Just a quick thank you to Charles P. for all his past posts of encouragement that can be referenced here. Just got my glidecam and it is not easy!!! More practice, I know. If I had to grade my progress after an hour of practice (which is after an added 45 min. of balancing!) I would say I'm at drunk-stuntplane level. Hopefully I'll reach mildly-intoxicated-747 soon....something like sober-glider is beyond imagination at this point.

Be warned those who think these will 'work' right out of the box. Not for the faint of heart....but pretty damn cool.

Stuart:

Friggin' funny terminology. Mind if I paraphrase that in my upcoming training video?!

Keep on at it! That guide hand has to be light like a feather, even as the other hand is working overtime to support the rig. It's a pretty unusual setup to divide such radically different tasks between the two sides of the body, but it becomes 2nd nature soon enough.

Stuart,

I'm thinking of getting the Glidecam 2000 also for my DVX100. Do you have anything else on your DVX, shotgun mic, etc. I just purchased a Bogen 577 quick release plate that I'm going to use with it. However, the DVX and all it's accessories(shotgun, large battery, tape and quick release plate) is about 5lbs 6oz.


JR

Ray I'm not using an onboard shotgun but do have a big battery. It balances out with less than half the supplied weights, so I'm guessing a plate and extra mic will be just fine. Someone has to invent an automatically balancing one of these though.

Thanks for the encouragement Charles (I'd be flattered if you used similar terminology). It's such a tough tug of war between balancing the thing perfectly and being able to use a light guide hand, and being just slightly out of balance and requiring a firmer guide hand (which of course limits the smoothness of motion).

Tough stuff.

i got a body strap with mine do i dont have to hold the glidecam anymore i just have to have my gide hand on it, though still just like you i am not good at it yet, i like this set up better then when i was holding all the weight on one hand real tight while i try to relax my other hand, not to mention think of how i want to frame the subject.

p.s. i should note i have heard from people that using the body vest will not yield best possible results.

The problem with the body pod John is that it can transmit body movement to the sled as it's not using a normal spring arm to absorb the movement, this is why some say it doesn't produce the best result.

John.

John Steele, you bought a rig a while back or am I being fuzzy-brained? Which one, how is it working for you?

Hi Charles,

Your brain's fine, not fuzzy at all :), quick recap just to jog your memory, got the Glidecam V8 initally then got a bigger camera, V8 didn't like it so had to get the V16 :-) It's working out really well, I've used it alot so it getting easier to go for longer periods of time now than it used to be. Getting better and smoother everytime I use it so as long as that continues I'll be happy, I always meant to post some progress video but never got round to it, I might try and do that soon so I can get some more tips from you :), talking about getting tips, I'm eagerly awaiting your training video :) can you give any clues on a timescale? :)

John.

Looking at late March release. Currently distracted by a bunch of dayplaying on TV shows. Last week "Miss Match", this week "Threat Matrix". But I'm about to focus full time on getting the darn video made!