Video shot by my stablizer
 

Hello everyone,

I made a video about my dad play pingpong shot by my stablizer. I look forward to your comments regarding to the steadiness of the video.

The file is around 27mb encode with divx.

http://www.salenz.com/movie/pingpong1.avi

You may need to download latest divx decoder from www.divx.com

Thank you for your time to read my message and I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards
Leigh

Video shot by my stablizer[2]
 

Hello everyone,

I made a video about my dad walking shot by my stablizer. I look forward to your comments regarding to the steadiness of the video.

The file is around 7mb encoded with divx.

http://www.salenz.com/movie/leg.avi

You may need to download latest divx decoder from www.divx.com

Thank you for your time to read my message and I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards
Leigh

Not bad, you're still transfering a bit of your own body movements to the camera. It gets better after you stablize yourself (after you turn the corner). Is this a DIY stablizer? I'm getting ready to design and build my own based on Steadycam's design.
Can you post a pic of it?

Thanks for posting VIDEO... I love it when members give us things to look at and listen to!

Your footage doesn't look too bad... but you should practice with your stabilizer more and eventually put up some video that's more challenging... the pace of this could be quicker if you want to prove a point about controlled shooting... and hey, turn off your auto-aperature! Switch that baby into full manual...

Seriously thanks for posting... it looks pretty good.

Hello everyone,

Thanks for the comment.

Regards
Leigh

I've merged your two threads so all footage is one place.

Hello everyone,

I made a short video about my dad walking shot by my stablizer. I look forward to your comments regarding to the steadiness of the video.

The file is around 7mb encode with divx.

http://www.salenz.com/movie/follow.avi

You may need to download latest divx decoder from www.divx.com, it won't be played if you do not have this decoder installed on your computer.

My camera is JVC GY-DV5000 with Fujinon s20 6.4brm-sd lense. The whole camera weighs around 7kg.

Thank you for your time to read my message and I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards
Leigh

Leigh, you still havn't told us the stabilizer you used to make this clip or even shown us a pic of it. It's nice that you posted a clip but what about letting us take a look at the rig itself?

You shown us B before showing us A, com'on now don't keep us in the back room. ;)

<<<-- Originally posted by Charles King : Leigh, you still havn't told us the stabilizer you used to make this clip or even shown us a pic of it. It's nice that you posted a clip but what about letting us take a look at the rig itself?

You shown us B before showing us A, com'on now don't keep us in the back room. ;) -->>>

Dear Charles,

I want to be in stablizer business to manufacture cheaper and good quality device and I am in the patent process of the stablizer. Sorry that I can't show you the device. I apologize for that.

Regards
Leigh

OK, now you've got my curiousity Leigh.

I've tried downloading the latest divx and all I get from downloading your clips is a 1 sec audio blip.

(using Mac OS 10.3.5, Safari)

any thoughts?

Never mind, I got it going through Explorer.

Leigh, seeing as you posted about this here and in the Steadicam Forum (and maybe other places as well) for your commercial interests, I think it would be helpful if you indicated what makes your stabilizer different (capabilities? lighter weight? easier to use?) and what might be the limitations (maximum weight capacity?). Since you are pursuing a patent, there is presumably something different about your system versus the many, many counterweighted stabilizers out there (I saw the shadow of the post with a circular weight on the end in the walking video).

As far as the video itself, perhaps some more comprehensive shots, and some editing may be in order for the test clips.

Looking forward to hearing more about this.

<<<-- Originally posted by Charles Papert : OK, now you've got my curiousity Leigh.

I've tried downloading the latest divx and all I get from downloading your clips is a 1 sec audio blip.

(using Mac OS 10.3.5, Safari)

any thoughts? -->>>

I asked my collegue and he told me that quicktime 6.5.1 for mac can play.

Hope it helps.

Regards
Leigh

<<<-- Originally posted by Charles Papert : Never mind, I got it going through Explorer.

Leigh, seeing as you posted about this here and in the Steadicam Forum (and maybe other places as well) for your commercial interests, I think it would be helpful if you indicated what makes your stabilizer different (capabilities? lighter weight? easier to use?) and what might be the limitations (maximum weight capacity?). Since you are pursuing a patent, there is presumably something different about your system versus the many, many counterweighted stabilizers out there (I saw the shadow of the post with a circular weight on the end in the walking video).

As far as the video itself, perhaps some more comprehensive shots, and some editing may be in order for the test clips.

Looking forward to hearing more about this. -->>>

Dear Charles,

Nothing is so important. Just simple design of the arm.

Regards
Leigh

Go upstair video
 

Hello everyone,

Another video about go upstair.

divx format
File size 15mbytes
http://www.salenz.com/movie/stair.avi

Regards
Leigh

Leigh:

I have some thoughts, but first, I'm wondering what your intentions are for continuing to post your footage. You originally asked for comments about the steadiness of the video; I would assume this is because you are, as you said, planning on selling your design.

I honestly can't speak much to the steadiness factor, as your footage is making it hard to judge this. In general, you are too close to your subject and your operating is, to be honest, erratic.

To improve this, I recommend the "X" on the wall drill (which I detailed in this post. Rather than practice with a human subject, it's helpful to remove any other moving variables and this will help you identify your "problem" areas in operating. Right now you are over-controlling the rig, meaning that it jerks around left and right rather than floating smoothly. Relax the hand on the post, use just your fingertips, let it find it's own level and make teeny adjustments to retrain it in a different direction.

As far as evaluation footage regarding the stabilizer itself; run a length of brightly colored tape down a wall at camera height, then walk the camera alongside the tape as close as possible. Small variations in the position of the arm will begin to manifest themselves. A slow pumping up and down indicates operator error more than anything, but little jerking motions and pogo-ing (rising and falling with every footstep) is due to friction in the arm.

Another way to show the functionality of the stabilization is to walk the lens very close to a free-standing object, and then walk in place. Because of the parallax, you can see object in the foreground appear to move around. In a perfect situation, standing still and walking should appear exactly the same (the foreground object doesn't move relative to the background). Then ramp up to a running-in-place speed and examine the results. Jitter will show up again in the movement of the foreground object. Finally, stand in place and then raise one foot in the air (if the rig is attached to the right side of the vest, use your right foot) and stamp it down hard. Watch the edges of the frame to see if vibration is getting through the system. This can be coming from the arm or the sled.

Finally, if you are interested in operating your rig as well as selling it, start studying Steadicam shots in movies and TV shows, and watch how the framing and shot design is achieved. Pick a favorite scene (it doesn't have to be complicated) and try to copy it. Watch them back to back, learn what you didn't do, and then try it again.

Finally, I'll say this as delicately as I can; I'm sure your dad is a very fine gent, but let's try not to feature his posterior in closeup any more...?!

Dear Charles,

Thanks for the advice.

I will try these.

Regards
Leigh

I just downloaded "follow" watched it...well at least the first 30 seconds. (I think it got the idea) :D
Charles is right, a few more varied shots would be better.

I noticed that you also slowed down the footage and that helped to mask any undesired movement. (or is it just my Divx player screwing up?)

Hello everyone,

Jason helped to convert my video to wmv. I enclosed the URL for your reference.

http://www.steadicamforum.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1040&st=15&#entry6338

http://www.steadivideo.myby.co.uk/pingpong1.wmv
http://www.steadivideo.myby.co.uk/follow.wmv
http://www.steadivideo.myby.co.uk/leg.wmv
http://www.steadivideo.myby.co.uk/stair.wmv

I look forward to your comments regarding to the steadiness of my skill.

Regards
Leigh

<<<-- Originally posted by Richard Lewis : I just downloaded "follow" watched it...well at least the first 30 seconds. (I think it got the idea) :D
Charles is right, a few more varied shots would be better.

I noticed that you also slowed down the footage and that helped to mask any undesired movement. (or is it just my Divx player screwing up?) -->>>

Dear Richard,

I have not changed the video footage except add my domain name title and mozart background music.

Maybe you need to get latest free divx decoder from www.divx.com. I have seen lots of error report due to older version of divx decoder.

Regards
Leigh

Hummmm, how very strange.........

I downloaded Divx just to view your clip

Surley you didnt keep that single shot for 0.44 seconds in realtime??

Looks like its at about 80%

Hummmmm......

<<<-- Originally posted by Richard Lewis : Hummmm, how very strange.........

I downloaded Divx just to view your clip

Surley you didnt keep that single shot for 0.44 seconds in realtime??

Looks like its at about 80%

Hummmmm...... -->>>

Dear Richard,

Thank you for your interest to watching my video.

I guess the problem you faced might related to incorrect version of divx decoder.

May I suggest you to download wmv file converted by Jason which I posted here? That might got less problem than divx decoder.

Regards
Leigh

divx to watch the stabilizer footage
 

OK. so I'm new and probably need to be in a different area but since the divx codec was mentioned here I thought I would ask a few questions:

1. When the divx codec is downloaded is it safe meaning does it also install spyware or adware? I did put it on my wife's computer a while back and soon afterwards that computer turned into a turtle with broken knees. I ended up restoring with the restore CD. Bummer! This is why I'm cautious.

2. Also, is divx another name for MPEG4?

3. Does the download include an encode as well as the decoder?

Thanks to all and also thanks for having intelligent conversations on this site.

Terry

Movie quote for the day..."He's only mostly dead."

RE. Your video Leigh
 

Leigh,

I have watched both of you videos and as Charles has hinted, it needs some pizzazing up. Usually a camera stabilizer is used to smooth out video when the camera is moving like when you walked down the hall in the pingpong video. Static shots with light stabilizers tend to look like they should have been shot using tripods for the most part in my opinion.

Stabilizers really shine when you are following someone like on your "stairs" video or when using shots like "crane up", "arcs", "tracking", etc. I would like to see some of those shots in order to judge how well your stabilizer works. It will probably look a lot better.

I found my stabilized shots looked better when I was moving medium slow to medium fast or even running (Caution needs to be taken when running with a stabilizer of course). This is due to the lighter mass of a smaller stabilzer. Kind of like a large car that goes over bumps compared to a smaller car. The larger mass is more stable and less prone to outside forces like an moving arm. Full sized Steadicams or their copies with large cameras are really smooth in the slow shots as well as the quicker ones. Smaller stabilizers can be smooth but usually not as good as the larger ones when moving slow. The operators experience can make a big difference. As it has been said...Practise, practise, practise.

Anyway, I would like to see some video with movement and motivation... make me want to see more of it.

I did like the DivX codec and thanks for the info on it.

Hi Terry,

Thanks for the post.

I was shy to show my GS400 video as it seems that quite shaking. I just got the camera last Friday.

Here is the link.

http://www.salenz.com/movie/gs400.avi

divx format 18mb

Regards
Leigh

latest video
 

Leigh,

Just watched your latest video. Here are my comments:

Following the line on the garage wall (tracking shot) was pretty good. It looked fairy steady.

I did notice it seems you have a bit too much side to side jitter or jumpiness. This is usually caused by:
1. Too much control hand
2. A stabilizer that doesn't have a gimbal to isolate that type of movement
3. A faulty main gimbal bearing that is too tight (as was the case I had with one of my sleds but now is fixed).

FYI-Many of the handheld stabilizers on the market today don't have a gimbal. They use a stop where you put your hand to support it. They are fairly good in the up and down stabilization department but not so good in the side to side stabilization.

If you system is the latter type you have to be R E A L smooth in turns and walking. A wide angle lens is a big help as it masks the movement even more. From your video it doesn't look like you are using an add on wide angle lens so you might try one.

Here is a video I made for a demo even before I fixed my bearing. It shows non-stabilized and stabilized shots. Notice the background doesn't dance around very much in the stabilized version compared to the non-stabilized shot.

http://www.enoch.com/terry/preview_018.htm

Right click on the split4 box and "Save Target As..." to your hard drive. Open it with whatever you have that plays mpg movies i.e. the current Windows Media Player etc.

How long have you been working on your stabilizer?

Keep me informed and say "Hello" to the Kiwis for me.

Best of the best,

Terry

Terry, something about your website makes my browser crash.
I tried it on IE and Maxxon's MyIE2, both same problem. It might be me, can anyone verify?

Re: latest video
 

Terry, I see what you mean by the side-to-side jitteriness in your stabilized footage. You're saying that this was due to the faulty gimbal? The frame oscillates almost like a balloon being tugged along on a string, ie. not continously moving but is jerked along when the string has no more slack.

Re: latest video
 

<<<-- Originally posted by Terry Thompson : http://www.enoch.com/terry/preview_018.htm
-->>>

Hi Terry,

I downloaded your demo1.mpg file, but I can't play it by Microsoft Windows Media Player version 7.01.00.3055 on Windows 2000 machine.

What decoder do I need to install?

TIA

Regards
Leigh

website crash
 

Leigh,

I haven't had any problems watching the videos from an other computers including the one in our office. We're using Windows Media Player 8.00.00. Try upgrading to it or higher.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/.

It also works on Nero Media Player but NOT with my ATI Mutimedia Center software that came with my All-In-Wonder video card. It's very jumpy.

Where does it seem to go bad for you? If you can let me know where you were when it crashed I can check it out.

I know that when you click on "Video Page" one of them begins to download immediatly and takes some time to finish. We thought we had this problem fixed but obviously not. mmm... We'll work on it again. Thanks for letting me know!

===================

Roger,

RE:"Terry, I see what you mean by the side-to-side jitteriness in your stabilized footage."

Which video were you looking at and using which program? As stated above, my ATI software is very jumpy. Maybe some others are as well. Im know our file size is too big for what is shown.

I personally could use some help with getting better video using smaller file sizes and/or learning how to stream video as with Cody's and others video. Now there's a subject for ya!

Terry

Terry: Actually I noticed side-to-side jitteriness in demo1 and split4. But I should tell you exactly what I mean by jitteriness.

The jittery motion has nothing to do with stabilization, it has to do with the arm making micro-adjustments during what should ideally be a smooth seamless continuous movement. It's more fidgety than jittery. I watched some of the demos on glidecam's site and noticed that even they did the same thing.

It's kind of like trying to move your cursor across the desktop from edge to edge without pausing, which is very hard to do since your hand will have to stop the mouse at some point to restart the motion (unless you use a trackball, or your cursor is the same size as your mouse). Perhaps experienced steadicam ops learn to shift the arms ahead of the legs during those figets so the frame doesn't oscillate in the opposite direction every 2 seconds of a long tracking shot.

OMG, don't listen to me. I don't even own a camera yet, let alone a stabilizer, and here I am discussing steadycam etiquette.

edit: I'm using bsplayer to view the mpegs.

side-to-side jitteriness
 

Roger,

Thanks for the info. The before mentioned videos were done before I found out that the designer of my sled used a "sealed" bearing instead of a "shielded" bearing. I don't know if you know the difference so I'll explain. (If you do know...please excuse me as maybe someone else might not)

A sealed bearing has a plastic cover that covers completely the bearing from inside to outside. It is used in contaminated environments on systems that rotate very quickly. The friction that the seal creates isn't very large and is negligable for its' design. Unfortunately this "very small" friction is way too much when used in a steadycam type system.

A shielded bearing, on the other hand, usually has a metal shield that covers from the outside ring of the bearing to "almost" the inside. It stops short of touching the inner ring and therefore doesn't have the friction of the sealed version. This is what the designer of my sled should have used. The rest of his design was good.

I fixed the problem on this sled by cutting just a bit of plastic material away from the inside area where it was touching as well as by adding some oil to loosen up the thicker lub that was there. Yes, it did make a big difference in the bearing and gimball's smoothness. I couldn't figure out why I was seeing this jerkiness while using the new sled. I tried changing around many things on my arm but to no avail until I came upon the real problem.

I really need to redo all the demos on my web site to show the "new and improved" video. I was walking on uneven ground for both of the videos you saw as I feel it was a better test. It does make it harder to shoot smoothly though.

Now, regarding you comment (Perhaps experienced steadicam ops learn to shift the arms ahead of the legs during those figets so the frame doesn't oscillate in the opposite direction every 2 seconds of a long tracking shot.)

This is what the gimball and other arm bearings are suppose to take care of. The large Steadicam systems (and others like the MK-V etc.) have such a large mass they float that outside movement is greatly masked. Of course they are engineered extremely well to do this and the price they charge is worth it.

Anyway Roger, it's time to buy a good camera and stabilizer so you can enjoy first hand creating terrific video.

Thanks for the info. I'll work on the demos.

Terry

What is being discussed here as "fidgeting" is mostly what we refer to at the Steadicam workshops as "overcontrolling" aka "operator error". It's a tendency for nearly all newcomers to the stabilizer world to apply too much force to the rig, which means that their body movements are translating into the frame. The best way to isolate this as a comparison is to line up the rig with a good target in the frame (shooting straight down a hallway with an identifiable object at the far end works well), then take a slow, even stroll towards that object. Tape your results. Now, do the same thing again, but this time, once you have taken a few steps, keep walking but slowly lighten up your touch on the post until you are actually not making contact at all.

Two things may be observed here. One is, did the rig start to pan by itself? If so, this is an indication that you have friction or non-linearity in your gimbal (possibly for the reasons that Terry described). This is not uncommon in lower-end stabilizers. This means that you will always have to keep a certain amount of "touch" in place on the post to keep this from happening, which is unfortunate because this makes it a bit harder to get the hang of not over-controlling.

If however the shot actually improved once you took your fingers off the post, i.e. the "fidgeting" minimized and everything became smoother, this is an indication that you are indeed over-controlling. Ideally, if the rig is properly balanced and the performance of the gimbal is good, you can move at a constant speed and the camera will stay pointing dead ahead with perfect stability--with NO OPERATOR INTERACTION. Now, I'm not suggesting to operate the rig with no hand on the post, but keep that concept in mind, and use the fingertips in the absolute lightest way possible. It's only when accelerating or re-aiming the camera that you need to start using a bit more touch, and even then you only use it when you need it.

If one were to transform into a fly and buzz around a good Steadicam operator's post hand during a shot, you would see that the fingers are barely in contact with the post--many operators engage in an intricate flurry of "on--off--on--on--off" behavior with the fingers, with "off" being barely a 1/4" from the surface of the post.

In the material that Terry posted, the side-tracking shot in the field is a perfect example of the kind of shot I described. Once you get going (acceleration and deceleration require more finger attention to keep the fram level), you should need very little touch to maintain that shot. The "fidgeting", the rolling horizon, all of that is due to over-controlling. (you did fine, Terry, I'm not bashing your work. It takes a LOT of practice to work through all this stuff).

The irony of DV-sized rigs is that they are actually harder to maintain a "steady" image because of their smaller mass. Certainly easier to wear for longer periods of time, but they require a correspondingly lighter touch. I've seen a few intrepids who have "graduated" from mastering the smaller rigs to finally getting a chance to strap on a big rig. The first thing they notice, other than the "holy cow, that's heavy!" factor, is that the rig feels so much more stable, more inert. It takes more force to make a fast pan or tilt (and more force to stop it). And yes, the rig will tend to keep itself level better.

There's no free ride with Steadicam...!

fidgeting
 

Hi Charles,

Thanks for the input. I know what I'm going to do now. I'm going to rent a dolly and do some shots and say they were steadycam shots. Ha ha.

Anyway, I wonder if there is a good, balanced, linear Gimbal out there for a decent price. I have the problem you talked about with non-linearity and as the one shot was a tracking shot I had to keep myself in it. I have used the larger rigs and they are just as you described: quite heavy but very stable. I loved how easy it was to shoot nice footage but did have the problem of over controlling due to my practise with smaller, non-linear sleds.

While sort of on the topic of demo shots, I need to find the area where size and quality of video on the web is discussed. My file is a 10 meg MPG and short compared to some other ones I have seen. I haven't had the time to really search the web for info on this as well as streaming video. I would like to stream video instead of having to have it downloaded. Any comments?

FYI Charles,
I just talked with John from Animagique and he metioned all the improvements he has made to his stabilizer. He said he appreciated your input and help. Hopefully I will be able to meet you in the future and glean from your experience. This forum is good but in person is even better. Are you coming to N. California any time soon? The next time I'm anywhere near your area is in Jan at the WCES and later at NAB.

Terry

Charles, that was such an excellent explanation you provided about the reason "fidgeting" happens. It helped me avert disappointment and frustration. I was planning to get a glidecam 4000 + bodypod + xl2 but I now think something with more mass would serve me better, the v8 or the v16 - or a DIY version thereof. The cost of retail or even used is prohibitive, so I will have to make my own or like Terry, have a friend help me along.

It's absolutely possible to make good shots with the lightest stabilizer out there. One has only to watch the Steadicam JR demo tape and see what Garrett Brown was able to do with that featherweight setup.

Certainly more mass makes for an easier job at hand, but of course it means more weight which can affect one's stamina for long shoot days.

Generally it is better to get a rig that you can grow with; build your camera with all of the potentially needed accessories (wireless mikes, onboard lights, mattebox etc) and weigh it, and then look at the specs of the rig you are considering. I think it safe to say that the XL2 could easily tip over the 10 lb mark, putting you into V16 territory.

Terry:

Don't know when my next trip up north will be. I'm hoping to make NAB this year (with any luck, pitching that stabilizer tape!).

light vs. stable
 

Charles,

I absolutely agree with you that lighter stabilizers can and do take great shots. I've actually been accused of a few of them. My problem is that I'm in the area of camera and stabilizer heavy enough that I really don't want to hand hold it for long. Now, with that problem comes another problem...a support system that takes the weigh off of your wrist and arm and puts in on your body. All this without causing its own set of problems.

As you know from being an accomplished Steadicam operator, the arm can get in the way sometimes such as in tight spots like doorways. It's amazing steadycam operators can do the things they do! In developing a good support arm it has to be as compact (no long arms) and frictionless as possible. It's quite a chore to make one that fits the bill.

Regarding sleds...I suppose we will have to develop our own sled as the ones we presently use have some very good characteristics but also some annoying ones. I'd like to combine all the good points I have seen and eliminate the bad ones without stepping on any design toes. By the way, I believe the Steadicam patent has lapsed (talking with Garret Brown himself) can we designers use whatever is out there or do we have to reinvent the wheel?

Ok a good question...What is the difference between a patent, a copywrite, and a trademark? I have studied all of these but I'd like some more clarification. Is that a discussion that's covered elsewhere on this site?

Thanks for your input!

Terry

stabilization systems
 

Roger,

We are lucky to have Charles as a resource.

I tested many (all I could find) stabilier systems at NAB this year so I could be informed on how well they worked and how they felt. I did this because I had already designed and built a vest and arm system for the handheld Glidecam systems (1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 pro) as well as the VreezeCam stabilizer and wanted to know how it compared to the big guys.

I tried the: Steadicam JR, Mini, and Flyer (wow engineering!)
Glidecam V8 and Gold Series (from small to large systems)
MV-V for large cameras (Howard is a great guy and his stabilizers uncompromising)
Hollywood Lite-now owned by Varizoom (comfortable-I liked it)
A German stabilizer-name I can't remember (good rigs)
Varizoom monopod stabilizer (unique-good utility)

I knew a quick demo couldn't give me a real feel for the product but I did get some initial impressions.

As Charles has said concerning camera weight...It will decide on which stabilizer you should use. An XL2 wouldn't be as happy on a V-8 as it would on the V-16. I put these stabilizers into four different weight classes depending on the cameras they could fly: lightweight (all the newer real small cameras), medium lightweight for the DVX100a, GL2, VX2000 and 2100-TRV950, GR-HD1 etc. medium weight (XL-1 and XL-2 etc.). and the heavyweight systems for large video and film cameras. I'm sure the heavyweights can be broken down even more but since I was more interested in the lighter camera stabilizers I didn't give them as much attention.

I do know that a support system (vest and arm) can make a big difference in fatigue levels. I carried my camera around all day on my stabliizer at NAB and didn't have to go the the hospital.. Actually I felt fairly good...a bit sore in the lower back area but not too bad.

Conclusion: There are a lot of good to great stabilizers out there with prices that seem high until you try to make one of your own.

Terry

Terry:

<<, the arm can get in the way sometimes such as in tight spots like doorways. It's amazing steadycam operators can do the things they do!>>

We have a few tricks with the arms to squeeze in through tight spaces!

Yes, the basic patent has expired on many of the components. Currently I think the predominant patent is on the isoelastic arm. It sounds like you've tried the Flyer, so you know what an achievement that is.

<<heavyweight systems for large video and film cameras. I'm sure the heavyweights can be broken down even more but since I was more interested in the lighter camera stabilizers I didn't give them as much attention.
>>

I would separate them as follows: medium to full size video cameras plus 16mm cameras for one class of rig; film-style HD and 35mm cameras for the top class of rigs (also featuring more power/video breakouts to accomodate multiple accessories).

One of the nice things about owning a modular top-end rig is that it can be stripped down to fly virtually any camera. The PRO arm has an incredible lift range from 13 to 72 lbs (achievable by swapping spring canisters, an easy changeover). The beefy vest is a bit of overkill at that point, but who cares?

reworked the sled
 

Charles,

I took two sleds (two different suppliers) and made them into one real good sled-the best of both. I static balanced it and then checked for the infamous drift when panned 180 degrees. Guess what-only very small drift. Did the dynamic spin balance test and it looks good. Now if I would just get the guys to sell me only the parts I wanted.

I then took it out for a test drive. Very nice! The suggestions you made were helpful. I did the long hall (not long haul) exercise and also took it out on uneven ground. Very smooth again.

I'm going to redo my web's demo videos and let you know when they're done for a look see. I should take a couple of days, as my model is unavailable at the present time.

Terry

Hello everyone,

Here is my new GS400.

The file is around 8mb encoded with divx.

http://www.salenz.com/movie/gs400demo.avi

Using JVC GY-DV5000U with FUJINON S20X6.4BRM-SD lense.

You may need to download latest divx decoder from www.divx.com

Thank you for your time to read my message and I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards
Leigh