Canon XH A1 & Steadicam JR at DVinfo.net

Eohon Dunn · August 28th, 2008, 01:13 AM

hey all

just wondering if the steadicam jr would work with the xha1 (with a small battery)? im thinking of buying an a1 next week and i already have a steadicam jr from a few years back - it worked great with my xm2. i know the limit of the jr is 4 lbs and the a1 is around 4.5 - would the a1 be impossible to balance on the jr?

unfortunatly, i dont have the cash at the moment to upgrade to the merlin. my jr has the small colour screen also, not sure if that makes a difference.

thanks

Jerry Davis · September 18th, 2008, 08:53 AM

Aohon, yes it can work. I just got back into video and had a steadicam jr I used with a canon L1 hi-8 cam. I had to add a 2 1/2 pound weight near the battery compartment with two batteries because the camera was too top heavy. The monitor on the jr is useless but you have the flip out monitor on the camera. It trimmed out fine but with the added weight it sure wears the arm out. I guess its back to lifting weights again. The location of the screw to mount the camera is in #4, with the monitor flipped out of course. Hope this helps but you probably have figured all this out. Jerry

Steven Bush · January 1st, 2009, 09:22 AM

Hi,
I've got a JR and an XHA1 and would wonder if you could elaborate further on the set-up. For example (even though I can try all of them) the #4 hole is on the middle left side of the plate as you look down from above. With it attached in that hole and the camera screen flipped out does it achieve balance? Seems it would be too far to the left side....
Is 2.5 lbs. the exact amount of extra weight necessary to add on the bottom-battery counterweight?
Any other things like mic holder removal, camera battery size or anything else which might be useful to know? Thanks!

John Stakes · January 1st, 2009, 11:16 AM

not sure if this helps but great info:
Canon XHA1 and Steadicam Merlin ? Tutorial By Shiv Kumar On ExposureRoom

JS

Jerry Davis · January 6th, 2009, 03:09 PM

Steven, sorry! Wrong info. To much eggnog. It is the #1 hole. Also, there are 2 "D" size batteries in the battery compartment and the weight is a small 1 1/4 lb dumbbell weight, kinda like me, with the monitor out. To mount the camera I used a small hex head bolt and you have to be aware that there ain't a lot of room for that bolt when you start trimming fore/aft and side/side. I had to grind the bolt head a little bit. I got it to balance very well. Yeah, there may be too much weight on the gimble as was mentioned and the weight of this setup wears me out quick. On another thread, I inquired about the Verizoom vest and arm($800) for the JR but there has not been a response from anyone who has used one. I'm rethinking the whole steadicam thing anyway. Do I really need one and if so, scrimp and save for a more expensive rig. Jerry

Jim Martin · January 6th, 2009, 03:52 PM

I'd suggest you save and by the pilot....the proper one for the A1/A1s/G1/G1s. You'll spend about $3600 or so and you'll be so much happier.

Jim Martin
Birns & Sawyer Inc.
"At the ArcLight"

Jerry Davis · January 6th, 2009, 06:41 PM

Yeah, I think your right. But it's kind of exciting trying to cut corners. Jerry

Charles Papert · January 6th, 2009, 08:02 PM

Ultimately it depends on how much you are going to use the rig and what your expectations are of the results. Another option of course is the Merlin, which is a significant improvement on the JR in many ways. In the meantime, one reasonably inexpensive upgrade for the JR is the metal gimbal which can support more weight than the original one--it's made for the Merlin but they are interchangeable. It's on the Tiffen (Steadicam) site. Chances are a well-used JR will have a fairly beat gimbal so this will make quite a difference.

September 18th, 2008, 08:53 AM	#2
Jerry Davis Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 46	steadicam jr Aohon, yes it can work. I just got back into video and had a steadicam jr I used with a canon L1 hi-8 cam. I had to add a 2 1/2 pound weight near the battery compartment with two batteries because the camera was too top heavy. The monitor on the jr is useless but you have the flip out monitor on the camera. It trimmed out fine but with the added weight it sure wears the arm out. I guess its back to lifting weights again. The location of the screw to mount the camera is in #4, with the monitor flipped out of course. Hope this helps but you probably have figured all this out. Jerry

January 1st, 2009, 09:22 AM	#3
Steven Bush Tourist Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sweden Posts: 1	further info requested Hi, I've got a JR and an XHA1 and would wonder if you could elaborate further on the set-up. For example (even though I can try all of them) the #4 hole is on the middle left side of the plate as you look down from above. With it attached in that hole and the camera screen flipped out does it achieve balance? Seems it would be too far to the left side.... Is 2.5 lbs. the exact amount of extra weight necessary to add on the bottom-battery counterweight? Any other things like mic holder removal, camera battery size or anything else which might be useful to know? Thanks!

January 6th, 2009, 08:02 PM	#8
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	Ultimately it depends on how much you are going to use the rig and what your expectations are of the results. Another option of course is the Merlin, which is a significant improvement on the JR in many ways. In the meantime, one reasonably inexpensive upgrade for the JR is the metal gimbal which can support more weight than the original one--it's made for the Merlin but they are interchangeable. It's on the Tiffen (Steadicam) site. Chances are a well-used JR will have a fairly beat gimbal so this will make quite a difference. __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

August 28th, 2008, 01:13 AM	#1
Eohon Dunn Tourist Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ireland Posts: 1	Canon XH A1 & Steadicam JR hey all just wondering if the steadicam jr would work with the xha1 (with a small battery)? im thinking of buying an a1 next week and i already have a steadicam jr from a few years back - it worked great with my xm2. i know the limit of the jr is 4 lbs and the a1 is around 4.5 - would the a1 be impossible to balance on the jr? unfortunatly, i dont have the cash at the moment to upgrade to the merlin. my jr has the small colour screen also, not sure if that makes a difference. thanks

January 1st, 2009, 11:16 AM	#4
John Stakes Major Player Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 558	not sure if this helps but great info: Canon XHA1 and Steadicam Merlin ? Tutorial By Shiv Kumar On ExposureRoom JS

January 6th, 2009, 03:09 PM	#5
Jerry Davis Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 46	Steven, sorry! Wrong info. To much eggnog. It is the #1 hole. Also, there are 2 "D" size batteries in the battery compartment and the weight is a small 1 1/4 lb dumbbell weight, kinda like me, with the monitor out. To mount the camera I used a small hex head bolt and you have to be aware that there ain't a lot of room for that bolt when you start trimming fore/aft and side/side. I had to grind the bolt head a little bit. I got it to balance very well. Yeah, there may be too much weight on the gimble as was mentioned and the weight of this setup wears me out quick. On another thread, I inquired about the Verizoom vest and arm($800) for the JR but there has not been a response from anyone who has used one. I'm rethinking the whole steadicam thing anyway. Do I really need one and if so, scrimp and save for a more expensive rig. Jerry

January 6th, 2009, 03:52 PM	#6
Jim Martin Major Player Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Burbank, CA 91502 Posts: 949	I'd suggest you save and by the pilot....the proper one for the A1/A1s/G1/G1s. You'll spend about $3600 or so and you'll be so much happier. Jim Martin Birns & Sawyer Inc. "At the ArcLight"

January 6th, 2009, 06:41 PM	#7
Jerry Davis Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 46	Yeah, I think your right. But it's kind of exciting trying to cut corners. Jerry