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Best steadycam systems for simple Scarlet set-up?

N

Neil Shelley

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I am looking for a steadycam arm and vest system to shoot with my Scarlet. I have all the proper accessories to shoot with a basic set-up: sidehandle and canon glass and 5.0" touchscreen in order to help keep the weight down if need be. I see some steadycam systems come with a separate display on the balance bar which seems like a nice addition. Basically I am looking for a steadycam system, with an arm and vest that would support a basic Scarlet set-up with canon glass (and maybe more) for $5,000 or less. Thank you.
 
a used Flyer LE would probably be the best for your needs. I have flown is several times, a very nice little steadicam.
 
Thank you for your input. I've been looking into the Steadicam Scout which seems like a nice set-up however it's around 7k. How does it compare to the Flyer. I could not find the Flyer on B&H.
 
The "replacement" for the Flyer is the Zephyr, but really it's a whole different beast. A fantastic rig. The Flyer was a great rig and I'm sure you can find used ones for sale. Check out steadicamforum.com
 
How does Varizoom company fare against Steadicam? I've been looking at the Varizoom Aviator in particular. How would that compete with the Steadicam Scout which seem to be relatively to close models?
 
Hello there.
after 15 years of operating experience I would advise you to look at either any Steadicam original rig, like the flyer, Zephir , or higher range, or you can test and see for your self any of the action products rigs, as they are made with best quality and they really work very well . Their price range is excellent to the quality they offer and Brian is an operator too.
I would strongly advise you do not bother with Aviator at all.
best
 
constantine Tirintzis said:
Hello there.
after 15 years of operating experience I would advise you to look at either any Steadicam original rig, like the flyer, Zephir , or higher range, or you can test and see for your self any of the action products rigs, as they are made with best quality and they really work very well . Their price range is excellent to the quality they offer and Brian is an operator too.
I would strongly advise you do not bother with Aviator at all.
best
Click to expand...

Thank you for the input. What about the Aviator do you not like so much? Build Quality? Smoothness when flying? Again I'm new to this stuff so I'm curious to learn as much as I can.
 
All the Aviator style cheap steadi devices , and there are many out there, are very poorly made, bent metals, and non precission at all.
there are 3 things that matter on a stabilizer device.
the most important is the Gimbal, and though you will hear a lot of mambo jambo about everything made in precision, none of the cheap rigs do carry this precission. That means that not only you wont get dynamic balance but also you will not be able to balance the camera correctly and as soon as you pan the camera will be off balance again. Thats what happens to a bad gimbal badly made. Also friction must be kept at the lowest level, otherwise the motion will not be smooth .
then its the arm, and here smoothness, correct bearing application, design, and springs, do really vary from rig to rig, and in cheap knock offs you get friction and its a bummer to work with, as well as really bad geometry and size that makes everything uncomfortable.
the vest if its bad and cheaply made will give you a nightmare, break your back, even so the load is small, and squick and rubb at every step you make.
if you are new to this, the best thing to do is go and test an action products rig, with someone that is an operator, so he can tell you how good this is.
Because being with out experience at all you cannot tell what is good or bad, unless its something vissual or either you have a bit of experience in mechanics and know
how these devices work.
Go for the best and tried and prooven rigs in the industry. It will really be a big difference when you start getting to know the device and will not injure your back before you
even start.
My 2 cents.
 
Action products

Action products

I have had an action rig for a while now and can say that for the money you get the best rig out there. It's simple to set up and extremely well made. You can upgrade the arm as you need, All the way up to 77lbs. I have tried out all of the other systems. But you don't get nearly the same options you do for the money. The arm is super smooth.
 
I fly the Steadicam Archer2 with my Scarlet. There are some newer options out now but for me it's the perfect rig because I have all the power support I need for the camera and accessories plus enough strength to support heavier setups. Many of the lower systems can support the "Scarlet" but may not work well once you add rails, mattebox, all those metal cheese plates we all buy, and of course heavier lenses likes zooms or Red primes. My average scarlet setup weighs between 18 - 25 pounds once configured and many people don't like to strip the camera down just for Steadicam since they will have to put it all back on when they go back to tripod. Food for thought.
 
Neil Shelley said:
I am looking for a steadycam system, with an arm and vest that would support a basic Scarlet set-up with canon glass (and maybe more) for $5,000 or less. Thank you.
Click to expand...
considering your budget Flyer, or Flyer LE will be a perfect fit for you, up to 19 Lb capacity so you can load with pretty much everything, no 3D though, and most likely you will need to replace monitor; they don't make them anymore, so your only option to find pre-owened. i fly one with scarlet - good rig, Zephyr is better on all counts - monitor, vest, connectors, dynamic balance, it's toolless and you can have another 5Lb, but you will need to spend more;
 
Thank you again all for your input. Through my research the Zephr does look like quite the superior machine in many ways. However how does the Steadicam Scout compare? This seems to be a step down from the Zephr however still looks promising.
 
I own a Zephyr, which works up to 23 pounds. It´s really a great rig and I´m very satisfied with it. Till I bought my Zephyr, I owned a model of Glidecam, X-10, which is much cheaper, but offers much less quality, especially if you walk very slow.

With Archer2 I worked on my Steadicam-Workshop in spring this year. I loved it, but is about 15.000 $ more than Zephyr!

And don´t forget: you have to invest much money in essential accessories: Wireless Follow Focus (e.g. HocusFocus, about 1.600 $) and Wireless Video (e.g. Paralinx, about 1.500 $). And you need a lot of extra cables, rigs, weight plates, a field monitor and so on...

Wolfgang
 
Wolfgang Tröscher said:
I own a Zephyr, which works up to 23 pounds. It´s really a great rig and I´m very satisfied with it. Till I bought my Zephyr, I owned a model of Glidecam, X-10, which is much cheaper, but offers much less quality, especially if you walk very slow.

With Archer2 I worked on my Steadicam-Workshop in spring this year. I loved it, but is about 15.000 $ more than Zephyr!

And don´t forget: you have to invest much money in essential accessories: Wireless Follow Focus (e.g. HocusFocus, about 1.600 $) and Wireless Video (e.g. Paralinx, about 1.500 $). And you need a lot of extra cables, rigs, weight plates, a field monitor and so on...

Wolfgang
Click to expand...

I am mostly looking for a steadycam system to output the highest level of results with a basic Scarlet set-up. A wireless-follow focus and other similar accessories would be nice, however I am just concerned about creating the smoothest shots I can with a simple Scarlet set-up.
 
any of you steadi came fliers out there pulling your own focus?
 
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