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Stabilizers

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Froi

Posted 23 February 2012 - 09:05 PM Link to post

Anyone know any good stabilizors that will keep my dslr camera steady and allow me to use the manual focus and zoom with two hands? It alohas to be cheap under £200 thanks, I found one but I don't know if I should get it http://www.camerakin...-nikon-d90-etc/
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Arktic

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Posted 24 February 2012 - 07:35 PM Link to post

For under £200, you'll struggle to get any proper stabilisation system worth having, imho.

Yes, you will get a bit of stabilisation from a system like that, but they're built very cheaply, and won't last particularly long. I've never used the Flycam system myself, but I've read reports of its construction being a little bit shoddy. To me, that seems like a waste of money.

So, I'd suggest that either:

For under £20 you can get a simple shoulder mount like this, which will help steady your handheld shots, and costs a tenth of the price.

OR

Save up some more, until you can afford a proper system like a Steadicam Merlin, which will give you vastly superior results.

Hope this helps!

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Darren

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Posted 24 February 2012 - 08:44 PM Link to post

To add to what Arktic said, I'm really not sure how this stabilizer is supposed to work.

Most other handheld stabilizers use your arm as a cushion for movement. Your link shows a stabilizer arm that basically rests on your pelvic area. I can't see you walking and it NOT bouncing up and down.

As far as your dslr is concerned, use wide angle lens, set the focus to infinity and put the f-stop up to get a deep depth of field so you don't have to fiddle as much with the focus while moving.
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Froi

Posted 24 February 2012 - 08:53 PM Link to post

Oh, ok, so that stabilzer is out if the question, what about this one that comes with A matte box I think lol, http://47stphotoonli...source=GB&id=uk any way I need one where I can keep both hand free, but not too cheap that it might break, so like £50-£150
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Arktic

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Posted 24 February 2012 - 09:11 PM Link to post

That looks very cheaply made, I don't think it's worth $300.

You can get something that will give you similar functionality for much cheaper - no follow focus, but here's a cheap shoulder rig for much cheaper.

Do you need a mattebox? It's not really free, the price has been bumped up to include the mattebox. Unless you're filming with filters, then you don't need one, imho.

And I can't imagine that the follow focus on that rig you linked to will be particularly smooth!

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Darren

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Posted 24 February 2012 - 09:18 PM Link to post

And the bigger question to me is how do you want to use a stabilizer of any kind and keep both hands free? :unsure:
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Froi

Posted 24 February 2012 - 10:02 PM Link to post

@arktic that link doesn't work on my "mobile device" lol, and I mean I need both hands free so I can zoom and use manual focus at the same time (some use two hands for the camera) I found a solution for the time being, walk with bent legs lol

Just got into link, not bad but I guess u need to hold the rig tho
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Null Unit

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Posted 26 February 2012 - 07:46 PM Link to post

There are also a lot of good tutorials on youtube that teach how to make your own inexpensive stabilizers.

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Froi

Posted 26 February 2012 - 09:12 PM Link to post

There are also a lot of good tutorials on youtube that teach how to make your own inexpensive stabilizers.

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Keegs

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Posted 27 February 2012 - 08:32 AM Link to post

If you're willing to drop the cash, go with the Glidecam HD series. Those things are AMAZING with some practice.
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Froi

Posted 27 February 2012 - 08:22 PM Link to post

Sadly I don't have that much money as I will be spending it on the camera and batteries for the camera too, etc, :sad:
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NuttyBanana

Posted 27 February 2012 - 09:00 PM Link to post

I imagine that putting both hands on the camera would decrease the stabilisation, unless it was weighted quite heavily. Everything I've seen uses at least 1 hand but I've not looked too far into it at this point.
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Froi

Posted 27 February 2012 - 09:17 PM Link to post

Hmm, well I have never filmed with a dslr before, and I would like to know, how to keep thins in focus whilst zooming in whilst moving along, how would you do that?
Lol I sound like a noob haha
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NuttyBanana

Posted 27 February 2012 - 09:32 PM Link to post

You don't tend to see too much zooming while moving, at least not to my immediate memory! Until I'd figured it out I'd just plan the shots so that I didn't have too. You could always do some short zooms in post and get away with it as the footage is of good quality, but nothing too excessive obviously.

I'm trying to get around to purchase a Canon 600d myself so maybe someone with a dslr could offer more insight to this.

There are also methods such as recording a distant and close up shot and then zooming those together with some zoom blur to blend them for a quick zoom in effect - if that makes sense. Best taking a look at youtube for a tutorial on that kind of thing though.
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Froi

Posted 27 February 2012 - 10:27 PM Link to post

Oh okay, thanks for the help and the double zoom shot does make sense, that is how they made the limitless zoom thing in the opening of the film limitless :smile: but with hundreds of pictures/ videos. And yea I shall YouTube it to try and get my head around it, I tend to see people like freddiew not using focus or zooming in when they film so I may do what they do
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