Questions about flying froma newbie

[Timothy Palmer-Benson]

I have my rig finally set up...I think... Its a Canon 5D Mk11 with a 16-35mm lens mounted in a Manfrotto quick release. I started off with one weight and one finishing weight either side, top and bottom. According to my bathroom scale, the total weight was 9.5 lbs...seems a little heavy for what I have got!!

 

--The first issue I had was a pain in the kidney area from the weight. When I sat down, the pain went away. Does this mean that I don't have the distribution of weight low enough on my hips? I have extended the plate almost all the way. If I stand straight and sway back a bit with my body, most of the pain goes away, but I do have to go sit down after five minutes or so. Is this a bad sign or can I train my muscles and body to overcome this. It seems they are all tensed up.

 

 

-- Until I added more weights, I was getting a bobbing up an down. Used to get this with a Merlin a lot! It seems to be less when I added four more weights all around, but is not completely cured. If I add more weights will it disappear as the rig becomes more weighty and stable? I think I am balanced okay. When on a C stand, if I push the rig back and forth and around, it stays pretty steady and doesn't bob around. I try to use the same action as with the Merlin, where you through your arm out in front of you and back again and watch for any movement of the camera.

 

--Since I don't have any more weights left, I am thinking about putting the whole thing in Bruce Dorn's U-Boat Commander, and having a bunch of accessories mounted on top such as a mike and a Zoom recorder. The U-Boat is a kind of cage, so am i on the right track here? Then I can take my weights and use them on the bottom.

http://www.idcphotography.com/kart/index.php?p=product&id=127&parent=30

 

Oh, and one final question,,,what is meant by framing? Is it being rock steady with whatever you've got?

 

Greytail

Edited September 6, 2010 by Timothy Palmer-Benson

[Sydney Seeber]

one final question,,,what is meant by framing?

Greytail

mercy, mercy me

 

 

 

If a rig as light as yours is giving you serious back problems, you need to contact Tiffen

[Janice Arthur]

Timothy;

 

You need to start with the Steadicam Operator's Handbook.

 

We need to hear terms like; front heavy, back heavy, top heavy; bottom heavy; in order to know what is happening with your rig and you.

 

I found your post hard to follow.

 

Good luck and come back to us when you've done some reading of the book or old posts about how to fit your vest, etc.

 

(That U-Boat thing is not the solution.)

 

(Find an operator in the area who will spend 2 hours with you for a couple of hundred bucks and he/she can fix your issues.)

 

JA

[Sam Morgan Moore]

Framing - means composition of the image

 

IMO the rig WILL bob less when more loaded, but im a newb, technique is important

 

as for pain that is configuration error or operating error of some nature

 

S

[Timothy Palmer-Benson]

I am afraid that I am a long way from operator help, being close to the Quebec border in NE VT. I might be able to find someone in French but that might not help! :) Nearest city is 3-4 hours away.

 

(Find an operator in the area who will spend 2 hours with you for a couple of hundred bucks and he/she can fix your issues.)

 

JA

[RobinThwaites]

Hi Timothy

 

You could do worse than start here http://www.steadicam.com/steadicam_efp_dvd.html

 

Robin