C100 and glidecam

[Kathy Smith]

Anyone used C100 on a Glidecam?

[Eric Coughlin]

Yeah. Works great! With DSLRs I find it helps to add weight to the top of the Glidecam to get better balance and less wobble. So for my 60D I added to the top of the Glidecam two 12.7 oz Glidecam Weight Plates (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/656408-REG/Glidecam_GLCWP_Camera_Weight_Plate.html).

There is a fine line where the ideal weight for a handheld Glidecam should be at. If it's too light, it wobbles too much, and if it's too heavy, your arm shakes too much from fatigue. I'm not sure what the exact ideal is, but a DSLR and lens alone I found to be too light, so I added those weights.

Now with the C100, the weight of it is about the same as a 60D with those two Glidecam weights, so I don't have to add any weight to the top. The C100 alone seems like a good weight, though I may still try one weight plate to see what happens. That was with a Rode Video Mic Pro on top (and side handle, but no top handle); I tried the top handle with a short shotgun mic attached, but found I would have to add more weight plates on the bottom and haven't bothered with trying that out yet.

I use 6 weights on the bottom, and a Manfrotto adapter. I've been using the regular Manfrotto adapter (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/241139-REG/Manfrotto_577_577_Rapid_Connect_Adapter.html), but plan on switching to the larger one (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/554151-REG/Manfrotto_357_357_Pro_Quick_Release.html) since it allows for easier balancing and removing of the camera. I find the extra leeway the larger plate and adapter gives particularly important since it's a larger camera than a DSLR. I own one of the larger plates already, but really need to buy a few more to put on my monopod, tripod, etc.

[Kathy Smith]

Thanks Eric. Which glidecam do you use? I have this tripod kit http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/683563-REG/Manfrotto_504HD_546BK_504HD_Head_w_546B_2_Stage.htmland the plate looks like the one you linked.

[Eric Coughlin]

I use the Glidecam HD4000. I'm not sure how well a Glidecam 2000 would work with the C100, but since Glidecams generally work better with more weight, the 4000 model tends to be capable of getting smoother shots.

The plate I mentioned which comes with the adapter I linked to is the 357PLV Quick Release Plate (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/553894-REG/Manfrotto_357PLV_357PLV_Quick_Release_Plate.html). The 504 head comes with a 504PLONG Long Quick-Release Mounting Plate, and on the B&H review of that quick release plate a reviewer mentioned that that plate works with the 701 Head. I have a 701 Head and a 503 Head, and the 357 plate is too wide for those heads, so therefore I would conclude it would be too wide for the 504 head as well unless you can adjust the width of the plate mounting on the head (I've never used a 504 head).

The advantage of the 357 plate is that it can be mounted in either direction onto the adapter, which enables you to turn the adapter around so that you can control the knob on the left side of the camera body which makes the knob easier to access, and therefore quicker to adjust and remove/add the camera to the Glidecam. Another advantage is that since the plate is wider it sets the knob further from the camera body also making the knob more accessible. The third advantage is that the plate is longer the typical 501 plate, but that's not as much of an advantage over the similar length of the 504PLONG plate. However, I believe the 504PLONG plate is still more limited in it's movement than the 357 plate due to a locking mechanism on the bottom of the plate, but I'm not sure since I haven't used it.

The downside of using the 357 plate is that it is not compatible with a lot of tripod heads that people tend to use, such that it requires you to buy those adapters for each tripod head or mounting system that you use, which can then get slightly expensive. I'm planning to buy one extra adapter soon so then I'll have two; one I will leave permanently attached to my Glidecam, and the other adapter I will put a 501 plate on the bottom of it and switch it out with my monopod, tripod, 701 head on my slider, and my shoulder mount. Then I'll probably buy a few more adapters later (one they're in the budget) so I won't have to keep switching my one extra out.

I got the idea from the comments in Joe Simon's Glidecam tutorial (vimeo.com/39293788). Check it out if you haven't seen it. You can also see him using the plate on his 701 Head at 1:04 in his Using the Canon C100 for Live Events video (vimeo.com/65872060). It would be kind of a pain to have to have those plates on each mounting device, but I've concluded it is the best plate system to use with the Glidecam. Then again, if you don't do events, or don't feel the need to be able to quickly switch your camera to different mounting systems, you'd probably be fine with the regular 577 adapter which you can't switch around the knob on.

[Eric Coughlin]

Here's a video I made testing out the Glidecam HD4000 with the C100.

Runner (C100 + Glidecam) on Vimeo

[Dave Ande]

Kathy, I have a GC HD1000 and use it with my T2i, Tokina 11-16 F/2.8 and Manfrotto 3433PL 577 Rapid Connector Adapter. I think with this combo the GC HD1000 may be at it's max. I've been looking at getting the C100 and was also wondering if I could use it with the HD1000. Although the Tokina is too wide, when I tried using the above configuration with my 5D3 it was a little too heavy to balanceI. I'm not sure of the weight differences of the 5DM3 and C100.

David A

[Kathy Smith]

Originally Posted by Eric Coughlin

I use the Glidecam HD4000. I'm not sure how well a Glidecam 2000 would work with the C100, but since Glidecams generally work better with more weight, the 4000 model tends to be capable of getting smoother shots.

The plate I mentioned which comes with the adapter I linked to is the 357PLV Quick Release Plate (Manfrotto 357PLV Quick Release Plate for Video 357PLV B&H Photo). The 504 head comes with a 504PLONG Long Quick-Release Mounting Plate, and on the B&H review of that quick release plate a reviewer mentioned that that plate works with the 701 Head. I have a 701 Head and a 503 Head, and the 357 plate is too wide for those heads, so therefore I would conclude it would be too wide for the 504 head as well unless you can adjust the width of the plate mounting on the head (I've never used a 504 head).

The advantage of the 357 plate is that it can be mounted in either direction onto the adapter, which enables you to turn the adapter around so that you can control the knob on the left side of the camera body which makes the knob easier to access, and therefore quicker to adjust and remove/add the camera to the Glidecam. Another advantage is that since the plate is wider it sets the knob further from the camera body also making the knob more accessible. The third advantage is that the plate is longer the typical 501 plate, but that's not as much of an advantage over the similar length of the 504PLONG plate. However, I believe the 504PLONG plate is still more limited in it's movement than the 357 plate due to a locking mechanism on the bottom of the plate, but I'm not sure since I haven't used it.

The downside of using the 357 plate is that it is not compatible with a lot of tripod heads that people tend to use, such that it requires you to buy those adapters for each tripod head or mounting system that you use, which can then get slightly expensive. I'm planning to buy one extra adapter soon so then I'll have two; one I will leave permanently attached to my Glidecam, and the other adapter I will put a 501 plate on the bottom of it and switch it out with my monopod, tripod, 701 head on my slider, and my shoulder mount. Then I'll probably buy a few more adapters later (one they're in the budget) so I won't have to keep switching my one extra out.

I got the idea from the comments in Joe Simon's Glidecam tutorial (vimeo.com/39293788). Check it out if you haven't seen it. You can also see him using the plate on his 701 Head at 1:04 in his Using the Canon C100 for Live Events video (vimeo.com/65872060). It would be kind of a pain to have to have those plates on each mounting device, but I've concluded it is the best plate system to use with the Glidecam. Then again, if you don't do events, or don't feel the need to be able to quickly switch your camera to different mounting systems, you'd probably be fine with the regular 577 adapter which you can't switch around the knob on.

Eric, thank you for your excellent post. Lots of good info. Thanks again

[Kathy Smith]

Originally Posted by Eric Coughlin

Here's a video I made testing out the Glidecam HD4000 with the C100.

Runner (C100 + Glidecam) on Vimeo

Thanks, looks great

[Christian Schmitt]

Originally Posted by Eric Coughlin

Here's a video I made testing out the Glidecam HD4000 with the C100.
]

Smooth! What lens was used? 17-55?

[Eric Coughlin]

Thanks! I used the Canon 35mm f/1.4L, Tokina 11-16 f/2.8, and Canon 24-105 f/4L. The last shot is the 24-105 at 60mm, I believe. I really like using the 35mm on the Glidecam (and in general) because on the crop sensor it gives the closest focal length to the human eye. I generally reserve the 11-16 for wide shots, as medium and closeups with a wide angle look too distorted.

A lot of people will stick with only a wider angle lens for the Glidecam, theorizing that a wider shot gives a smoother image. While up, down, left, and right movement are accentuated on a tighter lenses, the apparent speed at which the camera appears to be moving is accentuated on wide angles. Thus, a tighter lens allows you to do shots which look slower, and in a sense, smoother, particularly if you can contain the left, right, up, and down movement that the tighter lens accentuates. In that particular video I posted, there aren't really any slow and subtle movements since the subject is running; perhaps I'll get around to trying a slower piece (Walker?) some time. One advantage of wide shots though is that warp stabilizer (in Premiere) works much better, and often doesn't work at all on tight or medium shots.

This (vimeo.com/62455753) is an example of a wedding I did where all of the Glidecam shots (except the wide shot of the church, and I think one of the dress shots) were with the Canon 35mm f/1.4L (using the 60D, so similar crop to the C100). I was particularly pleased with how the last shot of the video turned out, which would have looked completely different using a wide angle lens.

Just a note regarding the 17-55 and 24-105; I wouldn't use IS on the Glidecam, it gives an up and down floating effect to the movement which I find undesirable.

[Christian Schmitt]

Yes, the last shot is great and circling around them at 14mm or sth would give it a non fitting skate-video look;)
Are you using a full rig (Smoothshooter) or just the gimbal part?

[Eric Coughlin]

No vest and arm, just handheld. I've considered the Smooth Shooter, but since it's arm and vest isn't top quality (from what I've read) I'm not sure that it would improve the footage much (or at all) over using the Glidecam handheld, and thus may just serve as a weight relief for my arm. I don't mind the weight on my arm much and have gotten used to it.

If I was going to get a vest system, which I want to do once it's in the budget, I would probably go for the Steadicam Scout or the Steadicam Zephyr. The Smooth Shooter, while considerably cheaper than the Scout, is a considerable amount of money to spend on something that I'd only want to replace later when I have the money for what I really want. Still, the Glidecam without a vest would have it's place for tighter situations even if I had a Scout, such as in hotel rooms during bridal preps.

The main advantage I see with Steadicam vest systems is that they eliminate the bobbing and vibrations that the human arm and hand tends to do, allow more fluid control due to the larger diameter of the pole, are more resistant to wind due to the larger weight, along with several other features.

[Eric Coughlin]

Here is a basic cat video I did testing the C100 on the Glidecam in Low Mode.

Kitty Cat 2 (C100 + Glidecam in Low Mode) on Vimeo

And since some people were asking, here are pics of my Glidecam setup.

Full-size image: http://imageshack.us/a/img10/7059/pr1e.jpg

Full-size image: http://imageshack.us/a/img198/8971/n7o7.jpg


Full-size image: http://imageshack.us/a/img819/6928/dn95.jpg


Full-size image: http://imageshack.us/a/img203/4019/yobj.jpg