2010Sled forum
Tango Steadicam sled: a compact boom-arm extension for DSLR cameras
16 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- The Tango is a Steadicam sled accessory featuring a four-foot boom arm with a miniature sled at the end, designed to carry approximately five pounds of camera payload.
- The boom operates via a parallelogram design similar to a jib arm, while pan and tilt movements are transmitted through a cable and pulley system linked to the operator's main gimbal.
- Pan, tilt, and roll inputs from the operator's handle directly translate to the remote camera without requiring a learning curve, unlike competing designs.
- The Tango enables shots in confined spaces and extreme ground-level positioning that would be difficult with conventional rigs.
- It is task-specific equipment rather than a replacement for standard Steadicam rigs.
- The device can accommodate cameras such as the Canon 7D and other DSLRs within its payload range.
- Two prototypes existed at the time of the 2010 NAB preview event.
- Tilt range was noted by some users as being limited due to the mechanical design.
Depends on
- Retail pricing remained unconfirmed, though hints suggested it would cost more than a Flyer but less than an Archer2.
- The five-pound payload limit restricts camera and lens combinations, as many professional lens and camera combinations exceed this weight.
- Availability date for purchase was not determined at the time of discussion.
- The tilt limitation mentioned by one participant was not fully explained or addressed by other users.
- It is unclear whether the boom mechanism could function when mounted directly to a Steadicam arm without the sled component.