Stabilizer under $20 and 45 minutes

mainstreetprod

mainstreetprod

Veteran
I realize that suggesting you put a $5000 camera on a $20 homemade gadget
will be a bit controversial - but if you can get past the fact that it is a bunch of pipes screwed together and a barbell weight, I think you will be surprised what it can do. I found this thing on the 'net (where else) and thought I would give it a try before springing $3-$400 for a Glidecam (used to own one).
This is the video that convinced me:

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/steadycam/girl3.mov

It was shot with a $300 Digital 8 camera atop the device. I built one like it, slightly heavier due to the size and weight of the HVX, mounted it and gave it a try. My footage looked just as smooth, going up and down steps, running with the camera, etc. I found it much more controllable than the Glidecam and just as smooth. Total weight of the rig is about 10 pounds. If anyone is interested, I will post my own footage and
details on how I modified the device for the HVX.:thumbup:

Fred


pp71449d09.png
 
Yes, post footage. However I seriously doubt you can get very steadi shots with that. Also, why did you say you used to have a glidecam, and this is better? There's no gimbal, hence no floating camera. You should have kept the glidecam.:huh:
 
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Hey Fred,
would love to see footage and also footage of you using the unit. and maybe some close up photos of your unit. If you have a chance please post these, as it would be great help to all of us looking for a solution to moving shots.
Thanks,
Luis
 
mainstreetprod said:
I found it much more controllable than the Glidecam and just as smooth. Total weight of the rig is about 10 pounds. If anyone is interested, I will post my own footage and
details on how I modified the device for the HVX.:thumbup:

Fred


pp71449d09.png
Click to expand...



HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

lol
ROFLMFAO!!!!!!!

okay there buddy...


Now that this is out of my systemn

this device is something my buddy built as well from seeing int online.

and let me tell you, this thing, no matter how good hte operator, will NEVER perform as well as a glidecam

do me this k?

1) run up stairs
2) stick it out of a moving car
3) run along side someone

need i go on?

no gimble, no balance. It is merely adding weight ot hte contraption, increasing its inertia.

Granted, if someone were being rolled in a wheel chair, and had someoen sitting in it holding one of these, then MAYBE you could get close.





Also. Not to come off to offensive, but this is just a rediculous statement that it can provide the same results as a glidecam.

That video of the girl walking is fulllllll of bounce and shake, can achieve something similar if i swung my arm down and walked with her holding the camera from its top grip.

take a look at this footage, and realize the difference.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Owlx13xCjCg
 
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Still laughing?

Still laughing?

OK, here's my footage shot today, what do you think?

http://web.mac.com/mainstreetprod/iWeb/Mainstreet/Blank.html

I don't know about your Glidecam, but this works as well as mine did
(owned it several years ago). Maybe not as well as a $3K vest system,
but definitely as well as my Glidecam.


PaPa said:
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

lol
ROFLMFAO!!!!!!!

okay there buddy...


Now that this is out of my systemn

this device is something my buddy built as well from seeing int online.

and let me tell you, this thing, no matter how good hte operator, will NEVER perform as well as a glidecam

do me this k?

1) run up stairs
2) stick it out of a moving car
3) run along side someone

need i go on?

no gimble, no balance. It is merely adding weight ot hte contraption, increasing its inertia.

Granted, if someone were being rolled in a wheel chair, and had someoen sitting in it holding one of these, then MAYBE you could get close.





Also. Not to come off to offensive, but this is just a rediculous statement that it can provide the same results as a glidecam.

That video of the girl walking is fulllllll of bounce and shake, can achieve something similar if i swung my arm down and walked with her holding the camera from its top grip.

take a look at this footage, and realize the difference.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Owlx13xCjCg
Click to expand...
 
alright.

The only conclusion i can get from watching the footage is that, actually more of a question.

When you had your glidecam, was it in perfect balance?

If your glidecam had a gimble, how is it that your footage had as much rocking and shaking as thi footage?

How did you hold your glidecam? ( one hand on the handle and two fingers from your other hand just below the gimble to guide it? )

No way to get your glidecam back huh?
 
Hey Fred,
Looks pretty good. would love to see a less compressed version of the footage. And by the way I wasn't skeptical about it. In fact I'm very interested in knowing how you made your adapter. photos would be great.
thanks,
Luis
 
OK, here's my footage shot today, what do you think?
Click to expand...
:zombie_smiley: sorry dude, but that was terrible. Try the same shot and just hold the top handle on the HVX and see if you can get a better shot. The only thing you are doing is adding weight to the camera, your arm will get very tired from holding that up while shooting. I'm not trying to put you down, just my honest opinion of the video and device you are using. Now, if you make some sort of gimbal and mount to it you will be getting closer, but also putting strain on your wrist. That may be why you had trouble with the glidecam. I tried just using a sled I made when I got my HVX and it really wore my arm out so I built and arm and vest to support it. Good Luck!
 
Terrible? What would the same footage look like if shot handheld at eye level?

I have to admit though, that the same footage shot holding the camera by the handle at waist level looks smoother than I thought it would. And a lot less weight. Kinda difficult to frame up a subject though with a waist level camera.

After looking at the Glidecam video link someone posted, I can see the Glidecam does a better job of keeping the camera absolutely level. There is a tradeoff though, not as easy to tilt down, etc.

For $20 I think this device is a good way to improve some shots. The $400 difference will buy a nice Century wide angle lens. Which will make the results look even smoother. I'll take the lens.





pmpworks said:
:zombie_smiley: sorry dude, but that was terrible. Try the same shot and just hold the top handle on the HVX and see if you can get a better shot. The only thing you are doing is adding weight to the camera, your arm will get very tired from holding that up while shooting. I'm not trying to put you down, just my honest opinion of the video and device you are using. Now, if you make some sort of gimbal and mount to it you will be getting closer, but also putting strain on your wrist. That may be why you had trouble with the glidecam. I tried just using a sled I made when I got my HVX and it really wore my arm out so I built and arm and vest to support it. Good Luck!
Click to expand...
 
hi pmp works. any chance you can put photos of your arm and vest and describe how long it took you to make?
Thanks.
 
hi pmp works. any chance you can put photos of your arm and vest and describe how long it took you to make?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Sure, I already posted here a while back so if you go to my site or homebuiltstabilizers.com you can see picture's and video from my setup. I recently modded the rear springs a little on my arm so they look a little different now, but not much.

Fred, I'm sorry but I've got to say something about your statement here:
The $400 difference will buy a nice Century wide angle lens. Which will make the results look even smoother. I'll take the lens.
Click to expand...
A new lens for your camera will not make your shots look smoother, as in floating like a steadicam, but if your mainly shooting from sticks or run and gun stuff then yes by all means buy yourself a new lens. I personally have decided to perfect my shooting before buying anymore accesories for my cam, but to each his own.:beer:
 
I saw this asian engineers site demonstrating his DIY steadycam several months ago. I have seen all the videos posted on his site and shud admit its darn close to a professional stablizer. But id say close. Odcourse it may not match exactly in facilities. But for godsake its only $14 or maybe a little extra. About the physics behind the system i will refuse to say hes just adding weight to the camera. Its actually a disguised gyro sorta design. The weight falling much lower than the camera basically offsets the cams center of gravity. Which makes all the difference. Now if you had a fluid wrist. You could manevour this thing really well. The shot where he walks with the girl into the library. Yes a steady handed cam man can hold the cam at waist level and do that. But can he achieve the smoothness he gets when he ascends the staircase ? Definitely not. The $14 model does notably well during that starcase move even tilting and following. I cud hardly see any footstep jerks while ascending the stairs. Hmm but not arguing here. Im actually planning to make one. And yes gimbals can help and disrupt certain scenes. It has its own plus and minus points. But anyway im no expert but wanted to chime in this much because its a physics based issue and im in the rig design dept of the live events industry. So just wanted to share my experience.
 
mainstreetprod said:
Terrible? What would the same footage look like if shot handheld at eye level?

I have to admit though, that the same footage shot holding the camera by the handle at waist level looks smoother than I thought it would. And a lot less weight. Kinda difficult to frame up a subject though with a waist level camera.

After looking at the Glidecam video link someone posted, I can see the Glidecam does a better job of keeping the camera absolutely level. There is a tradeoff though, not as easy to tilt down, etc.

For $20 I think this device is a good way to improve some shots. The $400 difference will buy a nice Century wide angle lens. Which will make the results look even smoother. I'll take the lens.
Click to expand...


this is not true man.

i have done many many man shots where i use my glidecam on a tilted axis and shoot completely that style, instead of having the camera level.

there is a shot there where i boom down to a folded shirt, that is just an example.

it is very easy to tilt/dutch with the glidecam, and get smooth looking footage even in motion, walking, running, with the shot staying completely level and smooth.

just need a bit of practice
 
thanks for the link pmp. I've checked out the homebuiltstabelizer's web site before, I actually even bought the book. Do you know of anyone that built their stabilizer and made a manual (or better a video) of how to put one together with assembly parts? I would love to build one. Unfortunately, I don't have access to a milling machine. I can only imagine that I could put stock parts together and try to build one myself. but I know this is a complicated endeavor.
It would be great to come up with a compromise from the $20 system and the 4-9k system. I would definetly need a supporting arm since my rig just got to the 15lb mark with the M2 adapter and I haven't even put an on board monitor.
I just don't have the 4k for this tool. :(
 
plainman007 said:
mainstreet > how are you tilting upwards and downwards for your shots with this ?
Click to expand...

Right hand holds just below the "T" fitting. It is easy to tilt up or down
since the balance point is there. When doing a combo tilt/pan, left hand
controls it.

I now have a less compressed version of the footage at the same link.
 
thanks for the link pmp. I've checked out the homebuiltstabelizer's web site before, I actually even bought the book. Do you know of anyone that built their stabilizer and made a manual (or better a video) of how to put one together with assembly parts? I would love to build one. Unfortunately, I don't have access to a milling machine. I can only imagine that I could put stock parts together and try to build one myself. but I know this is a complicated endeavor.
It would be great to come up with a compromise from the $20 system and the 4-9k system. I would definetly need a supporting arm since my rig just got to the 15lb mark with the M2 adapter and I haven't even put an on board monitor.
I just don't have the 4k for this tool
Click to expand...

I don't know of any videos, but as far as cost goes, it ain't cheep. Of course you already know what commercial systems cost (thousands) and there is a reason for that. It all really depends on what your plans are. Myself I plan on using my rig to make enough money for a steadicam. I think the homebuilt systems are a great way to go when your on a budget, or if your able to do things like that. If I couldn't have built one I would have went with a DVRig Pro (not a steadicam). Simple design but really seems to work well, other than that you might get lucky and someone will sell you their homebuilt arm if they are making a new one, but most homebuilders won't sell. The guy that runs the site at HBS is building one hell of a complete rig, designed after a steadicam, he will be selling a book with plans when it's done. I'm pretty sure it will have CAD drawings in it so if you want to have it built by a machinist you can. Good Luck!:beer:
 
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