Letus Gimbal

[Zeb B]

Yes Terry, I agree that you can do that, but first of all it takes $1200 of additional hardware to do that, and secondly, it is not as easy as just grabbing the already-present top handle on a yoke system. Don't get me wrong, I love the helix and am defending it in this argument. My partner feels like he will use a gimbal primarily in low mode with one hand and sees two hand operation as a more painful, hard to manage configuration. I am trying to argue that helix is just as easy as a yoke system to use one-handed.

Have be your partner demo both. Maybe you'll buy both ;-)

 

[Terry VerHaar]

Yes Terry, I agree that you can do that, but first of all it takes $1200 of additional hardware to do that, and secondly, it is not as easy as just grabbing the already-present top handle on a yoke system. Don't get me wrong, I love the helix and am defending it in this argument. My partner feels like he will use a gimbal primarily in low mode with one hand and sees two hand operation as a more painful, hard to manage configuration. I am trying to argue that helix is just as easy as a yoke system to use one-handed.

Not to quibble but to be accurate, the 4th axis is about $900.

 

[Terry VerHaar]

Hi Terry,

Did Fedex deliver your rig today???

Yes. Picked it up at Fedex office late today. Since it's a day later than I had hoped, I probably can't do much with it until Thursday or Friday, now. :-(

 

[Tom Greenberg]

Not to quibble but to be accurate, the 4th axis is about $900.

Yes it is...plus a couple hundred bucks for a top handle if you want to dedicate one to this use...so ok, $1100, not $1200.

 

[Tom Greenberg]

Have be your partner demo both

Easier said than done out here in flyover country.

 

[Terry VerHaar]

Yes it is...plus a couple hundred bucks for a top handle if you want to dedicate one to this use...so ok, $1100, not $1200.

AFAIK, the 4th axis includes the top handle.

 

[PC Greene]

Hi Heinle,

Per your suggestion I PMd Aaron on the 21st & have still not heard back regarding "seal team" forum access. As well, I have had no notification regarding final payment & wanted to be sure I'm still on your radar.

Thank you,

 

[Joel Arvidsson]

Yes. Picked it up at Fedex office late today. Since it's a day later than I had hoped, I probably can't do much with it until Thursday or Friday, now. :-(

Yiiha! Now im getting exited! lookingforward to se a video from you on friday. Would be fun if you tried different transportations. Like from a car filming another car. Or sitting at the back of a car thats driving slow and filming some kids with there bikes behind. Or any kind of wagon that some one pulls, as a last resort dolly.


Edit: Make it two videos. One that shows little bts with the setup and you with the helix in action. A good shoot that could be done inside the house is filming a mirror with it.

 

[Zeb B]

Hey Terry,

Shoot something like this tomorrow:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tHRLX8jRjq8

Looking forward to it ;-)

 

[Note Suwanchote]

Yes if possible give us something, even if its simple, to see please. Thanks!~

 

[Tom Greenberg]

AFAIK, the 4th axis includes the top handle.

Thanks Terry, that's good to know. The info on the website is still a little sparse when it comes to details like that.

 

[JD Holloway]

Does anybody else think that the 1000$ or so for the "fourth axis" is a little steep?
its basically a bracket and a couple of ABEC bearings, maybe a handle, is it not?

 

[Mark L. Pederson]

Does anybody else think that the 1000$ or so for the "fourth axis" is a little steep?
its basically a bracket and a couple of ABEC bearings, maybe a handle, is it not?

I'm sure WC is making the $299 version already

 

[Elijah Kelley]

Wise of Heinle to wait on the patent pending as this will ensure or at least protect the interests against quick substitutes. After all, businesses are in business to make money. Well, at least most of are.

 

[Note Suwanchote]

any footage from any of the early birds?

 

[Terry VerHaar]

Because I am one of these lucky "early birds," I feel the need to provide a status report.

I expected my Helix Monday morning, and planned accordingly, but Fedex had other ideas and I ended up getting it late on Tuesday afternoon. This morning (Wed) at 6 AM when I was able to open it up and check things out I quickly realized that this was a piece of professional equipment, more like a RED camera than a Kodak instamatic. The long and the short of it is that it will take bit of time to configure and balance it, and get a sense of how it behaves. Since I have somewhat limited time for the remainder of the week, I hope I won't become hugely unpopular because I don't get footage up right away.

First impressions are that it is as well built as it looks in the pictures and the case is a very nice Pelican 1600 with a custom cut for the full 4 axis set-up and plenty of accessories. I screwed up and forgot to order a custom RED/lemo power cable so I am asking that to be sent ASAP. If I don't get it right away, I'll test things out flying a Side Handle with a Redvolt. Might be a good way to go in some situations anyway. Deciding exactly the best way to set the camera up might actually end up being the most time consuming and important exercise since weight and balance will be so important when flying something like this without support.

Gotta run now but I'll try to share more thoughts later...http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/

 

[scott devitte]

A new Grammar-

I want to second what Terry is saying here. I got mine, but in preparing to go to Cuba, I have had no real time to work with it.
That being said, with it in hand you realize immediately that this is a tool, a very complex tool, and being a person who is very deliberate about how I shoot, I don't see anyway that I can just throw up some shots, I don't exhibit YouTube gee whiz enthusiasms.
It is a beautiful piece of gear. I think in the run up to researching and buying a gimbal many of us, certainly I was very hot on the pursuit and dreaming of the possibilities it offers.
But folks, it is going to be work and to integrate it into my style and routine is going to require a major rethink of how I use my time.
Even though I plan on shooting with it on my Cuba project in the next few days, I would caution anybody on taking delivery and booking a shoot the next day.
I am estactic to have it but the reality is that I now have to learn how to tell it what to do. It is, for me, not being a steadycam op, an entirely new grammar.
This is not a hammer or a screwdriver or a crescent wrench, it is a whole toolbox of possibility, an extension of your nervous system.

I am sure that buying into Letus and being a part of the community building around it was the right thing to do and is just the start of a really great adventure.

I do have one serious immediate observation- at NAB when I worked with it and in all of the videos I watched of the Letus team demoing it, they always used a battery belt. It was only after receiving many requests that they added an onboard battery. It attests to their ability to implement changes and updates. But- mine was delivered with the battery attached and though ingenious, I doubt I will ever hand hold it with an onboard battery. For me, it's like a fighter jet with external fuel tanks- I dropped the battery load and the whole intrinsic balance of the design just snapped into focus. I will use it mounted when on a tripod or other gear when using the fourth axis and am happy to have it, but I see the beauty of the Helix is its "incredible lightness of being".

I hope that while there is a push for a larger load capacity that there is also a push to lighten and miniaturize it even further as smaller more specialized cameras come to market.

I am smitten. Yes indeed.

 

[Scott Pultz]

A new Grammar-

I want to second what Terry is saying here. I got mine, but in preparing to go to Cuba, I have had no real time to work with it.
That being said with it in hand you realize immediately that this is a tool, a very complex tool, and being a person who is very deliberate about how I shoot, I don't see anyway that I can just throw up some shots, I don't exhibit YouTube gee whiz enthusiasms.
It is a beautiful piece of gear. I think in the run up to researching and buying a gimbal many of us, certainly I was very hot on the pursuit and dreaming of the possibilities it offers.
But folks, it is going to be work and to integrate it into my style and routine is going to require a major rethink of how I use my time.
Even though I plan on shooting with it on my Cuba project in the next few days, I would caution anybody on taking delivery and booking a shoot the next day.
I am estactic to have it but the reality is that I now have to learn how to tell it what to do. It is, for me, not being a steadycam op, an entirely new grammar.
This is not a hammer or a screwdriver or a crescent wrench, it is a whole toolbox of possibility, an extension of your nervous system.

I am sure that buying into Letus and being a part of the community building around it was the right thing to do and is just the start of a really great adventure.

I do have one serious immediate observation- at NAB when I worked with it and in all of the videos I watched of the Letus team demoing it, they always used a battery belt. It was only after receiving many requests that they added an onboard battery. It attests to their ability to implement changes and updates. But- mine was delivered with the battery attached and though ingenious, I doubt I will ever hand hold it with an onboard battery. For me, it's like a fighter jet with external fuel tanks- I dropped the battery load and the whole intrinsic balance of the design just snapped into focus. I will use it mounted when on a tripod or other gear when using the fourth axis and am happy to have it, but I see the beauty of the Helix is its "incredible lightness of being".

I hope that while there is a push for a larger load capacity that there is also a push to lighten and miniaturize it even further as smaller more specialized cameras come to market.

I am smitten. Yes indeed.

Did you remove the juice box or did you just leave it attached? I wasn't sure how to remove the box. I could also see working tethered as a nice solution. On the other hand the battery isn't as heavy as I expected. It's more how it affects the balance I think.

 

[Zeb B]

A gimbal is in fact a whole new piece of gear that has a learning curve. This is leading edge tech so not for those who are looking for the EZ button. In time tech will get more mass market but for now unless you're committed to learning some backend tech (similar to a RED cam) you might want to wait it out.

You don't book an Octo the day after purchase - you need time to learn the tech before bringing it on set. Same goes for a gimbal

 

[Nick Fury]

I just posted on my thread that the weight is 8.5LB WITH CAMERA PLATE.

Battery is .5LB so you are looking at total weight of 9LB + extra Monitor cable, Monitor, Focus and Wirelss accessories. Added to yiur camera set up.

Right there on a Unit/kg basis, with Ronin.