For the last couple of days I've been test driving the Glidecam HD-2000 with the FS100 and made a short video with it at Clingendael Park which also has a Japanese Garden that is only open for 6 weeks a year. Lens I used was the 16mm f2.8 pancake with ultra wide converter.

First video is the making off and the second is the result:

Glidecam HD-2000 with Sony NEX-FS100 Demonstration - YouTube

NEX-FS100 on the Glidecam HD-2000 - Clingendael Park - YouTube

Thats awesome. Thank you for posting. I had been looking I to the Glidecam HD4000 for my FS100. Any reason that influenced you to get the HD2000? I guess my only reason for wanting the HD4000 was for if I load my Sony down, or use my Tokina 11-16.

I have never used a steady cam, but want one so bad. I had been looking at the vest with arm. How was it to walk around without the vest? Was it pretty fatiguing? I'm seeing a lot of people without the vest arm combo, and I'm just about convinced to get the steady cam rig without it.

Did you feel the monitor on the FS100 was enough? I have a Small HD DP6, and am wanting to mount on the steady cam rig as well. Curious how it was to use with only the camera monitor.

Thanks again for posting.
Jeff

Thanks Jeff. I received the HD-2000 to 'test drive' and asked for the HD-2000 because I was going to use it handheld. The HD-2000 can take cameras up to 2.7 kg (6 pounds), which is enough for the configuration of the NEX-FS100 I'm using (2.1 kg / 4.6 pounds). I also have a Tokina 12-24mm lens which makes the camera 2.6 kg (5.7 pounds). That is without the side handle attached and I use the NP-F770 battery. So I can even use the Tokina lens with it, but then I would also need my arm and vest system, otherwise it would simply be to heavy to hold. But I haven't tried this setup yet.

With the NEX-FS100 in a more compact form (BTW, you can read more about my setup here: DerranNL: Glidecam HD-2000 Review and Videos! (http://derrannl.blogspot.nl/2012/05/glidecam-hd-2000-review-and-video.html)) I was able to fly it for about a minute or two and then I would hold the Glidecam at the central post and take a break for a few seconds and then started flying again. It was tiring working with it for a few hours on a hot day, but normally you won't shoot that many flying shots to begin with. The next day I didn't feel muscle pain or tired at all. The first day with the Glidecam I used 3 counter weight plates on each side and that was almost impossible to use.

You could go for the HD-4000 and perhaps use it with the 16mm and ultra wide converter in handheld mode and at a later point in time, go for an arm and vest system and use your Tokina lens and Small HD monitor. I didn't have any problem with using the monitor of the FS100, but since you already got the Small HD, I think it would be great to use in combination with an arm and vest. But for handheld mode I think it will be to heavy.

Nice work with the Glidecam! I had the HD2000 with a Z1u, it wasn't easy to go very long before tiring, had to get the vest. The Z1u with a big battery and light mounted was 7 pounds and the weight of the Glidecam pretty much doubled that. It was a lot of short shots as it was tough to handhold for more than a couple of minutes. I had access to the vest, but it was cumbersome so I only used it if I was going to roll long takes. The BTS video is great, I always like seeing what others are doing.

derran-

thanks for sharing.

i found the bts vid very helpful.

get to nyc/usa and i'll buy the first round.

i have never "flown" a camera.

i imagine:

keep the lens wide,
shoot with deep focus f/5.6 and above,
manual or auto focus?

any and all thoughts would be appreciated.

again, thanks.

be well.

rob
smalltalk productions
nyc

I Have very similar setup as yours, just without the wide angel adapter.
Do u find a better with it? Coz I dont want to add more weight to it

Thanks Rob, I might just take you up on that offer. ;)
Yes, keep the lens wide with F stop around f10 and higher to keep things in focus. I noticed that the 16mm lens does a lot of back and forth focusing (searching... not sure how to call it) which shows up in corners of the footage. That's why I rather use manual focus when using it. And I set focus to infinity and adjust if necessary.

Thomas, the ultra wide adapter is very light weight, only 8.6 ounces. So you might only have to telescope the base platform further out and re-balance the camera, without adding more counter weight plates to your Glidecam. I use this setup with only two plates on each side.

I really like the performance of the ultra wide adapter. It's the best adapter I've ever seen and gives you a much wider view. Almost identical to the Tokina at 12mm. A few weeks ago I tested both lenses at the same location and I was surprised to see that the 16mm with adapter held up so nicely next to the Tokina. I think I still have the footage, but never got around to do something with it.

Hi Derran,

There doesn't appear to be any weights on the base of the glidecam. Do you not need them with a HD-2000?

Cheers

Jamie

Hi Jamie,
It's a bit difficult to see in the video, but I'm using two counter weight plates on each side of the Glidecam.

Do you use Slow Motion mode to capture this video? it looks very smooth and slow

I didn't slow down the footage or alter it in any way (except for flipping the footage when the Glidecam was in low-mode). I just wanted to show what the device was capable of without any tricks.

Derran,

Very nice work - thanks for sharing. Myself, I can only dream of operating a flying device - after a series of not quite successful neck spine surgeries :(

But just out of curiosity: even at F10, in the bright sunlight like this you must have used some ND, right? Or, did you "break the rules", and used the shutter speed in Auto mode?

I guess many of us FS100 users do it sometimes, so please don't take it as a criticism - just curious :)

Piotr

Hi Piotr, I'm sorry to hear that!
Perhaps you're able to fly a Steadicam Smoothy with iPhone? It's the same experience, but without the weight issues.

I couldn't put a ND filter in front of the ultra wide converter, so I've set the shutter to (I believe) 100 and used auto iris. I'd rather have control over iris myself, but it worked good enough to be acceptable.

Hi Piotr, I'm sorry to hear that!
Ever tried flying a Steadicam Smoothy with iPhone? It's the same experience, but without the weight issues.

I couldn't put a ND filter in front of the ultra wide converter, so I've set the shutter to (I believe) 100 and used auto iris. I'd rather have control over iris myself, but it worked good enough to be acceptable.

Thanks Derran for the explanation - I thought you said F10, hence the question about the shutter :)

Cheers

Piotr

No problem! :)
With these settings the iris stayed around F10 and above.

No problem! :)
With these settings the iris stayed around F10 and above.

With the "and above" part most of the time, I dare say, Derran :)

With an F2.8 lens, no ND, and the shutter speed fixed at 1/100th, I'd expect the FS100 to go as high as F22+ on AE... Which only helped you to keep virtually everything in focus.

But as I say - the material you posted is superb, and makes me lust for a similar rig...

Piotr

Do you use Slow Motion mode to capture this video? it looks very smooth and slow

In another thread derran once explained that he shot interlaced, which makes a glidecam shoot much more smooth than when shooting progressive. I suppose that is the case in this video as well? If so, please be aware that you might not get the same 'smoothnes' when shooting progressive. Camera movement me be as smooth, but there will be more judder.

Derran, some time before you posted a similar thread, using the Merlin Steadicam. How do they compare when using the fs100?

With the "and above" part most of the time, I dare say, Derran :)

You might have a point there! ;)

Cees, you're right I shot this in 50i. I really don't like the 25p look when filming (with or without stabilizer and / or tripod) and my editing application can't handle 50p footage. So I choose 50i for the FS100.

The FS100 on the Merlin or on the Glidecam is a bit difficult to compare, like comparing apples and oranges. I really like both stabilizers and they both have their strong points. The Merlin is easier to hold thanks to the weight being right above your hand instead of holding it from the side like the Glidecam. But the Merlin is more sensitive to wind and touch, compared to the Glidecam. The Glidecam also feels much more solid and does a fantastic job in isolating the camera from your body. The Merlin is more compact then the Glidecam and is easier to carry around, but t's more difficult to balance. In between shots it's easy to put the Glidecam on the ground to take a break, but the Merlin has a different shape that makes it difficult to put it down somewhere, unless you have their camera bag that holds the Merlin in folded position with camera mounted on top. But it's another item to carry around.

Derran, your experience with various stabilizers is invaluable :)

Now, please imagine your neck spine and right arm is much, much weaker than it really is - which one of the two would you pick? Please, also add a vest into the equation...

Thanks,

Piotr

One more idea / question, related to camera stabilizer use. Correct me if I'm wrong, but one of the most uncomfortable and difficult things about it framing. Using the camera's own LCD is most straightforward - but it has only one advantage: the rig doesn't take on the additional weight of a monitor, battery and cabling. Visibility in bright sunshine must be very poor, though...

On the other hand, putting an extra monitor on the stabilized rig is out of question - at least for me, due to the limitations mentioned above in this thread. So I've been wondering:

- how about some clever method of attaching an EVF like Zacuto to the operator's head, with the eyecup permanently against his eye?

Is something like that available out there in the market? Or is my idea impractical?

Piotr

Edit Just tried to mock up something around my Zacuto EVF, and it's definitely impractical - not with this size/weight of a viewfinder... But I'm sure some lightweight and flexible display will be around soon to make such a HUD possible...

Now, please imagine your neck spine and right arm is much, much weaker than it really is - which one of the two would you pick? Please, also add a vest into the equation...

Piotr, I'll try to answer your question to the best of my knowledge, but would also like to take another stabilizer into the equation: the Blackbird stabilizer. I received it last week for review purposes and will be testing it more thoroughly this coming week. From what I've seen so far it might be a good stabilizer for your specific needs. No matter which stabilizer you'll choose, it's best to keep the weight as low as possible and I would like to suggest to use the 16mm pancake lens only. You can always add the ultra wide converter later in time if you think the extra weight won't be a problem. Also use the lightest camera battery you can find for the FS100 and remove the side handle to keep the camera as light as possible.

One question, would you be able to try out a stabilizer at a local camera shop? This way you can feel for yourself whether it's not putting too much strain on your neck spine and arm. Perhaps it's best to consult a physical therapist or doctor before going this route?

The good thing with stabilizers is that you can use either arm to carry the weight. In your case you could use your left arm to hold the stabilizer and your right hand to control the camera. When using the Steadicam arm and vest you can also mount the arm on either side of the vest. But using an arm and vest system, especially in the beginning, will give muscle pain in your back, because you will have to use muscles you've never used before. Putting it on is also asking a lot of flexibility.

About the monitor question. I like your idea of using an EVF, but I think it's best to use both eyes when walking around with a stabilizer for seeing depth. I've always used the LCD screen of the FS100 and never had a problem with it. Having it on the back of the camera (instead of on the side) is also very convenient. Using a LCD hood might be a good idea to block some direct sunlight. I'm still searching for the right hood and I'm thinking about the Hoodman H400.

Hi Derran,

Thank you so much for your elaborated answer - lots of good advise I'll definitely keep in mind while trying to choose a stabilizer. Of course - as they are not cheap devices, especially with vests - I'll arrange for a proper testing before paying for one...

Cheers,

Piotr

Derran, or anyone using the 16mm pancake with converter:

- is it possible to use a 49mm filter between the pancake lens, and the converter?

Unfortunately not, Piotr.
I have a ND filter for the 16mm, but when the ultra wide converter needs to be attached, you'll have to remove the filter first or the bayonet mechanism won't work.