Tripod or Stedicam

A

aygie

Active member
Hi guys

Advice needed! I've got the opportunity to get some accessories for my HVX and I've decided that its between a new tripod and head or Stedicam Merlin 2 with arm and vest. I'm stuck because I'm really not sure which will more beneficial.

The cheapest prices I've found are;

Merlin 2 + Arm & Vest - £1,400 (as I'm using the HVX the vest seems like a must)

Vinten Vision Blue Tripod & head - £1,100 (seems like a good tripod and head for a good price with some glowing reviews)

I'm currently doing a lot of music based shooting, small and medium sized gigs and a few outdoor shoots.

So are there any stedicam users out there who find they don't use they're tripods as much or is it the opposite?

Thanks in advance!
 
The tripod is a basic must-have, and is much more versatile than a stabilizer. If you don't have one, you should.
 
Alex H. said:
The tripod is a basic must-have, and is much more versatile than a stabilizer. If you don't have one, you should.
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Thanks, I though as much but its always good to have it confirmed :)

I know that that vision blue has been out a few years but it still seems like a good option for its price point.

Thanks again!
 
They say a tripod is a must have. Which it IS, but that also depends on the shooter.

If you're going to be shooting on a steadicam the whole time, and pretty much all the time, I think that would be better.
If you do more locked off shots, a tripod. But, if you want to add movement, a dolly/slider would be an additional requirement. Resulting in more money$.

A steadicam will tire you own more. But the thing is, it depends on what you shoot and how you want to achieve those shots.
Not all shots should be done on a steadicam.

I have a tripod now. But, I have always wished I had a steadicam. Then again, I do a lot of handheld work and didnt need a steadicam.
If you like the fluidness movements and know you want to use them in more of your shots, then get that. But if you dont want to do a lot of movements, get a tripod, but a slider/dolly would be something also you should be considering.

You could always get a good steadicam and get a cheaper tripod for locked off shots.
Its easier to use a tripod. A steadicam will require a lot of practice to get it right. You can get the steadicam now and learn to use it for a long time, or get a tripod. But if you end up in a situation needing a steadicam when all you've used was a tripod, it wont be as simple as it seems.
 
its pretty unrealistic to think that someone is going to do more steadicam work than tripod work. i guess its POSSIBLE, but extraordinarily RARE.
its not an "either/or" conversation. different tools for different uses and id say that for 97% of users, a good tripod will pay off for you faster than a steadicam - especially if youve never used a steadicam before. takes a LOT of practice to become even competent with a steadicam...
 
Unless you know for a fact you're going to shoot the majority of shots with movement, or seek to be a professional Steadicam operator, I'd go with the tripod and a good fluid head. Even if you seek to be a pro someday, you probably wouldn't want to start with the Merlin. The Pilot would probably be the lowest rung you'd want to step up with.

DDirector said:
A steadicam will require a lot of practice to get it right.
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This is extremely true, and cannot be understated. I've used several Steadicam units on various shoots. The most was when I was a B cam op and the crew had rented a Glidecam X20. Even though I had been somewhat trained on a large rig, and practiced units before, it was a real welcome in the hours of downtime to master getting the Glidecam balanced just right, and be able to practice it several times before using it. Even with all that, I still do not consider myself a Steadicam op. I'm still slow at setting it up, still get frustrated fine tuning it, and just can't get the shots a pro can get, and am prone to mistakes in challenging shots. So, I would caution that even you're a very talented shooter, it's going to take you time to get decent at, and test your patience.
 
Thanks guys, all good advice. Since starting this thread I've been looking at the Glidetrack Hybrid HD slider which seems awesome for the price, so maybe the Vision Blue and the Hybrid HD would be a better mix.

:)
 
Heya Aygie,

If I might suggest, why not get "both". I shoot music Videos with a SteddiePod, which is a very versatile system. I shoot with smaller form cameras, like DSLR, HVX200, HMC150 and so on. It's a camera stabilizer, tripod, boom, Vanity Cam, Low Flow, MonoPod. I know it looks like a stick with legs, but once you balance the camera on it (takes a few minutes, compared to a Glidecam/Merlin which takes much longer) you're good to go. They also have an optional LANC if your camera uses that.

There's a review of it from Barry here. I got mine upgraded to a Manfrotto head, since that's the most common one in my area. Best of luck!
 
Used SteddiePod before, it's a good system, fast setup. The only downside is the weight, after 5-10 mins of usage I got sore arm. =(
 
I do event and cover loads of movement. So i mainly use a steady cam for most coverage. Then i use my shoulder rig and follow focus for detail shots. Most recently, I've been using the tripod for my slider and for B-Cam work.
I think you need to sit down and look how you shoot and can be most effective. Then go from there.
 
A tripod is an absolute must - BUT -

I am still using a Bogen/Manfrotto 3041, which is an old standard aluminum leg tripod that cost $100 new maybe 15 years ago. I bought a used 503HVD head on eBay for $75 I think.

So get a decent tripod, but depending on what you are doing, you might be able to spend £100 on that, or £300 for a good used carbon fiber tripod with fluid head.

Then buy a used Merlin?

I am a big believer in buying QUALITY used gear at a 50% to 60% discount off of new. Often you can resell, when you no longer need the equipment, for a relatively small net cost.

I use Broncolor equipment in the studio. That is high end stuff, and I could rarely justify buying new. But by carefully buying lightly used gear at good prices when the opportunity arose, I was able to use state of the art, high end equipment for little or no net cost.

Good luck!
Michael
 
aygie said:
Vinten Vision Blue Tripod & head - £1,100 (seems like a good tripod and head for a good price with some glowing reviews)
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unless you mean $ you can get a new Vinten Vision blue for £650 - I have one, it's a great fluid head just make sure you wont be overloading it for perfect balance
 
dslr_user,

So, it's also a muscle conditioning device using the principle of isometrics! Genius I tell you! but seriously, yeah it takes some time to get used to, but I find that it's more versatile than the Merlins and Gidecams.
 
ade4all said:
unless you mean $ you can get a new Vinten Vision blue for £650 - I have one, it's a great fluid head just make sure you wont be overloading it for perfect balance
Click to expand...

Really? I can't seem to find it cheaper than £1,100.
 
Go with the tripod, and a good one at that. I like the Manfrotto heads. I use a 501 myself. I owned a glidecam for a while. Got some great shots, but in the end it was too much of a pain to use for run and gun. I found myself constantly having to fine tune it on location, at times when I should have been shooting instead of toying around with the HW. And this was after I made sure I'd fined tuned everything the day beforehand. These prosumer steadicams are fickle pieces of equipment. I sold the glidecam and upgraded my sticks and head.
 
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