Mark Karavite

Hey Keith, Neither of the batteries you are considering are "high draw" batteries. Only the PowerCubes and the soon to be delivered Dionic HC's will handle the demands of both digital cinema cameras and 435 high speed. Although you can get the Swit's or comparable for a bit cheaper, if they don't work on many of today's popular cameras, then you may be better served spending a bit more for a high current battery. Both the PowerCubes and the Dionic HC's are very similar, so the decision really comes down to your mounts and chargers, & buying what is compatible. Food for thought!

Does anyone know where to rent PowerCubes? I am starting an F23 feature, and the rental house doesn't have any batteries for Steadicam. I'd buy the Dionic HC's, but they will not be available before we start next week. I know Panavision has a bunch of them, but I'm not going to ask them to rent me batteries for a show they are not providing the cameras. I doubt they would anyway. Any ideas are appreciated, Mark Karavite, SOC A Camera / Steadicam Operator 248-618-9000 office mkaravite@comcast.net

Anton Bauer 2702 Quad Charger for sale. This is a sequential 70w charger / power supply. It works on all chemistry batteries and has the discharge module (DDM) for battery maintenance. I switched to an older model charger to accommodate an expansion module for my Proformers. Charger is in excellent working condition. asking $800 Call or email directly. Mark Karavite, SOC 248-618-9000 mkaravite@comcast.net

3 year old Modulus 3000 for sale. Backup unit in excellent condition includes: Modulus 3000 CIT antenna CIT tuned antenna Ch. 14 - 30 Attenuator Pelican Case asking $1200 Call or email directly if you like. Mark Karavite, SOC 248-618-9000 office mkaravite@comcast.net

Hey Charles, Did you end up going with the Klassen harness or the PRO? I've found the Klassen to be a lifesaver for concert shoots. I'm in a much better mood the next morning. I did a festival with Linkin' Park as the headliner. Showing up in the morning, I expected to shoot their 1:45 set only, when the Director informed me and the other Steadicam Op that we would be shooting the entire 6 hour festival. We talked him into rotating us for the first 4 bands, and we both would shoot the last 2. It was still brutal in 95 degree heat, but the Klassen harness was key. Again, lightweight broadcast HD cameras, so not a lot of weight, but as much rig time as 2 - 3 good days on a feature. I'm always amazed sometimes how little forethought goes into carving out some real estate for Steadicam. We could do so much more with a little more freedom to move. Like you said, you pick your battles and do your best.

Dear Cheong, I use the Hill bracket and it works great. I've know some AC's are not comfortable with flying a film camera upside down. We do it all the time with digital cameras, but get the 1st AC's blessing beforehand. Regarding Steadicam mags, I think they are essential in you doing your best work. The weight transfer in a regular 400' 435 mag is substantial, especially during long shots. I was on a music video where I knew I would be doing the entire song (3 1/2 minutes) over and over again. Production questioned whether we needed Steadi mags, and I informed them I felt so strongly about it, that I would pass on the job if they didn't rent them. Why fight the headroom throughout a shot when it's not necessary. Regarding the 100% video, it's really nice to have with a 435 (brighter image), but it's not a deal breaker for me. The Hill bracket accommodates both video setups, and the additional weight of the regular video tap is not a big deal. Some rental houses just don't have the 100% tap, so the Hill bracket will save you in those cases. Mark

Hey Michael, I did 3 straight shows on digital last year (F23, Genesis, RED), and I agree with Rich & have the camera house supply the batteries for these power hungry cameras. Panavision supplied me with Powercubes for both the F23 & Genesis, and Fletcher Chicago supplied Dionics for the RED. My Dionics only worked a handful of times last year on 35mm commercial jobs, where I'm sure I would have killed them dead in 6 months if I used them on the digital feature work. I'm sure this practice will save us thousands of dollars a year in battery replacement. Production has never questioned ordering batteries with a camera, but I'm sure they would question a higher sled rental to cover (what digital cameras have resulted in) almost disposable batteries. I did spend $1000 on IDX mounts, so now I have both. A couple notes about the F35 (or F23) while ramping. You need the VTR with the cache board option. The VTR stores frames in the cache memory, then dumps them to tape in an edit mode. What's weird for operators is that the tape transport is starting and stopping, and quite noisy. The first time you hear it, not only is it distracting, but you think the VTR is malfunctioning. No worries, it is normal operation while in ramping mode. Also, once set the camera into ramping mode over 30fps, someone from camera should let the gaffer know that he has to accommodate enough stop for 60fps. Even if you are ramping from 24fps to 40fps, the deck is in a 60fps mode, and needs that much light. If you are not ramping, and shooting say a straight 48fps, then normal light levels apply.

Is there a need for an internal heater for very cold operating temps? I believe other LCD's have gone with the heater option. Being in Michigan, it's a concern for me. Overall it looks like a great option for operators to consider. I like the fact your polling operators and integrating their suggestions into the design.

I too drank the MK-V coolade. Luckily I only bought a Nexus battery base, and I had 10 times more issues with my battery base than the rest of my sled combined. I really feel for those poor souls who dropped serious cash on an AR, only to experience mechanical & electronic problems, and receive inferior customer service in response. It is perfectly legal to shut down a sinking company, and open up shop the next week with a new banner. Businessmen do it all the time, as a way to avoid paying debts owed. Although legal, is this the kind of businessman you want to be dealing with? Business ethics have to come into consideration at some point. Why not give your business to those solid companies whose quality, customer service & ethics have never been in question? The only thing that allows someone to successfully dissolve a company (& not pay debts), and open up a similar business is if operators spend money at the new company. Ethics aside, from a selfish standpoint, I will avoid the new company because I cannot afford to have any equipment issues (who can?). I have had many conversations with Howard, and he always has an excuse for why I'm experiencing problems. No matter what he says, there are just too many bad experiences to entrust your hard earned cash in him. As a wiser man once told me: "In business, if you get screwed, it's not the other guys fault for screwing you, it's your fault for putting yourself in a position to be screwed." Why put yourself in that position?

"My wife loved the way I 'buffed' up after 3 months of slugging that baby around. :-) I literally made '55' the new '35'." Julian, Glad to hear there were alternative benefits to carrying that beast around :) I noticed you had 2 Dionic 90 batteries on the sled, where the battery cage seemed to accommodate 4. I'll assume you traded shorted battery run times for not carrying another 3 lbs. How long did the 2 F23's + 3D motors run on 2 Dionics? Do you have any close up shots of the moving parts on the base? At least this was one sure situation where, when asked to fly the SRW-1 on board, you could tell them no with a smile. Very cool! Mark

Hello all, I rented a PRO vest for a very tight location yesterday. When I was prepping for the shot, my Steadyrig Silver Spring arm would not fit into the socket block on the PRO vest. I ended up pulling a socket block off a hard mount and putting it on the rental vest, so I was fine. I was under the impression that all socket blocks were a standard size. I'm going to call George and get his take on it, but have any of you experienced this issue? I know it's rare that you aren't using your own harness/vest, as this was a special circumstance that required I rent a front mounted vest. The location was just too small for my Klassen harness (27" wide). Thanks, Mark

Hey Jens, I forgot to mention that I carry both the XCS Ergo & regular handle. Switching handles takes about 10 minutes. I had a shot yesterday moving through a trailer where the doors were 27" wide. I switched from my Klassen to a PRO vest, and went back to the regular handle. I was able to move through the tight spaces fairly easily. At lunch I went back to the ERGO for some low mode work in the afternoon. It's a cheap date to have both on hand. You never know when it can save you. Mark

Hey Kat, I agree with Brad that the XCS plates are great. I own 2. I just wasn't sure if they were compatible with the Master's dovetail. Owning a PRO, I know they work perfectly with the DB1, 2 or 3. Maybe some Masters / Ultra owners could chime in and confirm whether a XCS plate works with Tiffen dovetails. You can always call Gregg Bubb at XCS direct at 805-531-0014. Dogbones are also a great suggestion. Jerry Hill makes one that is 19mm on one side & 15mm on the other. Combine the 19mm - 15mm dogbone with 2 reducers (5/8 for Panavision & 15mm) and some spare 15mm rod lengths, and you can pretty much mount an M1 anywhere. Take care, Mark

Anton Bauer 2702 Interactive 2000 Quad Charger: - Charges all Anton Bauer Gold mount batteries - DDM Discharge module - 70 watt power supply - AC cable - excellent working condition $850 OBO Mark Karavite, SOC 248-618-9000 office mkaravite@comcast.net

Hey Nils, Great advice from the other ops. I did a feature this summer, where we were running full speed through the woods with an F23 at 48fps, which meant flying a SRW-1 recorder as well. Normally, I would say lighten up the rig as much as possible. You can do this with the lw video camera. A couple additional comments: 1) Have the grip department supply some spare plywood. We covered up holes with plywood, and had the greensman cover it with leaves & such. 2) I actually used my rickshaw on a couple shots. Allow yourself to pick the path. After all, woods looks like woods, as long as you are in the right direction for the DP's light preference. We selected a path that was able to be cleared enough for the rickshaw. It was the bumpiest rickshaw ride I've ever taken, but we were able to achieve high speed running shots through the woods, and it was much safer (and better operating) than be running full out in don juan. We started at 35mm, and eventually I was able to give the DP a 85mm closeup that looked great, all due to the fact that I was riding. Good luck & be safe, Mark

Just wrapped my first RED show before Thanksgiving, a 5 week MOW. Here are some observations & how I configured the camera: - *19mm rods, Arri baseplate, CF cards (no drive), powered from my sled via a Terry West cable, Ultra Primes, LMB clip on, handle with mounting for low mode bracket, Cine Tape, AJA downconverter, Clock it box. * The main reason we had 19mm rods was to accommodate swing & shift lenses for all of the flashback scenes in the movie. We were going back and forth between Ultra Primes & Arri Swing & Shift, so for speed, we left the 19mm setup. What I found is I liked the weight of the baseplate & rods over the weight of an on board battery & drive. The battery & drive are on a bad mount that sticks out too far behind the camera for my taste. Sled power & CF cards for me. - The camera behaved well on the Steadicam. I would agree that my setup was close to an LT, maybe a tad heavier. - In Steadicam, we powered the Cine Tape off the 4 pin RED aux power on the back of the camera, and used the other 4 pin for MDR camera start. I had a cable made to power the AJA from my PRO J Box. This camera needs more aux power, instead of relying on the Anton Bauer P Taps. In my configuration, there was no P Tap available. The AC's were having trouble with the P Tap power cutting in and out in conventional mode. The V mount plates were intermittent, causing the power disruption. - The 720P proxy image is very poor. Maybe it was my viewfinder, but it was one of the poorest VF images I have seen on a digital camera. - I don't get the accolades the on board monitor receives. It has about the worst off axis viewing if have seen on a LCD, and it's not a very bright panel. - We had several software failures with the camera bodies. We were a 2 camera show, and usually had 4 cameras with us. We joked that we were shooting 8K, because you needed 2 cameras to get each unit through the day. Overall, the number of ergonomic issues is problematic. Also, our DP was not impressed with the camera's images, not enough latitude. With the problems, one must remember the price the camera sells for. "You get what you pay" for comes to mind. I will admit it's a lot of camera for $17K, but it's not a prime time player in my opinion. Mark Karavite, SOC

Hey Brian, As those have said before, Steadi mags are a must, especially if you need low mode. For low mode, if they can't provide you a low mode bracket, give me a call. I have one designed specifically for the Arri 3, and it's been collecting dust for a while now. You can use it for the cost of shipping back & forth. BTW, the Cinematography Electronics high speed base needs it's own 12v power. You're not supposed to use a Y cable, but give it dedicated 12v power. So that's one 12v feed to the camera, and one 12v feed to the HSbase. Most people do this from the AUX power output on a PRO J Box. Since you have a different rig, you should test this ahead of time. Good luck, Mark Karavite, SOC 248-618-9000

Modulus 3000 for sale: 3 years old excellent condition $1500 includes: - Modulus 3000 - CIT L transmitter antenna - CIT tuned antenna Ch. 14 - 30 - 6db attenuator - Pelican case Feel free to contact me directly: Mark Karavite, SOC 248-618-9000 office mkaravite@comcast.net

Dear Imran, Do either of the chargers have the XM connector on the back? Is it possible to email me photos of the rear of the units? Let me know, Mark Karavite, SOC 248-618-9000 office mkaravite@comcast.net

A pending sale fell through, so the BFD / M1 package is back on the market. $4500 for the lot, plus I am throwing in a brand new Pelican 1520 case that holds everything nicely. Photo of package attached: Mark Karavite, SOC

Newly rebuilt Preston DM-1 motor for sale. $2000 Call or email me directly if you like. Mark Karavite, SOC 248-618-9000 mkaravite@comcast.net

Complete BFD / M1 system in excellent condition for sale (new prices): BFD Transmitter w/ focus ring mount ($2100) BFD Receiver Spare Receiver Antenna ($35) Matte Box mounting bracket ($200) M1 Motor Package: ($2500) - M1 Motor w/ motor cable - 19mm, 15mm & 5/8" rod mounts - 32p, 32p wide, 48p, 64p, .5 & .6 gears - Offset bracket BFD Case Cables: - PRO-BFD power cable ($125) - Anton Bauer P Tap power cable ($150) - BFD - BFD receiver jumper power ($100) - Spare M1 Motor cable ($145) - Panavision camera run ($200) - Genesis camera run ($160) - Arri 12v camera run ($250) - Arri 24v camera run ($140) - BFD 100' Hardwire cable ($200) New $6305, asking $4500 for the complete package. Inquiries please email or call: Mark Karavite, SOC 248-618-9000 mkaravite@comcast.net

Although I have a MK-V Nexus base, I have an XCS post, so it has the heavier guage cable up the post. I also use a Y cable, made by Panavision, so it's not that. I am in the middle of another movie, so I won't have time to take my sled into my engineer pal until around Thanksgiving. He thinks it might be a ground issue, but will have to look at it in person. I am using a RED on this show & powering the camera with an on board battery (per the DIT), so no power issues for now. I think there is something going on in my Nexus base. The AC I was working with on the Genesis job took that same package on another gig, and had no problems, so it's something in my sled. Thanks for the input. Mark

After a bit of research on the used arm market, I am dropping the price on the Silver Spring Arm. $8900 OBO Mark Karavite, SOC

For Sale: Less than 2 year old Silver Spring Arm for sale. 16lb - 63 lb capacity. Very smooth & robust arm. Go to link for SteadyRig specs on arm: http://www.steadyrig.com/Steadyrig%20Silve...pring%20Arm.htm This is a brand new arm, not a remanufactured arm. New $13,500, asking $9500. Serious inquiries call or email: Mark Karavite 248-618-9000 mkaravite@comcast.net