Using the XL1 with the Glidecam 3000 Pro and V-8
an article by Jim McAllister

There are many opportunities in video production to use Steadicam-type shooting. Generally, I find myself restricted by budget, access to the equipment, and/or my limited experience using this type of camera support.

Cinema Products owns the original Steadicam and introduced the Steadicam Jr. several years ago for use with very lightweight camcorders, such as Hi-8 consumer models. Glidecam has a similar device called the 3000 Pro which uses the shooter’s arm in place of a mechanical, spring-loaded arm. Glidecam’s 3000 Pro comes with a splint which is worn on the forearm to help reinforce the shooter’s wrist. The 3000 Pro is billed as being useable with cameras up to six pounds. The XL1 is slightly heavier. Mike Cassiere, an ace shooter and a veteran of cameras since they got portable (RCA’s behemoth TK-76), and I both used the XL1 with the 3000 Pro. Our verdict: Yes, you can use it, but it is extremely taxing on your arm. Neither of us felt that this would be a workable configuration for extended shooting.

I also used the XL1 with the Glidecam V-8 which is rated for use with cameras weighing up to ten pounds. The initial set-up procedure took about 20 minutes. If you were using only the XL1 with the V-8, subsequent set-ups would, obviously, be quicker, taking only a few moments to mount the camera and plug into the monitor. As it is, the V-8’s adjustments for balance require repeated loosening of several screws, repositioning of mounting plates or weights, re-tightening of the same screws and testing. Some form of incremental weight adjustment which could be dialed in and then locked would speed things up greatly, but Glidecam’s design delivers something that works for a very low cost compared to a Steadicam. Another example of cost-savings is that in place of custom-made weights, the V-8 uses two stacks of large washers to adjust the balance of the "sled." While the cable that we used to connect to the monitor dangled from the camera to the monitor on the sled, users of the V-8 have modified the units (by drilling holes) so that the cable could be fed down through the camera mounting plates, through the vertical support/handle to the sled. Doing that would neaten tidy up things.

The unit as sold does not come with a monitor, so the cost and weight of the unit will vary depending on what type of monitor option you choose. Glidecam makes and sells a couple of different active matrix LCD monitors and a green screen CRT. We used a small active matrix LCD and found it useable indoors, but difficult to view outdoors and just about impossible if lit by direct sunlight. I would recommend a 4" active matrix LCD at the very least.

Like a Steadicam, the spring-loaded arm mounts to a rigid, padded vest. This is a "one-size-fits-all" affair, but for me at 5 feet 10 inches tall and 172 pounds, it worked. A three-axis gimbal mounts to the arm and provides the pivot point around which the camera and sled balance. I have some very limited experience shooting with a pro Steadicam and a much heavier Ikegami camera. As one might suspect, the lower mass of the V-8/XL1 made it less steady and fluid by comparison initially. Howqever, even in the limited time of the demo, I could see myself getting the hang of the rig and the smoothness and framing of my shots kept improving as I experimented. The biggest drawback by far was the poor visibility of the LCD monitor. I sometimes found that I was "flying blind" due to the screen being washed out by sunlight and the framing tended to wander as I pointed the camera where I guessed the shot was. It is not possible to utilize the XL1 viewfinder and, if you were shooting outdoors, you would probably want to cover the eyepiece to avoid sunburn of the viewfinder's LCD screen.

The Glidecam, while inexpensively made, seems reasonably rugged and serviceable. Using it requires two hands... your right controlling the mechanical arm; and your left gently controlling the orientation of the camera in three axes. I found that the V-8 also put a considerable strain on muscles of my lower back that I hadn’t been using in quite the same way during ordinary hand-held shooting. Even after my short stint of using the V-8, my back wanted a rest big time. Thankfully, the sled pops off the arm and can be hung on an supplied mount on your own C-stand when you’re not shooting.

In summary, I would recommend the Glidecam V-8 for use with the XL1 if you want smooth floating shots. Realize that some time practicing with the rig will be required to develop some mastery and to build up the necessary muscles in your lower back. These V-8 shots will be smoother, by far, than what is possible hand holding the XL1 and walking -- even with the XL1’s optical image stabilization turned on. The unit would be far more useful (but a bit heavier and more costly) with the high visibility green screen CRT. Glidecam does not rent, they only sell these units. Two things which I considered in deciding not to buy the V-8: first, I would be lugging around twice the amount of eqipment; and second, I would be nearly doubling my investment in shooting gear. However, a V-8-mounted XL1 could be quite a marketable item for a rental house in this area where several XL1 equipped videographers are working regularly, the XL1 is being rented and the demand is great enough.

Jim McAllister
Hot Sands
www.hotsand.com/index.html

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