Steve Fracol SOC

I am making some changes to my cart system and I am going to offer my old cases for sale for 1,800.00 for both. (Cart is not for sale, cases only) These are about 3 years old and in good condition but showing some cosmetic scratches, etc. They take up a foot print of 40" X 25" when they are side by side and they are 27 1/2" tall. I was able to download 2 full Pelican 1650 cases and my entire Preston case into these drawers as well as have room for other stuff. It is basically a knocked off version of Erwin Landau's cart/case (with his permission ha-ha). I designed mine slightly different from his. I am making a few modifications on my new system based on the type of work I am doing, etc. If your interested email me directly to steve@fracol.com and I will send you some current photos. Here is a link to the system when it was new. http://www.fracol.com/nggallery/page-156/album-7/gallery-20/ 2 Cases for sale, 1 with 4 drawers and one that is made to fit a Klassen Harness and a Tiffen G-70 Arm (I am not sure if a PRO arm will fit but I will find out). $1,800.00 Thanks, Steve 323-301-6790 steve@fracol.com

A VERY BIG THANK YOU TO ALL MY FRIENDS IN THE STEADICAM COMMUNITY. I HAD A GREAT 14 HOUR WORK DAY/BIRTHDAY FLYING MY RIG ON ANARCHY. NOTHIN LIKE FLYING THE GENESIS ON YOUR BIRTHDAY! THEY EVEN CONSIDERED PAYING ME DOUBLE TODAY SINCE IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY AND THE GENESIS AND ALL...BUT THEN THEY HAD A MEETING ABOUT IT AND DECIDED IT WAS NOT IN THE BUDGET....SIGH. MISS THE GOOD OLD DAYS... THANKS AGAIN TO ALL! BEST, FRACOL

Thanks Mr. Papert for organizing the event. Thanks to each vendor that participated especially those that were on hand to answer questions. I was very surprised to see that some vendors did not attend. I was quite surprised with what I saw as well. It is sad that we have such a long way to go to match the good old green screen CRT. That said...I have been getting by with the Tiffen monitor for many years now and I do not miss the CRT all that much. OK...not so true...sometimes outdoors I do. And now that I saw them side by side I might be missing it even more. Thanks Chas. HAHAHA. My biggest issue with all this HDSDI monitoring is the fact that only Transvideo has developed an HD overlay on-screen level and frame lines. I truly wish that a 3rd party vendor would build such a thing. I would love the XCS on screen level to work in HD. That would make my day. I still use my UltraBrite 2 in standard def about 70% of the time because I like having my on screen level. The down side to running it in standard def is the rather massive frame delay. When I pipe HDSDI into it, it has just a minor latency issue, nearly not detectable. When down-converted it has about a 5 frame delay from the Genesis. That makes it very hard to follow action or even a walk and talk that has 90 deg corners. I thought the Transvideo monitor was very good considering the LCD systems...yet expensive compared to the others. However...paying for the HDSDI on screen level and frame lines pretty much makes it worth it in my book. I do however feel that they need to offer the on screen level in a WHITE/BLACK color just as ours are now. The color thing does not work for me. You need the ability to switch it to black or white or gray depending on what your scene is (also placement is an issue but I hear more options are coming soon via software upgrades). Color separation is the key. I am betting that they can offer that in a software upgrade down the road but that is a question I have for Maryann. The distance the LCD's had from the green screens was quite huge. Green screens were clearly the best for contrast and brightness as I expected. All that said...I do not want to give up my larger screen and my color images. This was a great test and hopefully a good wake up call to the vendors that participated so that they all can see what we have to go through on a daily basis to view images. For them to see their LCD's next to the bright green screen monitors was fantastic. They truly have a long way to go to catch up to the old technology. This was a very interesting day. Thanks Charles, Camera Support and all those that helped you put on this event. Steve

Erwin, Thanks for showing the landing pad around. Much appreciated. I am also glad you like it for the most part...and any and all feedback is appreciated! I do not build these things to make a lot of money but more as a way of helping people solve issues. Several PRO owners asked for an adapter to make the weight plate work on a PRO so we decided to try this first. If people have issues with our stuff we want to know about it to make things better. All info is good to know. I am all about customer service so I want people to be satisfied. So far it sounds like it is a hit for the most part. Whew....I am glad. I never expected to please everyone with this product just as none of us are 100% happy with our rigs as they came from our original companies that made them. We tend to modify nearly everything, myself included. That is why I stated earlier that anyone that wants something changed on these plates is simple. All you have to do is ask. I am glad to lighten the plates up with more holes, certainly possible and I am glad to do it. But as an overall product design for the masses I thought this was a good start on this first run. The only thing that were aware of that might have to change soon is the length of the side rails as the new AB batts come out. The rest can be changed on an individual basis per request. As for the Anton Bauer hot swap thing. I think they need to offer one that is in Parallel as an option. That just makes sense with today's pwr hungry cameras. Back about 4 years ago or so when I had my original Ultra1 I did away with the Tiffen 24v batts and I turned the AB Hot Swap into a 24V powering machine. I adapted the mount from AB to Tiffen old school mount and it worked great. It just took some re-wiring to make it a 24 V source. 2 Dionic 90's made it a great power source. The only issue was that it made the width of the sled a bit wide. That was one of the great things about the original Ultra was the slim design it had (but it was also a sail when it was windy). Glad I have a U2 now. I used Dionic 90's and Pro Pack's until I bought my U2 that came with Pwr Cubes. I was skeptical at first about the Pwr Cubes but they very quickly proved themselves and now I have no issues at all. I also like the charges that the pwr cubes use as they charge all 4 batts at the same time. Perhaps all this battery talk should be moved to the Battery section. Sorry...! Thanks, Steve

It looks like I will get to make it now to the monitor shootout at Noon today. I will bring some of the PRO and the FracoliZer weight plate system with me if anyone wants to see it in person. Steve 323-301-6790

Panasonic VariCam AJ-HDC27FP (SN# K4THB0173) + Case I have owned this package since new, it is in excellent condition. Approx. HOURS: OPERATION 203X10 DRUM RUNNING 113X10 THREADING 842X10 Varicam "F" body (after market handle, heavy duty Chroz. matte box support) + case AJA 10MD3 HDSDI down-converter EC-3 Paint Box + 2 long cables and one short + case Sachtler 18 head+pan handle, carbon fiber 2 stage sticks, off ground spreader, high hat + case Astro 3004 Waveform/Vector scope + case 2 Anton Bauer 2702 chargers and 6 Dionic 90’s Fuji Zoom Control Panasonic 17" HDSDI monitor with case and Modern JR/Baby stand mount Sony AC 500 Power supply KATA soft camera case run bag KATA rain gear $30,000.00 for entire package Will consider trades for Steadicam gear - either partial trade or entire package. Steve Fracol steve@fracol.com 323-301-6790

Thanks Ron, SteveO Peterson tells me the PRO dovetail weighs about 20oz. I do not have a scale here to test that yet. He hollowed it out as much as possible because we figured 90% of the PRO operators would make it a permanent part of their rigs. I know I would if I had a PRO. The "FracoliZer" weight plate that attaches weighs 1/2 a lb. roughly with just the slider plate alone with no extra weights attached. I can do anything to these plates you wish. For example- Grayson Austin flies a U2 rig and he wanted the slider plate as light as possible and with an IDX plate attached. I simply hollowed it out and taped it for an IDX plate. He still has the option of adding the steel weight plates or gyros if he wants. All that is possible per order for a minor extra charge depending on what needs to be done. Also...anyone that wants to DEMO one can do so for 5 days. If not satisfied return the unit in like new condition and just pay the shipping each way. If you like it I will email an invoice and you can buy the unit. Thanks, Fracol

PHOTO link thanks to Alec Jarnagan. http://www.steadicamforum.com/index.php?showtopic=9992

I don't know if the new batts will fit because I have not seen them yet. If they don't fit I guess we will have to make some longer side rails for customers that have them or do a retro-fit somehow. It will still be the same price...no price increase. Not a big deal. When do those batteries get released? Paul Dudec do you have the new battery dimensions??? Thanks, Steve

Ron, glad you like it. No we have not...thus far this was version 1.0. Were seeing how everyone likes this version then we will adapt the next run if necessary. Nearly all of the guys I know using the PRO use Dionic's on the front mount so we decided that was the #1 size issue. It is very easily adaptable so if you wanted something specific it would be very simple. Just let me know what size plate you want on it and we can do it. Also just an FYI to everyone, I am in the middle of adapting gyro mounts for one operator on the slider weight plate system and I know James Baldanza in Florida already did this to his last year. The PRO flat plate also already has a 3/8-16 and 1/4-20 holes in them so adding a plate is fairly simple just by using those pre-drilled and taped holes. SF

Hello all... The long awaited flat plate landing pad with traditional dovetail size to fit directly on the PRO 2 is now finally available. Sorry for the delays folks. The attachment dovetail piece will allow you to put Antlers on the bottom of the sled which is excellent for low mode work as well as traditional work depending on the type of shot your doing. It is also specifically designed to allow my weight plate system to slide right on the dovetail...but what is probably the best thing FOR PRO 2 operators is that it will allow you to rest the rig gently on an apple box between shots if you need to without putting added pressure directly on your batteries. Many of the PRO 2 users that saw my weight plate system for Tiffen rigs asked me if I could make something that would work with a PRO 2 sled. They also said they wish they could rest occasionally on a box between shots because that was one feature they really liked about the Tiffen rigs (having a flat bottom), etc. I asked AC Steve Peterson to design this unit and I think it turned out quite well. It bolts directly onto the curved battery rails on the PRO 2 and it becomes quite solid. It is held on by 3 rods that fit directly into the PRO 2 battery rails. The mount allows Dionic and/or small Hytron size batts to fit on the front with no problem. Here are a few photos. Hopefully they can help me post these photos soon. Sorry again for the delay. If the photos are not posted soon please email me and I will email photos directly to you. steve@fracol.com PRICES: PRO 2 landing pad $650.00 Fracolizer weight plate system $650.00 If you buy both at the same time it will be discounted to $1,000.00 total. California sales tax applies. Exact shipping cost to be paid by the buyer. Thanks, Steve Fracol, SOC 323-301-6790 steve@fracol.com

Hello all... The long awaited flat plate landing pad with traditional dovetail size to fit directly on the PRO 2 is now finally available. Sorry for the delays folks. The attachment dovetail piece will allow you to put Antlers on the bottom of the sled which is excellent for low mode work as well as traditional work depending on the type of shot your doing. It is also specifically designed to allow my weight plate system to slide right on the dovetail...but what is probably the best thing FOR PRO 2 operators is that it will allow you to rest the rig gently on an apple box between shots if you need to without putting added pressure directly on your batteries. Many of the PRO 2 users that saw my weight plate system for Tiffen rigs asked me if I could make something that would work with a PRO 2 sled. They also said they wish they could rest occasionally on a box between shots because that was one feature they really liked about the Tiffen rigs (having a flat bottom), etc. I asked AC Steve Peterson to design this unit and I think it turned out quite well. It bolts directly onto the curved battery rails on the PRO 2 and it becomes quite solid. It is held on by 3 rods that fit directly into the PRO 2 battery rails. The mount allows Dionic and/or small Hytron size batts to fit on the front with no problem. Here are a few photos. Go to the sales/marketing page for pricing. Well...no matter how small I made the photos the site will not let me load them. I will send them to Alec/Eric/Erwin and see if they can load them for me. Thanks for your patience. Thanks, Steve Fracol, SOC 323-301-6790 steve@fracol.com

The UB1 doesnt have this feature, does it? Correct... it does not have a specific menu that does it. You can go through the scaling menu and shrink the image to the minimum size on the UB1 to see it full raster. As I am trying to remember... it depends on the signal sent to it. It always seemed to come up fine with a film camera's video tap but not so good when sending it a down-converted signal from an HD camera or from something like a BetaCam. It seems that the full 1:78 image from most modern cameras was missing a few lines in the NTSC world when looking at the 16x9 letterbox feed on the 4x3 monitor (specifically on the sides). The best way to see what your monitor is actually seeing is by shooting a REAL framing chart. Steve

Just an FYI... On the UB2 monitor via the menu there is an "UNDERSCAN" mode that allow you to see the picture full-raster. That should cure your image "edge" loss and the frame line issue. Then if you need to move it around a few deg. you can do it easily via the manual sizing mode. I can go through the actual menu on Monday and report back as to exactly what page to find the UNDERSCAN mode but it is very easy if you just look for it. HA HA...that said I overlooked it the first time as well. My U2 has been very, very solid. An excellent sled in my opinion. I am somewhat happy with the monitor but still on the lookout for this new OLED technology...but most important to me is an on screen level that works with ANY SLED with an HDSDI signal. I wish Bubb's level would work with HD. Then I would LOVE my monitor as well. Because it does not work with HDSDI overlay level I tend to use my monitor in NTSC mode. It is a bit of a bummer...So far the only one I know of doing this is the Transvideo system. I agree that Michael, Dan, Robert, Peter and Frank have bent over backwards for me with customer service. I can't say enough good about them. Keep it up Tiffen! My .02 Steve Fracol

Sergio, If this system is still for sale please contact me at 323-301-6790 Thanks, Steve Fracol

Nikolay, It looks very interesting. Please post what is is capable of doing. Here is a list of my questions. Native 4x3 with 16x9 ability? Screen size dimensions? Weight? Does it have a built in fan, if yes does it have an off switch??? Pwr range? Voltage regulator? What type of connector wiring is available? HDSDI? NTSC? PAL? RGB? VGA? HDMI? Brightness or NIT brightness max? Anti-glare coating? Framelines-adjustable? Built in LVL? Built in LVL for HDSDI? Contrast ratio? Mounting hardware? Adjustable rod support? Price in US dollars? Thanks, Steve

Just an FYI for those of you with EFP rigs and you want to upgrade--When I had my EFP I bought a BFX ACME Gimbal from Brant Fagan and it is an awesome gimbal. It fits the 1.50 post but has a large 2" grip. Quite comfortable, amazing bearings and will handle any of the big camera weights you toss at it. I also upgraded my post at the time to a carbon post because my original EFP post was out of round. It was a fantastic light weight rig that did OK with bigger cameras when it had to. I also agree with Erwin...don't make a habit out of it if your flying a stock rig (which I did not) but it was OK once in a while since I had all the upgrades including gold spring arm. Even with the new gimbal it was a bit uncomfortable sometimes going to a horizontal balance position with a Sony F900 for example. Just sort of scary. That said, it made for an incredible light weight live show/concert type rig. I loved that thing. It was actually the first sled I ever flew back in 1993 when I started. If anyone has specific questions don't hesitate to contact me. Glad to share the info... Best, Fracol

We are now offering the Sled weighted system (for a more compact post) with IDX or Anton Bauer pre drilled holes for battery plates. You can use a battery as your weight if you need the extra power. Same low price. We still have some in-stock and for anyone in the LA area that wants to see one in person first I am working on the Paramount lot for the next few weeks or so. Glad to meet anyone for a demo. Thanks, Steve

Operators- We are now offering the Sled weighted system (for a shorter post) with IDX or Anton Bauer pre drilled holes for battery plates. You can use a battery as your weight if you need the extra power. Same low price. We still have some in-stock and for anyone in the LA area that wants to see one in person first I am working on the Paramount lot for the next few weeks or so. Glad to meet anyone for a demo. Best, Steve

Your welcome Rob! Glad to help out...especially when I am not working and have the spare time. Anyone needs something give me a call. Best, Fracol

For those of you that were slightly interested but not willing to make a bid...I just want you to know that this stuff was purchased for $600.00 right after 5pm via an email sent directly to me. A donation will be made to The Children's Hospital LA Eye Clinic on behalf of the SOC for 100.00. Thanks for keeping up with this one.... I know it was different than the normal sales postings. Regards, Steve

Ok folks... It is official... Mr. Jarnagan was exactly right. Thanks Alec!!! The Panasonic 7" monitor is just fine. It was set up in PAL mode. It is actually a very easy menu and I just overlooked it the first time. So for any of you considering buying this stuff, it all works. Good luck and remember whoever has the top offer posted Monday Jan 19th, 2009 at 5:00PM Pacific time zone gets it. No matter if it is 10.00 or 2,500.00. It is a nice LCD upgrade monitor for a Masters series and an excellent condition Masters monitor green screen as well as an FLG and spare parts, etc. To sweeten the deal I will give anything over 500.00 to the Children's Hospital Los Angeles-Division of Ophthalmology, (The Charity of the SOC). So the buyer will get the write off for anything over 500.00. I will have you write the check to me for 500.00 and any overage out to them directly. That is if it sells for over 500.00. It could go for 10 bucks.... Good luck, Steve

I am going to delay the sell of this stuff until Monday January 19th, 2009 @ 5pm Pacific. The reason is that I am going to test the LCD monitor with a Masters sled and post the results regarding why I could only see B&W. As Alec pointed out it is probably due to the monitor being in PAL mode and not NTSC but I want to confirm that. I can't do that till this weekend...thus the delay of the sale deadline. I hope those of you looking at this Masters stuff understand. Not that anyone is bidding yet anyway but I suspect that someone will toss up a bid at the last minute and get a great deal. Thanks, Steve

Alec- I bet you a Beer your right! I went through what I thought was all the menus and that menu did not just pop up so your probably right. Is that menu buried in a sub menu? A combo of button pushing? I would need a Masters Sled to test that theory since this one is currently not capable of powering from the 4 pin Hirose anymore. Anyone with a Masters in the LA area wanna meet up and test this week? Steve

The following photos are parts from the Master Series sled I took apart to make my light weight/run/back up sled. All that I kept was the post, gimbal and top stage. All works fine as I tested prior to taking apart. The only problem I found is that I could only get a black and white signal to work with the Panasonic monitor and I am not sure why. The green screen is a PAL version for those of you across the pond. Also the FLG worked well. I have all the Masters Series plastic outer covers and the aluminum frame for anyone needing any replacement parts. The Panasonic Monitor has a special fabricated mount that works well with the Masters monitor mount. That might be the best part of all this. It also has a special cable for powering for the Masters 4pin Hirose. If I had a Masters I would consider taking that mount and putting it on an HDSDI monitor of some sort. The Panasonic also has a special weight to match (or very close to) the weight of the original green screen monitor. I will sell this entire pkg to whoever posts the best offer by this Friday (1-16-09) at 5PM. No Reserve. My guess is that someone will get a good deal. Good luck! Buyer pays shipping cost. Steve Fracol 323.301.6790 steve@fracol.com