Hypercam Camera Stabilizer

[Gary Sconce]

I have decided that I have too many irons in the fire to worry about patenting and building Hypercams for profit. So for fun, here is the V.2 version pics. I am now using the V.3 version for our films and am still tweaking toward a V.4 version.

Notice the strong, light internal arm bracing, the ability to add springs for more force externally, and the removable gimbal for changing the rig on the fly. The gimbal actually flips over for the low rig. In the background of one shot you will also see the low rig laying on its side. Notice that the camera mount on the low rig can rotate to change angles. Notice that the arm and the sled both mount on the Hyperdock on the C stand for resting the steadycam driver between takes. Notice the 'hyperdrive' tiny handlebars that stabilize the rig more easily than holding the gimbal arm. Notice that the sled is adjustable in length with pins, and that gimbal height is also adjustable with pins. Notice that I have added a lot of weight to test for RED camera weight. It works really well. Here are pics:

Close up of arm showing the internal and external springs, and the bicycle steering tubes used for the strong pivot joints.

Full Hypercam sled shot with Marshall monitor. You will see the arm in the background, the low rig on the left and the hyperdock mount on the right. The monitor can mount to the top, middle, bottom, front or back of the sled.

Internal bracing of the top, then bottom of the arm. Notice the separated gimbal in the second shot.

Close up of the arm and the top of the sled on the hyperdock.

Full working Hypercam rig waiting on the set for use.

It is nice to have a steadycam unit for around $250 that is heavy duty and able to haul around the RED ONE and anything smaller. Copy anything you see. Hope this helps with some of your own ideas. :thumbsup:

 

[maniero]

Any footage shot with this thing?

 

[Jason Miller]

want to sell you v1 v2 and v3 when v4 is done?

 

[ryan brown]

want to sell you v1 v2 and v3 when v4 is done?

What he said.

 

[Gary Sconce]

want to sell you v1 v2 and v3 when v4 is done?

Sorry... Each version is the same unit, but altered by cutting and re-welding. They are all the same one.

The V.2 was good, but the newer V.3 version is fantastically better than the one shown here. I have completely reworked the physics of the arm movement and have put the weight very close to my body eliminating much of the work of carrying the camera weight over the first two versions. I am now tweaking the bearings for even smoother arm flow. The sled is so good I have not changed it in the least, so I am using what you see there. Matt posted footage on the PUSH thread from the V.1 version. The new V.3 is tremendously smoother and easier on the operator too. You can see footage from that on the film 'Impossible Race', and later in 'Netherborn' by my favorite mad genius, Mark Aro. :thumbsup:

More pics:

Here is Matt Sconce wearing the newly finished V.1 Hypercam before painting. I later dumped the chestpiece for a sturdier version in V.2. You can see the welds and metal work easily here.

I later created this extremely strong chest piece for the vest with battery mounting holes in V.2. I used 1/2" steel cylinder stock for the double pins to join the arm to the 1/2" steel tubing on the base of the vest. The arm can attach variably for right or left handers by simply flopping the pin mounts. This shot is pre-vest padding. I used soft closed cell blue foam for the padding.

This is myself alpha testing an HVX on the V.1 sled. The footage shot in the push thread was during this evening.

:beer:

 

[Jason Miller]

Balls!

i do have a question, when you were building your v1 you posted that it would be unlike any steadiecam out there, but this looks like it works the same way, just a bit wider than mose one arm systems. It looks amazing, i'm just wondering how it differs from the rest?

Jason

 

[hoarp001]

I was thinking the same thing...

 

[Gary Sconce]

Balls!

i do have a question, when you were building your v1 you posted that it would be unlike any steadiecam out there, but this looks like it works the same way, just a bit wider than mose one arm systems. It looks amazing, i'm just wondering how it differs from the rest?

Jason

That is a good question, because the theory I was trying and the in-line shape (that you see in the picture) didn't work! It was different as the arm was in the same line as the motion of the forward and backwards movement of the camera. Also if you notice, the sled is trailing behind the gimbal arm, putting the sled controls close to the body, a feature unlike any steadycam I have ever seen, and the control bars (the Hyperdrive) on the sled that does work wonderfully.

The problem with the in-line shape is physics, and I should have known this: Force X Distance (Fxd) = Work. By trying to put the arm straight forward and then putting the front pivot of the arm perpendicular with the gimbal arm then trailing back to the sled, I was hugely lengthening the distance at which a load would be carried by the vest. This leverarm had to be carried by my back. It was brutal! I was getting killed by the work I was having to counter on V.1.

In terms of motion isolation, which is what a steadycam must do to function properly, the V.1 WAS different than any other steadycam, for good reason... It required more work output to haul it around than was humanly possible. It was extremely smooth; I think better than any other stabilizer, but it would take superman to operate it. Ha! I screwed up!

Now I have altered the shape and placed it perpendicular to the position of the photo so that the arm hauls the sled load as close to my body as possible. So, it is, by necessity, just like every other steadycam... But it is built strong and is very durable. Also, it was cheap and gives us a great steadycam for little cost.

Well, at least I got the sled right on the first incarnation. :cheesy:

 

[Jason Miller]

Pretty Cool. I see you're posting a tutorial of your "hypercrane" to be honest, it's pretty cool, but I would much rather see step by step photos and instructions on your steady cam.


By the way, This is my 500th post on dvxuser.com history in the making right lol.

Thank you
Jason Miller

 

[Gary Sconce]

Pretty Cool. I see you're posting a tutorial of your "hypercrane" to be honest, it's pretty cool, but I would much rather see step by step photos and instructions on your steady cam.

I didn't take the photos of the construction of the Hypercam. I could try to photograph parts of it and then tell what I did, but it would be a challenge to understand after the fact instructions.

Aw what the heck... After the HyperCrane thread is done, I'll try Jason.

 

[Jason Miller]

thanks man

 

[Gary Sconce]

thanks man

No prob! Methinks you are as financially challenged in steadycam purchase as I was... We'll set you up. There is no reason to spend a huge amount on a streadycam. If you think about it, they are just a mechanical verson of what your arm does when you hold a cup of coffee and don't spill it. :beer:

 

[Jason Miller]

speaking of, what did this set up cost to build?

 

[Gary Sconce]

speaking of, what did this set up cost to build?

Around $250. There was no getting around having to buy vest straps, belts, springs, plate steel, angle iron and the bolts. You could build it for less if you have some of that stuff scrounged.

Still, a heavy duty steadycam that can handle the red and assessories for that price is awesome. It does take a wee bit more to construct than the HyperCrane though. The challenge is to your welding skills as you have to build a quality internal support structure that fits the outer clamshell of the spring arm. The savings in the cost is due to this structure as we are avoiding having to use expensive highly machined pieces used in the pro steadycams by replacing them with constructs. The resulting functionality is the same, and the savings goes into our pocket.

 

[Jason Miller]

thats actually not to bad, unfortionatly I have no welder, live in the city, but I can probably get access to one, been a while

 

[charles]

May I ask what possessed you to use steel?

 

[Gary Sconce]

May I ask what possessed you to use steel?

Aluminum is lighter, but has to be thicker to have the same tensile strength as steel. It is also much more expensive to buy the stock. Using steel is easier for me as I do not have a TIG welder, only a MIG welder. You can MIG aluminum with the right gas and wire, but I don't have those either. Hehe.

Also, honestly, I love working with steel. It is light and incredibly strong for the thickness. It cuts easily without needing water to cool the cutting aparatus, and grinds without caking up the grinding surface like aluminum. Plus being a scrounge and a packrat, I have oodles of it. :2vrolijk_08:

 

[Gary Sconce]

thats actually not to bad, unfortionatly I have no welder, live in the city, but I can probably get access to one, been a while

Jason, you are obviously artistic or you wouldn't be making movies. If you can color with crayons, you can weld. Welding with a MIG is easy. All you have to learn is a few things and be able to practice a little and you too can weld. MIG welders are sold used on Craig's List. You can never go wrong with either a Lincoln or a Miller unit. Get a Millermatic 110V unit used and then go to town. You will have a whole world open up to you if you weld. Think of having to ability to dream up anything and then create it out of metal just like you used to build models out of plastic as a kid. It is wonderful. There are often welding classes you can take at night from local community colleges. Just sign up for the arc welding class, as MIG is just arc welding with the welding wire feeding through the handle of the welder.

 

[charles]

Tnks for your reply Gary. I do understand the concept but seriously, it was definately not needed to go the steel route. aluminum is just as strong, and yes, you do not have to have a thicker material to pull it off. The Steadicam EFP used aluminim and believe it handle the weight perfectly and it was not thick. Regardless, you've made your choice and as you already pointed out, you are very satisfied. That's the important thing.

 

[Jason Miller]

yea i've weilded many times in my past, I'm from the country of Oklahoma, you don't live out there unless you can weild, sew, cook, hunt, skin, and a few other skills that would make city folk puke. My problem isnt that i can't weild, or that I dont have a weilder, they are easy to find, its that I live in SF, and I think the fire department would take a dim view of flying melted metal.

this is one of my projects with mucho weilding, its called the yuppy daavidson