IndieHardware stabilizer setup & test

Thanks for the test! it looks alot like what i got out of my diy stabilizer, the side to side movement when walking is similar, I tried everything to get rid of it, so far no luck..
 
Thanks for your efforts for keeping us posted and the Indie seems to have potential for being good value for money, it's 8 times as cheap as the Merlin!
 
I've been in contact with the IndieHardware guy. He's sending me a redesigned weight system on Monday 16 Nov which he thinks will work OK with my GH1. I'll post results here after I get it checked out.
 
I wonder how extensive the redesign is... I have this stabilizer, and it's useless, IMO. The gimbal on the unit that I have is way too far from "frictionless," and the grip is too small for even my small man's hands. The build quality doesn't inspire confidence either.

The concept is good, but the execution has too many little flaws.
 
Np argument that the gimbal is the key to the whole system. On my unit the gimbal really is very low friction and it does seem to work OK.

I just read an article by Camera Motion Research that says very low friction can be a problem wtih passive stabilizers. They go so far as to allow adjustable friction on their gimbal.

Nevertheless, I found a ball-bearing based component that might be better than the ball/socket joint. I'll be reporting on that along with the redesigned IndieHardware unit later this week.
 
bbinnard said:
On my unit the gimbal really is very low friction and it does seem to work OK.
Click to expand...
Good for you. Maybe I just got a bad unit? I dunno; the nylon on the Hague sounds brilliant, while the metal ball-and-socket joint on the IndieHardware has demonstrably a lot of friction.

I just read an article by Camera Motion Research that says very low friction can be a problem wtih passive stabilizers.
Click to expand...
AFAIK, the only "active" stabilizers are gyros and the IS/VR/VC in camera bodies and lenses. All Steadicams are "passive."
 
bbinnard said:
I just read an article by Camera Motion Research that says very low friction can be a problem wtih passive stabilizers. They go so far as to allow adjustable friction on their gimbal.
Click to expand...

This might be true with a double-jointed gimbal as such CMR uses in the Blackbird but with a ball-socket one the friction should be as little as possible. Metal on metal is cool when rocking out but not in constructions like this. IndieHardware has also failed to make the balance arm as long as the MMC, which has the screw that holds the counterweight plate straight under the (much bigger) handle, not in front of it like on the Indiehardware. I wouldn't bother to bring this up if they didn't post direct comparison between their rip-off and the original on their eBay page. All in all it looks like a bad implementation of Hague's design at almost the same price point.
 
Thanks for posting all this! Keep us updated on how new weights work. I've also tried to make indie stabilizer work with GH1 and didn't have much luck.
 
I got the new weight kit late today. It's essentially a longer arm on which the weights sit and some larger, heavier washer weights. I was able to get pretty good balance in an hour or so. Tomorrow (Friday) I'll tweak the setup a little and make another test video. I'll post a new thread with results after I update my original web page.
 
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