Cable cams

Vitaliy_Kiselev

See tutorial at http://www.highballblog.com/2013/05/diy-cable-cam.html

FilmCat

Just thought I'd mention this if anyone is interested.

Over the last couple of years I have developed a Cable Cam system, it is fully remote controlled and reasonably smooth, it could do with a bit more work but it's been on the back burner during my exams.

I have I suppose somewhat of a proposition to make to anyone on the forum is interested, the absolute best thing about these systems is the fully assembled system including EVERYTHING you need to run it, i.e. rope, actual cable cam, tensioning ratchet, remote control, batteries, charger, everything is under £500 (at this stage), when compared to any other self propelled remote control system this is exceptionally low cost.

Now the proposition for this is for anyone who is interested in buying one and developing the project further will have my continued support in revisions of the project and improvements that YOU suggest to me. I do have a few sample shots and a full written (11 page) specification if anyone would like further information on the Cable Cam.

Here are some loose specs. and a picture:

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Min Speed: ~0.1m/s

Max Speed: ~6m/s

Climb angle: ~15°

Range: 500m

Rope length: 50m (up to)

Battery Life 1hour (*running, this translates to about a full days usage)

Weight: ~4kg (working on dramatically reducing this)

Camera weight: ~1kg max. (this value will increase as the system weight decreases)

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The quality is similar to in the videos above but the system is fully remote controlled with regards to speed

Please let me know if you are interested,

Best Regards, Max.

Vitaliy_Kiselev

@FilmCat

Very interesting.

Do you have more videos and photos?

matt_gh2

Nice

FilmCat

I've only really been able to get a couple of videos from a while ago, I was more intent on getting it fully working before doing anything really cinematic with my cats ;)

Anyway, here are two test shots, let me know what you think, the first has NO stabilization and the second about 15% smoothed warp stabiliser in AE. Both were shot with my phone as I didn't have a GH2 at the time :(

(Better shots on the second video from 50s)

Hopefully there will be some interest in these and we can get a few out to the personal view members!

Regards, Max.

Amadeus5D2

Thanks a lot a very creative tool for video, the movements of cam looks so human, not smooth like a machine.

FilmCat

Thanks for your comments, they actually reflect what I was trying to achieve as it was initially designed for narrative work, which is why it is able to achieve very slow speeds without issue, and the human element is very important for that. The versatility is so great as the speed can be varied instantly from very fast to very slow with a smooth transition as can be seen in the second video.

As I have said previously everything is still in development but very much usable which is why I have offered for some people to buy them at cost price (under £500), who live fairly close to me such that I can develop them with the feedback and then update their versions again at cost price to create an incredible creative tool!

Brian202020

I made a pretty cool DIY cable cam once. It was sturdy enough to hold two HPX170's and spanned up to 500 feet. The mechanism that made the camera's move was super low tech. It was an upside down bicycle and when you rotated the cranks a small rope, that was tied to the trolly, collected on the bike rim like a spool. It worked really well.

FilmCat

I've seen the Cable Cams made with bicycle wheels before, they tend to give smoother shots but become a nightmare to motorize, hence the small but very smooth running wheels on my model. The free running ones are great and can be really cheap to build, I can source the parts for about £50 for a solid set up. The motor on the other hand takes it into a new league :) Good luck with any more builds in the future!

Walker

How to make your own GoPro DIY Cable Cam

Four-axis camera mount rides on a wire

Walker

-Or rent this one £240/day from http://www.tshed.co.uk/1/page.php?17

use of gyro-stabilising bicycle wheels might look "Heath Robinson" but produces spectacularly steady cable cam shots previously unheard of.

FilmCat

I've found another shot recorded with the WireGlide, once again I apologise for the video quality.

The system was set up in pitch black with a head torch, it took less than 10 minutes to set up with one person along side this muddy path, and we had the shot within another 10 minutes, as you can see this shot would have not been possible at this cost, time and quality on this terrain (or others) with any other system that I can think of.

I will have some shots in the next couple of weeks with the GH2 as well as much more detailed information on the system which will give a much more realistic idea of its quality, once again if anyone is interested in testing the system or renting one for virtually nothing a day in the testing stage please just send me a message.