Steadicam AERO Users Manual

Operator’s Manual

LIT-825000

Revision: A

Steadicam AERO Operator’s Manual
LIT-825000
Revision: A

Steadicam® is a registered trademark of The Tiffen Company. Steadicam® AERO™ is a trademark of The
Tiffen Company. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Specifications stated within this manual are subject to change without notice.
Please see www.tiffen.com//warranty.html for warranty details.
© 2016 The Tiffen Company. Written by E. Barthelman.

Table of Contents

A Word from Garrett Brown 1

Get to Know the Steadicam AERO 3

AERO components 4

Operating Accessories 7

Setting Up 9

Assembling the AERO Sled 10

Mounting your Camera 13

Balancing 19

Static Balance 20

The Steadicam Vest 27

Fitting the Vest 28

The Steadicam Arm 29

Connecting the Arm & Vest 30

Lifting the System 31

Adjusting the Arm & Threads 32

Steadicam Operating 35

Operating 101 36

Weights & Post Extension 41

Goofy Operating 45

Advanced Operating 47

Dynamic Balance 49

Maintenance 53

Cleaning 54

Electronics & Connectors 55

Contact Tiffen 57

A Word from Garrett Brown

Dear Friends,

Congratulations on your new Steadicam® AERO™.

I’m amazed to say that Steadicam operating is now 40 years old and the equipment is

seventh generation—and both are more sophisticated and more vital than ever!

As each new Steadicam gets better and tougher, as great cameras become ever smaller, our

lightweight versions increasingly resemble our ‘big rigs,’ with the same features and perks

that help top operators nail difficult shots.

The AERO™ is a true Steadicam top to bottom. It’s arguably stronger and more capable than
any rig in its class, and is certainly a user-friendly choice for beginners. If you’re a newbie,
get your hands on The Steadicam Operators Handbook and watch the “EFP Training Video”.

AERO is also a superb ‘run & gun’ rig for veterans and flat-out stunts. It’s rigid and precise
and has all the bells and whistles you're used to. In fact, a lightweight Steadicam, harshly
operated for violent moves, yields much more realistic action sequences than handheld!

And an excessively-light camera (what a concept!) can easily be brought up to inertial snuff
with supplied weights added to the proprietary corner-mounts on the stage. That makes
AERO a terrific rehearsal rig before you have to lug your heavy metal through those 10
minute shots!

In short, the AERO is brilliant – precise, tool-free, super-adjustable and super strong. It has
the same center post that is used on the Steadicam Zephyr model sled, and an even more
rigid stage, so with the A-30 Arm and Vest your AERO can support camera payloads up to 20
pounds!

Good luck with your new Steadicam AERO™ and good shooting!
It’s the best light Steadicam ever!

Best,

Steadicam® Inventor

Philadelphia, 2016
www.garrettcam.com

1

2

Get to Know the Steadicam AERO

Gimbal Handle

Connection to Arm
Control Boom height

Stage

Power and Video connections

Fine balance adjusters

The Steadicam AERO is designed to be precise, user-friendly, and versatile enough to fly a
wide range of cameras for a variety of productions. The AERO is tools-free so you can quickly
make adjustments to your Sled in order to suit the shot or your operating preferences. Take a
moment to familiarize yourself with the components and features of the Steadicam AERO.

Monitor Mount

Pivots for easy viewing

Balance Weights

The Post

Extendable from 22.5” to 35.5”

Indexed sections

Gimbal Grip

Control camera pan and tilt

Knurled grip surface

Battery Mount

Multiple battery mounts available
V-Lock shown in this manual

Post Lock

Locks Post length

Quick Release Plate

Slide-in loading
Safety catch

Cross Rod

The Sled

Base

Quick disconnect from Cross Rod

3

AERO Components

Fore-Aft Knob

Laser etched directions

Graduated Scale

Lock Lever

Secure Quick Release plate to Stage

Side-to-Side Knob

Laser etched directions
Graduated scale

BNC Video Jack

HD-SDI connection to Base

Release Button

Press to free Quick Release plate from

Stage

P-tap Power Jack

12 Volt output

The Stage

Bubble Level

Horizon confidence level

Weight Threads

Four ¼-20 tapped holes
Place Balance Weights at corners

Docking Ring

Rest Rig on Dock here

Fore-Aft scale

Graduated reference scale

4

Get to Know the Steadicam AERO

Gimbal Grip

Control camera pan and tilt

Knurled grip surface

Gimbal Handle

Connection to Arm
Control Boom height

The Gimbal

Quick Release Plate

Balance Weights

.25 lb each
¼-20 threaded

Gimbal Lock Knob

Adjustable clamping handle
Secures Gimbal to Post

Pan Bearing

Center of balance

No maintenance

Rod mount holes

Focus motor mounting

Fore-Aft scale

Graduated reference scale

5

AERO Components

Battery Input 3-Pin Mini-XLR

Plug in battery cable to power sled

5A self-resetting fuse

12 Volt

BNC Video Jack

HD-SDI connection to Top Stage

Base Front

Base Rear

Monitor Mount

¼”-20 threads

Fits most monitors

Angle adjustable

Monitor Power 3-Pin Mini-XLR

Power your monitor

5A self-resetting fuse

12 Volt

Cross Rod Clamp Knob

Loosen to slide Cross Rod in Base
Tighten to lock Cross Rod

Base Locking Knob

Locks the upper Base section to the lower
Base section

Base Release Safety

Depress to unlock the Base
to detach Cross Rod from
Post for storage and
transport

6

Operating accessories that are suggested in order to get the most out of your Steadicam AERO are
illustrated throughout this manual. Please find a list of these accessories here, along with other optional
operating accessories, and consider adding them to your kit if you don’t already own these
components.

Suggested Components for your Steadicam AERO:

Docking Bracket

804-7900 – ½” Basic Docking Bracket (comes included with AERO 15 Systems)
807-7920 – ½” Deluxe Docking Bracket (comes included with AERO 30 Systems)

Stand
601-7901 – Steadi-Stand
FGS-900073 – American Heavy Duty Stand

Sandbags

FFR-000014 – Steadicam Sandbag (sand not included)

Balance Weights

821-7910 – ¼ lb balance weights, ¼-20 threaded (8 balance weights come included with all AERO
configurations)

Monitor

MSC-200595 – 7” 3G-HD/SDI/HDMI 1000 nit Monitor (comes included with most AERO configurations)

Battery Mounts (comes included with most AERO configurations)

825-7300-01 – V-Lock Battery Mount with D-Tap
825-7300-02 – Anton-Bauer Battery Mount with D-Tap
825-7300-03 – Sony BP-U Battery Mount
825-7300-04 – Canon LP-E6 Battery Mount
825-7300-05 – Sony NP-F970 Battery Mount
825-7300-06 – Panasonic D28 Battery Mount

Arm Post Adapters

If you already own an arm and vest and purchased the AERO Sled only, you can use your arm and vest
with the AERO sled. Just be sure to use the correct arm post adapter for the ½” AERO gimbal handle.

801-7291 – Pilot Arm Post Kit (adapts Merlin Arms to fit AERO gimbal)
802-7204-01 – G-50x ½” Arm Post
800-7204-04 – G-70x 6” Arm Post with ½” Top
800-7204-05 – G-70x 12” Arm Post with ½” Top

Other

078-7393-01 – Low Mode Kit: F-Bracket & Handle Clamp
825-7420 – AERO Quick Release Camera Plate
078-4122 – 12” Video Cable, BNC-BNC
078-1121 – ¼-20 Camera Mounting Screw
078-1122 – 3/8-16 Camera Mounting Screw
601-7411 – ¼-20 to 3/8” Camera Mount Spacer

Operating Accessories

7

Notes

8

Setting Up

Add your choice of monitor by lining up the

registration pins and attaching it to the

monitor mount via the captive ¼-20 screw.

Slide Base together, connecting the Post to the

Cross Rod. The Base only slides in from the

battery side.

Tighten the Base Lock Knob securely.

Note: To disassemble the Sled later, loosen

the Base Lock Knob, then press the Base

Release Safety while sliding the two halves

apart.

The Steadicam AERO arrives disassembled in a compact kit with the optional accessories
you selected. The customizable nature means your rig might differ slightly from the units
pictured in this manual. However, all the major parts and adjustments are the same.

Build the AERO from scratch:

9

Assembling the AERO Sled

Add your choice of battery mount to the
opposite end of the Cross Rod. A complete list
of available mounts is on page 7.

First, remove any weights from the Cross Rod
(your AERO comes out of the box with balance
weights installed on both ends of the Cross
Rod; you may need to reinstall these later
when you balance your AERO).

We suggest operating with the monitor at a

45˚ angle to the Cross Rod. This is adjustable

by loosening the Monitor Mount Knob with one
hand while supporting and adjusting the
monitor with the other.

Once you’ve adjusted the angle to your liking,

re-tighten the Monitor Mount Knob.

Second, remove the Battery Mount Locking
Shaft, slide the Battery Mount onto the Rod
and reinstall the Battery Mount Locking Shaft.

10

Setting Up

Roughly center the Cross Rod to the Post after

loosening the Cross Rod Lock Knob. Make sure

the Lock Knob is retightened.

Start with one weight on each end of the Cross

Rod for most cameras.

Your AERO is now ready to add a camera!

Center the Stage in both Fore-Aft and Side-to-

Side axes by looking at the etched Scales and

dialing the appropriate Adjustment Knob.

11

Assembling the AERO Sled

12

Setting Up

Build your camera setup exactly as you plan to use it. This includes batteries, sound gear,
media cards and any wireless focus or video devices.

Mounting the camera to the Stage is the critical first step to balancing any Steadicam. The

goal is to precisely locate the camera’s center of gravity, or CG, in one precise location on the
Stage. It’s a simple procedure, but take your time here to make balancing the Sled quicker

and easier. Watch the Video: Mounting the Camera

Some Tips on Setting Up:

Use shorter cables to avoid extra loops that you need to tie down.

Secure all loose cables with Velcro or gaffer's tape.

We suggest you keep your flip-out LCD screen closed. The screen can move, which will
upset your balance. It is also safer to view the monitor at the base of the sled, so you can
keep an eye out for where you are walking.

13

Mounting your Camera

Mark this point with a piece of tape on the rear
of the camera.

Find the Center of Balance of your camera
setup.

Use a rod or something cylindrical to find the
Side-to-Side balance point.

Place the camera on the rod with the rod
parallel to the lens. Find the point where the
camera balances left to right.

Rotate the camera 90˚ to the rod and find the

Fore-Aft balance point using the same
method.

14

Setting Up

Mark this point as well.

Note: Some camera setups, such as a DSLR with a zoom lens, may have the Fore-Aft

balance point outside of the camera body. In this case, find the Side-to-Side balance
first, and then mount the Quick Release Plate to the camera and use the base of the

Plate to find the Fore-Aft balance point.

Fasten the Quick Release Plate

to your camera:

Unlatch the Lock Lever and press the

Release Button while sliding the Quick

Release Plate from the Stage.

Then, remove the two included

camera screws.

15