SteadXP is finally out

[Jara Moravec]

Anyone has tried the finally released SteadXP. For the price and convenience it can be a big game changer, especially with quick turnarounds

http://steadxp.com/shop/

test:

The tests online look incredibly good. The crop is severe but also those cameras are taking through hell with fast running. Something more gentle will probably result in smaller crop. I am thinking of buying one myself - your thoughts?

[zerocool22]

Yeah Ill wait on some reviews, but it looks good. It might be a good combo with my ursa mini pro. As I hate gymbal and glidecam work with it now, as I do not have a vest. Maybe I can get away with handheld work with this steadxp and walking really smooth. It might work pretty decent. 

[cantsin]

It can never work as well as a steadycam or gimbal because no software stabilization can eliminate the motion blur created by camera shake.

[Don Kotlos]

1 minute ago, cantsin said:

It can never work as well as a steadycam or gimbal because no software stabilization can eliminate the motion blur created by camera shake.

Yep, shooting at 1/50 will digital stabilization of above average movements, can be a very good way to induce a headache. 

This solution will be good for systems that is hard to get stabilization otherwise and it should be superior to any other software stabilization. 

[salim]

This looks very interesting. I'm curious about workflow and the types codec, etc. it supports. Do you stabilize your footage first? What's the output quality? 

The sample videos seem to work best with wide angle and ultra wide angle lenses. There were one or two longer lens samples as well. I like to watch 3-4 minute of stabilized footage to see if there is any invisible effects that could still gives me or the viewers nausea or headache. 

[Dave Maze]

Very interesting indeed! I need to pick this up and give it a shot. Things to know about this thing though:

 

You need to jack up your shutter speed to reduce motion blur. The footage can be stabilized..but obviously cant remove motion blur.

It only takes GoPro Hero 3 batteries...(this is weird)

You need mic jack input 

Still a bit in "beta". Not really a FINAL production item. 

 

However this is really exciting tech, and I imagine, some big company will buy them out and make an actual production unit that is more user friendly and realistic. 

[jonpais]

When this was in the development stage, there weren't awesome single handed gimbals selling for just $500 or so. I don't think you can finish in 4K with this device. A waste of money if you ask me.

[Orangenz]

All example shots of it over the years have had a huge crop. Technology (software and hardware) has left the idea behind in the dust. Also the delays have left most investors with an underwhelming view of the company. Still not released? I doubt it ever will. 

[zerocool22]

2 hours ago, jonpais said:

When this was in the development stage, there weren't awesome single handed gimbals selling for just $500 or so. I don't think you can finish in 4K with this device. A waste of money if you ask me.

Yeah for DSLR's etc i kinda agree. But when you look at cinema cameras. And you want to do some handheld walking shots, and dont have the time or the right equipment. This might come in handy. Like running around with a Alexa (+-9kg), you would need to have a good vest + arm + steadycam. It weights alot + takes quite some time to set up + you need a experienced operator. So sometimes you go handheld instead to save time and your back. And this might be a handy addon (not sure until I have seen some raging reviews on it). I am not saying you should do this over a glidecam/gimbal, it will never be as good. But for those times that you need to shoot handheld (but I would surely account for the crop, and shoot a bit wider). 

[Dave Maze]

23 minutes ago, zerocool22 said:

Yeah for DSLR's etc i kinda agree. But when you look at cinema cameras. And you want to do some handheld walking shots, and dont have the time or the right equipment. This might come in handy. Like running around with a Alexa (+-9kg), you would need to have a good vest + arm + steadycam. It weights alot + takes quite some time to set up + you need a experienced operator. So sometimes you go handheld instead to save time and your back. And this might be a handy addon (not sure until I have seen some raging reviews on it). I am not saying you should do this over a glidecam/gimbal, it will never be as good. But for those times that you need to shoot handheld (but I would surely account for the crop, and shoot a bit wider). 

This is the only real advantage IMO. If youre shooting on a Gh5 or smaller camera...just get a handheld gimbal...

But for EPIC's and Alexa's or even my 1DC/ 1DXII type cameras, having this would be easier to shoot with than having a big lunky gimbal to take everywhere

[jonpais]

The Crane 2 can handle a Canon C200, no extra crop, no loss in resolution.

[HockeyFan12]

So cool. Absolutely incredible results. How does the mic jack work to record metadata? Does this mean it only works MOS?

I think there's an even bigger market for this kind of device on the extreme high end but for different purposes (motion matching), and one more tolerant of buggy workflows. Even if the data isn't good enough for 3D solves it would be interesting to see PFTrack use this data as a guide for solves. I wonder if team Fincher will pick this up or keep using their current workflow (Mocha stabilize).

I believe the iPhone is already using similar technology. The hyper lapse results with iPhones are spectacular.

The loss in resolution seems mostly irrelevant to me, but that's just me (mostly hobbyist). Gimbals still suffer from translational instability (three axes only covers rotation) so I could see this device complementing a stabilizer except that it might cause issues in terms of the device bumping into something and I'm curious how (if) it accounts for parallax, which is an issue with translational bounce but not rotational.

(I invented something mechanical to fix translational bounce in the y axis but am too lazy to prototype it.)

Does it work with any hotshoe? How do they account for the distance between the sensor and the nodal point?

I don't see the utility with an Alexa, tbh. Alexa Mini on Ronin on a steadicam seems to be the industry standard already and there's no way this will disrupt that. Once you're bringing out the Alexa you're not really run and gun anymore. (Though I've tried it and the Amira and Mini are way more usable than the original IMO.) But it's still cool enough I want to buy an XC10 and leave the gimbal at home.

[zerocool22]

Also might be handy for Car rigs. (weights nothing, takes less room then a gimbal). + its something I can just place in my bag while doing hikes, so might be a great tool for travel as well. I guess I will have to check it out and test it myself at some point.

2 hours ago, HockeyFan12 said:

I don't see the utility with an Alexa, tbh. Alexa Mini on Ronin on a steadicam seems to be the industry standard already and there's no way this will disrupt that. Once you're bringing out the Alexa you're not really run and gun anymore. (Though I've tried it and the Amira and Mini are way more usable than the original IMO.) But it's still cool enough I want to buy an XC10 and leave the gimbal at home.

True, but it can be done. I even remember Deakins shooting Jarhead handheld with a Arricam LT

[gethin]

i've never manged to get such a good result with mercali.  Nearly every shot that warp stabilser cant handle, mercali cant handle either.  the only time its ever been better than warp stabilser is for gopro action shots.  Warp stabilser fails me most often in tracking shots. it hates going through doorways.   

I'm wondering how much faff there is in post with this. this technology would be fab built into a camera though, saving a sidecarfile with every shot.   

[hmcindie]

1 hour ago, gethin said:

 Warp stabilser fails me most often in tracking shots. it hates going through doorways.   

Try clicking the "don't scale" option.

[Orangenz]

13 hours ago, HockeyFan12 said:

So cool. Absolutely incredible results.

It's really not. Terrible crop which raises artifacts. Only software solution in post and I bet they are using normal frame analysis as well. This cannot fix any sensor jarring. This is based on the assumption that motion sensor data that they gather separately and send through the mic input can improve on electronic IS on board cameras which themselves use motion sensor data actually on-board PLUS other types of post involving picture analysis. Both of which involve less picture degradation. Also this was never aimed at the cinema crowd, it was funded on the basis of small dslrs and action cams. If they are changing that then it shows another failure. Mercali, Warp, Hyperlapse Pro, NewBlue 5, and of course, Reelsteady are clearly superior. I really believe steadxp is a gimmick and borderline something else. 

[jonpais]

One thing it’ll never be is a replacement for a steadicam, that’s for sure. I see shooters now every day - professionals, tourists and hobbyists - on the streets here in Saigon,  using portable single handed gimbals. Why? Because they’re mainstream now: they can be bought anywhere, battery life is incredible, the devices are affordable, and they work. The DJI Osmo is also quite popular here. There are small drones now that fit in your pocket that can even be flown in what resembles a tripod mode. Aside from fixing shake, in the hands of a pro, gimbals turn camera motion into an art form.

[andrgl]

2 hours ago, Orangenz said:

It's really not. Terrible crop which raises artifacts. Only software solution in post and I bet they are using normal frame analysis as well. This cannot fix any sensor jarring. This is based on the assumption that motion sensor data that they gather separately and send through the mic input can improve on electronic IS on board cameras which themselves use motion sensor data actually on-board PLUS other types of post involving picture analysis. Both of which involve less picture degradation. Also this was never aimed at the cinema crowd, it was funded on the basis of small dslrs and action cams. If they are changing that then it shows another failure. Mercali, Warp, Hyperlapse Pro, NewBlue 5, and of course, Reelsteady are clearly superior. I really believe steadxp is a gimmick and borderline something else. 

Audio input is used for sync. I always thought the prerequisite to criticize a product was a basic understanding of it.

The hate for steadxp must be coming from butthurt gimbal noobs who have to criticize something that may actually solve a lot of the flaws inherit to their devices. Oh shit, something that doesn't need to be endlessly calibrated and isn't an ergonomic nightmare to pull focus on.

Buy hey, I haven't used steadxp so I have every right to authoritatively declare it a shitty gimmick.

lmao

[HockeyFan12]

16 hours ago, zerocool22 said:

Also might be handy for Car rigs. (weights nothing, takes less room then a gimbal). + its something I can just place in my bag while doing hikes, so might be a great tool for travel as well. I guess I will have to check it out and test it myself at some point.

True, but it can be done. I even remember Deakins shooting Jarhead handheld with a Arricam LT

The Alexa is a great camera for handheld if it's rigged up right. I just don't see something like this being used with it... for a wide variety of reasons. But for like a GH5 or 1DC, definitely.

5 hours ago, Orangenz said:

It's really not. Terrible crop which raises artifacts. Only software solution in post and I bet they are using normal frame analysis as well. This cannot fix any sensor jarring. This is based on the assumption that motion sensor data that they gather separately and send through the mic input can improve on electronic IS on board cameras which themselves use motion sensor data actually on-board PLUS other types of post involving picture analysis. Both of which involve less picture degradation. Also this was never aimed at the cinema crowd, it was funded on the basis of small dslrs and action cams. If they are changing that then it shows another failure. Mercali, Warp, Hyperlapse Pro, NewBlue 5, and of course, Reelsteady are clearly superior. I really believe steadxp is a gimmick and borderline something else. 

Maybe I'm easily impressed. It wouldn't be the first time.

If the other stabilizing solutions you mention crop significantly less, I can see your argument. Otherwise, I don't understand. It's clearly doing the best job in that comparison and the crop doesn't seem to be more extreme (given the increased stability). But if the other software (which I have had quite poor luck with, consistent with the comparison in this video) crops much less I suppose you have a point. Although I think in these cases you shoot with a wide lens and kind of "find" the shot in post (which is the main reason I don't see this on an Alexa–producers want to see the shot, not the raw material).

It is clearly designed for action cam work, I agree. But there's action cam footage in even the highest end films these days. Just off the top of my head I remember a lot of go pro and/or dSLR footage in Mad Max, the Transformers series, Marvel, and a lot of prestige tv, even Twin Peaks (which surprised me and stood out as looking pretty ugly).

Again, I'm a hobbyist. As I mentioned in this same reply above, I don't see this being used with Alexas, and I can understand why you wouldn't want to use it with an Alexa. But I'm not at the level where I get to shoot with one very frequently. 

And although I use IS for video, it's also completely inappropriate for "cinema" use for similar reasons to why this is. No serious camera op I know or have worked with would go near in-camera IS because the motion correction is unpredictable. I think they'd hesitate to go near this, too, to be fair to your point, but a post solution at least lets you reign in the algorithm a bit by hand, and the crop can be treated as look around room, as Fincher and many others do.

[HockeyFan12]

23 hours ago, Orangenz said:

It's really not. Terrible crop which raises artifacts. Only software solution in post and I bet they are using normal frame analysis as well. This cannot fix any sensor jarring. This is based on the assumption that motion sensor data that they gather separately and send through the mic input can improve on electronic IS on board cameras which themselves use motion sensor data actually on-board PLUS other types of post involving picture analysis. Both of which involve less picture degradation. Also this was never aimed at the cinema crowd, it was funded on the basis of small dslrs and action cams. If they are changing that then it shows another failure. Mercali, Warp, Hyperlapse Pro, NewBlue 5, and of course, Reelsteady are clearly superior. I really believe steadxp is a gimmick and borderline something else. 

Just out of curiosity, what is "sensor jarring" and what in the video above looks better to you from the other stabilization solutions? I'm pretty new to stabilization and was considering applying for a gig involving post stabilization, so I'm trying to brush up on the current state of the art.