Flyer LE vs. Scout

[Taylor Gentry]

I'm getting ready to purchase either a used Flyer LE or a used Scout. I have flown the Flyer as a rental many times and feel comfortable with it. I have never flown a scout. I understand the Scout is a newer / updated version of the Flyer and may have some improvements over the Flyer and is generally newer and more modern. My concern with the Scout it is designed to only mount one Anton Bauer battery to the bottom of the sled, the two battery design of the Flyer seems to add more counterwieght. I understand the Scout is designed to balance with screw on "Merlin" weights. Perhaps the scout is a no-brainer in terms of just going with a newer system but just wanted to get some advice from people with more experience with both. Sometimes newer is not allways better in my experience.

 

Thanks! In a world full of brushless gimbals, I'm excited to become a Steadicam owner. No gimbal will ever replace the Steadicam concept for long tracking shots.

Edited July 23, 2017 by Taylor Gentry

[Lisa Sene]

Hi Taylor,

 

Welcome!

 

What cameras are you aiming to fly with your rig? Will you need to power them off the sled? If so, they Flyer may be the better option if it has two batteries and can run more power through the sled (check on that - I am not certain on the wiring specs). You're correct in that the Scout is counterweighted by the single battery as well as the Merlin weights. In terms of counterweight, the sled sees batteries and Merlin weights as objects that have weight; you can successfully balance with either object.

 

Do you have the option of trying either or both sleds out before you purchase? Not only will you have a great comparison of the two systems that way, you'll also be able to find any potential hidden problems in either rig before purchasing. For example, make sure you can successfully dynamic balance, check over the rig for any obvious damage, boom the arm up and down and make sure it feels smooth throughout the whole range, make sure the vest fits you, etc. If you're able, ask for the serial numbers of both rigs and call Tiffen to see when the last time each was serviced.

 

Happy flying!

 

Lisa

[Taylor Gentry]

Hi Lisa,

 

Thanks for your very thoughtful advise. I currently own a C300 with a variety of lens's. I have flown my C300 with my Canon 17-120 on a rented flyer before. I had to strip a few things off of the camera to make it balance but it worked pretty well. I'm hoping I can do the same with the Scout. I'm leaning toward the scout at this point but just looking for some head to head ideas on weather the scout is a true upgrade on the Flyer or if there are some downsides to the scout. They both seem to support the same weight class. The C300 works well powered by the small internal batts while it's nice to power the accessories off of the sled. I do hope to be able to use the scout rig with other cameras going forward so power limits is a consideration. It's not clear to me if the batteries on the Flyer are both wired in series or parallel or if one of them is just for weight? Maybe someone els on here can clarify? If the Flyer does only use the one battery for power then that takes the battery issue out of the running. The Merlin eights actually might making fine tuning easier?

[Lisa Sene]

Hi Taylor,

 

I found the Flyer manual, and saw this note on Page 8:

 

"Note that for all four battery types the top attachment is for active use and the bottom attachment serves to carry a spare battery to also serve as a counterweight for use with heavier accessories. (NOTE: F-24 sled has both battery holders active - switch selection - 12/24)"

 

You may want to check with the seller about which sled he or she is selling and if both batteries holders are active.

 

As for the Merlin weights versus batteries, they are both different ways of balancing. Some sleds, like the Scout, give you the ability to move the battery or monitor towards or away from the center post individually. From the pictures I'm seeing in the manual of the Flyer, it does not appear the monitor can move forward or back (though I'm not certain - check with the seller and/or Tiffen). The batteries can tilt up and down, which will affect the weight distribution slightly fore-and-aft, though it will also affect your drop time. As for which option is best for you, it comes down to your comfort level and how efficiently can you balance with your sled and the tools at hand.

 

Lisa