Mike Germond SOC
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Posts posted by Mike Germond SOC
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Excellent! And smart move by PLC. Your design is far superior to their old one. Glad I could be part of the testing as well!
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I bought my current sled on a steal! XCS post/gimbal w/ SD wiring, Pro2 electronics & battery hanger, and a DB3 for $12k cash. I spent $2500 with David Hable and had the wiring upgraded to HD and the electronics modified to support HD-SDI and Tally. Add $3500 for a monitor (Marshall), bracket (Cinetronic), and yoke (Tom Wills). Add $500 for sled cables, and $500 for a dock & stand. My ready-to-work sled was $19k. Veteran ops please correct me, but I feel like the bang-to-buck ratio is tipping heavily in my favor.
It's a pretty bulletproof sled and the most rigid I've flown, I can pile on the heaviest of Alexa packages with ease. This XCS gimbal is the lightest and smoothest out there (and also bulletproof), plus I can upgrade my electronics to any of the new stuff because the post wiring is current. I wouldn't say it qualifies in the franken-rig catagory, I just had to piece together all of the readily available components I had been scoping out over the years. I wouldn't expect a newbie to be able to find some of these parts let alone know that everything will be compatible. And at least once on every set, I get the comment "your sled looks so much cleaner than the other ops I've seen". So in that sense, it's definitely no franken-rig.
I hurried together a Master arm & vest for $8k so I could get onto the sets I had booked without wasting another penny on renting. Those will be the components I upgrade first.
The kicker is that I did it all interest free (with some creative accounting). Now all you veterans know that you can just double or triple that cost to accommodate for accessories alone. Hell, a good Preston FI+Z package costs more than what I paid for the sled! So there were a lot more expenses than I listed above, but that got me out the door to satisfy my immediate production demands. Even still, all of that gear (plus the aks/brackets/toys that got added on later) was bought and paid for within the first year, without a penny of interest.
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I use the Blackmagic Shuttle as well, and the cross conversion feature has saved me on the random DSLR job. Plus it's another option for Paralinx owners to feed the transmitter.
I still haven't found an useful situation for the Rec Trigger. I can't get SDI flags to work on the Epic and every Alexa job I do uses TOD rolling time code. So for now I have to hit the button every take.
I drilled and tapped my housing and sandwiched male & female AB plates on both sides, so now it lives on my sled monitor. That helps make these light, little LCD's more DB friendly. It also keeps the strain on the flimsy SDI adapters minimal.
For me, it's simplicity. Very linear. No menus to navigate, less to go wrong and cause distractions on set. The buttons have a good mechanical feel and the thing is cut out of a block of aluminum so it's rugged. Out of sight, out of mind. I don't need another screen.
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What length is it now? Another foot might be excessive, 6" could be right on the money with room for comfort.
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Yea I did like it all-in-one when I played with your prototype Alan. I was worried at first that it wouldn't reach from the Bartch hanger on the front of my DB3 nose box, but it reached to the back of the Epic with some slack to spare. The package I tested it on was a fairly short setup though. The Epic packages I shoot with often have a Cabrio zoom or an even heavier lens like a Master Prime, so the camera would have to be rigged back further. Also the mattebox was empty here. My only suggestion would be a bit more length on that 00 Lemo cable.
It's an otherwise great little piece of engineering in a simple, small package!
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I forgot to mention, I have PRO electronics and a DB3 with the MDR hanger on my XCS post.
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Hey guys, I need to rent a full FI+Z for a 1 day shoot in Orlando on 11/19. Production sprung the request on me last minute. My 1st AC is flying out of LAX on Monday and can hand carry it here. He returns to LA on Wednesday. So that's one option.
The other option is to ship something today for a Monday delivery.
Could anyone be so kind as to help a brother out? It's a RED Epic shoot and I'm told the camera has an Arri breakout box of sorts that converts the R/S functions into the Arri standard.
Please reply or PM me if you can help!
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Not to take away from Alan, but if he gets backed up and you are in need of one - Chris at East Coast cables made one for me exactly like this several months back.
It's even listed for order on his site now under the Epic drop down menu - http://www.eastcoastcables.com/red/
I'd like to see pictures of Chris's cable. I've been to his lair at Panavision NYC and he does great work. Form factor is important to me and I love the way Alan's is laid out. Will report back after this weekend!
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Alan was kind enough to send his prototype to Orlando Daniel. I'll be testing it over at Universal this weekend (and ultimately buying one). You're welcome to check it out!
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Even better! You making these? How much and when can I get mine?
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Ah I had forgotten. Doesn't affect me though, as I have the analog BFD. But that could be problematic down the road with an iris slider upgrade. Analog BFD owners will need that power loop thru to run the BDR
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I love the all in one solution. Never liked that the PLC version had to be powered separately. I always wondered why it couldn't just take power from the bartech. And the price! How much do you think it cost you to make that? How was it soldering that 00 connector?
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Sony pinout from Mr Konash of eastcoastcables.com via another forum
Connector: HR10-7p-4p
Pin 1: Un Reg Gound
Pin 2: Rec Tally
Pin 3: Rec Trigger (Open or +5V DC, Ground Active (REC))
Pin 4: Un Reg +12V
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6ft is usually a good length. Thinnest and most flexible coax you can find. Terry West makes great BNC jumpers. Run it from the camera to your shoulder, the barrel into the thicker stuff that goes to video village.
If its SMPTE fiber you're dealing with, call up Suzanne Spera at Phoenix Optix for a 6ft Steadicam jumper. They run $575. (401) 637-4600
If its Triax, go with option #1 and use the Kings Triax-to-coax adapters like these http://www.gepco.com/products/distributed/conntools_video/adapt_triaxtocoax.htm
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Funny how these things pop up at the same time..
https://www.facebook.com/groups/421410587929728/permalink/548215981915854/
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With Firefox, the Download Helper plugin can save video from most sites.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-downloadhelper/
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I have a 3-battery 12v Parallel jumper block from David Hable which is great for hot-swapping and you get 3 batteries running every port on the sled. But with the Alexa I get better results using the traditional 3-battery 24v block from PRO. I can only speak towards PRO sleds and wiring sizes, but the batteries seem to last longer for me in 24v. I use Dionic 90's.
For hot swap, I build the camera with my SO-XLR plate on the back and plug the VCLX into that for shore power while I shut my sled off or change batteries. That's my "hot swap" method for 24V mode.
One thing you have to consider on ALL sleds is that providing increased Voltage reduces the Amperage load on the batteries (100% necessary if using Dionic 90's as they are rated at 6A MAXIMUM).
We know the minimum draw of the Alexa with EVF is about 85W. Knowing the voltage options available to us, you can use the equation
Watts / Volts = Amps
So 85W / 12V = 7.08A (too much for Dionic 90's)
And 85W / 24V = 3.54A
So then you could calculate what that difference in draw does to your batteries. For the sake of argument, just assume a Dionic 90 has the advertised Typical 93wH capacity (even though we know real world values differ due to lots of variables).
Watt Hours / ( Voltage * Current in Ampere ) = Battery Life
So if you were running 3 Dionic 90's in 12V Parallel, the equation would be:
279wH / ( 12V * 7.08A ) = 3.28 hours
(But remember now you're running more than just the camera, you're running everything on the sled. The Amperage will be higher than this)
If you were running the camera with 2 Dionic 90's making 24V, the equation would be:
186wH / ( 24V * 3.54A ) = 2.19 hours
(Again, Amperage will be slightly higher because the first battery in the series is still providing 12v power to the sled connectors EXCEPT the Monitor)
But again, the Dionic 90's are only rated for 6amps. So beyond the issue that you're probably damaging your battery when running the Alexa in 12v mode, I've found the camera rips through 3 batteries in 12V a lot faster than the equation suggests. Especially since you're probably pulling closer to 10amps on them with wireless FF, wireless HD, sled monitor, CineTape, and whatever else you've got.
Your results may vary with Dionic HC's (83wH, 10A max) or Dionic HCX's (118wH, 10A max). Both can run the Alexa in 12V safely. Just plug the wH into the equation to find the run time.
Honestly, there are so many variables between Aks and Sled wiring sizes that this makes my head hurt. For me, 24v is preference. For small rigs like the Zephyr, 24v is probably mandatory to run the Alexa.
You're going to chew through batteries all day. Just don't exceed the Amperage limit on your batteries! Or if you must, make sure it's the rental house batteries ;)
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Using the pdw 700 with the cobham wireless tx unit ..... Quite a solid combi... Been flying it with a v-mount battery on camera as it is quite power hungry and the hytron couldn't keep up with its demand if i were to power from my sled.... Using an Archer1 sled with hytron 140 battery as anything lighter than 140 equates me to fly my post almost fully extended...... Using tally sensors made by tiffen for the sled... And my trusted j7 zoom with j7 focus unit as well...... No returns the whole studio are peppered with monitors....
The PDW 700 is a ENG camera ( xdcam hd ) and not a multi camera. Using tally sensors? Eh, care to explain? Perhaps i am missing something?
I'm not sure how he is using it, but all Sony cameras (and maybe other brands) with the 4-pin Hirose DC out connector can take a Tally Input. The other 2 pins of that connector have a purpose too. In addition to REC trigger, you can trigger just the Tally LED's of the camera with a simple contact closure.
Connector: HR10-7p-4p
Pin 1: Un Reg Gound
Pin 2: Rec Tally
Pin 3: Rec Trigger (Open or +5V DC, Ground Active (REC))
Pin 4: Un Reg +12V
But it would feel silly to connect a telemetry system TO the camera, just to put a photosensor on the Tally LED and take it back out into your sled. I don't know the Cobham system at all, but the Link systems I've used often have a Tally Out connector in addition to the signals in the RCP cable. You could simply take the Tally signal straight to your sled out of the Data return with a custom cable. Ops equipped with photosensors already may prefer the former solution tho..
It's a mess of cables and adapters so I don't know why you wouldn't just use a proper multi-cam body in the first place.
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The problematic restrictions are on checked bags really. You can only check a minimal number, must be under 100wH, and it must be attached to a device. Carry on is the only way to travel with Li-Ion now. There is no quantity limit for Dionic 90 & HC.
I always carry my Dionic 90's on board with no fuss. Haven't had an argument with TSA yet..
Check out the chart from Anton Bauer:
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I use the Pelican 1510 which is spacious yet compact. I don't know how big your 2722 charger is compared to my Titan2 but mine fits great with room for 6-8 Dionics depending on how you arrange it. The charger has to lay flat tho, can't go vertical because its too deep for the case. And it's carry-on size with wheels (Li-ion can't easily be checked these days). The lid organizer is 1519 and works great for power cables and 4-pin XLRs.
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What about McGowan's HyperCam rig?
http://www.steadicamforum.com/index.php?showtopic=18165
Never mind the safety aspects but the wind alone is a problem for the Steadicam sled
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To Eric's point, below is a fairly basic Alexa package that we will be asked to fly, perhaps without the Cabrio zoom (the battery on the back is just there for standby). And then just when you're balanced and confidant, the sound guy will walk over with some gak to add. Somewhere in the week, the Matte Box ends up full of glass and a Cine Remote appears so the 1st AC can get away from the camera. I don't need to worry about making weight with all the variables.I loved squeezing every lb out of my first rig. It almost felt like smart business to pay so little for a rig and still collect the big bucks. But you'll be living on the edge of workability and reputation doing business like that. The last 2 Alexa rental agreements I put my stamp of approval on were from Abel Cine and Arri CSC, and both were more than the Steadicam rental! I wouldn't feel right showing up with a Zephyr knowing what's at stake. You gotta pay to play in the big boy's game. After buying my PRO/XCS sled, it never fails that I'll get several remarks on each set about how clean and professional my sled looks compared to other ops they've worked with. Sometimes your gear and its' aesthetics are just as important for client confidence.I'm not spreading doubt because I've tried it all too, but there's some more food for thought to consider.
I too am waiting to hear from Eric and see what problems the new plate solves. I have a Cinematic Precision plate right now, and I love that it doubles as a low-profile dovetail for my DB3. My standard plate is the thicker XCS plate that accepts 15mm rods. Neither of those help you Zephyr owners that don't have the industry standard stage though (maybe the new one will be useful to you).Can you give more details on the custom plate. what are the specs and where to get a similar one. (Or would Eric Fletcher's mystery plate do the trick here)
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Not live television, but live multicam corporate.
I use Boxx Meridian with the OB receiver - cuts in nicely since there's less than 1 frame delay.
Generally a GV LDK8000 or GV DMC1000 (discontinued)
The DMC1000 is cool for GrassValley because you can have full paint control via wifi.
Grass has a new compact version of the new LDX that has ethernet paint control; plug in a wifi adaptor and you're off and flying with full telemetry and tally. I have not flown with this camera yet, but I'm anxious to.
http://www.grassvalley.com/products/ldx_compact
Cheers
Did you ever get to see a replay of the event to check the transmission and quality?
I'm curious because I used the Boxx Meridian in a Miami soundstage last week and I was not impressed. The playback was riddled with digital hits. Unacceptable for Live TV IMO. We had the Rx mounted on the back of the large "5 way" paddle antenna, and it had to be pointed almost directly at the Steadicam. Even then, still digital breakup on simple little moves. I wish I would have had the time to put other kits up against it in the same environment.
That has somewhat diminished my desire to rush and drop $20k on a kit.
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That Sony 2400 with the built in RF that Mike Germond posted is pretty cool looking, I wonder about the weight comparison?
It is a novel idea. Great for handheld too!
Here's the data I have for the Sony 2400 INCAM vs. a Sony 1500 w/ VisLink Clip-on Transmitter. Assume all setups are complete with a lens and 2 IDX batteries..
Sony 1500 w/ VisLink Clip-on Tx
21.5lbs
Shadow-V Sled w/ 1500
46.5lbs
Sony 2400 INCAM
17.6lbs
Shadow-V Sled w/ 2400 INCAM
42.6lbs
Using 2 IDX PowerCubes
2hrs 10min life
Low battery @ 1hr 45mins (start seeing long range transmission issues)
Hyperdeck Recorder w/ New PRO Battery Rack III
in Video Assist and Video Accessories
Posted
I love it! I just drilled and tapped AB plates on my HyperDeck to make the monitor heavier. I still have the Battery Rack II but I love that idea! If I ever upgrade, I'm going to want specs!