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Colleagues, It seems to me that it takes about 2 years practice to begin making reliably good Steadicam shots, and about 5 to begin making great ones. This includes time taken to learn set politics regarding your job, and to develop your visual storytelling abilities. Up to the 2 year point, it's perfectly possible to work, and to work well, but probably only in limited circumstances. The question is, how to charge during this period. Anyone calling themselves a ' Steadicam Operator,' and working for low rates, is, lets face it, lowballing. This hurts everyone, including the lowballer. Once you have a reputation for being cheap, people never want to pay you more, and when they have more money, they'll just hire someone 'better,' whether they are better or not. I think it's perfectly reasonable for inexperienced operators to work cheaply, if they make it clear why they are doing so. Stating that you charge less because you are inexperienced is a good thing. Most people (and I include producers in this category) respect honesty. Discussing whether the shot is within your abilities is a great idea, and nothing to be ashamed of. This approach also gets you off the hook when you screw up, as hopefully you will, since this is an important part of the learning process too. So when you get that call, think ahead to the operator you aspire to be, and to the rates you aspire to being paid. Tell them you're prepared to help production out because they are helping you out, by giving you experience, and by building your reel. If the job is beyond you, recommend your favourite local op. S/he will most likely be inclined to fire a job right back at you when s/he gets the chance. At the end of this process, you've pissed no one off, neither fellow operator nor producer, and you'll be able to command a high rate commensurate with your experience. You'll be respected both for your honesty, and for your hard work. Before long, you'll be passing those cheap jobs down to other aspiring operators. All the best, Chris