August 12th, 2006, 08:03 PM | #1 |
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Indicam review continued
Well,
I'm back..Since there is so little info out there I figured I would write my opinion on my recent purchase (indicam). Well, on another post I spoke about what it looked like out of the package and basicly is looks very well made and well crafted. Very sterdy. As for customer service I give it an A++++,very helpful and answers everything in a very timely matter.. Ok, so just to make myself clear, I have NEVER used any type of stabilizer before so this is my first one. I put it on today and at FIRST it was a little uncomfortable but once I adjusted all the straps it fit great. Second I went ahead and balanced the sled with all my things on it(camara..etc..)and following terry's tips it went pretty smoothly, a little time consuming but like I said this is the first time I do this so for the most part it was mistakes that I made that prolonged the process. Third, I adjusted the arm to carry the camara where I felt comfortable with it by adjusting the springs, adjusting the springs was really easy and not a problem at all. So I went ahead and started filming and walking, right off the bat the shoots where significantly smoother, I mean I was like WOW. So I keeped on trying diffrent things like running, walking fast etc... The only thing I am noticing is that the gimble is so smooth that I have to practice not holding on to the center handle (I'm not sure of the name) so much because I end up pushing the camara side to side, but like they told me PRACTICE,PRACTICE,PRACTICE...And I intend to do that. I am extremely happy with the product and extremely happy with terry and his company. I am glad I went with him over any other company. One cool thing I noticed when I was playing with it was that you can hold the sled by the handle and walk around the camara and it will not move...I'll try to post a video of what I mean...Conclusion: If you are looking for a good quality stabilizer for a GREAT price, go with indicam. Its a dual articulated arm and for the price he is selling it for you will only get a single from any other company. Ooo yea I know magiqcam makes one for around the same price but when you try to call a company and there number is disconnected its not really a good thing, and they never answer your emails either... So if you made it this far down I hope you read something that helped you out in making a decision. If you have any questions please post and I will try to reply ASAP...Thanks terry and indicam for such a good product... |
August 14th, 2006, 05:52 AM | #2 |
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Location: N. Ireland
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Would this support a JVC HD100?
Sorry I can't find any info on the indicam site Andrew EDIT Please ignore this. I found another post further down. Sorry |
August 14th, 2006, 08:37 AM | #3 |
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Location: Singapore
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Can we please have some photos of u with the rig? Thks!
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August 14th, 2006, 04:06 PM | #4 | |
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Quote:
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August 16th, 2006, 08:14 AM | #5 |
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No hurry, I'll be really grateful!! Thanks!
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August 17th, 2006, 10:19 PM | #6 |
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Location: Auburn, CA
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Sean,
Give me your exact weight in pounds if possible and I'll set one up for trial on one of my systems. I would love to be able to fly a camera as nice as the JVC HD100. Terry Indicam |
August 18th, 2006, 05:09 PM | #7 |
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Sean,
We just tested out a prototype of our arm which will hold a total of 14 pounds (6.4 kg). The sled usually weighs 5 pounds (2.3 kg) so the prototyped arm will hold a payload (camera and accessories) of around 9 pounds (4.1). We will probably want to add more counterweights to the bottom of the sled so it will weigh around 6.5 pounds (2.9 kg) giving us a camera and accessories weight of 7.5 pounds (3.4 kg). Hopefull when were finished we will be able to fly a few more of the larger cameras. The JVC HD100 would be in range but the Canon XL H1 might be just a bit too heavy. We could probably keep the bottom plate at 5 pounds and drop the extension as far as needed to balance the XL H1 correctly. One thing I know, it's harder on the body to fly the extra weight. It's still not bad but it is more noticeable. On the plus side, the heavier cameras will also be more stable. The prototype-when it's incorporated will sell for around $150 more due to extra manufacturing and labor costs. The picture shows the adapted arm supporting 14 pounds. The weights are 2X5s, 1x2.5, and 1x1.5. Smooth Shooting! Terry Indicam |
August 19th, 2006, 11:49 AM | #8 |
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Great to see you guys improving on yr stuff! I cant weight my camera setup as I do not have a scale at home. I do think that the Sony FX1 is ard 6 pounds with all the junk on it. I will try to weight it. Hopefully yr current design can handle the weight :)
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August 26th, 2006, 10:10 PM | #9 |
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lexington, MA
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Terry, have you tried flying the HVX200 P2 camera? Will it support the weight of that camera? I don't know what the weight is compared to the JVC but I'm guessing 6 or 7 pounds.
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August 26th, 2006, 11:00 PM | #10 |
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Auburn, CA
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Ken,
Nice website. http://homepage.mac.com/getken/Personal11.html It looks like you have a mess of gear and a mess of experience. That is a good thing. =============== Yes, we can support the HVX200. The info I got off the web says it ships at 5.5 lbs which is the same as the Sony Z1U which is shown here... http://www.indicam.com/index.php?opt...tpage&Itemid=1 (see bottom of the page.) I will be meeting with a Steadicam operator friend of mine in a couple of days and he has an HVX200. He is looking at getting an Indicam PILOT to fly that camera as his Steadicam rig is for much larger cameras. We are now making improvements to the weight capacity of our arm so that it will even be able to fly an XL1 or XL2 and similar sized cameras. Question...Have you used a camera stabilizer before? Do you want to be notified when our "Stabilizer Basics" training DVD is finished? If so we'll put you on our list. Thanks for the inquiry. Terry Indicam |
August 27th, 2006, 05:50 PM | #11 |
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Location: miami florida
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Hey guys I will be posting some pictures of the Indicam in use at a engagment shoot...Sorry for the delay,been really busy...
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August 27th, 2006, 06:24 PM | #12 |
Regular Crew
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lexington, MA
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Terry, thanks for the props on the website! Yes, I've been around the block a couple of times. I'm curious about your product as I may have a long term gig coming up that we are thinking of doing almost exclusively mounted to a stabilizer, using a small camera, probably the HVX 200. I have experience flying cameras and owned a Steadicam EFP for many years. But the weight was too much for my lower back for extended operation...especially flying a full Betacam SP rig with wireless mics, video etc. hanging off of it. So I sold it a few years ago. But I am spoiled by Steadicam because they are designed very well. I had to use a Glidecam V20 recently and found it less than satisfying. But I'm on the lookout for a device that will work well with an HVX. And I think the Steadicam Flyer, though really excellent, is just too expensive for what I need to do. How much vertical range do you have on your product? How far can you tilt before hitting the arm? It's general operational issues like that which I'm looking for answers about in this type of product. Yes, put me on the list as more info becomes available about your rig.
Thanks! |
August 27th, 2006, 11:45 PM | #13 |
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Location: Auburn, CA
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Ken,
We should be asking you for information on creating a training tape rather than seeing if you were interested in getting one. When I read these posts, I have no idea of the "steadicam" expertise of the individuals posting so I always ask. That doesn't go for Mikko, Charles P., Charles K. and others I am familiar with. I know they're experienced. I was told by someone in the know that we have the largest boom range of any system available. I think the usefull boom range is about 31 inches. From locked to locked it's 35 inches but of course you never want to go to either extreme. A rule-of-thumb is we go from just above the head to as far as your arm can reach down while holding the sled. The tilt question depends on where the operator has the handle situated. If it's on the side then the front-to-back tilt range is 360 degrees. If the handle is held in back then the side-to-side range is the same. Is that what you are talking about? We will work great with the HVX200 and I hear it's a fantastic camera. We'll be trying one out in a couple of days. Let me know if you have any further questions. Thanks, Terry Indicam |
September 2nd, 2006, 09:04 AM | #14 |
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September 2nd, 2006, 11:35 AM | #15 |
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Nice pics, Javier...
What were you filming? Looks like an engagement session or Love Story? What do you use your PILOT for? Films? Weddings? Thanks, Peter |
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