Steadicam vibration

[Scott Mohrman]

Bare bones EX1

Steadicam Merlin with Arm and Vest

 

I am also getting a vibration. But I am new at operating. The vibrations happen when I step. I believe that the tie down screw and the plastic screw under the lens, does not have a solid grip on the camera. I have been told that I need to upgrade to the Pilot, but my job can't spend the money yet. So this is what I have to work with. I have used different things to fill in the space between the camera and the sled.

 

On all the other Steadicams, is it just a tie down screw that holds the camera to the sled?

 

Scott

[Luiz Oliveira]

Bare bones EX1

Steadicam Merlin with Arm and Vest

 

I am also getting a vibration. But I am new at operating. The vibrations happen when I step. I believe that the tie down screw and the plastic screw under the lens, does not have a solid grip on the camera. I have been told that I need to upgrade to the Pilot, but my job can't spend the money yet. So this is what I have to work with. I have used different things to fill in the space between the camera and the sled.

 

On all the other Steadicams, is it just a tie down screw that holds the camera to the sled?

 

Scott

 

The vibration I'm getting is not with the Merlin. It's with the PILOT. The arm is sending vibration to the sled just like your merlin. The springs from the pilot arm in my opinion are a bit weak. And to get the load capacity I need I would have to upgrade to the next Steadicam model which is thousands of dollars more. The Glidecam X-10 which is almost the same cost as the Steadicam Pilot can handle a very heavy load including a $$$$ CRT green screen monitor I have which is far superior especially when filming outdoors. The only down side from Glidecam is that 4000 pro slead which you can't move the gimgal up and down for a new CG. It's fixed and that doesn't work for my professional needs. The Pilot's slead is far superior of course but the arm is WEAK, especially the lower part of the arm. A Sony Z1-U alone maxes out the lower spring...And that's the same camera shown in the Pilot user's manual!

[Luiz Oliveira]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NBsJvHDlE4

 

My first attempt at running with the Pilot a couple of years ago, have never had a problem with vibration. Check that everything is tight.

 

Here it is

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYAJtRS-og4

[Scott Mohrman]

Bare bones EX1

Steadicam Merlin with Arm and Vest

 

I am also getting a vibration. But I am new at operating. The vibrations happen when I step. I believe that the tie down screw and the plastic screw under the lens, does not have a solid grip on the camera. I have been told that I need to upgrade to the Pilot, but my job can't spend the money yet. So this is what I have to work with. I have used different things to fill in the space between the camera and the sled.

 

On all the other Steadicams, is it just a tie down screw that holds the camera to the sled?

 

Scott

 

The vibration I'm getting is not with the Merlin. It's with the PILOT. The arm is sending vibration to the sled just like your merlin. The springs from the pilot arm in my opinion are a bit weak. And to get the load capacity I need I would have to upgrade to the next Steadicam model which is thousands of dollars more. The Glidecam X-10 which is almost the same cost as the Steadicam Pilot can handle a very heavy load including a $$$$ CRT green screen monitor I have which is far superior especially when filming outdoors. The only down side from Glidecam is that 4000 pro slead which you can't move the gimgal up and down for a new CG. It's fixed and that doesn't work for my professional needs. The Pilot's slead is far superior of course but the arm is WEAK, especially the lower part of the arm. A Sony Z1-U alone maxes out the lower spring...And that's the same camera shown in the Pilot user's manual!

 

 

 

By the time my work realizes that we need to upgrade our current steadicam, the Zephyr will be available. I hope.

[Peter Abraham]

I have been a Steadicam operator since 2004 and I owned / rented / operated stabilizers from Glidecam 4000 pro all the way to the Steadicam Archer.

 

 

Hi Luiz,

 

Love to talk to you about this, see you and your rig in action and see if we can nail this down. If you're willing to do a bit of driving, so am I ! Let's meet up half way between Easton and NYC and spend some time running around and figuring this out. Diner, New Jersey, lunch on me, we work on this and see exactly what is going on. You'd bring the Z1 exactly as rigged on the day you shot the kids doing the bike stunts.

 

Work for you?

 

Always glad to try to do the face to face fix- assuming an overnight stay in Motel 6 isn't a part of the picture :)

 

Best,

Peter Abraham

Director of Technical Services/ Steadicam

The Tiffen Company

917-453-1219

pabraham@tiffen.com

[Tom Daigon]

I have been a Steadicam operator since 2004 and I owned / rented / operated stabilizers from Glidecam 4000 pro all the way to the Steadicam Archer.

 

 

Hi Luiz,

 

Love to talk to you about this, see you and your rig in action and see if we can nail this down. If you're willing to do a bit of driving, so am I ! Let's meet up half way between Easton and NYC and spend some time running around and figuring this out. Diner, New Jersey, lunch on me, we work on this and see exactly what is going on. You'd bring the Z1 exactly as rigged on the day you shot the kids doing the bike stunts.

 

Work for you?

 

Always glad to try to do the face to face fix- assuming an overnight stay in Motel 6 isn't a part of the picture :)

 

Best,

Peter Abraham

Director of Technical Services/ Steadicam

The Tiffen Company

917-453-1219

pabraham@tiffen.com

 

 

Wow...now that's what I call great customer service!

[Erik Brul]

Hi Peter,

 

Would love to hear what you will find.. i have the same issue overhere :(

I did some tests while running the last couple of weeks with several camera's on top. On all camera's no extra like microphone receivers and lights are present. Only the camera's itself.

 

The vibration is with the EX1 (fitted with baseplate to prevent flexing / play), the PD170 and the Canon XHA1 also. Even that the canon has the nicest base to fit the dovetail.

 

All screws on the dovetail are tight. Monitor seems to be tight, the batteryplate also. I had 3 flyers before the Pilot, never had vibration issues to deal with. It's getting really frustrating..

[Luiz Oliveira]

Hi Peter,

 

Would love to hear what you will find.. i have the same issue overhere :(

I did some tests while running the last couple of weeks with several camera's on top. On all camera's no extra like microphone receivers and lights are present. Only the camera's itself.

 

The vibration is with the EX1 (fitted with baseplate to prevent flexing / play), the PD170 and the Canon XHA1 also. Even that the canon has the nicest base to fit the dovetail.

 

All screws on the dovetail are tight. Monitor seems to be tight, the batteryplate also. I had 3 flyers before the Pilot, never had vibration issues to deal with. It's getting really frustrating..

 

Hi Erik,

 

If you use a quick release (assuming you do) that will also cause vibration because only that will touch the sled's stage. I believe that the problem with the pilot is that the stage is not flat completely. It has that curve design on the sides instead of being a big, flat base. If you screw the camera on the side holes from the stage, the camera bottom will not be touching the stage completely, sticking out "in the air" as you probably already know. That's the only thing I can think of what causes such unpleasant vibration no matter what you do. The more square inches the camera's base can touch the stage plate, the better. not too long ago, I had a Glidecam a X-10 (pilot size) and a V-20 (for big cameras)featuring a huge stage plate on the sled. I used a quick release...VIBRATION. Took it off having the whole camera bottom touching the stage. No vibration even with all kinds of accessories on it, including a follow focus and a mattebox.

 

I have my sled as heavy as the Pilot allows and it shoudn't vibrate when having a heavy load. I tried both. Heavy load and camera only. Doesn't matter. The arm tension is correct and so is the vest settings. I have been doing this for 6 1/2 years and I owned 4 rigs to compare.

 

I bought this Pilot several months ago and because of the undesired results, I only used it 3 times, 1 hour only and put it away, not to mention the near 4K I spent that just sits on my studio inside the bag...

 

FRUSTRADED? Tell me about it. This is my 4rh rig I own...

 

- The Smooth shooter Glidecam has a strong arm (stronger than the Pilot) but the 4000 Pro sled sucks. Sold it.

 

- The V-20 was great but it was too heavy and the bulky arm gets in the way. Sold it.

 

- The X-10 (my 3rd) strong arm, same problem with the Smooth Shooter. The sled is the 4000 Pro. Sold it

 

- Pilot sophisticated sled with power supply and video wiring, adjustable gymbal, but the plate design is bad and the arms are too weak. To be sold??...

 

As you can see, there was a lot of selling and buying rigs which I lose money. Do I really have to buy the Steadicam ULTRA II?

[Erik Brul]

Hi Luiz,

Thanks for the reply. NO, i don't use a quickrelease plate. I did only use them in the past on the Steadicam Flyer when flying bigger

camera's then possible with the Pilot. So, my vibrations has nothing to do with quickrelease plates..

I have no idea what this problem is.. i bought a extra EX1 base plate because the surface of the camera is not big and flat enough to

provide a secure situation. This is with sticks a better solution also.

 

You seems to be right about the Pilot plate / dovetails. They are not as flat as you should expect them to be. I discovered this

just last night that there is still play between my new baseplate for the EX1 and the dovetail. I have used the EX1 without the new baseplate but directly mounted on the Flyer dovetail in august 2008. I did some minor running there to chase the weddingcar. I still have that footage and it is rocksolid !

 

Sofar, i have done a lot of running with the Flyer rigs, never .. never any vibration. I loved to run, during sports like the triathlon and follow them during switching from cycling to running. I got awesome images back then.

With this setup i cannot get this at the moment, it's strange that Nick and Amedeo got it with the same setups without any issues..

 

My new EX1 baseplate got me some 9 screw points just like big VTC14 plates. I have tried to mount the EX1 with 2 screws on the Pilot dovetail, but this is not possible..

[Joe Lawry]

I've had vibration issues forever with the pilot.

 

see here - http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/stabilizers-steadicam-etc/144903-dark-hallway-shot.html shame i deleted that video..

 

Im almost 100% sure its due to how you mount cameras to the stop stage of the pilot.

 

I get vibration with both my HVX200 and my EX1.. dont get it with my 7D though.. and thats running a zaucto baseplate & mattebox.

 

How solid is everyones monitors on the pilot sled? mine has play in it.. and can wiggle back and forward slightly. The hole in the monitor mount for its pivot pin is larger than the pin itself.

 

Steadicam say dont use a QR plate.. which i havent done in over a year.. but then i hear from a lot of other people that its worth doing and fixes the issues.. tests i've done show otherwise.

 

I've learnt to live with it, it does suck however, still wanting to upgrade to an a2.. but steadi work is slow right now so im just holding tight.

Edited July 14, 2010 by Joe Lawry

[Nick Tsamandanis]

Joe, I always shoot with a quick release on the Pilot, done many with EX1, never seen a problem.

[Joe Lawry]

Joe, I always shoot with a quick release on the Pilot, done many with EX1, never seen a problem.

 

exactly my point.. im still not 100% sure its a mounting thing.. Nick has never had any vibration issues.. that running shot of his is amazing.

[Fabian Meller]

I (not surprisingly with an movcam system) discovered similar problems with vibrations. Removing the release plate and tighten all the screws helped slightly reducing the vibration. And what is really helpful, are good runners! It helps you smoothen your walk.. I'm always wearing my 'smooth shooes' while shooting ;-)

Are you pro's using normal shoes or runners as well?

[Mark Calver]

I used to have the same vibration problems and for me it was a combination of two things. first problem was the plate to DSLR connection. I put a layer of gaff tape in between to absorb a little of the micro vibrations. Second which was the main issue was the lens. Not the mechanical stabilzer. The support. I had nothing supporting the lens and the sheer weight from the lense alone caused these micro vibrations. If you are already using a lense support then i don't know what to tell you.

 

hope this helps,

 

Mark Calver

[Luiz Oliveira]

I used to have the same vibration problems and for me it was a combination of two things. first problem was the plate to DSLR connection. I put a layer of gaff tape in between to absorb a little of the micro vibrations. Second which was the main issue was the lens. Not the mechanical stabilzer. The support. I had nothing supporting the lens and the sheer weight from the lense alone caused these micro vibrations. If you are already using a lense support then i don't know what to tell you.

 

hope this helps,

 

Mark Calver

 

Thanks for your message. Actually, I use a sticky pad (that thing used for placing a cell phone on a car dashboard) right on the sled. Not only it is thin, soft and rubbery which also prevents camera shift I still have vibration. I consider the pilot a low end steadicam, period. As I said before, I had a Glidecam smooth shooter, the V-20 and the X-10. Never a vibration problem, even shooting with a huge fujinon lens, any camera type, setup and configuration, without any lens holder, even with a LETUS 35mm on with a follow focus. The vibration I guess is coming from the lower arm spring (the one next to the vest, not the sled)