Tiffen launches Steadicam Elite sled with 30 lb payload capacity

Tiffen has launched the Steadicam Elite, a new sled with a 14 kg / 30 lb payload capacity and available to pre-order now.

Tiffen has introduced the Steadicam Elite, a new lightweight sled aimed at operators who want more payload headroom than the company's now defunct mid-sized Axis system offered, without moving up into full-size rig territory.

The Elite carries a 14 kg (30 lb) camera payload capacity, a 5 kg (10 lb) upgrade over the Axis, and is built around a rigid unibody top stage and a two-stage carbon fibre post. Tiffen says the unibody design adds torsional rigidity, which it states reduces vibration transfer and allows for a wider range of camera builds.

The Axis has now been discontinued and is listed as sold out under a banner saying "A NEW SLED IS COMING...WATCH THIS SPACE." As yet we don't know whether the Elite is that new sled or if there's something else in the pipeline. Either way, the Axis only lasted two years.

Volt gimbal

The sled comes with Tiffen's 3-Axis Volt gimbal fitted as standard, adding pan control to the roll and tilt stabilization already familiar from the company's other Volt-equipped systems. Power is handled through selectable 12 V and 24 V distribution at 8 A, with hot-swap support on the 12 V side, removing the need for external adapters.

Other hardware includes fine-adjust stage controls mounted on the side of the sled, dual sliding and pivoting battery mounts for balancing, and a universal yoke-style monitor mount that supports a range of monitor sizes, as well as 9x16 portrait framing for vertical-format work.

Pricing and availability 

The Steadicam Elite is available to pre-order now and ships in two configurations.

The Sled Only option, priced at $9995, comes without a monitor and in a choice of Gold Mount or V-Mount battery configuration, aimed at operators looking to fold it into an existing Steadicam setup.

The Elite Kit, at $19,995, is a turnkey package: the sled, Tiffen's G-50X arm, a new Elite Series vest, and a 7" SDI high-brightness monitor, positioned as a ready-to-deploy system for operators moving into the 14 kg payload class.