which camera stabiliser is the best?
- Thread starter stanleyz
- Start date
eleveninth
Senior Member
best? there is no best.
there are so many kinds out there these days, try and see which one suits your style?
anavrinsea
Deregistered
the one to get depends on the weight of ur camera. 1000-4000 (the higher the heavier).
the steering wheels are only for light weight cameras like gopros.
i bought the oem version of the glidecam the other day from blackmarket for $349. the owner warned me it was no magic pill.. and hes right lol... it takes ALOT of practise to fine tune it properly.
cathy only had the original which was about $600.
I wonder how many people came here because of devinsupertramp because his videos made me wanna go out buy it the next day
the steering wheels are only for light weight cameras like gopros.
i bought the oem version of the glidecam the other day from blackmarket for $349. the owner warned me it was no magic pill.. and hes right lol... it takes ALOT of practise to fine tune it properly.
cathy only had the original which was about $600.
I wonder how many people came here because of devinsupertramp because his videos made me wanna go out buy it the next day
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Sgdevilzz
Senior Member
That's right. There is no best. There are many different kinds of stabilizers. Steadicam? Shoulder rig? Gyroscope stabilizer like Movi is a hit at NAB. But why so many different kind? To cater to different camera operators and their needs. If you are doing events, why bother getting a steadicam? A cheap shoulder rig will do.
There is an increase number of people getting glidecams because Devin Graham promotes them in his videos. But people buy it because Devin has it and wants to be like him. Which is good, but don't you think it's a waste of money? He has his unique style of capturing moments, make sure yours are unique in your own way and not copying others.
There is an increase number of people getting glidecams because Devin Graham promotes them in his videos. But people buy it because Devin has it and wants to be like him. Which is good, but don't you think it's a waste of money? He has his unique style of capturing moments, make sure yours are unique in your own way and not copying others.
sleeksports
New Member
i have a Sony Handycam.......any diff if i buy a $199 stabilizer or a $800 one? Becos...from what i found out......the stabilizers meant for heavier video cams are not suitable for the lighter video cams............is this a myth?
anavrinsea
Deregistered
umm its not a myth. the weights are VERY sensitive and depend on the camera weight. the glidecam website has the weight classes
Any camera stabilizer do produce stunning results. With practice, you are able to produce the results that you wanted.
For me, I have been using Motion Pro for more than a year. It works fine for me. Of course initially, it was irritating because I could not get the results like the ones I see on youtube and TV. I had troubles setting up a balanced stabilizer.
Things that you might want to consider before investing one :-
- Easy balancing of the stabilizer.
- Comes with additional counter-weights so you do not have a headache to shop around.
- Easy handling like positioning your camera for fine-tuning and when you want to switch from stabilizer to tripod or monopod and back to stabilizer.
- The main handle ~ like mine, it is like "flying" a frying pan. My wrist easily stressed compared to using Flycam or Glidecam where the handle is like holding your mug kind.
Hope it helps.
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saveDqueen
New Member
I would like to state my opinions even though I'm not a famous youtuber or vimeoist.
Okay, this is going to be lengthy since I'm quite free on this day haha, I wrote his based on the perspective of first-time users and with no previous experience on stabilizers, but wanting to add that capability in your work flow, which means you have a need rather then want for it.
I think basically in the lower "prosumer" market for smaller bodies (weight and size wise; 5D3 and below), there exists mainly two types of stabilizers. As I am not familiar with less manufactured brands in recent open market, I will mainly refer to these; Merlin 2 by Steadicam, BlackBird by CMR and HD 1000-4000 series by Glidecam.
Steadicam Merlin 2's max weight-load: 2.27kg and 3.4kg with arm/vest
It's design is based on a single front arch with a counterbalance weight located at the bottom arch end. Obviously first time users will find it more comfortable to handle due to the CG(center of gravity) located above the gripping point. And due to it's compact single front arch design, users will have more space to operate and lesser chance of toppling the balance due to corners or lesser obvious obstructions in shots transition. Out of 10 users, the average initial balancing process took 30mins with guidance and 5-10mins later on their own. Merlin 2 is also light and small when kept making it easier to transport. The negatives are it's sensitivity to weight like my girlfriend, even the position of your on-off button or range of focus ring would destabilize the rig. The folding mechanism is vulnerable to drops and rugged handling, out of 5 sets I've seen four of us making trips down the repair center.
Overall, the Merlin 2 is popular due to it's compact design allowing easier tracking shots, easy to transport due to it's size and weight and average balancing/fine-tuning process. It's weight and less fatigue handling is on a class of it's own, but the vulnerability, pricing ($1000+) and sensitivity made a lot of experienced users having second thoughts.
Glidecam HD 1000-4000 1000 series max: 1.587kg/ 2000 series max: 2.72kg/ 4000 series max: 4.53kg
Glidecam HD series design is similar to the professional arm/vest series of Glidecam/Steadicam, which is a plus point for professionals looking for lighter stabilizers. It has a dynamic base platform with 2 counterbalancing point and works very well with the 3 axis gimbals system, allowing the handle to be tilted more then 90deg. But one thing to seriously take note is that it's handle is offset from the CG of the stabilization system, making it very tough for the average users to be able to maintain a steady shot throughout the shoot. The dynamic base platform allows users to mount on 5-7" monitors and accessories as counterbalance weights (if the weight of the camera itself is suitable), which most Glidecam HD users boast of and the capability to do up or down tilt by maneuvering the bottom plate is also a plus point. The average setup time is approx. 1hour and 10-15mins thereafter for first time owners with guidance. The longer setup is accredited to the obnoxious amount of screw and knobs for fine-tuning purpose on initial setup, to mount on additional weights also require users to unscrew four points on the bottom plate. Another important point to take note is of it's large size with a weight of 1kg without counterbalance weight plates. It is a nightmare to transport, maneuver during shots in crowd and users would develop fatigue issues (imagine straightening your hand vertical to the ground and holding a 10kg weight in your palm).
But overall it's performance is excellent if you are beefy enough to handle this rig, it is not so sensitive because of it's dynamic base. Glidecams are also made to last, very very tough, normally videographers are very rough, so the high tolerance level for this rig is a good point to take note of. Oh yes and it's priced around $600-800 (1000-4000) Point to take note the heavier your setup is, the heavier your support equipment would be, so don't complain but try other equipments if you are not able to handle Glidecam HDs.
Blackbird by Camera Motion Research max: 3.65kg
My personal favorite out of the most stabilizers I've used and own. The design is simple, innovative yet efficient. The efficiency of this rig is that it's light even with weights and it is able to handle a setup at 3.5kg, this is due to the the front arch and "antler" dual counterbalance weight design at the bottom. It is somewhat an integration of the Merlin and Glidecam HDs in my opinion. Users are able to pan or tilt easily because of the antler design, counterbalancing directions like the Glidecam and the arch design allows the grip to be underneath the camera, achieving a comfortable CG like the Merlin 2. The setup is rather plain and easy, by assembling two top and bottom piece and users are able to mark their different setups using the numerical marking on the bottom piece. There are only 5 knobs, important and no-nonsense, by unscrewing a small portion users are able install the weights by sliding them on without taking anything apart. 2 fine tuning knobs for forward/backward and left/right, lastly 1 for the bottom's height. Average users are able to set it up less then 15mins and 5mins thereafter with guidance, pretty fast I would say. But the setbacks about this rig is that it is not so compact compared to Merlin requiring more space when moving and users are not able to mount on any monitors or accessories as counterbalance weights. Personally I do not need monitors or stuffs on my rigs because remember the heavier your camera is, the heavier your support equipment is. My projects mostly involves wedding/corporates, so I need a light and low sensitivity rig to reduce fatigue and last me throughout the day, even though the antler design requires maneuvering space.
Overall, the Blackbird is an excellent piece of equipment due to it's lightweight materials and CG design, preventing fatigue issues and ultimately achieving simply what I am after, a stabilized shot. If you are planning to get it, you might consider the full kit because of the range of accessories provided or for low budget users just the Blackbird itself would cost you around $645. I would take apart my Blackbird and tie it on to the side of my Lowepro 250 Video backpack, meaning it's easy to transport around with.
I am not able to state the how-tos on balancing stabilizers, otherwise you would be reading a manual, so do your own homework, I am writing this just to provide an overall perspective of the different reputable stabilizers in the current market. The main take-aways from this would be to consider your camera's weight, take away the unnecessary (no battery grip for 5D3 please), usage duration of this rig, budget, ratio of value vs quality and lastly work space. I mean if you require a compact sized stabilizer to squeeze through a crowd that's unavoidable, but you like to mount on monitors for monitoring of focusing and framing, forget it just go for the Merlin 2 because that allows you to deliver the main shots rather then toppling the balance because of Glidecam's bulkiness, end up messing your shots, right?
Sorry for my bad grammar and phrasing as I need to rush out soon! I am sorry if you think that my opinions are biased, state it down and discuss over it, new users would be able to learn too.
Okay, this is going to be lengthy since I'm quite free on this day haha, I wrote his based on the perspective of first-time users and with no previous experience on stabilizers, but wanting to add that capability in your work flow, which means you have a need rather then want for it.
I think basically in the lower "prosumer" market for smaller bodies (weight and size wise; 5D3 and below), there exists mainly two types of stabilizers. As I am not familiar with less manufactured brands in recent open market, I will mainly refer to these; Merlin 2 by Steadicam, BlackBird by CMR and HD 1000-4000 series by Glidecam.
Steadicam Merlin 2's max weight-load: 2.27kg and 3.4kg with arm/vest
It's design is based on a single front arch with a counterbalance weight located at the bottom arch end. Obviously first time users will find it more comfortable to handle due to the CG(center of gravity) located above the gripping point. And due to it's compact single front arch design, users will have more space to operate and lesser chance of toppling the balance due to corners or lesser obvious obstructions in shots transition. Out of 10 users, the average initial balancing process took 30mins with guidance and 5-10mins later on their own. Merlin 2 is also light and small when kept making it easier to transport. The negatives are it's sensitivity to weight like my girlfriend, even the position of your on-off button or range of focus ring would destabilize the rig. The folding mechanism is vulnerable to drops and rugged handling, out of 5 sets I've seen four of us making trips down the repair center.
Overall, the Merlin 2 is popular due to it's compact design allowing easier tracking shots, easy to transport due to it's size and weight and average balancing/fine-tuning process. It's weight and less fatigue handling is on a class of it's own, but the vulnerability, pricing ($1000+) and sensitivity made a lot of experienced users having second thoughts.
Glidecam HD 1000-4000 1000 series max: 1.587kg/ 2000 series max: 2.72kg/ 4000 series max: 4.53kg
Glidecam HD series design is similar to the professional arm/vest series of Glidecam/Steadicam, which is a plus point for professionals looking for lighter stabilizers. It has a dynamic base platform with 2 counterbalancing point and works very well with the 3 axis gimbals system, allowing the handle to be tilted more then 90deg. But one thing to seriously take note is that it's handle is offset from the CG of the stabilization system, making it very tough for the average users to be able to maintain a steady shot throughout the shoot. The dynamic base platform allows users to mount on 5-7" monitors and accessories as counterbalance weights (if the weight of the camera itself is suitable), which most Glidecam HD users boast of and the capability to do up or down tilt by maneuvering the bottom plate is also a plus point. The average setup time is approx. 1hour and 10-15mins thereafter for first time owners with guidance. The longer setup is accredited to the obnoxious amount of screw and knobs for fine-tuning purpose on initial setup, to mount on additional weights also require users to unscrew four points on the bottom plate. Another important point to take note is of it's large size with a weight of 1kg without counterbalance weight plates. It is a nightmare to transport, maneuver during shots in crowd and users would develop fatigue issues (imagine straightening your hand vertical to the ground and holding a 10kg weight in your palm).
But overall it's performance is excellent if you are beefy enough to handle this rig, it is not so sensitive because of it's dynamic base. Glidecams are also made to last, very very tough, normally videographers are very rough, so the high tolerance level for this rig is a good point to take note of. Oh yes and it's priced around $600-800 (1000-4000) Point to take note the heavier your setup is, the heavier your support equipment would be, so don't complain but try other equipments if you are not able to handle Glidecam HDs.
Blackbird by Camera Motion Research max: 3.65kg
My personal favorite out of the most stabilizers I've used and own. The design is simple, innovative yet efficient. The efficiency of this rig is that it's light even with weights and it is able to handle a setup at 3.5kg, this is due to the the front arch and "antler" dual counterbalance weight design at the bottom. It is somewhat an integration of the Merlin and Glidecam HDs in my opinion. Users are able to pan or tilt easily because of the antler design, counterbalancing directions like the Glidecam and the arch design allows the grip to be underneath the camera, achieving a comfortable CG like the Merlin 2. The setup is rather plain and easy, by assembling two top and bottom piece and users are able to mark their different setups using the numerical marking on the bottom piece. There are only 5 knobs, important and no-nonsense, by unscrewing a small portion users are able install the weights by sliding them on without taking anything apart. 2 fine tuning knobs for forward/backward and left/right, lastly 1 for the bottom's height. Average users are able to set it up less then 15mins and 5mins thereafter with guidance, pretty fast I would say. But the setbacks about this rig is that it is not so compact compared to Merlin requiring more space when moving and users are not able to mount on any monitors or accessories as counterbalance weights. Personally I do not need monitors or stuffs on my rigs because remember the heavier your camera is, the heavier your support equipment is. My projects mostly involves wedding/corporates, so I need a light and low sensitivity rig to reduce fatigue and last me throughout the day, even though the antler design requires maneuvering space.
Overall, the Blackbird is an excellent piece of equipment due to it's lightweight materials and CG design, preventing fatigue issues and ultimately achieving simply what I am after, a stabilized shot. If you are planning to get it, you might consider the full kit because of the range of accessories provided or for low budget users just the Blackbird itself would cost you around $645. I would take apart my Blackbird and tie it on to the side of my Lowepro 250 Video backpack, meaning it's easy to transport around with.
I am not able to state the how-tos on balancing stabilizers, otherwise you would be reading a manual, so do your own homework, I am writing this just to provide an overall perspective of the different reputable stabilizers in the current market. The main take-aways from this would be to consider your camera's weight, take away the unnecessary (no battery grip for 5D3 please), usage duration of this rig, budget, ratio of value vs quality and lastly work space. I mean if you require a compact sized stabilizer to squeeze through a crowd that's unavoidable, but you like to mount on monitors for monitoring of focusing and framing, forget it just go for the Merlin 2 because that allows you to deliver the main shots rather then toppling the balance because of Glidecam's bulkiness, end up messing your shots, right?
Sorry for my bad grammar and phrasing as I need to rush out soon! I am sorry if you think that my opinions are biased, state it down and discuss over it, new users would be able to learn too.
