Which is the best glidecam for the HMC150?

8string said:
I have the 4000 Pro and have problems with the Manfrotto quickrelease, as the tightening screw seems to bump into the mounting plate.
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The Manfrotto quickrelease tightening screw...do you mean the one that locks the camera plate on to the quickrelease mount? That little screw can be pulled outward and reset to accomodate any plate. Just tighten the plate down, then pull the screw out and roll it counterclockwise and reset it. you can tighten it again if you need to.
 
I'm sure many will call me a heretic but Sony Vegas Pro 10's "stabilization" feature gives an amazing glide-cam look to your footage, provided you don't shutter at a low rate like 24. In all seriousness, that single feature was worth the upgrade for me. I have a homemade glidecam, and a buddy of mine has the real deal, and my handheld footage, after being 'stabilized', comes really close....

Just a thought.
 
HotConductor said:
I'm sure many will call me a heretic but Sony Vegas Pro 10's "stabilization" feature gives an amazing glide-cam look to your footage, provided you don't shutter at a low rate like 24. In all seriousness, that single feature was worth the upgrade for me. I have a homemade glidecam, and a buddy of mine has the real deal, and my handheld footage, after being 'stabilized', comes really close....

Just a thought.
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HERETIC!!!!!

In all seriousness, a body-mounted stabilizer gives you more than just stable footage. You can get shots that simply aren't possible without one. Running with the camera pointed behind you....very difficult without a Steadicam :)

As much as the stabilizing plugins CAN fix footage that was too shaky to begin with, it never can compete with a stable shot. The image degradation that inevitably occurs when processing a clip with a stabilizer plugin will always be visible, even if it's LESS visible now than it used to be.

It's also a much quicker render when you avoid the plugin route. Time is money!!
 
scapsinger said:
HERETIC!!!!!

In all seriousness, a body-mounted stabilizer gives you more than just stable footage. You can get shots that simply aren't possible without one. Running with the camera pointed behind you....very difficult without a Steadicam :)

As much as the stabilizing plugins CAN fix footage that was too shaky to begin with, it never can compete with a stable shot. The image degradation that inevitably occurs when processing a clip with a stabilizer plugin will always be visible, even if it's LESS visible now than it used to be.

It's also a much quicker render when you avoid the plugin route. Time is money!!
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You are right on all accounts brother. A buddy of mine has a glidecam and I rent it from him on occasion when my home-made rig just wont cut it. And no matter what someone tells you, you can't run with a Halo rig!! Gotta have something that is body-mounted.
 
You need the Manfrotto Bogen 577 quick release adapter, approx $50http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...5Az6EMP3g&sig2=EwahHZetrj7zbjxC3k2dZw&cad=rja - this adapter you place directly on the HD-x000 mounting plate. I found the best way was to use to plastic strips to secure the end furthest away from the mounting screw. This gives stability which is a must for the balance to stay put. I absolutely disagree with the learning to play guitar scenario. What takes time is to balance the cam so that when lifted off the ground by the handle there is zero tilt or sway. Once balanced it easy to learn and use. This little video was my first shut after maybe 2-3 times of running around in my living room. It is much easier than guitar playing!

2010-12-02 23-27-33.044.jpg
 
Lat32Media....the addition of a stabilizer - as opposed to just running handheld - is somewhat like learning to play guitar. It's not easy, but if you turn on the distortion you can impress a few friends quickly. Combine it with a few power chords and you can book some studio time.

Whenever I come across stabilizer test footage, the first thing I immediately do is mute audio so that I'm not distracted by some flowing music stream. Your footage doesn't look BAD (and I do mean that, it's obviously not bad for just a first-ever attempt). But, you have plenty of work to do. Lots of swaying around the subject, definitely not a controlled shot. That being said, you have a fast-moving subject and it's probably not the best demonstration for someone out on their first shoot.

Good luck!
 
Good points Scapsinger! - Using a glidecam is not something you master quickly, emphasizing MASTER. I have a lot to learn. But I dont want new potential users to stay away from this wonderful tool because they think it really is like learning to play a guitar. Fact is that a few hours of dedicated practice will get you leaps and bounds above jerky handheld. Cheers
 
I think that if you shoot pretty smooth handheld then the move to the glidecam is less taxing and yields pretty good results. I posted some footage from my first shoot and overall I was really happy with it. I still have a lot of work to do especially on shooting don juan but I believe that will be easier when I get an arm and vest... Shooting with just the forearm vest is really taxing and I can do maybe 4 or 5 minutes before my arm falls off.

I also highly recommend the steadicam users manual book. for 25 bucks it has tons of great info and some good exercises. The other thing is you CAN"T get the same thing from a steadicam even if you are the smoothest handheld shooter in the world and I do pride myself on what I do.. just impossible when you are moving and especially when you are booming up or down or tilting and circling too.

I love the glidecam and I'm finding excuses to use it all the time.



j
 
cool

cool

Lat32Media said:
You need the Manfrotto Bogen 577 quick release adapter, approx $50http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...5Az6EMP3g&sig2=EwahHZetrj7zbjxC3k2dZw&cad=rja - this adapter you place directly on the HD-x000 mounting plate. I found the best way was to use to plastic strips to secure the end furthest away from the mounting screw. This gives stability which is a must for the balance to stay put. I absolutely disagree with the learning to play guitar scenario. What takes time is to balance the cam so that when lifted off the ground by the handle there is zero tilt or sway. Once balanced it easy to learn and use. This little video was my first shut after maybe 2-3 times of running around in my living room. It is much easier than guitar playing!

View attachment 26496
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WHOA! Very cool and colorful footage. I assume you were riding a bicycle at the time and holding the glidecam?
 
I have a HD4000 for my HMC150. A good point was brought up earlier....are you gliding with just the camera or with a shotgun mic/light perhaps? Any change in weight, however miniscule, throws the balance off......I'd rather have a slightly large unit with room to grow than a small one that's barely sufficient.

Yeah, your arm will fall off after gliding for more than a few minutes but if you get the vest then this problem goes away.

My recommendation would be the HD4000. Also, I have the Manfrotto quick release and a lot of people don't know that you can adjust the knob by pulling it out and turning it. It's not IDEAL but it does work fine.

I think the design of the glidecam to not incorporate any kind of quick release is just plain outright stupid.
 
Phil1076 said:
I think the design of the glidecam to not incorporate any kind of quick release is just plain outright stupid.
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Well, the HD4000 you own DOES have a kind of quick release, as you suggest...the previous versions had absolutely no way of releasing the camcorder at all without unscrewing everything. At least on the HD4000 it has a 4-screw popout design that lets you go handheld in less than 20 seconds (the previous models took MUCH longer...over 2 minutes, even if you were quick about it, and you needed a screwdriver handy!).

Suffice it to say that if Glidecam HAD included a tripod-compatible quick release plate mechanism, it would not be compatible with all tripod brands. Each tripod head has it's own plate, so if Glidecam HAD included, for example, a Libec quick release, then Manfrotto and Vinten tripod owners would be pissed.

The load plate (aka - the quickrelease top plate) on the HD4000 is very nice though, in that you can adjust the location of your own 3rd party adapter to balance virtually any kind of camera load (wireless receivers, shotguns, lights, etc). Again, previous versions were pretty limited in ALL respects, particularly regarding removing the camera from the stage.
 
I've had success with the 4000PRO. With the camera mounted on top, a Lilliput screen on one end at the bottom where the counterbalance weights go, and the battery back on the other end makes for a surprisingly balanced setup.
 
Buck Turgidson said:
Does the Steadicam Merlin work well with the HMC150 ?
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Sure, but its for lighter setups. If you are considering a Vest and Arm I would go with a sled that has monitor capabilities. I use the flycam 6000 for a while with no complaints - great value for the $.
 
MadHMC150 said:
Sure, but its for lighter setups. If you are considering a Vest and Arm I would go with a sled that has monitor capabilities. I use the flycam 6000 for a while with no complaints - great value for the $.
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Thanks for replying. I will look into the flycam 6000.
 
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