Optical Support Ltd

09/08/2024

*LAUNCHING THIS MONTH*
We have been running 1 to 1 workshops for many years at OS, but now we are expanding further.
Our courses will still be small with 2-3 students, maximising time flying the rigs. Spread over 3 days, with instructors who are working Steadicam operators themselves.
All attendees of the course will then have the valuable opportunity to come back and practice at our premises using our rental fleet or Steadicam.
Dates for August to follow shortly!

25/07/2024

We have a few pieces of Ex Rental equipment available for purchase.

1) https://opticalsupport.com/product/ex-rental-flowcine-black-arm/

2) https://opticalsupport.com/product/ex-rental-gpi-pro-super-post/

3) https://opticalsupport.com/product/ex-rental-zephyr-steadicam-kit/

04/07/2024

We at Optical Support are happy to be hosting a Tiffen Steadicam Volt 3 & G-70x 2 open day at our office in North London on Wednesday 17th July from 10:30am - 16:30pm

If you haven’t had the chance to test this out properly yet, this is a great opportunity to get hands on and see for yourself.

Any further questions or details please email [email protected]

28/07/2023

Some news for Friday! The full range is on our website!

https://opticalsupport.com/product-category/sales/smart-systems/

26/07/2023

Calling all operators! If anyone has purchased or rented any equipment from us in the past or recently and have HIGH quality (preferably landscape) photos of yourself operating. Please could you send them over to us! We are looking for operators in action to feature in our website.

Please tag the title and year of the project!

Email to: [email protected]

Many thanks!

The OS Team

26/07/2023

Leading on from our previous post as a refresher here is a list of the manufacturers we are a official repair centre for!

26/07/2023

Some news for the canon broadcast world!

27/06/2023

Hello! This Friday and Saturday we will exhibiting at with our good friends and
Come see us in Hall 2 ‘Kesselhaus’ stand 2-002. Where our Dragonfly sled and OS 360 trinity will be available to fly. We will also be representing and offering information on how to join the association.

27/06/2023

Hello! This Friday and Saturday we will exhibiting at with our good friends and
Come see us in Hall 2 ‘Kesselhaus’ stand 2-002. Where our Dragonfly sled and OS 360 trinity will be available to fly. We will also be representing and offering information on how to join the association.

21/04/2023

Jackal rickshaw in use on the Tiffen Gold Steadicam work shop 🙌

04/04/2023

That rare time has come again and we have more used sleds available…

XCS, GPI PRO, ARRI Trinity and more…

Email [email protected] for more information.

02/03/2023

Offers available through March on carts and DigiSytems, along with our own OS Products Jackal rickshaw!
Get in touch to find out more —> [email protected]

26/02/2023

Wow…what a crazy few days it was at 2023.
There is no official word yet, but we suspect that was the busiest show to date. And it felt like 90% of visitors were at our stand 😅
A HUGE thank you to everyone that came to see us, truly blown away by the sheer volume of friendly faces coming to chat all things steadi related.
A sincere apology if we didn’t get to talk to you, I think we could have done with a 5 day show to allow time for everyone!
Our final production version of the Dragonfly sled received a lot of praise, along with the modifications and accessories for the Trinity1 system (promise we will post more information about both products in the weeks to come).
While we always see many familiar faces at the show, there are still plenty of new ones looking to enter the world of Steadicam and camera operating. Which really motivates us to keep moving forward and help people starting on their Steadicam journey.

To sign off, we have a few special thank yous:

for being our continued trade show companions, makers of excellent stabilisation equipment, and above all, friends.
Alanna and Eddie from making the journey over the Atlantic and sinking a few pints with us (Also doing a bit of work in between😂).
and invaluable operating skills with both the Trinity and Dragonfly sled. The not so fun parts of setup and pack down also!
All our friends who helped shift boxes around with us, and put beers in our hands when needed.
and for the quality camera equipment needed to complete our stand.

Soo, I guess we’ll see you next year? 😁

03/02/2023

Steadicam kit supplied for camera/Steadicam operator Peter Wignall on this project.
Peter has been a regular operator for director Guy Ritchie over years, producing some fantastic work.

A bond. A pledge. A commitment. Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim star in Guy Ritchie’s . Watch the official trailer now and see the film only in the...

14/01/2023

Early 2022 we had the pleasure of working with the “Empire of Light” crew, providing a Maxima gimbal, and Steadicam Arm and vest. This combination provided a versatile solution for tracking shots, and paired with a rickshaw it became regularly used setup through out the film.
Our very own Ben Hamill provided tech support through the film, enjoying the lovely Margate coast.
Make sure you go see the film!

https://www.arri.com/news-en/maxima-gimbal-on-empire-of-light-?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=organic-social&utm_campaign=MAXIMA&utm_content=traffic

Key grip Gary Hymns tells ARRI how he, cinematographer Sir Roger Deakins CBE, ASC, BSC, and the camera and grip crew worked with MAXIMA on Sam Mendes’ new film “Empire of Light.”

08/12/2022

Well it’s hard to believe but it’s nearly the end of 2022.
If you have anything that needs sorting before we close, you have until 20th December.
After that we’ll be stuffing our faces and opening presents! (Which we hope you’ll all be doing too)

08/12/2022

Well it’s hard to believe but it’s nearly the end of 2022.
If you need anything sorted before the end of year, you have until 21st December to get in touch!
After that we’ll be stuffing our faces and opening presents!

02/12/2022

FOR SALE: Various used peli and peli style cases. Dimensions are for external size of case.

Cases 1/2 - 210x150x100mm

Cases 3/4 - 330x260x150mm

Case 5 - 560x450x300mm
(Wheels and handle)

Open to offers, looking for collection ideally.

02/12/2022

FOR SALE; custom made flight cases.
Dimensions are for external case size.

Case 1 - 630x355x200mm
Cut for rehoused K35 lenses

Case 2/3/4 - 570x415x200mm
Cut for master prime lenses

Case 5 - 670x460x200mm
Cut for Preston HU3 focus kit (MDR3, motors, cables, focus rings, f/I unit, micro force)

Open to offers, looking for collection only ideally.

14/10/2022

Yes we’re hiring! We are looking for someone with a keen interest in camera / stabilisation equipment, who isn’t afraid to be hands on with the gear. Industry experience is welcomed, but we can tell you everything you will need to know 😉

DM or contact [email protected] for more information.

01/08/2022

Very pleased to say we have added another two Steadicam M-2 rigs to our fleet.
These kits are being dedicated for the use of training and workshops we run at our office. Which we are seeing an ever growing demand for, particularly the last couple of years.
Even after being involved with Steadicam for over 25 years, it still puts a smile on our face to see Steadicam as in demand (if not more) than ever.

21/07/2022

Another happy face in the shape of with his new vest.
Love the blue stitching detail on this one. This level of customisation and detail is why we love Walter Klassen.
Enjoy Jay!

30/06/2022

Join us tomorrow from 10am at the 2022. On show we will have our Dragonfly Sled, docking bracket and further upgrades for other electronic stabiliser systems.
We will be with our good friends and we also have some of the vest options on display.
Just opposite us are also , be sure to come and check out their work.

13/06/2022

This past Saturday we hosted another great workshop. This time round focusing on handheld camera operating. Tutors on the day were the extremely experienced operators Julian Morson and John Hembrough.
The day covered various topics including why handheld is used, different camera positions and techniques to achieve to certain ‘looks’.
Apart from the technical side of things, there was also plenty of conversation about the general role of a camera operator on set.
The first workshop of it’s kind with the ACO, and given the feedback, most likely not the last!
Many thanks to; Julian and John for preparing the itinerary, and taking the time to part such amazing knowledge. Sham for organisation of the event. ACO member for all the help in setting up of the kit for the day. Fellow patrons providing all the camera packages.
And finally to all members who attended, the day was made all the more special by everyone involved.

24/05/2022

We have supplied countless vests over the years, but we still always appreciate the craft and detail that goes into each one.
This latest vest going to has some great purple coloured stitching.
Some times it’s the little things that make a difference.

25/04/2022

Señor picking up his fresh vest. While simultaneously being the first person to grab a photo with the new sign 😎
Great to see you always Mike ❤️🇨🇴

22/04/2022

New sign is up in the office. Perfect back drop for gear photos 😎

11/04/2022

11/04/2022

The last week saw the return of , which was our first expo since 2020. And what a show it was; excitement, intrigue, laughter and even a little drama, it really had it all.
We didn’t want to make a song dance about it, but the show saw the debut of our very first Steadicam sled, the Dragonfly. Also our new docking bracket and upgrades to the ARRI Trinity 1 allowing for a full 360 camera roll. More details of these will follow, but we are very excited to get both the sled and docking bracket out for sale later this year.
We were joined by our friends of course, showing the glink, xspine and xArm.
As long time specialists, we had the latest LightRanger2 and HU4 out to try.
were also on the stand to show their custom Steadicam vest padding, available for all vest types.
We had available to try vests of course, which are a long established operator favourite.
Overall a really busy show, and a feeling of things getting back to ‘normal’. Great to see so many of our friends again and have a catch up.
Special thanks to and for loan of equipment for the show!

29/03/2022

Last Saturday we had the pleasure of hosting the and their introduction to Steadicam course. Lead by ACO operators and Peter Robertson.
The day course was provided to ACO members, associates and friends who are already working in the camera department. Serving as more of a ‘taster’, it gave all attendees a flavour of what to expect if they were to venture down the path of Steadicam.
The day ended with a Q&A with guest appearances from ACO operators Fabrizio Sciarra and the legendary Ray Andrew (one of the operators on The Shining).
All in all a great day, with lots of freshness and enthusiasm around Steadicam, which is always makes us feel good.
Many thanks to for providing cameras and lenses for the event, along with technical support.
Thank you to the ACO for supporting the art of Steadicam and helping pass the skill on to future operators.
And finally thank you to all the attendees, we hope to see you again soon!