gh1 and Sturdycam

Sorry,
here in the forum I would not talk about commercial infos, just technical: balancing, shooting, tips etc!

BTW yes we have a budget philosphy;)
 
I wonder if you had a Ninja connected to your belt whether the video cable going to the camera on a stabilizer would continuously put the whole rig out of balance... Then i wondered whether you could ever use the Ninja as the bottom weight & monitor... Then i wondered whether I might be getting tired...

RBG
 
RBG said:
I wonder if you had a Ninja connected to your belt whether the video cable going to the camera on a stabilizer would continuously put the whole rig out of balance... Then i wondered whether you could ever use the Ninja as the bottom weight & monitor... Then i wondered whether I might be getting tired...

RBG
Click to expand...

any pic to understand exactly what yoy mean?
 
sturdyshots2 said:
any pic to understand exactly what you mean?
Click to expand...

At this point I'd be showing you a picture with my head planted in my soup... but i don't think that's what you meant.

The Ninja doesn't exist yet as far as I know, so this is somewhat theoretical.

But imagine a little box attached to your belt with an HDMI cable fastened to the Sturdycam handle and then up to the camera itself. I can't imagine that scenario not unbalancing the camera.

So, Ninja connected to the stabilizer: Well that's getting into a bit wishful thinking. But at the bottom of these types of stabilizers are weights. What if you replaced these weights with a bolted on Ninja? The screen facing the user. Then the HDMI cable could run up the balancing arm and directly to the unimpeded camera. I'm sure the weighting would be all screwy so then I would ask, theoretically, could things be manufactured so that it worked?

I have this other idea of suspending a Ninja by a helium balloon over the GH2 with a gyroscope to account for wind but I'm still working out a couple of the the bugs before I put it to IPO.

RBG
 
Oh ok...
I' getting what you mean:

-The cable won't be a problem if its weight is nothing compared to the system weight. So you have to add weight on the horizontal bar until you feel the cable doesn't affect static balance.

-Of course if you replace the weights at the bottom with the Ninja is ok, BUT everything has to be fixed (if something moves you loose static balance) AND you must of course get a correct drop time (2 sec) so since the Ninja weight is given, you have to play again with weights on the horizontal bar...

so, possible I'd say...

Jaco
 
I am really liking the looks of these shots and your demos, and your price! And seriously considering picking one up as soon as I get some deposits on current projects I'm booked for. The steadicam jr at b&h is about $900 and it seems your setup might be better.
 
A short guide for Blackout:

I sent you the rig partially mounted for your Gh1. When you get it just:

-Mount the 2 extensions on horizontal bar with those washers far from central pipe
-Mount your camera
-Weight at the bottom should be enough but since I didn't know exactly which lens you're gonna use, watch this vid to check if weight at the bottom is enough:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO7Yls3FZnw&feature=player_embedded

-Static Balance now: for Front-Back Balance move your camera on the plate or move washers on foot bolt. For left-right Balance move washers on horizontal bar
-Check drop time!!! It has to be slow! 2sec (or 2,5 sec if you sorround u-joint with the foam roll!)
-Mount handle, put safety-lock and you're ready to go!

You'll find all the instructions you'll need in this video tutorial:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBT_CmU52yA

Some shooting tips:


  • Always hold handle vertically.
  • Keep your elbow attached to your body in order to reduces back stress: the SturdyCam “weighs more” if you hold it far from you.
  • Forget you’ve wrist and forearm: just latissimus dorsi and biceps must work, so try to keep wrist and forearm relaxed while holding and tense latissimus dorsi and biceps.
  • To tilt and pan just tilt and turn the upper section of the u-joint using your other hand.
  • Holding u-joint also help you to smoothly counterbalance unwanted movements, such as tilting up/down when brusquely decelereting/accelerating. Watch this vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvXCoO3bIAc at 0:19 and 1:59 to get what I mean. Sourrounding u-joint with foam will give you more control and help absorbing unwanted mouvements.
  • When walking and running, make little steps keeping legs as closed as possible.
  • In case of strong wind increase a lot weight on top (then recheck drop-time)
  • Contact us also!
Hope that helps!

Jaco
 
Fedex tracking says it will get here today! I'm VERY excited about this...

I imagine I will be using the lumix 20mm pancake as it's the widest lightest I own.
 
Blackout said:
Fedex tracking says it will get here today! I'm VERY excited about this...

I imagine I will be using the lumix 20mm pancake as it's the widest lightest I own.
Click to expand...

I just bought the flycam nano based on these reviews: http://cheesycam.com/ should be coming in any day now. Can't wait! Would love to see some footage when you get it blackout.
 
Yes I got it! Late... and man.... I don't know what I am doing and my web cam crapped out on me so I can't skype you.

I was able to get it fairly balanced on the mount, but it was just way too wobbly in the forward backward direction... perhaps because the 20mm lens is just too
light maybe I should try with the kit lens during daylight hours...

I also saw your note of attaching the foam...

In any case I can sense the potential - once it is balanced correctly and I practice with it. Felt pretty good for the most part... just have to get a prime wide lens perhaps with a little more weight or have you guide me through this....

I'm going to go to best buy and get one of those Microsoft cinecam webcams hopefully tom and I can skype you so you can guide me through the balancing a little better..
 
Again... just playing... didn't get the drop time quite correct and focus was all out of wack but I did like the feel of it...

 
Not bad for a first try!, BUT it sways a little bit, so, just try to remove some weights from the bottom in order to get a slower drop time!

If the bottom is too heavy your system will have 2 centers of gravity, but we do want just ONE center of gravity: your camera because if you have 2 when you walk you'll get pendular mouvements. Removing weight from the bottom you get a slower drop time and that's great for steadiness.

I bet your system wasn't perfectly in bubble right?


btw try to call me on skype and we'll set it perfectly!;)
 
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Yeah.... it did feel like it did't have one center of gravity but I wasn't getting a better response by removing weight from the bottom... I also wasn't sure where the bottom weights should be I was sliding them back and forth (forward and backwards) and either got way off.... or this was the closest I got and just was impatient to try it but yeah you're right it felt like it had 2 centers of gravity.

will go to get a web cam today... unless I can somehow skype on the xbox 360 with kinect.....
 
If you Slide weight at the bottom back and forth you'll have a fine Front-Back balance (same thing if you slide back and forth your camera but that's not a fine adjustment)!!

Removing weight from the bottom will make more difficult achieving the Static Balance: you'll need fine adjustments but that's the key of a perfect balancing: SLOW DROP TIME + BUBBLE achieved at the same time

See you later online!

Jaco
 
Oh god now you've lost me.... I'm going to best buy now and buying a new damn webcam and wireless N router. Send me your skype info in e-mail again please.
 
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