Setup my pilot with XH-A1 and WD-H72, few questions
 

Hi all!

Well thanks to all the wonderful people who have a passion for steadicam, I finally joined the SC bunch. Got my pilot in today, put my QR plate on, and mounted/balanced my XH-A1.

This is what I have setup :

XH-A1 with large canon battery (LCD flipped out)
Manfrotto QR plate
WD-H72 wide angle
4 mid weights and 1 finish weight on both the monitor and battery side (AA mount)
Telescoped 3 finger lengths gripped
and bottom post pushed all the way forward to the monitor

If you guys could please answer these questions :

1) Is that TOO MUCH weight? The arm has a bit of squeaking/creaking and I'm worried about having too much weight on the arm and it will damage it. I don't have a scale yet but I wasn't thinking I could max out the pilot with the A1.

2) The arm stays next to me when I stand still and it does't move but as soon as I move forward or back, it shoots forward. Is this normal? When watching Garret Brown in the B&H video (yeah I know I know, he's a master at it) he can walk back and forward around the back of the rig and it still moves fine. Technique, setting, or both?

3) It's static-ally balanced and when I spin it for dynamic balance, it has a small small small amount of dip. I like the feel of it when starting and stopping. I spin it a few times and it kinda evens out so I'm not sure if it's the way I'm spinning it. Sound normal?

4) The arm doesn't come past my mid section (I'm 5ft 9in tall) when hanging. Is that another sign of too much weight? I twisted the blue knobs but not much response.

Took me about 2 hours to get everything unpacked, steadistand setup, rigged balanced, and me running around. Back is a bit sore but man it was fun. Can't wait to realy start practicing.

Well I'm off to watch the included DVD for some more tips, excited to venture into this new tool. Finally glad I don't have to wreck my arm using the glidecam 2000 anymore. Thanks in advance for any help.

1- Get a scale. Ten pounds adds up pretty quick.
2-Technique, (mainly posture) and setting of the block screws.
3-Don't stress too much about DB to begin with.
4-Go to answer one.
5-Do a workshop, more important than the purchase itself IMHO.
Dave will probably expand in more detail - I just hate typing.

1&4 - So I take it your implying I'm over the weight limit? If that's the case, I guess I can't use the wide angle. I'll be buying a scale shortly.

2 - How does the adjustment of the block screws relate to the position of the arm? That way I can adjust without trial and error and not spend 20 minutes on just that part ;).

3 - I'm not worried about it as I feel its actually DB'd quite well. Just wondering if it goes into a perfect flat spin.

5 - Out of the budget currently as I'd have to fly in, but definitely on the checklist of things to do. DVDs, that new steadicam book and forum advice will have to suffice for now :(.

Thanks for the responses!

No, I'm not saying your over the limit, I just can't tell off hand. The battery system powering the Pilot must be added in the equation as well. The socket block screws adjust the fore and aft and side to side position of the sled. If it's veering off to the side or your chasing it all the time it needs adjusting, this is where good posture comes into it as well. "White knuckling" with the right hand is not recommended. When operating you should only need finger touch control. DB sounds close, when you trim for headroom it will go out anyway.

As to Question #1, I wouldn't worry about damaging the arm, unless you're seriously overloading it. So long as the arm ends up horizontal, it can support the weight, and there shouldn't be any real risk of damaging parts (at least due to weight!).

I'm not sure what you mean by the arm not coming to your midsection, but if by that you mean that the arm droops down, then it's either got too much weight on it, or it's not adjusted properly. You say that you twisted the blue knobs, with little change. That's not a particularly good sign, since turning those to the right ups the weight carrying capacity, and turning to the left decreases it. If you turn them to the left, the arm should conceivably drop, since it can't support as much weight. If you turn them to the right (assuming that they're not at their maximum), the arm should boom up, and require a little force to push down. When adjusted properly, both sections should sit around horizontal without you having to hold the rig up. If it does that, then that means you're in the clear, the arm's supporting the weight, and you're within an acceptable weight range. If even when you've turned the knobs all the way to the right - to the point where they stop - it won't support the weight, you're over the max weight, and will need to remove some. You certainly can work with a scale, but this test is absolute.

With regards to the rig flying away when you start moving, this actually is explained with how we move - we lean forwards to move forwards, so the rig may try to fly away. Your adjustments on the socket block may be off, but you also may just need to practice how you hold your body too.

Good luck with the rig!

Too much weight on the bottom. This will move the stage too far from the gimbal. Try 2 mid weigts and a finish weight on each side. Add the rest of the weights on either side of the stage. Make the total top weight 8 pounds (camera + accessoroes + stage weights).

Also, if you haven't already, pick up a couple of extra AA battery holders here:
10 AA Plastic Battery Holder 10xAA 10AA for detectors - eBay (item 120374689064 end time Mar-08-09 12:42:52 PDT)

See here for more details on AA batteries:
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/stabilize...ttery-mod.html

Thanks for the reply guys!

Nick - I am finding I have to corral the arm sometimes, might be my posture. It's not major pressure but just enough to hold it in place. I'm thinking it's an adjustment though. I'm using an empty AA system as I use the cams LCD for framing right now.

Tom - Thanks man, appreciate that! I'll go ahead and spend some time today with the rig and put what you mentioned into practice.

Dave - I had to load up the bottom with weights as the whole concoction was very top heavy. It wanted to flip in static balance and in order for it not to do so, I had to move the gimbal rather high up on the post or add weights down low. I chose to add the weights. I think I'm pushing 8lbs already up top with the HEAVY WD-h72 adapter, cam, and the QR plate. Insight on that regard?

BAD idea. This changes your whole form. You want the sled on your left side, not out in front of you. Close the camera LCD and buy some AA batteries. Use the A/V cable that came with your XH-A1, coiled & tied up for now. You'll probably want buy another A/V cable and chop it down to a shorter custom cable for steadicam use.

You want the gimbal high on the post, within a couple of inches from the top. Here's an analogy. Grab a pencil. Hold the pencil between the thumb and finger of your left hand. Hold the pencil in the middle, and move the bottom with your other hand. The eraser moves a lot. Now hold the pencil up high next to the eraser and move it again. The eraser moves much less. So moving the gimbal closer to the lens reduces the effect of any movement on the sled.

• The XH-A1 weighs 4.5 pounds
• The WD-H72 weighs 1.5 pounds
• The large Canon battery (BP-970) weighs around .75 pounds
• The Manfrotto 577 QR adapter & plate weighs around .5 pounds
All that totals 7.25 pounds. To get it up around 8 pounds, you'll need 1 mid weight and 1 end weight on each side of the stage. Buy a scale and weigh everything to be sure:
http://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/stor...-1&WT.ac=41901

No matter what you're flying on top, you'll probably want 2 mid weights and 1 end weight on each side of the bottom. Together with the AA batteries, that totals 2 pounds.

So start with around 2 pounds on the bottom and 8 pounds on the top.

Also, move the AA batteries all the way back, and the monitor almost all the way forward (leave around 1/4 inch so the monitor can swivel down without hitting the weights). Always use the battery and monitor in these positions. To balance the rig, just move the whole lower cross bar forward or back using the hex nut in the middle.

Jesus Christ, thanks for that detailed reply!

I run the LCD like that because I'm used to flying like that with the glidecam. I'll start using the lower LCD to help with form. I still keep the rig on the left side but I can't see the LCD head on so it's probably the way I peek at the LCD that messes up my form. Thanks for solidifying that point, you're more than likely 100% correct on that screwing me up in posture.

As for the gimbal, I was worried that I would end up having it right under the sled. The problem was it was about 3 inches from the top and it was still top heavy. I'll try rebalancing again with the gimbal and see how it acts. It's just that I see heavier cams like the EX1 and the gimbal is much lower than mine on the post on pilots.

When I get home this evening, I'll follow out what you said.

I read the getting started FAQ and had my monitor and battery setback. Makes it much easier to rebalance out of the bag! :)

Last thing, when the pilot shoots out after sitting in front of me, what can I fix in my posture or adjust on the vest/arm to have it not be so squirrly?

Seriously appreciate the replies. Thanks again.

Right under the top stage, that's where you want it! I wish I could have the gimbal that close on my set up (XH-A1 and Pilot). :-)

Julian

The XH-A1 w/normal battery weighs 5 pounds. The Manfrotto 577 weighs .5 pounds. Add 4 mid weights and 1 end weight to each side of the stage and you're up to 7.75 pounds. With 2 mid weight on either side of the lower crossbar, your gimbal should be up around 2-3" from the stage, and with plenty of pan inertia.

I haven't read yet about your telescoping setting. Did you keep it at the factory setting? I have mine (currently) 3 finger spaced.

On my setup, the gimbal is indeed about 3" from the top stage... just "not right next to the top stage". I also use the Canon 0.7x wide angle adapter and the V-lock batteries, so that changes things a bit. I use only the supplied weights (though I have extras) as I've found adding extra weights to the top stage doesn't seem to help with raising the gimbal position, and if I add my Firestore into the equation, it can max out the Pilot's capacity.

Julian

THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I have been searching for a decent scale for a while now but couldn't find one that someone has used before.

Huh? Increasing the stage weight should always move the CG toward the stage, which means you have to move the gimbal up to maintain the same drop time.

A friend of mine has the Pilot-VLB and the VL batts seem to weigh about the same as the AAs, so I don't think that's an issue. Where do you add the stock weights? Do you use a QR plate? Any other accessories?

True... but if you increase the weight at the top, you also decrease the drop time. To overcome that, you either have to lower the gimbal (which is the opposite of what we're trying to achieve), add weight to the bottom spar (which neutralizes the weight we just added!), or increase the center post length. The last option may work, but can add to the sway we often see. I know I'm not telling you anything you don't already know. :-)

All my weights are on the bottom spar. I use the wide angle adapter, a QR plate, and sometimes the FS-C. Generally that's about it.

Julian

The CG always moves toward increased weight. Adding weight at the top will INCREASE the drop time, or perhaps invert the rig. To overcome that, you have to RAISE the gimbal (move it toward the stage).

From what I've found on the internet:
• XH-A1 = 4.5 pounds
• XH-A1 normal battery (BP-950) = 0.5 pounds
• wide angle adapter = 1.5 pounds
• QR plate = 0.5 pounds
• FS-C = 1 pound (not sure about mounting plate)

All together that's 8 pounds, which works great for me. If you leave something off, you'll probably want to add weight up top.

Here's what I would try:
• On the bottom, w/IDX batt, 2 mid weights on each side, no matter what you have on top.
• On the top, without the FS-C, and with the wide angle, 2 mid weights on each side
• On the top, with the FS-C, and with the wide angle, no weights
• On the top, without the FS-C, and without the wide angle, 4 mid weights and 1 end weight on each side.
• On the top, with the FS-C, and without the wide angle, 3 mid weights on each side.

Hope this helps.

Hey Dave,

It took about 45 minutes, but I got the rig both DB'd and SB'd with your settings. I had to adjust the stage almost ALL the way back to get the CG behind the gimbal. That's what took the longest as once I realized what direction to go to get the DB spot on, it went rather quickly. Drop time is at about 1.5 secs with the telescoping set at 1 inch. I suppose if it was a problem where I ran out of adjustment room, I could have simply subtracted one mid weight from the front of the stage to compensate?

Thanks so much :)!

I'll be using the lower monitor for better posture from now on. I haven't got a chance to fly it yet as it's late here so I'll save that fun for later today.

-Randy

Another way to raise the gimbal high on the post near to the stage, is to add customized metal weights distributing the masses to obtain an higher CG (camera + weights). For example if you want to add 2 pounds you can make a simple metal plate or a cage. With the cage you will able to obtain an higher CG (with top and bottom same plate thickness) but you can also raise the CG making the top plate of the stage more thick than the bottom one. To maintain the same drop time you’ll have to raise the gimbal.
Amedeo

A 1.5 second drop time is probably too fast, especially to start with. The problem with a fast drop time like this is that the sled will want to swing a lot when you start, stop, or change directions as you walk. A very experienced operator can compensate for this by feathering out the starts and stops with the left hand, but this takes years of experience to perfect. For a beginning operator, a 2.5 sec drop time will probably work much better.

I've tried this and it didn't work out well. It always seems to work best if you add the screw-on weights evenly to both sides. If you run out of adjustment room, it's better to move the camera back on the stage. Here's an example of the camera moved back:
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/attachmen...x1-3-ex3_1.jpg
The QR plate hangs off the back a little, but it seems to work fine.

OK, so now that you have the rig balanced and are using the lower LCD, we can move on.

There are some adjustments where the arm meets the vest. The 2 black wing-nuts that lock the arm to the vest also adjust where the sled wants to sit forward or back. The 2 aluminum eye-screws adjust where the sled want to sit side-to-side. In both cases, most people keep the top nut further out, but this is a personal adjustment, so play around with it. NOTE: The aluminum eye-screws are soft metal - don't over-tighten the nuts, you can easily strip the threads.

But perhaps a more likely reason for the sled getting away from you is your form. The idea is that you control everything with your hips. Move your hips back, and the rig will move forward. Move your hips forward and the rig will move back. For now, just play around with it for a week or so to get the feel of it.

After that, I recommend an intensive week of hands-free training. For 1-3 hours a day, practice without either hand touching the rig. Just use your hips to control the sled position. Keep you hands close to where they will be, within an inch of touching, in case it gets away from you. Turn the camera off. Practice all the exercises in the Flyer manual starting at page 29:
http://www.steadicam.com/images/cont..._Manual_Lo.pdf
After a solid week, you should be able change positions, change speeds, etc., all without touching the rig. I feel that being able to balance the rig with your hips like this is the most important aspect of operating a steadicam.

Dave,

You are, of course, right. I was thinking INCREASE, but wrote decrease, then I started arguing both sides! Hahaha! I must get more sleep.

Your weight calculation sounds about right. I've not used the rig fully loaded in a while, but I remember during running shots, seeing a distinct vertical bounce, more like a vibration, when it was fully loaded. That was something I didn't see in footage which was shot with a less than fully loaded rig.

When I next get a chance, I'll try adding the weights to the top stage again, like you suggested. I remember trying it before, but not being happy with the results for some reason. I'll let you know what I find out.

Julian

Dave,

I practiced today for about an hour with hands free operation. You were spot on that it was my form causing it to shoot out. I was able to do some walking around with no hands and keep it relatively close to me. Can't get it right all the time but got the basic concept and see how hips are very important to control.

Just purchased the handbook as well. I'm actually having quite a bit of fun practicing and learning. I've been doing the 30 second lock-offs as well to practice that skill in between hip training before starting a moving shot and after.

Thanks again for the advice!