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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 :)

Steadicam opinions?

Very good advice from everyone here ,
Workshop first if you are serious about this .
Then you'll know if you want to invest more into steadicam .
I really wanted to do steadicam and built my first stabiliser with abs plastic pipes and a gimbal made of wood , i spent about 15$ at the time .
Then worked my ass off at costco as a cashier to pay for the "big" workshop at Tiffen (cp at the time)
And then got a loan and got my first big rig.
I followed my dream and today, I live and breathe as a steadi op and I pinch myself every day for having the best job on set .
Here's my rig today on SyFy Being Human 2 .
(I cheated and put my Epic on my sled for the picture as we are flying Alexas on our show ... :-))
http://t.co/kS1S0S3S
 
Martin Stevens said:
I vote for GLIDECAM.

But then I'm quite biased.

:)

Regards,
Martin Stevens

President and Founder of Glidecam Industries, Inc.
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I hadn't spotted your sig before!

I also vote for Glidecam. They make fantastic products at very reasonable prices.

I used to have the Glidecam 2000, back when I was just using a Sony Z1.

That got stolen earlier this year, so now I have got the Glidecam 4000 for the Epic.
 
J. P. Morgan said:
Where would one go about purchasing one of the FS-PRO stabilizers? a quick google search didn't turn up much....
did they go out of business?
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http://www.fsprostab.com/ - looks like they are going thru changes or something. (my website is also going thru a makeover and has a placeholder as well, and we are still here) So who knows?

I will post some pics today and maybe shoot a video of it flying the EPIC.
 
Thanks everybody for sharing. Certainly a class is the right place to start, so I'll start there.
 
Antony M said:
I hadn't spotted your sig before!

I also vote for Glidecam. They make fantastic products at very reasonable prices.

I used to have the Glidecam 2000, back when I was just using a Sony Z1.

That got stolen earlier this year, so now I have got the Glidecam 4000 for the Epic.
Click to expand...

Thank you Antony!
I really appreciate your comments.

:)
 
Glidecam HD 4000 and X-10
 
Buy the best... The best is Steadicam. I fly an Archer 2se and I have never looked back.

Also do the Jerry Holway/ Garrett Brown official steadicam gold workshop. Best week i have had in years.

My 2cents
 
Adam Eden said:
Buy the best... The best is Steadicam. I fly an Archer 2se and I have never looked back.

Also do the Jerry Holway/ Garrett Brown official steadicam gold workshop. Best week i have had in years.

My 2cents
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100% agreed. But until people try sh*tty "alternatives" and eventually compare them to Steadicam, they won't understand.

I love my Glidecam X-22, it's the closest I've come to a good mid-weight Steadicam "alternative," but having flown a Flyer and Archer, it doesn't compare. I'll buy a Steadicam when I'm able to afford one, if I can justify it somewhere down the road. Hell, even the Pilot is built better than any glidecam, flycam (oh gosh, just typing it makes me gag) or other "alternative" rig.

So +1 for Steadicam. You'll pay a premium, but if you're serious about operating, get proper training with a rented Steadicam, then buy once and buy right.
 
Scott C said:
Thanks everybody for sharing. Certainly a class is the right place to start, so I'll start there.
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Good move Scott, that's the way to start. I made the mistake of operating for several years before I finally took a CP class to get certified. I thought I could just pick it up on my own without training, but that lead me to developing some bad habits. Do it right the first time.
 
I can't believe some of the "advice" people are giving here. Honestly, if someone has $4k to spend, there ARE alternatives to hiring a pro or using post to get a result (was that a joke?). What about the fun and enjoyment that comes with learning a new skill? I got myself a Glidecam 4000 Pro second hand a couple of years ago and it completely changed my life! I now travel the world teaching people how to glide....it's awesome. I too have purchased a Scarlet and am excited to see what I can do with it, but especially how I'm going to glide/fly it on a budget.

Persistence, practice and learning from your first month with a glidecam/steadicam is the best way to go. Courses and books and 40k kits come second. My advice is borrow one, and don't give up. Make it work....

Here's what managed with the 5DII and kit lens: http://vimeo.com/18467488
 
Really enjoyed your video Matthew. Thanks for the inspiration =)

Matthew Scott said:
I can't believe some of the "advice" people are giving here. Honestly, if someone has $4k to spend, there ARE alternatives to hiring a pro or using post to get a result (was that a joke?). What about the fun and enjoyment that comes with learning a new skill? I got myself a Glidecam 4000 Pro second hand a couple of years ago and it completely changed my life! I now travel the world teaching people how to glide....it's awesome. I too have purchased a Scarlet and am excited to see what I can do with it, but especially how I'm going to glide/fly it on a budget.

Persistence, practice and learning from your first month with a glidecam/steadicam is the best way to go. Courses and books and 40k kits come second. My advice is borrow one, and don't give up. Make it work....

Here's what managed with the 5DII and kit lens: http://vimeo.com/18467488
Click to expand...
 
If making it work is what you are going for, then by all means go for it. If charging people money and expecting professional results on a professional job, then head the above advice.

Nick
 
Andrew Gentle said:
I quite liked the look of the Pilot, until Scarlet ended up costing double what I thought it would, haha. Has anybody ever seen an EPIC being flown on a Pilot? You'd need to have a power connector wired in to the existing battery set up (or just use the side handle) and a Decimator or something to get the video signal down to the monitor, right?

Joseph mounted a prototype on it but it wasn't connected properly

13313_1338368712181_1620030223_811079_2430676_n.jpg
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LOL.. evf on a steadicam set up?
 
Nick Gardner said:
If making it work is what you are going for, then by all means go for it. If charging people money and expecting professional results on a professional job, then head the above advice.

Nick
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Or, learn the hard way, make it work, enjoy the process and THEN charge people money and expect professional results. It depends on your mindset right? Your's seems kinda narrow to me. The original post was asking about what steadicam options are available on a $4k budget, not how to satisfy a customer, or ones ego.
 
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