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Chris, Thanks for your reply. Someone told me once (I think on this forum, a while back), that the JR is not worth it - that it doesn't have any of the main benefits that they heavier duty units have. Do you concur? You've got the right idea - I am basicallyt looking for something I could whip our of the back of the car to get a shot. Would the JR do this for me, and would it give me enough additional stability to be worth the price?

Grimmett, Thanks for your input. Maybe I've misrepresented my case. I don't mean to suggest that this will be the only job I use this for. That's more of a worst case scenario. I could see this as a very useful tool, replacing the need for a tripod in most cases, enabling me to get a good, steady shot whether walking or standing still. Is that a crazy idea? While I'm not too concerned about stamina - most of my shots won't be more than 20 - 30 minutes, including multiple takes (plus I am accustomed to hauling around over 500 pounds of equipment to photo shoots in my still work) - I am curious about your comment about the horizon being out of whack. Why is that? Is that one of the things that takes a lot of practice with a steadicam? Hiring someone to do it is not an option. This is low budget stuff. Unfortunately, either I do it with a Steadicam or I find another way to do it. This is not Hollywood, and never will be. This is small town, local jobs for companies that don't have a lot to spend. But I still want to produce the best product I can. I'm still looking for an answer to my basic question - when I use a steadicam for the first time, is my ablilty to get a steady shot going to be better or worse? Forgetting all the room for impovement that will follow and all there is to learn about using a Steadicam properly, will I be better off with it or without it, in the beginning? Thanks again. J.

Thanks for your input, Charles. As I mentioned in my post, renting is not my first choice. Though of course if it seems like buying would be a total waste of money, I will. One more thing I forgot to mention is that in my last project, I did a fair amount of walking while taping and the results were satifactory. While I don't have the steadiest hand in the world, a certain amount of that kind of hand-held look doesn't bother me. In fact, it kind of appeals to me. That said, would even a novice like me with a Steadicam Mini, improve my steadiness right off the bat, and then gradually get better with practice, OR is the technique involved in using one of these so complex that it will actually set me back initially so much that my steadiness will actually be worse for awhile until I get good at it? Thanks again. J.

I am not in the same league as most of you here. While I'm pretty good with cameras in general, having been in the commercial still photography business for many years, I am still somewhat (but not totally) inexperienced in video and not at all experienced with stabilization. I am working with a Canon XL-1 and have a few jobs lined up with one particular client that i've done some video and a lot of still work for over the past few years. I am not ready to, nor could i justify the expense of buying some $7000 or $8000 system, since what i've just outlined above may end up being the full extent of my video career. However, I want to be able to get nice, steady shots while walking, interviewing people, touring a facilty, etc. I've read enough posts here to realize that steadicam operating is a real skill, developed over time, with lots of practice. But I'd like to know if, right out of the box, strapping the thing on and working with it over a weekend, are my results going to be better - smoother - than if I had no stabilization whatsoever, i.e. handheld, walking through a parking lot, say? Obviously, practice over time, will make it even better, but I'm trying to get a sense of whether i'd be better off with it, than without it, right off the bat. Would a Mini do the job for me? If not, is there something else you'd reccomend for someone in my postiion that is substantially less than, say $8000? I know I can rent, which I generally don't like to do, but that will be a fallback position, if purchasing proves to be impractical. Thanks very much for your input. J.

Charles, Thanks very much for your WOW (Words Of Wisdom). And HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Congratulations on your upcoming 20 years in the business. I appreciate your input. You compared the Flyer to other, lesser Steadicams, but you didn't mention Glidecam or any other brands. Is this because they are not worth mentioning or becuase you're not familiar with them? As a commercial still photographer for many years, I decided in the beginning to go with Hasselblad. If you're not familar with the name, it was (and perhaps still is) as good as it gets in medium format photography. Anyone in the business would know that, and it helped develop confidence from a client when you'd show up to a job shooting Hasselblad, rather than some other brand they'd never heard of. While I never had any regrets with that decision, and Hasslblad is, indeed, one fine piece of craftsmanship that gave me 20 years of problem-free, constant use, I did notice that companies like Mamiya and Fuji were putting out top quality cameras with fine optics that were much less money. More than once over the years, it occured to me that if I wasn't into such an expensive system, I might be able to afford that extra film back, or longer lens, or whatever. But what might cost $500 in another brand would cost $5000 in Hasselblad, so I would go without, or rent as needed. What I wonder about the Steadicam vs. the competition is, now that the patent has expired and there are other companies out there making these things, are there any "Fuji's" or "Mamiya's" out there that will do everthing I need them to do, and do it well, but that just don't have that Hasselblad (Steadicam) name? Can anyone here speak from personal experience of having used both Steadicam and Glidecam and compare them? That would be very helpful.

Cool!

Hi J, I am interested to know how you do research and compare. Do you compare the demo video on the manufacture website? Or you visit the shop in person and experience the rig? TIA Leigh <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Leigh, So far, I have not seen any of these up close. Everything I've learned so far has just been from the web. While, of course I have visited the manufacturer's websites, I give a lot more credibility to what I hear from you and other "real world" users of the equipment. I am anxious to get my hands on a few of these to see what they feel like and compare them. I suspect that that will be the real test and it may put this all in perspective. My plan is to rent a Steadicam for a day this week and play with it. I'm also hoping to visit the Glidecam manufacturing facility this week and get a demo of some of what they have. If you have any other thoughts or comments, I'd love to hear them. If you or anyone here has done any side by side comparisons of Steadicam to Glidecam, and you have any tips on what to look for as I compare them, I'd like to hear your thoughts. Thanks again. J.

Thank you, Leigh. Actually I'm not so easily persuaded. It isn't only here that I am doing my research. I've spent hours online with Steadicam, Glidecam, Varizoom, Ebay and many other sites. And at that, I'm still not ready to open my wallet. But I have resigned myself to the fact that $1000 will buy me disappointment and frustration. As I compare the Flyer to Glidecam's 4000P and Smooth Shooter, I'm wondering how much better, if at all, the Flyer is. A setup from Glidecam is half of the $6000 of the Flyer. I'm wondering if it's only half as good. If it's half as expensive, but works 90% as well as the Flyer, I'd have a hard time justifying the additional expense of the Flyer. Charles King's video is very useful to see the Flyer in action, though the sound was usually not working on my cable modem connection - I'll try it again. Also, it would have been nice if he could have interspersed some of the footage he was shooting, so that you would see back and forth between what his camrera is recording, along with shots of him with the camera. Has anyone here done a workshop? It seems to me, from my naive, inexperienced newbie point of view, that the most important thing to do with one of these is practice. How much more can you get out of a workshop than just learning the basics and then practicing them? Thank you kindly. J.

I know your post was from a few months ago, but check this out, if you want to come to the States and spend a week in the loveley state of Maine: http://www.theworkshops.com/catalog/course...127&SchoolID=21 I haven't taken it (I'm thinking about it), but can tell you that these workshops in general are quite good. Good luck.

My $1,000-2,000 range was unrealistic. Some of you mentioned the Flyer, yet when I go to the Steadicam website, I find no mention of it. I do see it at B&H photo. The Steadicam site mentions the mini, which might suit my needs just fine - Canon XL1, part-time professional shooter - does anyone here have anything to say about that? Why is the Flyer so hard to find, don't they make it anymore? Did the Mini replace it? Thanks again. J.

cough, and a damn good one. :D <{POST_SNAPBACK}> OK, you're right. Guess the fact that this is the STEADICAM forum should have tipped my off to that. Another question: Would the Steadicam Jr. (I can hear your snickering already), which is rated to hold 4lbs., work on my Canon which weighs 6? Obviously, it wouldn't be ideal, but would there by any benefit to using the Junior with my Canon, over not using any stabilzation at all? Also, if I were to supplement it with the Varizoom DV Sportster ( http://www.varizoom.com/flowcam/dvsportster.php), might that give me the extra support to equal a totally stable rig? Thanks very much. J.

nchopp, Thank you. Any tips on where to find a Glidecam v-8 for $2000? Also, does anyone here know anything about Varizoom? It seems to be an off-brand (cheap knock-off?) of the Glidecam or Steadicam. Does anyone here know anything about it? Thanks again.

I'm VERY new to this. And very naive. I really thought that for $300, I could pick up a steadicam or something like it. I don't have much of a budget for this, and doing it part-time, cannot justify a huge expense. Is there anything for less than $1000? or less than $2000 that would be worthwhile? And now, I'm really going to show my ignorance: I'm amazed that there is so much to this! What does a steadicam do, isn't it just for stabilizing the camera? Why does it take workshops and so much practice that I see people refer to here? I realize that a lot of you experienced folks are probably getting a good chuckle out of the simplistic nature of my questions, but I'm trying to understand what I'm getting myself into, here. My main need is for interviewing people, while walking or moving, so my steadicam needs are probably not too sophisticated - just something that will give me steady shots while in motion. I use a Canon XL1, which weighs 6lbs. Any advce would be much appreciated. Thanks very much for your input.