Glidecam 2000 - balancing issues

M

MikeSun

Member
Hi,

I know this issue has been addressed and I have searched previous posts to get some tips, yet I still struggle to get the balancing right.

So far I am able to keep it fairly balanced right after I pick up the Glidecam, however, when I try the vertical test, as the camera swings back up, the camera starts rotating and keeps rotating.

Also, when I swayed the camera side to side quickly as how they did in the video demo, the camera has a slight tendency of rotating, but it is still levelled and balanced.

What am I doing wrong in this case?

I've spent 3 hours so far with no luck at perfecting the balance.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks....this is harder than I thought it would be :D
 
"the camera starts rotating and keeps rotating"......

Your balance is off to the side "slightly".

Get a piece of plasticine or gum, and add a bit at a time to one side, if it stops spinning, adjust the mount "slightly, and I mean slightly" to that side, removing the gum of course first. If it spins more with the gum, you're adjusting the wrong side.
Don't try adjusting the mount without adding the weight first since you've already gotten the balance close. Then mark the balance points on the stage in some form to make it easier to rebalance later when you put the camera back on.
 
You know I thought I was the only one who had this problem.I have had my Glidecam 2000 for about a month and i can't still seem to get it balance perfectly. Is there anyone in London that has managed to get it to work in harmony with a DVX100? I am really desperate for some help now
 
pookie said:
"the camera starts rotating and keeps rotating"......

Your balance is off to the side "slightly".

Get a piece of plasticine or gum, and add a bit at a time to one side, if it stops spinning, adjust the mount "slightly, and I mean slightly" to that side, removing the gum of course first. If it spins more with the gum, you're adjusting the wrong side.
Don't try adjusting the mount without adding the weight first since you've already gotten the balance close. Then mark the balance points on the stage in some form to make it easier to rebalance later when you put the camera back on.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the tip. Would I place this plasticine/gum on the bottom plate where the weights sit or would I place it on the plate where the camcorder rests on?

Also, is there anyway where I could also shift the weights on the bottom instead of adding gum/plasticine to it?

So far the camcorder looks balanced when initially picked up, however, when I do the 360 spin/rotation like how they did in the video, my camera starts getting unbalanced, having the tendency to til a bit forward/backwards.

Lastly, when I pan the camcorder side to side quickly like how they did in the video, the camcorder has a tendency of rotating on its own, any ideas?

Thanks so much.
 
Some of that sounds like a Dynamic Balance problem, and some of it sounds like you are having issues doing static balancing. I also heard that there have been some loose gimbals causing this, though maybe that was another issue.

I'd say trying to add small amounts of weight on the rig is the best idea. A lot of experimenting may be required here.
 
Don't know what level of flying your at but if you mount the rig on your docking stand and do a spin test. If the spin (pan) starts wobbling (not a flat pan) then you need to adjust your dynamic balance for the rig.

Not too familiar with the glidecam unit but if you go to the following link, it will tell you everything you need to know and understand about dynamic balance:

http://www.steadicam-ops.com/docs/dynamicPrimer.pdf

Good Luck
 
My last post assumed you know how to balance the rig for STATIC Balance.
 
Pookie is right, this is a Static balance issue, not Dyn.Bal. Any sideways tilting during a droptezt is the result of a slight misbalance side-side at the stage (camera) Do the plasacine thing and it shoudl clear it up.
Of course once you are in static balance then read the excelent link by Steel on Dynamic Balance and do the spin-tests. But first your yyour doptest sorted.

- Mikko
 
I'm also having problems balancing my glidecam 2000 with my dvx100a. I received it yesterday, and can't seem to get it stable.
What I want to know is, when doing the horizontal balance (before even trying to adjust vertical balance) and lifting it up, is it supposed to stay leveled permanantely, or will the vertical balance adjust that ?
I can balance it pretty good, but when I lift it, it stays stable for 5-6 seconds and then tilts.
 
how much counter weights should I put on the bottom of the glidecam ?
I'm trying with three on each side right now and it looks lik the right amount but I want to make sure.
 
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