Dave Gish

Actually, the strain of what you are carrying around has a lot more to do with your balance than the weight itself. See here for details: http://steadivision.com/media/steadipos2.pdf There's a big clue on page 10: "I have watched Laurie Hayball (above) strap on a Steadicam that was perhaps half her weight, without appreciably changing her posture. Before her, a dozen big guys had struggled with the same rig, grunting and sweating, bending themselves out of shape trying to adjust themselves to it. ... There is a temptation to regard wearing a Steadicam as something requiring great strength. This is only partly true, and leads to operators?especially big, strong operators?using the power muscle groups in the fronts of their bodies to support the load. Not only is this inefficient, exhausting, and possibly bad for your health, but it affects your shot. A relaxed operator, using postural support systems is stable and fluid, yet dynamically poised."

Good one! LOL.

I got an EZ-UP 10'x10' canopy with 4 zippered walls and a wheeled carry bag for $200 at the local BJs wholesale club. http://www.ezupdirect.com/ezup-instant-shelters/exp2vp.php

It could make switching positions mid shot more difficult. For example, if you are following somebody in missionary (lens pointing forward) and then they stop, and then start walking toward the camera, you will have to change to don juan (lens pointing backward over your left shoulder), and you'll have to make this change mid-shot. If the rods stick out the back a lot, it might make chaning positions like this harder. See manual excercises starting on page 30 for details: http://www.steadicam.com/images/content/Flyer_Manual_Lo.pdf

Hi Luca, The Steadicam Pilot arm has 2 blue thumbscrews to adjust arm tension. You generally adjust these screws until the arm is level. If the weight is too heavy, you will turn these screws all the way until they stop and the arm still won't be up to level. I've run my Pilot up to around 11 pounds and the arm was able to level, so there is a little extra buffer here, but beyond that it just won't fly. Also note another issue with using a 35mm lens adapter - you need a good wireless follow focus system (not cheap) and a good AC person to run it. You may also need an HD wireless video system and monitor, depending on who is pulling focus. So using a shallow depth of field on a steadicam is not trivial even if you can fly the weight. Given the added cost and complexity of a wireless follow focus system, using a large DOF for steadicam shots may be the only option for many no-budget and student type projects. If you can convince the director / DP to lose the shallow DOF on the steadicam shots, then just leave the lens adapter off. Other than lowering the light, and some very slight softening of the image, the lens adapter just gives you a shallow DOF. A lens adapter doesn't fundamentally change the image, so shots with and without a lens adapter should work together in the same project. On sticks, a shallow DOF allows you to focus the viewers attention on a particular subject. With a steadicam, you can use movement to focus the viewers attention on a particular subject. Obviously, it would be nice to use both movement and a shallow DOF, but no-budget and student type projects may force you to choose between the two.

Hi Charles, I'm still trying to figure out exactly what this means, so any details you can provide on this would be greatly appreciated. Specifically, what do you mean by a "good AC"? Is this a person with a few years of experience in features? Could a film school student pull focus for steadicam shots without a monitor? Is there a minimum amount of experience you would suggest for this? How much blocking and rehearsal would be required? How likely would it be for a project with an HVX or EX1 plus lens adapter to find such a person? As always, any knowlege you can share in this area is greatly appreciated.

Hi Jim, Actually, you might want to look at the Steadicam Pilot. The Pilot is $3800 new at B&H. From what you say, there are 3 likely options: 1) Use the HVX or EX1 without the lens adapter for Steadicam shots 2) Use the HVX or EX1 with the lens adapter for Steadicam shots 3) Use the RED For option #1, the Steadicam Pilot is the best solution (IMHO). I've used both the HVX and EX1 on the Pilot, and it works great. For option #2, you'll need $4000 worth of wireless follow focus equiptment, a very good HD wireless video setup, a good HD monitor, and a dedicated AC person to pull focus. This level of equiptment and personel is unusual for HVX and EX1 projects, but if this is what you want, either Flyer rig will be fine. For option #3, the RED accessories will probably put you over 19 pounds quick. Perhaps the ActionCam is the best solution here, but I'm not sure. In addition, you still have all the focus issues associated with option #2.

You might have more luck over on dvinfo: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/forumdisplay.php?f=119

I have the Pilot and am very content with it. It does take a while to learn though, like any steadicam. I also used the Flyer in the 2-day workshop and it felt pretty similar to the Pilot with additional weights. The big advantage of the Flyer is that it can lift cameras + accessories up to 19 pounds. This is particularly important if you are using a 35mm lens adapter with the Panasonic HVX200 or Sony EX1. The weight of these cameras plus the lens adapter, 35mm lens, matte box, and rods to hold it all together will put you over the 10 pound weight limit of the Pilot. The lens adapter provides a really shallow DOF that looks like film, allowing you really focus the viewer on a particular person or part of the frame. Given that these cameras aim to mimic film in every other way (24p, cine-gamma, variable frame rates, etc.), the last missing part is the shallow DOF. So lens adapters are becoming quite popular. However, a shallow DOF on a steadicam requires a costly wireless focus control system, a really good wireless video system for monitoring, a reference monitor on set, and a dedicated assistant camera person to constantly pull focus. Since steadicam tends to focus the viewers attention by movement, it's not clear that the lens adapter is required for the steadicam shots. This seems to be a hot topic of debate for ultra-low budget and student film projects, so there's no clear answer here. But if you are doing event videography, there is no question in my mind - the Pilot is what you want. Lens adapters are not required here. If you are interested in investing in the Pilot (both money and time for training), then be sure to check out all the links I've included in this thread.

Also see here: http://www.macvideo.tv/camera-technology/i...rticleid=100761 By the way, the best way to try out the Flyer and Pilot is by taking a 2-day workshop. They provide both rigs for you to learn on. If you've never used a Steadicam before, then any rig is going to feel strange. I don't know if there's going to be a 2-day workshop anywhere near Pittsburgh, but here is the workshop site. http://www.thesteadicamworkshops.com/

The Steadicam Pilot goes up to 10 pounds and the vest will adjust to anyone. More info here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2shQVbvVwQ...;watch_response http://dvinfo.net/articles/camsupport/steadicampilot1.php http://avid.blogs.com/nab2007/2007/04/video_scad_test.html http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=115235

Bryan, Was the Husky a T-Handle or just a Stubby? I can't find it online.

What camera setup are you using that weighs 20 pounds? This is kind of heavy for a new user to start out with. Are there camera accessories that you don't need to use on the steadicam? Remember that it takes many months to become good at using a steadicam. If you've never used one, anything you rent will give you poor results. Even the $66,000 Steadicam top of the line rig will look awful in the hands of a beginner. The best way to try out a steadicam without buying one is to take the 2-day workshop. This way, you can see first-hand how the rig works in the hands of a master, and you can see how much work all of the students need in order to get good.

There seem to be a lot of Steadicam knockoff brands out there. Some are good, some are not. The only way to tell for sure is try one out. Suggestion: Take the Steadicam 2-day workshop. You'll see what it takes to learn how to use a steadicam, and you'll get to use the best rigs. Then you can compare the lower priced rigs and see the difference for yourself. Remember that a steadicam is a commitment. You'll need many months to become proficient enough to use it effectively. This is why most steadicams are not rented, but rather hired through steadicam operators. Even if you never use the steadicam yourself, the 2-day workshop will give you enough detailed information to figure out which steadicam operators are full of sh*t. So it's well worth the money.

19 pounds has to do with the rating of the arm, so over-weight is over no matter where you put it. You know you're over weight when the knob on the arm won't turn any more and the arm still isn't up to level. If you're close to being over, moving the weight low might help but I'm not sure. Moving the gimbal would probably have a similar effect. If you decide to run a cable, make sure you use a thin supple cable for at least the 1st 10 feet from the camera. If you decide to run wireless audio, you may want to also use an inexpensive audio field recorder close to the boom operator. This way, if the wireless has drop-outs or noise, you always have the field recorder as backup. You can use the good spots of the wireless audio to line up the sound from the recorder. If there are no drop-outs (which is normal), then post production is really easy. This is sort of a single system wireless with a 2nd system for audio backup. So think of the audio field recorder as insurance. I got the Fostex FR2-LE on eBay for $500 shipped.

Excellent review of Steadicam Pilot here: http://www.dvinfo.net/articles/camsupport/...dicampilot1.php

Hi Radomir, Yes, the Pilot will support the Z1 and EX3. I wrote a detailed post on the Pilot here. http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=115235 This should answer a lot of your questions about the Pilot. Given that the EX3 uses 12V, the Pilot VL option makes sense for you. The only issue is if you want to add big accessories. The Pilot handles up to 10 pounds. This includes the camera, camera accessories, and additional screw-on weights. The EX3 weighs 7.6 pounds. For smooth pans, you'll want to add 1.2 pounds of weights at the bottom. That leaves only 1.2 pounds for wires and accessories. If you want to add a hard drive or 35mm lens adapter, the Pilot won't work. I use a really light video transmitter (0.2 pounds with cables) so other people can see the shot. For run and gun type stuff, I use a light on-camera shotgun - Rode NTG1, SM3 shock mount, and Dead Cat furry windscreen (around 0.7 pounds with cable). When working with a sound crew, I sometimes use a Sennheiser G100 wireless receiver (0.6 pounds with cable) to get sound to the camera. So my accessories are less than 1 pound in any configuration. If you want to use heavier accessories, you could buy the Steadicam Flyer-LE, but that's about twice the price of the Pilot. If you're on a budget, you may consider the EX1 with the Pilot. The EX1 weighs only 5.3 pounds, so that would allow more accessories. On the other hand, if you want to be really pro, you could use Panasonic HVX-200 with a 35mm lens adapter. This will give you the ability to get a really shallow depth of field, for feature film like results. The lens adapter option would include various 35mm prime and/or zoom lenses, a matte box, french flag, support rods, etc. In this case, you would definitely need the Flyer-LE to handle the weight. Also note that this ends up making the camera really long - like around 2 feet - so working in narrow stairs or hallways becomes more problematic.

Hi Steve, You may also want to post your questions over on dvinfo.net. http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/forumdisplay.php?f=119 They seem to have a lot of Merlin users over there. Hope this helps, Dave

Count me in for this as well. I live 30 minutes from Manhattan. In class, we learned how to hold the back of the vest loosely but securely on stairs, lightly tap shoulders through tight doorways, and hold 4x4s to block wind. Is there any sort of process for getting into this, or is it all just who you know?

There are some cheap solutions here: http://www.supercircuits.com/Wireless-Devices/

If you haven't already, take a look at my "Steadicam Pilot - Getting Started Q & A" forum post. http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=115235 Hope this helps, Dave

What's the nicest non-HD rated cable?

Jerry, Thanks for pointing this out! I was doing it wrong. I'll try doing it correctly.

Right. I was the same way. When I took the class, I started with everything in balance, but as soon as I started doing anything challenging with the framing, Peter reminded me that I was "not under the rig", meaning that if I were to let go of my hands, it would fly away or toward me. So the Monday after the class, I decided to just forget about framing for a while, turn the camera off, and just practice hands-free for a solid week. After a few days, I was able to control the sled position pretty well with just my upper body. After 5 days, I was able to control the sled position and keep it close to my body. After a week, I was comfortable enough that the whole balance thing became second nature, even when changing positions. So now I tend not to lose balance as much when I'm struggling to hold frame correctly. If I do ever notice myself getting significantly out of balance, I'll run hands-free during a break as a little refresher.

Right. I suggest you forget about your posture for a while and just concentrate on controlling the sled hands free. I think a proper posture will follow that naturally. The other big thing is to try and keep the sled as close to your body as possible. Try walking a little bit sideways to avoid hitting the sled with your left leg. If you can get good at keeping the sled close hands free, and maintaining that as you walk and change positions, then I'm pretty sure you won't get tired on a shoot Here's a whole document on Steadicam Posture: http://steadivision.com/steadipos2.pdf You can skim over this, but here's a real clue on page 10: "I have watched Laurie Hayball (above) strap on a Steadicam that was perhaps half her weight, without appreciably changing her posture. Before her, a dozen big guys had struggled with the same rig, grunting and sweating, bending themselves out of shape trying to adjust themselves to it." Make sure you read the rest of page 10. The other thing that Peter will teach you is that as you move, it's like learning to walk all over again. When a baby learns to walk, they fall forward. This is because walking involves leaning forward. Think about it. You lean forward until you have to put your foot in front of you to keep from falling down. This is all unconscious now. But with the Steadicam on, the CG is all different, and the CG changes as the sled moves closer of further away from you. So you have to re-learn everything like a baby. Specifically, when you begin to walk hands free, you'll have to lean forward to get the sled to start moving. The amount of the lean controls the speed of the forward sled movement. I have a Pilot rig which is lighter, but I've added weight to get it right up to 10 pounds, and I've used that for over 2 hours without much of a break. Although my nerves are frazzled, and I'm a little sweaty (mostly due to the vest), I'm not really tired. I also used a Flyer with an HVX200, rods, & 35mm lens adapter in the 2-day workshop. I would guess that to be around 15 pounds, and that was not bad at all. In the end, the most exhausting thing for me is the mental stress of trying to hold the frame and keep everything as steady as possible. I guess that's how it's supposed to be...