WillArnot

I’m also in the Monitor dilemma. I’ve had pretty great success with the Boland7”. It has the best non-glare screen. It’s not wicked bright but I’ve never had issues outside with brightness. I experience California sun! They must have upgraded the Nits hence requiring the fans as neither of my 2 have fans so there’s no issue for sound. I love the weight. It’s in between a 703 and Trans8”. The biggest downfall IMO is that the casing is really sub par in weather conditions. Lots of holes for venting, which obviously are not good for moisture. So even if you are covered up for rain work the heat condensation in a bag can build up and cause problems. Hence I’ve been looking at the 8” Transvideo for the bomber build quality. Probably heaviest LCD for Steadi, but with shorter posts these days thats not a bad thing. I see a ton of guys running a battery on back of 703. Never needed on my Boland. But I can’t get over the 4:3 still and wasted space below picture, which hosts a ton of electronic stuff I don’t want. 703. I’ve always hesitated for the over pricing, too light for steadi without a battery, reliability as described. On up side they are everywhere. I love the tools for formatting/cropping out on screen data etc. I keep hearing Transvideo are going to do the 8” in 16x9 finally. Any hard info on this anyone? Who is the contact in LA? Still Marianne? I actually do have the 7” Stargate. I was sorta horrified at the off angle viewing. And the glossy screen really screwed me a couple of times. So I went to the Boland and Stargate is still basically brand new in case for few years now as backup. Nice build quality and small form factor.

Hi David, Who made your sled raincovers? And arm bag? And Cart cover? I have them all but need new/replace and looking for good vendors. Any references appreciated. Best Will Arnot

Love my KS4's. Can mount 3 on the sled and not be in ridiculous weight territory. It is somewhat established knowledge now that an 'X' configuration works very well. The 3rd axis to complete the magic combo I mount on top of camera, same axis as camera, but tilted up or down at a 45degree angle. This adds up to the perfect intersection and effect of all 3 gyros. You get the most complementary effect of stabilization, and yet require the least effort to 'break' the inertia in order to actually operate the frame. Nobody mentions clamping the gyros on the center post? I quickly went away from mounting gyros to bottom of sled and have for many many years clamped the gyros at opposing 'X' positions, to the center post halfway between the gimbal and the bottom of sled. Works an absolute treat. Hardware is extremely lightweight, minimal and rigid. If your mounting hardware has flex you are defeating the purpose!

Have you checked through the specs? This gem does so much more than feed the most reliable digital level in the industry bar none. Read the cut sheet on the XCS website.

New Price: $32,500 I've got a couple of boxes of widgets, cables, brackets, plates. Let me know what kind of field you are in (live/types of cameras etc) and I will include all kinds of stuff. Any 'really need' items, and it's yours if I have it. It's just too much stuff for me to list and go through in writing here. This is a really clean setup and amazing package if you are starting up.

Hi All, Package includes: U1 sled with custom upgrades & Cinetronic Gen 1 HD monitor NEW, with straight XCS dual rod monitor clamp and backup 6" Transvideo Cinebright SD monitor, NEW. U1 Super Post Tiffen Exovest NEW B4B Batteries package and 2x 4-way simultaneous chargers with pelican case HP video custom HD transmitter and Handheld monitor / Receiver pkg. 300' range. Will not break package. $37,500 Currently only taking offers from Continental USA. Buyer pays shipping. http://www.xcsinc.com/legacy/LEGACY%20Ultimate%201%20Sled%20Manual%202009%20rev%204.pdf *1 XCS sliding (side/side adjust) camera base plate included. No cables included No focus bracket No Docking Bracket* U1 Sled modifications installed / serviced by XCS inc. Include: - Top stage rear 12v 2B 302 connector is custom Un-regulated 12v, so you can run hi-amp cameras and accessories. - Sled is AR ready. I flew the AR on this sled for 4 years. 5 pin Lemo installed on top stage and bottom LEH for top and bottom AR comms. Mod is easily reversible/replaceable. - Custom 2" additional length on battery rods. Enables extra extension for pan inertia. Great for both regular operating and also for extra inertia in AR mode. - Top stage (front) 12/24 power Accessory split Lemo PRO standard pin out. - Bottom LEH (front) 2b303 12/24 power Accessory Lemo Hi-Amp power out. (same as top stage rear 2B303) All other features are stock U1: Sled is in pristine, excellent working condition, it's been in my backup case for many years now. Gimbal is XCS verified in perfect condition with very little cosmetic wear. Built in SD PDL, CrossHair control, Sled functions, Uno Frameliner, Recorder deck control. *Note* I personally still run my current sled configuration in SD. I place a Decimator downconverter under my MDR so that I can still utilise my SD PDL. The Downconverted image still looks great on either the TB6 or any HD monitor. So you will be up and running with this sled package by simply incorporating a Decimator or similar downconvertor into your build, if you want to incorporate the still highly effective/accurate PDL. An HDSDI line-in would be a very easy and economical upgrade by XCS inc. Cinetronic Gen1 in like New condition with no cosmetic wear. Transvideo 6" Cinebright SD backup monitor New in New Pelican case. Tiffen ExoVest NEW http://www.tiffen.com/steadicam_fawcett_exovest.html Love this vest, but passing it on. Highly adjustable. Extremely comfortable. LOVE the pivot hip/shoulder. Ships in New padded Tiffen case, not a shipping case. Battery package http://batteries4broadcast.com/ 4x 190wh 6x 150wh 2x 4-position Simultaneous chargers Batteries in very good reliable working condition. Batt guage & P-tap out on each batt. Pelican 1560 HD Transmitter Receiver/Monitor (H-held) 300' http://hpvideo.tv/index.php/component/virtuemart/ Excellent working condition. Some cosmetic wear. Receiver/Monitor via Anton Bauer plate 12vdc. Tx via 12vdc 6 pin hrs (modulus standard). Pelican 1550

Anyone got one of Greg Bubb's standard def receivers they would like to get rid of?? Thx. Will

Here is a look at the 80mm V-lite Anamorphic. Using these lenses on a commercial next week, so don't have direct experience yet. But they balance up just like a Cooke S4 or similar. Best to you Jaime.

I'm amazed there isn't more chatter regarding this unit. I picked one up couple of weeks ago and it's amazing. We actually aren't doing a ton of wireless or Steadi on this pic, so in field reports will follow. But from what I've done with it so far it corroborates Brooks' and Neal's excellent reviews. Incredibly reliable. Rock solid. No latency. Give the best system out there a serious run for it's money. I've worked quite a bit w/ all fashions of Camwave and Boxx systems and this so far is = if not better. But like I said, still assessing. But the very small package, 6pHRS pwr connector, and out of the box-turn it on-it works great, makes me warm and fuzzy. The TX is right size (13.7oz / 390g), in between Canatrans and Modulus 3000 dimensions (3.15"(80mm) x 3.9"(100mm) x 1.5"(38mm), same HRS 6p (modulus) for pwr only, less than 1ms latency (i.e. none - < 1/40th of 1 frame)(41.6ms = 1 frame @24fps). Active loop through. No other connectors cluttering up the unit. Robust build and well engineered. Accepts all possible input HD signals, including the retarded Red Epic. I am still aghast at the atrocious signal out of that camera(2-3 frame latency). RX is awesomely handy w/ the monitor, great for hands on DP/Dir w/ ants in their pants who can't help but shadow. Can mount monitor on stand at village and turn display off to use as a stand alone RX. Can use one of the 3 N-style antenna connectors to cable up to the Hi-Gain antenna assembly (additional purchase) for long range >200'++? or lots of obstructions. Price / weight / design / performance are all bang on. Great work Hamlet! Great guy to deal with. Regards to all, Will

Just unpacked my Fed Ex. It basically is a male BNC. Another genius idea from Red. Like Tom said, there is a 0B 4p Lemo out of the Epic body that breaks out to 3 female BNC connectors. One of them being the on/off. Nothing like having 1 small box that requires 4 other (at least) boxes to be attached to it to make it work. And the cables that are then relied on to connect those peripherals are always 100% reliable.

Job, Job, Job. 6hrs?? They've got this really cool thing now. It's called a remote head!! :-)) Hope you got Hazard Pay. Be safe out there.

Yah, what Jens said. As much as manufacturers claim compatibility, you are asking for trouble by Frankenrigging to this degree. That spindle connection is like what they call the bolt that holds the rotor onto helicopters.... the Jesus Nut. i.e. Everything literally revolves around this bearing. Both Pro & XCS make the best components in our industry, but the sad reality is that compromises must be made everywhere in life. Seeing as the spindle is the Jesus Nut of our entire being as Steadicam OPs, why mess with it? This is probably the single most critical tolerance on the entire sled. Beyond 3/1000's ???? Simply the type of anodizing can be enough of a variable to throw off the tolerance of the mating of the spindle into the yolk, even if they are machined to the exact same dimensions. Unfortunately when you mix components to this degree, you really leave yourself no re-course for yourself or either manufacturer to be able to resolve any issues. Theory is one thing.... reality another.

Sigh.... I hesitate to enter this foray. My experience w/ Howard/MK-V and the AR debacle and the time spent detailing it on this forum drained me to such an extent that I have barely visited this place since (years). I have so much sympathy for you Tomas. Sadly you are another victim. It is despicable that our hard work and money is so easily thwarted. 9 lives indeed, very funny (but not really) Robert. It kind of gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "failing upwards". It depresses me to read all this, as I too wrote what I did to help bring some light to what people might encounter with MK-V. I can say it was probably one of the darkest experiences I have dealt with in my 20+ years in this business. Selling my AR brought me blissful happiness, and my work in the industry has only excelled since. My XCS sled was in fact a far superior design to carry the AR as Greg Bubb designed many aspects of his sled (a long long time ago) to accommodate power, video and strength issues of the AR designed by Lynn Nicholson. Howard needed to go back to the drawing board from day 1. Not just with the AR but with the Nexus as well. It tries to accomplish things from the 3 Sled manufacturers (i.e. Howard has never had an original idea - just copied other peoples research and design) yet never has had the know-how to accomplish any of it. You only have to look at the mediocrity of his products to see this. All the pictures and variety look great on a website, but the reality is that none of it works as well as the others. The XCS sled is infinitely more rigid than either the 2 stage or 4 stage MK-V sleds. YOu only have to fly one to know. The workmanship in electronics by PRO, XCS and Tiffen is just so deep. Everything has been tirelessly worked out and refined so that you the operator can do your job without worry. Wow, what a concept! Within 4 inches I can achieve lens heights with a new PRO or XCS 2 stage post that any 4 stage post can achieve. DON'T be misled by all the dog and pony shows! Get trained in how to use it properly. I don't want to get away from your primary issue Tomas, that the Nexus simply does not function as we are led to believe it should... with great pomp and fanfare from MK-V. You paid very hard earned money and you absolutely should not have to pay a penny more to have it fixed by a 3rd party (Betz is a reliable company however). Our jobs are hard enough as it is, and to become successful you need to be able to forget about the gear because it works every time and you trust it. In this way we can concentrate on the REAL job which is operating the camera and offering the DP and Director whatever they can dream up. I just taught at the PRO Workshop and was so impressed with their new battery hanger. It is solid and beautiful and handles HD no problem. This was not achieved easily. George Paddock spent well over a year developing how to make the HD be reliable in his rig and he did not release it until he had this worked out. Wow! Another concept MK-V are immune to. George was willing to acknowledge the complications (there are many) and revisited his approach more than once in order to offer you the customer/operator a reliable, modular and very sexy rig. I just can't say enough good things about PRO and XCS. It is why I own their products. I own multiple rigs. Recently I had 23 amps and over 300 watts, HD above and below, HD transmitter, Alexa with Codex (controlled w/ wifi interface), and a Kino Kamio lens light controlled remotely, all running flawlessly with a total run time of 1.25 hours before changing batteries (3 total). Oh, and no cables needed to be run externally. I am so pissed at myself for not taking a picture!! The HD era is no joke. It has raised the bar significantly and only those manufacturers who really know what they are doing, and are able to listen to the guys in the field, will be able to support you in this new era. Back in the AR saga I said I would send part of the money I earned with the AR to Lynn Nicholson, the inventor and patent holder at the time of the Alien Technology, because Howard refused to pay him any of the royalties that were originally agreed to by him. The 'A' in AR was originally a nod to Lynn by calling it the Alien Revolution. It is now called the "Auto-Leveling Revolution" to lead you to believe that Howard came up with the idea. Sigh. Go read the thread. One important thing for people to realize is that Tiffen now owns the Patent to any Auto-leveling technology carried by a Steadicam. Technically you are breaking the law by operating an AR. MK-V can legally manufacture the AR outside the USA because the Patent only covers USA, but by operating the AR anywhere in the world you are facilitating Patent infringement and are legally liable to prosecution. I followed through with my promise to Lynn when he still owned the patent and sent him money as he had helped me get the very mediocre AR to partially work. Lynn is a truly honest and brilliant man and I wanted to honour that. I am so disgusted with the continued lack of professionalism by MK-V. They and their products simply don't deserve a place in our very challenging business. All they do is compromise our ability to do our jobs well. Your situation Tomas strikes close to home. I want to help. I want to urge that you get a full refund and return the sled. This is a great time to buy from Tiffen, PRO or XCS as the dollar is weak. I can see however that it will be difficult to get MK-V to send you the refund before you send them the sled. And I would STRONGLY urge that you DO NOT send the sled before you receive a refund. As someone in this thread pointed out, it would be wise to go to UK and sort it out in person. This way you get your money and they get your sled and there is no funny business and broken promises. Therefore I am offering to pay for your airfare from Lithuania to UK in order to facilitate your refund and return of your sled. They have offered you that refund, I suggest you move on it. Do it. Put your money to much better use. Get back to work with a sled that works and does not have to be fixed. Get yourself out of this ridiculous situation. What a nightmare. 3rd parties fixing your brand new sled so it can work for "years to come" is a pipe dream. Brand new means it should already work for years to come. I am very serious about this offer. Sincerely Will Arnot willglide@mac.com +1 917-417-4701