Caitlin Kleiboer

Update for any other newbies or folks on smaller rigs -- I added ~7 pounds to it today and am finding it so much easier to handle. I'm sitting in the middle of the range of what the zephyr can hold, so plenty more room to grow but this was really helpful for me.

Thank you Alec! I think your point about being too comfortable holding the rig too far from my body is 100% what I noticed today. It's so light right now, I find myself not realizing my form & how far out it is. I don't anticipate ever being in really heavy builds -- I'm in a small market (Denver) and full-time at a company right now where the heaviest camera we have for everyday work is an Ursa mini with some CP.2s. (Now what I want to be doing is a different story :) ) Looks like it's time to get a weight plate and get this to a better middle ground. Appreciate your thoughts here.

Hi all! Question around weight of rig. I recently bought a Zephyr for my first rig and am finding it so much squirrelier than what we used in the workshop. I took a silver workshop last year and of course the rigs were meant for and had bigger/heavier camera builds on them. While the lower weight feels somewhat nice on my body, I'm curious what the best way to practice & train is -- Do I keep it as lightweight as I have it now and get better at controlling the teeniest of micro movements on the lighter rig? Or should I weigh it down more - get my body used to more weight for those times it will inevitably have a bigger build and presumably have it feel a little easier to control as the builds in the workshop did? (Current build is just what I have at home - Canon C200, 24-70 lens & teradek.) Any other general advice for a newbie is welcome too. Thanks!

Thank you Chris, I suppose I should try again with the Zephyr. Part of the issue is likely that I'm comparing it to the compact Ultra which felt so, so good on. Maybe standard or not, the 'it doesn't feel right' feeling is just that it feels different from the ultra that I trained in.

Hi all! Wondering if anyone has a line on a compact vest. I'm open to a compact Zephyr or a compact Ultra. Sadly, Steadicam is no longer making the compact Zephyr, and B&H has them as part of a full Zephyr kit that they won't unbundle & just sell me the vest. No word yet from a couple of other retailers. I love the Ultra vest but it's a bit out of my price range new right now. We're on a Aero 30 now so the Zephyr vest is the 'right' size for what we're working with now, but the Ultra would certainly last me longer & on more rigs. Alternatively, any other smaller operators have advice on getting the standard vests to fit better? I'm certainly on the smaller side of operators (5'1 & a size 2) and just can't seem to get the standard vest to feel right on me. Thanks all!

Hi all! Wondering if anyone has a line on a compact vest. I'm open to a compact Zephyr or a compact Ultra. Sadly, Steadicam is no longer making the compact Zephyr, and B&H has them as part of a full Zephyr kit that they won't unbundle & just sell me the vest. No word from a couple of other retailers. I love the Ultra vest but it's a bit out of my price range new right now. We're on a Aero 30 now so the Zephyr vest is the 'right' size for what we're working with now, but the Ultra would certainly last me longer & on more rigs. Alternatively, any other smaller operators have advice on getting the stand vests to fit better? I'm certainly on the smaller side of operators (5'1 & a size 2) and just can't seem to get the standard vest to feel right on me. Thanks all!

Hi all! I'm looking for a Compact Ultra Vest. If anyone is selling one, please reach out. Thank you!!