texvanwinkle
Well-known member
Okay, I've spent a few nights now poring over about five years' worth of threads on different shoulder and steadicam-ish systems. Some of the older inexpensive models have apparently gone to the great gearhouse in the sky, so I'm wondering this:
What current equipment should my wife and I be looking at as shooters who need to be able to walk smoothly through wedding receptions with fairly stripped-down cameras (do we need much railed for weddings?), but don't expect to really need it for the short and feature work we want to do? (We're static and dolly fans, more Wyler than Greengrass.)
Basically we need something to get the cameras onto our shoulders or waists and be able to lower and raise them (both for down-angle shots and so my 5'1" wife can just get even), but also something we can use to move smoothly through a crowd and not just get standing-still shots. The RedRock Micro, SteadyStick and Spider each get them supported for an affordable price, but those--and even the much-pricier DVRigs--don't appear to provide a smooth walking-around ride.
The seemingly obvious solution would be something like the Merlin at $800, but I've seen very ho-hum reviews of it around here and elsewhere. I'm beginning to think the reviewer of the Merlin on Amazon was right who wrote, "I've also used a fig rig, which is much easier to control but doesn't give as smooth results. Basically, I haven't found a smooth-cam control at this budget level that I can really recommend."
What say the HVX users? Is there a well-regarded Steadicam-ish solution to be had for $1000 or less? Or can I get reasonably smooth shots from the shoulder/torso solutions, so I don't have to get the Steadicam-ish equipment that I don't plan to use much beyond that anyway?
Long post, I know, but my brain's gone much trying to shake out all the present and future needs. Thanks for any and all.
What current equipment should my wife and I be looking at as shooters who need to be able to walk smoothly through wedding receptions with fairly stripped-down cameras (do we need much railed for weddings?), but don't expect to really need it for the short and feature work we want to do? (We're static and dolly fans, more Wyler than Greengrass.)
Basically we need something to get the cameras onto our shoulders or waists and be able to lower and raise them (both for down-angle shots and so my 5'1" wife can just get even), but also something we can use to move smoothly through a crowd and not just get standing-still shots. The RedRock Micro, SteadyStick and Spider each get them supported for an affordable price, but those--and even the much-pricier DVRigs--don't appear to provide a smooth walking-around ride.
The seemingly obvious solution would be something like the Merlin at $800, but I've seen very ho-hum reviews of it around here and elsewhere. I'm beginning to think the reviewer of the Merlin on Amazon was right who wrote, "I've also used a fig rig, which is much easier to control but doesn't give as smooth results. Basically, I haven't found a smooth-cam control at this budget level that I can really recommend."
What say the HVX users? Is there a well-regarded Steadicam-ish solution to be had for $1000 or less? Or can I get reasonably smooth shots from the shoulder/torso solutions, so I don't have to get the Steadicam-ish equipment that I don't plan to use much beyond that anyway?
Long post, I know, but my brain's gone much trying to shake out all the present and future needs. Thanks for any and all.
