Sham Ramsoebhag Posted December 31, 2020 Report Share Posted December 31, 2020 I have a Steadicam Pilot and always struggle with it’s payload. I can get a Steadicam Mini which has a higher payload, but from what I have been reading, the arm that comes with the Mini is not that great. Will it fit when I use the Mini with the Pilot Arm and vest? Will the Pilot arm fit into the Mini Gimbal? And when using the Mini sled and gimbal, will I get the higher payload with the Pilot arm or is the Pilot arm the limiting factor for a higher payload? Hope someone can help me out here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Tom Wills Posted January 1, 2021 Premium Members Report Share Posted January 1, 2021 Hello Sham! The Mini is a strange rig, and you are right that it has a much less advanced design arm than the Pilot, and other subsequent rigs. The Mini’s arm is much more like a desk lamp arm than a more modern Steadicam arm, so I would absolutely prefer the Pilot’s arm to the Mini’s arm. The vest also doesn’t have an adjustable socket block, so you may have to lean to balance the rig (ouch!), and the whole rig is pretty outdated by modern standards. However, the Pilot’s arm and vest will not work with the Mini sled. The Mini’s gimbal actually only has 2 axes in it, and the 3rd axis of the gimbal is mounted on the end of the arm. So it requires serious modification to be used with any arm other than the Mini’s arm. I wouldn’t bother with that anyways, as you’re still going to be limited in payload by the Pilot’s arm, which tops out at a total weight of around 15 pounds for sled and camera. I’d be surprised if you’re maxing out the sled’s payload without also topping out the arm, so moving to the Mini sled wouldn’t fix that! If you can find one, a used Flyer would have a higher payload, and sometimes I’ve seen them go for sale very cheap. They are rated for 15 pounds (give or take) of camera, so a significant increase above what the Pilot can take, although with an arguably less flexible sled. You could also look into an Aero 30 or Zephyr, which are more modern, higher payload rigs, but at higher prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sham Ramsoebhag Posted January 1, 2021 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2021 Thanks Tom for clearing all the cloudy bits and for the extra advice. Appreciate it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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