Decades ago, the motion picture industry was rocked, or maybe I should
say un-rocked, by the brilliant invention of the "Steadicam" camera
stabilization rig. Garrett Brown’s gadget created endless possibilities
for shooters who wanted to reposition their cameras and tracking shots.
Some of these shots included running over uneven terrain with
smooth-as-glass movement.

The stabilizer has made shots that would typically have been impossible
to pull off with a dolly and track system so easy that directors have
come to count on improving their craft and storytelling through the
hands of talented Steadicam operators. Today you can buy a stabilizer
from one of several manufacturers, to fit just about any weight camera.
Here, I look at three budget-oriented rigs (plus one great accessory
that isn’t body mounted) that I put to the testin different locations
over the past six months.

Last summer I briefly reported on the Tiffen Steadicam Flyer, after
having run with the newly upgraded model at NAB and then again on a job
here in my hometown of Seattle. As I said then, I found that the Flyer,
although a less expensive product in the Steadicam lineup, operated
almost as smoothly as its far more lavish cousins. The Flyer F-24SE
lacks the telescoping post found on many of its kin, and the arm can’t
support heavier camcorders or large film rigs, but for professional
cameras in the two- to 15-pound range, the unit is a dream. The system
can operate 24-volt film equipment or 12-volt video cameras, and buyers
can choose to use Steadicam’s Power Cubes, IDX V-mount or Anton Bauer
batteries, which are sold separately.

The Flyer F-24SE has a comfortable, leather-trimmed vest, that can
easily be customized to fit most average adult operators. The rig sets
up and balances quickly with a minimum of tools required. When I opened
the bounce-ready shipping case, I found that the F-24SE came with
everything needed to get flying (although the battery system must be
bought separately). Inside I found the vest, arm, sled, other rig
accessories, a high-grade C-stand, two Steadicam logo sand bags to
anchor the stand, a battery charger, two Power Cubes and all of the
needed tools in a Steadicam logo tool bag. Tiffen also includes a
variety of cables, the bright LCD high-definition monitor and the Low
Mode bracket.

The Iso-Elastic arm provides more than 30 inches of vertical "booming"
action, which I found to be ample for most work, and the tool-free arm
adjustment made it easy to tweak the rig after starting to shoot, even
while wearing it. I tested the system with Panasonic’s AG-HVX200 P2
camera outdoors. I was filming runners, keeping up alongside them on
the uneven grass on the roadway, and the footage turned out really
smooth. I love this rig and would buy one, no problem. As delivered,
the system I tested had a retail cost of about $16,500. The Flyer can
also be purchased in a lower-cost configuration without the "SE"
accessories.

Glidecam Industries came on the scene in 1991, when Martin Stevens
designed a stabilization rig to suit his needs and budget while
directing his first feature-length film. Stevens felt that good design
could be achieved and yet still be affordable for a wider cross section
of shooters. Today, Glidecam continues to refine its designs and
provide good value to the market with the rigs it offers. Glidecam
Industries is betting on its innovations: It bills itself as "The name
and future of camera stabilization."

I tested the V-25, which is the "middle child" in Glidecam’s product
family. The rig was well designed and clearly built to last, with an
industry proven arm design. The arm and sled have good tooling and
metal work, and a wide range of camera weights can be supported. The
rig is listed to fly cameras between 10 and 25 pounds, which nicely
covers the gamut of mid-sized camcorders on the market, such as Sony’s
XDCAM.

For my test, I was flying Canon’s new XH A1 HDV camcorder. Since this
is a lightweight camera, the rig didn’t want to balance properly. I
ended up doing the tests without the Anton Bauer batteries mounted at
the bottom, which made it easy to counterbalance the sled to the
camera. This disabled the ability to use the rig’s LCD monitor, but
since the camera has a nice LCD of its own, it was not a problem. Once
tuned right, the rig flew very well.

Also of note, the kit did not include a C-Stand to mount the rig on for
balancing, or any batteries. In my case, I wasn’t using batteries on
the sled, so this was not a problem. I had to scrounge up a stand to
get the rig ready for use and to store it on between takes, on a long
night of shooting a local pro skateboarding event.

The arm needs an Allen key (supplied, among other tools) to tune up its
springs to support the post, sled and camera. For the Canon, I tuned
the arm to its lightest setting. The low-friction Gimbal turned and
tilted the post flawlessly, and I found the arm-attachment coupler on
the vest to be very easy to adjust and use to mount the arm in and out.
I also liked the telescoping post, which has reference numbers for easy
set up, and no tool adjustment. The vest was comfortable, although with
the waist belt tight enough for proper support and control, it was
tough to buckle, as the closures are in the small of the back.

Overall, for a rig that is listed for less than $10,000, I think the
Glidecam V-25 is a good choice. The rig provides great operation and
solid and steady features and arm design.

The Sachtler name is certainly well known in camera support. The German
firm manufactures some of the finest tripods available [read Holloway’s
tripod ratings feature, from the February 2006 issue, online at
www.studiodaily.com/main/searchlist/5997.html].
The artemis DV Pro is another link in Sachtler’s long chain of
high-quality support products. The rig received mixed reviews when it
was first introduced, but the current version is nothing less than a
stunning success.

The tooling and machined metal parts are the best of any rig I’ve seen
in recent years, and look like they would survive a drop from a tall
building. That being said, the arm and vest are heavy.

The arm doesn’t use springs like most rigs do. A set of gas canisters
provides the tension for the dual-isolation arm. There are three sets
of canisters to choose from, depending on the weight of the camera and
sled combination you’ll be flying. Anywhere from a six-pound camera up
to around 24 pounds can be floated with this arm, which makes it the
most versatile of the three tested. The canisters seem to work well,
although they sometimes felt a little sticky on first movement when
booming up or down.

The vest is also the most unique of the three. It mounts the arm to a
bracket and exoskeleton on the back instead of the front. This seems to
release some pressure on the back and puts more weight on the pelvis
where it belongs. It was easy to adjust and wear and made breathing
easier. The arm coupling, however, is awkwardly placed under the arm.

The sled is a no-tools, no-fuss dream to set up, although the monitor
is a little light and makes dynamic balance a bit challenging. The
twist release collar on the post for adjustment is clever, and I liked
the feel of the large diameter tubing used. The camera mount is finely
adjustable, and includes a handy spirit level for side-to-side balance.
The camera plate conveniently is the same as used on Sachtler’s DV 1
tripod head. Therefore, one could theoretically move a camera quickly
from tripod to stabilizer. Strangely, though, the plate will be
backwards on the tripod; that would be nice to have fixed in the next
upgrade.

While any of the three rigs looked at here would be a great choice for
operators needing high-end performance for middle-budget cameras, I’d
have to say I liked the Artemis the best. For a rig priced well under
$10,000, its burly machining and ease of set up make this system a
steal. Have a nice flight!

Since I was already on the subject of camera stabilization, I thought
I’d mention a sweet little tool I’ve had in my own kit and use
frequently. The Shaft, manufactured by Roadrunner Productions, is
similar to an upside-down monopod and allows for "low-mode" shooting
with quick set up and no tools. It costs only $99, and for fast shoots,
it’s well worth its weight in gold. At just a little over a pound,
that’s a remarkable deal!

Mounting to the top handle of a camcorder with a simple vice clamp, the
Shaft is supported by an adjustable tilt head, which lets you tilt the
camera to your desired shooting angle. At the top end of the tubular
unit there’s a bearing swivel built into the handle for panning; you
can also lock this tight for rigid control. On top of the handle is a
shoe mount to attach a light, microphone or small viewing monitor.

Stabilization is provided by the "dual stage" isolation of the
operator’s arms. Just as the your arm provides some vibration dampening
while you walk holding a full coffee cup, so does the Shaft.

I use this rig when shooting sports video of snowboarders or
skateboarders, and often from a moving vehicle or while running.
Overall, the system performs quite well and is, frankly, the only time
I ever like getting the "Shaft!"