thoughts on the figrig?
- Thread starter adragland
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Jared Meyer
Veteran
There are a TON of posts here on user's experiences with and opinions of the fig rig - both on its own and as compared to other stabilizer options. I definitely recommend doing a search. You'll need to search for "figrig" though as the search engine will reject words with 3 letters or less. Also might want to try the name of the creater "Mike Figgis" or one of the other stabilizer options (shoulder mounted) "dvrig" "dvrigpro" or just "stabilizers."
Good luck!
Good luck!
mikkowilson
Steadi-Guru
The fig-rig is not a stabilizer, it's a camera grip.
- Mikko
- Mikko
Jared Meyer
Veteran
I've never used the fig rig but I know that Figgis definitely intended for it to isolate shake from the operator's arms and have an overall stabilizing effect on camera movement.
Mikko, if it stabilizes why can't it be a stabilizer? (I know you are the pro on all things thus related, just askin'.)
Mikko, if it stabilizes why can't it be a stabilizer? (I know you are the pro on all things thus related, just askin'.)
mikkowilson
Steadi-Guru
The reason it's not a stabilizer is in the fact that it does not in fact provide any isolation from the operator's movements (the way that a gimbal & Steadicam Arm do).
The fig rig "works" by providing a more conveineint grip for holding the camera with 2 hands. Beacuse of it's intuitive opearation, it makes it easer to hand-hold, and therefore alows you to hold the camera a little steadier.
A Steadicam works by actually isolating the camera's position and angle from the operator.
If you are allready good at handheld camera opearating, the fig-rig really won't help much at all. If you arn't so good, it might help by providing a more comfterble grip - though in my oppinion, it's so heavy that it's not really *that* much easier to hold.
- Mikko
The fig rig "works" by providing a more conveineint grip for holding the camera with 2 hands. Beacuse of it's intuitive opearation, it makes it easer to hand-hold, and therefore alows you to hold the camera a little steadier.
A Steadicam works by actually isolating the camera's position and angle from the operator.
If you are allready good at handheld camera opearating, the fig-rig really won't help much at all. If you arn't so good, it might help by providing a more comfterble grip - though in my oppinion, it's so heavy that it's not really *that* much easier to hold.
- Mikko
Jared Meyer
Veteran
Ah, very informative, thanks. Hopefully the OP comes back and reads your post as well.
I read Figgis' new book on Digital Filmmaking (that's the title, actually) and there's a pretty interesting chapter about how he designed the fig rig specifically for one of his low budget movies. His thinking is that (quoting with some paraphrase)
1) the camera attached to the rig is of a heavier total weight to increase stability
2) the operator's hands have been removed from the camera body to reduce shake
3) The hands are forced as wide as possible with the camera in the center of the wheel which allows the brain to better judge the horizontal stability line
4) the camera has been liberated from the body so that all of the operator's joints are not locked and are free to absorb vibration
Anyway, thought that was interesting.
I had thought about getting one but with some amount of practice I now have no problem keeping a little cam like the dvx rock solid without any stabilizer or rig whatsoever.
I read Figgis' new book on Digital Filmmaking (that's the title, actually) and there's a pretty interesting chapter about how he designed the fig rig specifically for one of his low budget movies. His thinking is that (quoting with some paraphrase)
1) the camera attached to the rig is of a heavier total weight to increase stability
2) the operator's hands have been removed from the camera body to reduce shake
3) The hands are forced as wide as possible with the camera in the center of the wheel which allows the brain to better judge the horizontal stability line
4) the camera has been liberated from the body so that all of the operator's joints are not locked and are free to absorb vibration
Anyway, thought that was interesting.
I had thought about getting one but with some amount of practice I now have no problem keeping a little cam like the dvx rock solid without any stabilizer or rig whatsoever.
DivotDan
Veteran
I love my DV Rig Pro for the weddings I shoot. I can hold the camera still via handheld with the best of them, but after you've been filming for 6-8 hours straight (with a 30 min break on the tripod for the ceremony) i don't know anyone that can hold a camera still. Esp with shotgun/lights/battery/and g2 mounted to it too.
I'm not saying I can run down a hall or anything and it be smooth like glass (only stadicam-esk rigs do that), but it sure makes for a better shot than handheld!
DVRig....I love you!
(PS: I've never tried a figrig, but after seeing the DVRig....i didn't want to. Not to mention that Danny is awesome to work with! I'm sure a FigRig is good for some shots, but it wouldn't work for what i do.)
I'm not saying I can run down a hall or anything and it be smooth like glass (only stadicam-esk rigs do that), but it sure makes for a better shot than handheld!
DVRig....I love you!
(PS: I've never tried a figrig, but after seeing the DVRig....i didn't want to. Not to mention that Danny is awesome to work with! I'm sure a FigRig is good for some shots, but it wouldn't work for what i do.)
thanks for the input guys. I think the best thing i have decided to do is instead of invest in more equipment that i don't know how to use, is to invest in making myself more knowledgeable in the camera itself. I am by all means new to the 100b but am excited to learn. why buy more equipment to learn when i have more to learn about the camera itself? thanks for all the input though. it will come in very handy when i decide to take the next step
HorseFilms
Look ma no hands
I seriously think you could get results similar to the Fig Rig if you just bolted your camera to a board like Raimi did in Evil Dead. It'll cost you less than a buck.