Varizoom Flowpod...Any owners yet?

Dave Largent · October 1st, 2003, 04:20 AM

Yow,
I have Sony VX2000.
Look how this guy uses a stabilizer at weddings. He sells a training tape for $40US.

http://www.jimfarrell.com/magazine.htm

Yow Siang · October 1st, 2003, 08:14 AM

but the website doesnt ave any video on shots with stabilisers.. especially flowpod

Yow Siang · October 2nd, 2003, 11:49 PM

just gotten my flowpod...
i am using a xm2 with the biggest battery pack, need to put in all the 3 counter weights and now it can be stabilised upright. however when i am walking it still swing abit left and right and when i make a turn, it swings even in a bigger angle...

anyone knows why?

Charles Papert · October 2nd, 2003, 11:53 PM

Are you using two hands to operate? One on the support handle, and the other on the collar just above the gimbal (with light fingertip touch)? That hand would be the one that would reign in the extra movement.

Rob Easler · October 3rd, 2003, 07:17 AM

Some sway with these lower end stabilization devices is unavoidable. My steadicam and my flowpod do sway when you turn. You have to learn to turn slowly to minimize the sway and do as Charles suggested, suppliment with support from your left hand. I have a gl2 and with the 945 larger battery and I use two weights set at the bottom of the aluminum stick with the flowpod. I only need the third weight when I add an on camera light. If it is overweighted it can cause some undesirable behavior just as if it is underweighted. How high up or down on the stick the weights sit will make a bit of difference too.

Yow Siang · October 3rd, 2003, 09:49 AM

Thanks,
tried that and its much better now.. do you have to adjust your X and Y plate?

yowsiang

Rob Easler · October 3rd, 2003, 10:18 AM

Well Yow if you were talking to me...yes you do of course have to adjust the plate in both directions until it is perfectly balanced. I don't find the flowpod too tough to balance but decide if you are going to use it with the LCD screen open or closed and balance it accordingly. It will make a little bit of difference. It makes a difference which hole you use to mount the plate as well. I'm not at home so can't tell you which hole works for me.

Dave Largent · October 4th, 2003, 02:45 AM

Rob, you should post some of your footage so we can see how the Flowpod works.

Rob Easler · October 4th, 2003, 08:22 AM

I'd be happy to, but I don't have a server to post it on. If you tell me where to go to post on one of those public ones I will.

Dave Largent · October 4th, 2003, 07:31 PM

I believe that they sometimes let people post somewhere associated with this site. Maybe Jeff Donald or Chris Hurd could help out here?

Yow Siang · October 5th, 2003, 03:29 AM

Okay, below is the link to my first test with the flowpod.
Before you view the video below, i want to make it very very clear that I HAVE NOT USE ANY HANDHELD STABILISER BEFORE.

To me its definitely very much better than without it. I believe with more practises the flowpod will really make your video flow...

Post your comments and help me improve please...

http://www.hemadeus.com/flowpod/flowpod.wmv
(The server could be slow, it be good if you want to download it then view it)

ys

Dave Largent · October 6th, 2003, 02:06 AM

Thanks Yow. I thought you did good. The biggest problem I noticed was the swaying on turns. Also, did you make sure to turn off image stabilization on your cam? Would any Flowpod owners recommend getting the optional balancing device that Flowpod sells that is suppose to help you balance the Flowpod?
Yow, hope to see some more stuff from your wedding this weekend.

Yow Siang · October 6th, 2003, 05:38 AM

Hi Dave,
thanks...
I did not know i am suppose to turn the camera stabilization off? i though that would help stabilize the camera even more?
Possible to explain the logic behind that?
hmmm... would give that a try...

ys

Dave Largent · October 6th, 2003, 05:55 AM

Yes, Yow, I was surprised to hear about turning off the image stabilization. I was told by Charles Papert that this is very important. He said if the image stabilization is on that it will "fight" what you are trying to do. A couple times I tried flying
my camera -- but using a crude stabilizer which is not as good as the Flowpod -- and I noticed some jerkiness in the video when I would be panning the camera from side to side. I did not notice it when I would be moving forward -- only when panning -- the video would seem like it would "stick" for a moment. I noticed this in your video also but I'm not sure if it is really there or if it was just a slow connection. Anyway, I now wonder if that jerkiness I saw when I was flying my cam was because I had image stabilization on. Maybe Charles can say whether this is what happens when you don't turn the IS off.
I had a question for you. How hard was it for you to balance the Flowpod? How are the instructions? Did you use the optional balancing plate?

Yow Siang · October 6th, 2003, 06:45 AM

Thanks for the advice..
Infact All i did was to put one counter weight (3 supplied) and adjust the YX plate slight to the right to compensate the LCD screen when opened. that's all. and the camera is blalanced. If i were to put two weight, there is no need to adjust the XY plate at all.

So it took me only a couple of minustes to get my camera balanced.

If you are using XM2 kind of camera, i would suggest you use only one counter weight. because more than that is abit hard to bear for the arm, hpwever the good thing is I use both hands and holds it close to my body. The disadvantage is its quite hard to play with the camera zoom when moving. as any adjustment will start to shake the camera....

October 2nd, 2003, 11:53 PM	#19
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	Are you using two hands to operate? One on the support handle, and the other on the collar just above the gimbal (with light fingertip touch)? That hand would be the one that would reign in the extra movement. __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

October 5th, 2003, 03:29 AM	#26
Yow Siang Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Singapore Posts: 153	Flowpod video Okay, below is the link to my first test with the flowpod. Before you view the video below, i want to make it very very clear that I HAVE NOT USE ANY HANDHELD STABILISER BEFORE. To me its definitely very much better than without it. I believe with more practises the flowpod will really make your video flow... Post your comments and help me improve please... http://www.hemadeus.com/flowpod/flowpod.wmv (The server could be slow, it be good if you want to download it then view it) ys

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October 1st, 2003, 04:20 AM	#16
Dave Largent Trustee Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,483	Yow, I have Sony VX2000. Look how this guy uses a stabilizer at weddings. He sells a training tape for $40US. http://www.jimfarrell.com/magazine.htm

October 1st, 2003, 08:14 AM	#17
Yow Siang Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Singapore Posts: 153	but the website doesnt ave any video on shots with stabilisers.. especially flowpod

October 2nd, 2003, 11:49 PM	#18
Yow Siang Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Singapore Posts: 153	just gotten my flowpod... i am using a xm2 with the biggest battery pack, need to put in all the 3 counter weights and now it can be stabilised upright. however when i am walking it still swing abit left and right and when i make a turn, it swings even in a bigger angle... anyone knows why?

October 3rd, 2003, 07:17 AM	#20
Rob Easler Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Naperville, IL Posts: 219	Some sway with these lower end stabilization devices is unavoidable. My steadicam and my flowpod do sway when you turn. You have to learn to turn slowly to minimize the sway and do as Charles suggested, suppliment with support from your left hand. I have a gl2 and with the 945 larger battery and I use two weights set at the bottom of the aluminum stick with the flowpod. I only need the third weight when I add an on camera light. If it is overweighted it can cause some undesirable behavior just as if it is underweighted. How high up or down on the stick the weights sit will make a bit of difference too.

October 3rd, 2003, 09:49 AM	#21
Yow Siang Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Singapore Posts: 153	Thanks, tried that and its much better now.. do you have to adjust your X and Y plate? yowsiang

October 3rd, 2003, 10:18 AM	#22
Rob Easler Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Naperville, IL Posts: 219	Well Yow if you were talking to me...yes you do of course have to adjust the plate in both directions until it is perfectly balanced. I don't find the flowpod too tough to balance but decide if you are going to use it with the LCD screen open or closed and balance it accordingly. It will make a little bit of difference. It makes a difference which hole you use to mount the plate as well. I'm not at home so can't tell you which hole works for me.

October 4th, 2003, 02:45 AM	#23
Dave Largent Trustee Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,483	Rob, you should post some of your footage so we can see how the Flowpod works.

October 4th, 2003, 08:22 AM	#24
Rob Easler Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Naperville, IL Posts: 219	I'd be happy to, but I don't have a server to post it on. If you tell me where to go to post on one of those public ones I will.

October 4th, 2003, 07:31 PM	#25
Dave Largent Trustee Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,483	I believe that they sometimes let people post somewhere associated with this site. Maybe Jeff Donald or Chris Hurd could help out here?

October 6th, 2003, 02:06 AM	#27
Dave Largent Trustee Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,483	Thanks Yow. I thought you did good. The biggest problem I noticed was the swaying on turns. Also, did you make sure to turn off image stabilization on your cam? Would any Flowpod owners recommend getting the optional balancing device that Flowpod sells that is suppose to help you balance the Flowpod? Yow, hope to see some more stuff from your wedding this weekend.

October 6th, 2003, 05:38 AM	#28
Yow Siang Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Singapore Posts: 153	Hi Dave, thanks... I did not know i am suppose to turn the camera stabilization off? i though that would help stabilize the camera even more? Possible to explain the logic behind that? hmmm... would give that a try... ys

October 6th, 2003, 05:55 AM	#29
Dave Largent Trustee Join Date: Aug 2003 Posts: 1,483	Yes, Yow, I was surprised to hear about turning off the image stabilization. I was told by Charles Papert that this is very important. He said if the image stabilization is on that it will "fight" what you are trying to do. A couple times I tried flying my camera -- but using a crude stabilizer which is not as good as the Flowpod -- and I noticed some jerkiness in the video when I would be panning the camera from side to side. I did not notice it when I would be moving forward -- only when panning -- the video would seem like it would "stick" for a moment. I noticed this in your video also but I'm not sure if it is really there or if it was just a slow connection. Anyway, I now wonder if that jerkiness I saw when I was flying my cam was because I had image stabilization on. Maybe Charles can say whether this is what happens when you don't turn the IS off. I had a question for you. How hard was it for you to balance the Flowpod? How are the instructions? Did you use the optional balancing plate?

October 6th, 2003, 06:45 AM	#30
Yow Siang Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Singapore Posts: 153	Thanks for the advice.. Infact All i did was to put one counter weight (3 supplied) and adjust the YX plate slight to the right to compensate the LCD screen when opened. that's all. and the camera is blalanced. If i were to put two weight, there is no need to adjust the XY plate at all. So it took me only a couple of minustes to get my camera balanced. If you are using XM2 kind of camera, i would suggest you use only one counter weight. because more than that is abit hard to bear for the arm, hpwever the good thing is I use both hands and holds it close to my body. The disadvantage is its quite hard to play with the camera zoom when moving. as any adjustment will start to shake the camera....