Advice on Gimbal Movement

[Aroon_Narayanan]

Hey! So I have a Birdycam II gimbal flying a BMPCC with (for right now) a Rokinon 24mm T1.5 EF lens with a speedbooster. I'm pretty new to gimbals in general, so while shots I get with the gimbal tend to be pretty smooth, there's still a decent amount of shakiness on the vertical axis, typically from footsteps. I've pretty quickly learned that gimbals aren't magic and the trick is proper body control, but I'm a little unclear on how to get the best results. Does anybody more experienced with operating gimbals have advice on the best way to walk, carry the gimbal, etc to get smoother results, particularly with less vertical shaking?

Thanks!

 

[Bern Caughey]

The basic technique is to take small, heel-to-toe steps while keeping your knees bent, similar to how a Steadicam Operator moves.

https://youtu.be/eQ8PY2BAua8

Suggest searching the web for Steadicam tutorials that cover footwork.

 

[captslomo]

Yep...a bit of a shuffle/glide, and also let your arm be a bit of a pre-shock absorber. Nice loose shoulder/elbow. You want the feel of floating the gimbal.