stabilize camera car

macgregor

macgregor

Veteran
Hello.
I usually have to get shots in moving cars.
I usually get into the trunk of my car, get a small tripod (manfroto 501) and tighten it as good as i can, which is not the ideal way to shoot but i have no money to rent a camara car.

I get shots like this one for example.

http://www.macgregorcorp.com/pta1.mov
(2 Mb quicktime)

Now,as you can see the tripod doesn´t move, but you can see there is some vibration. It is a normal thing considering the way i am shooting.

Now i ask you for some advice. How can i reduce this vibrations without having too much money?
 
Re: stabilize camera car

Yes i shot that a week ago in the way i described.

Also I bought a suction cup (actually is a couble suction mount) but they do not work good with "heavy" cameras as the dvx100. Also there are some problems:
- you cannot control the camera
- you cannot re-adjust the image easily.
- the most important: i cannot put that in the back of my car easily. This works good for windows, nowhere else.

But thanks!
 
Re: stabilize camera car

I cannot see any issue with vibration in your clip. What I do see is that the road was probably chosen for the scenery background and not the quality of the road surface. I think all you need is a better stretch of roadway. And you might be able to get rid of that darn tailgater by slamming on the brakes a couple of times. ;D
 
Re: stabilize camera car

Well, of course it is a problem of the roads.
If i were in a perfectly plain highway with smooth asphalt there would be no problems. :P

Unfortunately the "interesting" roads are not that kind.
 
Re: stabilize camera car

Wow, you shot this with a DVX?



EDIT: I noticed you said you jumped in the trunk of your car, is that a little dangerous, or are you strapped in somehow?

You could steady that footage in post with software if you wanted

I'm digging the Heat soundtrack btw.
 
Re: stabilize camera car

macgregor, I see the vibration you're talking about, the question is, what type of budget are you considering, there are a number of solutions available, with software being the last, and least recommended.

I need some details. ;)
 
Re: stabilize camera car

Hello. My budget is as low as possible. And as i said before, i used clumps and they don resolve the problems.

I need some kind of system that could stabilize the camera, som kind of rubber? A wescam will be perfect if i were millonare.

I have tried many times to steady the footage with software, but since everything is moving (the background, the car), 90% of the times the software is useless, besides i loose resolution.

Bye!
 
Re: stabilize camera car

if your sitting in tyhe trunk of the car a glidecam 2000 or 4000 would probably work well for you if you could operate it decently. ive shot stuuf from vehs on stabilizers and it turns out great.
 
Re: stabilize camera car

The glidecam??? Puajjjj.
That piece of metal is the worst stabilizer i have ever used. Besides, in the trunk of the car would be impossible to use. There is no room.

But thanks.
 
Re: stabilize camera car

..hmmm.  your the only person i know that doesnt like what they got out of a glidecam..   perhaps a cine saddle?
 
Re: stabilize camera car

Yep, the cine shaddle could work, but i haven´t seen any image taken with it. I wonder how good is it.

At first glimpse it seems too expensive for what it is, a bag of bplastic bubbles. I wonder if an IKEA seat would be the same ;D ;D ;D ;D
 
Re: stabilize camera car

I would try a small bean bag or buckwheat pillow under each tripod leg. The footage you show is pretty close, just a little vibration absorption might be enough to make a big difference. Not that I've done this, but I'd give it a try.

The trunk does sound a little dangerous. Are you driving while operating the camera? ;D
 
Re: stabilize camera car

Your footage looks very, very good.

I do see the vibration you mentioned, but only because I was looking for it.

You could (for free) do 3 things:

1) Drive slower. (not as exciting)

2) Let *some* air out of the tires of the camera vehicle. Also, using a lager vehicle might help.

3) Zoom in a little. The optical stabilization for the DVX works the least in the wide part of the lens.

Your footage looks great, very pro.

-j
 
Re: stabilize camera car


first off, if you hadn't said anything about the vibrations i don't think i would have noticed.

i have the 3 point car mount kit from www.filmtools.com

http://store.yahoo.com/cinemasupplies/wimoupkit.html

it did vibrate a little bit so then i added the piece that connects to the mic mount on top and then that connects to another vacuum/suction cup.

it also depends a LOT on the car you use. i use my jeep and it bounces a bit, i use a more normal "car" and it is totally different and much smoother.

the car mount is wonderful but not cheap. the nice thing about it is you can find a dozen other uses for it, its like an erector set vs. one single tool.

i would try buying a bag of bird seed or something else that is medium heavy but probably not just dirt.

i love the idea of the cinesaddle but for what they cost you can buy a lot of parts for a filmtools.com car mount.

i find myself using bits and pieces of that filmtools kit for lighting, audio, just about everything sooner or later.

matthew
 
Re: stabilize camera car

Here, lets take a look at this other clip.

www.macgregorcorp.com/moving.mov

Here we are on a better road. Please watch the movie at full screen.
Even when the movement is very smooth, you can still feel that there is some vibration.

I think the point here is to find some rubber or some piece of material in order to attenuate the vibrations of the car/road.

I think this is cheaper than buying a whole new car as J suggested. ;D

OF course i am not driving while shooting in the trunk (i don´t have that capability yet) :P
 
Re: stabilize camera car

hey man, face it, it looks like a professional bmw ad.

you should just put together a demo reel and send it off to half a dozen ad agencies.

tell us more about how you shot all this wonderful stuff? is there much post production/special effects?

matthew
 
Re: stabilize camera car

[quote author=matthewd5 link=board=Events;num=1107441419;start=15#18 date=02/05/05 at 12:24:09]hey man, face it, it looks like a professional bmw ad.

you should just put together a demo reel and send it off to half a dozen ad agencies.

tell us more about how you shot all this wonderful stuff? is there much post production/special effects?

matthew[/quote]

I agree. Looks pretty darn good to me. I would think you'd want a 'little' motion unless you were going for something trying to convey elegance. Think about 'race car' movies, the vibration is what gives the sense of speed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top