cheezweezl
Veteran
looking for a flyer or something comparable that can hold at least 15 lbs.
WTB: Steadicam
- Thread starter cheezweezl
- Start date
cheezweezl
Veteran
i kinda want to go with a real steadicam only because all the pro operators i talk to tell me not to bother with anything else. however, i kinda have the feeling that the smaller rigs such as the flyer may not be worlds better than glidecam or other "off-brands".
anybody in l.a. have a non-steadicam rig that is the cat's pajamas? i would love to get my hands on one and see the difference.... i can definitely get more bang for my buck if i don't buy steadicam brand as far as weight capacity is concerned.
anybody in l.a. have a non-steadicam rig that is the cat's pajamas? i would love to get my hands on one and see the difference.... i can definitely get more bang for my buck if i don't buy steadicam brand as far as weight capacity is concerned.
TheRedMenace
Carbonite Member
That's kind of a closed-minded snobbish thing to say. Sure, there may be some crap out there on the low end but I've got a Magiqcam that rocks (espescially for what I paid for it). Holds 15 lbs no sweat, shoots smooth as glass. Balancing it takes like 5 minutes and it's as comfortable as hell. Sure it doesn't say Steadicam on the back, have any fancy electronics or cup holders that keep my coffee warm - but it does everything I need it to do with the greatest of ease.
Until I graduate to a much, much heavier rig I'll never miss not having a Steadicam brand steady cam.
cheezweezl
Veteran
cheezweezl
Veteran
it may not be 100% related to quality. i have spoken to guys in l.a. who operate stedi for a living. these guys make bank and are expected to have the right gear. a friend of mine who does a lot of tv work said you will be laughed at if you show up with a glidecam no matter how well it works. whn you consider the kind of cheese these guys make, spending $30k on a rig is no biggie.
Have you ever flown a Steadicam brand? I am the kind of guy who buys knockoffs of everything, but in this case, it's the difference between a Ford and a Jaguar. Some of the price is branding, some of it to pay for 30yr of R&D.
Head to head, in the hands of an amateur or intermediate, they will produce comparable results. To a trained eye or in the hands of a professional, the Steadicam will _consistently_ destroy the glidecam. The main difference is in operator fatigue, where the Steadicam will win every time. I am 5'9'', 140, and can fly a 14lb rig for 75mins straight, 35 including fast walking.
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mikkowilson
Steadi-Guru
<clarification>
Congratulations on receiving your Magiqcam, that so many who bought one never got [after having payed for it .. not that they ever saw their money again either...]. - Good luck ever getting any product support, should you need it.
And sorry, but Magiqam is that "low end" stuff you talk of. Glad it works for you, as do many lower cost systems for others too.
There is no such thing as a "steady cam"; Steadicam IS the name of the system. Sure it's a brand name too [of the original] and everything else is a copy/knock-off/derivative of, but that's the way things are. Not saying their aren't other worthy systems out there, but they generally cost just a much as the original Steadicam brand systems too.
You get what you pay for.
</clarification>
- Mikko
Congratulations on receiving your Magiqcam, that so many who bought one never got [after having payed for it .. not that they ever saw their money again either...]. - Good luck ever getting any product support, should you need it.
And sorry, but Magiqam is that "low end" stuff you talk of. Glad it works for you, as do many lower cost systems for others too.
There is no such thing as a "steady cam"; Steadicam IS the name of the system. Sure it's a brand name too [of the original] and everything else is a copy/knock-off/derivative of, but that's the way things are. Not saying their aren't other worthy systems out there, but they generally cost just a much as the original Steadicam brand systems too.
You get what you pay for.
</clarification>
- Mikko
emretufekci
Well-known member
Hi Cheez,
There are many opinions that float around regarding gear and sometimes it is hard to pick out fact from envy. In the case of stedicam ops it is equally difficult to figure out the if the person is a elite or a junior operator without actually meeting them.
That being said here is my 2 cents. Steadicam vastly superior in ease of use, operation, reliability and technology to ANY brand out there. Even at the low end rigs like the flyer it cannot be compared to any other brand. The only rig that comes close in engineering quality is sacthler rigs, but that losses out on all tools operation.
I have no problem dropping 40K on my steadicam because it has paid itself over and over. Like Mikko said, you get what you pay for.
A steadicam lasts a veeeeryyy long time so make your investment wisely. Dont buy something you think you might like, get something you really want.
Good Luck!!!
There are many opinions that float around regarding gear and sometimes it is hard to pick out fact from envy. In the case of stedicam ops it is equally difficult to figure out the if the person is a elite or a junior operator without actually meeting them.
That being said here is my 2 cents. Steadicam vastly superior in ease of use, operation, reliability and technology to ANY brand out there. Even at the low end rigs like the flyer it cannot be compared to any other brand. The only rig that comes close in engineering quality is sacthler rigs, but that losses out on all tools operation.
I have no problem dropping 40K on my steadicam because it has paid itself over and over. Like Mikko said, you get what you pay for.
A steadicam lasts a veeeeryyy long time so make your investment wisely. Dont buy something you think you might like, get something you really want.
Good Luck!!!