Steadicam Pilot Advice for AF100

C

chancenorris

Active member
Has anyone used a Steadicam Pilot with there AF100? If so can you give me some feedback on your experience? Did it push weight limit 10 pounds with AF100 and accessories?

I"m about to pull the trigger on a used Pilot with AA battery option and my plan was to use the following setup:

AF100 (stripped down 2.9 pounds)
AF100 battery (estimate 1 pound)
Nikon AIS 24mm F2.0 (.663 pounds)

Optional

Litepanels Ringlite Mini (3.5 Pounds)
Litepanels Battery (needs a D-tap connection)

If I upgrade battery options I could eliminate 1 pound, but not sure how much the IDX battery option changes the the weight on overall rig?

Thanks for any advice
 
Do you have a plan for controlling focus?

Light AF100 setups should be no problem on the Pilot. I've flown the AF100 on both the Merlin and the Archer without trouble. The camera has so many options.

- Mikko
 
mikkowilson said:
Do you have a plan for controlling focus?

Light AF100 setups should be no problem on the Pilot. I've flown the AF100 on both the Merlin and the Archer without trouble. The camera has so many options.

- Mikko
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What set up did you have with the Merlin? I was thinking Merlin Af100 and the 14mm pancake, focus to infinity, no focus pulling, feasible?
 
I'm thinking of buying a glidecam...

regarding focus I'v been playing with the face detect feature, it does work when the face is big enough with respect to the frame size... if only i could disable the auto iris function that needs to be engaged as well...perhaps a future firmware update will allow me to select "face detect focus only"
 
I own an AF100 and Steadicam Pilot. They work very well together, but I push the weight limit when adding follow focus to the mix. I cannot use heavy cine lenses with follow focus either (Like RED Pro Primes). My pilot is equipped with Anton Bauer batts which provide an excellent counter balance. I've heard of people having a hard time with the AA version, and I also hear that low-mode is mostly impossible with the AA model.
 
I use a steadicam pilot with and AF100 & Olympus 14-35mm and it works very well together. Package is well under the 10 pound limit. -m
 
arencher said:
I own an AF100 and Steadicam Pilot. They work very well together, but I push the weight limit when adding follow focus to the mix. I cannot use heavy cine lenses with follow focus either (Like RED Pro Primes). My pilot is equipped with Anton Bauer batts which provide an excellent counter balance. I've heard of people having a hard time with the AA version, and I also hear that low-mode is mostly impossible with the AA model.
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What is the heaviest lens you can use on your Pilot? I just talked to B&H and you can add the IDX kit for 400.00 which I think I'm going to do.
 
The Pilot's total payload limit is 10lbs. Set up the camera the way you need it, and weigh it. If it's over 10lbs, start taking off things you don't find absolutely necessary and work your way down from there.

I was going to try and set the lens focus to infinity.
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People often say that, but it is the wrong way to think about it. Setting the focus to infinity is for far objects, and even setting your lens to it's hyperfocal distance may place the closest acceptable focus too far away. What you should do is measure out the distance from your subject to the image plane, set your focus and keep your subject within the tolerable depth of field. That's what I do when I am working without follow focus. It also helps to avoid critical focus. having a wider DoF will help keep you from buzzing your shots.
 
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I would consider going with a Flyer instead. If you are patient you should be able to find a used one for less than $5k. The Flyer will likely be the last Steadicam you will ever buy with newer lighter cameras coming out everyday. (F3, AF100, whatever Canon comes out with, Epic etc) Just seems like money well spent stepping up to the Flyer IMO. However if it's simply out of your budget then your should be able to make a Pilot work too.

Also the Birger mount seems to be the way to go for Steadicam work. Not sure how much it will weigh but I bet a stripped down AF100 with a lighter (Non L series) prime with a Birger mount should do the trick.
 
derbrocks09 said:
I would consider going with a Flyer instead. If you are patient you should be able to find a used one for less than $5k. The Flyer will likely be the last Steadicam you will ever buy with newer lighter cameras coming out everyday. (F3, AF100, whatever Canon comes out with, Epic etc) Just seems like money well spent stepping up to the Flyer IMO. However if it's simply out of your budget then your should be able to make a Pilot work too.

Also the Birger mount seems to be the way to go for Steadicam work. Not sure how much it will weigh but I bet a stripped down AF100 with a lighter (Non L series) prime with a Birger mount should do the trick.
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I just checked the price of the flyer! $14K??? is that what you mean???? As opposed to a $600 solution that might not be the best but workable? Tell me I'm mistaken.

I'm a one lens man. AF100 and the voigtlander 25mm .98, that's the only lens I work with for my shorts. Set to infinity everything is in focus. That's what I'd be flying on the merlin (and not professionally) just for short little shots in my own projects. Yeah, if you're a dedicated professional flyer - derbrocks09 makes total sense, save your arm, save your back. But if you're just doing little shots here and there on your own projects, and you merely want something much better than hand-held, I say Merlin all the way, even for wedddings - especially for weddings, it's so unobtrusive. The pancake 14mm might even work, too, super light with the AF stripped down.
 
???

Very weird that B@H no longer has the Basic (Non HD Non RED) Flyer on their website.

Here's the link to Adorama:

http://www.adorama.com/VDSCF24LECA.html

They are less than $8k new and can be had on Ebay for $5k usually. I paid $5k for mine two years ago. The older non LE Flyers have sold for closer to $4k in the past.

About a year ago they came out with a RED version of the Flyer with an HD lcd and its wired with SDI for a LOT more.

Looks like a Flyer might be a good investment too if they discontinue the less expensive version. Who know?
 
derbrocks09 said:
???

Very weird that B@H no longer has the Basic (Non HD Non RED) Flyer on their website.

Here's the link to Adorama:

http://www.adorama.com/VDSCF24LECA.html

They are less than $8k new and can be had on Ebay for $5k usually. I paid $5k for mine two years ago. The older non LE Flyers have sold for closer to $4k in the past.

About a year ago they came out with a RED version of the Flyer with an HD lcd and its wired with SDI for a LOT more.

Looks like a Flyer might be a good investment too if they discontinue the less expensive version. Who know?
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This makes much more sense. Thanks for the link. I've always wondered why these rigs are so expensive compared to the Glidecam versions. Are they really that much better or are we paying for the name? I mean I had an X10 Glidecam for my HPX170 before but sold it the minute AF100 popped on my radar. Only slightly heavier than the 5D which wedding videographers are using with phenomenal results. So I thought, dump the $2500 rig and get a $600. What's your take, derbrocks09?
 
I've never owned a Glidecam so I can't really comment on them other than to say that when I bought mine I did a lot of research and it seemed like the consensus was that the Steadicams were worth the extra money of Glidecams. However I recall reading that the newer X22 series was pretty good.

For weddings I would either go with the Merlin or Pilot, not the Flyer. It's just too big and would attract a ;ot of attention. In fact if you are doing weddings I would shoot all of the Steadicam shots on a DSLR and a Merlin and use the AF100 for the rest of the shots.

I really don't know for sure having never owned a Glidecam but my guess is that the premium for a real Steadicam is worth it. They really are well designed. The ability to quickly adjust the top of the sled both forward and side to side with a knob is worth it. Also the easily adjustable Gimbel is great too.

On another note, what Tiffen charges for things like an HD LCD is outrageous IMO. I actually modified my Flyer by running a smaller hdmi cable down the post. It was harder than I thought it would be and I had to make a custom aluminum plate to act as a spacer to allow the HDMI cable to mount under the top stage but other than spending a weekend messing around with it, my costs were minimal. Of course I had to upgrade to a larger Manhattan LCD which was $600 but still.

Bottom line, for weddings I'd go with a Merlin. But for indie films or narrative work I'd go with a used Flyer over a Pilot. A Flyer is just much more versatile. Even decked out, most any of the newer cameras will easily be able to be flown with a Flyer yet will present big problems for a Pilot.

Just my 2 cents
 
Makes much sense. On another note, is there a rule of thirds grid on the AF100? I sometimes found my HPX170 off kilter on the X10.
 
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