Steadicam Pilot Max Weight?? at DVinfo.net

Nick Tsamandanis · March 13th, 2008, 04:36 PM

I have added just under 10 lbs of weight to the rig, which includes the battery and the arm won't support it, hangs down at a sharp angle. Can anyone else with a Pilot please verify? Yes I have turned the knobs all the way.

Terry Thompson · March 13th, 2008, 11:04 PM

Nick,

The Steadicam Pilot is supposed to support up to 10 pounds so you might have some slight problem. Mikko Wilson is the one who can answer this question probable the best as he is really into Steadicams. Either he knows the answer or knows someone who knows.

Just for informational purposes only, we have found with our rig that when we balance our arm low and then lift the sled to operating height (which is easy), the steadiness of the picture is usually improved due to the human arm acting as an extra buffer.

Tery
Indicam

Nick Tsamandanis · March 14th, 2008, 01:57 AM

Thanks for the info Terry. I contacted Tiffen a few days ago and the rep said he wil look into it, just curious to see what results others are getting.

Ted Spencer · March 14th, 2008, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick Tsamandanis

I have added just under 10 lbs of weight to the rig, which includes the battery and the arm won't support it, hangs down at a sharp angle. Can anyone else with a Pilot please verify? Yes I have turned the knobs all the way.

I'm very surprised at this. When I first fitted my ~6 lb HVX 200 to the Pilot I had to crank the arm springs way off - I mean *way* off. It was so stiff initially I guessed it would go well beyond 10 lbs, which would be something like what one might expect - some extra "breathing room" in the spec.

I weighed my HVX recently with rails, a Letus Extreme (which is unfortunately very heavy) and a Zeiss 50mm SLR lens at 13.5 lbs. I don't expect the Pilot to handle that, but I'll give it a try and see how close it comes. I'll let you know what I find.

Charles Papert · March 14th, 2008, 01:32 PM

Unfortunately there is a fair amount of deviation in the lift capacity of the springs used for the Pilot and Flyer. Some are "born" stronger than others. This is undoubtedly something that the factory will deny but if you are experiencing less than the rated amount of lift, this should be rectified--all of the arms should lift the rated capacity, it's just that some can lift more than that.

Steven Davis · March 14th, 2008, 02:07 PM

I agree, I shoved my Z1, Frezzi battery light and I still had plenty of room to trim down. So it sounds like something is not right.

I have learned that depending on who you are speaking to at Steadicam, you might want to follow up with them. I've been forgotten a couple of times. But they are nice people.

So Charles, if springs are born, are cameras hatched?

Nick Tsamandanis · March 14th, 2008, 10:48 PM

Guys can I have some exact figures of your max weight, thanks. Please include the Pilot battery weight.

Carl Wiedemann · March 16th, 2008, 09:02 PM

Nick,

I’ve been setting up my Pilot with 8.5 pounds of gear, plus an Anton Bauer battery (almost 2 pounds) and I still have a small amount of lifting range remaining. Are all the silver weights removed from your rig? Can you post a picture of your set up?

Nick Tsamandanis · March 16th, 2008, 10:50 PM

Thanks carl. Battery used is a Swit 8080S - 1.85 pounds. Total camera weight including quick release and silver weights is 8.02 pounds. This is the most that the arm will hold without hanging down.

Nick Tsamandanis · March 20th, 2008, 07:33 PM

Hi Carl, your carrying a heavier load than me. I will contact Tiffen.

March 13th, 2008, 04:36 PM	#1
Nick Tsamandanis Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 318	Steadicam Pilot Max Weight?? I have added just under 10 lbs of weight to the rig, which includes the battery and the arm won't support it, hangs down at a sharp angle. Can anyone else with a Pilot please verify? Yes I have turned the knobs all the way. __________________ Nick Last edited by Nick Tsamandanis; March 13th, 2008 at 07:06 PM.

March 13th, 2008, 11:04 PM	#2
Terry Thompson Major Player Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Auburn, CA Posts: 578	Nick, The Steadicam Pilot is supposed to support up to 10 pounds so you might have some slight problem. Mikko Wilson is the one who can answer this question probable the best as he is really into Steadicams. Either he knows the answer or knows someone who knows. Just for informational purposes only, we have found with our rig that when we balance our arm low and then lift the sled to operating height (which is easy), the steadiness of the picture is usually improved due to the human arm acting as an extra buffer. Tery Indicam __________________ He's only mostly sDEADy. sort of from "The Princess Bride" www.indicam.com

March 14th, 2008, 01:57 AM	#3
Nick Tsamandanis Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 318	Thanks for the info Terry. I contacted Tiffen a few days ago and the rep said he wil look into it, just curious to see what results others are getting. __________________ Nick

March 14th, 2008, 01:32 PM	#5
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	Unfortunately there is a fair amount of deviation in the lift capacity of the springs used for the Pilot and Flyer. Some are "born" stronger than others. This is undoubtedly something that the factory will deny but if you are experiencing less than the rated amount of lift, this should be rectified--all of the arms should lift the rated capacity, it's just that some can lift more than that. __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

March 14th, 2008, 02:07 PM	#6
Steven Davis Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 3,065	I agree, I shoved my Z1, Frezzi battery light and I still had plenty of room to trim down. So it sounds like something is not right. I have learned that depending on who you are speaking to at Steadicam, you might want to follow up with them. I've been forgotten a couple of times. But they are nice people. So Charles, if springs are born, are cameras hatched? __________________ What happens if I push the 'Red' button?

March 14th, 2008, 10:48 PM	#7
Nick Tsamandanis Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 318	Guys can I have some exact figures of your max weight, thanks. Please include the Pilot battery weight. __________________ Nick

March 16th, 2008, 09:02 PM	#8
Carl Wiedemann New Boot Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 17	Nick, I’ve been setting up my Pilot with 8.5 pounds of gear, plus an Anton Bauer battery (almost 2 pounds) and I still have a small amount of lifting range remaining. Are all the silver weights removed from your rig? Can you post a picture of your set up? __________________ www.carlwiedemann.com, http://vimeo.com/channels/133519 Canon 7D, HMC150, DVX100a, PD170, Steadicam EFP, Flyer LE + Pilot, Final Cut Pro Last edited by Carl Wiedemann; March 16th, 2008 at 09:05 PM. Reason: typo'

March 16th, 2008, 10:50 PM	#9
Nick Tsamandanis Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 318	Thanks carl. Battery used is a Swit 8080S - 1.85 pounds. Total camera weight including quick release and silver weights is 8.02 pounds. This is the most that the arm will hold without hanging down. Attached Thumbnails __________________ Nick Last edited by Nick Tsamandanis; March 16th, 2008 at 11:42 PM.

March 20th, 2008, 07:33 PM	#10
Nick Tsamandanis Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 318	Hi Carl, your carrying a heavier load than me. I will contact Tiffen. __________________ Nick