Glidecam vs. tripod

G

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I need to get one or the other, and I can't decide which. I'm pretty set on the glidecam 4000 pro with the body pod. Then when it comes to tripods, I'm pretty set on the libec ls38.

I film a lot of skateboarding/bmx, and I'm having trouble deciding which would be more practical. Do I want to be able to follow the skater and have some ridiculously cool looking shots? Or do I want the option of leaving the tripod sitting there and getting to skate too? Haha.

Which brings me to my next question. What are your thoughts on the libec th-m20 tripod? A lot of the reviews on B&H said good things. They say it makes smooth pans, some say it takes practice (which is inevitable either way). If I went that route, I could just get the glidecam and the tripod and be set. I'm sure I'll get some grief and be told that the ls38 is the lowest I should go, but I think for moving shots I'd prefer the glidecam anyway. I'm thinking I might be satisfied with the th-m20, as it does what i want it to do... hold the camera! And the panning might not be all that bad anyway.

Any advice? I realize this question (well at least the "help me pick a tripod" question) has been beaten to death, but none that I could find really fit my situation. And who cares, the more helpful threads that pop up in searches, the better:laugh:

Edit - figure I should add that I use a panasonic HMC-150
 
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I've never used the HMC and don't know much about it. If it's a heavy one, maybe get a tripod. The Glidecam 4000 is handheld; that means it's going to tire you out pretty quick. You probably want to be able to do long takes with that kind of video.

That said, that kind of video also will look better with more dynamic shots from a steady rig of some kind. So it's really a question of arm strength and how long you can comfortably shoot or will need to. If you can try one out first I'd recommend it. If anyone here has used a 4000 and a body pod they can clarify how the experience is, I haven't used anything but the bare stabilizer.
 
in your case i would get the glidecam, but if you ever need to shoot other stuff for money etc, I would invest in a good tripod that will probaly cost 4 to 5 times a glidecam.
I got a manfrotto 516 with 525 legs, and now Im ready to purchase a glidecam.
 
Get the best tripod you can. A tripod is versatile. The Glidecam is very specialized. The Glidecam 4000 is a fun piece of gear, and you can get some great shots from it, but using it hand held is going to kill you. You can do a lot with a combination of tripod and straight hand-held camera.

And the Body Pod is a waste of money. It really doesn't do anything to help shoot better... there's no articulated arm, so you can't adjust the height of the Glidecam as you shoot. It's also a very loose brace, so it doesn't hold itself very steady at all.

If you want a Glidecam, I'd wait until you can afford it with a real vest (Smooth Shooter or X-10). I've shot with the Varizoom DV Sportster and also would not recommend that. The arm is only single-articulated, and it's center-mounted. The other vests mount to the right, which is much easier to operate. The DV Sportster is just clunky... I mean, it can be workable with lots of practice (I made my way around with it), but it's just not the best option by far.
 
Get what you're going to use the most.
I bought a steadicam, and one day I'll probably buy a tripod - because I rarely desire a completely stationary shot.
Keep in mind that a 10 year old can use a tripod. Steadicams take a lot of practice and training to use well.
 
see I want the shots that a steadicam would give me. I could use a tripod, but I just want to know why the one I posted about won't cut it. If I could spend around 700 total instead of just 700 for the tripod, I'd be pretty happy. I need to just find somewhere that has the cheaper libec and see if they'll let me put my camera on it. I feel like the only reason I'd need the ls 38 is if I got a 35mm adapter setup, which is the least of my concerns right now.

Thanks for the help so far, guys.
 
So I looked at that Libec...

It's their bottom-of-the-line. I don't have personal experience, but reading the reviews brings up a couple of issues about the smoothness of the fluid head for panning. I don't know, really... it's honestly not one that I'd purchase, but I'm also not looking to buy both a tripod and Glidecam right now. I will say that the pan handle on that tripod head looks really, really small. Personally, I like one that's not only longer but has an angle to it... makes it easier to cradle in the armpit for more involved moves.

Again, I'd get the best of either... so time to triage. Which one do you need sooner/more? You can either get a better tripod now, save a little, and get the Glidecam in a few weeks; or get the Glidecam now, save a little, and get a better tripod in a few weeks.

But again, you're going to hate yourself for trying to shoot with the Glidecam alone, and neither the Body Pod nor the forearm brace are going to make it much better. You need to get a real vest support for the Glidecam.
 
I've got a Glidecam x10 with hd 4000 sled and I get great shots with it. You can depending on your experience do mini crane like shots, dolly like shots, fly over, film from car, bike, etc... Be aware that even when properly balanced though any strong side wind can make you shots look like filmed from a rocking boat... stable... but with some swing. hope it helps.
 
I would put my money on the tripod. If you want to shot whit a glidcam, but don't have any, you can get at good result by taking the tripod in your hands and running whit it. Works better then you think. And besides, using a glidcam is not the easiest thing to do. Kneeds a lot of practising.
 
I would urge anybody looking at getting a Glidecam to pay the extra $150 and step up to the new HD versions of the 1000, 2000, and 4000.

I just got the 4000 HD and the improved mechanism for fine balancing the camera head is great. Works similar a Steadicam Pilot. The gimbal is also supposed to be better.
 
if you can, try to get a hold of the Glidecam first before you buy it. (because here is my experience)

I just rented the Glidecam 4000 w/ arms & vest and it was way different then I imagined.
the arm & vest is very tricky to use and I actually perfer not using it. but the problem is that if I use it without the arm & vest, I can't do any shots longer then 5 minutes. (because my arm starts to shake...)
so I don't see how I can actually use this equipment.....haha.
I know it's just my first day but I would say I perfer using dollys more then the glidecam already...
(because I got perfert shots with the dolly the first day I rented it!)

well the truth is I think you don't need a glidecam, since your style is skateboard video's you could just use your skateboards as a dolly and get steady shots right?
 
ryvac said:
if you can, try to get a hold of the Glidecam first before you buy it. (because here is my experience)

I just rented the Glidecam 4000 w/ arms & vest and it was way different then I imagined.
the arm & vest is very tricky to use and I actually perfer not using it. but the problem is that if I use it without the arm & vest, I can't do any shots longer then 5 minutes. (because my arm starts to shake...)
so I don't see how I can actually use this equipment.....haha.
I know it's just my first day but I would say I perfer using dollys more then the glidecam already...
(because I got perfert shots with the dolly the first day I rented it!)

well the truth is I think you don't need a glidecam, since your style is skateboard video's you could just use your skateboards as a dolly and get steady shots right?
Click to expand...


You cannot expect to pick up any stabilizer rig and use it the first day! As anybody will tell you learning to use a stabilizer with or without an arm and vest requires many hours of practice.

To rent one with no prior experience and expect to successfully use it is like me hopping in a Formula 1 race car and expecting to make pole.
 
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