Tony LeHoven

No, I'm the only one with any kind of Steadicam on this island . . . -Tony

Thanks for your reply. Screws are tight. Have you tried running with yours or operating it from a vehicle? Walking with my rig isn't really a problem, it's when things get rough that I see the jitter. It's not like the motion is coming directly from the rig, it seems like more of a transport or electronic jitter. I appreciate your input. -Tony Yes Roger, thanks. I still have the jitter. Strangely enough I still get the jitter with the optical stabilizer on. The shot won't be as smooth but the stabilizer should take care of that vibration. It doesn't and that's why I think the problem is in the transport or electronics of the camera. -Tony

Thanks for all the prompt replies! Again, I think the vibration is a camera issue. It's not being used in the pseudo 24p mode so that's not the problem. The fact that the VX-1000 works fine pretty much rules out the Flyer although Eric's suggestion to tighten the plate makes a lot of sense. Ben's comments about tracking down the physical vibration are good but the camera seems to be physically very smooth on the sled. There is no noticible physical vibration that I can see! I remember reading a post awhile back on another forum about a guy that was having the same problems so I thought there would be more users with this problem. The fact that my friend's Z1U did this also makes me think that all the Sony HDV's are suspect but then again we could be part of the minority with this vibration "bug". One time I had the camera locked off on a tripod and although the wind was very light I got the same kind of vibration anomaly. It's very strange and disconcerting as it limits the use of this camera (mine at least) on a moving platform. Thanks again for all your helpful replies. -Tony

Aloha, My name's Tony LeHoven . . . I've got a Flyer and am based out of Kauai, Hawaii. I've been shooting with a Sony HDV Z1U for about 8 months and have noticed a very visible high frequency vibration in the recorded picture. I tried shooting in both HD and SD but still have the shaky quality especially when moving fast or running. I mounted a Sony VX-1000 DV camera on the Flyer and the image is as smooth as butter. I borrowed my friend's Z1U and got the same problem. Lastly I mounted the camera on some foam between the base and the sled but there was even more vibration. I think it's a transport issue since the VX-1000 worked well. I also tried using the steady shot yet the vibration is still there along with the expected jerkiness from the steady shot trying to compensate. Has anyone else out there experienced this problem with a Z1U? It seems to be super sensitive to the smallest vibration. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance for any replies . . . -Tony