Sreadicam Flyer and RED at DVinfo.net

Eugen Oprina · July 4th, 2008, 10:50 AM

Hi,
Anyone tried to use the flyer with RED?
Does it work?
Isn't RED to heavy?
Thank you for answers,
Eugen

Jack Walker · July 4th, 2008, 11:27 AM

Not a direct answer, but perhaps helpful.

I believe the body of the Red One weights about 15 lbs. Then add lens and whatever else you need, a production setup can weigh over 40 lbs. This can be cut down by leaving off a monitor, rails etc., but it will still be hefty.

The ActionProducts ActionCam that is setup specifically for the Red Camera will take an 11-41 lbs. load:
http://actionproducts.ch/actioncam/red-edition.html

I think the flyer is meant for a camera load of 5-19 lbs. The Red is not listed on the camera chart for the Flyer, and the cameras that are listed are rather lightweight, the JVC HD series being at the top of the weight range for the flyer (much lighter than the Red, I believe):
http://actionproducts.ch/actioncam/red-edition.html

At Cinegear I saw a Red Camera on the ActionCam that in turn was on a SegWay. From the point of an observor, the Red Camera seemed to fly very well on the ActionCam, and the ActionCam looked very well made. It seemed like a good option for a cost effective steadycam for the Red Camera... but as I said in another thread, my only experience has been to watch the thing, but I have read several positive reviews of the ActionCam.

Hopefully, someone who has been flying a Red camera can talk about what options are used to setup up the camera and what rig is used to fly it (and how much a Red setup to fly weighs).

Eugen Oprina · July 4th, 2008, 01:24 PM

Thank you very much for the answer Jack.
I'll give it a try tomorrow and share the conclusion.
Thanks again,
Eugen

Charles Papert · July 4th, 2008, 04:50 PM

There was also a RED camera on a Flyer at Cinegear, at the Tiffen booth. Admittedly it was completely stripped down, but it is possible to fly in a production mode with a minimum of accessories and a light lens. The spec for the RED One is actually 10 lbs naked; with a 4 lb lens, clip-on mattebox, single channel lens control and downconverter (if not using the HD version of the FLyer), you would be under the 19 lb rated weight (it can take a bit more than that if necessary). You would use the Flyer's battery to power the camera, and use the CF cards rather than the hard drive.

The Actioncam is a solidly made rig and I have said before that it performs much better than most of the inexpensive solutions in its class. I do however not care for the way that it is nominally configured with the RED rods oriented vertically (which minimizes rather than maximizes inertia), and in fact at the show I helped the folks who owned the Actioncam/Segway combo at Cinegear reconfigure into a much more stable setup which you may have seen.

Many RED shoots are low-budget, and many low-budget shoots have limited lens choices, and I have already seen a few instances where folks are being forced to fly tremendously obese zooms with a RED because they aren't carrying primes. In this instance a full-size sled is required.

Jack Walker · July 4th, 2008, 07:17 PM

Thank you for the comments, Charles.

Yes, when I saw the setup at Cinegear, it appeared to be quite stable, so it was probably after you worked on it.

And yes, I can see how a lightweight prime could make a lightweight and compact flying Red, but other lenses would create a different scenario.

July 4th, 2008, 10:50 AM	#1
Eugen Oprina Major Player Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bucharest Romania Posts: 221	Sreadicam Flyer and RED Hi, Anyone tried to use the flyer with RED? Does it work? Isn't RED to heavy? Thank you for answers, Eugen

July 4th, 2008, 11:27 AM	#2
Jack Walker Trustee Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Burbank Posts: 1,811	Not a direct answer, but perhaps helpful. I believe the body of the Red One weights about 15 lbs. Then add lens and whatever else you need, a production setup can weigh over 40 lbs. This can be cut down by leaving off a monitor, rails etc., but it will still be hefty. The ActionProducts ActionCam that is setup specifically for the Red Camera will take an 11-41 lbs. load: http://actionproducts.ch/actioncam/red-edition.html I think the flyer is meant for a camera load of 5-19 lbs. The Red is not listed on the camera chart for the Flyer, and the cameras that are listed are rather lightweight, the JVC HD series being at the top of the weight range for the flyer (much lighter than the Red, I believe): http://actionproducts.ch/actioncam/red-edition.html At Cinegear I saw a Red Camera on the ActionCam that in turn was on a SegWay. From the point of an observor, the Red Camera seemed to fly very well on the ActionCam, and the ActionCam looked very well made. It seemed like a good option for a cost effective steadycam for the Red Camera... but as I said in another thread, my only experience has been to watch the thing, but I have read several positive reviews of the ActionCam. Hopefully, someone who has been flying a Red camera can talk about what options are used to setup up the camera and what rig is used to fly it (and how much a Red setup to fly weighs). Last edited by Jack Walker; July 4th, 2008 at 01:33 PM. Reason: Spelling

July 4th, 2008, 04:50 PM	#4
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	There was also a RED camera on a Flyer at Cinegear, at the Tiffen booth. Admittedly it was completely stripped down, but it is possible to fly in a production mode with a minimum of accessories and a light lens. The spec for the RED One is actually 10 lbs naked; with a 4 lb lens, clip-on mattebox, single channel lens control and downconverter (if not using the HD version of the FLyer), you would be under the 19 lb rated weight (it can take a bit more than that if necessary). You would use the Flyer's battery to power the camera, and use the CF cards rather than the hard drive. The Actioncam is a solidly made rig and I have said before that it performs much better than most of the inexpensive solutions in its class. I do however not care for the way that it is nominally configured with the RED rods oriented vertically (which minimizes rather than maximizes inertia), and in fact at the show I helped the folks who owned the Actioncam/Segway combo at Cinegear reconfigure into a much more stable setup which you may have seen. Many RED shoots are low-budget, and many low-budget shoots have limited lens choices, and I have already seen a few instances where folks are being forced to fly tremendously obese zooms with a RED because they aren't carrying primes. In this instance a full-size sled is required. __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

July 4th, 2008, 01:24 PM	#3
Eugen Oprina Major Player Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bucharest Romania Posts: 221	Thank you very much for the answer Jack. I'll give it a try tomorrow and share the conclusion. Thanks again, Eugen

July 4th, 2008, 07:17 PM	#5
Jack Walker Trustee Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Burbank Posts: 1,811	Thank you for the comments, Charles. Yes, when I saw the setup at Cinegear, it appeared to be quite stable, so it was probably after you worked on it. And yes, I can see how a lightweight prime could make a lightweight and compact flying Red, but other lenses would create a different scenario.