David Michael Rivera

You guys are the best! Thanks for the info! Jim, I will probably contact you today about ordering that cable. I would need to get it by Friday (that is, if I can get my BFD back as well!). David

Hello, everyone! I've been out of the Steadicam game for quite some time... and I have a question (that might seem simple... but I gotta make sure). I have a shoot coming up (non-steadicam) that the First AC would like to use my BFD on. The BFD has 2-pin power connectors going into the receiver and the Red One camera has a set of 4-pin Aux power outs coming out. Two questions: 1) Is it just a matter of making a cable (to power the receiver/Heden motor) going from the two-pin to the four connectors (of course: following the proper wiring diagrams/layouts neccessary)? 2) Has anyone powered a BFD (or any other focus receiver) this way on the Red? I've only ever powered the BFD off my sleds... I'm a little paranoid about this (hence the post here), but my BFD is not in my possession right now and I don't know what cables I had in that kit. Also, the power outs on the rear of the Red concerns me (for my current cable-lengths). Thanks for any comments/help you give. David Michael Rivera

I'm pretty sure Tiffen is selling G-70's outright so why don't you buy the Clipper / G-50 package then when and if it's not carrying what you need, sell the G-50 or keep it as a back up and buy a G-70? Again, I don't know what kind of work you are doing but I'm getting a wide variety of work ranging 2-3 days a week and in two years have yet to totally bottom out the G-50. After saying that I'll probably get hammered on my next three jobs! Also, don't overlook the PRO arms and other rigs out there. There are deals to be had on used gear too. Chris Konash had a tricked out C24 for sale recently but I don't know if he sold it yet but there are frequently good packages available. And one last little tidbit of advice is to make sure you budget for the cables, focus/iris system, cart, cases, transmitters and other extras you'll need. In two years I've invested around $100k in kit and the base price of my rig was only around $40k new. The cheapest cable you'll buy will be about $100, the average around $150-175 and two days ago I spent $630 on a single lightweight 6ft Fiber jumper for live HD shows. Good luck! The Sales Rep recommended I do just that: buy the Clipper package and then buy the G-70 when I really feel I need it. The problem is that I know what I would like right now... I would much rather buy a used rig (that's what I've done in the past) but haven't come across anything doable for me yet. I also already own a bunch of accessories (BFD, motors, cables, etc.). David

It was a 3A rental rig on an ultra-low budget shoot. I agree that powering the camera off the rig would work much better and shave some weight.

Thanks for the reply, Robert. Ideally, I would like to utilize the g-70 arm with the sled... but since I'm considering a new package the Clipper 312 only gets sold with the g-50. One question: when you shot with the Red on your sled in 4K with 35mm lenses, were you a lot closer to the limits of your arm? The last time I shot in 2k with the 12to120mm zoom (16mm), the 3A arm I was using was very near the ends. The only time I've worked with the Red in 4K (so far) was non-Steadicam with a Cooke Zoom (25to100mm, I believe) and it was beastly. Of course, each job has it's own lens requirements. On the jobs I would DP and Steadicam, I would know and choose which lenses to go with for Steadicam. On the jobs, I'm not DP'ing, I would request certain lens types. The Ultra would solve everything for me... but I would have to leave a cup next to my docking stand for donations or shine people's shoes between takes. Thanks again. David

I'm curious because I'm looking into purchasing a 312 for heavy Red One usage. I flew the Red on a 3A recently, fully loaded with mattebox and filter, mounting rods, follow focus, batts on rig and camera, Red LCD, 12to120mm 16mm lens (I forgot the brand -- we shot 2k), wireless mic receiver, and BFD receiver with Heden motor and brackets. Pre-Steadi mounting, the rig weighed about 35lbs. Anyone flying the camera with a Clipper loaded with more than a lightweight prime and bare accessories? Were you maxed-out on the arm? Your setup stories would help me in deciding which rig to look at. Thanks. David Michael Rivera

Thanks to everyone. Anytime I need guidance or advice I know I can always rely on my Steadi-comrades! I also found out that Black Magic has a mini converter that is $495.00, runs on 12v, and is small as well. They start shipping this month... so I may pick one up and report back on it. If not, the Aja may be the one I go with. Thanks again everyone. David

Hey everyone. I've got a couple of questions to any Steadi-Ops that have worked with the Red camera. The Red only has HD-SDI out (not composite NTSC outs) and I will need to convert the output to work on my 3A. Here are my questions: 1) What do you find are the best downcoverters you are using on your rigs? Aja seems to be the only via (and affordable) choice. Black Magic makes a unit that seems like it will work even better for steadicam (it has 12v in... instead of Aja's 5v in and is $500US cheaper) but they haven't shipped any units yet (supposed to this month and I have a shoot this July 1st). 2) If you are using an Aja, how are you powering it and what type of connections/inverter set-ups are you using? Pics would be fantastic! 3) Do you know of anyone that rents/sells any other lightweight and portable downconverters (especially if they work directly with the Red... since the camera has mini-HD-sdi connections instead of the standard size)? Any help would be amazing. Thanks. David