Steadicam Anyone?

Does anyone have any tricks/tips to learning one? I'll be using one with a GL2 at a wedding on Friday and I'm trying to get some practice on it.

your using a 30 grand steadycam at a wedding or do you mean one of the cheep nock off ones ?
Best think you can do is get some practice in. they are a weird thing to work with till your used to it

I don't see where you get 30 grand from, but this is actually a Glidecam (4000 I think?). I do have some practice now and I'm trying to squeeze some more in before Friday.

Glidecam 4000s are only $400 at Adorama.

I've also got the vest and arm for it.

Smooth shooter or x10?

Anyway you better get it on and practice. And practice.
Till you get it balanced its gonna work on your back.

Having it properly balanced is everything. If you hold it in one hand and pump your hand from your chest to straight out fairly quickly again and again, the camera should remain pretty steady.

34Ford wrote in post #6579000
Smooth shooter or x10?

Smooth Shooter.

Anyways, the wedding went well. A lot better than I thought. I'll try to get some video up soon.

Very good. I recently bought a X10 with a 4000 Pro sled for the owner hear where I work.
I was hoping I was going to use it but thats not going to happen.

I've got a Glidecam 2000 Pro that I've been using with my HV20 setup, and one thing I can say is, practice practice practice.

I have been looking to pick up a smooth shooter off ebay and try to teach myself.

How steep is the learning curve? How many hours of shooting to begin to really get competent? Any good video or online tutorials?

It is tricky starting off. You will want to try and hold the camera, but of course, you shouldn't. I'd say if you put a good 10 hours into it, you should have a pretty good concept of how to work it in most situations. If you practice on flat ground and am expecting to do well on steps and inclines, then you are mistaken. It doesn't take too long to pick up the fundamentals, but to master it will take a while.

The mechanics of the system may seem intimidating at first, but you have to trust yourself - as well as the system. My university has a Steadicam "Flyer" system which I've logged some hours on; based on that, here are my personal pointers:

-There is a great amount of control in your hips. Whether you move forward/backwards, side-to-side, or use gyration, heavier cams will react more sensitively to your movements.
-Using a proper 'glide' or rolling step (heel-to-toe marching-type step) will normally present you with a smooth video
-Many people that I've helped to learn Steadicam have initial tendencies to use a pull grip on the handle of the vertical arm. I've found it most useful to use a tight grip with only the tips of your fingers. With this method, the cam is assuredly within your control, but is still able to move freely and naturally.

Glad your wedding went well. I find Steadicams more fun than work to operate, and hope you have continued positive experiences!

I have the Glidecam 2000 and have used it for about nine or ten weddings. Just finally got the the point where I'm confident in using it properly. It isn't just the technical issues with using it, but the creative issues. It's very easy to over-do the stabilizer. A few shots here and there really add a punch to the final product but it seems to be human nature to want to do moving shots all the time as soon as you get it out of the box.

My biggest beef with the Glidecam is that it limits my ability with static shots. Racking my focus and zooms are impossible without finding a hard surface to balance the Glidecam on like a monopod, or using my leg which produces more shake than I would like.

I use the Cam Caddie and I think it’s a great stabilizer. I purchased the cam caddie Scorpion a few months ago and have gotten incredible results. One of the reasons I love this Camera handle is its compact design and its ability to work with virtually any camera. It gives you a solid platform to operate the camera and allows you to get a smooth steady shot. I bought mine for just under $65.

$4,000... That's a little bit out out my price range

DanDan