Zephyr roll call

[Mark Schlicher]

Dave, did you ever resolve your lack-of-safety-stop problem?

[Dave Wowchuk]

Not yet ... to be honest, it totally slipped my mind until just the other day when I was extending the post.

 

DW

 

Dave, did you ever resolve your lack-of-safety-stop problem?

[Ryan Rodinis]

Peter got the ball rolling again during the workshop. What an awesome guy.

Turns out the loaner arm was out on demo and the customer was two months late in returning it.

[patrick ortman]

Another Zephyr owner, here. It's also my first "real" steadicam, but I've used tons of lesser knockoffs for years. I'm glad that time is over with!

 

Like most here, I love my zephyr. I got the standard vest, because to me it felt better. I fly RED MX, mostly- and Epic soon, I guess.

 

I'll be using it with David Allen Grove's rickshaw later this week on a short film I'm directing. Which points up the only downside I've had with the zephyr- the socket's just not the same as the high end steadicams. It's a pita to deal with, but hey- for what it is, it's great. And I see the zephyr as a real bright star with the lighter high-tech cameras out there. I can get into places a big rig would have problems with.

 

I have been told by a couple of guys that I should replace the stage with a full-sized one. Not sure I need to, though.

 

Mark, I was also surprised about the safety stop. I see a hole for it, but nothing came for it. Ah, well. Thanks for the tip on the aux battery hanger!

 

Patrick

[Mark Schlicher]

The socket block size is a pretty easy workaround. If you don't already know, the mounting screw pattern is the same as a fullsize socket block so you simply swap it out. I bought an extra Flyer/Zephyr socket block for my Garfield mount so I can easily switch.

 

As for the safety stop, I'm not sure we're talking abou the same thing. A hole...? Sounds like you're talking about the arm-post-to-gimbal-handle connection. Dave and I were discussing the fact that you shouldn't be able to extend your main post far enough for the two sections to come completely apart.

[John Hatcher]

Hi Mark and guys! Just got my Zephyr yesterday! A great improvement over the Pilot for sure. I'm wondering though if anyone else has an issue with the gimbal clamp and post clamp swiveling around? I don't remember clamps on other bigger rigs doing that.

 

Hatch

[Mark Schlicher]

John,

 

Welcome! My post clamps don't swivel freely, but they do swivel, and so it required a little practice for me to work with them quickly and confidently. I did find that, from the factory, neither clamp was adjusted tightly enough to keep from slipping under heavy load, so I had to slightly tweak them, and I check them at every prep.

[John Hatcher]

Copy that. Yes mine don't quite swivel freely, but it is weird to unsnap/adjust/swivel/resnap. It does take a little practice. :) Thanks!

[Martin Rogberg]

Hello there.

I´m a Zephyr owner in Sweden since half a year now. Really happy with it. Using EX1 and Canon 5D mostly. With Janice WheightCage. Works

perfect for me. Done some Live "on stage" events with a IDX link hanging underneath the rig. Works really well.

I don't like the side to side adjustment screws on the arm. Would absolutely preferred doing this with a tool instead of my fingers.

 

The Zephyr is a great rig for todays smaller cameras. Thats for shure!

 

/ Martin

[Wolfgang Troescher]

Hello!

 

I´m using my Zephyr since August and I´m really happy with it. Use it with a Canon 7D (just for practicing). To increase the weight, I added some weight-plates from my old Glidecam X-10 (pic already postet in another forum here).

 

Zephyr is certainly much better than X-10. But what sucks is the SD-Monitor. On X-10 I used a really(!) cheap HD-monitor from ProAm (I know, embarrasing). But this monitor had a better, brighter picture than that of the Zephyr (subjectiv, not measured).

 

Wolfgang

[Mark Schlicher]

Upgrade to a Marshall 800 nit 7" (around $1000 US) or their 6.5" transflective. It makes a huge difference. :-)

[Ryan Rodinis]

Upgrade to a Marshall 800 nit 7" (around $1000 US) or their 6.5" transflective. It makes a huge difference. :-)

Mark what's the model number of the transflective for that plug-n-play swap goodness? don't need any other adapters? just swap the plugs and screw it in?

[Mark Schlicher]

I don't recall offhand but all the options are on Marshall's website. The 6.5"s are on a page for sunlight viewable monitors.

 

You'll need an HD-SDI BNC cable of course, and either power from a sled-to 4pin XLR (just like the one that comes with the rig) or get a power/composite video cable (all but the very early Zephyrs have a 6pin Hirose power/video connector on the sled) You can get a cable from Tiffen or have Terry West make one up for you. Guess which is cheaper. :-) If you ever do live TV you can feed the composite video to a program return monitor.

 

The Zephyr HD monitor that Tiffen supplies is based on the 7" Marshall monitor, but not the high-bright version.

[Ryan Rodinis]

is it just me or is that 6.5" transflective monitor 4:3 and not 16:9? Is there a monitor that shows native 16:9 ratio with similar outdoor viewing capabilities?

 

and thanks, I'll link up with Terry West.

[Mark Schlicher]

Correct. 4x3. Search the forum for lots of detail on this monitor. There are other outdoor viewing choices but much more expensive. Search "great monitor shootout"