Tiffen STEDICAM Shadow Sled User manual

p/n LIT—257010-A
Shadow™ Sled

2
A Guide to the Manual
Thank you for purchasing the Steadicam®Shadow™
stabilizer, a heavy-duty, versatile rig that will serve you
well for years to come.
This manual is written for experienced operators. If you
are unfamiliar with Steadicam®stabilizers, or if you have
never taken a Steadicam®workshop, we strongly urge
you to take one of our professional workshops.
For more information on workshops worldwide, contact
The Tien Company.
Included with this Shadow™Overview Manual are other
“modular” manuals specic to the equipment your
purchase. Additional or replacement manuals may be
downloaded from www.steadicam.com.
Tien, Steadicam®, UltraBrite™, Ultra2®, Shadow™,
Clipper™, Zephyr™, Tango™, Archer™, Flyer™, Pilot™,
G-70™, G-50™, and Merlin™ are trademarks of the Tien
Company, LLC.
Note: For an in-depth tutorial on the equipment and
Steadicam®operating, please refer to “The Steadicam®
Operator’s Handbook” included with your sled. The book
can also be purchased separately.
The Tiffen Company, 90 Oser Avenue, Hauppauge, NY 11788 • 631-273-2500 • 1-800-645-2522 • www.tiffen.com
Tiffen Steadicam Operations, 6933 San Fernando Road, Glendale, CA 91201 • 818-843-4600 • 1-800-593-3331
© The Tiffen Company, LLC, manual version 7/1/2010

3
The Tiffen Company takes great pride in producing
the best inertial stabilizers in the world.
The
stabilizer continues our tradition of excellence and
innovation, lling the need for a heavy duty, high
performance, and low-cost rig. The Shadow™is a
system that can evolve with you, with upgrades and
accessories to expand its reach.
Like all our models, the Shadow™stabilizer is
designed to be user-friendly, eld-serviceable, tool-
free, straightforward, and versatile so the operator
can quickly and easily congure the sled, arm, and
vest to the best advantage for each shot. Change the
sled length, balance, inertia, and go to low mode in
a heartbeat, all without tools, extra parts, or fuss and
bother. Solid, versatile, and fast – with the Shadow™,
stabilizer system it all happens on the set like magic.

4
Overview
The base Shadow™stabilizer system starts with a sturdy, 2 section,
telescoping carbon ber post coupled to the Ultra2stage – with our
patented +/– 20º tilt head – and terminates in a new solid base. It comes
standard with the Ultra2Gimbal, SD LCD Color 700 nit monitor, dual
monitor mounts, frameline generator, on-screen articial horizon, and a
dual battery mount for 12 and 24 volts (either V-Lock orAnton Bauer).
Included in the base package is the G-70 Iso-Elastic Stabilizer Arm,
Ultra2Vest, Docking and Balancing bracket.
Options for the Shadow™stabilizer include our patented “go-to”
motorized stage (plug and play) and a variety of monitor choices, plus
batteries, chargers, cases, cables, vehicle mounts, and other professional
accessories. Visit www.steadicam.com for more details.
The two section, carbon ber Telescoping Post extends the sled from
29 to 49in (74-125mm), for short to long mode shooting. Inside the
post is the patented curly-cable system – with discrete, 14 and 28 volt
lines for sustained high-amp capacity (14 gauge wires!), plus separate,
dedicated and un-interrupted HDSDI and HD component coax cables,
plus composite video in and out.
On the stage, the Wide Dovetail Lock has a broad grip on the dovetail
plate, and the handle has a safety stop to prevent accidental release.
The Integral Tilt Head preserves dynamic balance with the lens
angled +/– 20º – perfect for long mode or whip pans. The tilt head also
maintains high or low lens heights, and helps with clearance, reach, or
viewing problems.
The heart of the system is the Ultra2Gimbal - the smoothest, most
precise gimbal ever made, with heavy duty, high precision bearings
and an ergonomic yoke. Operators can use “The Blue Whale” tool to
precisely center the gimbal in the eld, even after years of hard knocks.
The post, monitor, and gimbal’s Low-Prole Clamps are either open
and free for easy adjustment, or positively locked, with a snap-over-
centers clamping action. The clamp lever is ergonomically recessed into
the clamp bodies, so nothing sticks out to snag on a cable or interfere
with your grip.
The Shadow™stabilizer’s smaller electronics box continues our
exclusive narrow sled base design and adds a user-freindly front
connector panel, a one button articial horizon, and electronic frame
line generator.

5
The Structural Dovetail Base solidly mounts gyros, Antlers™, or other accessories. There are two positive
clamps for the battery rods and a pull out mounting plate for accessories.
The monitor and the battery pack are adjustable in, out, and vertically over a wide range, giving the operators
great choices for viewing, balance, and inertial control. The Tilting Battery Mount can be angled over 180
degrees for maximum exibility. Pan inertia can be adjusted from a super-whippy 130 pounds per inch2to an
amazingly stiff 2,564 pounds per inch2 (0.9Mpa - 17.7Mpa) – or even more if the weights are added to the
monitor or battery rods.
The great tting Ultra2® Vest is a perfect complement to the Shadow™stabilizer sled. The super-stiff
adjustable spar, “Double Vee” shoulder clips, improved padding, and over-center ratcheting buckles make the
vest superbly ergonomic, lightweight, and unobtrusive. And the Ultra2® Vest still has the world’s best quick-
release system for safety.
The tool-free, super smooth G–70x™Arm lifts from 12 to 70 lbs (5.4-32 kg), yet is lightweight - only 11 lbs
(5kg). The patented “Geo” feature alters spring geometry as it booms up and down to make the G-70™the
smoothest, most well behaved arm ever, throughout its astounding vertical range of 29in (74cm)! The “Ride”
knob alters iso-elasticity, so for the rst time, users can precisely
set how the arm behaves, regardless of the weight carried. The new
tool-free arm post holder is quick and positive, and its independent
drag control delivers the precise rotation resistance desired – from
completely free to totally locked, even when changing posts. At the
other end of the arm, the new “kick-back” link reduces clearances and
keeps the arm from banging against the operator on the run.
All of the above features are integral to the Shadow™stabilizer design,
ready to be used when needed. The Shadow™stabilizer continues
the Ultra™ tradition – as the most versatile and user-friendly
Steadicam®model ever made. It lets one operate with minimum
effort and maximum precision for every part of every shot. The sled
is congured as desired: short, long, whippy or slow. The Shadow™
stabilizer is a cost-effective, heavy-duty “big rig” – the key to high-
performance operating.

6
The Shadow™Sled
Post #1 - connected to the electronics
Post #2 - connected to tilt head & carries the gimbal
The Shadow™Sled
Fore-aft
adjustment knob
Stage
electornics
Docking
ring
Lower monitor
mount
Monitor
Upper monitor
clamp &
mount
Post
extension
clamp
Monitor
rods
Gimbal
handle
Frameline
Generator
Rate & Range
adjustments

7
Camera mounting
platform
Docking ring
Tilt head and
clamps
Side to side
adjustment knob
Gimbal
clamp
Monitor
bracket
Battery rods
Integral
dovetail base
PowerCube™
Batteries
Electronics
module
Stage
electronics
Gimbal

8
Supplied Accessories*
part number
Camera mounting dovetail 252-7410
Blue Whale gimbal tool 800-7114
Hard Case for sled 011-0355
Ultra2® vest 800-7800-02
Soft vest bag 078-5237
G-70™arm 800-7200-05
Soft arm bag 078-5236
G-70™anti-backlash tool 802-7265
T-handle
1/4” Allen wrench MSC-093260
Docking bracket 250-7910
Stabilizing system:
3 ft video cable 078-4122-01
12v accessory cable 250-0045
24v Power cable,
open end 250-0046
Pot adjust tool MSC-104216
Camera mounting screws
1/4-20 and 3/8 - 16 078-1121/078-1122
EFP instructional video DVD-200504
Warranty form LIT-077200
Steadicam® Operator’s Handbook LIT-900000
*Supplied Accessories are subject to change
without notice.
Accessories
The Shadow™ standard package includes the sled, with a non-motorized Ultra2® stage,
V-lock battery mount, 7in monitor, and an accessory package, lightweight Ultra2® vest
and the G-70x™arm.
Recommended Accessories & Upgrades
Motorized stage
Gimbal transmitter 800-7150
Gimbal battery recharging cable 800-0101
1 lb. weights (6) 800-7970
Spare 3 ft video cable 078-4122-01
2 spare 12 ft video cables
Spare 12v accessory cable 250-0045
2 each of all camera
power cables you will use various
2 HD component cables: camera to sled
2 HD component cables: sled to monitor

9
Hard case (vest and arm) 011-0330
PowerCubeTM Batteries FFR-000053
IDX VL-4S battery charger FFR-000008
Battery hard case 011-0368
Bag, tool kit FFR-000013
Allen wrench pocket tool MSC-150890
Screwdriver MSC-191115
Saddle bag/sand bag FFR-000014
Steadicam®logo cap FFR-000021
Spare ratchets with hardware
Slanted F-bracket & safety pin 252-7906
Low mode handle clamp 078-7393-02
12in long arm post 800-7204-01
6inlong arm post 800-7204
Camera mounting dovetail 252-7410
Ultra2® rod weight (requires 2) 800-7617
Follow focus rod mounting
hardware and rods 250-7915
Tape measure
Many spare 1/4-20 and 3/-16
camera screws 078-1121/078-1122
Mitchell mount adaptor 800-7902
More stuff you might need
Wireless follow focus system and brackets
Video transmitting and receiving system
Wired zoom control system
Camera specic low mode brackets
Inertial augmentation (AntlersTM or Gyros)
Video recording system
See www.steadicam.com for a complete list of all available accessories.

10
Cases & Packing
Cases & packing
When repacking the sled into the case,
Insert the monitor rst, with the rods
angled up. Be sure that the sled length
and gimbal position are properly set so
that the sled drops freely into place, then
rotate the monitor rods down into their
nal position.
Many operators cut the foam to
accommodate accessories kept on the
sled - such as a focus motor receiver or
a small VCR.A long, thin razor blade
works fairly well to cut the foam, as does
a serrated knife.
The hard sled and vest cases have wheels
and a retractable handle.
Soft bags are provided for the arm and
for the vest, but you should also use
the hard case when shipping your gear.
Many other accessories are shipped in the
battery case. Most operators have several
other cases for their accessories, tools,
low mode brackets, video recorders,
video transmitters, diversity receivers,
remote focus equipment, etc.
The Tiffen Company, 90 OserAvenue, Hauppauge, NY 11788
631-273-2500 • 1-800-645-2522 • www.tiffen.com
Tiffen Steadicam Operations, 2815 Winona Avenue, Burbank, CA 91504
Phone: [phone] • 818-843-8321
© The Tiffen Company, LLC, manual version 7/1/2010

p/n LIT-257010-B
800-7400 Stage: Ultra2®/Shadow™

2
Stage mechanics and
adjustments
The dovetail clamp lever has three
positions: forward and locked, 90º for
adjustme™nts,
and 60º back
for mounting or
removing the
dovetail plate. A
safety button must be
pushed to move the
lever to the unlocked
position; the same
button holds the
lever fully open,
making ips to low
mode and back a bit
easier. Do not force
the lever backwards
beyond its stop.
Even with a very wide camera, the clamp
lever can always be accessed, but the
safety release button might require a thin
screwdriver.
The motorized stage is position sensing
– much like a focus motor system for a
lens. One use of this feature is to set the
stage to the center of travel, both fore-aft
and side to side – great for initial setups.
800-7400 Stage
The speed and direction of the motors is
set by the switches and thumbwheel pots
on the left (port) side of the nosebox.
Note that the motor direction switches
also have a center-off position, just in
case you are in an odd RF environment
or you don’t want your stage motors to
move. Remember this “function” when a
stage motor stops working between takes!
The electronics in the stage and nosebox
are on “plug and play” circuit boards,
easy to upgrade or replace (if there’s ever
a problem).
The stage is easy to adjust. The knob at
the right rear controls fore-aft, and the
two knobs on the side control side to side
movement.
Pushing the double pole momentary
switch on the “nosebox” to the “C” side
centers the stage.
Flipping the switch the other way (“L”)
sets the stage to a pre-programmed
position (more about that later.)
fore-aft adjustment
knob
side to side
adjustment knob

3
The stage connectors
At the rear of the stage, left to
right (port side to starboard side):
•Camera power connector. 3 pin
Lemo, +28VDC, +14VDC, and
ground.
•HDSDI in. This connector has
no connection to the distribution
ampliers or DA’s. BNC
•HD component video in. 6 pin
Lemo
•Standard denition (PAL/NTSC)
composite video in. BNC
At the front (nosebox), left to right:
•Power for focus motor receiver/
ampliers. 3 pin Lemo (+28VDC,
+14VDC, and ground)
•Stubby black antenna (no
connection, just thought you’d like
to know what it was)
•Tally light connector (additional
functions possible)
Nosebox starboard side:
•Pot to adjust Tally sensor sensitivity
•Rotary switch to set remote
channel (0-8)
Forward, anking the stage:
•Starboard side:+12VDC (regulated)
and video in. 4 pin HRS.
•Port side: +14VDC and video out. 4
pin HRS.
Note: See page 12 for
pin outs and technical
descriptions of the
connectors.
The 800-7400 (Ultra2®)
stage on these pages is
shown with an Ultra2®. It
may look slightly dierent
with another system, such
as the Shadow™.

4
Smart Motorized
Stage
Why the motorized stage is so important for precise operating
This is a crew member’s view of
the operator adjusting the precise
balance of the sled using the wireless
transmitter — a 3 second exposure!
Really!!
Some situations where the motorized stage really helps:
• Anytime you want to trim precisely and
quickly, with no change in posture or
grip. Includes trimming on the y, in the
middle of a shot, or holding an opening
frame perfectly still.
• In long mode (and sometimes in
standard low mode), it is often difcult
or impossible for the operator to reach
the stage to manually adjust the sled’s
balance.
• While shooting from a vehicle, it can be
dangerous to let the sled go with one hand
to adjust the sled’s balance.
For precise work, the sled must be
carefully balanced or trimmed.
Before operators had the Tiffen’s reliable
and precise motorized stage, all balancing
and trimming had to be done before the
shot and therefore the system’s balance
was xed. As well as that works, it
was, as Garret Brown has often said, a
situation akin to that of an airplane pilot
landing his plane to adjust the aps. We
can do better.
With the motorized stage, the operator
can continuously adjust the sled’s balance
during the shot — assuring the utmost
precision for every moment.
Even for conventional, pre-shot
balancing, it is much quicker and more
accurate to maintain your posture and
grip as you push a button to tweak the
sled’s balance, than it is to reach up, twist
a knob, and wait for you and the sled
to settle to a new attitude. The easier it
is to tweak the sled’s balance, the more
likely it is that the operator under real-
life production pressures can (and will)
actually take the time to precisely balance
his sled.

5
Removing the remote
Whenever you want to hand the remote off
to your assistant (or charge the remote’s
battery), unscrew the knurled ring.
Charging the remote
If the transmitter’s battery is low, the
LED will blink continuously after any
button is depressed. To charge the remote,
remove it from the gimbal handle. Plug
the supplied cable into the remote and the
other end into any one of the three 4-pin
HRS connectors on the sled.
The remote is held in place by two sets of
pins. The forward set of pins slips into two
small holes, and the rear set of pins are
captured in a groove in the knurled ring.
When returning the remote to the
handle, insert the pins carefully and do
not force anything.
If you want, you can remove the pins and
just Velcro the remote to the handle. A
half-moon™ ller plate is supplied with
gimbal so that if the remote is removed,
the ller can take its place.
Leave the sled on as you charge the
battery. It takes about 5 hours to charge
a completely discharged remote battery.
When the battery is charging, the green
LED will be on. When the lithium-ion
battery is fully charged, the green light
goes off.
If plugging in a fully charged transmitter,
the LED will remain lit for approximately
ten minutes until the charge circuit
determines the battery is actually full.
Battery life can vary depending on how
often the transmitter is used and the
storage and operating conditions.
Changing the frequency
To avoid interference with other systems, 1
of 8 channels can be selected via the rotary
switch on starboard side of nose box.
The remote and the receiver must be on
the same channel. Simultaneously holding
down the top 2 go-to buttons for 6 seconds
will enter the remote into a channel change
mode. The number of LED blinks will
correspond to channel selected.
Change channels by pressing the fore
or aft remote buttons (channel up or
down). After the proper channel is
selected, the programming mode will
time out after 9 seconds and re-ash
the selected channel number. Channel 0
corresponds to 8 ashes.
(For operation outside of the USA) To
select between US and UK frequency
operation, there are two jumpers that
must be changed. One jumper is inside
the nosebox, the other is inside the
remote. They must match for the system
to work. The jumpers are set at the
factory at the time of shipping. (902
– 928MHz US and 868 to 870MHz UK)
The green “PWR” LED on nose box
comes on when the CPU is operational.

6
Orient the remote by screwing the curved
handle in or out. If the handle is too far
in, you can’t easily remove the remote
via the black knurled ring, and you might
have to back the handle off one full turn.
Loosening the setscrew a lot further and
unscrewing the handle is also how you
access the “tilt” bearings and shaft for
cleaning.
For goofy foot operators, the remote
can be inserted upside down keeping
the go-to buttons on the “thumb side.”
You might, however, prefer accessing
the go-to buttons with your index nger:
i.e., orient the remote as you wish.
Ergonomics
The remote control is ergonomically
designed, and it rotates to any angle
for your comfort, whether you operate
normally or goofy-footed.
To angle the remote, loosen the small set
screw in the curved handle of the gimbal.
Smart Motorized
Stage
regular
goofy
Low mode: Typically, the
remote is upside down in low
mode. You can also orient the
remote for better low mode
operation.

7
“Go-to” Buttons and the
Smart Motorized Stage
On the remote control, there are three
“go-to” buttons on one side in addition to
the four original “trim” buttons (as well
as two other “spare” buttons).
The go-to buttons move the stage
to specic marks, dened by the
operator. One position is usually the
nominal balance, and the other two are
programmed for some other part of the
shot. During the shot, the operator (or an
assistant holding the removable remote)
pushes a go-to button to move the stage
precisely to a new trim setting. Pushing
the “home” button at any time returns
the stage to the nominal trim. No more
counting revolutions or so many seconds;
the stage moves exactly where you want
it to — and back.
In addition to big tilts and Dutch angles,
you might set a button to “post perfectly
vertical and in dynamic balance,” and use
another button for the nominal trim for
the shot at hand. Or set the three buttons
to roughly account for the side to side
movement of lm in some magazines.
Programming is a snap. It’s just like
programming the stations on a car radio.
Move the stage to the desired position,
either manually or using the traditional
trim buttons. Then hold one of the go-
to buttons down for three seconds. The
green LED will ash twice, and it’s set.
You can even program any button on
the y, during the shot, if you have the
mental reserves...
Each go-to button simultaneously
programs the fore-aft and the side to side
position of the stage. Trimming fore-
aft may slightly alter your side to side
balance, or you may want to program
in a severe Dutch angle. You can even
program two or three buttons for the
same trim if you like, so you don’t have
to think about which button to push!
The positions are stored in non-volatile
memory, so changing batteries or turning
off the sled power does not erase your
presets.
The center go-to button on remote shares
the same preset as the “L” position on the
switch on the nose box. The “L” position
is programmed exactly like the center go-
to button on the remote, and the red mode
LED on the nosebox will ash to conrm
programming.
The “C” button can be programmed the
same way as the “L” button. It might be
useful to reprogram the “center” position
if you were working with a camera
and the nominal balance was shifted
signicantly side to side. Then everytime
you changed lenses or started the day you
would not have far to go to rebalance side
to side.
Holding one of the go-to buttons down
for more than six seconds will clear all
programming for that button and make
it non-operational. The green LED will
ash 3 times. It’s a good idea to clear out
all 3 buttons at the beginning of the day.

8
The Tilt Head
The integral, low prole head is designed
to alter the lens angle plus or minus 20
degrees from horizontal with only a
minor shift of the camera’s c.g.
The most important
use of the tilt head is in
normal operating. Instead
of trimming even two or
three degrees for a shot
by altering the sled’s
balance, use the tilt head
to preserve a perfectly
vertical post and keep your
sled in dynamic balance.
Tilt Head
First, the operator determines the proper
length of sled, optimal monitor viewing
position, inertia, and lens height. Then
the operator adjusts the camera to the
nominal tilt angle for the shot.
Trim for headroom
Without the tilt head, much of the benet of getting the sled into dynamic balance is
wasted when one alters the trim of the rig as much as a few degrees. For example,
operators routinely trim their sleds for headroom. This action puts the rig out of both
static and dynamic balance.

9
The Tilt Head — General
Operating
Even if the sled is slightly out of perfect
dynamic balance, it’s a whole lot easier
to hold the post vertical than at any other
angle, especially when panning and
accelerating - which we tend to do a lot
when operating. The tilt head keeps the
post vertical in many situations, making it
easier to operate and keep things level.
Another benet of the tilt head: a whole
new class of whip pans is now possible.
All whip pans are done in dynamic
balance with the post vertical. Previously
this meant that the lens was always
horizontal. With the tilt head, the lens can
be angled up or down as much as twenty
degrees and the operator can still make
extremely precise fast pans. Using the
tilt head will increase the precision of any
pan with a lens angled up or down – fast
or slow.
Setting the tilt
The operator sets the tilt by releasing the two clamps and manually repositioning the
camera to the proper angle.
The post remains vertical and the rig stays in (or close to) dynamic balance. Only
minor static rebalancing is normally required, but exactly how much depends on the
camera, accessories, sled length, monitor position, etc. In all cases, bringing the sled
back into static balance by moving the camera will return the sled to dynamic balance
as well.
Long mode pans with the lens looking
down - say at a crowd - used to be
exceedingly difcult or impossible, due
to the large spatial translations of the
battery, monitor, and camera. But the tilt
head leaves the post vertical and therefore
eliminates this spatial translation, and
makes these pans routine.
Low mode and very low mode pans are
also much easier and more precise.
Note: Don’t grab the
stage by the nosebox
to adjust tilt. Be sure to
loosen the arc clamps
fully and grab the camera
or dovetail plate. Don’t
force anything; it should
move fairly easily.

10
Maintaining Lens Height — Long Modes
As the operator tilts the sled, the precious super-high (or super-low) lens height gained
with an extended telescoping post quickly disappears. The more one tilts, the more
rapidly the lens height is lost.
Tilt Head
Example 1:
Without a tilt head.
Example 1: Same shot,
with a tilt head.
Note that the post is
vertical, the lens is
higher, and the monitor
is in a much better
viewing condition.
Example 2:
Without a tilt head. The
monitor is in a really
awkward position now;
it even degrades the
operator’s form.
Example 2: Same shot,
with a tilt head.
Again, the lens height
is greater with the tilt
head.