Mike Germond SOC

Thanks guys, this info is very helpful!

For the purpose of making my own cables to adapt to various accessories, I'm wondering where I could find any documentation about the 3-pin LEMO jack on the Flyer LE's stage. I'm pretty sure it's SIZE 0, but don't know the pinout. Does this look like the appropriate plug: http://www.mouser.com/Search/ProductDetail...fnY9NzEXw%3d%3d And on that note, are there any preferred dealers to buy LEMO stuff from? Thanks, Mike

yes i suppose that's true...we also had follow focus, but no wireless.

I worked 4 days last week with a crew shooting commercials for a university and they did their RED One setup right. It was Master Primes on 19mm steel rods with the arri mattebox. They chose CF cards so no need for the cage. I took their rear AB mount off and used a Terry West cable. Everything worked fine on my Flyer LE. The monitor took a bit of customization since they didn't have a down converter and my rig is SD. They had this ridiculous little extendable monitor arm on the handle that I rigged in place of my monitor, and the shorty cable they had was just able to reach. I do agree that the viewing angle sucks though.. It was a stretch, but good to know my Flyer LE can do it..

I'm on a job right now where we are using the RED One with Master Primes and this rig is weighing in easly above 35lbs right now. There's not a chance in hell I could fly this on my Flyer LE. That's kinda unfortunate because I knew I'd run into the problem, just not this early in my career. I already want a bigger rig!! Charles, you're gonna have to teach me a few tricks on how to beef up my Flyer like you did! An Archer would be a better match, but at that point, why not just cough up for the Clipper. If you can deal with customs, international shipping, and overseas tech support, check out the ActionCam Zero-G or RED Edition. An user here by the name of Nils was selling a pretty full kit for a very reasonable price. I couldn't get funding for overseas used equipment so I had to pass..

Just called Terry and placed my order for both the RED One cable and a Y-cable for my Flyer LE's 3-pin Lemo. 10pm for me...7pm for him, and he was more than happy to help. Very quick turn-around as well!!

That one's a good read. Not exactly the type of document I was referring to but good info to consider none the less. I'm talking about a simple quote for my services with my rates (specifying full day vs. partial day), including milage, any necessary accomodations if not already included, per diem, and the like..

I'm drawing up some of my first quote/contracts for jobs and I want to make sure I include all of the "fine print" so I don't get screwed in some aspect. This particular job is a concert series over 300mi from me so I thought it would be smart to include milage. There are some other things I would like to find a way to include, like: Partial Day rate, Daily rate (with language for what a "day" is), quality level of accomodations, ect.. So if someone has a format that works for them or some pointers, I'd love to work off of prior experience instead of reinventing the wheel..

Charles, I know you have some experience with that Franken-Flyer of yours, so you know what the Lemo jack built into the stage looks like. Do you have any recommendations for J-Boxes? Thanks for the reply..

So would this concept work the same way for us Flyer LE owners that have 3-pin Lemo power on the stage? Since the rig is 12/24v switchable, could I have a cable made that would seperate the 2 12v pins and essentially give me 2 12v outputs? I'm curious because I have a gig with a naked RED One coming up and it would benefit me to power it off the sled. I also may need to power a F/F unit so that's why I wonder about splitting the 3-pin connector..

David, I'm in Mt. Pleasant, MI. Close but probably not close enough though.. I too am interested! I can guarantee that there are no other ops in my area though..

Aparantly nobody thinks to look towards B&H for purchases like this, because they had one in stock. And now it's mine.. Crisis averted! B)

I kind of figured as much, but had to ask. I'm not sure where to even start looking for the appropriate weight plate. I don't even know what weight I would need (DVX, HVX, similar). I do have access to a metal shop with CNC machines and the works, but not the slightest idea where to start.. ps- charles check your PM box..

Like this sort of thing: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/2410...90_Degrees.html I'm sure there's a whole assortment of different mounts out there..

Seeing as how the ActionCam Zero-G has rods on the dovetail plate, what sort of rod accessories are out there that could be used to mount weight off of them? Also, the ActionCam rig I'm looking at currently has just 1 IDX plate on it. How hard is it to add a 2nd to the other side of the batter mount?

I live in Grand Rapids, MI but will be in Mount Pleasant, MI by that time. Both places are equi-distant from Detroit anyways. I'm hoping to have my new ActionCam RED Edition by then, but if not, my loaner rig will support a RED One. If you want low budget, I'm your man, but I don't have my hands on any of my footage as of yet. Here is my disclaimer: I'm fairly new as an operator, having worn gear for a full work day on only 3 occasions (2 of them at a Tiffen Steadicam Workshop). By Sept. 4th, I'll have shot the first College Football game of this season and possibly part of a University Admissions video. I'm enthusiastic and dedicated to the trade, so you better believe I have a rig on, practicing every available day. Peter Abraham can confirm my level of ability as he saw in the workshop. Like I said, my rates are low budget right now. I'm just paying bills and building a solid reel, so I'll happily take any experience I can get. All my info is below if you are interested in talking further.. Mike

Mmm ActionCam.. I'm wondering the same question for the same equipment.. Is there a chance on earth that the Steadicam Mini Low Mode Kit would work with this? http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller...2878&is=REG

Tiffen is so overloaded with Flyer LE orders that every model currently being built has already been spoken for. Right now the list is about 40 days out. I have gigs lined up, one of which is the entire College Football season (starts late August). Peter Abraham and I are both struggling to work something out, because we both understand how important it is for me to start the season on the first game. We both agreed that it would be a good idea to turn to the helpful community of operators for assistance. I'd imagine this offer caters mostly to owners of multiple rigs, but please contact me if you or anyone you know can part with their rig for about a month. You will be helping out a fellow operator/soon-to-be owner in a huge way!

I just completed the Birns & Sawyer workshop TONIGHT, and it was a huge success. Peter, the knowledge and skill-set that you imparted on us has been incredibly beneficial. I think I speak for everyone when I express my gratitude for your time! We will be in contact in the next few days about my equipment situation. Additional thanks for the private demo! I love that big rig feel (he threw a demo Ultra on me, and it was quite an experience)! Highly recommended, no matter what rig you currently fly or want to fly. The skill-set definitely translates..

I'm in L.A. from now until next Monday for a Flyer workshop with Peter, so a quick reply is appreciated. Like the title says, I'm in the market to buy and I want to demo some different rigs. I was supposed to meet up with Kris Wilson at JKL and check things out but I can't get ahold of him. I was also supposed to demo an ActionCam RED edition but same result...no further contact. Can anybody help me out?

Upon further consideration, I think the Rebel-Rig is a good starting point...But it raises this one question The cameras I use now come in at the following curb weights: DVX100B - 3.7lbs Century Optics .7x Wide Angle - 1.7lbs HVX200A - 5.5lbs The Rebel Rig uses the Zero G arm and lowest it is rated for is 11lbs. The range of ActionCam's lowest spring package is 11lbs-21lbs in fact. So how does one make it meet the weight specs of the arm without adding nonsense accessories? My immediate, primary use will be shooting college football every weekend, so the soloution needs to be something that requires little attention over the course of 4 or 5 hours. I'd also like to be able to throw my LitePanel and a wireless system onto the camera after the game. I'm hoping just a quick adjustment will make that work out..

Once I have invested in a good, mid-level steadicam rig, I was hoping to purchase my own camera. Right now, the university that I produce a TV show for purchases equipment per my recommendation, and we own 3 DVX's and 1 HVX as well as a variety of other necessities for sound and lighting. Before the HVX came out, I thought I would be happy with a DVX as a personal camera, but now that the RED Scarlet is coming out, I don't even think I'd be happy with an HVX! :huh: I'd be interested to hear a little about the adaptor that you have though. If I don't buy it, the marketing department at the university might be interested. They are trying to bring a lot of their advertising in house these days. I guess they are sick of renting Phantom HD's and Mini35 adaptors from the production houses that I've been working with.. Back on the topic of ActionCam, I posted a thread over at RedUser.net and a gentlemen by the name of Tonaci Tran who is the designated US demo guy offered to let me check his equipment out. I guess the only other brand that I've become interested in is MK-V, and I have no idea how to go about checking their stuff out!

I'd be very open to adding stops on my Tinsle Town Tour, so if anybody is feeling generous.. :D It will be the first time I've ever set foot in California, let alone L.A. I plan to fly in a solid 4 days before the workshop, specifically for the reasons you mentioned Ron. I have some relatives and friends in the biz out there, but otherwise I'm unsure how I'm going to fill time. Chris Wilson was kind enough to offer me a chance to check out his rig at JKL, but was unsure if they'd be shooting anything or not. Still worth a stop to enjoy the opportunity. How would you suggest I go about finding the different rigs I'm interested in? I'd definitely like to make the most of my time out West!

Jon, All great stuff. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I had read that the arm for every ActionCam model is the same, but with different spring packages. If that is true, owning several different spring packages could help you adapt to all sorts of equipment (although I have no clue how easy/difficult it is to change springs). I have no intention of purchasing a rig before the workshop, in fact I was hoping to pick Peter's brain a little bit. Steadicam seems a bit like a car purchase, in the sense that most people would want to try it before they buy it. We'll see how I feel about the Flyer LE after that workshop though. Susan Cummings at Tiffen gave me Peter's number but I have not been able to get in contact with him all week long. It seems to be going straight to voice mail, so either he dropped his phone in the toilet or he's got some important business going on right now. Can anyone verify this? I shot Brian an e-mail late last night after I got home from a job in Cincinatti (like 3am late), so I'm still within the 24-hr time frame that you mentioned ;) As far as finances go, I'll probably have to take out a slightly larger loan and hope the steady business over the next year or so can help with payments. Like you suggested, starting from scratch would not be so fun, especially if I outgrow the Flyer in 2 years. That's why a modular system is so attractive. I've also taken a brief glance at MK-V and the Nexus rig. Again, I'm not sure how all of this stuff matches up with the different Steadicam models.. I'm a sponge, so keep the knowledge flowing!

I've been a big fan of the Steadicam for years, but only recently have I done some more in depth research into individual rigs and their specifications. I'm in the market to buy now, but I don't want to become outdated in the near future. Basically, I never want to turn down a job because my rig can't support it. I've got a workshop with Peter Abraham @ Brins & Sawyer in Hollywood next month, and commitments from 2 seperate clients with at least a years worth of business lined up. I already have the financial backing to spend around $10k as an initial investment. I hope all this just goes to show that I'm not in it just to play with some cool toys. Let me explain what I need it for in the immediate future: - DVX 100B w/ Century Optics wide angle adaptor, LitePanel, Rode NTG-1 for College Football - HVX 200A w/ Rode NTG-1, (2) Sennheiser Evolution G2 wireless systems - JVC GY-HD100U - Sony Z1U Near future desires: - Mini35, Rails, Matte Box, Still Lenses, Wireless Focus/Iris - RED One - RED Scarlet (will purchase personally) - 35mm!! For a while, I thought I was set on the Steadicam Flyer 24LE because it gave me options for lighter 35mm cameras in the future and the ability to easily upgrade my monitor to a Marshall V-R70P-HDA. This leads me to a slight tangent: Which Flyer sleds come wired for HD/SDI monitoring, and what type of jacks/how many are we talking? And then I stumbled across ActionProducts and the Zero G rig. It's hard to tell what the comparible Steadicam models are because there is so little documentation about the ActionCam, so that's why I'm posting here. Right now, the Zero G is wayy out of my price range for a first rig, but it looks so perfect for what I see myself evolving into! Everything is modular so upgrading is easy. Their smallest model is the Rebel-Rig, but I don't know how that compares to the Flyer, not to mention it's $11k price-tag. What I like most about the Zero G is the sled. So then I started wondering about some hybrid Steadicam/ActionCam rig. I don't know enough about all my options to make an educated guess however. Just when I thought I had something figured out, this ActionCam stuff had to flash across my screen and get me all confused again. I want to be able to fly the cameras that are most popular in today's productions, but still want to have the option to fly the, dare I say, 'old school' stuff. This is a big investment, so I want to make sure that I put it in the proper equipment to keep me competitive and versitile.. Thanks in advance, Mike