home built steadicam

Chris Simmons · April 9th, 2003, 12:35 AM

Thanks Charles and Cosmin...I am on it!

Robert Poulton · April 9th, 2003, 02:26 AM

Cosmin,
Thanks for the pics. I have been browsing that site for sometime and find it very informative.
Just acouple questions:
1) Did you have access to a machine shop or did you buy the parts premade?

2) Are you able to adjust the tension in the springs?

3) It looks a little heavy. Did you need that thick of aluminum?

BTW- Love the short little video you did. LOL.

Rob:D

Cosmin Rotaru · April 9th, 2003, 03:55 AM

"1) Did you have access to a machine shop or did you buy the parts premade?"

All the parts are custom made... I designed the parts but I don't have the tools and knoledge to do the work myself. Anyway I'm lucky to have some friends that helped me with this. So it costs me... nothing, compared to the real price for such work.

"2) Are you able to adjust the tension in the springs?"

Yes. You realy need this option. You can't calculate 100% the springs. So you need to be able to adjust them. Also, you might change something in the setup, in the future (like the camcorder...), that will alter the weight of the sled.

"3) It looks a little heavy. Did you need that thick of aluminum?"

It is quite heavy. :) I think is about 23Kg. All: sled, arm, vest, camcorder, monitor, accu... Compared to the pro rigs loaded with film camera and all.... my setup is light!
I think I could have use thiner aluminium... At least I'm sure it won't brake! LOL

Glad you liked the video!

Rob Lohman · April 9th, 2003, 10:19 AM

The main thing I keep wondering with these systems is where
people get the vests. Do you/they actually buy a "standard"
steadicam vest and built the rest themselves or is there some
other "secret"?? Prices?

Cosmin Rotaru · April 9th, 2003, 10:30 AM

I made that.
some metal plates in front and I also did the sewing myself! ;-)
Not the hardest part on the rig...

check out www.homebuiltstabilizers.com. I learned all I know from there. You can see allot of pics with what others have acomplished. Also, there's a forum where members (like me) are willing to help answering your questions. There are more experimented guys then me on the forum so, come by!

Jeff Patnaude · April 22nd, 2003, 09:54 AM

I built a cheap steadicam rig with a monopod, but I didnt cut anything.

Home Depot Shopping list:
20 Bumper washers
2" wide aluminum
bolts and washers

Taking 2 inch wide aluminum , cut a chunk 1 ft. long. I measured and drilled two slots- one at each end. Drill one hole directly in the middle. After some finishing and filing, I put a bolt through a stack of bumper washers on each end. You can slide them for balancing now. I took the rubber foot off of the bottom of the monopod, and used that to secure the aluminum foot on. Being the cheap SOB that I am, I just use my two fingers as a gimble under the handle-collar on the monopod. It works reasonably well. There's a slight tendency to "dive" around corners, but then its doable.
Now onto making that jib...

Jeff

Bob Benkosky · April 28th, 2003, 12:25 AM

What is this "monopod thing" and where do I find it to alter it???

Bob Benkosky · April 28th, 2003, 12:33 AM

Ok, I found it.... Looks like a tripod with 1 leg.

Yea, I guess you need that piece to put the camera on, the figure out the rest.

Would it just be easier to buy the Steadicam Jr for the GL2???

Is it any good compared to home made stuff???

Charles Papert · April 28th, 2003, 01:23 AM

One of the issues with lightweight cameras on a stabilizer is the lack of mass which translates into less inertia, and thus less stable images. The JR deals with this by expanding the masses away from the center. A weighted monopod keeps the masses lined up in the center. Such a design will be inherently less stable. Also, the ideal is to have the masses as far from the fulcrum/balance point as possible, as a mass becomes exponentially more inert by distance from this point. A monopod had fairly equally distributed weight, so you are in essence "throwing away" its weight by having it places it doesn't need to be, meaning you are carrying extra dead weight. In a perfect world, you have the camera on the top, weights in the bottom (preferably useable weight such as batteries) and very little weight inbetween.

Wayne Orr · April 28th, 2003, 05:35 PM

Charles, do you know anything about the Basson? http://www.bassonsteady.com.ar/shop/index.asp
I asked a couple guys who do Steadicam, but they had no information on it. Looks to be a pretty good knock-off of the Steadicam, with a lower price tag.

BTW, I don't believe I have seen this book mentioned in the discussions of camera stabilizers: "Steadicam; Techniqes and Aesthetics" by Serena Ferrara. Maybe the reason is, that it is not very good, since it is short on "techniques," but it does have a reasonably good history of the Steadicam and lots of pictures of G.B.'s early devices, which look amazingly like Glidecams and "home-built" stabilizers. That's right folks, Garrett Brown traveled all these roads long before there were light weight video cameras, and no one has really made any major improvements on his designs, as evidenced by how well his patents held up. Not a perfect book, but certainly of interest.

Charles Papert · April 29th, 2003, 01:17 AM

Thanks for sending that Basson link Wayne. I'd heard of it but never seen it. For some reason it appears to be one of the least known of the zillion 3rd party rigs out there. It has an interesting look, but of course it's all about performance (and then reliability, service etc...!)

I have Serena's book and have thumbed through it a few times. The interviews are cool but it is a bit of a dry read, as it was originally compiled as a doctorate thesis as I recall. GB is finally getting around to writing his own memoirs, and being a big fan of his way with words, I for one can't wait.

Cosmin Rotaru · April 30th, 2003, 03:57 AM

The Basson system looks nice. Judging from the OLD (not there anymore) demos on the Basson site (If I were a dealer I'd only put the best demos on my site), the system was crap. Or the operator...
Now, the new clips (with the new system, I gues) are better. I gues the new system IS better!
Still, the operator... just have a look at his hand ("up stairs") on the gimbal. How's that for a light touch? ;-)

April 9th, 2003, 10:19 AM	#34
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	The main thing I keep wondering with these systems is where people get the vests. Do you/they actually buy a "standard" steadicam vest and built the rest themselves or is there some other "secret"?? Prices? __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

April 22nd, 2003, 09:54 AM	#36
Jeff Patnaude Major Player Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Duluth, Georgia Posts: 248	Cheapie Steadicam/monopod Rig I built a cheap steadicam rig with a monopod, but I didnt cut anything. Home Depot Shopping list: 20 Bumper washers 2" wide aluminum bolts and washers Taking 2 inch wide aluminum , cut a chunk 1 ft. long. I measured and drilled two slots- one at each end. Drill one hole directly in the middle. After some finishing and filing, I put a bolt through a stack of bumper washers on each end. You can slide them for balancing now. I took the rubber foot off of the bottom of the monopod, and used that to secure the aluminum foot on. Being the cheap SOB that I am, I just use my two fingers as a gimble under the handle-collar on the monopod. It works reasonably well. There's a slight tendency to "dive" around corners, but then its doable. Now onto making that jib... Jeff

April 28th, 2003, 12:25 AM	#37
Bob Benkosky Major Player Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Lake Park, Florida Posts: 202	What is this "monopod thing" and where do I find it to alter it??? __________________ http://www.veoh.com/channels/filmmaker My clips and films.

April 28th, 2003, 12:33 AM	#38
Bob Benkosky Major Player Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Lake Park, Florida Posts: 202	Ok, I found it.... Looks like a tripod with 1 leg. Yea, I guess you need that piece to put the camera on, the figure out the rest. Would it just be easier to buy the Steadicam Jr for the GL2??? Is it any good compared to home made stuff??? __________________ http://www.veoh.com/channels/filmmaker My clips and films.

April 28th, 2003, 01:23 AM	#39
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	One of the issues with lightweight cameras on a stabilizer is the lack of mass which translates into less inertia, and thus less stable images. The JR deals with this by expanding the masses away from the center. A weighted monopod keeps the masses lined up in the center. Such a design will be inherently less stable. Also, the ideal is to have the masses as far from the fulcrum/balance point as possible, as a mass becomes exponentially more inert by distance from this point. A monopod had fairly equally distributed weight, so you are in essence "throwing away" its weight by having it places it doesn't need to be, meaning you are carrying extra dead weight. In a perfect world, you have the camera on the top, weights in the bottom (preferably useable weight such as batteries) and very little weight inbetween. __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

April 9th, 2003, 12:35 AM	#31
Chris Simmons Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 53	Thanks Charles and Cosmin...I am on it!

April 9th, 2003, 02:26 AM	#32
Robert Poulton Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 245	Cosmin, Thanks for the pics. I have been browsing that site for sometime and find it very informative. Just acouple questions: 1) Did you have access to a machine shop or did you buy the parts premade? 2) Are you able to adjust the tension in the springs? 3) It looks a little heavy. Did you need that thick of aluminum? BTW- Love the short little video you did. LOL. Rob:D

April 9th, 2003, 03:55 AM	#33
Cosmin Rotaru Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Romania, Timisoara Posts: 453	"1) Did you have access to a machine shop or did you buy the parts premade?" All the parts are custom made... I designed the parts but I don't have the tools and knoledge to do the work myself. Anyway I'm lucky to have some friends that helped me with this. So it costs me... nothing, compared to the real price for such work. "2) Are you able to adjust the tension in the springs?" Yes. You realy need this option. You can't calculate 100% the springs. So you need to be able to adjust them. Also, you might change something in the setup, in the future (like the camcorder...), that will alter the weight of the sled. "3) It looks a little heavy. Did you need that thick of aluminum?" It is quite heavy. :) I think is about 23Kg. All: sled, arm, vest, camcorder, monitor, accu... Compared to the pro rigs loaded with film camera and all.... my setup is light! I think I could have use thiner aluminium... At least I'm sure it won't brake! LOL Glad you liked the video!

April 9th, 2003, 10:30 AM	#35
Cosmin Rotaru Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Romania, Timisoara Posts: 453	I made that. some metal plates in front and I also did the sewing myself! ;-) Not the hardest part on the rig... check out www.homebuiltstabilizers.com. I learned all I know from there. You can see allot of pics with what others have acomplished. Also, there's a forum where members (like me) are willing to help answering your questions. There are more experimented guys then me on the forum so, come by!

April 28th, 2003, 05:35 PM	#40
Wayne Orr Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Northridge Ca Posts: 734	Hey Charles Charles, do you know anything about the Basson? http://www.bassonsteady.com.ar/shop/index.asp I asked a couple guys who do Steadicam, but they had no information on it. Looks to be a pretty good knock-off of the Steadicam, with a lower price tag. BTW, I don't believe I have seen this book mentioned in the discussions of camera stabilizers: "Steadicam; Techniqes and Aesthetics" by Serena Ferrara. Maybe the reason is, that it is not very good, since it is short on "techniques," but it does have a reasonably good history of the Steadicam and lots of pictures of G.B.'s early devices, which look amazingly like Glidecams and "home-built" stabilizers. That's right folks, Garrett Brown traveled all these roads long before there were light weight video cameras, and no one has really made any major improvements on his designs, as evidenced by how well his patents held up. Not a perfect book, but certainly of interest. __________________ Wayne If it was easy, they'd get a relative to do it.

April 29th, 2003, 01:17 AM	#41
Charles Papert Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 6,810	Thanks for sending that Basson link Wayne. I'd heard of it but never seen it. For some reason it appears to be one of the least known of the zillion 3rd party rigs out there. It has an interesting look, but of course it's all about performance (and then reliability, service etc...!) I have Serena's book and have thumbed through it a few times. The interviews are cool but it is a bit of a dry read, as it was originally compiled as a doctorate thesis as I recall. GB is finally getting around to writing his own memoirs, and being a big fan of his way with words, I for one can't wait. __________________ Charles Papert www.charlespapert.com

April 30th, 2003, 03:57 AM	#42
Cosmin Rotaru Major Player Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Romania, Timisoara Posts: 453	The Basson system looks nice. Judging from the OLD (not there anymore) demos on the Basson site (If I were a dealer I'd only put the best demos on my site), the system was crap. Or the operator... Now, the new clips (with the new system, I gues) are better. I gues the new system IS better! Still, the operator... just have a look at his hand ("up stairs") on the gimbal. How's that for a light touch? ;-)