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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Best Gimbals/Steadicams for Komodo?

Movi Pro is my go-to gimbal on the ground and the Ronin 2 with black arm for vehicle mounting, but both of those seem a little overkill for the Komodo size. I own a Ronin S and would consider that, but that Weebill S looks pretty badass. Wondering if you still have that full vertical range of motion without hitting the backside of the camera?
 
does anyone know if the Ronin-S Focus wheel will adjust focus on ef mount lenses on the komodo. I assume it does not at this stage but is there any possibility of it working?
 
Do someone have any tips on a gimbal that is A) Small and light B) Inexpensive C) Fast to setup D) with focus gear wheels? and E) have a 4-axis system?
 
Christoffer Glans said:
Do someone have any tips on a gimbal that is A) Small and light B) Inexpensive C) Fast to setup D) with focus gear wheels? and E) have a 4-axis system?
Click to expand...

DJI is releasing a new gimbal shortly. I would wait for it before buying something else.
 
Christoffer Glans said:
Definitely, but I'm not sure it will feature any Z-axis solution. The one thing I hate about gimbals is that they are so obvious compared to steadicam systems. Some have done handle solutions for getting 4-axis stabilization, but so far not Ronin as far as I know. So hopefully the new Ronin will have something for this.
Click to expand...

Give a shot to following collars, if you have steadicam or similar, works for me...

I'm using this collar (16.5mm) with modified base
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...jhN1kmqrpflhOvHeG_q5w1YStSFGR59RoCy94QAvD_BwE

however for Steadicam you may want to try Steadimate-S Gimbal Collar & Base
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...am_sdms_gim_steadimate_s_gimbal_and_base.html


118731175_10162198561258084_8957169952911670459_o.jpg

118474813_10162198561353084_6526393541781085593_o.jpg

118651711_10162198561763084_5005603687253217313_o.jpg
 
And isn't it better to just zhiyun the 3S crane so as not to limit yourself?
I have used it recently with my DSMC2 and the effects are really ok :)
If I buy a komodo, I will use it with the crane 3S - I'm waiting for the purchase in POLAND :)
Best regards :)
below picture of DSMC2 on Zhiyun Crane 3s - It Works! :) ...i used the most basic setting
Zrzut ekranu 2020-09-01 o 11.47.31.jpg


I was thinking of buying a vest and a steadycam arm and fixing it on the steadycam arm for the zhiyun crane 3s. Do you think it's a good idea?
 
Christoffer Glans said:
Do someone have any tips on a gimbal that is A) Small and light B) Inexpensive C) Fast to setup D) with focus gear wheels? and E) have a 4-axis system?
Click to expand...

4th axis, like if you put the gimbal on a Steadicam arm?

everything on set has to do with the application and what labor or gear you are using... and what the clients wants too[sometimes]

If I was going to shoot an outdoor event and had multiple cameras I was cutting to and was really just using the gimbal for dolly type shots or cutaways, then you could just go with a simple set up of a camera on a gimbal with a single operator and get a wide lens and shoot at infinity at f/8.

if you have a to match shots and you're getting coverage, then you probably need a team, with an operator, focus puller at a minimum; which means the rig needs remote video and follow focus attached to the rig. During this scenario, your main objective is to get the shot and recreate the shot, so dependability is the biggest factor.

All your questions sorta center around a single operator set up which without dependable autofocus is going to be an issue... also no gimbal is going to be fast to set up, sometimes they do everything you want, and sometimes you have to tweak them, but if you work with it a long time you'll become an expert and you'll be able to fix the problem that arises.

I think the focus gear works for a small number of DSLR cameras... check the Ronin-S's website and they'll list the cameras... I don't believe the port used to connect the Ronin-S's focus to the camera is a port the Komodo has, so that's a no go.
 
Phil Glowskey said:
I was thinking of buying a vest and a steadycam arm and fixing it on the steadycam arm for the zhiyun crane 3s. Do you think it's a good idea?
Click to expand...

this thing?
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1493892-REG/steadicam_sdms_a15vk_steadimate_system_with_a_15.html

IDK, the Komodo is a cinema camera and requires cinema camera attachments to make it fully functional, where a DSLR kinda does a lot of things automatically and some would say poorly. So the technology for single operators is really not there yet, Freefly has come close in some ways, but the introduction of AI would change a lot... the Komodo from I've seen, requires a lot of manual control and needs a gimbal that can handle accessories.
 
Jeffery Anderson said:
4th axis, like if you put the gimbal on a Steadicam arm?

everything on set has to do with the application and what labor or gear you are using... and what the clients wants too[sometimes]

If I was going to shoot an outdoor event and had multiple cameras I was cutting to and was really just using the gimbal for dolly type shots or cutaways, then you could just go with a simple set up of a camera on a gimbal with a single operator and get a wide lens and shoot at infinity at f/8.

if you have a to match shots and you're getting coverage, then you probably need a team, with an operator, focus puller at a minimum; which means the rig needs remote video and follow focus attached to the rig. During this scenario, your main objective is to get the shot and recreate the shot, so dependability is the biggest factor.

All your questions sorta center around a single operator set up which without dependable autofocus is going to be an issue... also no gimbal is going to be fast to set up, sometimes they do everything you want, and sometimes you have to tweak them, but if you work with it a long time you'll become an expert and you'll be able to fix the problem that arises.

I think the focus gear works for a small number of DSLR cameras... check the Ronin-S's website and they'll list the cameras... I don't believe the port used to connect the Ronin-S's focus to the camera is a port the Komodo has, so that's a no go.
Click to expand...

I'm looking for handles that correct the 4th axis so that the usual gimbal bumps up and down are mitigated while keeping the low key and light setup that Komodo is built around. It's both for use as a one-man band, but also for teams. So I'm looking to build my own set of gear that is faster to set up and more able to be used longer hours as the base foundation for all shots. This means something that you can attach to a low key gimbal for getting more classic steady shots, while keeping the versatility of how you move a gimbal. Some gimbals are faster than others to set up. The more classic ones for heavier cameras are so messy and slow to set up that I generally would never want to see them on set. However, we've seen improvements for gimbals made for DSLRs that are much easier to handle and set up, which Komodo will fit perfectly for. It's just the 4th axis that lacks.

Focus may be handled by the AF in Komodo, depending on how powerful it ends up being. But generally, I work with cine-lenses and I would want the focus wheel on the gimbal to be connected to a gearhead. This would be convenient to have internally in the gimbal, but I can solve it with remote focus if needed. I just need the lightest and smallest gimbal there is combined with some handles that fix the 4th axis.
 
Jeffery Anderson said:
this thing?
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1493892-REG/steadicam_sdms_a15vk_steadimate_system_with_a_15.html

IDK, the Komodo is a cinema camera and requires cinema camera attachments to make it fully functional, where a DSLR kinda does a lot of things automatically and some would say poorly. So the technology for single operators is really not there yet, Freefly has come close in some ways, but the introduction of AI would change a lot... the Komodo from I've seen, requires a lot of manual control and needs a gimbal that can handle accessories.
Click to expand...
Yes, that's exactly what I meant by Zhiyun Crane 3s and to relieve the hands + smooth the movement of the vest + arm
I am a filmmaker who works largely alone and I am looking for simple solutions.
This steadicam vest looks great. I wonder if it works with the Zhiyun Crane 3S? It looks very nice in price and I think it will help a lot (first of all it will relieve the hands)
Recently, I was working on CRANE 3S all day on set. It is bearable, but there is no point in wrestling. It's better to help yourself, not to make it difficult :)
thanks for info my bro :)
 
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Phil Glowskey said:
Yes, that's exactly what I meant by Zhiyun Crane 3s and to relieve the hands + smooth the movement of the vest + arm
I am a filmmaker who works largely alone and I am looking for simple solutions.
This steadicam vest looks great. I wonder if it works with the Zhiyun Crane 3S? It looks very nice in price and I think it will help a lot (first of all it will relieve the hands)
Recently, I was working on CRANE 3S all day on set. It is bearable, but there is no point in wrestling. It's better to help yourself, not to make it difficult :)
thanks for info my bro :)
Click to expand...

I would look at the attachment or where it locks onto the gimbal and see if Crane 3s is the same size as the Ronin-S... looks like it doesn't, because of the arm

you can also talk to someone at B&H via online chat and ask if they sell a steadicam arm that attaches to the bottom of the Crane3s... it would need to screw in

there are vests and pully systems for gimbals. Maybe you could screw the Crane 3s into the sled of ...maybe a very short sled?

You probably be good selling the Crane 3s and getting a MoVi M5 if you are using lightweight cameras and want a steadicam brace.
 
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Christoffer Glans said:
I'm looking for handles that correct the 4th axis so that the usual gimbal bumps up and down are mitigated while keeping the low key and light setup that Komodo is built around. It's both for use as a one-man band, but also for teams. So I'm looking to build my own set of gear that is faster to set up and more able to be used longer hours as the base foundation for all shots. This means something that you can attach to a low key gimbal for getting more classic steady shots, while keeping the versatility of how you move a gimbal. Some gimbals are faster than others to set up. The more classic ones for heavier cameras are so messy and slow to set up that I generally would never want to see them on set. However, we've seen improvements for gimbals made for DSLRs that are much easier to handle and set up, which Komodo will fit perfectly for. It's just the 4th axis that lacks.

Focus may be handled by the AF in Komodo, depending on how powerful it ends up being. But generally, I work with cine-lenses and I would want the focus wheel on the gimbal to be connected to a gearhead. This would be convenient to have internally in the gimbal, but I can solve it with remote focus if needed. I just need the lightest and smallest gimbal there is combined with some handles that fix the 4th axis.
Click to expand...
Personally, I own both. Because of weight requirements.

With any Cinema camera, you're going to need an Operator and a Camera Assistant to utilize its functionality and the best way to control that movement is with the operator being trained on the gimbal. Any Steadicam guy is going to tell you that the movement has a lot to do with the operator's movement with the camera... so if the Operator is more balanced the shot will reciprocate/be the same.

That being said, Chivo [who some people like as a camera operator], does a lot of handheld shots and you can see the bounce in his movement as he steps with the camera.

On my Ronin-S, I have rigged up my camera with a carbon-fiber rod w/Focus motor, but it's a Tilta Nucleus-M or the Nano[I have both] and it can handle the weight. You do need weights to balance the camera, but it works... if you had the nano hooked up you could possibly attach it to the arm of the Ronin-S and pull your own focus, but I always just attached it to the external monitor for the 1st AC. Again, from testing this personally, I think the single operator is limited to a camera without accessories and has a very good Autofocus, which some DSLRs have. Does the Komodo have the potential to be that camera? Probably.

I guess there is a new Ronin-S coming out in a few days... could be a new Ronin-M ...LOL -- but, we'll have to see what's next and what problems they solve.

Just to add, so as an operator of a gimbal like the Ronin-S you are using both hands, similar to a Steadicam operator, you brace the camera with one hand and twist, turn and balance the camera with the other hand, so if you can't pull focus. ...And even more so, if I can put on my Director of Photography hat, you have the chance of FUBR'ing the shot.

What a lot of guys do is (1)set focus on the lens, starting with a wider lens, slightly stopped down, to give you a large depth of field 18"-2' and then (2)keep the subject within that distance, (3)remember to write down the settings and if you do cross-coverage or if the light changes you can do the math and match the previous shot ...and you have a solo operator set up.
 
Quick question guys: need your help!

Does the Komodo with two 955 batteries work on the ronin/ronin-m without counter weights or so?


Hope you can answer me soon
Thanks :)
 
greg weisert said:
Quick question guys: need your help!

Does the Komodo with two 955 batteries work on the ronin/ronin-m without counter weights or so?


Hope you can answer me soon
Thanks :)
Click to expand...

All depends on what lens you use. Long heavy lens, for sure not, short lightweight lens, yes easily.
 
keith morton said:
Anyone using the Tilta Float System with the Ronin RS 2?
Click to expand...

Yes I got one, .. but I'm a little "big" around the middle and their waist "vest" doesn't fit. (41" waist)
If you're a skinny guy it's good but not for this fat guy :-)

Looking for options. Thinking maybe Steadicam will do something like the Steadimate S they had for the old Ronin S.

C
 
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