Hi,
I'm about to purchase a Steadicam JR, but I'm not sure whether to buy the one that includes the monitor, or the one without it. My camcorder is light-weight, (Sony TRV38), with a few things added to it, but still pretty light, I'm guessing, compared to the higher-end cameras, like the vx2100. Anyway, I'm wondering if an open 3.5 inch LCD screen from the camcorder will effect the balancing of the camera and/or movement and operation of it, etc. In my case, what would be the wisest purchase: Steadicam with monitor, or without?

Thanks.

Tyrone:

My feeling is that the with monitor version gives you the most flexibility. As you noted, having the flip-out monitor extended is an issue for balance and footprint in wind (it can act like a sail to a certain extent!) Also there are certain angles that you will not be able to see the flip-out screen, such as a quick pan to the right. The JR monitor may have better anti-reflective coatings for sunlight viewing, depending on the individual camera (not familiar than yours).

Thanks for the reply.
Looks like I'll spend a few extra bucks and get the monitor version. It'll probably be better to have in the long run for use with my future cameras.

Tyrone