Novice Comparison - Defy 3-Axis G2, Glidecam HD1000, Steadicam Flyer

[James Palanza]

Alright, my defy g2 came in today. I loaded up my Panny GH2 with a 14mm2.5 Lens and decided to get some practice. Overall I'm not sure how I feel about the Defy G2. I've only used it a few times now, and you can definitely get some solid footage if you are trying to be still or moving very slowly, otherwise I haven't been able to make it work very well for myself yet. I decided to put up a video of the same 3 takes using the same camera on my Glidecam, Steadicam Flyer and now the Defy G2. I'm still pretty much a novice when it comes to using stabilizers, and I've used the glidecam hd1000 the most out of all three (it shows). Take this for a very unscientific test but something you might expect if you don't have a lot of stabilizer experience!

Novice Comparison - Defy 3-Axis G2, Glidecam HD1000, Steadicam Flyer - YouTube

The first clip is the flyer, the second is two takes of the G2, one holding the top middle grip only, and the other holding the outside bars. The third clip is the glidecam hd1000. The forth, 5th, 6h and so on clips are from earlier in the day with the Defy G2 at work.

My impressions:

Assuming you can get the Defy G2 working better/acceptably for yourself, here are some quick points about these tools.

Glidecam Hd1000 Pros
1. Quick Setup, Tear Down.
2. Super Cheap (400$?)
3. No Electronics
4. Works pretty darn good if you get practice with it
5. Arm fatigue. Though after all my use of it, I can hold it pretty much forever with a light GH2.

Flyer
1. Longest setup out of all three, requires some planning if you are trying to use at a live event.
2. Expensive - 4,000 or so by the time its all said and done.
3. Few Electronics (only used for monitoring) this thing is very rugged and well built, will last forever if taken care of.
4. Can produce stunningly smooth shots even when running, little fatique on arm thanks to vest, can hold static shots all day, can be inverted, low mode, etc.
5. Overall mass is larger so less effected by wind, easier to control (imo)

Defy G2
1. Pretty fast setup, once you learn how to use it, only took me about 5 minutes to get from box to going.
2. Expensive (2300)
3. Electronics - pretty much paying for technology here. The circuitry looks to be on the delicate side. This isn't something Id want to get rained on. Its not nearly as rugged as the other devices. Need to be delicate for sure.
4. Demo footage shows some pretty good shots but I was not able to replicate right out of the box.
5. Ease of use, you can literally just pick this thing up and go with it, zero practice.
6. Batteries to charge.

TLDR: The defy g2 isn't as "plug-in-and-amazing-footage-happens" as a lot of people believe, but I can see it having its place in the video market, though not as a total replacement for steadicams.

[Paul Mailath]

you just did that to show off your car, didn't you :-)

interesting to see the subtle differences between the 3 and the fact that practice counts for a lot - they all have their place