2" Post Version of the Volt?

[Mark Karavite]

Hello all,

Does anyone have any news on whether a 2" post compatible Volt is anywhere in our future.  The last time I spoke with MK-V, they were working on it, but that was late 2019.  I'm not crazy about giving up my 2" XCS post to gain a Volt, but not crazy about the height of the Wave either.

Thanks, Mark

Edited July 30, 2020 by Alec Jarnagin SOC

[Alec Jarnagin SOC]

Mark, things are being discussed. I’m very much trying to team Tiffen and XCS together but afraid I don’t have any concrete news yet. 

[Mark Karavite]

Near the end of 2019, MK-V said they were heavy into R&D, but then crickets.  I'd love for Greg Bubb to make one.  It's be rock solid, and we wouldn't have to buy a new gimbal.  We can only keep our fingers crossed.  I hope you guys are doing well in NYC.

[Alec Jarnagin SOC]

Mark,

Please email Greg and Tiffen! Keep the conversation alive! XCS gimbal with Volt!!!!!

 

[James Dunham]

Yeah I’m with you, I love my 2” post and not a big fan of the Wave type of solution. Let’s all email Greg! 

Edited September 13, 2020 by James Dunham
Typo

[Alec Jarnagin SOC]

James,

Email Tiffen as well. I have Greg onboard but Tiffen hasn't sent him a unit yet (I know they are swamped right now).

[benjamin spek]

I hate to be the malcontent in this. Tiffen will never have a volt for a 2" post.

tiffen is a 1.5" company, it goes against all business models for them. As far as mk-v is concerned... that will never happen. I had a 2"mk-v until 6 months ago. I was placed on the receipt list at tiffen before it was even on the market. Ashley at Mk-v kept his empty promises of working on a adapter on their end....IT NEVER HAPPENED. He promised me for over 14 months it was almost ready. I even shipped him a 1.5" gimble for him to work on it. He had it for months, and nothing happened. Then I decided to simply convert to a 1.5" mk-v post to simply get the volt operational.... mk-v couldn't even supply me with that... their own 1.5" post!!! Mk-v is full off empty promise, and never should be trusted, or even identified as a legitimate camera support company at all. They came up with nothing on every move. Total losers.

   After 16 lost months of dealing with them... I had to go back to a 1.5" pro post, and restructure my whole package cause of mk-v lied about their progress, and even doubled down to say they were working with tiffen on a fix... they were NEVER working with tiffen on anything.

    If the volt was to ever work on a 2" post... it would have to be by bubb. Not sure if all the R&D for him would even make it worth it.

hope this helps.

   

[Jerry Holway]

Benjamin-

Minor point: Tiffen's rigs have 1.50, 1.58, and 1.75 inch posts.

The Volt can be adapted to 2" posts, but the other manufacturers will have to do the work - As Betz has done. It doesn't make business sense for Tiffen to do the engineering and testing etc. themselves, but they have been more than willing to cooperate to get the Volt onto other rigs.

[JobScholtze]

6 Month further, no company jumped on the 2 inch wagon??

 

 

[Jerry Holway]

One thing that needs to be said (repeatedly?) is that it is not just the post diameter that needs to be considered when adapting the Volt to other gimbals - there is a lot of engineering work in adapting the yoke and bearings and mounting of the motors. It's a lot easier to adapt the M1/M2 gimbals to post sizes less than 1.75 inches (with spacers). But for a post diameter larger than 1.75 inches, the gimbal must be modified. Companies must decide for themselves if it is worth it, as they are in business as much as we are.

[Lawrence Karman]

On 3/10/2021 at 8:23 AM, Jerry Holway said:

One thing that needs to be said (repeatedly?) is that it is not just the post diameter that needs to be considered when adapting the Volt to other gimbals - there is a lot of engineering work in adapting the yoke and bearings and mounting of the motors. It's a lot easier to adapt the M1/M2 gimbals to post sizes less than 1.75 inches (with spacers). But for a post diameter larger than 1.75 inches, the gimbal must be modified. Companies must decide for themselves if it is worth it, as they are in business as much as we are.

Party Pooper

[Alec Jarnagin SOC]

An update RE XCS. Rather than modifying the XCS gimbal to accommodate a Volt, Greg has opted to sell a 1.75" version of his post in XCS or Pro mounts. This way the entire gimbal remains within the jurisdiction of one company (Tiffen, M2). I don't speak for Greg or XCS in any official capacity but I know he has long maintained (and still does) that his engineers told him years ago, the proper post diameter for a full sized Steadicam is 2". You risk vibration with anything less. This said, I suspect his 1.75" post is second to none as that is the way XCS builds things. I am saddened that they did not choose to modify an XCS gimbal as that is also second to none. Perhaps, some day, I will buy an additional post in 1.75" and buy an M2 gimbal but for now, I just don't want to give up my XCS gimbal (and to a slightly lesser degree, my 2" post). I do think this new combo will make a lot of customers (for both XCS and Tiffen) very happy.

Edited March 20, 2021 by Alec Jarnagin SOC

[Brad Smith]

That's actually very exciting news Alec. I'm sorry for your disappointment at losing .25 of an inch, but as a Pro owner, a 1.75 inch carbon post, with the possibility of a super post and XCS wiring sounds fantastic! I've emailed Gregg just now to let him know i'd be interested, if there are any other Pro owners out there reading this who think you'd like to upgrade could you let Gregg know aswell.

[John Morrison]

Any more news on a 2.00" Volt? Would the Betz tools version work on a XCS post? Finaly given in to the constant 'you don't have a volt?!' on set and I would love to set-up my ultimate with one....

[Maxwel Fisher]

Hey John,

Nothing from Greg (he's stated a few times now that he's got no interest in retooling his gimbal to fit the volt or the volt to fit the gimbal) or Tiffen, but there is a post on one of the Facebook steadicam groups that shows a photo of a supposed Volt/MK-V setup on MK-V's 2" post. No additional information yet. Betz's sled is 1.86" so that wont work on Greg's 2" post. Greg started making a 1.75" for those who wanted a volt with his system. 

Holding out a little longer might prove fruitful if MK-V brings something to market, but who knows if it will actually happen. Since they don't own any rights or patents to the volt, they'd have to partner with Tiffen I suspect. Realistically, it might have just been a one off that they did to see if it could be done or they will offer up some kind of service to modify the volt to 2" for those who want it.

Edited November 20, 2022 by Maxwel Fisher
clarification