I rented a Steadicam Scout to see how it is and how hard these are to use. As predicted they are difficult. These obviously require alot of patience. And my rig at 11lbs with Century wide angle, matte box, 4x4 polarizer filter, and Sennheiser isnt lite weight( not like a old 30lb tape unit). With the harness and arm and plate its a true test of your fitness if worn for more than 30 minutes walking, steps etc.
So today after 2hrs total strap in time I decided to ask my assistant to help me make a short test video because I wanted to see how bad I was and how far I have to go before I dare take this on a gig working in the pits for autoracing etc.
And to make the shots even more critical I added in a 2.35 letterbox which shows all the mistakes etc. But now I have a much better idea of whats involved and I will say I like the challenge of using the Steadicam. It "seems" like if you spent the time daily chasing kids thru the house, doing various spontaneous type shots where your footing isnt always known you would adapt in due time. I have a long way to go but these are great for what I do.
BTW the guys at DC Camera are awesome. They are the most accommodating group of professionals.
August 21st, 2011, 11:22 PM
