What the thread found

• A Canon 5D alone is too light to properly balance on a Steadicam sled, requiring added counterweight to pull the arm down into level position
• Cast iron weights can be temporarily attached to the sled shaft as a quick solution for balancing
• Custom steel weight bars with threaded holes along their length, weighing around 12 pounds, can be machined and fitted with Manfrotto quick release adapters for permanent balancing solutions
• Diving weights mounted on either side of a camera bracket can achieve proper balance and weighting
• Commercial weight cages with modular weighted plates in various denominations offer flexibility for different camera and lens configurations
• Canon lenses with fly-by-wire focusing mechanisms present significant challenges for focus pulling on Steadicam rigs compared to lenses with hard stops
• Zeiss ZE lenses with hard stops are preferred over Canon zooms because they respond to lens mapping features in Preston follow focus systems
• Canon zooms require visual focus confirmation through HD transmission rather than traditional marking systems because their focus rings have no defined stops

Depends on

• Solutions discussed were specific to earlier Steadicam setups in 2010
• Focus pulling difficulties mentioned relate specifically to Canon's electronic focusing system design
• Some solutions were improvised for individual shoots rather than thoroughly tested designs

Gear in this thread

HU3

Parts

Follow Focus

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