GH13 Better handheld GH footage?

S

sean90291

Veteran
Loving the hacked GH1. Gorgeous images.

But handheld is sort of a nightmare. The ergonomics and light weight of the camera mean that there is serious shaky-cam, no matter how hard I try. What sort of camera stabilization have any of you found works well here? I've seen a lot of shoulder mounts. To me, big rigs like that sort of defeat the purpose of the setup (though I might have to concede it's the only solution). Thoughts?
 
Glidecam-style. Rolling shutter is outrageous on these cams, minor stomp & tsunami ripples through the image. Glidecam or more expensive solutions, ie steadycam.
 
Sometimes a small table tripod bent and put on your shoulder up or using the strap out in front of you or a gorillapod works best and it's small and portable...
 
That cheesycam setup is actually pretty cool. Love the price. Love how small and inconspicuous it is. Might have to make one! Thanks for the thoughts eh~!
 
One of the members BenB, came up with a good idea of using a Fat Gecko mount as a shoulder stock. I've tried it a few times and it works quite well for a low profile shooting style.

I came up with a solution last year, modding tripod parts and using bungee cords http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?210647-Ripley-my-handheld-rig&highlight=ripley. I've tried to shrink this down, using a centre column with quick release plate attached and now use a modified guitar strap with bungee loops on either end. Basically with this set up, you can wear the camera, shoot from the hip and then go shoulder mounted when you need to.
 
That CowboyStudio mount comes with a price that's hard to resist trying it out, at least. Roei, there are several reviews on Amazon that say it falls apart. What did you think of its durability?
 
i'm not sure what to tell you cause i had a different experience.
i bought this look alike mount here in Israel, and it's does a perfect job for what it's worth. no falling apart for a few weeks now.
it doesn't even has a brand name on it.. 30-40 bucks is a steal if you get the same one i got. here it costs 80$.
but try to go to a video shop to test it. i'm almost sure they have the same mount made by different brands, so... CowboyStudio is just one of them.
 
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I've seen a Manfrotto monopod used to great effect with the GH2. Many times what looks like handheld in movies is actually loose head tripod. YMMV.

Noah
 
roei z said:
this kind of cheap mount saved my life. all my shootings now have handheld 'feel', but stable and without 'micro shakes' and annoying uncontrolled movements.
so simple and cheap. :)
http://www.amazon.com/CowboyStudio-...MQ7S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305969833&sr=8-1
Click to expand...


where did you get that from i thought amazon usa did not send to europe,also i bought one last week but i am sending it back http://mpdigitalslr.com/digital-slr...r-support-system-for-dslr-cameras-camcorders/ focusing and zooming would be difficult and unlike camcorders DSLRs only have the tripod screw hole and not a locking hole as well so the locking pin like on the one i show would not allow the GH2 to sit flat,tripods locking pins are retractable i guess some braces do the same.
 
I use my bogen tripod with a manfrotto head as a steadicam / glidecam and I would put it up against some of the best on the market. It's free and works amazingly well. Attach your camera to your tripod as you normally would and crank the head perpendicular or 90 degrees. Extend one of the legs 90 degrees to the others to use as a handle and experiment holding the extended leg to get the smoothest effect. With minimal practice you can actually get extremely smooth footage. The other two legs act as a stabilizer and you can adjust their length to balance the camera. I dare anyone who can't get just as good footage with your tripod than a glidecam. It's also one helluva lot quicker to balance and setup than a blackbird or other glide products and one less thing to carry around.

I did a quick search and found a kid on youtube who uses this method. Check this out and it'll show you how to set it up. I didn't have to tinker around with my tripod like this kid did, but you get the idea. My bogen is a tad heavier than his and my footage is a lot smoother than his clip, but it will get you started:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW6AWmqa8ZM
 
flinty said:
where did you get that from i thought amazon usa did not send to europe,also i bought one last week but i am sending it back http://mpdigitalslr.com/digital-slr...r-support-system-for-dslr-cameras-camcorders/ focusing and zooming would be difficult and unlike camcorders DSLRs only have the tripod screw hole and not a locking hole as well so the locking pin like on the one i show would not allow the GH2 to sit flat,tripods locking pins are retractable i guess some braces do the same.
Click to expand...

your link shows an entirely different kind of shoulder mount.
what i meant is THIS : http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/752397-USA/Polaroid_PLVM_Stabilizing_Video_Mount.html
many brands make these at around 30-40 bucks range.
they had it here in Israel. don't know the brand name but i use it perfectly with my GH2.. it's everything i needed:

- sits firmly on the shoulder (+ safety strap )
- adjusting precisely to place my eye against the evf.
- gives my hands freedom of camera+lens weight, and still having them free to focus and make adjustment with the right hand.
- eliminates all micro shakes and uncontrollable movements.

what else do i need ? best solution i could find :)
 
flinty said:
Looks ok but without a code/model number i wont find it here.
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what do you mean 'here'? where do you live?
i mean, what's wrong with this B&H one? or the one in the amazon link? and i'm sure i can get you a lot more links for other options, including Ebay..
 
roei z said:
so? where's the problem?
order yourself one of these two options:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/shoulder-su...6?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1306072682&sr=8-6

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Polaroid-St...5?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1306072682&sr=8-5

or tell them to exchange it for your returned mount..

*OR -
find the cheapest UK supplier and do the same ;)[/QUOTE

Thank you,its difficult choosing without seeing realy,i have to know there is no non retractable locking pin,the bottom link looks like yours correct.
Click to expand...
 
they're both look pretty much the same.. if you can exchange it with the one you return, most chances that both options will have the same quality.

anyway, that's MY device:
shoulder mount 1.jpg
 
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