Glide Track...or what?

Steve Zugelter · July 16th, 2009, 11:57 AM

Hey Charles

Actually I used the GlideTrack heavy duty version and that's the one that would stick. Keep in mind, this particular unit was very new. My friend that owns it is planning on selling it to get the pegasus. Having said that, I know a lot of other people who have the GT and are very happy with it.

Nicholas de Kock · July 16th, 2009, 12:41 PM

If you fancy doing it yourself, go have a look over at DVXUser's DIY section, there is an in-debt discussion on making your own glidetrack. The commercial glidetrack is pretty much industrial parts you can order off the shelf at a fraction of the cost.

Danny O'Neill · July 16th, 2009, 01:47 PM

A new glidetrack does stick yes, you need to work in the bearings with use or do a little trick where you apply pressure to the bearings and it breaks them in within a minute.

Our demo reel features some glidetrack footage and you can see its a bit juddery in place.

And here is our latest piece using the track and its silky smooth.

Radiation Disco Promo on Vimeo

The SD version will take out FX1 with heavy battery just nicely although the HD would have been better. The compact looks great, the ability to have a dolly that size for those short, sharp shots.

Steve Zugelter · July 16th, 2009, 05:26 PM

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but this was a brand new GT HD, and there were no bearings at all. I only used it once so I may have missed it but I didn't notice the distinct sound of ball bearings, nor did it feel as if it had them. Again, I'm sure it works great for those that love it, it just wasn't for me so I went another direction.

Sean Seah · July 16th, 2009, 09:56 PM

Does anyone else have experience with Cinevate Pegasus? That looks really lightweight compared to GT. I DIYed something very similar to the glidetrack. Works well with a little friction. Only wished that it was lighter like the Pegasus. But that is only from my visual impression. I'm not sure if the Pegasus is really lighter??

Danny O'Neill · July 18th, 2009, 05:43 AM

Steve, they dont use ball bearings. There known as "self lubricating plastic bearings"

GT is lighter than the Pegasus from what ive seen.

Raymond Tsang · July 18th, 2009, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean Seah

Does anyone else have experience with Cinevate Pegasus? That looks really lightweight compared to GT. I DIYed something very similar to the glidetrack. Works well with a little friction. Only wished that it was lighter like the Pegasus. But that is only from my visual impression. I'm not sure if the Pegasus is really lighter??

I have the Pegasus and it's as smooth as butter. Best part is that we're able to travel and not have to lug around a set of rods.

Patrick Moreau · July 19th, 2009, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Zugelter

Having said that, I know a lot of other people who have the GT and are very happy with it.

is that not the exact same thing as saying 'i know a lot of people who have a glidecam and are very happy with it' because there absolutely are but i don't think anybody would suggest it is anywhere near a steadicam and one is a clearly superior product. some are happy working harder for their shots, or getting them 'pretty good', and saving money on the up front investment. i think that says less about the product and more about the studio. i do know a lot of top studios such as joe simon, ray roman, kevin shahinian, mindcastle, glen elliott, all use the pegasus - and i think that should certainly say something.

P.

Steve Zugelter · July 19th, 2009, 02:16 PM

Good point. However I believe there are steps in making purchases. I purchased the pegasus because I didn't like how the glidetrack performed. But if I didn't have that initial experience with the glidetrack, I probably would've purchased that instead of the pegasus, based on the the clips I've seen from others that have the GT and the cost difference. Regarding the glidecam vs steadicam, don't get me wrong, I'd kill to have a steadicam and I have it on my short list to get one very soon, but I chose to purchase the glidecam first because its far cheaper and once I had the principle down, I could carry that experience over to the steadicam. Also just wanted to point out that a few of the people on your top studios list use the glidecam, not the steadicam.

Alastair Brown · July 19th, 2009, 04:17 PM

Hi Guys,

Alastair (Glidetrack) here.

Only just back from vacation, and see we have a bit of a flag waving competition going on.

All I can say is go over to Vimeo, search for Glidetrack and you will find hundreds of clips from happy Glidetrack customers. You can then decide for yourself if it delivers the goods.

It has also been used in quite a few BBC productions here in the UK.

There is a really nice four page review of the Glidetrack in the July/August edition of Event DV by Loyd Calomay of Red5Studios.

For those of you concerned about size/weight, we do a compact half length version of both models, and are just about to launch new lightweight versions, as well as an even larger XD one.

All this will be detailed in full on the new website which is coming very soon.

If your are experiencing any sticking, your bearings may simply need re-aligned which takes seconds (Steve, tell your friend to give me a shout and I can talk him through it)

Happy Gliding!

Alastair

Anthony J. Howe · July 19th, 2009, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alastair Brown

All I can say is go over to Vimeo, search for Glidetrack and you will find hundreds of clips from happy Glidetrack customers. You can then decide for yourself if it delivers the goods.

Having just done that, it's what I have been looking for, and affordable price.
I will soon order one.

Danny O'Neill · July 20th, 2009, 03:56 AM

Affordable price, thats the biggie for me.

If I said I wanted a pegasus and it will only cost me just over $1,000 I dont think I would have got it. While it looks nice can many justify the cost? The glidetrack however was so cheap for us it's just pocket change and it paid off.

Our new Steadicam is great, an improvement over the glidecam in so many ways but when we got the glidecam there would have been no way I could have justified £4,000 on something which might do us no good or that I couldnt even get on with. As pointed out, many of the top studios still use a Glidecam and dream of a Steadicam. Correct me if i'm wrong but didnt Patrick also start on a Glidecam?

Lets not get into "My dads better than your dad" type discussion. They are two products which do similar things. Each has their pros, each can be used in different situations.

I have no doubt an EX3 would be better than my FX1. But the FX1 does the job and I can afford it.

Does the glidetrack give you what you want and for an acceptable price? Then go for it.
Does you have a different need and require the pegasus, can you afford it? Then go for it.

Also, Philip Bloom's latest piece used a Glidetrack with some great results.

Danny O'Neill · July 20th, 2009, 06:05 AM

Actually, Glidecam vs Steadicam is a great comparison.

I love my new steadicam, but its infinatly more fragile than the Glidecam. The glidecam was so simple I could sling it arond, drop it, throw it on a table and move on and it would be fine. But the Steadicam has more to go wrong. But I wanted to do something different with my shots which I couldnt achieve with the glidecam.

Now the Glidetrack is very much the same. When you see one its so simple. Its a solid, alloy rail with a little sled/shuttle you screw onto. Thats it. Rock solid, throw it in the back of the car, hit an annoying bride around the head with it. No worries, it will come out fine.

Certainly here in the UK we dont get a lot of time in a wedding and being able to abuse your gear a bit helps. The steadicam has changed how we work a little. I slap the track down, click in the camera, film and onto the next.

Ive also found out that my Glidetrack is the older model with the fixed bearings and the new ones have an adjustable sled so if it sticks, just tweak your settings.

Richard Wakefield · July 20th, 2009, 10:55 AM

i love my glidetracks - next to no setup time - it's one solid piece - it can be setup in almost any space possible - and most importantly,

can withstand the blast from a bbq i recently filmed :)

This is a password protected video on Vimeo (password = krishna)

Patrick Moreau · July 21st, 2009, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Wakefield

i love my glidetracks - next to no setup time - it's one solid piece - it can be setup in almost any space possible

have you tried a pegasus? they set up super quick, work faster (so if it takes you to couple more seconds to setup, your still out in half the time since your not redoing the shots 6-7 times to get one good take), they are 5 pieces that can go as one solid piece or be taken apart to travel smaller or replace individual pieces if you damaged anything, and it can be setup in more places because you also have a bowl to deal with inclines.

know how many people love a glidecam before they try a steadicam. we have had die hard glidecam fans change their mind in seconds when they get into a real rig.

they certainly can work - we have one and share it at the evolution experience - but in having everybody play with all the options (indislider too) not one preferred the indislider for anything other than the lower investment, and that is a fairly large subject pool. i should say though, i am certainly biased as i helped in the design and pestered cinevate to bring this to the market.

P.

July 16th, 2009, 01:47 PM	#18
Danny O'Neill Major Player Join Date: May 2008 Location: Northampton, UK Posts: 915	A new glidetrack does stick yes, you need to work in the bearings with use or do a little trick where you apply pressure to the bearings and it breaks them in within a minute. Our demo reel features some glidetrack footage and you can see its a bit juddery in place. And here is our latest piece using the track and its silky smooth. Radiation Disco Promo on Vimeo The SD version will take out FX1 with heavy battery just nicely although the HD would have been better. The compact looks great, the ability to have a dolly that size for those short, sharp shots. __________________ mintyslippers.com

July 18th, 2009, 05:43 AM	#21
Danny O'Neill Major Player Join Date: May 2008 Location: Northampton, UK Posts: 915	Steve, they dont use ball bearings. There known as "self lubricating plastic bearings" GT is lighter than the Pegasus from what ive seen. __________________ mintyslippers.com

July 20th, 2009, 03:56 AM	#27
Danny O'Neill Major Player Join Date: May 2008 Location: Northampton, UK Posts: 915	Affordable price, thats the biggie for me. If I said I wanted a pegasus and it will only cost me just over $1,000 I dont think I would have got it. While it looks nice can many justify the cost? The glidetrack however was so cheap for us it's just pocket change and it paid off. Our new Steadicam is great, an improvement over the glidecam in so many ways but when we got the glidecam there would have been no way I could have justified £4,000 on something which might do us no good or that I couldnt even get on with. As pointed out, many of the top studios still use a Glidecam and dream of a Steadicam. Correct me if i'm wrong but didnt Patrick also start on a Glidecam? Lets not get into "My dads better than your dad" type discussion. They are two products which do similar things. Each has their pros, each can be used in different situations. I have no doubt an EX3 would be better than my FX1. But the FX1 does the job and I can afford it. Does the glidetrack give you what you want and for an acceptable price? Then go for it. Does you have a different need and require the pegasus, can you afford it? Then go for it. Also, Philip Bloom's latest piece used a Glidetrack with some great results. __________________ mintyslippers.com

July 20th, 2009, 06:05 AM	#28
Danny O'Neill Major Player Join Date: May 2008 Location: Northampton, UK Posts: 915	Actually, Glidecam vs Steadicam is a great comparison. I love my new steadicam, but its infinatly more fragile than the Glidecam. The glidecam was so simple I could sling it arond, drop it, throw it on a table and move on and it would be fine. But the Steadicam has more to go wrong. But I wanted to do something different with my shots which I couldnt achieve with the glidecam. Now the Glidetrack is very much the same. When you see one its so simple. Its a solid, alloy rail with a little sled/shuttle you screw onto. Thats it. Rock solid, throw it in the back of the car, hit an annoying bride around the head with it. No worries, it will come out fine. Certainly here in the UK we dont get a lot of time in a wedding and being able to abuse your gear a bit helps. The steadicam has changed how we work a little. I slap the track down, click in the camera, film and onto the next. Ive also found out that my Glidetrack is the older model with the fixed bearings and the new ones have an adjustable sled so if it sticks, just tweak your settings. __________________ mintyslippers.com

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July 16th, 2009, 11:57 AM	#16
Steve Zugelter Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 26	Hey Charles Actually I used the GlideTrack heavy duty version and that's the one that would stick. Keep in mind, this particular unit was very new. My friend that owns it is planning on selling it to get the pegasus. Having said that, I know a lot of other people who have the GT and are very happy with it.

July 16th, 2009, 12:41 PM	#17
Nicholas de Kock Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: KLD, South Africa Posts: 983	If you fancy doing it yourself, go have a look over at DVXUser's DIY section, there is an in-debt discussion on making your own glidetrack. The commercial glidetrack is pretty much industrial parts you can order off the shelf at a fraction of the cost.

July 16th, 2009, 05:26 PM	#19
Steve Zugelter Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 26	Please correct me if I'm wrong, but this was a brand new GT HD, and there were no bearings at all. I only used it once so I may have missed it but I didn't notice the distinct sound of ball bearings, nor did it feel as if it had them. Again, I'm sure it works great for those that love it, it just wasn't for me so I went another direction.

July 16th, 2009, 09:56 PM	#20
Sean Seah Trustee Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Singapore Posts: 1,498	Does anyone else have experience with Cinevate Pegasus? That looks really lightweight compared to GT. I DIYed something very similar to the glidetrack. Works well with a little friction. Only wished that it was lighter like the Pegasus. But that is only from my visual impression. I'm not sure if the Pegasus is really lighter??

July 19th, 2009, 02:16 PM	#24
Steve Zugelter Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Cincinnati, OH Posts: 26	Good point. However I believe there are steps in making purchases. I purchased the pegasus because I didn't like how the glidetrack performed. But if I didn't have that initial experience with the glidetrack, I probably would've purchased that instead of the pegasus, based on the the clips I've seen from others that have the GT and the cost difference. Regarding the glidecam vs steadicam, don't get me wrong, I'd kill to have a steadicam and I have it on my short list to get one very soon, but I chose to purchase the glidecam first because its far cheaper and once I had the principle down, I could carry that experience over to the steadicam. Also just wanted to point out that a few of the people on your top studios list use the glidecam, not the steadicam.

July 19th, 2009, 04:17 PM	#25
Alastair Brown Major Player Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Glasgow/Scotland Posts: 626	Hi Guys, Alastair (Glidetrack) here. Only just back from vacation, and see we have a bit of a flag waving competition going on. All I can say is go over to Vimeo, search for Glidetrack and you will find hundreds of clips from happy Glidetrack customers. You can then decide for yourself if it delivers the goods. It has also been used in quite a few BBC productions here in the UK. There is a really nice four page review of the Glidetrack in the July/August edition of Event DV by Loyd Calomay of Red5Studios. For those of you concerned about size/weight, we do a compact half length version of both models, and are just about to launch new lightweight versions, as well as an even larger XD one. All this will be detailed in full on the new website which is coming very soon. If your are experiencing any sticking, your bearings may simply need re-aligned which takes seconds (Steve, tell your friend to give me a shout and I can talk him through it) Happy Gliding! Alastair

July 20th, 2009, 10:55 AM	#29
Richard Wakefield Major Player Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Surrey, UK Posts: 680	i love my glidetracks - next to no setup time - it's one solid piece - it can be setup in almost any space possible - and most importantly, can withstand the blast from a bbq i recently filmed :) This is a password protected video on Vimeo (password = krishna)