modifying steadicam with spring

[Rob de Jong]

Hi,

Having been in motion in the past, I returned now, after I have been photographing for years.

My aim is to film behaviour of butterflies with the Pan GH5. I want professional looking footage, so I am trying to built up gear which enables me to do that. I need to be fast and mobile and realize that I will have to accept some sacrifices in image quality, but it should be as smooth as possible. During research on the web and talks with some friends in the filmworld, I came to several possibilities for a set-up. The most mobile option is a good steadicam, such type as Beholder DS1. But this will not entirely do what I want, especially for the vertical irregularities. Imagine me 'running' to a flower with 2 courting butterflies and wanting to create some motion/movement in the clip by, for instance, moving around the subject. I think that with a good steadicam I will be able to produce realtively smoot footage, but I want to even improve this. So, I was thinking of adding a spring to the system such as the Osmo Z-axis.

Does anybody know a small steadicam which alllows me to take the stabilizing head of the handle and then add an existing or DIY z-axis stabilizing spring in between, without loosing control over the pan ant tilt features, nor over the stabilizing abilities of the steadicam itself????

Any other recommendations in getting what I aim for, are highly appreciated.

Thanks,

Rob

Edited September 7, 2017 by Rob de Jong