Any new impressions on EXOVEST?

[Libor Cevelik]

Any body has some new experience with exovest?

[Frederic Sturm]

Have been working with mine for a while now, and it still feels more like "hardmount" to me, in that it

gives my operating precision I never was able to achieve using any frontmount vest I've tried.

 

Also, I find it extremely comfortable, especially on longer takes and days.

[dash adamson]

I liked it a lot when I had the chance to test it out for a bit. I liked the added control I felt I gained by smoothing out the height of the socket block when moving slooooooow. I Did have some bruising from the lower pads but I think that could be easily remedied with a layer of different padding. but in the purchase phase it has proven to be a bit of a unicorn.

[Victor Lazaro]

Ask Peter Abraham about it. It basically was the reason why he went back to operating since his injury. I am eager to try it as well.

[jay kilroy]

I have been using one for a month now, and I like it. There are things I love about it and some things I think I'm doing wrong. The reason I say this is because I have adjusted it quite a bit while operating. Some adjustments felt great, then I would wear it a little shorter or longer to see the range I had.

 

I am curious to talk with Chris about the hip pads? I have an email into him about the pads and if there are options. I didn't have bruising, but sometimes would catch myself in a bad position and feel some pressure on my hips.

 

I love the control I have with my shoulders and chest. I have been operating in a back mount for a while before this demo. I need to remember it's not so much in my hips now. (Another reason I tried adjusting things with the shoulders in the Exo) I LOVE that there is no strap under your arms to the breast plate. That was my biggest complaint with the other front mounted vests I've worn. This might be my favorite feature in the Exo. That freedom only, is worth the price of admission for me.

 

80% of my operating is live TV, I wear the rig for a fews hours at a time, like most live guys. One of the things I love about my back mount vest is how quick my body recovers after I get out of the rig. I have that same feeling with the Exo.

 

I've been real happy with it so far.

 

Jay

[Iain Baird]

I presently have both a WK GB Dual mount and the PRO vest but I've become very curious about the Exovest. I'm going to demo one in a few weeks just to give it a once over, it's the gear head in me wanting to try everything. Has anyone seen or heard of the back mounting system (not the third arm section) I've only seen the front mount design.

 

IB

[John E Fry]

I've worn three versions of the Exovest now, at shows and through friends, but can't yet say I like it more than a standard vest. I'd like to try one for a week or two to really get my body & operating style in line with it, as I can clearly see the benefits, but at the moment it feels almost like the first time I put on a standard vest. All these things take time to get used to, and I hope I get the chance to give an Exo a good test over a period of time, without buying one first. Although the design is as 'universal' as the standard vests, there is a lot more adjustment required in the padding to get it right for each operator, & I haven't had a perfectly fitted experience yet. Looking forward to it though!

[Mariano Costa]

Has anyone seen or heard of the back mounting system (not the third arm section) I've only seen the front mount design.IB

I think Chris himself answered to me when asked the same question that the back mount is only for the third section extension. I think that it was because front and back mount won't make any difference with the exovest - I hope I got this right.

[Jerry Holway]

Tiffen made a block to mount the Klassen back mount arm to the Exovest, in case anyone wanted to do that.

 

No reason to do that though. It just adds weight and bulk, and the forces aren't directed by magic into your back side by so doing. Better for you and for your arm to be front-mounted.

[Iain Baird]

Thanks for the info gentlemen - good to know.

I look forward to taking it for a test drive.

 

IB

[GrantCulwell]

I just got to borrow the EXO for about 2 weeks and I really enjoyed it.

 

Quick background: I own the standard LX vest so out of the gate the EXO was a step up. I have worn the Ultra 2 vest on numerous jobs and have found it comfortable but I do feel the EXO surpasses the Ultra 2 vest. I have only worn the Pro vest once and I don't think I fit it to myself well and wouldn't mind trying that again. Finally, I've only worn a backmount vest at trade shows.

 

When Dan let me take the demo out, he suggested experimenting with different settings on the front and back bars. I had about 6 days of work booked within the 2 weeks I had the vest and tried a different configuration for each job. I found that the lower I brought the back bars down, the more I felt it in my lower back. I eventually settled on a sweet spot for me with the front bars brought lower than the back. I did feel that some muscles in my upper back that don't usually work to hard in my LX were more active but I also noticed the muscles in my lower back didn't seem to be working as hard. That I liked.

 

I like the minimalistic approach to this vest. Not having any restriction around my ribs is a win for me.

 

In regards to the pivoting joints: I don't have a hard opinion on this yet. Because of old habits, I kept my walk the same as I always have. I would try to remember that I don't have to worry as much about keeping my hips level but as soon as I heard action, I became more focused on the shot and would slip back into the way I normally operate.

 

Overall, I think Chris (and everyone else involved) did an excellent job. I think the EXO will definitely fall into the user preference category but I would recommend everyone try it if an opportunity presents itself.

[Gordon SMith]

Has anyone working experience with exo vest attached to a Tango ? Thanks. G

[Sanjay Sami]

I have now been using the Exovest for just over a week now.

As a background, I have used the 3A vest, the Ultra 2 vest and the PRO vest before this one.

I liked the PRO the best of the 3. It fit me the best.

I tried the Walter Klassen back mounted vest and it didn't feel right. That is not a fair assessment, because it was not fitted for me.

It was Larry McConkey's vest, and the 2 of us are not the same size ... so thats still a question mark.

The first thing I will say about the Exovest, and the thing I noticed above everything else, was how comfortable it is.

The resistance to the load just wasn't there. It just felt that the load went straight into my legs.

I felt little to no effort in my shoulders, where the resistance work is supposed to shift, and nothing in my lower back.

It could be that this vest plays to my strengths, as a Grip of 23 years and a Rugby player of 30 years, your shoulders and upper back get used to a lot of work, but I can only speak to my own experience, and this vest feels like it was made for me.

I also appreciate the lack of squeeze on my ribcage and abdomen. It translates to a lot less fatigue at the end of a working day.

I am very pleased with it so far.

[Frederic Sturm]

After today I'd like to add something about the pelvis tilt hinge.

 

Up to now I felt mostly indifferent about the tilting parts. Well, I worked the whole day on a a ship today, and had to climb one flight of stairs after another. Had the Zephyr pretty well maxed out on weight range, and configured for max inertia. Nothing compared to a fully loaded big rig, but nice n heavy - absolutely. Im sitting in the car travelling back right now and already most sore feeling is gone. The tilt was a very very welcome feature, and with today I know what its really for - stairs. I dont feel it much on slow moves etc, but it just makes stairs, and especially tight and cornering ones so much easier to do.

 

Thanks Chris!

[Victor Lazaro]

So you are using the exovest with a Zephyr? How?