Jerry Holway

Since you seem to have tightened down everything else, check the tightness of the rails - for and aft and side to side. If they are too loose, you get vibration. try 1/8th turn or less on each screw; go slowly and test if you can still run the stage back and forth and side to side. It's a bit of a pain to get to all the screws, but I remember it can be done without undoing anything on the stage.

One thing Buzz Moyer pointed out in a recent workshop - he was showing folks how to really use the wheels well - was that with the wheels, the tilt point is closer to the center of the camera/lens axis, while with a fluid head, the tilt pivot is way below the lens. This gives you radically different looks/feel/opportunities or problems when working close.

I've said this before: The two parts that one might upgrade of the Tiffen big rigs can be easily swapped out: the monitor, where technology changes rapidly, and the battery holder – again where types of batteries (AB or V mount) and the technologies are also advancing rapidly. The stage and the stage electronics (in the Archers, Shadows, and Ultras) can also be upgraded with different electronics and even motors. It takes a few minutes for some of the swaps, longer for the others, but it can all be done non-destructively. It takes a bit longer to remove the stage and get to the gimbal, it's true. However, as Chris says, I don’t think having a "modular" rig that starts with a big diameter post and $5K+ big gimbal is a useful starting point for a Flyer-sized rig. What would you do, put in a big, inaccurately machined gimbal with bad bearings to keep the price down? Better to start with a small but accurately made gimbal with excellent bearings and a proper diameter post – maybe one that doesn’t telescope, but the whole kit – sled, vest, and arm – is relatively inexpensive, with everything appropriately matched to each other, worked out for balance and size. As for standards, like swapping out between brands, there’s only ever been one standard – the arm to vest connection – and PRO for some reason is a few thousandths of an inch shy of the standard. Curious. But making any standard for say, swapping out posts the way PRO or others do it (which is absolutely fine by itself) might not work if one has a different idea, like the tilt head as in integral part of the stage, or if one wants more flexibility in the wiring loom, which is difficult with a specific connector at each end of post. More or different wires up the post is both modular and customizable on some rigs, but not on others. There are some standards shared by different car manufacturers, some they don’t. Tires are modular, steering and suspensions aren’t. Paying for the ability of swapping to a Porche suspension makes no sense on a Ford Fiesta. Regardless, I would characterize Tiffen’s approach as providing a large variety of high quality sleds, arms, and vests for many markets and wallets. Within a given size (the bigger rigs), a lot can be swapped out and up-graded. If you need to sell your old rig, you can. If you don’t need to upgrade, you haven’t invested in that possibility. If you want to upgrade, you can without having lots of old bits lying around, and you haven't even locked yourself into the Tiffen brand.

BTW - post roundness is irrelevant once the gimbal is clamped - all the centering is in the gimbal. An out of round or centered post is perhaps annoying if you rotate the gimbal relative to the post, has zero to do with balance once the structure is locked to the gimbal via the inner race of the pan bearing. Check out the JR, Merlin, etc. for the logic. Many posts - especially the metal ones - are egg-shaped when clamped - no problem. Most likely culprits are loose bits like the top stage, but anything can shift. I've seen the internal cable affect balance when the sled is very lightly balanced top to bottom - some of the internal cables are quite heavy.

If you are very neutrally balanced, the rig is going to be very tender - subject to the slightest disturbance and go off level if anything is loose. If so, it may be that the cabling inside the post is laying one way or another after the drop test, and that might be enough to affect your balance.

Jessica- I forget where that label is. Looks discreet enough to me... my signature is fading.....

I go the opposite way - suits me and my approach to all this - I black out all logos, lettering, etc. on the sled, arm and vest. I never wear logo clothing on set, just dull greys or black. Nothing outlandish or distracting. My feeling is that all the gear and operating is enough of a circus act and a distraction as it is. My smile, face, etc., is all that's required - for me - for the humanity/humor thing.

I think "we" refers to the 6,000 plus of "us" that are registered here, plus anyone that visits the site. And if we all deferred to the old and experienced without question, we'd all still be cursing going to low mode with that damn J bracket. Wisdom, insight, and curious customs and beliefs come from all quarters, including LA, but not exclusively, thank our lucky stars. Garrett comes from Philly, remember?

Work outside of your own language culture, or country and you learn to use whatever that crew wants you to use. I've had to learn Italian, French (and Canadian French), different versions of Spanish, just to get along and fit in. Along the way, one learns different approaches to work. Sometimes it's a headache, sometimes it's liberating or educating. Regardless, it's great to get out there and experience all the different cultures. There is never one "set" way to do anything.

Also try blowing dust off the tube, sometimes it's the dust "singing" - open up case AFTER removing batteries and turning monitor switch to "on" to drain off any excess voltage

I believe I've always said "set" when I was ready and I saw nothing else wrong; if a boom or actor or light or flying hair, etc., was not right, I'd make a comment. On a similar note, I always liked the way the 1st AD Joe Ready (and others) would call "and... action" instead of "action!" - he would deliver it as a roll in to what was happening, and it would keep the actors and everyone else from jumping on the action word.

If that grip doesn't work for you, find grips that do. It's not a big deal to keep a stick vertical; the trick is anticipating what you need to do and preventing it from happening. This is simply a matter of practice. Sp keep on practicing.

Chris, I forgot about that. I think it was part of the Steadicam Operators Handbook, on the focal website... but alas, I don't have time to do the search myself right now. help from anyone?

Your thinking on the physics is basically right, but your technique to prevent the pendular effects of moving and stopping the rig needs work and a bit more flexibility in thinking. There is no single grip that does the work of aiming the rig, moving it about, and preventing pendular motion in all situations. Have you taken a workshop? These technique are some of the first things to learn and to practice.

Good advice, Eric, and more detailed than my advice. But it was given a bit late, and, alas, given only in the context of trying to put me down, rather than help someone who asked a simple question and asked for ANY advice. Since he was apparently unfamiliar with battery chemistries and their deep mysteries, I gave him one simple test, but better than that, I gave him a procedure that was specific to his batteries, not to the ones anyone else uses. What the hell? Hope it makes you feel bigger to put me and others down. Honestly what's your beef with me? Or your beef the way language is used and new words are created? Iso and elastic are two terms that have been around a long time, and they were used in the physical since at least back to 1965, long before Steadicam, and also used independently of the use of the term in the "science" or field of economics that you hold so dear for some reason. When did the economists first use the word? Did anyone outside of their field give a damn that they had created a new term? Honestly, I think you should go back to sitting on the dolly or designing stuff for race cars and the like, huck. And please spare us that taste of Dexter thing. Anyone who wants to link to it has already done so.

Eric- all it would mean if less than 28,8 volts is the likelihood of a blown cell. Not misleading anyone. Duh. If you have something useful to add, perhaps to what might be a another way to discover if there is a problem with this particular battery, please feel free to chime in with something constructive.

Also, there is the possibility that the battery is fine but that the indicator system inside the battery needs to be reset. It's somewhat likely, given that the battery LEDs are not working. Contact Tiffen to get the instructions on how to do this. In the meantime, get a voltmeter and read the results hot off the charger. It should nominally be 28.8 volts, and should be a bit higher. Again, check with Tiffen. Anything less than that indicates a blown cell.

ummm, I'm not aware of Chris claiming being a doctor or a race car chassis designer or anything other than someone who loves Steadicam operating

A small bit of math - taking the width of the BlackMagic sensor vs. the theatrical projection width of 35mm film, the "equivalent" focal length for a 100mm lens on the BM is about 132mm on a full frame. Using the diagonals is perhaps misleading as the aspect ratios are different, which might get the equivalent up to 140mm (I did not calculate). Clearly Movi's software and hardware will get better at working with longer and longer lenses as time goes on. Regardless, one of the things I really like about Steadicam is the connection to the hand and mind of the operator. A case in point: when Garrett tried Tango with two axis in servos, I was less interested in the device because I lost touch with the framing. As a purely mechanical device, the current Tango has, in addition to the great sweep and boom reach, just the same feel and sensitivity as a normal Steadicam. Precision and speed and that magical connection to an individual human being. Movi will have its place, and will be much improved in conjunction with a Steadicam arm or full rig, giving it better vertical and horizontal flow. However, I believe the individual touch and corresponding aesthetics (and the other responsibilities of being an operator) can't be completely replaced by a set of ones and zeroes in software dedicated to keeping a rig level.

LOL

To be clear, the Mickey is a complete waste of time when the monitor c.g. is raised up from the battery c.g. – as it is in many sleds. If the monitor is raised up on your sled, the sled needs to be front heavy without the camera, and the Mickey can't help you at all. If this seems wrong to you, you could do the math, or you could just spin balance your rig (however you get there), then remove the camera, and it will be clear. On the other hand, if the monitor c.g. is not raised up, then the camera c.g. will be directly over the center post, and you don't really need a Mickey to balance your sled in a separate step - you've got a lovely gimbal to do that already.

BTW, if you have a three second drop time starting with the sled held horizontal (90 degrees), you will have a three second drop time with the sled held at 45 degrees or 30 or any other angle. Sort of gives us a hint at what reality is.

Excellent!

Not too much point to it, especially comparing a Master Series vest to a Zephyr vest - the Zephyr vest is quite good and it is hugely adjustable for body types and sizes. Some find the Zephyr vest perfect for all but the heaviest payloads on big rigs. Other "small rig" vests typically flex too much or don't distribute the loads as well as the big vests, but they also weigh less, generally cover less of you body for better heat dissipation, and are fine If one doesn't overload the sled. Any arm socket can be put on any vest, so that's not an issue. The key thing for any vest: it needs to fit you. It doesn't matter what anyone else says or prefers; your vest must fit you. If you like the Master Series vest (which I never did without modifying it, but that's just me), and you want to use it, go right ahead.

The camera can be twisted and/or tilted (as in Mike's pix), but the monitor and battery c.g.'s must be on a line that runs through the center of the post, or put another way, the 3 c.g.'s (monitor, battery, camera and accessories c.g.'s) must form a plane that is coincident with the vertical axis of the gimbal... or more simply, you cannot easily correct for dynamic balance if the c.g.'s are off center side to side. If you can, remove the monitor and check where its c.g. is; same for the battery. Jerry