2006Journals forum
Working with rented Steadicam equipment in China during commercial production
20 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- Local rental equipment in China during 2006 was often poorly maintained and incompatible across vendors, making system assembly difficult
- Recently recelled Chinese batteries in rental rigs lasted only 5-10 minutes instead of claimed 1-hour duration
- Power cables for camera rigs were excessively heavy and caused rig instability due to their weight and thickness
- Rental companies in China at that time were unaware of equipment damage in their inventory, such as crashed topstages that remained functional only through internal wiring
- Equipment rental companies did not always know what cables and parts were available in their own storage cases
- Crew members in China handled professional equipment roughly, dropping it on pavement and showing little regard for maintenance or care
- A combination of old model III and Master series components could be assembled into a workable rig by sourcing compatible cables from multiple vendors
- Cold temperatures around 0-5 degrees Celsius prevented motorized follow focus mechanisms from functioning properly
Depends on
- Experience limited to specific Shanghai rental companies in 2006
- Equipment condition and rental practices in China have likely changed significantly since 2006
- Some accounts lack technical detail about specific failures
- Language barriers may have affected communication about equipment capabilities
Gear in this thread
Parts
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