Varizoom Flowpod and DV Sportster Review

Re: Magiqcam

>How about the magiqcam? The series 1 at $1450 includes the vest, arm and >stabilizer.
>http://www.magiqcam.com/steadycampackages.html

>>That says that it only supports units up to 5lbs

Oh yeah, good point. That's another thing to consider, I'm sure most people on this list are planning (at some point) to get an HVX. I think it's prudent to consider if this think will carry one of those will with a MB, FF and decent battery...

-j
 
why don't these manfacturers (varizoom, glidecam, etc..) post similar footage for each of their rigs? walking, climbing stairs, and then running?

-chris
 
Beucase there is much more to it than the rig!

..Now if they all had the same operator shoot the comprisons. (with a blindfold so s/he couldn't tell what rig they where using) ..that would have some merit :happy:

- Mikko
 
lol, blindfolfed on a basketball court or something so he wouldn't run into anything -- now that would be some silly looking footage -- :grin:
 
Hey jack, aren't you supposed to get your flowpod today? 2 day shipping if I remember correctly. How about doing a little first impression post and then a follow up post after you've had some time with it?
 
I have pretty much the exact setup Barry reviewed, and so far, I'm very happy with it, and with the results I'm getting (improving with continued practice...)

Although I am starting to see it as an 'introductory' system, to learn enough to make the eventual transition to something more sophisticated.

But boy howdy, does it ever impress the heck out of clients...
 
TheYankee said:
Hey jack, aren't you supposed to get your flowpod today? 2 day shipping if I remember correctly. How about doing a little first impression post and then a follow up post after you've had some time with it?
Click to expand...
yeah -- its tracking as on time -- I bet it will show up at 5 or 6 though :)

But can't post today probably. I'm in on online screenwriting class and my draft was technically due three hours ago -

Maybe I can post tonight - but I'm a little wary of running through the french quarter at night with an expensive piece of equipment these days. :shocked:
 
I'm impressed that you went back. I had friends who lived in the Garden District and ended up just leaving everything because they had no renters insurance and just moved to Baltimore.


I'm not saying it needs to be today, but just a first impression review would be nice as well as some follow up reviews if your time/schedule permits. I think it would give a lot of us a better idea of how this product is for real world applications.

Good luck with that screenwriting class, btw.
 
Where the hell is it?!!:angry:

It got to New Orleans at 1:48AM last night.

Come on on Brown don't let me down.

I mean New Orleans isn't that big ... and it's not like they have to drive around fallen trees and debris with a reduced staff or anything -- oh wait -- nevermind :cheesy:
 
Where the hell is it?!!:angry:

It got to New Orleans at 1:48AM last night.

Come on on Brown don't let me down.

I mean New Orleans isn't that big ... and it's not like they have to drive around fallen trees and debris with a reduced staff or anything -- oh wait -- nevermind :cheesy:
 
Glidecam impressions: 6 months in.

Glidecam impressions: 6 months in.

I wanted to share some of my thoughts on stabilizer rigs for those of you who may be about to make your first purchase, becuase my first purchase was only 6 months ago.

When I first got my glidecam 4000, none of my shots looked like steadicam shots from a movie. But a majority of my bad glidecam work was still awesome compared to trying to get the same shots just going handheld. If you have solid shooting experience, it won’t take that much practice to get great shots. Remember, a shot doesn’t have to be perfect to be great. Within a week of using my glidecam, I recall thinking, “Even if I never get shots any smoother than this, this is still a very useful tool to have.”

A couple of months later I purchased a monitor to mount to the base of my glidecam 4000, and that improved the usefulness of the system 2 fold. The monitor on the base allows you to hold the system on either side of your body and still view your framing. In addition, you can see your feet and the ground in your peripheral vision. Not only is this safer, but it helps you see your system relative to the ground, so that you are more aware of how smooth your shot is.

The shots I was getting with my DVX and Glidecam 4000 inspired my work to get a Glidecam V-20 for our Varicam. Jumping from the 4000 to the V-20 was good and bad. The Good was that I could now use my body to support the camera, and both hands and arms to guide the camera. The bad is that it is very heavy. Yes my arms don’t get fatigued, but the rest of my body does. I can carry the 10 pound system on my arm much longer than a 50 pound system with a vest. (imagine walking around concentrating on shooting a DVX handheld with a 50 pound child sitting on your shoulders.)

Both myself and my work are considering a DVX/HVX and a Glidecam smoothshooter setup as a more versatile combination.

My last comment is on single vs. dual spring arms. If the spring is adjusted to the camera and sled weight, a dual vs. single shouldn’t make too much of a difference. A mix of spring, gravity and inertia shouldn’t be that much worse then a mix of spring, spring, gravity, inertia. Otherwise we would see systems with tri- and quad- spring arms.

-Ian
 
"If the spring is adjusted to the camera and sled weight, a dual vs. single shouldn’t make too much of a difference".

Unfortunately, wrong.
 
prezorg said:
I wanted to share some of my thoughts on stabilizer rigs for those of you who may be about to make your first purchase, becuase my first purchase was only 6 months ago.

When I first got my glidecam 4000, none of my shots looked like steadicam shots from a movie. But a majority of my bad glidecam work was still awesome compared to trying to get the same shots just going handheld. If you have solid shooting experience, it won’t take that much practice to get great shots. Remember, a shot doesn’t have to be perfect to be great. Within a week of using my glidecam, I recall thinking, “Even if I never get shots any smoother than this, this is still a very useful tool to have.”

A couple of months later I purchased a monitor to mount to the base of my glidecam 4000, and that improved the usefulness of the system 2 fold. The monitor on the base allows you to hold the system on either side of your body and still view your framing. In addition, you can see your feet and the ground in your peripheral vision. Not only is this safer, but it helps you see your system relative to the ground, so that you are more aware of how smooth your shot is.
Click to expand...

Nice contribution, especially regarding the difference the monitor can make, that was something that did not cross my mind. Then again, after researching the single/dual arm difference, I have to agree with Pookie (not that my agreeing with him adds any more credence... it's like me saying that I agree with Steven Spielberg casting someone in his movies... point made). I like the monitor idea though.
 
pookie said:
"If the spring is adjusted to the camera and sled weight, a dual vs. single shouldn’t make too much of a difference".

Unfortunately, wrong.
Click to expand...
While I can't compete with Pookie's brevity -- his argument for two arm vs one does make sense, its the fact that there is joint period that absorbs the shock while one arm just moves the camera up and down. Its not an exponentailly increasing phenomenon of the more arms the better, its the presence of absence of a shock absorbing joint in the bar sticking out of your chest - which is an either / or phenomenon, one set up has that absorber the other doesnt.

Now having said that that theory makes sense - I don't know **** from shinola - my dv sportster rig is sitting in the corner where I unpacked it 4 hours ago - I've just been too busy to play with it and I've never worn a vest system.
 
jdanstan said:
While I can't compete with Pookie's brevity -- his argument for two arm vs one does make sense, its the fact that there is joint period that absorbs the shock while one arm just moves the camera up and down. Its not an exponentailly increasing phenomenon of the more arms the better, its the presence of absence of a shock absorbing joint in the bar sticking out of your chest - which is an either / or phenomenon, one set up has that absorber the other doesnt.

Now having said that that theory makes sense - I don't know poo poo from shinola - my dv sportster rig is sitting in the corner where I unpacked it 4 hours ago - I've just been too busy to play with it and I've never worn a vest system.
Click to expand...

Damnit Jack, I've been waiting for two days to hear your review. Get with the program and hook a brotha up already:grin:
-jeremy
 
well the poo poo looks super solid state just like barry said - I mean that's impressive right of -- but you may have tio be patient because everybody says it takes a while to master these things right -- but believe me I want to play with it mopre than you -- but U went to bed at 7 am to finish my screenplay for class then had to read the other students revisions, then met with a prodeucer all day for my sci fi -- I'm actually in that online class right at this moment and I'm being a bad student gotta go! :cheesy:
 
prezorg said:
If the spring is adjusted to the camera and sled weight, a dual vs. single shouldn’t make too much of a difference. A mix of spring, gravity and inertia shouldn’t be that much worse then a mix of spring, spring, gravity, inertia. Otherwise we would see systems with tri- and quad- spring arms.
Click to expand...

To make myself more clear, I mean to say that the above is stated "In-Theory". I haven't used both single and dual spring arms, and therefore would trust someones practical experience over the mechanical engineering and physics that I attempt to figure out in my head.

I am curious as to WHY and more importantly HOW a dual spring arm is better than a single spring arm. Could a dual spring arm just be more capable of handling rough terrain and running compared to a single spring arm? Would you see a difference in the footage between dual and single spring arms during generic walking and standing?

The physics involved in these systems really aren't all that complicated, so I am betting someone out there has a "theory" that better matches practical knowledge.

Only being out of college a couple of years, I still have plenty of time left in my young career to test this out myself someday.

~Ian
 
prezorg said:
To make myself more clear, I mean to say that the above is stated "In-Theory". I haven't used both single and dual spring arms, and therefore would trust someones practical experience over the mechanical engineering and physics that I attempt to figure out in my head.

I am curious as to WHY and more importantly HOW a dual spring arm is better than a single spring arm. Could a dual spring arm just be more capable of handling rough terrain and running compared to a single spring arm? Would you see a difference in the footage between dual and single spring arms during generic walking and standing?

The physics involved in these systems really aren't all that complicated, so I am betting someone out there has a "theory" that better matches practical knowledge.

Only being out of college a couple of years, I still have plenty of time left in my young career to test this out myself someday.

~Ian
Click to expand...


I asked that same question a couple of days ago on this thread and Pookie & Barry S chimed in to answer it. Scroll back, they explain it.
 
jdanstan said:
its the fact that there is joint period that absorbs the shock while one arm just moves the camera up and down. Its not an exponentailly increasing phenomenon of the more arms the better,
Click to expand...

Looks like I got my answer before I asked. Thanks jdanstan.

The V-20's single spring arm that I use at work can do both of those well on their own, but probably not as well at the same time. Not a huge limitation for all shots, but very important indeed. And probably more important for the work I'd like to be doing someday, and not as important for the work I am doing right now.

~Ian
:)
 
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