Steadicam X3 User manual

Steadicam X3
LIT-077200
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Table of Contents
Introduction 1
X3 Components 2
Installation 3
Putting it on 5
Lift and Threads 7
Ride Adjustment 9
Goofy Setup 11
Other considerations 13
Maintenance 14
Contact Tiffen 15
The Tiffen Company
90 Oser Avenue
Hauppauge, NY 11788
Visit us at www.tiffen.com

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Introduction Components
The Steadicam X3:
Building on the strength and versatility of the Fawcett Exovest, the Steadicam X3 expands
your ability to place the camera anywhere you wish. The additional 50% boom range over the
G-70X brings the Steadicam arm almost equal to the gripping range of most operators. You
now have nearly four feet of boom range to work with at all times! This translates to fewer
switches to low-mode or back to high mode for that special shot. And the lens can get higher
or lower than ever before.
Vest Mount
Quick Release
Fits Exovest
Vest Mount Clamps
Two lock knobs
X3 Link
Width adjustment holes Quick Release Pins (4)
For storage, adjusting width and switching sides
Side to Side Adjusters (2)
Upper Fore-Aft Adjuster
Pivot Screws (2)
Arm Section
Half of a G-70X
Titanium springs
18-70Lbs payload
Lower Fore-Aft Adjuster
Ride Adjuster
Lift Adjuster
Socket Block
Standard size
The patented design of the X3
utilizes the symmetrical rods of
the Exovest to attach like a back-
mounted vest. No changes are
required to mount any standard
arm. Once the X3 is set to your
preferred side and width, it
is quickly added or removed
from the vest, without tools.
The operator can adjust arm
alignment as well as adjust the
lift and ride settings of all three
arm sections without need of
assistance.
Best of all, you are now free
to place the camera anywhere
within an expanded range and
create shots that were previously
difcult or impossible.
Caution: the unloaded arm is
shipped and stored under tension
when held by the arm lock.
NEVER place ngers or objects
within the arm sections in case
the arm releases unexpectedly.
Arm Lock
Holds unloaded arm horizontal
Shown here unlocked
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Tighten both clamp knobs by hand with
enough torque that the mount won’t
slide.
With the waist latch of your vest closed,
check that the inside of the arm section
lines up just OUTSIDE of the waist pads.
The closer it is, the narrower your entire
setup will be, but you don’t want the X3
to contact the vest.
If it’s either too wide or too narrow, pull
the two vest mount quick release pins
and choose another set of holes in the
link so the arm is ideally positioned. Re-
install the pins.
Remove the Exovest bridge plate to
improve clearance and reduce weight.
Like the bridge plate, separate the X3 rod
clamps and place them around the REAR
rods of the vest with the arm section on
the right side.
If you prefer to y goofy, check page 11
to ip the X3 and then come back here.
Note: the vest mount is not symmetrical
top to bottom. The THIN end goes up,
tilting the X3 slightly downward.
Installation
Putting it all together:
Before you go any further, make sure you have your traditional kit set up. Your 2-section
arm front-mounted on the Exovest, arm dialed in for lift and ride (if applicable) and the rig
precisely balanced. This will make adding the X3 much easier, since you will only have to
make adjustments to the 3rd arm section once it’s on the vest.
Attaching the X3 to the Exovest is a tools free affair. And once you nd your settings,
switching from front-mount to X3 should take less than 5 minutes in the eld.
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Cinch down the vest like normal. It
should not need to be adjusted from your
usual setup despite the added weight.
Add your 2-section arm at the socket
block and lock it in with the side-to-side
adjusters.
If this is your initial setup, you’ll need
to set the lift and ride, plus nd your
threads.
If you already know your threads, set
them before hoisting the rig.
Pick up your sled and ip open the arm
lock to free up the 3rd section.
Make sure the arm is locked horizontal
and the fore-aft adjusters are not loose
before putting on the vest.
The vest will be heavy, so placing it on a
cart or lift-gate can help entry.
An assistant can be a big help the rst
few times you climb in.
Hold onto the arm section with your right
hand as you climb in, lifting the shoulders
into place with your left. Secure the
shoulder dovetail and then move on to
the waist.
Caution: the unloaded arm is under
tension when held by the arm lock.
NEVER place ngers or objects within the
arm sections in case the arm releases
unexpectedly.
Climbing in Add your arm
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Like any G-series arm, Lift is only
adjustable with the arm slightly above
horizontal. You’ll need to raise or lower
the sled to nd that sweet spot.
A normal lift setting will allow all THREE
arm sections to move together with a
slight tendency to remain horizontal.
The side-to-side adjustment rotates
the socket block similar to the fore-aft
adjustment on a traditional mount.
However, we must adjust the side-to-side
threads without the rig on board.
Wear the rig and observe which direction
it tends to pull, then dock.
With the X3 held just above horizontal,
you’ll feel the knob unlock. Adjust the X3
lift to support your rig and 2-section arm.
Lift and threads Lift and threads
To make a side-to-side adjustment,
loosen the top knob, make your
adjustment with the lower knob and re-
snug the top.
Test and repeat until the rig is centered.
Remember, these screws lock the
2-section arm socket to the X3 socket
block, so make sure they’re snug.
The fore-aft adjustment uses the pair of
knobs facing forward to rotate the entire
socket block around the pivot screws.
Similar to the side-to-side adjustment,
we’ll have to turn the knobs without the
rig on board.
Wear the rig and decide which direction
you need to adjust the fore-aft knobs,
then dock.
To make a fore-aft adjustment, loosen the
top knob, make your adjustment with the
lower knob and re-snug the top.
Test with the rig on board and repeat if
necessary.
If you run out of adjustment range on X3
fore-aft, reach for your 1/4” Allen wrench
and make adjustments to your 2-section
arm rod-ends.
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Ride adjustment
Fly the rig and take note of how the X3
responds to booming.
Does it follow your 2-section arm?
Does X3 lock at the top or bottom?
If it’s perfect, great, go to work. If it’s not
perfect, take a few minutes to dial it in.
To make an adjustment, dock the rig
WITHOUT using the arm lock. It will be
awkward, but will allow you to dial the
ride knob by yourself.
If you have an assistant, you can boom
all the way up and have them make the
adjustment for you. Just ask nicely.
Make your adjustment and then re-test
with the rig.
If the X3 is locking at the top of the
travel, skip to the next step.
Otherwise, turn the ride knob counter-
clockwise (more ISO) until the arm
segment begins to “lock” up or down
when boomed.
Then, turn the ride knob clockwise a turn
or two until the arm ceases to lock up.
The X3 will typically require LESS ISO
than a G-70X attached to it. Fewer
threads will be showing behind the ride
knob on your X3.
Test and micro adjust the lift and ride as
necessary so all three arm sections follow
each other.
All three sections should move at the
same time, at the same angles and not
require much force.
For more details about lift and ride
adjustments, see the G-70X manual
online at:
https://tiffen.com/steadicam/product-
literature/
Nice ride:
Next we move on to the ride setting, or the ISO-elastic behavior of the arm. If you’re not
familiar with this process, don’t worry. The goal is to make all three arm sections work
together and be as ISO-elastic as possible for your payload.
Note: like any G-series arm, the X3 ride is only adjustable with the arm at the TOP of its
travel. Due to the tremendous boom range of the combined three arm sections, you may
want the help of an assistant, or you’ll want to dock without the arm lock just while setting
the ride adjustments.
Ride adjustment
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Remove the two pivot screws and set
them aside.
Remove and ip the socket block 180˚
so the side-to-side adjusters are facing
INWARD, toward the operator.
Reinstall the two pivot screws and center
the fore-aft adjuster screws to get you
started.
Remember to check the overall width
once you attach the X3 to your vest.
Pull all four quick release pins (they’re
identical) and separate the 3 main
components of the X3.
Reassemble the pieces with the link and
the arm to the LEFT of the vest mount, as
shown.
Note: the vest mount is not symmetrical
top to bottom. The THIN end goes up,
tilting the X3 slightly downward.
Goofy setup
If you’re feeling goofy:
Flipping the X3 to the left side only takes a couple of minutes. Most of it is accomplished by
removing the quick release pins, but you’ll need a at-head screwdriver to remove the pivot
screws and ip the socket block. In a pinch, you could run your arm socket on the “regular”
side and leave the X3 regular as well. But let’s do it right this time.
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Clean the X3 with a lint-free cloth misted
with household window cleaner.
The steel and aluminum nishes are
extremely durable and may be cleaned
with isopropyl alcohol, in case you need
to remove serious gunk.
Check the arm section after each shoot
for smooth, silent operation.
Make sure all hardware is maintained and
contact Tiffen for spares or repairs.
Note: DO NOT lubricate anything on the
X3, including the bearings or spring ends.
Make sure the X3 is completely dry before
storage and transport.
And be careful never to place ngers or
objects inside the arm sections when the
X3 is under tension, held by the arm lock.
Store the X3 in the included soft bag.
Always use the arm lock on the X3 before
docking and decoupling your 2-section
arm. It is nearly impossible to force the
arm down without the weight of a sled.
It IS possible to use the X3 without
engaging the arm lock, but it makes
joining your arm more difcult.
And who wants that?
Consider leaving the vest mount on the
back rods at all times and simply use the
QR pins to add the X3 in seconds.
You might use high-low-mode more
than normal. Build your sled extra short
in order to get maximum lens height
indoors.
Experiment with that expanded boom
range!
Other considerations Maintenance
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15
The Tiffen Company
90 Oser Avenue
Hauppauge, NY 11788
Phone: [phone] or 1(800) 645-2522
Fax: [phone]
Tiffen-Steadicam
2815 Winona Avenue
Burbank, CA 91504
Phone: [phone] or 1(800) 593-3331
Fax: [phone]
Tiffen International Ltd.
Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Road
Iver Heath SL0 0NH
United Kingdom
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email:
[e-mail]
Web:
tiffen.com/steadicam
Contact Tiffen
Designed and manufactured in the United States of America.
Patents pending. Tiffen reserves the right to change specications, accessories, etc. without prior notice. There is
no implied or expressed warranty regarding this material.
STEADICAM®, Exovest®, G-70X™ and Iso-elastic are trademarks of the Tiffen Company, LLC.
© 2017 Tiffen Company, LLC. Written by E. Barthelman