Glidecam 2000

So I wanted to be able to run around with my camera and avoid the typical shake you get. After looking at my budget and what was out there I went with the Glidecam 2000. These are my experiences.

After getting the Glidecam 2000 I broke it open to find the contents nicely backed in peanut foam and paper. After a quick flip through the manual I ripped everything open and started to build based on the directions. The directions were OK but sometimes the pictures a page refered to were on the previous page which I found annoying.

The setup took about 20 minutes since I had the correct tools at hand. Balancing took about 15 minutes since I had a great starting point from Nick Weeks of the DVinfo forums.

Glidecam 2000 + Canon XH-A1

The first demo was with a quick read over the instuctions and throwing it together with having read some pointers on DVinfo. The main thing out of balance was that it was bottom heavy, so starting and stopping caused the bottom to rock.

Glidecam 2000 + Canon XH-A1

On the 2nd demo the camera was much more balanced. I was able to start and stop with almost no swing. I can only blame my self for the shaking which will not go away until I practice more. Most of the shaking was from my guiding hand which I think I was gripping on with too tightly. Also when I was walking backwards I was not as comfortable and it caused me to not walk as smoothly as I can going forward. I can also use more practice with bending my knees as I walk. I have heard people in the marching band are good at this…

Glidecam 2000 + Canon XH-A1

This is the Canon XH-A1 with the smooth shooter. It is a number of shots put together by Nick Weeks of Superium Productions showing off the glidecam and the smooth shooter. This video shows a good range of the products abilities.

The biggest tip I can offer right now is how important it is to keep everything exactly like you will have it when you are filming, both times I started balancing I forgot to put the LCD as I would need it and had to restart. Once I forgot to take off the lens cap before I started to balance. So, setup the camera and even film the first bit so all the settings are correct, then attach it to the glidecam and balance it.

For a good starting point please goto this thread and read through it.