Video shot by my stablizer

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Nice to see you back up here in the stabilizer discussions Pookie...


Leigh, What codec are those? My WMP won't play them.

- Mikko
 
Hi Mikko,

Sorry about that.

Thanks for downloading the video file.

I just use Microsoft MPEG4 V1 encoder which should be played by most Microsoft windows media player IIRC. The latest Microsoft MPEG4 encoder is V9 and I don't use that encoder. Because that v9 encoder requires player to use Microsoft windows media player version 9 or 10.

I simply don't know why that video file can't be played on your computer. I recalled that you have downloaded my other video files before and you seems can play the video file without issue IIRC.

Regards
Leigh

mikkowilson said:
Nice to see you back up here in the stabilizer discussions Pookie...


Leigh, What codec are those? My WMP won't play them.

- Mikko
Click to expand...
 
I want to see a comparison by Mikko or Pookie between this, the smooth shooter with GC4K, the flyer, and the indicam... but doubt that would ever happen.

-Jeremy
 
I'll be happy to give this one a fly and review it if Leigh wants to send me one to try out (yes, I'd send it back too!)

I will be trying the Ind!cam at NAB I think... :)

- Mikko
 
mikkowilson said:
I will be trying the Ind!cam at NAB I think... :)
Click to expand...

Please post a review of the Indicam. I think that is the most exciting of the DIY stabilizer systems I have seen and after talking at length with Terry (the guy behind the indicam) I think that it has the right attitude and passion behind it. Just curious to hear about the results from it.

-Jeremy
 
Hi Mikko,

Thank you

I welcome you to my place to fly. :dankk2:

New Zealand is really a nice place to be on holiday. You can visit the place shot The lord of the ring. :)

Regards
Leigh

mikkowilson said:
I'll be happy to give this one a fly and review it if Leigh wants to send me one to try out (yes, I'd send it back too!)

I will be trying the Ind!cam at NAB I think... :)

- Mikko
Click to expand...
 
Why not send him or Pookie one to evaluate, write a review?

There is a whole article section at the top, and I would trust Mikko or Pookie's opinion in evaluating this unit? Seems like the best business decision.

Jeremy
 
Hi Jeremy,

I see that you really want to know the truth. I will give you an advice if you really want to use stabilizer to be more creative. Buy a back mount vest.

Have a look at this thread and you will know that back mounted vest will help reduce your back pain.

http://www.steadicamforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1806&hl=strong&st=0

Someone else sell back mount vest standalone cost US$5,000 plus.

Here is that price list.

http://www.walterklassen.com/order/index.htm

My whole package including back mount vest is for US$1,999.

FYI I can only stay in my front mount vest for around 15minutes for one take, but I once stay in my back mount vest for two hours with my jvc gy-dv5000 camera which weighs around 13.78 pounds(6.25kg). The whole package weighs around 48.50pounds(22kg)

I am daily in my back mount vest for an hour without feeling pain. I just tried to hold my whole package 57.32 pounds(26kg) which includes my jvc gy-dv5000 without viewfinder 11.02pounds(5kg), dead weight 17.64pounds(8kg) for an hour without problem walking around last night. And my weight is 143.3pounds(65 kilograms) and I don't have strong muscle.

My vest weighs 4kg and my arm weighs 2.05kg. Without camera 5kg and dead weight 8kg, the whole package weighs 13kg.

Here is my package weighs in detail.

Back mount vest weighs 4.02kg
Arm weighs 2kg
Sled weighs 6.28kg
Dead weight 8kg
jvc made sony standard camera mount plate 700g
Camera weight 5kg

The most important advice I can give you is safety is most important, not the money. It is a joy to fly the stabilizer, not to fight with your equitment.

Regards
Leigh
 
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I have to coment here that Front or Back mount vest is operator choice and no more.
I'd tried seom nice comfterble vests, and I've also worn ones that just didn't work for me. - Both in question Klassen vests. Just beeing a backmount doesn't mean it will automatically work.

I've also worn some rather uncomfterble Front Mount vests (though the not fitting BM was worse - FM is easier to get right) but also some damn comfterble ones.

I know operators who swear by their BM vest, I know others (myself included) who love the tradiational Front Mount.

Just a qwuick time coment, I've shot a 19hours day, with very much of it in the rig, with the Flyer (Front Mount vest) with no discomfort.

FM's are generally cheaper, and easier to build comfterble. The choice of BM has before been only available to pro opps. I strongly sugest that anyone wishing to give it a go tries one on for themselves.

- Mikko
 
Hi Mikko,

As you have flyer at your school for you to use and you make comments here to argue about Front or Back mount vest.

It would be very nice for you to tell us what is your package weight like I did. And tell us how long you wear it in one take. For a 19hours day, how long do you wear your vest holding everything to shoot? 15 minutes? Do you feel back pain? Detail information, not general information to say with very much of it in the rig. As you see the link I posted, all suggestions recommend take the rig off while not shooting, I am quite surprised that you insist to say that you wear it for "with very much of it in the rig". Do you mean that you only wear the vest, or you mean you wear all the package including the camera and the sled etc all day for 19hours? What was your camera weight?

I look forward to hearing from you and telling us your experience.

Regards
Leigh

mikkowilson said:
I have to coment here that Front or Back mount vest is operator choice and no more.
I'd tried seom nice comfterble vests, and I've also worn ones that just didn't work for me. - Both in question Klassen vests. Just beeing a backmount doesn't mean it will automatically work.

I've also worn some rather uncomfterble Front Mount vests (though the not fitting BM was worse - FM is easier to get right) but also some damn comfterble ones.

I know operators who swear by their BM vest, I know others (myself included) who love the tradiational Front Mount.

Just a qwuick time coment, I've shot a 19hours day, with very much of it in the rig, with the Flyer (Front Mount vest) with no discomfort.

FM's are generally cheaper, and easier to build comfterble. The choice of BM has before been only available to pro opps. I strongly sugest that anyone wishing to give it a go tries one on for themselves.

- Mikko
Click to expand...
 
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To anyone else read my comments, if you really want to know the truth, the best solution will be try yourself and carry weight of your camera with the stabilizer of your choice. You don't need to walk, just stand in the vest and holding the weight without your hand touching the sled for let's say 15 minutes. This does not require you to be an experienced operator and you will know the feeling yourself. It is not simply check specification of seller of the arm to see if it can hold the weight. You need to check yourself if you can survive holding this kind of weight yourself. Do you feel back pain? Do you feel any pain at all after 15 minutes? If you don't feel the pain now, what about if you feel the pain next day while you wake up? If anyone think that I am not telling the truth, just post here and let me know about that. I am very happy to listen your view.

Anyone else's view always biased, even my post is biased, only your own feeling is truly to yourself.

Regards
Leigh
 
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I didn't want to bee too specific, as I'm trying to promote people go out and try their options for themselves.


When shooting I of course dock between takes - the vest normally stays on between takes, but not between setups.

The fully loaded the Flyer weighs in just short of 18kg [~40lb]. I shoot and practice like that on occasion too. For example that music video I did "Antihero" was 2 full days fo shooting, with about half the days shooting Steadicam. We did multiple takes thoguh the song back to back, including slow speed playback. So probabaly around 10 mintues between docks, without *any* discomfort.

When practicing I somtimes spend up to an hour in the rig non-stop with various loads. Never with any pain or discomfort. The only bit to tire is the legs with a big kit after a long time, but that's the same with any rig.


EDIT: Leigh posted while I was typing, so I'll add a little more regarding back strain in general...


The body is designed with a supportive system of bones (our skeleton) that then uses a system of tendons and finally muscles to carry any weight. Using these muscles and tendons is the body's prefered way to carry any weight.

When using a Steadicam our center of gravity moves forward, to just in front of us. There is a natrual situation in which a person deals with this: during pregnancy, and the body is fully deveoped to deal with this. There is a set of muscles (known by Steadicam Ops as "That muscle") in the lower back that is there exclusivly to support that forward CG during pregnancy. Normally we never use these muscles, so the first time we use a Steadicam they get sore quickly. (Like Neo's eyes in 'The Matrix') But after a bit of use, like any muscle, they develop very quickly and become very good and holding that aditional weight and distributing it to our skeleton and the ground, especially when standing properly.

A 'Frount Mount' vest uses the body's own system to comfterbly distribute the wieght of the system to your skeleton and to the ground. If you stand wrong, you can of course feel discomfort, like when wearing a large backpack. But properly adjusted, a good FM vest won't hurt at all.

A 'Back Mount' vest doesn't use your body's natural system, but rather the vest to transfer theweight more directly to the spine. It bypasses those muscles we have that are designed to carry that forward CG. For *some* people, a BM vest will feel more comfterble for their operating style. But I belive that this is beacsue it also alows you to stand with bad posture, which is bad for your back. - You can of course use it correctly too, but your body won't tell you if you sre standing wrong untill it's too late.

Sorry to use you as an example Leigh, but you do provide one prety easily. Look at this picture:
normal_www.smootharm.com.2006_3_21_1.jpg


See how your back is arching back? The rig is pulling you in and forward without you noticing becuase of the way the vest works. That's compressing the vertabrae of your spine which creates preasure instead of allowing the weight to flow down properly.


In short: A FM vest uses the body's support system of muscles which will hurt if you are doiong something wrong with pain. You do it right and there won't be any pain.
A BM vest bypasses this support and feedback system, putting the operator at great risk of improper operating that can lead to injury.



- Mikko
 
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Leigh,

You completely missed the point of my post... My comment was that you are promoting a unit that you are not allowing established operators on this board to purchase.

I don't see how it is an unwise business decision to send someone a demo unit, especially if they have offered to pay for return shipping and that member is an established contributor to both this forum and DVInfo.net.

To me that makes me think that something is fishy, just being honest.

Jeremy
 
Hi Jeremy,

Everyone is different.

Someone else can do it, does not mean you can do it.

I am trying to tell you that try yourself as Mikko suggested too.

Regards
Leigh
 
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