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Zephyr Arm broke during a shoot yesterday


Brent Johnson

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How about your camera stage, if it didn't have the protected "stops" for the fore and aft movement of the steadicam dovetail. Would you be "disappointed in the engineers" if one day, for a split second, you didn't realize that the dovetail wasn't locked down fully and you had 30lbs of camera on it. Then you go to operate the camera. 5hrs into the shoot you tilt down 90 degrees for a shot and *plop* all the camera gear goes crashing to the water! (Because you were getting a reflection shot off a pier in a very still lake.) And the production is screwed, and it's your fault.

 

All because an engineer, didn't think to protect the customer.

 

But we have those on our stages to protect us, and I'm sure many have been saved because of it.

 

Not all stages have safeties built into them. Many don't today, and many more in years past didn't either. And cameras fell. Very likely, it was the cameras falling that led to someone at some point designing a safety into the stages. I'd bet, however, that never did an operator become angry with the manufacturer for not protecting them from improperly mounting a camera.

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How about your camera stage, if it didn't have the protected "stops" for the fore and aft movement of the steadicam dovetail. Would you be "disappointed in the engineers" if one day, for a split second, you didn't realize that the dovetail wasn't locked down fully and you had 30lbs of camera on it. Then you go to operate the camera. 5hrs into the shoot you tilt down 90 degrees for a shot and *plop* all the camera gear goes crashing to the water! (Because you were getting a reflection shot off a pier in a very still lake.) And the production is screwed, and it's your fault.

 

All because an engineer, didn't think to protect the customer.

 

But we have those on our stages to protect us, and I'm sure many have been saved because of it.

 

Not all stages have safeties built into them. Many don't today, and many more in years past didn't either. And cameras fell. Very likely, it was the cameras falling that led to someone at some point designing a safety into the stages. I'd bet, however, that never did an operator become angry with the manufacturer for not protecting them from improperly mounting a camera.

 

That's interesting, I always thought they had them built in.

 

I'm taking it over to Tiffen on Monday, looking forward to what they say as well.

 

Thanks again for the responses and allowing me to vent a bit. This is a great Forum!

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Thanks for all of response's.

 

I'm going to chalk it up to experience and a little less weight in my wallet but most definitely a lesson learned.

 

I'm going to make a locking pin so that it never happens, ever again, for any reason.

 

When made, I'll come back and post on how I did it or where I bought it for any other Zephyr Owner/Op interested in having a secure pin.

 

Cheers

 

If you want to upgrade the locking pin you can get a push button quick release pin from McMaster or any large hardware supplier. It will probably run you $30. But still install it from the top as a couple others have stated.

 

Best of luck with your repair.

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I have an extra zephyr arm because my old sled broke. If you can't get it repaired, maybe we can work something out dustinheindl@gmail.com

 

Also... Thank god for the cheese plate safety pin. Saved a camera last year!

... I really need to get those safety pins on my plate they have "vanished" after a shoot -- and Tiffen is not being responsive replacing them...

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Guys serious question. These are "Mission Critical" parts you guys are talking about, why are you accepting the lack of customer support tat Tiffen is providing? It seems that they are REALLY good at selling you but once something breaks they are "in the wind" and ignore you.

 

This is why companies like PRO, XCS, Klassen, Preston, Bartec, Cramped Attic and few others are considered the "goto" industry leaders.

 

Tiffen sells you a rig and a dream then doesn't stand behind it, I'd be showing my support to them by walking away from them and spending my bucks somewhere else.

 

Oh wait I did that 15+ years ago....

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Even If you don't like the company, Tiffen fills a hole in the market.

Where is XCS's $10,000 rig? They don't have one? Oh, What about PRO? None you say?

 

Yes, there are better brands on the market, but none of the better brands make rigs that fall into the price range of prosumers. Would the world be a better place if the best low was system was Glidecam?

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Hey whoa settle down there Jens, David is an expert on steadicams and what's available.....

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Hey whoa settle down there Jens, David is an expert on steadicams and what's available.....

Wow. Pot calling the kettle black. Are you going to tell us more about how arms are made?

 

I knew Satchler made lower end rigs in the withing the price range of the Zephyr and I should have clarified.

 

Tiffen makes a camera stabilizer, the Zephyr, that can be purchased for around $10,000US, and can fly 24lbs cameras(assuming the arm pin is inserted from the top). I don't know of any other systems that can fly that weight capacity, that are well made and user friendly, that are within that price range. I am by no means an expert on stabilizers nor do I claim to be one, my point was that the products line of companies like

 

PRO, XCS, Klassen, Preston, Bartec, Cramped Attic

 

can't be equality compared to Tiffen's lower end stabilizer systems simply because they don't have anything in their product line that is within the same price range and weight capacity of the tiffen systems.

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Hey whoa settle down there Jens, David is an expert on steadicams and what's available.....

Wow. Pot calling the kettle black. Are you going to tell us more about how arms are made?

 

I knew Satchler made lower end rigs in the withing the price range of the Zephyr and I should have clarified.

 

Tiffen makes a camera stabilizer, the Zephyr, that can be purchased for around $10,000US, and can fly 24lbs cameras(assuming the arm pin is inserted from the top). I don't know of any other systems that can fly that weight capacity, that are well made and user friendly, that are within that price range. I am by no means an expert on stabilizers nor do I claim to be one, my point was that the products line of companies like

 

>PRO, XCS, Klassen, Preston, Bartec, Cramped Attic

 

can't be equality compared to Tiffen's lower end stabilizer systems simply because they don't have anything in their product line that is within the same price range and weight capacity of the tiffen systems.

 

 

 

David,

 

I know how arms are made. I've built parts for my Model 1, 2 and 3A arms. I consulted on the newest arm from PRO, please continue to impress us with your vast knowledge and experience base. There are plenty of rigs that you could get for $10,000 that are BETTER made that fly a sub 24lbs weight range

 

Maybe you should leave this discussion to the Experts...

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Hey whoa settle down there Jens, David is an expert on steadicams and what's available.....

Wow. Pot calling the kettle black. Are you going to tell us more about how arms are made?

 

I knew Satchler made lower end rigs in the withing the price range of the Zephyr and I should have clarified.

 

Tiffen makes a camera stabilizer, the Zephyr, that can be purchased for around $10,000US, and can fly 24lbs cameras(assuming the arm pin is inserted from the top). I don't know of any other systems that can fly that weight capacity, that are well made and user friendly, that are within that price range. I am by no means an expert on stabilizers nor do I claim to be one, my point was that the products line of companies like

 

>PRO, XCS, Klassen, Preston, Bartec, Cramped

Attic

 

can't be equality compared to Tiffen's lower end stabilizer systems simply because they don't have anything in their product line that is within the same price range and weight capacity of the tiffen systems.

 

 

David,

 

I know how arms are made. I've built parts for my Model 1, 2 and 3A arms. I consulted on the newest arm from PRO, please continue to impress us with your vast knowledge and experience base. There are plenty of rigs that you could get for $10,000 that are BETTER made that fly a sub 24lbs weight range

 

Maybe you should leave this discussion to the Experts...

 

Wow, I'm very proud of you. Building parts is a very hard thing to do. It seems strange that you can do such complex things, but fail in the form of courteous human communication.

Have a nice life Eric, I'm sure you're actually a nice guy, but I don't think I want to continue any kind of interaction with you.

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