HVX200 + Glidecam 4000 Pro

Sektor

Sektor

Member
Hey... the Glidecam 4000 Pro just arrived... can ayone help me with some tips for the setup and calibration... i'll be very thankfull...

Peace... :Drogar-Smoke(DBG):
 
I hate glidecam, but some people have a good time with it. The look it CAN produce is awesome, but the damn thing took me like 30 minutes to balance, and then I'd breathe on it and there goes another 30 minutes balancing. (I used the 2000.)

I use the fig rig now and the results are 70% as good (not as good as I'd like, and needless to say that is NOT a scientific number), but virtually zero setup time.

hope this helps. I think the Merlin + Vest would be a better choice, but I haven't used it. Only heard good things though.
 
Thanks for the comment man... but the problem is that i already have the damn thing, and i'm having a hard time calibrating it...
 
I have it too, and it's a great product, but it takes a little time to master it, both calibration and actual use, so don't fret.

First of all you should read the manual on setup and watch the crappy dvd. They give you some pretty good step-by-step advice. In the end you will get a feel for the thing, and you can skip the steps, but initially it's the way to go. The trick is to get the weight and the length of the rod correct. From there on you should be good just adjusting the position of the plate on top.
 
i echo the frustrations of a new user ;p bought mine used with no manual and it's been a pain to get going so far, but i think the tip on the weigh/rod length is a good one.
 
here's a tip. make sure the camera is exactly how you want it before balancing. if you so much as remove a p2 card or add too much gaff tape, you will have to reset it. those stabilizers are sensitive. once they are tweaked though, the shots are great.

also, do lots of curls on your glidecam arm to train. you will need the strength because otherwise your arm will literally fall off within one hour of shooting :-)
 
cheezweezl said:
also, do lots of curls on your glidecam arm to train. you will need the strength because otherwise your arm will literally fall off within one hour of shooting :-)
Click to expand...

Yeah... i was thinkin' about that... what about the arm brace???...
 
What camera are you using? I have the complete setup with the vest and all, and I wouldn't recommend less for use with something as heavy as the HVX.

An hour with the HVX, vest and all hurts like hell. I don't even want to think about doing it without the vest.
 
Hi gi-jones..I use my setup with that device that helps you hang it on a C-stand. It was $169 but well worth it for balancing. I am using mine with a Caon XH-A1 also with the smooth shooter vest. I would not recommend anyone trying to hand hold this without the arm and vest. I tried it at first and could not hold it beyond 5 minutes and I am no weakling.

I think the key is that they want the 4000Pro to be somewhere close to 13 lbs if I remember correctly, so if you setup only weighs 9 lbs, you need to add weights to get it closer to 13...(I am not sure if 13 is the actual number, check the manual)

Are you using all the plates that came with the unit? The plates that go on top, under the camera? And do you use all the washers on the bottom? I have seen setups where they use a higher number of washers in the back and less in the front. Do you use equal amounts or heavier in the back?
 
I don't reminder the exact configuration, but I'd say we use about five or six washers on each side of the rod. No plates on top. So very little weight actually. Not sure if that is a better approach though. It might gain me a bit of stability to use more on both ends.
 
Hey... thanks to all for the comments... and... well, my setup is just the HVX200 & the Glidecam... nothing else... so... i started by putting in 4 weight plates on each side, and it looks to work "fine", but i'm not sure... the problem now is that i get tired very quick... that's why i'm asking about the arm brace... that is all i can aford right now... so i need to know if the damn thing worth it... thanks... (Note: Sorry about my grammar and all... my english is not too good =P)
 
I haven't tried the arm brace. All I know is that my arm starts shaking after 30 seconds with the glidecam without the vest, and I can't see how any arm brace would help that.
 
Actually, I have my own "I'm in a hurry and need to balance this thing" method. When the camera is unbalanced, following the suggested glidecam configuration, it tends to unbalance to the sides. this is very noticeable and unusable in most stedicam shots. However, if you change the base plate to align horizontaly with the camera, and not verticaly (paralel) the camera,the unbalanced motion is not to the sides, but up and down. This is much more easy on the eyes and manageable for follow, behind the actor shots.

For perfect balance in the recommended way, I suggest extending the glidecam to the max down. Remember, you want the base to be heavier than the top. If it bends down, more weights to the back, if it bends up, more weight to the front. You can also mess with the camera baseplate and push it forwards or backwards for balance.

I love my Glidecam. Its no substitute for dolly, though. Forget slow, smooth dolly like movements...

EDIT- And don't forget, you NEVER hold the GLidecam stick with your hands- use the tip of your fingers just to give it some camera movement or to "control" slight balancing issues....
 
Hey sorry about my post earlier. I totally spaced; for some reason I thought you were just considering it.

Anyway, I had a glidecam 2000 with a GL1 back in '99. I sold it because it plain old took too long to get balanced, and even when I did, it was so sensitive, it didn't work for the kind of work I was doing.

Sorry.

But on to the Arm Brace. I've heard nothing but good things. Some people really prefer it to the vest. There's a forum just for glidecam somewhere, (remember this was 9 years ago) and I remember vividly that the majority favored the brace.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top