Steadicam test

This was my first time trying it outside my apartment.



steadicam test

I thought it was ok, still a lot of work getting it balanced to not have that sway. Also, I need to learn to walk with the thing. After a half hour wearing it, my back was killing me.

I mounted my 7 inch video monitor and battery to power it at the base. That really helped with some balancing.

All in all, the system is well made.
The vest has about an inch of foam all around so it is very comfortable to wear.
The entire rig weighs about 35 pounds but is distributed around your body so you don't feel it.

The main issue is to balance it. Both static and dynamic balance needs to be right on to not have any pitch or yaw while walking as can be seen in my video.

You can see the difference in the hand held shaky video that Delores took of me as to what the steadicam does.

Well, on to more practice to use this thing correctly. I'll post more close up photos as I get them.

Jake

Thats pretty good Jake, the shot going towards the storage building and the trees was really good I thought. It seems like its harder to control when you are walking sideways.... I wonder if you could somehow turn it so you were walking straight but you just had the camera going at a 90 degree angle (instead of walking sideways)

I did have the camera at 90 degrees (or so) I still needed to watch the monitor and I was walking straight.
The gimble that the vertical pole is mounted to has a large bearing so you can rotate the camera 360 degrees.

But you are right, it is harder to have the camera sideways while walking.
I guess I should have concentrated more on just learning to walk with the camera pointed straight ahead then get fancy.
But I couldn't help it LOL

Jake

Pretty cool for a first attempt. Still a bit of banking and general horizontal tilt, but I can hardly notice your steps.

Damn, now I really want one...

Looks good. One thing that may help is have Delores wear the cowgirl boots and you put on tennis shoes. I can see by the balance and weight you are leaning back some and the high heels my be counter-productive to walking. I doubt we'll see many tripod shots from ya for a while. I don't think you will be sneaking up on anyone with that suit. Looks like fun. When you back goes out and you get old and feeble, go ahead and put it into the box and mail it to me for safe keeping ;)

Don

Great for the first time out. Jake think about what I said on the battery adapter you can purchase one from www.lcd4video.com for 45.00 or from www.ikancorp.com for 59.95.

Yeah, I was thinking that I should have worn more comfortable shoes instead of the boots.

I was already told I looked like the Terminator. I was also scaring the livestock.

Hell no, I'm not shipping it to you. I already told Delores when I'm in the wheelchair, I'll hold the camera and its her job to push me around like a human dolly. :-)

Jake

Very cool!

Thanks Jason,
I'll look at that.
Jake

That's a serious rig Jake. I like the shots of the kids with sheep on leashes!