Pro Atlas/Titan vs. G-50X/G70x

[Jameson Johnson]

Hi all - I know that nobody gets tired of a good arm debate. Kinda makes me miss the Mac vs PC stuff... I digress...

 

Now that the X series arms from Tiffen have been out for a while, can anyone comment on the footsteps thing now? How do the Pro arms compare to the Gx arms?

 

Jameson

[Osvaldo Silvera SOC]

I own an Atlas arm and I'm currently half way thru a 10 week job with the clients sled and the G50x arm. I miss using my Atlas arm. The G50x is nice, don't get me wrong, but it's not even close to my Atlas in my opinion (and that's all that really counts to me).

 

Oh, just in case folks wanted to know for weight carrying comparison or whatever, the built Sled I'm flying weighs in at 37 pounds. Without the return monitor, which I'm promised will be arriving for next weeks show, that will add another lb. or so.

[Eric Fletcher S.O.C.]

How do the Pro arms compare to the Gx arms?

 

 

It's the other way around how do the Tiffen "X" Series arms compare to the Gold Standard PRO Arms.

 

sadly they still don't. I know the tiffen fans will cry (Scream) foul. Take a look around and see what arms the top ops are using. (It's not the G-Series)

[Afton Grant]

This has been debated to death, if you ask me. A brief browse through recent arm discussion history will return all the debate you can stand.

[Brian Freesh]

Silly question anyway, everyone knows Basson and Movcam are the best.

[William Demeritt]

Best to shop for stabilizer arms on YouTube anyway.

[Jameson Johnson]

Come on, isn't Vimeo where it's at now?!

 

Seriously though, thank you for the initial replies. I've looked around the forums, and with the arms there is so much material now. What I had a hard time finding, specifically, was a comparison made to the new X arms. I see a lot of references and comparisons without the X, but I didn't know if it made a difference.

 

Thanks!

[Amando Crespo]

Silly question anyway, everyone knows Basson and Movcam are the best.

 

I agree...

[David M. Aronson]

Silly question anyway, everyone knows Basson and Movcam are the best.

I like my Flycam arm. I hear some of the top ops use Glidecam. They're the best

[Garrett Brown]

How do the Pro arms compare to the Gx arms?

 

 

It's the other way around how do the Tiffen "X" Series arms compare to the Gold Standard PRO Arms.

 

sadly they still don't. I know the tiffen fans will cry (Scream) foul. Take a look around and see what arms the top ops are using. (It's not the G-Series)

 

Eric, 

 

With reluctance, I feel I must weigh in here.  After years of reading sarcastic and unwelcoming responses to newbie questions, ignorant pronouncements, and vitriolic attacks against individuals and companies -- such as, in this case, Tiffen -- I would suggest that your behavior is inconsistent with the guidelines for this forum and the duties of a moderator.

 

You are certainly entitled to your opinions, however extreme, but the above example, out of hundreds of similar posts, would be more honorable if, for example, you actually owned one of our arms or were not self-identified as someone in charge!

 

As a participant, you can rant and bloviate to your hearts content, but as moderator your obvious role is to avoid bias, and, further, to be patient with naive requests and impartial to the disparate views expressed by our membership.

 

I have never personally minded your attacks on Tiffen.  I am extremely proud of the G70x and the G50x arms and of course a big fan of Tiffen's efforts on behalf of Steadicam and our great community of operators. And like my friend and colleague George Paddock, I would never criticize a competitor's equipment on this forum -- because any such gathering of minds and purposes remains vulnerable to commercialism and mean-spiritedness. 

 

However, the tone, the style, the integrity of the forum is established cumulatively by the conduct of its members, and influenced by the responses of those who watch over it.  Many of us have looked on in dismay or simply withdrawn in embarrassment as this once high-minded assembly has been degraded by mockery and incivility.

 

Eric,  I think you should recuse yourself and resign as Moderator.  By all means stick around as a private citizen and wave your pointy stick at whoever; but this forum needs to once again be pure, honest, fair, and above all helpful.

 

Garrett Brown

[chris fawcett]

Eric,

 

Your decision to penalise Garrett Brown, by deleting a post that is critical of you on the grounds that it was a 'cross post,' is a perfect example of immoderation.

 

You have a unique voice on this forum, Eric, but one that is entirely inconsistent with your position as moderator.

 

I agree with Garrett that you should resign your position. As a last act of goodwill, please reinstate Garrett's "cross post" as a new topic, as he surely intended it, so that it may be seen by everyone on this forum, and not lay buried in an obscure thread.

 

All the best,

 

Chris

[Kareem La Vaullee]

Garrett's topic is back online and Tim Tyler, the owner of this forum, is asking for your opinion, here is the link : SteadicamForum - Immoderation

 

K.

[chris fawcett]

Back to the thread.

 

To say that the Gx series arms don't compare to the PRO arms is hyperbole. Of course they compare. To say that 'top' operators don't use them is insulting (and possibly the beginning of a circular argument) .

 

Certainly the PRO arm is superb. If you are shooting a TV series for months, it can be the arm for you, but for the kind of work I do, I wouldn't want one. I'm lucky to get 5 days on a feature, then I'll jump to a couple of days on a commercial. Often I'll fly to another country to drop into the middle of a shoot without benefit of a prep day. When I don't know what lens is coming next, what accessory might get added to the camera between scenes—or even between takes—I don't want an arm that I might have to unload, dismantle (however easy that may be), then tune possibly 4 different canisters with a tool. I want an arm that I can dial up to the right lift by hand, at 'one' if necessary.

 

My current G arm is a beauty, and the one before it was too. I never saw a step in any of my shots. My friend's PRO arm is a beauty too. We are both happy with the choices we made. Thank •••• for innovation and choice.

 

All the best,

 

Chris

[Jens Piotrowski SOC]

"I don't want an arm that I might have to unload, dismantle (however easy that may be), then tune possibly 4 different canisters with a tool. I want an arm that I can dial up to the right lift by hand, at 'one' if necessary."

 

HI Chris,

 

just to clarify. I own a Pro Arm for about six years now and use 2 blue and 2 black canisters. I had to change to 4 black canisters only once so far. I fly every professional camera out there. The arm adjusts on the fly with the provided 5/32 Allen wrench while carrying the load boomed up. Simple and effective. Zero issues so far and a pleasure to use and maintain. I can assure you it is as simple to use as the Tiffen arms.

 

my 2 cents

[chris fawcett]

Hey Jens,

 

Thanks for the clarification. I have had just one experience with the PRO arm, and I had to do exactly what I described. That probably clouded my perception of the arm. I look forward to giving it another chance sometime. There is no doubt that it is a fine arm.

 

All the best,

 

Chris