Does a Glidecam on a Jib make sense?
 

I was thinking that if you locked the rotation, it might provide some very smooth jib moves. Then, I thought there must be a reason why no one is doing this already, but I can't figure it out. Any thoughts?

Paul:

Jib shoots shouldn't need smoothing out unless there is a problem with the jib or the head on the jib (if applicable).

There's not much to be gained by adding a stabilizer onto a jib that I can think of, and it would start to become quite a handful. Certainly using the spring arm would make it particularly awkward. Connecting the gimbal handle directly to the end of the jib would be more manageable but again, not sure why it would be used, unless it was to add a specific look to the shot, i.e. activity in the roll axis. Once the jib is raised in the air past a certain point you wouldn't be able to keep a hand on the post properly.

Can't really see the utility in this one.

You're absolutely right, and jibs by nature have the potential for smooth motion. Thanks Charles.

I would think that a tripod head at the end of the jib is the more practical solution to maintain or change framing.

A friend of mine has an inexpensive jib that I've borrowed. It has a motor for a security cam at the end. It worked well on a concert shoot with a DVX-100b, partly because framing isn't all that critical, as long as the view is wide enough.

For a narrative piece with the 5D Mark II, it really wasn't adequate. We designed the jib shots to work without pan or tilt at the end of the jib.

The other problem with the inexpensive jib is that it didn't have any damping. It was nearly impossible to stop the movement without bouncing.