Teleprompter/tripod for XL2
 

Has anyone found a good combo for a good teleprompter and tripod for the XL2? I'm about to get the tripod, but waited to see what teleprompter I was going to get and how much it would weigh to know what kind of tripod to get. Anyone have a good combo they are using for their XL2? THANKS!!

Sony AIS plug converted to standard hot shoe?
 

I've got a sony HC1 HDV camera that has one of those new proprietary AIS shoe/plugs on the top of the camera. Has anybody made a piece of gear that can convert that to a standard hot shoe (Like on the Sony A1)?

Teleprompters are a pain in the ass! But they sure are helpful. They're a Godsend, regardless of the experience/ability of the person in front of the camera. Insist on getting the text of the speech before the shoot date so that you can input it into the prompter before the shoot. This way, you can format and set the type for their use before you get onto the set. Better yet, if they own the prompter, that's their job. They should have all that loaded before the day of the shot, so you're not held up.

Check out the particular model prompter if you can. I always have some 3/8 - 16 and 1/4 - 20 screws, bolts, wing nuts and fender washers, so I can mount my camera on almost anything. Washers can help raise up the prompter so knobs don't interfere with sliding the rig on and off the head. Washers are good to put between the prompter and a nut.

The prompter will be very front heavy, since that's where the computer and plexi will be. The XL2 is already front heavy, so you'll probably have the plate mounted somewhere between the body and the computer. You may need some time to find the right center point. Budget a lot of time for set up, since you'll want to find the center. It's really gonna suck if you're off and the front end completely nose dives. Be sure to put a sandbag on the spreader, if you have a ground spreader, or on a couple of the feet, if you have a mid level spreader.

Adjust the counterbalance on the tripod head because the center of gravity will changed dramatically.

Get a head that can acommodate around 30-50 pounds. Check out Vinten, Sachtler, Cartoni, Miller and O'Connor and see what meets your needs. You'll probably want a head and tripod with at least a 100mm ball.

Be sure that the prompter's glass is clean. I have a client that has their own prompter and the plexiglass has a lot of scratches and gouges in both sides. I remind them to buy a new one every time and I'm always moving it to see if I can see any bad spots.

If you can get a couple of 1/4 - 20 knurled thumbscrews, those are helpful for mounting the camera to the whole rig.

how to clean old setup?
 

ok i got a real nice studio tripod and head setup, heavy duty stuff, i cant remember the model numbers off the top of my head, the head on this thing is big, i think its a 116 or a 3066 or something like that, i get confused with those number things, the legs are i think 3016 or 3068 or something like that, anyways, i can tell its been sitting unused for awhile so i was wondering what the best way to clean/oil or 'tune up' this tripod and head, i got it off ebay for a great price, also the levels on it are dry with no water, any way to fix that?

How Stabilization Software Works - Dramatic Demo Video
 

If you have never seen how it works behind the scenes this is a demo of how Steadimove and probably other stabilization software does it.

The software basically places your video on a virtual gimbal to adjust the X, Y and Z axes. You ordinarily wouldn't see the borders because it performs a slight push or zoom to crop out the border as it corrects for X,Y or Z axes motion. This correction looks as though a slight zoom has been added to your footage to hide the border. When viewing, open your player to it's largest frame to see the dramatic correction taking place. There is a setting to reduce that zoom effect but more cropping is applied to offset it. To see the smooth result of this demo, simply mask the edges with a piece paper so you can't see the border or just cup your hand and look through the hole, like a monocular, to see how stable the image really is. You can do this in Steadimove with your footage by choosing none as the edge handling value.

How it works
http://161.58.78.36/asx/dvinfo/produ...LIZERFRAME.asx

Lens support issues
 

I inherited a large angenieux zoom and while it has a matte black support ring that is off to the left (arri brand?) it has no bracket for me to attach to my 15mm rods... any ideas how to make one? It seems to buy one new would run me over $200... and since I have to get a PL adapter and a mount I'm running outta cash. Ideas?