Glidecam 4000 Pro - I want to throw this thing into the woods

B

bradywurtz

Active member
I am having the must frustrating time in the world with my new Glidecam 4000 Pro.

I've read through and followed the instructions a million times and i've watched as many videos online that i can of people setting up regular glidecam's and this specific one. every time i balance it, it seems fine until the second i start to walk around. it's fine if i stand there and do the drop time test. it's fine when i punch it forward and backward and go up and down real fast with it. it's flawless (after about 20 minutes of trying to level it).

but the second i start to walk, not even run, with it, it's swings everywhere. all over the place. constantly is panning and tilting out of control. i try using my other hand to steady it, but i have to use so much control to steady it, i might as well take it off the glidecam and go handheld.

can anyone offer some suggestions, recommendations, videos that helped them out, or just anything?

i've been practicing with it for about a little over a month now, and i'm about ready to throw the thing into the woods
 
Is your cam setup too light? What kind of setup are you using? I've heard of many people adding weight to get proper stabilization with HDSLRs. Outside of that I have nothing to offer.
 
Operating a Glidecam is a two-handed operation. One hand on the handle, and the thumb and forefinger of the other hand on the center column, just above the gimbal. The thumb and forefinger "steer" the device, along with stabilizing it, and it should take only a light touch to do this. If you don't have the second hand on it, even a light breeze from traveling can send the camera rotating.

It's also a challenge to run one of these completely hand-held. A vest is highly recommended, just for the sake of your forearms.

That said, if it's balanced, it shouldn't go off in every direction. If it tilts or rotates in the same direction every time, that tells you that it is not quite balanced, and in which direction it is off balance. But if you're trying to walk with it without the second hand on it, there's no telling what will happen.
 
Your balance hand (while light in touch) never stops working while flying a camera on any type of stabilizer. You should only be using your thumb and forefinger (and possibly your middle finger) but you will need to constantly be adjusting the tilt and pan of the sled. More than anything, consistently successful results require a properly balanced rig and TONS of practice. Don't get discouraged, try to watch videos of other operators, and practice practice practice.
 
If you are using it with a DSLR I can almost garauntee that is most of your problem. Glidecams work best when you are at their upper weight limit. A glidecam with a 2-5 lbs capacity will work best with 5 lbs. Usually. The hd200 seems to work well. And as the others have said, I can not stress more the importance of the guiding hand. I'd say the guiding hand and walking smoothly rolling from heel to toe are more important than the actual hand you hold the handle with. Good luck. Are you using a wide enough lens?
 
I have 2 cheese plates and an old CineCity baseplate under the camera on my HD4000 to add weight to the rig with lighter camera setups. It helps a lot, but isn't feasible for any real work without a vest and arm setup too.
 
Take a look at the CMR Blackbird site. They describe tecniques that work well. The one I found most helpful is to use two fingers on the gimble in a sort of tapping manner where you are quickly touching and letting go rapidly sort of feathering it. It really helps.
 
If you are lacking the vest I can recommend the arm-brace. Not as good, but MILES better than just using your hand. Way smoother and more comfortable!
 
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