Poor man's steadicam question.
 

I REALLY would like a steadicam type device for the GL2.

My question is, where can you find info about either making one or buying a cheap one.

I saw one guy make one out of some piping, weights, and stuff which costs like $14 with some labor of his own and it looked awesome.

He was running full speed with a little DV cam, not even nearly as good as these GL1/GL2 camcorders and it really looked professional.

For my particular style of moviemaking this would really benefit me so any info would be GREAT!

I made mine with a $20 monopod and $5 worth of weights from WalMart.

Go to www.homebuiltstabilizers.com
If you can't find inspiration there, you won't find it anywhere.

Did it work pretty good? I'd try to make one for that cheap. How hard is it to make and how many tools you need?

I seen the same article you did, the $14 one. Personally I wouldn't want to use it, because it looks really cheap, but on the other hand, it probably works pretty good...

Try it, it doesn't cost much money...

yes, I too have seen that one and it looked good with running. I guess it's trial and error. Steadicam JR is still kinda expensive.

Bob, you pretty well nailed it there. Running tends to level the playing field between various stabilizers, probably because they all look better than handheld running! It's the slow and subtle stuff that separates the wheat from the chaff. I remain convinced that the JR is the most precise machine that will ultimately deliver the finest footage, but it is also perhaps the most demanding in terms of fine tuning the balance (and as you have pointed out, one of the more expensive).

Tools needed.

One hacksaw
One drill

or just a Dremel if you have one


Extra parts:
One nut, one bolt, two washers, some duct tape.

It works very well, obviously not as versitile as a gimbal based stabilizer, but for $30, it's great.

Just a side-note on the Steadicam JR...

It seems that it's nearly impossible to find. I've been searching for months and nobody seems to have them in stock. (If someone knows otherwise, please let me know.) Tiffen has either discontinued them or they are having some serious manufacturing and distribution problems.

Since I have some upcoming work that will require a few motion-stabilized shots I finally gave up this week and ordered a Glidecam 2000 to use with my GL2. (I need to leave myself plenty of time to practice.)

monopod stabilizer homebuilt question
 

I have a nice Manfrotto monopod that I would like to convert for use as a stabilizer by adding weights at the bottom.

The Manfrotto monopod came with a round screw-mount base at the top. It isn't very large, probably about 2 inches in diameter.

My question is: is it safe to mount my PD-150 directly to this round base when using as it as a homebuilt stabilizer? or do I need a larger 'platform' between the round screw-mount on the monopod and the PD-150?

Ken:

Tiffen filed Chapter 11 a few months back and is just starting to get back into the swing of things. Hence the manufacturing shortage. They are definitely still on the product lineup.

<<<-- Originally posted by Ken Tanaka : Just a side-note on the Steadicam JR...

It seems that it's nearly impossible to find. I've been searching for months and nobody seems to have them in stock. (If someone knows otherwise, please let me know.) -->>>

I've seen several on Ebay within the last 3 months or so.