Adding Movement
 

One skill I would like to develop is adding movement to my shots. This would be in the form of being able to capture steady footage while walking.

I would be looking at a small Camcorder for the shots (possible AX33) and would like any advice for which may be a suitable piece of equipment. I have been looking at Flycam type equipment and understand that there is a learning curve to them, there is also a huge range of different manufactures and prices.

Our requirements are something that can be hand held for a small camera/camcorder.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Re: Adding Movement
 

Creating a shoulder rig around your camera would give much needed stabilisation - maybe something such as this

Sympla Lightweight Shoulder Mounted Rig MVA525WK - Systems | Manfrotto

But at £700 you could also buy a good steadicam type unit

The advantage of a rig over a steadicam is that you still have control of the camera, so can adjust iris/shutter/focus etc - once you're flying on a steadicam you have none.

I use my Merlin steadicam just for a few shots and then only during the reception, once I'm happy I've nailed the 'must have' shots.

Pete

Re: Adding Movement
 

Here's one piece of kit to at least consider (US$1,300): Easyrig Mini is a Budget Version of One of the Most Interesting Camera Stabilizers Out There

In terms of gimbals, I have zero experience with them, but do have one eye on the Came-TV as something that's cheap, but still seems to produce results as good as the others. I think, depending on which model you get, it's probably around the $1,800 mark.

Steadicam Merlin is a ridiculous bargain at $400 or less used. A few years ago it was at least twice that. For gentler learning curve, setup, operation, but much harder on your wrist: Glidecam or similar.

Re: Adding Movement
 

Hi Phil

Nothing beats a stedicam for natural camera movements! Forget about Flycams they just have too many engineering issues. I know! I have owned 4 of them and they need heaps of work.

My current unit is made by Wieldy in China and is absolute magic!! I think a lot come from the same factory as my vest is a CAME-TV but the arm and vest are made by Wieldy ..carbon fibre sled and very well machined too and the whole lot cost me $700.00 including shipping!! (that's under GBP400!)

Wieldy 1 7kg Load Carbon Fiber Stabilizer Steadycam Camera Video Steadicam | eBay

Chris

Re: Adding Movement
 

What's the max amount you are willing to spend on a stabilizer?
How smooth does the movement need to be?
Are you shooting outside as well?
Is it important to have control over the camera while you are shooting?
Are you willing to spend the necessary time to learn to work with a stabilizer or do you want fast results?
Are the type of shots you plan to make with it repeatable or do you only have one shot to get it right?

Re: Adding Movement
 

Thanks for the advice

The amount of movement needs to be reasonably smooth, not perfect, a step up from what you can achieve walking with a stabilised camera would be fine

Shots will be outside, maybe walking around a bride and groom, walking backwards/forwards, chasing children

control not needed of the camera, just one or two shots maybe using a widish lens at say F8, then put away

Happy to spend time to learn, I wasn't really looking for vests or arm support

Budget, preferably sub £500, wasn't expecting the prices coming in here, I have seen some reasonable footage on Youtube of guys using flycams/steadycams, which I though acceptable, they do however look fiddly to set up.

Re: Adding Movement
 

Thanks Peter, probably a little overkill for what I was looking for

Re: Adding Movement
 

Thanks Adrian

It was more along the lines of the Merlin steadicam that I was looking at, they look small and portable, are they hard to set up?

Re: Adding Movement
 

Thanks Chris
Just trying to understand the difference between a stedicam and flycam, I am really looking for something you can hold in one hand without body suits and arm support. There does seem to be many copies of the more expensive Merlin type systems, and was hoping they may be suitable.

Re: Adding Movement
 

There are several more options to choose from now compared to just 2 year ago, if you don't want to use a vest and arm you can go for glidecam 2000, merlin, blackbird kind of stabilizers, they are build for lighter camera's and they are within your price range.

They only have some disadvantages, one being that they are very light and the slightest breeze will knock them of balance. You can improve that by making it more bottom heavy, add extra weights on top and bottom so the total rig becomes more heavy making it a bit easier to fly with but it will also put more strain on your arms and shoulder.

A second disadvantage is that it takes time before you will be able to use such a glidecam, if you put the time into it the reward can be great but you need to be patient and practice a lot to get it right.

Another one to use is one of these 3 axis gimbals which start to pop up like mushrooms, they can be used with strong winds outside and will always stay level, they also require less time to get great shots although it certainly will help if you have experience walking with a steadicam for smooth motion.

There are cheaper one handle 3 axis gimbals for light camera's within your budget like a nebula 4000 or the new pilotfly and more models are coming out but they are not all without issues, there have been several reports about these units failing since it still is a complicated electronic device. You don't want such a gimbal go haywire in the middle of a important shot. In that case a mechanical steadicam like I mentioned earlier will be more reliable, yet more difficult to operate. You still might need to stabilise your footage a little bit in post as these devices don't have the same fluidity as a real steadicam.

Then there is also the 2 handle 3 axis gimbals like the Ronin with many other Chinese knock offs, but most likely all above your budget, bu the same rules apply when it comes to reliability. They will give you smoother results but again a experienced steadicam owner would probably get much better results as a beginner, yet it will still look better then giving a beginner real steadicam.

Re: Adding Movement
 

Definitely small and portable. Folds up into a backpack. I run around on Lebanese and Jewish dance floors with this thing, holding it above people's heads, and I wouldn't try that with a glidecam or gimbal, for instance.

Difficult to set up? The first time, yes. The problem is that there's a number of variables -- arc size, weights, position on plate; there's guidance at the Tiffen website for what setups have worked for other people. After you've balanced it the first time, then it's just a few minutes of adjusting each time you put the camera on, although the setup will be very sensitive (for instance, raising/lowering the mirror on a DSLR will affect the balance, let alone adding/removing a lens cap; you might think of it as balancing a piece of wood on a pencil -- you have to find the exact right spot).

What I'd recommend if at all possible is using the cheat's method -- find someone who's experienced with a Merlin to balance your camera for you, and then remember their settings. In fact, probably best to try before you buy, of course. Try using a properly balanced Merlin first, and then see if it's something that might suit.

Then it's down to how good you are as an operator. To become really proficient takes a while -- Garrett Brown says it's the most difficult of all the steadicams to learn -- but I guess what I've found is that people actually do pick up basic moves really fast -- back and forth, side to side, round and round. If you can simply hold the thing steady, and find a position at which you can comfortably lock your arms, then it's a matter of trying to take the bumps out of your walking and treating your upper body as a separate unit to your legs -- can do toe-to-heel rather than heel-to-toe walking, or can heel-to-toe slowly. Be careful and deliberate with each step and feel your way. Footwear makes a difference -- having shoes with a flexible sole.

Ideally, you want to become familiar enough with your setup that you don't need to more than glance at your screen! You can concentrate, instead, on obstacles in the physical world, and coordinating your movement with whatever movements are happening around you.

Around my area, very few people use Merlins; everyone uses Glidecams. It's definitely harder to use a Merlin, with a longer learning curve, but there are more things that a Merlin can do that a Glidecam can't than the other way around (for instance, you can hold a Merlin for 30 minutes if you have to, whereas a Glidecam will murder your wrist after a few minutes; you can cram yourself and the device into small spaces; you can crane up from very low to very high; you can make subtle rotation or panning moves; a Glidecam, in comparison, is more stable and wind-resistant, and can be inverted -- for following someone's feet, say).

By the way, for anyone who's bothered reading this who has already used a Merlin or similar unit for a while -- try swapping hands! If you normally support with right hand and guide with left hand, then try doing it the other way around. I think you'll find that you suck at it, to put it bluntly. Your hands won't be as "wise", won't be as sensitive to feeling where the camera is moving and to compensating for it, won't know how much pressure to apply. But this is a good way to give yourself empathy -- to take yourself back to what it was first like, as a complete beginner, to pick up one of these things.

Re: Adding Movement
 

Noah and Adrian, many thanks for such in depth replies.

I was thinking more along the Merlin route, the Merlin 2 though is £600, I am struggling to come to terms with that price there do appear to be clones about on ebay and amazon but it is difficult to make a decision without feedback from other users.

I am more than willing to put the time in to learn how to use one, however some of the reviews on amazon are less than complimentary about the Merlin,hence my request for advice from experienced users.

Re: Adding Movement
 

Adrian can tell you all about the Merlin and if you want to know more about the blackbird steadicam you can ask me :)

Re: Adding Movement
 

Re pricing, I can see Merlin 2 on B&H for 260 pounds, excluding shipping. You can probably find it for even cheaper on eBay. But I should also say: there's nothing wrong with the Merlin version 1. So if you do want a Merlin-type device and see a Merlin 1 for cheap, grab it!

Re alternatives, from what I understand, the Blackbird that Noa mentions is very similar to the Merlin. No idea how they compare! There may be other similar products too.

Do watch a few YouTube reviews of the Merlin, Blackbird and other products if you haven't already. The key part of it is balancing the damn thing in the first place; then you're set, and you'll surprise yourself with the quality of the footage you're getting within the first hour of use. More fiddly to setup and operate than a Glidecam, granted, but (in my opinion) nothing wrong with it as a product; it's down to the user -- their tastes, willingness to learn, operating skill. For what it's worth, the Merlin is from the company and the guy that designed the first steadicams in the '70s. They do know what they're doing ergonomically and physically.

Mr Rush, what are your thoughts?

Re: Adding Movement
 

Phil,

Do not underestimate what Noa and Adrian are saying about time and training equals skill. I bought a Black Bird about 18 months ago. I even bought a small lightweight camera just to fly. After all that time owning it I don't use it. I found it much harder to use than I expected. This tread gives me hope because I have not put the time or training into it, it requires. I get frustrated and think I am hopeless at being skillful with it. I have great respect for the guys that hand hold those things skillfully. I also will need a rig for it if I ever get serious about it because of a back problem.

If possible try before you buy. There are so many options out there it will be hard to know which one will work for you.

Steve

Re: Adding Movement
 

Thanks for your feedback Steven

I am more than happy to put the work in where required, I am grateful to receive such great advice from the people on here

Re: Adding Movement
 

Remember though, if you plan on using a Merlin or Blackbird outside and it's windy conditions, they become pretty useless.

Re: Adding Movement
 

Just to throw a curveball at you... you mentioned the AX33, which has a built in gimbal system... it's designed to do pretty much what a "stabilizer" will be doing, but with internal gyros and motors linked into the camera's imaging system so it will react faster and be more immune to things like wind than a "rig" would be


SO, the thing you'l need to get down is the "steadycam walk" to avoid "bouncy" footage, and a decent understanding of the physics of what gimbal systems are doing so you get maximum benefit and best results. The "magic eyeball" will do quite a bit of the "heavy lifting" for you.

To that, I'd add a monopod with enough weight to act as a counterbalance, similar to how a glidecam works. I've recently switched to Sirui brand with larger fold out "feet" than the similar Bogen ones - the one I've got seems to allow me to "fly" my AX100 rather well...

With s little practice, you can pull off quite a few "steadicam style" moves, not to mention all the other "tricks" you can pull with a decent monopod! I liked the Bogen ones with the little feet, really like the Sirui's long feet/bigger footprint, though they are harder to find and a tad pricey... The weight of the foot assembly acts much like the weights on your typical "rig".



And it's probably a good idea to watch some "pro" steadicam work to get a feel for how the moves should look - if you search DVi for "Charles Papert", you'll find lots of good "stuff" from a pro Steadi operator who contributed to these forums quite a lot (he's since moved on up to directing and such, I think!).

Re: Adding Movement
 

Thanks Dave some great feedback there

I was not sure how effective the stabilisation on the AX33 was, and if you should in fact leave it on when using a rig of some sort

I'll have a play with my Monopod

Re: Adding Movement
 

Do you have a ax33 to test? I have a cx730 which has the same sort of stabilisation as the ax33, if you want I can do a simple test using a monopod while walking, or shooting handheld without a monopod while walking, it won't look as good as a steadicam but might work for your needs?

Re: Adding Movement
 

The actual task of flying a Steadicam without wobbles is becoming completely de-skilled with the advent of the many brushless gimbal systems on the market. However the camera skills of composition & framing etc are just as important as ever.

It might be difficult to choose the best most robust & reliable brushless gimbal system at the moment but I am sure that in a year or two a market leader or two will establish themselves. The pricing will be competitive with the Merlin.

Re: Adding Movement
 

These brushless gimbals don't take out walking steps so they are not idiot proof :)

Re: Adding Movement
 

I just went to the CameTV website and got a good laugh. They put big red warning type at the top of their page that says "Warning some websites are selling fake CameTV products. Make sure it has the CameTV logo if you want the real thing."

If you go to e-bay you can see some of their exact items for hundreds less. It must be tough being a counterfeiter when you get counterfeited. Just sayin ;)

Steve

Re: Adding Movement
 

Noa

I only have the AX100 at present, but that would be great if you could do that.
We are getting on great with the AX100

Re: Adding Movement
 

Offhand, I'd say leave the BOSS OIS on when "flying" on a monopod, it should take out some of the wobbles. You still have to find the "sweet spot" for balance on the monopod shaft, and watch that you don't get a bouncy "twist" - I seem to get that one handed, two hands seems to "fix" it... you have to work on technique to be sure.

Frankly half the battle is understanding the physics, and learning the "walk" and the handling - even steadi operators take some time to get the whammy on it - no "rig" is going to be "pick it up and go" for perfect shots... no matter how much you spend and what they promise. I've tried a few, have a few laying around, and at the moment, I think my current AX100/Sirui P424X combo is about as good as I can expect if I don't want to have a full vest/arm/steadi system... that's IF I focus on my "walk", holding the framing, and stay composed!

The AX33 should be similar to the older CX/PJ BOSS systems, and I'd expect it to do a better job than the AX100's OIS - some footage has been posted elsewhere (think it's under the X70/AX100 section), stabilization looks good, not sure about the image quality just yet... the thought of going back to a small sensor gives me pause... but a gimbal for the AX100 imaging block would be HUGE!

Re: Adding Movement
 

Hi Steve

Ripoffs or not the Wieldy system which seems to use the CAME-TV vest is a cut above the rest ... in fact when I bought it the seller asked if I minded that the logo plate on the vest was missing. However the Wieldy logos are all over the carbon fibre sled but the dual arm has no decals on it either.

I was under the impression that one factory would make the gear and simply brand it to whoever wants to retail it ... It is however miles better than the Indian ones which also come in a dozen different flavours and certainly is the nicest rig I have ever flown (it's my 7th!!!!) I did go the gimbal electronic route but as Noa says it only corrects over 3 axis (like a handheld stedicam sled only. You need the arm and springs to take out the walking and bouncing.

Some intrepid operators have actually mated both systems so you have an electronic gimbal sitting on a stedicam arm and vest which solves the problem nicely.... I'm still a big stedicam fan as I do a lot of shoots over rough terrain and often up and down stairs. The 2nd issue of course is that decent 3 axis gimbals that will accept a reasonable sized camera weigh 2 or 3 pounds so add the camera and you have to do some serious gym training just to hold it!!

Chris

Re: Adding Movement
 

Phil, here's the cx730, which I believe has the same stabilization then the ax33. Just to give you an idea, the stabilization of the ax100 comes nowhere near what the cx730 can do.

I put the cx730 on a monopod and then followed 2 subjects with the stabilization mode on active, it was a bit windy but it doesn't look that bad. The camera was in full auto so exposure is a bit all over the place and it's a low rez file I uploaded but it's just to show what you could do with such a stabilization on a stick.


The second video was after I let it run through a demo version of mercalli which I"m experimenting with. Here you have to take into account that the 1080p file gets a resolution hit which will not be a issue if you shoot 4K with the ax33 and use that file in a 1080p project, that will retain plenty of detail if you want to match it up with other 1080p camera's.

Re: Adding Movement
 

Noa

Huge thanks for taking the time and effort to do this.

I am highly impressed and would be more than happy if I could achieve those results.

I think I'll get my Monopod out and practice with the EM5 II

Thanks again

Phil

Re: Adding Movement
 

No problem, just remember when you walk take small steps and bend your knees slightly, that takes a part of the wobble out caused by the walking. I"m experimenting with Mercally as especially with 4K footage the results when stabilizing footage is very good, the only problem I have with it is it's price, 200 dollar for something that only stabilizes footage is quite high, they have a stand alone version and a plugin for edius, the result on both is the same, only the time needed to analyze the footage in edius is about 10 times slower then the standalone version, I hate making roundtrips outside my nle.

Re: Adding Movement
 

Hi Phil

As Noa says small steps and bent knees .. pretend you are a cat burglar sneaking past a family watching TV so you can rob their valuables ... we tend to walk in a very bouncing matter naturally so if you can smooth out your movements even a non stabilised lens can produce quite nice footage. The thing that gives it away is where the top of the frame changes so that is what you need to try to avoid. The stedicam training trick is easy to practice at home. Put an X with tape on the end of a passage wall in the house around 1.8m up from the floor and if you don't have grids on your camera then just estimate centre frame. Walk towards the "X" and try to keep it in the same place as you walk smoothly towards it ...that sort of practice will get your movements a lot better and will become natural ...On my stedicam I can run raw footage and the frame stays exactly where it is now ...when I started the top frame of the picture looked like a yoyo!!

Chris

Re: Adding Movement
 

Excellent coaching Chris! I typically use a fixed object that I try to keep at one spot in the frame as I walk, wife probably wouldn't appreciate taping the walls! You can practice "slider" and "roundy rounds" similarly. It's rather tricky to "glide" without looking awkward, but that's what you're trying for.... like a ninja cat!

Noa's footage looked quite good, and with Mercali was pretty darn convincing as a "steadicam op". I did note the little "twist" around the vertical axis in the original - I've found that somehow is introduced when I use only one hand, two seems to stop it, I've no idea why! That's where the bearings on "the real thing" come into play and hopefully stop that altogether, but I'm at the point a monopod is "close enough" and far more convenient... the technique just takes practice and concentration!

Re: Adding Movement
 

Thanks Chris

I had my first practice with the Monopod yesterday before I read this, I was terrible lol. There are some good tips that you have suggested, many thanks

Phil

Re: Adding Movement
 

Phil have a look at this video from Still Motion, some really good ideas

Re: Adding Movement
 

Thanks Andrew that was helpful

Phil

Re: Adding Movement
 

Interesting points of view on the monopod, I am going to get mine out and see what new things I can do with it.

Re: Adding Movement
 

Hi Chris,

I am not questioning anyone's choice of gear. I did find it funny that Came had the warning up about fakes considering who they are. When I buy gear I do try to take into consideration who is getting my money. But the world has changed and things are complicated. The Mom and Pop shops don't even exist anymore. When it comes to Steadycam stuff I get it. When one of my big jobs requires true motion I hire the pro with the high end stuff. That guy would NEVER be me even if I owned that kind of rig, I don't have that level of skill at it. But, like you, I also do small SPC jobs and it is all in my hands. It would not make any sense at all for me to spend more money that I would ever make just to add a few moving shots. So I just ordered a Chinese vest and arm for my Black Bird. Not my first choice of a a way to go but a realistic choice for a small operator like me. The video production bar is quite high for all of us these days. Even as a SPC we are now expected to have the Hollywood motion and big time look in our videos. It is keep up or die. I must learn this new rig because fewer clients are willing to pay for the real pro that specializes in it. If you can't beat um...join um!

Steve

Re: Adding Movement
 

Some great points, Steven. We are constantly trying to do the best we can with limited budgets. Someone else always has a bigger budget, so keeping up is very difficult. Imagine a full length feature shot by one guy who performed all of the roles most feature films require. Yet, each of us wants our feature, or "mini-feature" to be as good.

The documentary travel series, "Deaprtures" was presumably shot mostly by one guy with a steadicam-vest set-up. Hard to believe, considering some of the shots. Still, even with a limited film crew, they did a great job.

Re: Adding Movement
 

Hey Steve

The actual reason I even looked at it was some guy on the stedicam forum needed to replace the vest on his Pilot and did a quick review on the CAME vest as a possible temporary solution. He ended up keeping it as it was so well made. I was able to shed close to 5kg from my Indian rig by replacing it with the lighter and better made unit and that's a big deal for me!

I'm currently looking to replace my wireless mics with 2.4GB systems and I have two choices ...I can buy a Chinese Boya system for $128.00 OR I can get an Audio Technica System 10 for $599.00

Guess which one I will buy??? BTW: If you even thought about the cheaper one you would have been wrong!! I'm sure the $128 one actually works but audio is a big deal for me so the choice has to be an established brand with professional user endorsements.

Chris