Does anyone here use Fly/Glidecams anymore?

[BrorSvensson]

With all the hype of 3 axis gimbals in the past years it feels like the glidecams are starting to dissapear, im still an avid user of glidecam (flycam nano to be exact). I just think it looks more fluent. Any else feel the same? 

But anyway i've had a problem recently with my stabalizing mine. I feels like the usual 3 sec drop time isn't stable enough and swings but when i have a longer droptime its easy to have the stablizer stay tilted a little bit when filming so i've had to use warp stabalizer to fix it.

So if anyone here still uses them i would love to hear what your preffered drop time is.

 

[gethin]

1.5-2 seconds drop time on my blackbird.  I bought a pilotfly - mostly because the blackbird was totally useless in any sort of wind, it took a lot of setup and a steep learning curve and then lots of practice, but I'm beginning to be able to get fluid.  the thing I miss is the frictionless pan - being able to set the rig spinning then setting your pace so that your subject stays centered. Have fantasised about frankensteining the pilotfly and blackbird to have 2 axis (roll and  pitch) from pilotfly and have the yaw/pan axis on a bearing gimbal.  

[BrorSvensson]

1 hour ago, gethin said:

1.5-2 seconds drop time on my blackbird.  I bought a pilotfly - mostly because the blackbird was totally useless in any sort of wind, it took a lot of setup and a steep learning curve and then lots of practice, but I'm beginning to be able to get fluid.  the thing I miss is the frictionless pan - being able to set the rig spinning then setting your pace so that your subject stays centered. Have fantasised about frankensteining the pilotfly and blackbird to have 2 axis (roll and  pitch) from pilotfly and have the yaw/pan axis on a bearing gimbal.  

wow thats short, i've played 3 seconds as my shortest so ill try the 1.5-2 sec and see how it goes.

[mojo43]

I am exactly wondering the same thing. I am considering switching to a gimbal, but I just want to mount my camera and go. I don't want to deal with any headaches. I am using the flycam nano as well and it still works really well for me. Any huge advantages with the gimbal system over a flycam?  

[hijodeibn]

I am using a steadicam flyer, with drop time of 2-3 seconds, and even i have been tempted with a gimbal system I will stay with the steady since I need at least a Ronin for my camera, and thats a lot of weight and a lot of single points of failure, also the steady is much more organic, now I am hopping in NAB a small 4k 10-bit 4:2:2 camera is released so I can use it as a B cam with a pilotfly or something similar, if not, I think the best option will be a GX85 with a speed booster XL…. what do you think guys?

[Dave Maze]

MoVI has a great new feature where you can just set it down on the ground and it shuts off. That was my only gripe with gimbals. Being able to just set it down without the stand . 

 

However I still use my GC HD4000. Still a great tool and SO much more simple than having a gimbal. I still prefer the look of a good steadicam shot to gimbal for sure. 

[BrorSvensson]

2 hours ago, DaveAltizer said:

MoVI has a great new feature where you can just set it down on the ground and it shuts off. That was my only gripe with gimbals. Being able to just set it down without the stand . 

 

However I still use my GC HD4000. Still a great tool and SO much more simple than having a gimbal. I still prefer the look of a good steadicam shot to gimbal for sure. 

What droptime do you use on your glidecam?

[bamigoreng]

Two to three seconds (9:20): 

 

[kgv5]

This is great comparison. I am using glidecam almost every day (couple years now) - the best tool in my toolbag I can imitate tripod, dolly, slider, jib, if i had to take just one thing with me beside the camera i would take the glidecam. No firmwares, no batteries, easy to handle, can take it as carry on baggage, can take it to the mountains for a hike, can use it in the rain (DGS version with improved gimbal), most people doesnt pay attention to it, it is quite stealthy, can go through the crowd with it. It requires a lot of training but it pays of.

 

[BrorSvensson]

49 minutes ago, kgv5 said:

This is great comparison. I am using glidecam almost every day (couple years now) - the best tool in my toolbag I can imitate tripod, dolly, slider, jib, if i had to take just one thing with me beside the camera i would take the glidecam. No firmwares, no batteries, easy to handle, can take it as carry on baggage, can take it to the mountains for a hike, can use it in the rain (DGS version with improved gimbal), most people doesnt pay attention to it, it is quite stealthy, can go through the crowd with it. It requires a lot of training but it pays of.

 

The no battery thing is huge for me too, its a very reliable and failure proof device! Thanks for the video link btw.

[Jonesy Jones]

I just sold one on eBay.... so yes.

[HelsinkiZim]

Have any of you experienced amateur flyers made the jump to arm and vest? I know if you go onto steadicam forum people will yell at you if you suggest you want to buy anything cheaper than +6K. But have any of you used some of the cheap vest and arm systems by came or others for under a grand?

I know they are flawed, I have seen the reviews by the pros. But for the dslr crowd who don't need that level of perfection needed on a hollywood shoot, are they better than a cheap gimbal?

Footstep bumps and that 'cruiseliner' sway seems to disappear once you get an arm and vest... from what I see in vids (tom antos does a came review somewhere).

[Dave Maze]

13 hours ago, BrorSvensson said:

What droptime do you use on your glidecam?

2 seconds 

[Snowfun]

According to CVP (UK) the Steadicam Solo has been discontinued... just at the point I thought I should get one (for bmpcc) to experiment with and learn the basic techniques! Managed to order one from B&H however. The no-battery scenario is important to me.  I wil start with a 2s drop time as advised but I remain healthily sceptical as to how easy this is going to be!

[AaronChicago]

I've got a Flycam Nano lying around. If anyone wants to pay shipping i'll send it for free.

[Inazuma]

I have to say, that video has stopped my gear envy of 3 axis gimbals!

[kgv5]

Cheap chineese flycams and similar stuff are nowhere near glidecam quality (and usability) unfortunatelly. I tried some small flycam and it was impossible to balance it properly, there was many small issues with handle, gimbal, loose screws etc. With such a simple construction those little things and quality overall are super important, i think there is no point in buying cheap versions because they just dont work properly. I had glidecam HD2000, HD4000 and now i have DGS, they all were great, they were precise and consistent in balancing, i could calibrate gimbal when needed etc.

[Cinegain]

That sounds familiiar kgv5. I went with one of these generic S60 ones and it was a pain. The handle was super annoying: loose and kept creeping, the balance didn't seem right at any time. It probably was too light and even a little wind would throw it all over the place. Nah, you definitly need a legit one.

But I'm going to say... if you've been flying glidecams for months... years... it's almost just an extension of your own body and it becomes second nature to use one, making the movements really organic and natural (wouldn't neccessarily say 'fluid'). However, these people are so comfortable with glidecams... give them something like a Ronin to use and they may want to fly it like a glidecam, which it isn't and which is hard to unlearn, leading perhaps to sub-optimal results. That video with a VS face-off... the Ronin doesn't looks anything like the majority of the footage I've seen shot with it... which can actually be really really impressive. But like the guy said, an electronic handheld gimbal stabilizer is still not idiotproof, you've got to like take 10 mins to assemble, balance and calibrate and stuff. I'm afraid that's not going to change anytime soon unless they invent one with motorized self-centering mountplates or something. Batterylife has improved a dang lot on the Pilotfly H2, that can't be an excuse anymore. I think it's really a thing of... do you mind spending every shoot and equipment change setting up your gimbal for a few minutes or... do you mind spending months and years to perfect your glidecam skills?

I think if you stick to either of these and work with it for a couple of weeks, you develop a feel for it and you can make either work. I really like the idea however of a solid (but lightweight) 3-axis gimbal stabilizer, especially combined with a thumb controller. Those Yoshihide shots where he pans/tilts as he moves laterally, are just something else and to me it shows some new posibilities. He managed to get so much out of it in so little time with it, I think that kind of stabilizer is more in my crosshairs than a traditional one. But it seems they just need to get a little more convincing.

[BrorSvensson]

18 minutes ago, Cinegain said:

That sounds familiiar kgv5. I went with one of these generic S60 ones and it was a pain. The handle was super annoying: loose and kept creeping, the balance didn't seem right at any time. It probably was too light and even a little wind would throw it all over the place. Nah, you definitly need a legit one.

But I'm going to say... if you've been flying glidecams for months... years... it's almost just an extension of your own body and it becomes second nature to use one, making the movements really organic and natural (wouldn't neccessarily say 'fluid'). However, these people are so comfortable with glidecams... give them something like a Ronin to use and they may want to fly it like a glidecam, which it isn't and which is hard to unlearn, leading perhaps to sub-optimal results. That video with a VS face-off... the Ronin doesn't looks anything like the majority of the footage I've seen shot with it... which can actually be really really impressive. But like the guy said, an electronic handheld gimbal stabilizer is still not idiotproof, you've got to like take 10 mins to assemble, balance and calibrate and stuff. I'm afraid that's not going to change anytime soon unless they invent one with motorized self-centering mountplates or something. Batterylife has improved a dang lot on the Pilotfly H2, that can't be an excuse anymore. I think it's really a thing of... do you mind spending every shoot and equipment change setting up your gimbal for a few minutes or... do you mind spending months and years to perfect your glidecam skills?

I think if you stick to either of these and work with it for a couple of weeks, you develop a feel for it and you can make either work. I really like the idea however of a solid (but lightweight) 3-axis gimbal stabilizer, especially combined with a thumb controller. Those Yoshihide shots where he pans/tilts as he moves laterally, are just something else and to me it shows some new posibilities. He managed to get so much out of it in so little time with it, I think that kind of stabilizer is more in my crosshairs than a traditional one. But it seems they just need to get a little more convincing.

great write up! agreed on a lot of the points there but there's just something to "perfect" with the gimbals in my opinon so that it looks kinda fake, i enjoy the more fluid and natural movement of glidecams a lot more than the look of gimbals.

[kgv5]

Or this