Seeking affordable Steadicam for jvc HD100 at DVinfo.net

Warner Brown · July 17th, 2008, 02:27 AM

Hello all,
I'm looking for an affordable Steadicam for the HD100, something simple within a $200 range. I've been googling & ebaying around to not much avail. Would anyone here have any good suggestions or links to throw?
Thanks,

-W

Frank Simpson · July 17th, 2008, 08:38 AM

You're not likely to find anything in that price range. Particularly if what you're after is a genuine Steadicam!

From what I can tell, the HD100 weighs about 7 lbs., so even a Steadicam Merlin would not be rated for that much weight without the arm & vest which would cost about $2600 (B&H).

I saw a Glidecam 4000 on the evil auction site selling for $400, and that's about as inexpensive as you're likely to find.

There is also the Indicam Pilot (sled only) that sells for $475.

Of course there are many different poles, frames, and other contraptions for "stabilizing" a camera, but a gimbal-based system is always going to be best as it gives the best isolation from the operator. These systems are not cheap, but they are certainly worth the investment.

July 17th, 2008, 02:27 AM	#1
Warner Brown New Boot Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Petaluma, CA Posts: 15	Seeking affordable Steadicam for jvc HD100 Hello all, I'm looking for an affordable Steadicam for the HD100, something simple within a $200 range. I've been googling & ebaying around to not much avail. Would anyone here have any good suggestions or links to throw? Thanks, -W

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July 17th, 2008, 08:38 AM	#2
Frank Simpson Major Player Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bozeman, MT Posts: 217	You're not likely to find anything in that price range. Particularly if what you're after is a genuine Steadicam! From what I can tell, the HD100 weighs about 7 lbs., so even a Steadicam Merlin would not be rated for that much weight without the arm & vest which would cost about $2600 (B&H). I saw a Glidecam 4000 on the evil auction site selling for $400, and that's about as inexpensive as you're likely to find. There is also the Indicam Pilot (sled only) that sells for $475. Of course there are many different poles, frames, and other contraptions for "stabilizing" a camera, but a gimbal-based system is always going to be best as it gives the best isolation from the operator. These systems are not cheap, but they are certainly worth the investment.