I've preordered a Glidecam from the local reseller in Hong Kong (hk), but am thinking more and more if I have made a mistake:

I have a dvx100a, and won't add anything to it in my shooting (no matte box, no anamorphic, etc.) was the 4000 a good buy? I'm afraid i'll be getting a very heavy system for a relatively lightweight camera- I'll probably upgrade to either a Panasonic HDX or the Fx1- I believe they are not going to weight a lot more...

Has anyone with a dvx flown a 4000 and can you get good results, or should I just settle for the 2000?

And why is there no footage of the glidecam 4000 in action on the glidecam website? This seems fairly suspicious... And, really, I haven't seen much feedback on the glidecam 4000...

Thanks in advance

Sérgio

Sergio,

Since the 2000 Pro and 4000 Pro are so similar in design and construction, their stabilization capability is virtually the same. The only major difference being that the 4000 Pro is made a little beefier to handle the slightly heavier camcorders. That being the case, the 2000 Pro footage on our website is a perfectly valid example of the 4000 Pro's ability as well.

<<<-- Originally posted by Casey Visco : Sergio,

Since the 2000 Pro and 4000 Pro are so similar in design and construction, their stabilization capability is virtually the same. The only major difference being that the 4000 Pro is made a little beefier to handle the slightly heavier camcorders. That being the case, the 2000 Pro footage on our website is a perfectly valid example of the 4000 Pro's ability as well. -->>>

Casey, thanks for the clear up- however, can you say if the 4000 really is the best choice for me? (seing my last post)? Is it too much for just a dvx100a? I'm getting either the 2000 or the 4000 anyway, so please clear this up on your upcoming costumer, since I wouldn't want to have something that would really mess my shooting! (Probably will get the smooth shooter, so if you could say what setup works best...) Thanks in advance!

Sergio,

Given your choice of camera packages, I would say the 2000 Pro would be the more appropriate choice. With the 4000 Pro, you'll find you may need to add extra weight to the top of the SLED to make the camera APPEAR heavier to the 4000 Pro. This has a benefit, however, in that a heavier rig will inherently be more stable, likely resulting in better footage.

If you do decide to stick with the 4000 Pro, I would recommend getting a good, solid QUICK RELEASE PLATE. A good sliding quick release from Bogen will likely run about 30-40 dollars if my memory serves me. This will add some weight to the top of the SLED, and give the added benefit of easy removal of your camera.

The good news is, if you do decide to get a Smooth Shooter to compliment your 4000 Pro, you'll get a set of Steel Weight Plates. These will provide plenty of weight to the top of the sled and will enable you to fly the lighter weight cameras fairly easily.

Hope this helps.

Sergio,
Which shop did you order the 4000 from in HK? I couldn't find one when I was in HK.

I went for the reseller from the official Glidecam site- That's Tremis, and it's situated in Aberdeen. Nice people- the price, however, is the same has the glidecam website's price, no more no les- they just help you order it- But, since it is an official reseller, you get a guarantee that everything is accounted for...

Casey, can you tell me when we will get any footage for the Smooth Shooter? Being a product representative, how do you think the Smooth SHooter is going to improve my shooting, compared to a solo glidecam 4000 unit with arm brace? I'm planning to use the stabilization system for these situations: event coverage, tv spots, short films. Thanks again for your time Casey- it's nice to have feedback from the people that actually manufacture and distribute the products- and we know, in this business, production value shots are very important in order to make profit!

Just as a reference, there are some clips with a consumer Sony 520 on a G2K in this clip. The first three after the title.

versatilemediasolutions.com/Files/chhsrocks.wmv

George,

Good job of the Screaming Eagle Band. You have a lot of nice shots and the pacing is well done. It doesn't hurt to have a good band to video as well.

Tery

Thanks Terry. I have more in the video and I have some trash too ;) Time willing and I don't get distracted, I might make a vid of the Glidecam footage - good and bad.

George, great video. Has anyone seen the "Tribute to Private (...)" in Glidecam's website? Now that's an impressive video!