Riccardo Filippini Posted August 9, 2010 Report Share Posted August 9, 2010 Hi everybody, in Cinek you could test brand new EASYSTEADY PRO SERIES ARM. http://www.easysteady.com/easysteady/Arm_pro_2.html The cost will be about 10.000€, with 6 cannisters, 4 soft and 2 hard. You can bring up to 28kg with standard kit., or up to 34kg with 2 more hard cannisters. It is amazing, try for believe. Absolutely no friction and only 1,5kg for boom up and down (boom is 70cm - the longhest). In Italy many steady operators sold their arm for easysteady new brand, one of this man is a member of this forum, he bought a G50 and now he want sold it for easysteady new pro series arm. It can work very well also with lightweight sled configuration like DSLR cam or small camcorder. Same quality of PRO at half price!!! Find easteady at Cinec expò or contact me. For my experience PRO is the best, i don't like G70 because there is a lot of friction in the arm system, G70 doesn't work well in slow movement like micro-walk... in this case you will see the walk in shoot images, only good way is the quite light weight!! Spring Arm is hold "isoelastic" style, it is hard for boom up and down... Sachtler is the same, Sachtler has very good construction quality, in Spring arm there is some jokes in the meccanical part. PRO is perfect, work perfectly in all condition, no friction, smooth well in fast both slow movements and it can work well in light weight sled config.. but it is really expensive. After easyteady test you give us all impressions, good or no good, or what you will like or not, for us is very important your feedback. Cheers, Riccardo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members RonBaldwin Posted August 9, 2010 Premium Members Report Share Posted August 9, 2010 http://www.easysteady.com/easysteady/Arm_pro_2.html just looked at the link...there has got to be a way to rip off a product without looking just like it. The lightening holes on the sides would worry me...I think it worried GPI as well, that's probably why they didn't do it (allowed too much flex). Maybe these guys found a way to alter the laws of physics...or also have a lifetime warranty on the chassis? If it works as well as Riccardo claims it does, it seems like a pretty good deal at $13.3k USD (not really half the cost but adding in the import duties of a $20k piece of gear...) Usually one gets what one pays for. Personally with my reputation on the line I would stick with what's tried and tested and a company with 2 decades of steadicam experience and engineering (and a great customer service history to boot). rb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Tomas Riuka Posted August 9, 2010 Author Premium Members Report Share Posted August 9, 2010 there are no miracles in this world... you get what you pay for, so this can't be true. i guess a lot of people can design the arm to look beautiful, but how does it work? :) also this is even not a true picture, render.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Alec Jarnagin SOC Posted August 10, 2010 Moderators Report Share Posted August 10, 2010 I'd add that the PRO arm with 6 canisters is 18K - less than 5K difference for those in the US. Chances are that you'd pay duty on the one from Italy so the price difference is even less for those of us on this side of the pond. I personally still recommend the PRO arm with 8 canisters. This equation equals no worries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Karsten Jaeger Posted November 15, 2011 Premium Members Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 The Pro Series from Easysteady could be a great option for operators living in europe... i am trying to stick a new full rig together, and i am thinking about going with Easysteady. There Arm is pretty cheap and if they are right, it is damn good ; ) i have to decide between a good old used Steadyrig Silver Spring Arm and a new Pro Series Easysteady Arm. But there are no reviews/experiences about that second arm around... i am afraid to make a wrong choice in buying the easysteady arm... has anyone tested the easysteady arm so far? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Erik Brul Posted November 15, 2011 Premium Members Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 The Pro Series from Easysteady could be a great option for operators living in europe... i am trying to stick a new full rig together, and i am thinking about going with Easysteady. There Arm is pretty cheap and if they are right, it is damn good ; ) i have to decide between a good old used Steadyrig Silver Spring Arm and a new Pro Series Easysteady Arm. But there are no reviews/experiences about that second arm around... i am afraid to make a wrong choice in buying the easysteady arm... has anyone tested the easysteady arm so far? Well, flying the system / arm twice for about 15/20 minutes is not really a long test but it was a nice experience. I flown 2 configurations, the 'pro-series' arm with only 2 light canisters + the lite one sled and the complete 'pro-series' configuration with the arm loaded with 2 heavy and 2 light canisters. Total payload was about +16kg. The arm is very smooth and responsive and a joy to operate. Only downside is that the weight of the arm is a bit to much. To be honest, i have no idea how much a Pro GPI arm weighs but the Easysteady arm weighs more then the Tiffen G-70 arm. You should try before buy.. they have a dealer in Munich :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Mike McGowan SOC Posted November 15, 2011 Premium Members Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 It's easy to get operators to tell you how great the pro arm is and how great their service is (because its true). I'll give an additional pro for the pro arm. It is super durable. Feel free to call pro and ask them what my arm looks like when i send it in for service (once every 3 or 4 years). They will tell you that my arm looks like I use it to plow fields or lay dry wall. I beat the living shit out of my arm, smack it into stuff, submerge it in salt water, mud, sand, etc. I almost never clean it (just send it in on the rare occasion I know I have a chunk of time off). I've taken mine all over the world and in pretty much every possible condition and in has never let me down. It has worked on literally thousands of jobs and made me look like much more of a bad ass than I actually am. The pro arm is a lean mean ass kicking machine. p.s. my pro arm just finished 3 months on a 3d movie where it carried a payload that exceeded it's maximum weight (4 black springs all the way tight) by almost ten pounds. It did this every day for 3 months and never made a sound. It's currently on it's way around the world with me to a dozen or more countries in 3 weeks. It is one piece of equipment that I'm not the least bit worried about. I don't know if it's the right tool for your current situation and budget but if you want to know what the best arm is, the empirical evidence seems to lean pretty heavily toward the PRO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members RonBaldwin Posted November 15, 2011 Premium Members Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 I will add to Mike's glowing review -- in the pro manual, it says to pull out the springs (30 seconds) and hose it off if it gets dirty. Sweet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Karsten Jaeger Posted November 15, 2011 Premium Members Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 thank you for your feedback! i heard a lot of great stuff about the pro arm. but it is waaaay beyond my budget. i could get a used Steadyrig Silver Spring Arm (or other 3A based models) or the Easy Steady Pro Series Arm for my budget (which is around 6000 Euro / 8000 USD). Erik, when you compare the G-70 with the Easy Steady Pro Seires Arm. What is your oppionion regarding boom-range, iso-elastic feel and overall behavior? what was your experience with the whole pro series system (sled + arm) from easysteady? i already called band pro munich, it is quite a long journey with overnight stay, but i will test fly it there. And i try to call Sachtler too to compare it with their (in germany) very well known Artemis System with ACT-2 Arm. Unfortunately i never tried either a Silver Spring Arm nor a g-70 / g-50 or Pro arm before... so my comparision will be limited... :( if anyone wants to join me next week at munich to try the Easysteady Pro Series System, let me know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Charles Papert Posted November 15, 2011 Premium Members Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 i heard a lot of great stuff about the pro arm. but it is waaaay beyond my budget. Certain things are worth "finding a way" (taking a loan, etc). When it comes down to it, the two most important components of a rig are the gimbal and arm, because they directly affect the operating results. The sled has to be rigid and the vest has to be comfortable, but the arm and gimbal are the real key. It's best to consider them long-term investments. How many years does one intend to remain a Steadicam operator? Once you find the right gimbal and arm, you will NEVER need to upgrade again. The earlier in your career you do so, the better you will be as an operator, and that difference just might win (or keep you on) the job that will pay for the difference in cost in short time. The PRO arm was the one single component of my rig that I had a bit of sentimental attachment to when I sold. It was from the first run of 50 and while it came with a lifetime update policy, there was only one update that I can recall. Before the sale Jack cleaned it and went through it and said that it performed identically to the new ones they were assembling, and that after fourteen years of hard use. I was expecting to have to spend some money bringing it up to spec but it just cost a couple hunny for the cleaning. Insane. I don't recall reading a single negative comment about the functionality of the PRO arm on this forum, which probably can't be said about any other model of arm out there. I've also never heard of an operator switching from a PRO arm to any other brand (it may have happened but I've never heard of it, and I've certainly heard of many examples the other way around). There are lighter arms and there are arms with more features such as tool-free, but when it comes to supporting the camera as invisibly to the operator as possible and being reliable to a fault, the PRO arm is the one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Karsten Jaeger Posted November 15, 2011 Premium Members Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 i heard a lot of great stuff about the pro arm. but it is waaaay beyond my budget. Certain things are worth "finding a way" (taking a loan, etc). When it comes down to it, the two most important components of a rig are the gimbal and arm, because they directly affect the operating results. The sled has to be rigid and the vest has to be comfortable, but the arm and gimbal are the real key. It's best to consider them long-term investments. How many years does one intend to remain a Steadicam operator? Once you find the right gimbal and arm, you will NEVER need to upgrade again. The earlier in your career you do so, the better you will be as an operator, and that difference just might win (or keep you on) the job that will pay for the difference in cost in short time. The PRO arm was the one single component of my rig that I had a bit of sentimental attachment to when I sold. It was from the first run of 50 and while it came with a lifetime update policy, there was only one update that I can recall. Before the sale Jack cleaned it and went through it and said that it performed identically to the new ones they were assembling, and that after fourteen years of hard use. I was expecting to have to spend some money bringing it up to spec but it just cost a couple hunny for the cleaning. Insane. I don't recall reading a single negative comment about the functionality of the PRO arm on this forum, which probably can't be said about any other model of arm out there. I've also never heard of an operator switching from a PRO arm to any other brand (it may have happened but I've never heard of it, and I've certainly heard of many examples the other way around). There are lighter arms and there are arms with more features such as tool-free, but when it comes to supporting the camera as invisibly to the operator as possible and being reliable to a fault, the PRO arm is the one. hi Charles, you are like a devil in my ear ;) I started in the beginning of this year with a broadcast ABC Products Steadycam System (complete set 9000 USD new), nothing special but good to make first steps. Now i want to enter the professional league, but i am not sure if i can make it into the business and if i will be sucessfull... so i am a little bit feared of taking too high loans... That's why i am considering buying "sufficient" parts first, and sell and upgrade later if business start to roll... Thank you very much for sharing your opinion about the pro arm! hopefully i can try a pro arm at Betz in munich too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Erik Brul Posted November 15, 2011 Premium Members Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 I started in the beginning of this year with a broadcast ABC Products Steadycam System (complete set 9000 USD new), nothing special but good to make first steps. Now i want to enter the professional league, but i am not sure if i can make it into the business and if i will be sucessfull... so i am a little bit feared of taking too high loans... That's why i am considering buying "sufficient" parts first, and sell and upgrade later if business start to roll... Thank you very much for sharing your opinion about the pro arm! hopefully i can try a pro arm at Betz in munich too! Hi Karsten, Well, it is understandable that you are a bit afraid. But if you are serious in entering the big league, then go for it and spent every euro you have and maybe take a loan to make it happen. Don't forget, if for some reason within 1 year or 2 it is not working out but you bought A list stuff, then you have always the possibility to sell it for maybe at least 80% (or more) of the new price. Buy Tiffen, Pro, Betz, Sachtler.. all superb brands and combine these to get yourself a awesome rig. If you decide in the near future to stop operating, these brands will sell easy for very good money :) For example Glidecam and Easy Steady makes very very nice stuff.. but 'sometimes' the value is dropping a lot faster (don't know about Easy Steady yet, to new...) The same goes for your ABC system (it is on Ebay right now?) Enjoy those testflights.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Karsten Jaeger Posted November 15, 2011 Premium Members Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 I started in the beginning of this year with a broadcast ABC Products Steadycam System (complete set 9000 USD new), nothing special but good to make first steps. Now i want to enter the professional league, but i am not sure if i can make it into the business and if i will be sucessfull... so i am a little bit feared of taking too high loans... That's why i am considering buying "sufficient" parts first, and sell and upgrade later if business start to roll... Thank you very much for sharing your opinion about the pro arm! hopefully i can try a pro arm at Betz in munich too! Hi Karsten, Well, it is understandable that you are a bit afraid. But if you are serious in entering the big league, then go for it and spent every euro you have and maybe take a loan to make it happen. Don't forget, if for some reason within 1 year or 2 it is not working out but you bought A list stuff, then you have always the possibility to sell it for maybe at least 80% (or more) of the new price. Buy Tiffen, Pro, Betz, Sachtler.. all superb brands and combine these to get yourself a awesome rig. If you decide in the near future to stop operating, these brands will sell easy for very good money :) For example Glidecam and Easy Steady makes very very nice stuff.. but 'sometimes' the value is dropping a lot faster (don't know about Easy Steady yet, to new...) The same goes for your ABC system (it is on Ebay right now?) Enjoy those testflights.. damn it.. you are so right.. i know that. how shall i explain to my parents? ;D yeah, the rig is on ebay at the moment. i think i have to drop the price :/ (it's just the way you said ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members brooksrobinson Posted November 15, 2011 Premium Members Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 Karsten, You are trying to decide between several arms – some of which have a solid track record of performance by many operators around the world, and one that doesn’t. Most on this board have never heard of it, let alone used it in a professional capacity. Why should you be the first? In addition to all of the terrific, well-known companies out there, this highly specialized industry is filled with plenty of cheap, knock-off equipment made with inferior materials, components, engineering and a general lack of caring. I don’t know anything about the company you provided the link to, so I cannot comment on the build of their arm, but then neither do you. Why would you risk your hard earned money on an unknown entity? Will the new arm fail or underperform the established vendor’s arms? I can’t say. I have no experience with it so to speak. What I do have is many years of perspective. Again and again people come to this board asking for advice on gear that hasn’t been battle tested on top-tier sets around the world. Sometimes the gear works well and eventually becomes the industry standard. Mostly, it fails, and the advice seeker returns to the forum with tales of woe and a desperate need to rectify a bad situation. If I were to give you any advice, it would be to stick with companies that are known around the world to perform – both on the set, and (just as important) when you need to have the equipment serviced. Your career might just be starting out, but if it is to be a long one, your reputation is everything – and how your equipment fares on the set is part of that reputation equation. Cost is always a factor, but buying an unknown product because it is initially cheap might end up being far more costly in the end. Good luck on your decision. Sincerely, Brooks Robinson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Jorge Prieto Posted November 15, 2011 Premium Members Report Share Posted November 15, 2011 hello to everyone. I could try the PRO arm Eassyrig in Madrid. The arm flies sweet and without any friction, but if you want a SHOT of the horizontal lower or higher you have to make a great effort to keep the height you want. I made a shot under 1:30 minutes and I almost left the triceps. is heavier than PRO_GPI arm and the springs are made of aluminum (no titanium). My reflection is not comparable to PRO_GPI. play in different leagues. jorge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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