Tricks for tethering?

[Rob Vuona SOC]

[ My Triax cable via my trico adapter is smaller than kite string.

 

Erik and I don't like the rig wobbling around like a kite, but to each his own...

;)

Very strong Ant . . . very strong \ . . .

[Erik Barone]

[ My Triax cable via my trico adapter is smaller than kite string.

 

Erik and I don't like the rig wobbling around like a kite, but to each his own...

;)

Very strong Ant . . . very strong \ . . .

 

Ouch!! :blink:

[Oliver Kreutner]

Hi guys,

 

whenever I have a job for a tv-show and they have cameras with triax-cables (like HD) , I'm wondering which is the best way to get along with the damn cable. Usually I put it close between the topstage and the gimbal just in a line with the arm and than along the arm to my back. I also tried to let the cable just hang from the back of the camera, like e big "u", put it over my right shoulder and than fix it at my back. It depends, what kind of cable it is, what kind of production (slow or fast operating) , but I'm never satisfied with the solution. Any better ideas ....??

 

Thanks so far,

 

Oliver

[Alec Jarnagin SOC]

Oliver,

 

I merged your topic to this one since it has been covered in depth here. Feel free to add your thoughts.

 

Thanks,

 

Alec

[Rob Vuona SOC]

Hi guys,

 

whenever I have a job for a tv-show and they have cameras with triax-cables (like HD) , I'm wondering which is the best way to get along with the damn cable. Usually I put it close between the topstage and the gimbal just in a line with the arm and than along the arm to my back. I also tried to let the cable just hang from the back of the camera, like e big "u", put it over my right shoulder and than fix it at my back. It depends, what kind of cable it is, what kind of production (slow or fast operating) , but I'm never satisfied with the solution. Any better ideas ....??

 

Thanks so far,

 

Oliver

Oliver,

It seems you have all the idea's already, Jerry Holloway suggested wrapping the extra cable around your post controlling arm. I haven't tried this way yet but planning on it . . . I fly with a cable, triax or fiber everyday and I use the off the back of the camera to my vest system . . . .Trico adapters with BNC and a wireless PL system makes the cable very minimum. As for the Fiber I use the same system only with a fiber adapter that brings the size of the fiber cable down to a quarter of the original size and very manageable.

 

Hope this helps

 

Fly Safe and sell the producers on the LINK system maybe all of us broadcast guys can go wirelless one day

[Marc Abernathy]

i have tried nearly all of the tips save Mr. Holway's over the years with some varying degree of success but the one that Anthony Violanto posted has been a gold mine to me. I have used his technique since he posted it and i am quite pleased with it. even on those few thick multicore jobs i get from time to time, his tip works for those scenarios. since i use a FM vest i'm not sure if its different for BM vests however....

Edited February 29, 2008 by Marc_Abernathy

[Jerry Holway]

Several folks have asked me for a pix of the method I use... alas no good ones available right now, but here is one - the loop from the camera to the hand is short and you can't see it laced through the fingers and over the thumb, but it's what I have about. Time to take some better photos.

 

Jerry

pastedGraphic.tiff

[Chris Callarman]

I have tried nearly all of the tips save Mr. Holway's over the years with some varying degree of success but the one that Anthony Violanto posted has been a gold mine to me. I have used his technique since he posted it and i am quite pleased with it. even on those few thick multicore jobs i get from time to time, his tip works for those scenarios. since i use a FM vest i'm not sure if its different for BM vests however....

I too use a variation of Anthony's method which does indeed work quite well. My cable path is through the camera handle and straight down the right side of the camera, extending just below hand level and then looping up to my gimbal handle where I tie it off or I just hold it. Then like Anthony's, the cable is tied off at each segment of the arm and (mine) ends up anchored to my aircraft pin where it runs out behind me.

 

I thought I had tried every which way to operate with a cable, with the above being the best I have found, but I am going to try your method Jerry, it looks quite worthy, thanks for the tip!

 

Chris

Edited March 24, 2008 by Chris Callarman

[Jeff Latonero]

Several folks have asked me for a pix of the method I use... alas no good ones available right now, but here is one - the loop from the camera to the hand is short and you can't see it laced through the fingers and over the thumb, but it's what I have about. Time to take some better photos.

 

Jerry

Greetings all,

 

Here is a good photo of Jerry demonstrating this technique, taken at the SOA workshop. I?ve just started using his method to deal with the fiber cables (with no jumpers) here at CNN and it works great!

 

Regards,

Jeff

[Marc Abernathy]

jeff,

 

thanks for posting this. i have wondered how it looks and your photo does it.

 

its also good to see another cat here at cnn. i do Steadi here in Atl at CNN with old school Triax!!! i use triax adapters but still!! you big city noo yawkers get all the good gear! :-)

 

i use anthony violanto's method and it has worked really really well.

[Mike Germond SOC]

Anyways with your mini BNC setup are you geting full HD signal with prompter and return feeds?

Yup . . . . .all of the above!

 

Rob,

 

I don't know the littlest details about triax other than what the connectors look like. To me it sounds like triax is 3-core. Since BNC/Coax is only 2-core, how are those Kings adaptors able to carry all of the functions of triax? Is your camera being powered over triax, or are you using a 4-pin XLR to LEMO cable to run power from your sled? I'm very intrigued by the Triax-Mini BNC-Triax idea, and may require a solution in the near to immediate future.

 

It sounds like the debate is Mini-Triax vs Triax-BNC-Triax, with the deciding factor being cable size and flexability. The only spaghetti sized cable that I own is the mini-BNC that Tiffen included with my Flyer LE (not the most flexible in the world). If someone could direct me towards the preferred/better solution, I'd be very grateful. So far I've gathered Mogami 2964 and Belden 8218. I may try the Cooner AS323 REV1 stuff for my VZ Rock-PZFI Panasonic Controller..

 

Props to those who have figured out this much!

[Peter Abraham]

I run a thin fiber or triax down the center of the camera just in front of the gimbal. I keep the cable in front of me and attach it to the back of my vest.

 

Adam Keith

 

Superb form and classic grip. You look relaxed and in control. Who taught you? :D

 

Seriously now. Jerry's new coiled arm technique would have saved me a lot of heartache- and split attention- back when I was doing live t.v. I was forever watching out to make sure the long loop didn't catch on the sled.

 

The cable path you're using ( which I used to use ) is successful. Just forces you to be a BIT more aware of where the cable is going after it leaves your hand area. Try Jerry's during the endless rehearsals I know they still give you on All My Children !

 

Peter Abraham

[Peter Abraham]

jeff,

 

thanks for posting this. i have wondered how it looks and your photo does it.

 

its also good to see another cat here at cnn. i do Steadi here in Atl at CNN with old school Triax!!! i use triax adapters but still!! you big city noo yawkers get all the good gear! :-)

 

i use anthony violanto's method and it has worked really really well.

 

Remind me when I come down soon to CNN to train- I'll bring you the crimper tool for the Mugami 2964 High Def Audio/Video Cable. It has a neoprene jacket. Great soft limp stuff. Used it for years on Tri Ax to Co Ax set up. May really help you out.

 

For the price of a good sushi dinner, it's yours to use !

 

Peter Abraham

[GerryVasbenter]

I've read the posts and wonder what the future holds!

I just finished two TV movies using the F35, flying with deck-on (deck off = 2x cables) the first time I thought that was going to kill me, though after a few scenes I managed to adjust to it feeling OK. I've also done a show with F23 and day playing with Genesis on a couple of shows/pictures, my chosen cable path has been small loop to the gimbal and larger loop to my right shoulder.

My interest is how to get rid of the cable dependency, the DOP's not mine.

Flying with the deck on obviously requires no cables, the same with the fabulous SSRs, the rub is the need for iris control at video village and not with the 1st or 2nd AC's.

Particularly on the latest two movies, being fast turnaround meant a fair bit of iris pulling. It also seems the popular style with HD is shooting shallow, so focus feed back is also useful, these needs seem to out weight the added dicipline required to work with a cable and entourage of bashers.

What I'm thinking of is not sending a HD signal when ever that becomes an option, but getting monitor that could be good enough to set exposure on, offering the choice of walking the set to set the positions for stop pulls (traditional method tired and true) or having someone walk with me watching my screen and making adjustments on the fly, it sounds a little clunky but has anyone tried it? Or attempting to tweak the iris myself with with a control on the rig/gimbal? something that could be developed, establishing the stop range as above and addressing the timing and application during the shot myself, not ideal but somethings got give!!

 

Cheers Gerry

[Charles Papert]

Gerry:

 

Sounds like you would enjoy using the IDX Camwave HD transmitter (or the Boxx unit when it finally comes to market). A clean wireless HD signal that will satisfy any DP.

 

As for me, I have a hard time justifying the difference of one more HD-SDI cable off the rig against the 15 lbs of SRW1 dead weight that pushes the F series or Genesis into IMAX territory--but again, that's just me.