Im just curious, who here does or does not use a stedicam when shooting weddings?

Hi Kevin

Full vest rig but I only use the rig for the video photoshoot...nothing else...it's just too restrictive inside a Church or even a Reception!!! My brides like the "roundie rounds" (walking around the couple in a full circle and then slow the footage down 50%) It's cheesy but if that's what the customer likes........!!

Chris

If we are inside of a prim and proper cathedral - never.

If we are outside or in a "Big box" church - usually.
"Big box" churches are what I call building that could also double as an arena, a warehouse, a Wal-mart. I'm seeing more and more modern congregations go to these type of buildings. The congregations are usually younger, more tech savvy. Seeing a steady-cam rig is not a shock to them it seems. I do try to be discreet and stay out of the spotlight per se. I'll get the processional and then move to the side on a tripod for the ceremony.

Prep, Photo shoot, reception entrance and dances are usually on steadi-cam.

I don't. Maybe one day I will, but by that time they may be out of style.

I use my Glidecam HD 2000 at every wedding. I can't live without it. If done correctly AND NOT OVER USED I feel it takes your product to a whole new level.

I only use my vest if I have the time during the photo shoot.

I use a home made steady cam with a monopod. It lets me move fast and maintain a steady shot specially between very cramp spaces like moving between tables full of guests or a dancing floor crowded of couples.

we use the glidecam hd2000 on every wedding but selectively. things like the steadicam and sliders can easily be overused, we tend to use these things in moderation.

Never. Lots of reasons, including the time it takes to get it up and running, ruining the highly unobtrusive nature of my style of shooting, and general overusage by lots of other videographers.

Maybe in the future, maybe not.

However, I love using steadicams for things other than weddings.

My Merlin is my favorite tool for weddings. I have it perfectly balanced with a 24mm prime and use it all day. I use it less for dramatic shots than I used to but I find it great to just hang with it. I find the subtle movement significant enough to add interest to the shot without being over dramatic.

Art

My Merlin is my favorite tool for weddings. I have it perfectly balanced with a 24mm prime and use it all day. I use it less for dramatic shots than I used to but I find it great to just hang with it. I find the subtle movement significant enough to add interest to the shot without being over dramatic.

Art

Art, do you use the manfrotto quick release plate? I find it difficult to balance with the quick release

Art, do you use the manfrotto quick release plate? I find it difficult to balance with the quick release

Yes I do - what lens are you using? I acquired a Canon 24 1.4 because I heard others saying that this was a good lens combo for the 5D and Merlin. After using for several months I agree. I find it very easy to balance quickly.

Art

We have a Steadicam option available for those 1 hour shoots we do for destination weddings. The wedding is performed outdoors on the lawn of the hotel. I use a Flyer, and shoot with an EX-1 that is loaded with 2 wireless mic receivers. Throughout the ceremony, the camera floats slowly around the couple as needed, providing a 360 degree view of what's around them. For the vows and kiss I zoom in slowly to capture their expression. I started using the Flyer for weddings in 2004.

We found ourselves using a lot of it about 2 years ago, i guess it was the novelty of it. However, nowadays we only use ours for 2 particular shots, bride walking down the aisle for the ceremony and the couple walking in the reception area. We don't even bother with the roundie shots anymore since its so overdone :)

Kren

What kind of rigs do you use? Our school just bought a Phantom and it just seems like a Steadicam would get in the way/take far too long to get setup to make it worth it.

Yup, for sure!! We use the Blackbird and its definitely worth having for a wedding shoot. So many shots we use come from the steady cam, so if you have the budget, definitely get it.

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Jonathan
Wedding Video Sydney | Cinematic Wedding Videography | eMemories Productions (http://www.ememoriesproductions.com) | Wedding Video Sydney

I use the Glidecam HD4000 with Steadicam (merlin/pilot) arm/vest for some of the photo shoots and First Dance at the reception. It's tricky because time to put on and take off, especially since I've been doing weddings solo.

I add weights to the stage (where the camera is mounted) of the Glidecam to make the whole rig heavier. I really think this heavier setup with the arm/vest produces much smoother results.