Glidecam vs Zacuto/ Redrock Micro Rigs

Z

zia

Member
Hey guys,
getting ready to buy the Canon 5D MKII.
I see people leaning towards Zacuto or Redrock Micro Rigs for Canon 5D MKII.
Is glidecam a better way to go if money is the issue.
What is y'alls opinion as a DP?
please give some feedback.
Thanks

Z.
 
You are talking apples and oranges here ;-)
Zacuto and Red Rock make either hand held /shoulder or tripod mounted rigs, both of which have different applications (ie good for "shaky" news/ documentary looks as opposed to a stable with somewhat limited movement indie/studio/corporate camera look). Glidecam makes either hand held or vest/arm stabilizers (ie "poor mans Steadicam) which also are great for specific kind of shots. The nature of your use should really determine which setup you buy.
 
the glidecam will only be useful for very specific looks/shots that you are trying to achieve, so you're much more likely to get more use out of a zacuto/redrock/etc rig
 
Hey thanks all you guys for the reply.
Natxbrotha,
I'll be shooting TV commercials, music videos, documentaries and some weddings.
 
First and foremost I recommend getting a decent tripod. From there it really just depends on what kind of project you are working on that day/week/month. If it's a music video, you might want to do dolly/slider, glidecam, or handheld. It just depends on what the director/DP has decided on. If you don't already have a follow focus with a 15mm support system that would be a good start (after getting a tripod) since the DOF can be very shallow. Some people buy matte boxes to impress clients and other people actually use them for shade and filters.

My recommendation would be to start off with a tripod and a 15mm support system with a follow focus (and lens gears). Since you are talking about getting different kinds of support systems, I assume you already have enough lenses to get you started.

I personally use redrock micro equipment... follow focus, support systems, matte box, etc... they make really awesome stuff that can be reconfigured a million different ways since all of their parts are so modular. If you end up getting a follow focus you will always be able to build up to bigger rigs that fit your shoot. Do a search on here and cinema5d.com and you will find a lot about support gear.
 
I own both a customized redrock micro shoulder mount with follow focus and offset, etc and I also own a glidecam. From a cinematic point of view, the glidecam is beautiful. If you can master it (not hard with practice) you can pull off some brilliant shots for films and musci videos. Even Weddings can serve purpose for your glidecam. But if I had to choose one, it'd be redrock because you'll get more practical use of it.
 
glidecam

glidecam

Phillyphilms said:
I own both a customized redrock micro shoulder mount with follow focus and offset, etc and I also own a glidecam. From a cinematic point of view, the glidecam is beautiful. If you can master it (not hard with practice) .
Click to expand...

Hey,

What glidecam model do you have? Which one do you recommend for the 5D?

Thanks
 
You should really try out the glidecam arm vs. the steadicam arm... the isoelastic arms provide a lot more "head room". Check out this thread and read the stuff from Charles Papert http://ow.ly/1Hueq

A good alternative to the glidecam is the indicam, look that up too.
 
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