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Smooth moves
Brett,
You mentioned in your post how you watched the WGN camera operators move their TK-41's with such ease. When I started my broadcast career at KTLA here in Los Angeles we also still used TK-41's. As a stage manager I was amazed with the fluid and graceful movement these guys could achieve with these huge, weighty cameras. They were required at times to steer, focus, zoom and compose the shot by concentrating on the small b&w image in their viewfinders. All while listening to some overwrought director and more steady technical director ready the next shot and give instructions. There was generally a cable person assisting in keeping the camera cable free of the pedestal and the operator's feet. The camera was steered by a large metal ring just above the pedestal. Some times I could see a collision between cameras about to occur and would step in and gently push, or pull, on the steering ring to slow things down. When you added a giant "Titan" camera crane to the mix, things really got interesting.
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