spider brace

[Jane Snijders]

is this spider also suitable for use with other cams than canon?
would be nice to use it with my z1.
Anyone used it like this?

[Les Wilson]

www.spiderbrace.com

[Dave Largent]

Originally Posted by jane snijders

is this spider also suitable for use with other cams than canon?
would be nice to use it with my z1.
Anyone used it like this?

The one question I'd have is how it would work
out with your having the LCD screen on the top
of the cam, instead of right in front of you
like the SD cams.

[Dan Euritt]

for another $40 more you can get the steady stick, and have full support of the camera weight, with two hands free to work both the camera zoom and focus at the same time.

issues with the steady stick include it's length, because it's too long for people with a short torso, and the fact that when you breathe, the movement could get transmitted to the camera if you aren't careful... but you can also use the steady stick with just it's arm, without the belt and it's attachment to the camera... the arm gets locked onto the camera, in the straight down position, so your left hand is holding the weight of the camera against your body, while the right hand is holding the camera and working the zoom.

i don't mean to hijack this thread from the spider brace, i'm only bringing it up as an alternative.

[Wayne Orr]

Originally Posted by Dave Largent

The one question I'd have is how it would work
out with your having the LCD screen on the top
of the cam, instead of right in front of you
like the SD cams.

I can't answer the question entirely, but one of the cool ways to operate the Spider Brace is to grip the shoulder stock using your arm pit. That puts the lcd screen at a reasonable angle, and lowers the shooting position, avoiding that "looking down on" perspective us tall guys get sometimes interviewing you vertically challenged people.

Spider Brace is a good bang for the buck, IMHO.

Wayne

[Mike Toledano]

Both the steady stick and the spider brace seem like good options to me. I'll be filming bar mitzvahs soon and that involves holding the camera for a great deal of time.

Does anyone have any videos of these supports in action? Seems to me that each could bob up and down during tracking shots.

[Bill Ball]

A brief report on the Spider Brace 2. We just used one with a GL-2 to cover the protest rallies and candidates at the New Jersey Gubernatorial debate last night. The Brace worked great for us.

I think it is a real plus that it is light but sturdy plastic. It can ride on top of my camera bag when not in use and thus is not yet another thing to carry. You can still carry the camera around by the top handle with the brace attached without overloading it. The weight on your shoulder in use is still pretty light. We have shot about 2 hours with the brace and it doesnt get tiring.

I attached a $35 LANC controller I had onto the brace and we waded into the protesters outside and also into the crowd of senators and governors on stage after the debate broadcast ended. We got very nice steady shots for handheld work. Even walking down the line of protesters and cops gave some useably smooth shots. The two front grips are rather useful for pushing a lobbyist or two out of your way to get a clear close-up of the candidate :). Although the rig is still much lighter than the big broadcast cams everyone else was slinging, I think we came pretty close to their results.

This brace is as useful as any of the ones I have tried. Certainly you cant go wrong for the price, as long as you dont get some nonsense in your head that a brace is a replacement for a steadicam or tripod.

I am anticipating picking up a Z1 in a few months, and although I haven't actually tried the two together, it seems that the top/forward mount of the Z1 screen really isnt going to be a problem. In fact I think tilting the screen down slightly while the cam is mounted on the brace will help keep it out of glare.

[Dave Largent]

From my minimal experience walking with the Brace
while shooting, it seems best to push the cam/Brace
out away from your body.

[Randy Martin]

[QUOTE=Bill Ball]Re: I think it is a real plus that it is light but sturdy plastic. It can ride on top of my camera bag when not in use and thus is not yet another thing to carry."

Hello Bill...I was just wondering if the spider device can be mounted onto a tripod with a quick release plate underneath so that I can go from tripod to spidermounted cam. I currently use a GL-2 mounted on a stroboframe bracket (which has a quick release plate screwed underneath).
One more thing - where can I get a $35 LANC for the GL-2 ?. Thank you

[Dave Largent]

Randy,
I use a quick release on the top of my Brace to go
quick from tripod to Brace.

[Bill Ball]

Sony RM-VD1 Control L Wired remote control - for Camcorders and Digital Still Cameras
Mfr# RMVD1

$33.49 at BHPhoto.com

Just be aware that you get what you pay for. It provides basic 2 speed zoom, record, and power functions. It works for me but it is not in the same league as the >$300 Zoe/Varizoom/etc in terms of construction, precision and ergonomics.

[Randy Martin]

Thank you Dave and Bill for the helpful advice. I'll be placing orders for both soon the spider and the cheap LANC are within my budget and would make a nice combo for my style of constant switching from tripod to handheld.

[Dave Largent]

Bill, how does that controller attach to the handle?
(I couldn't tell from the picture.)

[Bill Ball]

> Bill, how does that controller attach to the handle?

Good question. The controller is made to clip onto the small diameter pan bar of a tripod. The spring loaded clip does not open far enough to fit around the much wider diameter of the spider brace.

I carefully pushed out the hinge pin (so I could replace it later for other uses) and removed the jaw and spring of the LANC controler. Then I just used a piece of steel safety wire to wire it down to one grip of the Spider Brace. Not pretty but worked fine.

[Dave Largent]

That's what it looked like from the pic, a
spring clip. I guess, for $33.