Movi, Steadicam, Other?

[Kyle Kelley]

Hey all,

Did anyone have a chance to play with the movi at the RED NYC open house? I was supposed to attend but it just happened to fall on the day I moved out of my old apartment!

I'm seriously considering investing in a movi, steadicam, or some similar stabilization system, and am wondering what everyone's thoughts are. The movi seems pretty incredible, but the 10lb weight limit is a big concern. Does anyone know how solid that number is? Do you think it would be able to handle a scarlet, side handle, redvolt, 5" LCD, wireless follow focus, and possibly a mattebox (I've got an O'Connor OBox that weighs in at 1.54 lbs.)? It seems to me that any less wouldn't really be worth it.

If not, what are the best steadicam options out there that are comparably priced (or preferably, less expensive)? I'm not looking for "cheap," as I'd rather make a good investment for the long term than blow a couple grand on something that will fall apart in a year.

If any NYC folks have a system they dig, I'd love to check it out at some point!

 

[Trevor Meeks]

No vest/arm system compares to a real Steadicam® system IMO.
The Steadicam Zephyr is less than $10k from what I remember (edit: link added... $9500) and will support the RED Epic/Scarlet/RED One nicely. I don't personally own one but I've been very impressed by what I've seen of it, and lots of people speak very highly of this rig.

 

[David Kellermann]

If you want to use a mattebox, you will have to wait on the 20lbs MoVI. Freefly uses filters by taping them to the lens.

Instead of buying a Zephyr, I would buy a better product, where you don't pay 50% more just for the name (see some steadicam forum threads about experiences with highly loaded Zephyrs). Check out Action Products Raptor or ProLine's T2000. Both should ship soon. If interested in the ProLine, send me a pm since I organized a group buy of it some weeks ago.

Cheers
David

 

[Chad Bonanno]

Glidecam X-45 Gold Hybrid ! Best system money can buy =)

 

[Brian Pascale]

I had a steadicam Zephyr and liked it fine, but sold it. The thing about the Action Products Raptor is that it has the arm on the side, which is suppose to put less stress on the body. The Zephyr was a bit uncomfortable to operate a heavy camera for long periods. I would try both models and see what works best for you. The Zephyr arm has been know to fail when overloaded so keep that in mind. I didn't take operating the steadicam very seriously because I got to use for my own productions. If you want to get into this be prepared to practice a lot and invest in additional products like a wireless focus control. Do love the shoots you can get with the steadicam.

 

[Kyle Kelley]

I actually purchased a wireless follow focus through a Reduser group buy not too long ago, so that's taken care of. I'm certainly willing to put in the time to practice! Good to know about the Raptor arm. Thanks!