Tiffen PILOT-VLB Manuale Utente

8

9

Vest & Arm

The vest should be tight and not slip on your body. The front spar should be vertical. 
The vest should be long enough to engage your hip bones, but not so long that you 
can’t lift your leg without disturbing the vest.

You must be carrying the sled to adjust the 
arm lift. Adjust the lift with the arm angled 
slightly up — the knob will turn easily. 

Set the top screw and just barely tighten 
the bottom screw.

The two screws work in tandem. To make 
further adjustments, you must loosen 
one in order to tighten the other. Don’t 
overtighten these screws! 

Adjust these screws again after you pick 
up the Steadicam.

You’ve adjusted the balance of the sled, 
and put on your vest, now you need to 
adjust the arm to carry the load. 

Insert the arm into the socket block fully 
as shown.

This is how you want to look wearing 
the Steadicam Pilot — natural and 
relaxed, with your hips turned slightly 
towards the sled. Note that the sled 
is not at your side, but more at a 45° 
angle to your hips.

Adjust the forearm (the section nearest 
the sled) first, then the “upper arm” 
section.

With everything adjusted properly and 
with a natural stance, the rig should 
“float” next to you. A gentle touch with 
your left hand just below the gimbal 
guides the camera, while the right hand 
booms and places the whole sled in place.

Each arm section should settle to a slightly 
upward angle as shown in the photos.

Stand naturally and boom all the way up and down. Both arm sections should 
track together. Do not bend over or lean back as you boom up and down.

If the rig is falling away from you, 

tighten the upper “Tee” head screw. 
If the rig wants to come too close, 
loosen the upper screw. 

If the rig falls to your right, screw 

the top side to side adjustment 
in. If it falls left, turn the top side 
to side adjustment to show more 
threads.

Be careful to maintain a good and 

consistent posture while making 
these adjustments, or you will be 
fine tuning all day...

Use the two “Tee” headed screws to set 
the “in and out” angle of the arm. Start 
with the upper screw almost all the way 
in if you look like Michael (above). If 
you have a big belly, start with the upper 
screw further out.

To use  
the vest,  
open the  
left shoulder  
buckle, put  
on the vest,  
and re- 
connect  
the buckle.

Attach the right chest belt with female 
buckle across the chest plate and con-
nect it to the left chest belt with the male 
buckle. Then tighten up the belts by 
adjusting the belt’s length.

Connect the left and right waist belts together and adjust the belts to the desirable 
length for a comfortable fit. Be sure the left belt lies within the belt guide which is  
attached to the left side of the waist pad.

 Use the optional 
extension belt  
if required.