Sam Morgan Moore

Having minimal experience (but some) with my own little rig I would suggest that handles are best neither over, nor underslung, but with the handles to the side just above the CofM so the thing is 'inert' but with a mild tendency towards hanging down, a geometrical arrangement you will no doubt be familiar with :) Such an arrangement puts the lens more at upper gut than balls height and gives a boom range virtually the same as a current (simple) steadicam set up.

This morning my wrist is painful - and it is not because of too much special time spent in the bathroom. I can, after a day in my 'lab' playing with various contraptions, suggest that the Steadicam arm/vest is far from dead.

The F5 is 2.2 KG (4.85lb) - the black magic is 1.7KG (3.7) I find this interesting. I guess that by moving the battery to the bottom, choosing a stills lens (although those CPs seemed light and plastic to me) there is some hope of using these cameras in a near naked form on the Pilot Of course focus remains an issue unless one added a super light remote system or (with the F5) was able to talk to a lens such as the SonyE 16mm pancake, which is comically light and small and whose AF kind of works for simple shots S

Awesome - Ive PMd you - want one! S

Here is 'majestic mode' .. looks to have quite a delay.. as it has to -not knowing the difference between a wobble and an intentional move by the operator Also some monitor angle issues - if he actually had the mon switeched on.. which of course may require cabling that may interfere with the gimbal

I make 'cheese plates' with slots for Arno straps - I designed them to mount my 'unmountable' lav receiver but the solution could be appropriate to other small objects too.. http://halfinchrails.com/your-accesories/lavalier-mic-receiver

Take 76 :)

Another effort; Interesting aesthetic when outside is 'stable' but insid isnt?

Thanks for the mention Charles. Some notes. This is the product current 'home page' is http://www.halfinchrails.com/rigs-and-kits/zip-tie-focus-gears I hope the low cost is driven by simplicity of design not by any functional compromise, I could geek on for hours about how a zip tie is better than an aluminium clasp, specifically if a powerful remote focus is used incorrectly, hopefully the tie will break before the lens/mount is damaged. Of course you guys would never make such an error! Jag and Wideopen Camera are the same product as HIR, with a different logo, also made here in Cornwall, UK. B+H stock too I think under the WOC brand and RobertWhite in the UK, Mavis in Germany and some others. RobertWhite are competent global shippers. Most owner operators get one per lens and leave it on. If you do need to get a bag of ties because you are using rental lenses etc 100mmX2.5mm zip ties is what you want. Happy pulling SMM

I think with the grip it was the 'rig' was top heavy, spread the arm or add more mass to the bottom and try again with the grip you may need an off centre hole when you screw the camera on but you should be able to get the camera roughly over the centre of the 'rig' if you can get it to balance with the grip I guess the rig will be more stable 'wavering about' you know you must 'point' the camera by using the thumb and forefinger, it wont fly itself? S

Ok Im a newb operator, with no monitor on these shots but you might find it interesting. http://www.sammorganmoore.com/backlot/moving-off

Good to hear the input. Remember this is the newb section so we might be offering up as ops in three years, not today A big rig is probably a debt burden, and also for example in air travel, can affect the cost to the production due as CP said to the mass/amount of cases Of course these costs come in to play more at the corporate level rather than feature/episodic productions.. S

I think SmallER is right. I dont want to evangelise this camera - it equals the Alexa on paper (apart from chip size)- but probably not in the real word But the next one in a year will meet it BTW I speak from the background of spending $20k on a 4k Raw shooting stills camera.. something that is now avaialbe for $599

You asked about 'payback times' on cameras, return on investment, depreciation etc I was commenting on what camera was likely to be a good ROI I was not commenting on whether a camera model is specific to the business model etc I was just saying that at the lower end a lot of prod houses think the 5d is 'cool' and sony is not 'cool' which could work against you in the arena where cameras matter Im not suggesting that being in an arena where cameras matter is a good thing, or that I think cameras matter! I have at least two three jobs where I was suggesting my FS100 but was forced to use my crappy 5d Personally I think the moiree in a wide shot matters, but no client has ever moaned.. S

I forgot.. One Pro of the 5d and other 'full frame' dlsr cameras is that a nice wide lens is 24 or 28 - both can be had used for $300 On an S35 chip your wide options are limited to 18-XX crappy consumer zooms - which tend to be pretty bendy at the wide end Or an 18mm prime from zeiss or nikon, either of which will set you back $800-1000 That difference is quite a chunk of the purchase cost Sony also do a 16mm AF pancake lens which is AF and $200 or so woth considering S

5d another con - The 5d has only one mount point which is a pain if you use a follow focus of any nature, the FS100 will mount better Also the AV and HDMI ports are in a poor position on DSLRs right in your operating space unlike the FS100 which has HDMI at the rear and AV/Comp on the dumb side As for owning the FS100 - the fatal day to day flaw is the combo of lack of ND and a base of 800 ISO - which probably means you need a matte box.. This can make it an inconvienent camera for keeping small (for doco use for example) The FS700 is clearly better with the nd - but at a price point I would suggest a used FS100 (everyone is grabbing 700s) could hit a very sweet spot for both steadicam and general budget film making As for the mass - well rails and a matte box will be needed and will beef it up a bit.. One sideline point (on payback)- the 5d is popular with budget producers - they 'want it' even though it is not the king of its price point they are suspicious of the FS100 because they have not heard of it - it was really eclipsed by the C300 (at twice the price) As he 700 becomes popular with the slo mo I think you can say about the 100 - its the little brother of the slomo sony camera At least with an FS100 or DLSR your depreciation is limited to the purchase cost, with an F3 or C300 the damage to the pocket from progress can be far greater.. S

Absolutely True - No debate I had a shock being hired as a GoPro operator recently - not on a steadicam but for mounting/hiding and that was for a broadcast kids show for a major channel - it was defo the C camera with broadacst approved camera as A cam - but it was a full paid gig It made me sit up and take that camera seriously - BTW I think it is a pile of .. as a camera - Ive also used it on a broadcast advert (Bcam) The BMD (black magic) we dont know - but its similar spec in some ways to the Alexa - (!) apart from chip size - who knows what V3 will be like in a couple of years when a newb like myself might actually start to offer myself as an operator which I dont yet.. I certainly would not 'spring' a little rig on a DP Kids show.. S

Nick I dont want to derail Sarahs equiries maybe you would comment? http://www.steadicamforum.com/index.php?showtopic=16298

Im interested in the big small debate.. Argument - Big rig Flies anything Cams might get smaller but theres 3d and all that gubbins Cams might get smaller but lenses don't Big rigs have a lot of inertia Argument - small rig Low price= competitive (which is different from LoBall if your overheads are lower) A camera like the BMD is an S16 raw shooter for little money, DSLRs, machine vision, GoPro Future cameras weigh nothing.. The newb of today should learn a subtle touch and a small rig.. S

One comment DSLR ? Very poor images with wide angles, very short DOF, No AF, (and for general use -no sound) Sony FS100 No moiree with a wide, same DOF, auto focus, XLR sound inputs, 60p 'slo mo' IMO the difference really shows with a wide lens, DSLRs can shine with a 50 or 85 but just look POO once you stop them down enough for focus with no puller I doubt you will be with a 50 or 85 on a Pilot - I certainly am not nearly Steadi enough for the longer glass My Credentials? I own a Pilot, a 5d, and and FS100.. S

Ive done all of these mods already! Im very happy that I have a cool rig now - just I went way over budget - luckily I had that budget and was not 'scratching around' I love my Transvid monitor, its got further uses for me for example as a remote monitor on various cranes, car rigs and other stuff I dabble in and should last for ever And I also love that Ive bought into Vlock - which power my handheld/sticks rig too and are compatible with LED lamps if I go that route at any time Unlike a lot of newbs (maybe) I have professional standards for any work I do; in terms of kit - screen dazzle, flat batteries, fuzzy shots, and the like do not fit my work ethic (however newb an operator I may be) Achieving those (technical) standards on a rig was tough Focus, the game has kind of moved, I now have an FS100, not a DSLR, which has auto focus which is excellent within its limits (ie the simple shots I would attempt) I would not buy a radio focus again with todays technology (at my budget level) As a small camera zealot - I think big cameras are yesterdays tech - I hope I can stick with the Pilot for a while.. remember the BMD camera be near an Alexa and will be easy Pilot material Small camera are actually super exiting (witness Tango) in that 5 years ago people like me could not have touched a lot of shots that excite us; be that Steadicam or vehicle mounts As for how well a low inertia rig can be operated - even by the best - thats probably for another thread.. as is the financial implications with the low entry wall to the gear.. Best wishes SamMM

Well If you have all those skills then it should work out I was just cautioning the to money pit this can become My error was to stretch myself kitting up - really I should not have bought a rig at all and just bought the crXp you need to keep doing corporates.. more lavs, and more lights, then earned till I could afford a proper rig By the time I had bought all that .. and got a half usable rig Id cleaned myself out :) S

My newb journey. Steadicam is shockingly expensive. My pilot now cost me way more than $6k! To me doing any form of camera operation (sticks, rig, whatever) I want to do three things.. See what I am shooting Sustain focus Not have a flat battery Having any camera system where I cannot do these basics, seems, flawed, unusable A viewable in daylight monitor is something I guess you will want, and one of those could be $2k at least Now, focus, with 2/3 chip cameras you may blag focus, maybe even with an AF100, but, IMO if you are going down the large sensor route you are going to need a follow focus and the one I have cost $2k and frankly is not much good (unsuprising when a proper focus solution cost up of $10k) And power, I spent up of $1.5k on Vlock batteries and dual charger , and custom cabling to make it all work Just saying I dont think 'scrape together (funds)' and steadicam should really go in the same sentance You end up frustrated, or trading up at a loss in a very short time.. Of course if you a buying a rig to learn and do a few indypop vids, you will be fine with any rig, but if you take a shilling, even on a low grade corporate*, then focus, composition and not conking out become the acceptable minimums.. IMO * in fact a lograde corporate can be most challenging and least forgiving, as the client may be clueless to the cost and complexity of high level Steadicam work S