anthonyplanes Posted November 30, 2008 Report Share Posted November 30, 2008 Hello Gentlemen I would like to know the personal experiences and feedback from operators who own or have used the ACT 2 vest. Does the material used in the padding really aid in dispersing moisture and can the vest components be adjusted to give a more custom feel? It seems to have features of the PRO and Ultra 2. Thank you Anthony Planes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard James Lewis Posted November 30, 2008 Report Share Posted November 30, 2008 I have no long term experience with the vest, but I tried it at a trade show once. I have a Klassen, and have tried most of the front mount vests out there. I personally really liked the vest, there were a lot of adjustments, and I found it very comfortable. I'm a pretty slim guy, and it got nice and tight even for me. Something I can't do with the Ultra vest. I also found the style of padding more comfortable than the Ultra also. I was considering buying one as a backup or for running work, but couldn't really justify it in the end. Nice vest, see if you can get a demo? Rick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Henry Gelhart Posted December 1, 2008 Premium Members Report Share Posted December 1, 2008 (edited) Hey, primaly I use a Walter Klassen Vest for 35mm/16mm. Because I have an Artemes Sled, I also bought a ACT2 Vest with it. In my eyes it is perfect! It is very comfortable and easy to handle. I use it on TV Shows or Events etc. I really recommend it for thight spaces. I am both... pro back and pro front mounted. Because I am quite thin, I often wear the ACT2. You can't make a mistake with it! (my opinion) ;) So....... Cheers Henry Edited December 1, 2008 by Henry Gelhart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Henry Gelhart Posted December 1, 2008 Premium Members Report Share Posted December 1, 2008 Sorry! Of couse I mean "Artemis" :) :) Henry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthonyplanes Posted December 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2008 I appreciate the informative replies. I bought the PRO vest in May '08 and modified the waist pad/band to make it more supportive (increased width to 6" along entire circumference). IF I like the ACT 2 when I demo it this month, I may be in the market to sell the PRO as I can't justify having 2 vests at this time in my early steadicam work. Thanx Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Jess Haas SOC Posted December 2, 2008 Premium Members Report Share Posted December 2, 2008 Why ya looking to switch from the pro in the first place? ~Jess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthonyplanes Posted December 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2008 Hello Jess After wearing an Ultra and PRO vest, I thought the PRO was better designed and more supportive. When I received the vest, I was dissapointed that it didn't fit as well as the one I tried before buying. I learned from the owner that he had to modify his to get a better fit around the waist. I was underwhelmed that I would have to customize my custom made vest. The padding vendor informed me that there was a $500 minimum order requirement which motivated me to find my own solution. After contacting a foam and fabric merchant online, I ordered a strip of minicell closed foam which increased the width to 6" and enough cordura nylon to cover the piece. A seamstress put the components together plus added 2 loops and I spend under $100. The difference was amazing and well worth the effort. My modified PRO vest is great but the ACT 2 looks interesting. I would like to see if the new padding material and overall structure provides a better fit and adds more support. If it doesn't, I still have my PRO. Like I said, I can't justify owning 2 vests, especially since I'm months away from reaching a solid mediocre status in my skill level. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Gus Trivino Posted December 2, 2008 Premium Members Report Share Posted December 2, 2008 Hi Anthony I have the Artemis Vest, but I never tried the new model. It looks good and I hope try it , but I have no problem with the first Artemis Vest model. I feel it VERY comfortable. Best to all, Gus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Alec Jarnagin SOC Posted December 2, 2008 Moderators Report Share Posted December 2, 2008 Anthony, Did you buy your PRO vest used? In not, GPI will bend over backwards to get it right. I bought a new front mounted vest a few months ago and went with the PRO. Upon receiving it, it was too big (that's what happens when you can't go in for a fitting). I called PRO and they had me send back the waist pad and they took about 2" off of it and now its perfect. Short turn around and no charge - as usual GPI delivered perfect customer service. I find the PRO vest to be the most supportive front mounted vest I've ever used. Very rigid and it sits uniformly around the waist relieving "those" muscles from so much of the stress associated with front mounted vests. A proper fit means that the waist pad goes around you almost 360 degrees yet does not touch itself to complete the circle (you only want a very small gap). I've come to love this vest so much that my back mounted vest sits on the truck or even at my house when I dayplay (certainly not a knock on Walter - he is a top notch fella who makes a fine product, but there were simply too many things I missed about being front mounted). I have never tried the ACT 2, but I just looked at the pictures. I'd be very weary of the webbing & Fasttech style connectors at the shoulders. When the upper spar on my old Model 1 vest cracked and I had to replace it with the upper spar from a Master vest (with connectors like this), I was never as happy with it (thus I bought the Klassen & then eventually the PRO). I found that the webbing has way too much play and causes the vest to shift around your body too much - especially with heavy loads (I now use my Model 1 vest with a modified Flyer). Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Julian Cheng Posted December 2, 2008 Premium Members Report Share Posted December 2, 2008 Hello, I have tried the ACT 2 Vest in NAB 08 and I feel it is very comfortable. I can feel it is very supportive to my waist and my upper back. And I feel is is some kind of flexible mix with hard piece, in order to make me feel that my body is sticking with the vest as a one single piece. I like it a lot...and want to buy one. But after some considerations, I just bought the Ultra 2 vest and it is shipping to me now... cos I just think that if Artemis arm can only support 26kg (the max....) then I am not sure if the ACT 2 vest can support over 70 lbs when I flying with 535B (included the weight of the arm and sled)...then I pay for about EUR$7XX more to get a Ultra 2 vest...(the Ultra 2 is more expensive...@_@....) am I thinking too much? haha.... Does anybody know that how much weight can the ACT 2 Vest support? (include camera, sled, arm and accessories) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthonyplanes Posted December 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 That is a good question about the weight limit of the ACT 2 vest. Would Sachtler make a vest that could handle a greater weight than their top arm could lift? The issue I had with the PRO vest waist pad was that it tapered. I wanted a uniform width or tallness that would cover a greater portion of my lower back. I had no problem with the length of the pad although the modification did provide a better fit according to your description. The folks at GPI told me who their foam vendor was but when I inquired, they didn't seem to know about GPI. Maybe I can find the happy medium between the shoulder piece digging into my skin and too much padding that causes the sloppy feel you mentioned. I appreciate the insights and suggestions... Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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