Will Travis Posted January 23 Report Share Posted January 23 Hello, My name is Will Travis and I just graduated from SCAD. I want to pursue Steadicam as my career and I've been trying to look for a practice rig. I found one called the Varizoom Aviator for 200 bucks. I'd just put my personal DSLR on it and use it for practice. Is that a good idea? Is that rig good enough for that purpose? Should I wait and continue to save up for a more legit one? This rig's arm also mounts to the center of the vest, will that create bad habits? I haven't found too many online reviews about it. I want to continue learning and improving my skills while I start my journey in the industry. Attached are a few photos from the seller. Thank you! Will Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innokenty Vetkin Posted January 23 Report Share Posted January 23 (edited) Hi! I also use low end rig (modified handheld stabilizer & vest). When I bought my vest I specifically looked for adjustable arm socket. I bought a cheap back mount vest with adjustable arm socket and I can really tell this feature is a must have. It really makes rig nicer to wear and more usable. Edited January 23 by Innokenty Vetkin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Members Nicholaus James Posted January 23 Premium Members Report Share Posted January 23 I don't know what your budget is Travis, but I have a Steadicam brand rig that I am selling. It is in excellent condition and will get you started strong and this rig will carry you for a ways in the beginning of this career. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum Tsang Posted January 31 Report Share Posted January 31 I am probably the least experienced person here, as someone just fooling around with a Steadicam, but the tuning of the arm's neutral position (flopping toward and away from your body) seems pretty key. When I have this dialed in incorrectly, I find the sled runs away from me and I'm leaning out, or the sled is swinging back at me. That tuning is done using the socket block adjustments as mentioned above. This video explains those socket block adjustments: The arm on this Varizoom setup looks fairly rudimentary--and doesn't have the socket block or its linkage screws. I could see why--the Steadicam ones seem like they're machined from billet stock and quite heavy. It also doesn't appear to have any weight adjustment knobs on the arm which set in the up down (booming) trim. The whole thing looks a lot like the Steadicam Mini or SK models which have a simplified arm and vest attachment. I've found watching this site and places like Kijiji here in Canada that low end Pilots and Flyers aren't that expensive, which seem the minimum Steadicam setup. A couple hundred dollars more and I think it'd be a lot more capable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Travis Posted February 20 Author Report Share Posted February 20 Thank you all for your input! It is greatly appreciated! Will Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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