Steadicam differences...???

[Jeff Kilgroe]

I'll add more to this list here, but the main answer is that the Alexa is not prone to "RED Moments". The film I directed this past weekend, we shot Red because it was more or less the only camera available to us. We probably wasted about an hour and a half each day just waiting on the camera to work properly. In colder weather it starts to freeze and shut down, inside it starts to overheat, it randomly crashes on us.

There is so much fail in your post, I don't even know where to begin. To start off, I would say that camera needs to be serviced. It should not freeze or overheat or have operational difficulties as you described. Most everything else I'm going to chalk up to user error and whoever supplied the camera not providing adequate support to rig it properly. The DP/1AC not knowing enough to complain about the right things. ...I can balance a RED rig on my shoulder just fine.

 

[constantine Tirintzis]

To be quite honest I was looking at Alexa pages this morning.
What I see is a similar box cell in very similar dimensions with the red one , only added a tiny little shoulder pad.
that really has nothing to do with good balancing and as far as I can optically see there is no way to get a better balanced camera than the red one out of this body.
Unless all the weight of the camera sits on its base which is more unlike to be , I dont think there is any differences at all.
I really dont think you got a well serviced camera from the rental, and I also dont believe you should go out and shoot with a camera that you have no experience with, even the tiniest little camcorders have their own little tricks and you have to know them.
Best

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Your assessment is correct. The Alexa is a big heavy brick, much like the RED One. It's all in how you rig it up. In fact, the Alexa weighs quite a bit more. It does have the integrated shoulder cup, which is OK, but not as comfortable or configurable as a Mantis or other solutions for the RED One. Not trying to bash the Alexa or anything, it's a rather nice camera and very well thought out. But it's in no way superior to a RED One MX in terms of technical or physical abilities, rigging options, etc.. I've also read enough horror stories about Alexa failures and have even seen an Alexa fail on a shoot. still beta (hey, that sounds familiar!) and just a few days after they enabled the onboard ProRes recording for the masses.

 

[constantine Tirintzis]

Hey Jeff I thought I was right seeing this.
I just cant understand how someone just by using a BRAND name think that this can possibly be better in balancing, because to me, I have seen this so many times, people saying hey this is great this is ARRI , its so good because its arri, well to me something good because its a brand doesnt mean nothing cause I have eyes and brain to think and explain before this.
Aaton yes you can tell just by looking at them how low profile and well worked in that department are made like, but ARRI s?
Every single arri from s16 - 435 has been a pain with out rigging.
Nothing personal , I love the cameras, but its just not a good enough explaination to me saying oh its an ARRI, nor to hear somebody say OH a panavision thats so much heavy I could go shoulder for hours but with a red one 5 minutes, I mean I heard so many stuff like this in the past its just ridiculous.
I also heard another good one once I was attacked for how stupid Iam in the cinematography forum making a shoulder mount that you can pan and roll, after all insulting comments about my non exist able experience , here comes a well known DP saying stuff like,(oh when I used to do tv shows hand held the Director said he will never use a steadicam again. Because I was so much better) well really sorry me being so stupid but I dont buy this and I have heard this story 10s of times.
Thanks Jeff

edit?> one exeption the ARRI 235 and low profile mags

 

[Blair S. Paulsen]

Aaton is still the gold standard for balance in my book. I love my RedOne and am geeked up for Epic, but the Aaton Penelope with the Delta digital back (I played around with a prototype) sure had great balance and ergonomics.

I love my ET Mantis and have done long stints with it on my shoulder. That said, when you do want to shoot lower angles and other creative stuff that I used to do regularly with my Sony D-30 (typical ENG cam) I find the RedOne/Mantis combo unwieldy. I am really looking forward to the smaller and lighter Epic with the smaller and lighter Bomb EVF, power and media slotted into the modular body rather than hanging off the rig on bracketry.

I have great hopes that the Epic/Mantis combo (especially with electronic lenses that provide servo FIZ so no motors hanging off iris rods) will be a vast improvement for hand held moves beyond typical off the shoulder shooting.

BTW, +1 on the terrific Action Products rigs - great design and build quality, IMHO calling them a "knockoff" is unfair.

Cheers - #19

 

[constantine Tirintzis]

well mentioned Blair.
Best regards

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

BTW, +1 on the terrific Action Products rigs - great design and build quality, IMHO calling them a "knockoff" is unfair.

+1 again. Love the ActionCam and their arm is very well designed and built. I unfortunately don't have the time to spend on using my ActionCam, so I've had it for sale for a while now... But no serious buyers yet, lots of people throwing me low-ball offers and trying to use the economy as their justification or that the ActionCam is just a knock off, etc.. But I'm sticking to my asking price. I think the stabilizer market (or market for used systems) has been tainted with the slower economy lately as I've seen a few ActionCams (mostly from European sellers) being offered up for half or less than a new one. Weird.

The ActionCam doesn't get enough credit most of the time. It's a great piece of kit!

 

[paul engstrom]

Is there a way to front mount the arm using ActionCam vest?

Cheers,
P

 

[constantine Tirintzis]

Iam not sure if they make a front mounted vest, I think they do, but you will have to have a front mount vest to do this you cant reverse the backmount.
However I believe the arm is steadicam compatible so eventually you can use any other brand vest you like as long as its compatible as well.
Brian?