Unimpressed with Steadicam JR

[Alden Hoot]

Pat:
Having said that I had great results with the Steadicam JR, I feel obliged to also mention that it is not terribly durable. It was purchased by the school I was going to at the time and after I left there was nobody to train folks how to use it properly. I visited campus two years later and the thing was completely inoperable, with at least three different mechanical failures. Have you looked at the Sachtler Artemis at all? It appears to be much the same layout as the JR, but made out of metal and incorporating a Sachtler quick-mount shoe on top.

Wayne:
This is a few years old, but it was shot entirely with a Steadicam JR. If you like it, feel free to download a copy for yourself but please don't bog down my host, it's currently living on borrowed space.

http://www.aldenhoot.com/lo/prtflo/mov/5pm2.htm

Cheers,
Alden

[Wayne Orr]

Perhaps Alden could post some footage from his experiences with the JR?

[Pat Chaney]

I'd heard of the Sachtler Artemis but not seen it mentioned much here in the Steadicam/Glidecam posts I've been reading through. I just had a quick look on the B&H site and it looks expensive considering it has no monitor. I'll investigate further. Thanks for the tip.

[Pat Chaney]

Hmmm ... the Sachtler Artemis DV looks nice, but a search here revealed only two other threads that even mention it. Is there any reason it isn't discussed? Are they just not popular because of the price for what they are?

[Alden Hoot]

Yeah, I think the Sachtler is a bit under promoted and over priced to really catch the public's attention, but it does have some very attractive features in terms of material and mechanicals.

Probably my biggest objection to it is that folding it up doesn't yield anything particularly useful. I guess they figured you'd use the quick-release head to switch over to sticks if you wanted a change, but in the field this is not always a practical solution.

The thing that really sets these two units apart from the rest of the budget stabilizer market are the fine adjust knobs. Without a fast way to tune in the camera angle other rigs loose a lot of capacity for visual expression IMO.

[Sten Newfield]

<<<-- Originally posted by Pat Chaney : Sten - what exactly is that you have fixed to the stage there? -->>>

It's the Bogen/Manfrotto quickrelease adapter: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...=241139&is=REG

[Pat Chaney]

Googling doesn't return much of interest on the Artemis DV either. I'm starting to think I've stumbled on some dark secret that isn't to be discussed <g> Have you actually seen/used one Alden? And yes, the quick, simple fine tuning is one of the things I liked about the JR. It seems invaluable to me.

Do any of the various Glidecam models have a similar approach to fine real-time adjustment?

Sten - thanks for clarifying. The one I had noted down to potentially buy was the Bogen 3273, recommended here somewhere. I'm not sure which would be the better of the two, or what the differences are.

[Sten Newfield]

<<<-- Originally posted by Pat Chaney : Sten - thanks for clarifying. The one I had noted down to potentially buy was the Bogen 3273, recommended here somewhere. I'm not sure which would be the better of the two, or what the differences are. -->>>

You're welcome. This model comes with a plate which is interchangeable with the Bogen/Manfrotto 501 head. The 3272 isn't, it's too wide for the 501.

[Pat Chaney]

Thanks, that's useful to know. The B&H site doesn't make it clear if the plate is included, or list the part number for it.

[Graham Budd]

Pat, regarding your post of June 20th, 2004 12:47 PM

"I've been looking further into this today. Another significant part of my problem is that there is play between the gimbal and the stage - just one one side, where the position indicator is. Not a lot, but no doubt enough to throw it completely off balance very easily. I can eliminate this play by sqeezing the top and bottom of the stage together with my hand, but not otherwise. I've also found that if all of the screws on the stage are as tight as they will go, the left/right adjustment becomes very difficult to move and sticks at the front."

Similarly, I purchased a JR from B&H about 2 weeks ago & only today have I had the time to mount and balance it.

I have the identical issue .... FWIW I have a PDX10 mounted in hole 2 (I have taken off the XLR adapter, using the small NP-FM50 battery with a small Kenko WA lens weighting 50g) and using the Manfrotto (Bogen) 394 quick release for mounting.

I discovered the play between the gimbal & stage when adjusting the "Z" axis travel guide ring while trying to get correct bottom heavyness a few minutes ago & remembered your post.

Clearly it will never stay in trim with this amount of 'slop' up & down & forward & aft.

Sending it back to the US from NZ is very expensive so I'm wondering if you have resolved these issues & your settings.

FWIW the total weight of my camera with all the bits is 1305g or 2lb 13.6oz.

Thanks in advance for any comments.

[Pat Chaney]

Graham - from memory I had the PDX10 mounted on hole 1, although that was with the XLR adaptor and a QM91 battery fitted. But no, I never managed to resolve the problems I had. I think the unit was faulty, and from what I've read since you're just one of a number of other unfortunate people who appear to have the same problem. And as I mentioned, I also had a little play in the top hinge, causing the camera to tip forward with very little provocation. Looking at the construction of the JR it doesn't really surprise me that these problems would occur.

All I can suggest you try is to remove the stage (from memory 6 screws in total), remove it and check there is nothing obviously loose or broken, and then replace it, ensuring that all of the screws are tight. I could eliminate the gimbal/stage play by doing that, but then the left/right adjustment would hardly move. I could never get both at the same time.

I have recently had a Glidecam 2000 delivered, and I have to say that it is much better in terms of engineering and build quality. This thing is solid, although heavier of course. I have just balanced it (time consuming but pretty straightforward) and it appears to work exactly as advertised. I ordered the forearm brace too, as suggested by people here. Now I need to start the long process of acquiring the skills to use it effectively ... then growing to hate the arm pains and buying the body-mounted V8 <g>

I hope you are able to fix yours, but if not you might want to try the Glidecam 2000 as an alternative.

[K. Forman]

Being a sometimes working videographer, and not having the means to purchase a true steadycam system, I'm looking at some of the low end models. Apparently, the Steadicam JR is not well liked. Is there a model that is in the $200-ish range that IS acceptable? I was looking at the Steadicam Tracker Extreme, that is around $300.

I am using the Canon GL1...

[Graham Budd]

Thanks for the reply Pat, I'll keep you posted.
Cheers, Graham

[Pat Chaney]

Keith - I don't believe it's true to say that the Steadicam JR is not generally well liked, just that some people have had problems. I suspect some kind of manufacturing tolerance problem. Either way, you'll generally hear more from unsatisfied users than those that have no problems - and that can distort perceptions.

My experience is limited to what I have posted here, so I'm afraid I can't help you with any recommendations.

[K. Forman]

It would be just my lot, to get a bad unit... If they have a high rate of defects, I'll look elsewhere, ya know?