Operate Handsfree!
Hardmount to a Handsfree Transporter with the Klassen HT Hardmount

Customer Comments

(after the first day of use) ‘The vest fits like I had it for 9 years. Strange feeling to be able to breath, locking the shot with a 85mm is so much easier now. What a wonderful product. Thanks you Walter, Jennifer and the rest of the Crew. It makes my operating fun.’
- Job Scholtze

‘You will never regret this purchase and it will allow you to work better and longer with far less distracting fatigue and back strain than the front-mount designs incur.’
- Larry McConkey

‘My work is twice as good with my Walter Klassen harness.’
- Jan Rubens

"I just came back from a shooting in Stuttgart with lots of long steadicam shots. The enhancement in the quality of the shots, even just after a week switch from my PRO vest, even impressed my client, who knows me for 3 years now. I have much more energy left to really concentrate on operating instead of balancing myself that even very slow and tiny moves are possible. The locks come more precise. Reminds me a bit of the change from my IIIa arm to the PRO arm I own now. The best thing indeed is the missing pain in the back after shooting, caused by the higher muscle tension you have to bring up with a front mounted harness.
All together you've made my day a couple of times now. I cannot thank you and the guys who made the vest enough for that."
- Markus Rave

‘This harness has helped me on many levels - both in health and in art. Probably the best investment in steadicam gear I have made yet.’
- Jeremy Benning

‘Everything I have heard about the vest appears to be true! I’ve certainly found it helps improve my posture and reduces fatigue. It is certainly one of the most important investments I have made in my steadicam career.’
- Peter Robertson

‘When I tried one for the first time, it just took me 2 minutes to decide to order one!’
- Olivier Merckx

‘Get measured, get fitted and start using it. You won't regret it. Probably the best money I have spent on gear. I can do things I could never do before or would ever want to.’
- Grayson Austin

‘The harness is the most wonderful piece of equipment!! I have no idea how I’ve done without it.’
- Guido Lux

‘At the moment I am shooting in Cambodia on the latest project of Jean Jacques Annaud. I received the vest in December and now I am so happy that I took the decision to buy as it has really made a big improvement on my operating and handling/endurance of the Steadicam. We shoot here with Panavised HD Cine alta and with the zoom lenses (6-27) the whole weight is at the maximum I can handle. But the difference in operating between the old harness and yours is so great that I don’t care anymore about weight and low-mode. The temperature here is 35+ Celsius and as the old vest really gave me problems with sweating, yours feels so fresh and free that I don’t need the towel anymore. It’s simply great and I want to express my happiness about this great improvement to you. ‘
- Rob van Gelder

‘It looks amazing, and feels great.’
- Anthony Hardwick

‘It looks great and the craftsmanship is top notch.’
- Steven Adelson

 

Steadicamforum.com

Many of our customers are active members of Steadicamforum.com, an excellent resource for steadicam operators with lots of discussions about all things steadi, including harnesses/vests.

TJ Williams : This post is just to say thanks very publicly to Walter Klassen, and his very special workshop folks for taking care of my problems in the most professional way I've ever been dealt with by an equipment supplier. Steadicam Operating isn't so much the rig as the person. In Vest making this has also proved to be true.

Charles Papert : I would second TJ's remarks. I have had a similar experience, and Walter and his crew have been astonishingly helpful and willing to do anything to make things right.

Matias Mesa: I'm in line for congratulating Walter's shop, for the best service in fitting my vest.And for the best product as well.

Joel Olsson: This line is getting longer... From another operator on another continent same praise as above must be said. Had a fantastic time in Toronto fitting my harness and was fortunate enough to meet the people behind the magic, so again, thanks Walter and your very professional crew.

Also from Steadicamforum.com

Will Arnot: ‘I have been contemplating this harness for several yrs now, and monitoring it's development. The general bulk and clearance was I think a concern for many people on the fence. I can say with great enthusiasm that this vest has certainly evolved into a magnificent product.
Aside from the drastic reduction in bulk and clearance due to the new curved arm design and 'straightening' of the shell, the mounting block/slider to which the arm mounts, has also been decreased in profile. So that the arm is as close as it possibly can be to the carbon fiber shell, and therefore your own back, with a shallower knob too. This setup is now radically slimmer, and more adjustable, than the old two-knob hinge mechanism.
As we front-mounters know, the further the rig is away from us, the effort involved increases exponentially. I am not going to open up the physics can of worms pertaining to point of attachment just yet ... needless to say the new 'sleek' feel of this vest is very noticeable. As we know, clearance is a game of inches, and can sometimes mean everything to making a shot.
Point being, Walter's vest has evolved into something remarkably different than what was available even a year ago. In fact, the thought and consideration that goes into the tailoring of each vest for the particular operator, often will cause Walter to utterly re-design one whole aspect of the vest. Hence the new arm design.
As we know, this attention to operator feedback is priceless in our industry. Walter's cross reference of knowledge and skill is paramount to actualizing this feedback. He is a fascinating character who started life as a mechanical engineer. He then apprenticed as a shoemaker in Europe in the '70's to become a leathermaster. Returning to Canada roughly 25 yrs ago, much of his engineering was rooted in special effects, motorized props, & flying harnesses. I can't do his breadth of knowledge justice here, just to say that he draws from so many aspects in his life to deliver something unique in the current vest designs. ...
This to me is what life is all about. Our ability to draw from all parts of our life to deliver something unique to the particular table we currently sit at. That ability to think laterally and integrate into the situation at hand. Whether it is our kids, a song we hear, a building we admire, a film that moves us...

My trip to Walter's studio was truly an inspiring event... ‘

More About Service...

‘Part of the value here is the support. Maybe, like real estate, the big three are support support and support (with different meanings eh)’
- TJ Williams

‘Walter's service is an asset that you can't compare to prices. Hands down, great product and craftsmanship, even greater customer service.’
- Erwin Landau