Craig Bellaire
Member
I had a bit of time this past week and didn't want to pay for something I might already have... Anyway Hope this might help those who want to make a stabilizer...
DIY Glidecam 4000 PLUS
- Thread starter Craig Bellaire
- Start date
solproductions
Member
I like the handle on it. Show us more pictures or some footage.
Pete
Pete
J.R. Hudson
Spirit Animal
Love those stabilizers made of PIPE and STEELE
Ouch ! Let's hope we get the shot right the first time!
Ouch ! Let's hope we get the shot right the first time!
Craig Bellaire
Member
OK I'll work on a bit of footage today... Looks like it'll be indoor footage do to 40 mile an hour winds out side... Thanks for the input...
Craig Bellaire
Member
Bearing.... HHHMMM I think I'll just turn the head... But truthfully for me it's to much trouble... And yes it's a strain on the arm to carry this to long... OK here is a bit of footage... quik and easy...
http://s46.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=13G40KY3EI84W3MK8H092JKHVC
http://s46.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=13G40KY3EI84W3MK8H092JKHVC
mikkowilson
Steadi-Guru
*sigh* Sweet irony I guess that the copycat is beeing copied... You do know that "Steadicam" is the original, right?
Hmm, looking at your pictures and the video, it appears that you in deed don't have a bearing around the post, and arn't letting the gimble "pan" around the post freely. As a result the camera is jerking from side to side. The idea is that the handle can move totally freely around the post in all (3) axis so it doesn't move the camera. Also if you can figure out a way to incorporate bearings in the joints of the other axis too it will much improve your results.
Other than that, good creative work and nice use of what parts you had available. Clever built in arm brace, I presume you need it.
- Mikko.
Hmm, looking at your pictures and the video, it appears that you in deed don't have a bearing around the post, and arn't letting the gimble "pan" around the post freely. As a result the camera is jerking from side to side. The idea is that the handle can move totally freely around the post in all (3) axis so it doesn't move the camera. Also if you can figure out a way to incorporate bearings in the joints of the other axis too it will much improve your results.
Other than that, good creative work and nice use of what parts you had available. Clever built in arm brace, I presume you need it.
- Mikko.
cheezweezl
Veteran
dude, my arm hurts just looking at that. i think you could ditch most of the weight and still get it steady. i have a glidecam 2000 i use with the dvx and it weighs nothing compared to a mic stand with metal pipes. still i have to put it down after 5 minutes. the trick is a truely free floating gimbal and perfect balance.
cheezweezl
Veteran
just watched your footage. it is way bottom heavy. watch when you are walking then you stop. the bottom swings out. same when you are stopped and then take off. the bottom lags and the cam swings forward a bit. you could probably just ditch the mic stand to shorten it up, then stick a barbell weight on the bottom of the pipe. a 2.5 pound one should work fine for your cam. then maybe get some big heavy washers to fine tune the weight. also, you should move your handle much closer to the top. this will allow you to reduce the bottom weight a lot while maintaining balance. go to glidecam's website and watch the demo video. it shows how to set up a glidecam. this will give you some insight on how to balance your DIY. before i got my glidecam, i built a copy like you. it works pretty well actually but it is still heavy and doesn't fly like the real thing...
Last edited:
Craig Bellaire
Member
Great... Thanks so much for the help... I've really never even held a "Real Store Bought" stabilizer so this is what I get after a first try... I think I'm gonna lighten the load a bit... and just maybe try a bearing like Mike said... Anyway thanks again...
Leigh Wanstead
Active member
Hi Craig,
Is this your mig welding?
Regards
Leigh
Is this your mig welding?
Regards
Leigh
Craig Bellaire
Member
No mig welding here. Just conect the poles and twist... That's it... again this is heavy... 12 lbs with the camera... I have to cut the weight in half... Though I do like the way I can use this as a quik monopod which stands on it's own... thanks
Leigh Wanstead
Active member
Actually more weight means more inertia. You can get more stable result from more weight.
Regards
Leigh
Regards
Leigh
Craig Bellaire said:
krishna babu
Member
yes, its true that your rig is stable if you have more weight, but criag, i suggest you distribute the weight on either sides of the centre pole rather than using a bulky weight at the dead center. i read some where and it goes like,
hold 2 heavy weights in both your hands. now, fold the hands so that the weights rest on your chest and rotate yourself around a few times ...now stretch your arms on either side and rotate. you can notice the body reluctant to move in the second case than the first.
The same applies here too. take a plate and attach it to the bottom of the center pole parallel to the camera and add weights on either side of the plate far from the center pole. that way you can have more stability. there is a little bit of sway in the footage and this can be gone too.
thanks
krishna.
hold 2 heavy weights in both your hands. now, fold the hands so that the weights rest on your chest and rotate yourself around a few times ...now stretch your arms on either side and rotate. you can notice the body reluctant to move in the second case than the first.
The same applies here too. take a plate and attach it to the bottom of the center pole parallel to the camera and add weights on either side of the plate far from the center pole. that way you can have more stability. there is a little bit of sway in the footage and this can be gone too.
thanks
krishna.