the glidecam ain't great. it's on a jib that makes it impossible to use properly. plus, it feels flimsy...

there are much better, cheaper alternatives. the figrig for example, which you can get from manfrotto... or the steadytracker-extreme, which is similar to the glidecam, only much better and about half the price.

www.maketradefair.com
www.thehungersite.com
www.oxfam.ca

any links where i can get to any of those?

"I believe the cinema is one of our principal forms of art. It is an incredibly powerful way to tell uplifitng stories that can move people to cry with joy and inspire them to reach for the stars."-Wes Craven

here's the main page for the fig-rig.
http://services.manfrotto.com/figrig/

there's a rough demo as to how everything works. it's roughly about 300 bucks, half the price of the glidecam. i used it on two projects, and it's great.

http://www.promax.com/Products/Detail/6214

that's the steadytracker. similar to the glidecam, only a lot more solid, and easier to use. cheaper too.

www.maketradefair.com
www.thehungersite.com
www.oxfam.ca

the fig rig doesnt look like it would make it a smoother shot. im probably wrong but there are no spring or anything. it looks like just a camera in a wheel

"I believe the cinema is one of our principal forms of art. It is an incredibly powerful way to tell uplifitng stories that can move people to cry with joy and inspire them to reach for the stars."-Wes Craven

none of the stabilizers you're looking into have any sort of complicated mechanism. in order to get weights, springs, etc., involved, you'd have to pay thousands.

the fig rig just gives you a better grip, and allows you a much smoother shot. the glidecam, and the steadytracker are just monopods with weights on it to reduce shakiness.

www.maketradefair.com
www.thehungersite.com
www.oxfam.ca

The point of the fig rig is that the human body is the best shock absorber there is, but for film cameras they are simply to heavy to hold with your arms somewhat extended. MiniDV cameras are light enough that your arms can do the work and the design forces your arms into the best position for this. It also gives you good control over movement.

If you have a smaller lighter prosumer camera its ideal. If you have a heavier camera you need something else.

RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA

im just looking for something to take away some of the shakiness. if the fig rig can do that then im good but if all it does is gives me better hand position then would it be worth the money? im really not trying to be difficult but on a college budget i cant afford tospend money on something that really doesnt help that much. So i guess my question is, will it take away teh shakiness and make the camera more float like??? once again im not trying to be a d**k i just need to be sure its gonna work well. thanks

"I believe the cinema is one of our principal forms of art. It is an incredibly powerful way to tell uplifitng stories that can move people to cry with joy and inspire them to reach for the stars."-Wes Craven

quote:

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if the fig rig can do that then im good but if all it does is gives me better hand position then would it be worth the money?

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Have you ever seen 'Evil Dead'?

The 'steadicam' shots in that movie were done by sticking the camera in the middle of a plank of wood and holding the ends. That's the same technique that the 'Fig Rig' uses, it just looks prettier :).

there should be demo reels on the fig rig website that shows some of the footage shot while using the fig rig.

in your place, i'd basically choose either the fig-rig, or the steadytracker. (i'm actually exactly in your place. i'm a college student too, and i chose the figrig a few months ago).

www.maketradefair.com
www.thehungersite.com
www.oxfam.ca

alright thanks. ill give it a try. and yes i have seen evil dead and enjoyed every second of it. haha

"I believe the cinema is one of our principal forms of art. It is an incredibly powerful way to tell uplifitng stories that can move people to cry with joy and inspire them to reach for the stars."-Wes Craven

Speaking from my own experience with a limited number of stabilizer designs, I have'nt found any single unit to be an instant solution. To get strong results from any piece of equipment requires practice. The use of cranes, jibs, dollies or any steady-cam-type stabilizer, is, I believe, as much an art-form as any other facet of filmmaking. I guess what I'm trying to say is, not to expect the purchase alone to provide results, you have to take the time to learn the gear before you can really work-it. I purchased a glidecam 4000 last year but didn't see any real quality results until I had used it for a month.
I think guildcams can be extremely effective, easy to handle and very durable. Just takes some practice.
But that's only in my experience.

Elipses

Camera on a wheelchair. Camera on a shopping trolley.

🙂

You have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm sure. But don't worry... you will someday.

I have seen Evil Dead and i am aware that he used a piece of wood to put his camera on it. But can somebody explain to me how he got it to stay on the wood. Like, did he tie ropes to it and dangle it from teh wood or what??? just curious

"Anyone who has ever been privileged to direct a film also knows that, although it can be like trying to write 'War and Peace' in a bumper car in an amusement park, when you finally get it right, there are not many joys in life that can equal the feeling." - Stanley Kubrick

I would imagine it was screwed on using the tripod attachment hole.