@Mark_the_Harp Thank you for the information about trying slow tracking shots all different ways & it never working out. I have been researching steadicams in the hope they would allow me to do exactly that. This is good information to have. I think a slider set up, that allows me to smoothly pan & tilt (& reframe my subject whilst camera is moving) is what i need
I needed very quickly a stabilizer. Made this with mi Manfrotto centre column and a weight in the bottom of it. Works well.
I completely agree with @Psyco. Think about inertia in respect of rotational directions. That means also that position of counterweights should be as far away from each other as it's of practical use.
Even if you want to influence rotation by your fingers the diameter of the touching axis should be small. Then you feel much more inertia (forces against acceleration) and movements are immediately softer.
my understanding is that you NEED the weight of a big camera to settle it all down with gravity as your friend, basically holding the perfect centre of gravity as if on the tip of your pinky…balanced above with below and side to side. And this is the problem with a GH2 - no weight. So I haven't bought any stabilizer yet. instead I've gone for an old stroller to act as both camera cart and dolly in one. Actually works…on flat surfaces. Walking carefully with a monopod works well enough about 40% of the time, depending...
well I've been pretty vocal about these cheap ones. I went through 3 different ones before shelling out the cash for a real one.
Absolutely use other methods and ideas to get tracking shots if you can. A real floatly steadicam shot is rarely needed but may be critical.
I think a big part of stabilzers is customer and peer support. Buy something that LOTS of other people have had success with, so you know it's possible to get good results. You have to also consider that you're going to be spending lots of time learning how to make it all work.
A lot of cheapo stabilizer show a guy walking a straight line on a flat surface for 5 seconds. Not how it works in a film really, turns, uneven ground, stop, start.
Weight of rig helps stability enormously. Here a vest and arm helps you survive. It's not just the shot itself, it's the balancing, the planning, the practice walkthroughs, the takes...
Be realistic about what you're trying to get to. How are you going to focus on the stabilizer?, how are you going to see what you're shooting and concentrate on walking and balancing?
This is hard stuff. It can all be done but it ain't easy. I choose a blackbird and got a merlin vest and arm for it on ebay. It was a lot of money for me. But I'm finally getting the results I've been looking for.
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