Is the Pilot a good jumping point if I plan on working with the heavier steadicams later?

[Jess Haas SOC]

Mike, if you have a workshop coming up soon then I would say waiting to buy until after it is a no brainer. If you decide to go with the Flyer I would think the new one with extendable post that can switch to 24v is definitely the way to go. The other option to seriously consider is buying a used rig. You would probably spend a little bit more but you could probably find something that would take you a lot farther than a Flyer.

Have fun at the workshop. Be prepared to work hard and ask a lot of questions because like all things the more you put into it the more you will get out of it.

 

~Jess

[Mike Germond SOC]

First off, huge thanks for the positive response. You never know how you'll be accepted in these online communities, but this seems like a pretty helpful place. Second, I have no intention of jacking this thread from Josh, so I hope I'm just prompting further discussion that will help us both out.

 

I guess I don't fully understand what uses the 24V flyer would have for me. What sort of equipment would I possibly come across that the Flyer could support and that required 24V? Also, I've read the debate about the HD vs. SD monitors and I wonder if it's as hard as people claim to get a good focus using an SD monitor. When my crew shoots football with my HVX, we shoot 720p60 no problems, usually on manual focus and iris. And what does everybody know about the RED Scarlet coming out? It looks to be tiny and fairly light but the lenses I've seen for it are rediculous. I guess if people can get a RED One on a Flyer, the Scarlet should balance easy enough.

 

Kris, check your inbox..

 

Thx everybody!

[Jess Haas SOC]

The 24v may not be of use to you but the new model(Flyer LE) has a telescopic post and a slightly higher weight limit(19pounds vs 15 pounds) which are both huge pluses. The 24v would be useful if you wanted to be able to do some film work as it would allow you to fly a bare bones SR3, 416 or 235. Without 24v you could still fly older 16mm cameras, but the slightly higher weight limit of the new LE would make doing this a lot more feasible.

 

As far as what you can realistically fly it all comes down to the accessories. If you are going to get serious about doing shoots with film cameras or higher end video cameras you are going to need a rig that can handle the extra weight of the accessories you are going to run into. A heavier lens alone can put many of the previously mentioned film cameras over the Flyers weight limit, not to mention matte box, wireless follow focus, video transmitter, cientape, etc, etc, etc.... That being said with the LE you may have a few chances to get your feet wet with a few higher end cameras before having to upgrade to a bigger rig.

 

~Jess

[Mike Germond SOC]

Despite the voice in my head screaming "GO BIG OR GO HOME", I think I need to start on a Flyer at the very least. The near future is going to throw me lots of dinky HD cameras and P+S Technik's I think. One item that has to be standard on the rig is a wide-angle lens (during the football season), but the weight of one that fits a DVX or HVX model is minimal. Matte box and still lenses are a distinct possibility. Like others have pointed out, I don't want to find myself turning down a gig because I can't support the equipment they plan to use. I figured Film was gonna be the answer to my 24V question. I had heard about the LE's telescoping post and heigher weight tolerance being a huge plus for other HVX users too..

 

All very helpful info so far so keep it coming! I appreciate the help!

Edited July 13, 2008 by Mike Germond