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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Epic on Spyder Jib

Doug,

I'm thrilled to see you have a portable/mobile/lightweight floating jib around made for cameras like the EPIC! I would love to be one of the few beta testers as well.

I think under $3000 is a very fair price for this. People need to make $ and it's also the time and innovated design that should be charged for as well.

Norm
 
Christian

We ship directly to Europe.

More details including price here:

longvalleyequip.com

I hope to have beta Spyder jibs in 8-10 weeks . . .
 
Doug, I don't think I'll be putting the Cooke on this! :-)

But it does look very sweet; I could see myself investing on this - it's getting to be in the 'cheap enough to own' category.

I would gently agree with other posters regarding the quality of the movement: it looks like it's not *quite* there yet. Maybe the operator needs more practice, as Doug suggested, and you should reshoot something once they've got it. Maybe some kind of springs or dampening is needed. As it is... yes, especially at changes in direction, it wasn't entirely smooth, there was enough jerkiness there to attract attention to the 'mechanics' of the shot, if you see what I mean. Maybe maxing out the weight on both ends to provide some inertia would help?

On which note... what does the complete job weigh?

Oh and Constantine:

No reason to go on about this if you dont see it.

After all history is here for everyone to research and find out.

All you got to do is a simple search.

If you were a native English speaker I wouldn't hesitate to call that 'snide'. As it is I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

If you're going to be snide, better not to say anything at all. If you have a criticism, of the man or the machine, man up and say it straight.

Mike
 
This jib is like any other jib in terms of performing a move.
Manual jibs specially light weight dont produce the smoother shots that one can perform.
This is down to practice,tuning of the jib friction and the camera head, to make the best out of it.
There are operators that are really good on this and operators that arent.
you can produce the exact shots with just a small jib on a small track or if the terrain is flat enough , with just wheels.
It the same technique.
However I dont see any friction adjustments for the moves on the axis, and this has its explanation as sometimes friction if not applied in the correct way like a fluid head, and just by screws on discs, messes up badly .
However, this is all down to practice, inertial, and tuning, and as I understand the guy who tried this was his first time trying this , so these moves dont represent 100% what this jib is capable of doing.
But dont expect to perform with big lenses, no matter how good you are, this always is a compromise .
the more you do it the better you get.
its the same exapple in steadicam operation. It takes you years to learn how to perform with bigger lenses with out jerk. If one puts a steadicam on for the first time the shots are even worst than handheld lol. that doesnt mean anything for the machine.

Because there is no friction on this jib arm, I would really work with a fluid head adjusting it with the smallest friction adjustment , even with no friction at all.
And then try to hold the camera as less as possible. But thats just me , using steadicam techniques as I have been doing this for quite a while.
One can find his own way around this. But a free float jib with no friction and a medium to heavily adjusted fluid head will cause problems on the performance of a more complex move. The best stabilized moves will have to be the ones with a locked camera, and just jib moves.

Regards
 
Mike I did. I just erased it all . Because when I did I was blamed for doing this on purpose.
so I erased to end this.

regards

Ahhh ok... I see what you mean, you had made some comments earlier which you erased or retracted. That kinda confused the thread.

When you told people to 'search for history' it sounded as if you were saying 'there are some bad things about this company but I'm not going to say them, but if you google you'll find them'. That's what I meant by sounding 'snide'.

No probs.

Mike
 
Hello All,

Disregarding the comment about patents etc... Another european-based company (but also ww selling):

http://www.pallada.nl/jix.htm

I have been using this scissor jib-arm for over 5 years with a great satisfaction, even with a full load red one :0) It does its job and is based on the KISS principle: Keep it simple stupid..

It has its own base and with some additional items it runs on track as well.

Good luck

Onno Perdijk
KeyGrip, Holland
www.solidgripsystems.eu
 
Well at 75 Kg with out cases, and 86 kg with case , the jix isnt exactly a light weight tool , and it cant work with the already carried with you tripod.
it has to work with its own base and support system , so its not exactly comparable.

Scissor crane is the original design of this, not sure if its patented but this has been around for years as well. But its a monster.

http://www.filmotechnic.net/scissor.htm
 
Doug,

That is outstanding! How about also making a slightly beefier version that can carry @ 25 lbs? That would give us more head/lens/accessory options.
 
Could make a beefier version someday.

The Spyder Jib weighs 20 lb (9 kg). Weights used in the video to balance the Epic and Gimbal head = 15 pounds (7kg). I am putting the capacity of the Spyder at 15 pounds but won't know for sure until I test to failure.
 
Hi folks -

I've been shooting with the Spyder and also refining it. Just got my Epic up and running, so I can do more now than before. Will post more footage soon.

Yes, you can use the gimbal head with the Seven Jib. Working on those, too.
 
Sorry to resuscitate an old thread, but I came across the Spyder jib, but find that its still 'under development'. Do we give up on this? Or is there an ETA for delivery now? Thanks.
 
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