Any cheaper alternatives to steadicam and glidecam?

MalcolmOng

MalcolmOng

Veteran
Hey guys, was wondering if any of you knew if there were cheaper alternatives to steadicam or glidecam...glidecam knock offs maybe. I've been trying to look for indie versions of these, and came up with the indicam which just happened to be more expensive than the glidecam. I'm looking at the level of the glidecam 2000 pro for my dvx - and being a poor student my budget isn't very big. I've seen some products on ebay like the flycam and the u-flycam...Anyone have any opinions on those? Are there any other obscure, or established brands that i don't know about? And any other opinions you might have on this matter?
 
The only thing that I know of is the $14 dollar poor man steady cam found here :http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/steadycam/

But I just recently got a glidecam and it (DIY) isn't nearly as good. I mean, it provides some stabalization, but...probably not what you're looking for. Have you looked into buying used steadi or glidecam's?
 
Definitely looking into buying second hand, but i've had some trouble finding them secondhand. I know about the 14 dollar steadycam, but yeah i'm looking for a gimbal type stabiliser...
 
The fig-rig is not a stabilizer, it's a grip.

The $14 unit won't do much for you either: as you noted, it has no gimble.


The cheapest option is to hire a local operator with their gear for the day(s) you need Steadicam shots.

Buying you own gear, is 100% a case of "you get what you pay for". Don't forget what you are putting on that stabilizer!

- Mikko
 
I considered that, but where i come from, the cost of that would be more than actually buying my own steadicam.' I only need a stabilizer for my DVX, which is adapterless as well.
 
merlin - $849
arm and vest for merlin - $1995
total - $2844

too expensive for me and likely out of the price range of the original poster as well.
 
Yeah...I'm only a high school student. I'm strongly considering the glidecam 2000 pro, as its only a smite above my budget as compared to the rest, but i'm very interested in this flycam product which you can find on ebay which comes from india....I can't find reviews on it at all, and i'm hoping someone has had experience with it
 
You should probably try to get the extra bucks for a glidecam 4000. It's good for up to 10 pounds, I think the 2000 is only for up to 6 which doesn't give you much room for expansion (matte box, adaptor etc.).
 
Malcom,
That Glidecam nock-off company (Ironic as Glidecam is a Steadicam nock-off, but anyway..) that is on e-bay looks prety shady.

I'd recomend whatever you do, buy from a reputable dealer. Much less headaches.


- Mikko
 
Mikko, have you or any other of your steadicam mates used a Glidecam or similar low end steadicam just to see what results you could get with it? If so, care to elaborate?

I just bought a Glidecam 4000 today. I'm in a small non-film town so I have to buy everything myself, ahhh.

Ian
 
I'm looking at a secondhand glidecam 2000pro on ebay right now. The 4000pro is a smite over budget, so i figure that if i ever do upgrade to it, i'll sell my 2000pro to get the 4000. As for reputable dealers, I'm wondering how dependable those ebay superstores are - they all have very high feedback, and they are priced at so much less than normal stores - 263 bucks vs bhphoto's 299
 
Yes I've tired most of the rigs out there. (I make a point to whenever possible) And while many of them (including the Glidecams) can be used to create great results, the downfalls come in what it takes from the operator to do it. Higher quality rigs are more precise and easier to operate for beginners. They also allow for higher precision operating at the more experienced level.

Anyone can run up a flight of stairs with a Glidecam 4k or a Flowpod and get decently smooth shot.
The trick is a slow slow crepping push in on your hero's face as they hear the earth shattering news over the phone; that takes a precision rig that you can balance and operate comfterbly without having to fight it.

With a lower-end rig, the shot is, oh, 75% about the operator. With a top-notch rig, it's 100% about the operator

- Mikko
 
I have to agree with Mikko. It's all about the operator. I bought a Flowpod in pre-production for my feature, but I realized it would take me 3 months to learn to operate it as smooth as I wanted the shots to be.

I would negotiate with an experienced operator, or change the shots. :beer:
 
Thanks for the posts mikko and paul. I know steadicam is a fine art and I'm under no illusion that I can jump right in and get good shots, I plan to learn the basic principles on the GC 4000 and possibly upgrade down the track.

In the short term I plan to try to get ok shots with the 4000 and then use after effects 'steadymove pro' to smooth them out, I figure I only have to crop a little that way.

Ian
 
You won't need any software the "steady" up the shots after you shoot with a stabilizer. What you will need is to learn how to controll the stabilizer.

"newbie" Steadicam operator footage is 0% shaky, it's very smooth. But it's all over the place. Image a rowboat on rolling seas. It won't shake, but it will point wherever it wants to.

- Mikko
 
Gotcha. Actually recieved the GC4000 yesterday and wasn't sent the bottom telescopic pole, was wanting to give it a go for my spyfest entry so might not get it in time. Bummer.
 
We tried a running shot where the camera man had to run with the camera facing backwards to get the actors running at him. Didn't work like we expected with the glidecam. The side shots were good but it was hard to run and see what you are doing and trying to keep it from hitting your leg at the same time.
 
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