Glidecam 4000 HD vs 4000 Pro

[Charles Papert]

Originally Posted by D.J. Ammons

I am amazed how that without changing anything on a camera a stabilizer can be balanced perfectly and then when you put it back on the next time it is not.

Stabilizers can go out of balance from one take to the next! I tweak my full-size rig constantly to ensure that it is exactly where I want it, and due to the smaller mass the little stabilizers need even more attention, which is why I am so hard on manufacturers who make it difficult to make these adjustments.

[D.J. Ammons]

I received my new Glidecam 4000 HD to fly with my Flycam 5000 arm and vest. I put it together Saturday and can report that the new refined fore / aft & left to right adjustments are wonderful!

While I have not used a Glidecam 4000 pro to compare it to I have been using the 4000 knockoff from India, the Flycam 5000, which had the same manual method of moving the head plate fore /aft & left to right manually.

The problem we had with moving the head manually is that with the weight of the camera on it you could not make precise movements. The camera head plate tended to move either not enough or more than you intended.

The new Glidecam HD system similiar to Steadicam's Pilot, of having a knob to screw in or out (one for fore / aft and one for left / right) is amazingly precise.

I was dreading setting up the new 4000 HD because in addition to balancing a new sled we were adding a 7" monitor on one end of the sled and a battery mount with large Sony battery on the other end of the sled.

First of all Glidecam including the free balancing /stand tool is a godsend. It made it extemely easy to work on the basic setup of placing the monitor clamp, battery, how much weight to compensate for both,etc.

In a matter of minutes we had the basic balance dialed in and then began the fine tuning with the new fore /aft & left / right adjustment knobs. It was almost spooky as you would turn the knob to watch the effect it would have on the balance.

We would turn until the rig would start leaning one direction then go back the other way until it leaned the opposite and then work our way to perfect balance.

I have heard some complain about the 8 hand screws one must loosen before using the adjustment knobs but I found them to be no problem at all and the entire process easy.

If anyone is considering whether it is worth it to buy the Glidecam HD series over the Pro I would emphatically say yes!

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[Julian Frost]

Hey, D.J.,

That's great news! I'm glad you're happy with the new Glidecam and that it's operating well for you. Keep us up to date on how it performs, and, when you've had some practice with it, show us your work!

Have fun with your new toy!

Julian

[Silas Barker]

Once balanced, is the Glidecam 4000HD smoother then the Orginal 4000 Pro?

[Terry Thompson]

From my observations...
Smoothness in a sled is partly a result of a good 3-axis gimbal system (how frictionless the bearings are) and the operator's ability so... practice, practice, practice.
The improvements made in the 2000 have helped with ease of balancing and gimbal linearity which of course makes setting up much easier.

[Silas Barker]

I am very experienced with the orginal one and get great shots, I was just wondering if the new one better or not.