2009Vests forum
History and design characteristics of early back mount vests for Steadicam stabilizers
17 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
DisputedParticipants disagreed and reached no conclusion. Read the findings as positions, not as an answer.
What the thread found
- Cinema Products created an early hard-back vest design with front straps that functioned similarly to modern back mount vests.
- The distinction between vest types should be based on whether they have a hard back or hard front structure rather than mounting point location.
- An early Cinema Products prototype with a Mastodon trunk arm configuration was considered unsuccessful and abandoned, leading to redesign.
- The Klassen harness and subsequent designs evolved from earlier soft leather versions without hard backs into modern hard-back systems.
- A three-section arm tested in 1997 offered increased booming range but suffered from synchronization issues between sections, frequent locking of individual sections, and difficulty controlling the sled with five pivot points.
- The three-section arm design was impractical for navigating tight spaces and positioning at lower heights despite impressive maximum height extension.
Depends on
- The historical record relies partly on descriptions of early prototypes rather than widespread field use.
- Different manufacturers use different naming conventions for vest types, making standardized terminology difficult.
- The three-section arm experience comes from a single test in 1997 and may not represent all possible implementations.
- Personal comfort and usability experiences with equipment vary significantly between individual operators.