homemade steadicam?
- Thread starter seanh420
- Start date
Kirk Gillock
Rebel with a cause
There have been a few. Even I posted one but the results weren't great. Back to the drawing board.
Do a DVXuser search for "DIY steadycam" or steadicam.
Do a DVXuser search for "DIY steadycam" or steadicam.
I made this steadycam. Definitely smoother than walking but you still get the side to side jiggle.
ddh
Well-known member
Steadycams are something to walk yourself through slowly. Home built is where everybody starts to get a solid background in what it takes to build a good one. John Cody has a manuel that you can (I believe it still available) use to build your own pretty good stabilizer. To get started-
Go to:http://homebuiltstabilizers.com/index.htm
I have a mono-pod version that is better used in a crowd scene - bars, heavy street action (parades, festivals, etc.) and generally spaces where there is limited access. Works.
I have also put together a MarZpak, a modified shoulder unit (video innovators) and a weighted system to have a reasonable stablizer system. It works pretty well with slight difficulty on control of the up and down motion when running. Fast walking and and turns are fine on this unit.
Good luck
anyone who has some bucks - get a steadycam flyer!
Go to:http://homebuiltstabilizers.com/index.htm
I have a mono-pod version that is better used in a crowd scene - bars, heavy street action (parades, festivals, etc.) and generally spaces where there is limited access. Works.
I have also put together a MarZpak, a modified shoulder unit (video innovators) and a weighted system to have a reasonable stablizer system. It works pretty well with slight difficulty on control of the up and down motion when running. Fast walking and and turns are fine on this unit.
Good luck
anyone who has some bucks - get a steadycam flyer!
Baluardo
Well-known member
a very cheap way i use to get pretty steady shots is the following:
i keep my cheapo tripod attached to the camera, with all the upper part extended and legs closed and joined together. I hold the camera-tripod system with my right hand about 20 cms below the camera (you will find your best balance spot), wearing a bodybuilding glove to improve the grip.
the weight, inertia, the flexibility of your arm plus a proper way of glide-walking, a proper holding technique (using just about 3 fingers to improve sensitivity), will filter the vibrations and give you something in between hand held camera and a proper steady cam shot.
Still enough to walk and shoot without the audience being distracted by camera shaking. obviously it's nothing like a well done steadycam shot.
to improve it further, some strategic placement of weight (depending on the balance of the system) can be applied at the bottom of the tripod.
i can provide sample shots i took with this method if you need.
Andrea
i keep my cheapo tripod attached to the camera, with all the upper part extended and legs closed and joined together. I hold the camera-tripod system with my right hand about 20 cms below the camera (you will find your best balance spot), wearing a bodybuilding glove to improve the grip.
the weight, inertia, the flexibility of your arm plus a proper way of glide-walking, a proper holding technique (using just about 3 fingers to improve sensitivity), will filter the vibrations and give you something in between hand held camera and a proper steady cam shot.
Still enough to walk and shoot without the audience being distracted by camera shaking. obviously it's nothing like a well done steadycam shot.
to improve it further, some strategic placement of weight (depending on the balance of the system) can be applied at the bottom of the tripod.
i can provide sample shots i took with this method if you need.
Andrea
Jay Rodriguez
Coffee Member
HMG said:
I built this one too.... Works pretty well imo.
trypt0phan
Active member
seanh420 said:ok so I made this one. seemed easy and quick. but now im wondering what to do as far as a tripod mount or something. I dont really wanna hang the dvx off a screw.
I made this one also...with the wood "sled" they show you on the page. Works well enough.
I used a wing-type bolt for the threaded hole on the bottom of the camera, and a small screw sticking up from the sled to place in the non-threaded hole on the camera.
Keeps my DVX securely on it.
trypto
Shooter
Veteran
The 1st key to a steadicam is the set of springs that isolate the camera from the operator.
The 2nd is the gimball unit
The 3rd is the balance adjustments on all axis
A DIY unit should incorporate an isolating suspension and a starting component might be found in the bicycle repair shop. eg swing arm & springs
We are currently building a unit for isolating a camera in a motorcycle sidecar ( tracking vehicle). More like a helicopter mount (Tyler/Continental) but borrowing on the Steadicam for influence as well. we are looking in the bike shop for some of the bits.
Light, strong, hi tech etc...
BTW: I had a number of years Steadicam Operating ( Mk 1 thru' to Mark 3's). They started off as a very basic bit of kit but the gimball and the double spring arms did the magic work.
The 2nd is the gimball unit
The 3rd is the balance adjustments on all axis
A DIY unit should incorporate an isolating suspension and a starting component might be found in the bicycle repair shop. eg swing arm & springs
We are currently building a unit for isolating a camera in a motorcycle sidecar ( tracking vehicle). More like a helicopter mount (Tyler/Continental) but borrowing on the Steadicam for influence as well. we are looking in the bike shop for some of the bits.
Light, strong, hi tech etc...
BTW: I had a number of years Steadicam Operating ( Mk 1 thru' to Mark 3's). They started off as a very basic bit of kit but the gimball and the double spring arms did the magic work.
Hope this doesn't seem like to much of an advertisment...but the stabilizer in my book uses a gimbal and bearings in the handle to isolate wrist movement. You can check it out at the link below my name. It costs about $50 to build, and is similar to a glidecam style.
Dan
www.DVcameraRigs.com
Dan
www.DVcameraRigs.com
bighouse
Active member
This design http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/steadycam/ by Johnny Chung Lee is pretty good, but yeah you don't want to mount your camera to a screw. I found a modification by Derek Beck here http://www.cartala.com/diy.html Definitely use the additional weight (2.5 lbs) on the side handle-5lbs on the bottom.
So I bought a Manfroto Monopod head for something like $25 & I went to my local hardware store (Fischer Hardware in Springfield VA-not home depot); brought in a picture of what I wanted and a guy there helped me find all the right hardware. I made the bottom rod a little longer (12" I think) I then got some black wrinkle paint and sprayed it, then I got some Wilson tennis raquet grip tape and wrapped it around each of the pipes and it's brilliant. My sister who is a still shooter saw it before I painted etc. and then saw it afterward and didn't recoginize it; she asked me where I bought it. I used it shooting a commercial last week and it worked like a charm. It is a bit hard on your back but makes great steady shots. Total cost about $50.
http://www.bighousedigital.com
So I bought a Manfroto Monopod head for something like $25 & I went to my local hardware store (Fischer Hardware in Springfield VA-not home depot); brought in a picture of what I wanted and a guy there helped me find all the right hardware. I made the bottom rod a little longer (12" I think) I then got some black wrinkle paint and sprayed it, then I got some Wilson tennis raquet grip tape and wrapped it around each of the pipes and it's brilliant. My sister who is a still shooter saw it before I painted etc. and then saw it afterward and didn't recoginize it; she asked me where I bought it. I used it shooting a commercial last week and it worked like a charm. It is a bit hard on your back but makes great steady shots. Total cost about $50.
http://www.bighousedigital.com