2008Journals forum
Operating a Steadicam Archer SE at extreme altitude at Mount Everest Base Camp
18 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- A Steadicam operator successfully used an Archer SE rig at 5350 meters elevation to capture video content for broadcast news.
- Operating the rig for 30-minute sessions at extreme altitude caused significant physical exhaustion and breathlessness that rendered the operator unusable for the rest of the day.
- Lithium-ion batteries such as Anton Bauer Hytron 140 and Steadicam power cubes performed reliably in extreme cold conditions at base camp.
- Temperature swings from minus 15 degrees Celsius at night to plus 35-40 degrees Celsius in the morning created condensation problems, requiring equipment to be stored in protective cases overnight.
- The sheltered location of base camp on three sides resulted in wind conditions that were manageable rather than severe.
- Head-mounted cameras were also used to capture footage from climbers on their initial ascent attempts.
Depends on
- Operator experience was limited to 30-minute sessions and did not include higher elevations than base camp.
- The setup involved a full-sized camera rig rather than lighter alternatives.
- Battery performance conclusions are based on lithium-ion systems specifically and may not apply to other battery types.
- Extreme altitude effects on human performance made extended work sessions impractical.