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Camera Cranes


robert duke

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I am in the market for a camera crane. Anyone care to give a lean to any make or model? Any input is desirable. I am taking a leap and headed down a path. Any input is input.

 

Like David says the gfms are nice. I would look into the phoenix by movietech also. They have a showroom in Atlanta. Greatt crane.

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I am in the market for a camera crane. Anyone care to give a lean to any make or model? Any input is desirable. I am taking a leap and headed down a path. Any input is input.

 

 

Whats your Market? As a crane is a huge investment. Not only are you buying a crane, but a trailer to store it and a truck or heave duty van to tow it. depending on what you do it might make more since to buy a job arm. There are pros and cons to every crane out there. You should so some careful research on your market, and what the DP's and productions want. Call around to some crane owners and get there advice. If you want a ride able the Panther Pegasus Crane System is very popular but you should also look into getting a power pod as more and more productions want a remote head as its safer then people riding cranes. If you are thinking about a techocrane, you need to think about the size you want as the back end on the longer ones makes it hard to use in confide spaces. Either way you really should do more research for you market and see if you can make money on the crane as in some areas there is not enough of a demand to warrent a $100,000.00+ investment.

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Whats your Market? As a crane is a huge investment. Not only are you buying a crane, but a trailer to store it and a truck or heave duty van to tow it. depending on what you do it might make more since to buy a job arm. There are pros and cons to every crane out there. You should so some careful research on your market, and what the DP's and productions want. Call around to some crane owners and get there advice. If you want a ride able the Panther Pegasus Crane System is very popular but you should also look into getting a power pod as more and more productions want a remote head as its safer then people riding cranes. If you are thinking about a techocrane, you need to think about the size you want as the back end on the longer ones makes it hard to use in confide spaces. Either way you really should do more research for you market and see if you can make money on the crane as in some areas there is not enough of a demand to warrent a $100,000.00+ investment.

 

I am looking at a whole package, with remote head. yes people still ride cranes. The Nashville market is a Music VIdeo market and while the markets are changing, I still see a demand for cranes, even ridable. I also work a lot in the features world so cranes are frequently called for there. As a gear owner, I have a diesel to pull it and a lot to store it.

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any thoughts on the pegasus crane? Ridable and remote?

 

The Pegasus is made by Panther and is very similar to the Phoenix. Both are great ride on cranes (and remote). The GFM cranes are fantastic. The GF10 and GF16 are good for ride on + remote. The GF-9 is strictly remote and the the GF-8 is remote and ride on as well, but very lightweight and not really good for ride on. The Giraffe is fantastic for tough locations. Super fast to setup. I think your budget will decide which end you go for. You will probably get good deals on second hand Pegasus and Phoenix cranes. The GF-16 is a really expensive crane.

 

Hope that helps

 

Sanjay Sami

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People still ride on cranes???

 

Yes ! A lot of operators choose to ride cranes, and not just in the low budget world. It is a much more intuitive, precise way to operate. You can feel the move in your belly and respond. Also a lot of DP's who operate choose to ride. Amongst other things, they can look through the eyepiece, they can see actors eyes, they can spot a bogey before it arrives in their frame ... many , many advantages. Robert Richardson is an example of a DP/Operator who always rides a crane.

Just ensure that you have a Grip who knows what he is doing.

 

Regards

 

Sanjay Sami

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Yes ! A lot of operators choose to ride cranes, and not just in the low budget world. It is a much more intuitive, precise way to operate. You can feel the move in your belly and respond. Also a lot of DP's who operate choose to ride. Amongst other things, they can look through the eyepiece, they can see actors eyes, they can spot a bogey before it arrives in their frame ... many , many advantages. Robert Richardson is an example of a DP/Operator who always rides a crane.

Just ensure that you have a Grip who knows what he is doing.

 

Regards

 

Sanjay Sami

 

And, not that it's ever my choice, I prefer when I can ride to pull focus. Having that perspective change for myself helps see when the camera hits the marks I measured. It's really tough to judge that from the ground sometimes. It also means I have to rig less stuff- no remote start/stop cable, no long cinetape cable, etc.

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Robert,

 

I'll second Sanjay's comments. Also, if you're looking at a used crane package, get the serial numbers and contact the manufacturer in case there's a record of an accident or repairs with that crane. By all means set the thing up in every possible configuration and see how it feels.

 

 

you may find it easier to shop for the remote head package separately. I'm a fan of "Old Skool" analog heads, as they can take a licking and keep on ticking. Plus they're pretty cheap nowadays.

 

 

Wick

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Robert,

 

I'll second Sanjay's comments. Also, if you're looking at a used crane package, get the serial numbers and contact the manufacturer in case there's a record of an accident or repairs with that crane. By all means set the thing up in every possible configuration and see how it feels.

 

 

you may find it easier to shop for the remote head package separately. I'm a fan of "Old Skool" analog heads, as they can take a licking and keep on ticking. Plus they're pretty cheap nowadays.

 

 

Wick

 

If I was in the market I would not get a Giraffe. Although they are good remote cranes and a few years ago they were very popular in the US, I've never liked the rideable mode. The platform tended to dip to one side or the other if you had a heavier operator. They may have beefed the turret up lately, I haven't used one in ten years or so. Over the last few years, the market for portable cranes seems to have shifted toward the Phoenix, at least in the US. Most of the other cranes mentioned seem to be more popular in Europe and Asia and I haven't really used them, but the Pegasus always looked interesting to me. I did use a Panther made crane on a show a few years ago, I can't remember what it was, not the Pegasus, but I didn't really care for it. It was complicated to assemble.I'll third the statement about riding. Although you don't see it as much, a lot of operators prefer it especially at night because they can see the frame better through the eyepiece. Also, we had a head die on us last year on a shot and weree quickly able to switch it to rideable and still get a close approximation of the original shot, even though we had to shorten it up. I aint badmouthing the Giraffe, I've used it a lot, I just don't see it as much and didn't like the rideable mode

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Most of the other cranes mentioned seem to be more popular in Europe and Asia and I haven't really used them, but the Pegasus always looked interesting to me.

 

Hey D,

I remember Chris Centrella telling me he owns a GF-16. It is a phenomenal ride on crane. But I think GFM has not been able to make much headway in America. Shame really , because their stuff is really the best.

 

If you like the Phoenix, you will like the Pegasus. They are just so similar.

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