade it for a small HD monitor. Since I shoot with an EX3, I would like to go for an HD SDI monitor. Any advice ?

I think the lower arm... But it's hard to say.

Sure, a workshop would be great :)

My Pilot's arm makes some noise when I walk. It does not cause any hicup in the picture, but sometimes you can really hear it. I uploaded a file on my server so I'd like to know it other Steadicam users get that kind of noise and what can I do to get rid of it. http://www.xplorerstudio.com/steadicam/pilot-noise.mp3 Thanks.

OK I got it now. I think the key is to move the carbon post along the bottom post until you get dynamic balance. It took me about an afternoon to find the best setting, but it works great now. Thanks again.

What is the best way to achieve dynamic balance ? I thought I had it but I guess I lost it after trying to improve it :( I tried to slide the camera and batteries in both directions as the video says, but it does not seem to improve anything... Thanks again.

Thanks for the tips guys, it looks way much better now !! But you are right, I need to practise to improve my stability :) One last question: why is it better to use the sled monitor rather than the camera LCD screen ? Is it because you should be able to see where you walk ? Thanks again.

Thanks guys. So to make sure I got it right, how many fingers would you recommend on the post and gimbal handle ? Besides, I think the LCD monitor that came with the Pilot looks terrible compared to the one on the EX1... So I was wondering if I should use it anyway ?

Thanks Erik. Sure ! I had a Glidecam 4000 and Smooth Shooter for about 2 years and I was not happy with it because it did not work as advertised. But what a difference with the Pilot ;) Sony PMW-EX1 Before adding the extra weight, yes. But now it's more like 1 sec. I know more bottom heavy means more stability, but do you have to re-adjust the gimbal position so the droptime is always between 2 and 3 sec ? Sure, please check http://www.xplorerstudio.com/steadicam/pilot-test-01.mov You can easily see the camera rolling from left to right and so on. And while I am at it, is there any good training material ? I heard about a new Pilot training DVD, but all I got with my Pilot was an old VHS on the SK :( Thanks again for your feedback

I just got a Steadicam Pilot last week. It works great, but I need to improve my stability, especially to keep a straight horizon. I have perfect static balance, and I believe almost perfect dynamic balance. I also added some extra weight at the bottom of the sled. So what can I do to improve my stability and get rid of this horizontal roll ? It looks like I am shooting on a boat :) Is it the setup or does that comes with practise ? Thanks.

I had a Glidecam 4000 and a Smooth Shooter for over a year and it never worked well for me so I have decided to go for a Steadicam Pilot. Any feedback on that product so far ? I'll be using the Sony PMW-EX1 with it and was wondering is the AA version was OK if you just need to power the LCD. I don't plan to use the Pilot everyday, so I don't see the benefit of investing in a $1000 batteries/charger set. How many AA batteries do you need, and how long will they last ? Any feedback would be appreciated.

OK thanks again. Anybody tried of the Varizoom Navigator ? The flowpod looks more versatile thant the Glidecam 4000 since it has a low mode, but I wonder if it works as well...