Equipment for getting smooth shots with DSLR while walking.

T

Thrash632

Hi,

I want to get something that will help maintain smooth movements while walking and shooting.

I currently shoot with a Nikon D90, although I plan on upgrading to a better DSLR soon.

I've looked at a ton of different stabilizers, glidecams, etc at all different price ranges. Each one seems to get positive and negative reviews. I decided to come here to get some advice.

To get an idea of what I've been looking at, there's the Tiffen Steadicam Merlin. It seems a bit pricey, but I assume you get what you pay for. I wouldn't want to spend anymore than that (even that is pushing it for me price wise).

Then there's the Glidecam HD-1000 Hand-Held Stabilizer which is more within my price range, although reviews suggest it is mediocre.

Suggestions, thoughts?
 
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Cheap and easy solutions start with a 3 wheel plant dolly and a bag of rice to dampen any vibration. All you then need is a smooth surface like a tabletop or a shelf.

Check youtube for TONS of DIY options, some are good, some are crap. A simple monopod can help you as well, Shoulder rigs galore with quite a few DIY solutions. Practice makes perfect with any tool.

One thing you can do is light your scenes well and do the motions in post. If you start with a well lit scene you can zoom in more without the image getting spotty.

Good Luck !
 
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Thrash632 said:
Hi,

I want to get something that will help maintain smooth movements while walking and shooting.

I currently shoot with a Nikon D90, although I plan on upgrading to a better DSLR soon.

I've looked at a ton of different stabilizers, glidecams, etc at all different price ranges. Each one seems to get positive and negative reviews. I decided to come here to get some advice.

To get an idea of what I've been looking at, there's the Tiffen Steadicam Merlin. It seems a bit pricey, but I assume you get what you pay for. I wouldn't want to spend anymore than that (even that is pushing it for me price wise).

Then there's the Glidecam HD-1000 Hand-Held Stabilizer which is more within my price range, although reviews suggest it is mediocre.

Suggestions, thoughts?
Click to expand...
Merlins are at the top of the foodchain. If you can't afford one, look for something that's easy to balance. Also, anything that doesn't have a support vest is going to tire your arm pretty quick like. If you plan long extended shoots, get something with a vest.
 
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If you want something for tight spaces which a dolly cannot fit into, I heard that steadicams or more stable than glidecams, but don't know for certain, since I've only used steady so far.
 
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Just don't expect a cheap dolly to do miracles... they really only shine when you have them on rails or on a flat floor surface (wood, vinyl etc.).

If you go that route, I would invest in a set with flexible rubber hosing as it's dead easy to set up and tear down and has super smooth results.
 
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brianluce said:
But but but that's the same company. And betcha it won't work on a DSLR, those are for big cams.
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Stick enough weight on top and it'll fly like a dream. The Merlin will be fine with a DSLR and lens, but as soon as you add a cine lens/remote follow focus/matte box/remote monitoring you're going to need something bigger.
 
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I was on a recent shoot with a full-blown steadicam rig with remote hdmi and remote focus shooting with a 5D. Granted, the steadicam operator had to load the sled with lead bags to get it to balance properly.

No matter which stabilizer is used, the magic is in the operator. There's a reason these guys spend over a grand on training and spend the first day talking physics before even strapping on a rig. And unless the scene is lit enough to close down the aperature to keep a wide DOF (which is not always appropriate), remote video and remote focus becomes ALMOST a necessity.

brianluce said:
But but but that's the same company. And betcha it won't work on a DSLR, those are for big cams.
Click to expand...
 
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chilipie said:
The Merlin will be fine with a DSLR and lens, but as soon as you add a cine lens/remote follow focus/matte box/remote monitoring you're going to need something bigger.
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Yup. We used the Merlin briefly on a shoot last week. It wouldn't even fit a 5D with the cine compact primes the DP was using, let alone the additional fittings.

It's still useful in many situations, no doubt. Not sure if it's $900 useful, though. :)
 
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Thanks for all the advice. I kind of need to get up and running for a shoot within the next few weeks, so am a bit hesitant to go the DIY route.

From what I have read online, I think I may go with either a Merlin, Glidecam, or Blackbird. Here are some pros and cons I have gathered:

Merlin:
+Compact
-needs to be re-adjusted frequently

Blackbird and Glidecam:
+Easier learning curve
-Larger than the Merlin, so can get in the way in tight spaces.

What is everyone's thoughts on these three products when compared to one another? Thanks again!
 
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All 3 will do what you want with a light camera. My thoughts are: practice, practice, practice.

Thrash632 said:
Thanks for all the advice. I kind of need to get up and running for a shoot within the next few weeks, so am a bit hesitant to go the DIY route.

From what I have read online, I think I may go with either a Merlin, Glidecam, or Blackbird. Here are some pros and cons I have gathered:

Merlin:
+Compact
-needs to be re-adjusted frequently

Blackbird and Glidecam:
+Easier learning curve
-Larger than the Merlin, so can get in the way in tight spaces.

What is everyone's thoughts on these three products when compared to one another? Thanks again!
Click to expand...
 
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I've spent quite a bit of time on stage, doing Glee Club type of choreography and in martial arts... practice the physical body mechanics bits with a collapsed tripod held under the head. If you can get that to move correctly, then move to the fancy rigs... because they can only take out a little bit of the motion your body transfers to the camera. If you feed it less, it won't need to do as much as you'll end up with wonderfully smooth footage... look up one or two posts to "practice, practice, practice!"

It's more about the operator than the tool in a HUGE way for camera motion.
 
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Think I'm going to go with the Merlin. The fact that it's lighter and more compact is really appealing. I understand that these things take a lot of practice to get right and am certainly willing to do so.
 
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You should absolutely try to get the steadiest shot on set (if you're going for steady), but I got to say, warp stabilizer in Adobe CS5.5 is a stinkin' miracle worker. I shoot some live events at time where I have to move from place t place on a monopod to keep up with the action. Collapsing the monopod and walking with it like you would a stabilizer is super shaky, but run through warp stabilizer it looks like a full dolly set up.

Even on a cheap dolly rig, you'll have a few slight bumps like it's been said, but it'll work it out to give you nice, fluid motion.
 
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So I went for the Merlin. Wish me luck! Thanks again for all the support and advice. I will have to check at the warp stabilizer plugin. I'm sure it will come in handy until I can get really good using the Merlin.
 
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josh-ozirigpro said:
Just don't expect a cheap dolly to do miracles... they really only shine when you have them on rails or on a flat floor surface (wood, vinyl etc.).

If you go that route, I would invest in a set with flexible rubber hosing as it's dead easy to set up and tear down and has super smooth results.
Click to expand...

I am super intrigued about the rubber hosing idea. If the dolly wheels are adjustable instead of fixed, could this mean round sweeping shots --like those I see in the musical scenes of Glee? And would it still work if I'm using horizontal spacers to make sure the hosing doesn't move?
 
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Thrash632 said:
So I went for the Merlin. Wish me luck! Thanks again for all the support and advice. I will have to check at the warp stabilizer plugin. I'm sure it will come in handy until I can get really good using the Merlin.
Click to expand...

I also have a Merlin and you can be up to speed really quickly. A week will get you into the place you want to be but there are some limitations. Outdoors is the specific limitation in that a gust of wind will knock it out (you have to use it as a shoulder mount).

Also, don't worry about resetting it. I know it well enough in the context of a VG10 that I can sometimes set it up in seconds although a few minutes is more common.

And you will hear about DoPs saying it can't do x, y or z but a good operator can get it working well enough. Sure, there are limitations and you will be aching for a $5k USD model after a while but it adds so much. It is a fantastic little tool.
 
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I use Glidecam HD4000 with canon 5dm2 and canon16-35mm f2.8 l2 lens and it's perfect. i only need to use one weight on each side of the leg so it's not heavy at all.

but i agree with everybody: PRACTICE is the one that makes the difference!
 
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