Steadicam JR use with low-end cameras at DVinfo.net

Kim Kinser · April 26th, 2005, 02:02 PM

So I thought I was good to go with my good old single chip sony's. All but one of mine bottom load tapes - BAD idea for this device. LOL

The one that does top load tapes is a digital 8. Anyway .. it's too light. The rig is bottom heavy.

I put velcro on the camcorder battery and have velvro'd the weights to the battery. These weights were "supposed" to be used for the bottom - and here I am putting them up top.

Any suggestions on how to properly make the camera heavier? Perhaps stick a camera mount on the stage? It just seems dumb to have the weights velcro'd to the battery - and I am thinking that this is probably going to result in me tweaking the fore-aft, side to side, adjustments a lot more.

Any ideas on this?

Thanks,

KIM

Xiaoli Wang · April 26th, 2005, 02:34 PM

Which digital 8 do you have? I just balanced my TRV240 digital 8 fine. With a big batt. it's around 3lbs, with no batt it's 2lbs, heavy enough for the JR. Unless there are some light models of Sony digital 8 I'm not familiar with?

Some people have successfully used quick release plates to get the weight right.

Kim Kinser · April 26th, 2005, 04:20 PM

Thanks for your reply.

The camera I have on it right now is a trv120 with NPF330 Battery. It is the heaviest of the three cameras I have and is supposed to weigh 2 pounds.

It is in position 8 on the stage. I am using the "light" block on the spars.

It was so bottom heavy that I added the obie light and cable, a ,7 wide angle lens, a 6 foot cable (to go from mini plug of camera to rca for the monitor) and velco'd 3 weights onto the battery (2 big and 1 small) and now it is not bottom heavy.

It is, however, really silly looking and I am not confident that adding weight in such a haphazard fashion is going to do this rig justice.

In a perfect world I would ditch the obie light, the lens, velcro'd weights and replace the long stupid cable with a short one made for the job of getting the camera video onto the jr monitor.

I tried to find the "cookbook" mentioned in the manual and on the video but could not. I called Tiffen and the guy couldn't have been less interested in helping. He essentially said, they don't do the cookbook anymore ... get a heavier camera or buy the Merlin.

KIM

Xiaoli Wang · April 26th, 2005, 06:13 PM

The TRV-120 spec says 2lbs, it should balance fine even without a battery. It's possible that the camera is too back heavy and that's why it seems too light? That's what happened when I initially tried to balance my 240. Try using the front hole. I'm also using a fairly heavy batt, the NP-QM71.

Right now my settings are (I have a JR Lite w/o monitor):

- LCD screen open, tilted up. Tape installed.
- All the flat weights in the lower compartment. No batteries of course and I'm not using the heavy cylinders that came with the Lite.
- Normal spar.
- Front-most center hole (#2).
- The gimbal/guide screw is about halfway between at the top and the bottom.
- The fore/aft indicator is about 1/3 from the left. The side to side plate is slightly left of center.

Kim Kinser · April 27th, 2005, 04:47 AM

OK - I tried that setting (actually - I tried each and every hole on the stage).
Hey, it was definitely worth a shot.

The result was bottom heavy and seriously front heavy. :(

I think the difference between your set-up and mine is that I have the monocrome monitor version and you have a JR Lite.

I am going to need to make it heavier. A friend suggested mounting a quick release on the stage to weigh it down a bit. As soon a B&H re-opens I am going to get one of these
(http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ku=5566&is=REG)
and see if that helps.

KIM

Xiaoli Wang · April 27th, 2005, 11:05 PM

Hmm, it seems the JR Lite has a lower weight capability than the monitor version, although both are rated for 2-4lb cameras. I just successfully balanced my Canon 310XL Super 8 camera on it (spec says 1lb 4oz) on the light spar, and I had to use some flat weights at the bottom.

This leads me to believe that the JR can probably work (properly balance with correct drop time) all the way down to 1lb cameras, although the overall lack of weight would make it more difficult to operate.

April 26th, 2005, 02:02 PM	#1
Kim Kinser Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Voorhees, NJ Posts: 82	Steadicam JR use with low-end cameras So I thought I was good to go with my good old single chip sony's. All but one of mine bottom load tapes - BAD idea for this device. LOL The one that does top load tapes is a digital 8. Anyway .. it's too light. The rig is bottom heavy. I put velcro on the camcorder battery and have velvro'd the weights to the battery. These weights were "supposed" to be used for the bottom - and here I am putting them up top. Any suggestions on how to properly make the camera heavier? Perhaps stick a camera mount on the stage? It just seems dumb to have the weights velcro'd to the battery - and I am thinking that this is probably going to result in me tweaking the fore-aft, side to side, adjustments a lot more. Any ideas on this? Thanks, KIM

April 26th, 2005, 02:34 PM	#2
Xiaoli Wang Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 94	Which digital 8 do you have? I just balanced my TRV240 digital 8 fine. With a big batt. it's around 3lbs, with no batt it's 2lbs, heavy enough for the JR. Unless there are some light models of Sony digital 8 I'm not familiar with? Some people have successfully used quick release plates to get the weight right.

April 26th, 2005, 04:20 PM	#3
Kim Kinser Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Voorhees, NJ Posts: 82	Thanks for your reply. The camera I have on it right now is a trv120 with NPF330 Battery. It is the heaviest of the three cameras I have and is supposed to weigh 2 pounds. It is in position 8 on the stage. I am using the "light" block on the spars. It was so bottom heavy that I added the obie light and cable, a ,7 wide angle lens, a 6 foot cable (to go from mini plug of camera to rca for the monitor) and velco'd 3 weights onto the battery (2 big and 1 small) and now it is not bottom heavy. It is, however, really silly looking and I am not confident that adding weight in such a haphazard fashion is going to do this rig justice. In a perfect world I would ditch the obie light, the lens, velcro'd weights and replace the long stupid cable with a short one made for the job of getting the camera video onto the jr monitor. I tried to find the "cookbook" mentioned in the manual and on the video but could not. I called Tiffen and the guy couldn't have been less interested in helping. He essentially said, they don't do the cookbook anymore ... get a heavier camera or buy the Merlin. KIM

April 26th, 2005, 06:13 PM	#4
Xiaoli Wang Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 94	The TRV-120 spec says 2lbs, it should balance fine even without a battery. It's possible that the camera is too back heavy and that's why it seems too light? That's what happened when I initially tried to balance my 240. Try using the front hole. I'm also using a fairly heavy batt, the NP-QM71. Right now my settings are (I have a JR Lite w/o monitor): - LCD screen open, tilted up. Tape installed. - All the flat weights in the lower compartment. No batteries of course and I'm not using the heavy cylinders that came with the Lite. - Normal spar. - Front-most center hole (#2). - The gimbal/guide screw is about halfway between at the top and the bottom. - The fore/aft indicator is about 1/3 from the left. The side to side plate is slightly left of center.

April 27th, 2005, 04:47 AM	#5
Kim Kinser Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Voorhees, NJ Posts: 82	OK - I tried that setting (actually - I tried each and every hole on the stage). Hey, it was definitely worth a shot. The result was bottom heavy and seriously front heavy. :( I think the difference between your set-up and mine is that I have the monocrome monitor version and you have a JR Lite. I am going to need to make it heavier. A friend suggested mounting a quick release on the stage to weigh it down a bit. As soon a B&H re-opens I am going to get one of these (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...ku=5566&is=REG) and see if that helps. KIM

April 27th, 2005, 11:05 PM	#6
Xiaoli Wang Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 94	Hmm, it seems the JR Lite has a lower weight capability than the monitor version, although both are rated for 2-4lb cameras. I just successfully balanced my Canon 310XL Super 8 camera on it (spec says 1lb 4oz) on the light spar, and I had to use some flat weights at the bottom. This leads me to believe that the JR can probably work (properly balance with correct drop time) all the way down to 1lb cameras, although the overall lack of weight would make it more difficult to operate.