Micro-stability

[henkvr]

Hi

 

I have never even touched a stabilizer and am wondering whether to take the plunge. I have a slight tremor in my hands, bad enough to make hand-held a no-no for me. Will a Steadicam Flyer or a Varizoom eliminate this? I have a Sony HDR-FX1E and am a hobbyist only.

 

Also, does anyone know of Steadicam workshops in South Africa?

 

Thanks

Henk

[Matt Burton]

Hi

 

I have never even touched a stabilizer and am wondering whether to take the plunge.  I have a slight tremor in my hands, bad enough to make hand-held a no-no for me.  Will a Steadicam Flyer or a Varizoom eliminate this?  I have a Sony HDR-FX1E and am a hobbyist only.

 

Also, does anyone know of Steadicam workshops in South Africa?

 

Thanks

Henk

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Not sure about the workshops but YES a flyer would probably eliminate your hand tremor. Hire one out and have a go! again not sure where you can hire one from either but i'm sure somebody here can help.

 

Good luck

Matt

[Mitch Gross]

I think a hand tremor would prove quite difficult to overcome when using a Steadicam, especially a lightweight system like the Fyler. One hand is on the gimbal handle on the end of the spring arm, controlling the physical position of the arm and therefore the camera itself. The other hand is gently holding the post, controlling the orientation of the sled. While the gimbal handle may not transmit the tremors, the contact with the post must be the lightest touch as it is very responsive. It could be very easy to transmit the tremors here, and the lighter the rig the more gentle the touch needed.

[henkvr]

Thanks for the advice, Matt and Mitch! I'll see if I can hire one and hope for the best. Maybe in the end I'll have to settle for a shoulder rest to stabilize my hand-held shots a little at least. Pity... it must be a great thrill to fly a camera -- the results are so thrilling to watch!