What the thread found

• The Flyer LE is best suited for lightweight, DV-sized cameras and becomes impractical when fully rigged with professional accessories like matte boxes, focus systems, transmitters, and audio kits.
• An SD monitor on a Flyer LE is adequate for most work since smaller HD cameras often cannot simultaneously output both HD SDI and composite signals, requiring a downconverter anyway which makes an expensive HD monitor unnecessary.
• Upgrading components over time is only practical with rigs that use standard socket blocks—the Flyer LE uses a different connection than larger rigs, making it incompatible with vests and arms from other systems.
• The Flyer LE's weight capacity should be calculated without the sled battery, and 19 pounds payload leaves limited margin once a camera is fully rigged with viewfinder and mounting plate.
• The newer Flyer LE with an extendable post offers better performance than the original 15-pound model, but operators should honestly assess what cameras and accessories they will actually encounter in real-world jobs.
• Individual arm units may vary in spring strength and actual capacity, and some have been found to handle more weight than the rated specification after factory inspection.

Depends on

• This discussion is from 2008 and reflects equipment availability and pricing from that era.
• HD monitoring capability differences may vary between model generations mentioned in the thread.
• Weight capacity testing was anecdotal rather than systematic across multiple units.
• Specific camera models and accessories mentioned are outdated.
• The thread does not reach definitive consensus on whether purchasing a used mid-range rig versus a new Flyer LE is the better financial decision.

Gear in this thread

Moduluscatalog, G-70catalog, Ultra Vestcatalog

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