Adam Eden

My decimator is screwed onto the top cheese plate of my RED ONE.

The interference lines are worse when the motors are moving..

I am shooting with it tomorrow so I will try a few different setups. I was thinking of sticking the decimator on the back of the steadicam monitor with some double sided tape

and powering it off the sled.

The decimator is getting powered from the 4pin lemo off the RED currently.

Lemac are making some more cables for me, but I might see if Brett from Tiffen can do anything.

I am how ever enrolled in the Garret Brown steadicam course next month is Sydney, Australia so if I haven't figured it out by then

i am sure the master could!!

I am really looking forward to this course as i have only been shooting steadicam for a year now even though I have been a DOP for nearly 20years now.

Thanks guys for your input so far and I will let you know how I go.

The decimator is getting power from RED camera, and the ARRI is getting power from the DTAP.

The RED is getting power from the Sled.

Even if I power the RED from its own battery, Decimator from sled, and the ARRI WCU from the DTAP it is still there. Arri wont help so It seems like an RF Problem,

Its also interferes with my IDX HDSDI Cam wave. VERY ANNOYING!!

Maybe it is a power problem.

Hi

I have the new Arri WCU3 wireless focus and iris unit. I have a Archer 2SE sled and when I am flying a RED, i need to use a decimator to convert the HDSDI to composite video and patch that into the composite steadicam monitor.

The problem is that every time you turn the focus wheel on the remote you get really big interference lines on the steadicam monitor making it really difficult to frame.

Any ideas?

And yes I have tried different channels on the Arri rig.

Thanks guy. That is really good info

Hi

 

I have an Archer 2 SE with a G50 arm.

 

I am looking at buying a gyro or 2 for this setup.

 

I mainly shoot RED MX with Zeiss compact primes and the new Arri WC3 remote follow focus.

 

I am looking at getting either 1 or two gyro's as i need to shoot high speed (100 FPS ) with long lenses whilst I am running or on the back of a car.

 

Any recommendations would be much appreciated. Also if the gyro's were self powered and maybe could run off the D-TAP from the sled, that would be great.

 

http://www.ken-lab.com/stabilizers.html -- all the specs are listed as well as the kits they sell. Adding 2 k-4's plus cables and inverter will add at least 6 lbs.

I was thinking of the Ken Lab ones. I was thinking of 1 x k4 to start off with. What do other steadicam ops mainly use and how many?

Hi

I have an Archer 2 SE with a G50 arm.

I am looking at buying a gyro or 2 for this setup.

I mainly shoot RED MX with Zeiss compact primes and the new Arri WC3 remote follow focus.

I am looking at getting either 1 or two gyro's as i need to shoot high speed (100 FPS ) with long lenses whilst I am running or on the back of a car.

Any recommendations would be much appreciated. Also if the gyro's were self powered and maybe could run off the D-TAP from the sled, that would be great.

Has anyone done this yet? I have a G50 arm also.

Cool Adam, have Scott see me, I'll be at the Tiffen booth. I'll give him my Flyer LE Vs. Archer 2 Vs. other options spiel.

Thanks brian I will send Scott Backhouse from LEMAC australia to see you.

Ad

Haha, thanks Mark! I was too lazy to type all that. Figured if Adam was gonna be at NAB pre-decision, I'd just discuss it with him there.

I should point out that Im from Sydney, Australia so my sales rep Scott Backhouse from LEMAC will be over there having a look.

Ideally I would LOVE to buy an Archer 2 with a G50 arm and basic kit, (Maybe exdemo) that scott from lemac can buy for me and bring back to Australia for a REALLY GOOD PRICE!

Adam

NAB is only a couple of weeks away and I have just been paid for a big job i have been working on and I can afford a flyer now, but an archer is a real stretch and If i did buy one i could only barely

afford the cheapest Archer model with the G40 arm

 

Hi Adam, welcome to the forum!

 

Is your intention as of right now to not make a decision until NAB or later?

Im looking at waiting to see if Steadicam are going to release anything new and if not. Purchase and ARCHER2 or Flyer right away

Adam

I think I can weigh in on this topic because I'm the guy that settled for the Flyer LE because of cost. At the time, I didn't know enough to find the right people to help me finance a bigger rig, so I went with what I could pay in cash (my grandpa fronted the $10k for me to buy the Flyer). After 2 years, I'm still in the Flyer LE outfit. And like Robert suggests, the limitations of input/output video/power connectors is a crutch!

 

One thing I wouldn't do is upgrade to an Archer2. For the cost, it doesn't support much more weight than my Flyer LE can carry now. I couldn't justify an extra $20k only to gain 10lbs of lee-way (even less depending on what options/monitors/batteries you opt for). Granted, if you buy at the right time, you might find a discounted demo rig from Tiffen. Yes you can get the gadgets of the Clipper and Ultra, but it's subtracting from the bottom line which is what cameras you can fly.

 

Now just like the Flyer and any other rig, you can usually push it past its recommended capacity. You could ask myself or Brian Freesh about our escapades with the Flyer, or Chris Fawcett about his A2. Today, I'd skip the A2 and go straight for a Clipper. It's a better investment IMO. I wish I could have started out with the A2, but I couldn't justify the cost against the bottom line. To accentuate Kevin's point, buy it right and buy it once!

I think you are convincing me Mike as Phil Balston ( Steadicam trainer in Sydney, Australia) is saying the same thing! I need to hear from someone with a larger camera that uses the flyer. Have you tried putting a full size XDCAM camera on your rig?

Adam

I have been using an Easyrig for the "Floating look" or as I call it my Faux Steadicam for a number of years now.

I would never use anything bigger than a Sony XDCAM PDW-F800 as I edit everything I shoot and I don't freelance and shoot for other people.

The biggest hurdle for me is that the difference in price between the Flyer and the Archer 2 is about $20K and I wouldn't be shooting every day with it.

My problem is that I don't know anyone with the new model Flyer that has used an XDCAM with it! And with technology being what it is... every time a new camera is released its becoming smaller

and lighter.

So hopefully someone knows of someone with a flyer that has tried using a PDW-700 or PDW-800 totally stripped down with out a viewfinder and with a Hocus focus or something similar attached.

NAB is only a couple of weeks away and I have just been paid for a big job i have been working on and I can afford a flyer now, but an archer is a real stretch and If i did buy one i could only barely

afford the cheapest Archer model with the G40 arm

Cheers

Adam

Hi I am trying to buy a new steadicam and I need some advice on what model to buy.

I own a PDW-700 XDCAM HD, PDW-F800 XDCAM HD and 5d MII with Rec rock micro deluxe kit (Marshall monitor on top) all cameras run focus from a HOCUS focus remote kit.

The PDW-F800 with a Fujinon 4.5x10 HA series lens, no viewfinder with the cheap sony plastic tripod plate weighs 7.2 kilos. The Hocus kit weighs 300 grams so in total 7.5 kilos.

The new flyer is rated to 8.6 kilos.

Any reason why the flyer isnt a recommended system and the Archer 2 is? There is a $20K difference in price and the Archer is overkill for the 5d

Thoughts????

Adam