starcentral

Thanks Gabor. Christmas lights are going up all over the city, so the timing could not be better. Will post some images soon. Shooting with Sony F55. Cheers,

Hi guys, thanks for all the posts. I feel like such a newbie but why reinvent the wheel right? Better to ask the pros! :) I am using pre-36 (isco brand front and rear) and admit I haven't had much time to play with it after selling a couple limbs to pay for it. But I hope to get it back on the camera soon and shoot some clips. Any suggestions for "good" things to shoot? Cheers,

Hi, Is it just me, or must you shoot absolutely level to your horizon in order to prevent some image skew/distortion that seems to happen when you are slightly off being level to the ground? Seems more prominent in handheld obviously. Cheers, - anamorph newbie

my advise is buy Andrew's guide, or it can take you days and days of research around the web for what is good, bad, scam. In general stay away from those gold or red massive heavy weighing projector lenses. They will work but not worth it, min. focus distance too far, etc.. good luck

Around $4000 USD / 2600 Euros from what I gather. less if no taking lens or diopters included.

I just got my pre-36 and will be trying the tungsten light source test to see what turns up.

I wonder what a mod would do to the resale value..

I just got a pre-36 and eager to give it a go, will be doing some test shots soon on a super35mm sensor (F55)

  This was a great test, the hand-held is fitting I wouldn't have done it different.   I agree the flares are weak, what do you mean by rebadged 36? I know there is 36, and pre-36, and the pre-36 is single-coated so flares better. Just wondering what is "rebadged?       Amen to that.         http://vandiemenbroadcast.co.uk/Van-Diemen-Cine-Iscorama-conversion

this lens really any good?

  I'm curious to know how the first link ( http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nikon-Isco-Gottingen-Iscorama-Anamorphic-Lens-Made-In-Germany-Rare-/331037712995?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item4d1362a263 ) is "fake" ?  How can you tell?

Hi folks,      I'm in need of a nice anamorphic lens for an upcoming project. After doing my research I would like to get myself a Iscorama Anamorphic 36 or pre-36 model.   I prefer the nikon mount and if you have diopters to maybe sell as well I would consider it.     I am located in Toronto, Canada.    My budget range is $3000-$3200 USD for the lens up or down, which is around 2200-2300 Euros but price will depend on condition, what's included, etc..    Please send me PM or email:

hey Andrew, how can you tell if this Iscorama is pre-36? My understanding is a 36 is 72mm front, 49mm back, and 36mm element right?

If you're flying bmcc then you can get away with pilot model quite easily.

I've been doing extensive research and analysis as you can see from my post #13. In conclusion I decided to spend a little extra and bought a Steadicam Flyer 24LE. You can find them for around $4000 - $4500 USD used. The 24LE flyer is the second generation of Flyer steadicams with wider grip and other improvements such as dual voltage 12/24 capabilities. The best part is the name brand, you get what you pay for and it holds its resale value very well. It will also hold up to 20lbs rig which is not an exaggerated specification. I'm also looking at modifying the cable going through the post so it will handle SDI signal from the BNC connector on the SLED to a newer HD SDI capable monitor. This way I can fly older and new equipment. I have no regrets with this purchase.

hi galenb, I was also evaluating some of the no-name versions and came to this conclusion. What ever price you pay for a knock-off, if you were ever to decide to sell it you might only get 25% back on what you paid. On the other hand if you go with name brand like Steadicam you will pay more up-front but it will hold its value very well should you decide to sell later. As for your comparisons on the different no-name steadycams; there are a variety of confusing models and some from even the SAME manufacturer may look similar but are in fact quite different. Here's a quick guide to various DUAL-ARM complete steadycam systems that I've researched - and by no means comprehensive: [b]Laing / Szlaing / Hotwheel [/b](Chinese) - 1 to 15kg (non two-section adjustable post) [b]Wondland [/b](Chinese) - 1 to 7.5kg Leopard II (non two-section adjustable post) - 1 to 15kg Leopard II (non-deluxe model. non two-section adjustable post. has blue quick releases.) - 1 to 15kg Leopard II Deluxe (has a two-section adjustable post) - 1 to 15kg Leopard IV Deluxe (has a two-section adj. post but comes with additional weights) [b]GMCAM GM-018[/b] (Chinese) - unclear if 5 or 10kg camera [b]Indian [/b](Indian) - 1 to 9kg Flycam 7000 (has a two-section adjustable post) [b]Eemov[/b] (Hungarian) - 1 to 6kg Hawk XT (non two-section adjustable post) [b]Zolinger [/b](USA) - 1 to 12kg XT2000 Pro Carbon (non two-section adjustable post) The fact is you can over weight any sled if you like and it will work - but in the long run it will cause damage to the gymbal/bearings and stop being free and smooth so its best to operate within manufacturer specs. With the knock-offs I don't believe they can handle the weight that they specify. It's probably half what they say it is to be safe. I also personally think a two-section adjustable post is superior to a non-telescopic centre post by giving you more options when it comes time to achieving balance. [b][size=2]Post last updated Sept 4th 2012[/size][/b]