Perspective Aerials have released (in small quantities) a new $4500 rig which promises to replicate the performance of MoVI for much less than FreeFly System’s $15,000 asking price.
The price includes a free setup / training session with Perspective Aerials. I spoke to Anthony Jacobs about his Rock-Steadi rig.
On the test shoot (above):
For this shoot we asked the camera operators to push the boundaries of Rock-steadi by using it in ways a filmmaker wouldn’t normally use it on a day to day basis, like for example running at full stride chasing athletes on an open field. Obviously when running full stride trying to keep up with athletes you lose the ability to cushion your steps, something very necessary when handholding a camera while filming.
We wanted to see how well Rock-steadi handled the impacts of your heel hitting the ground while running and not focusing so much on cushioning your stride. We think it did well under these conditions. As you can see at mark starting 1:00 and mark starting 1:42 the camera operator was using Rock-steadi in single operator low mode using the rig’s top handle and simply pointing the camera in the direction of the athletes. His focus was not so much on keeping the camera steady or swing free but more so on the direction he was running while allowing Rock-steadi to do what it was designed to do…keep the shot steady.
The camera operators also filmed from a chase speedboat while filming wakeboarders. As seen at mark 1:57 the camera operators experienced some brain rattling bumps and jumps during filming. We think Rock-steady handled the hard hits well. These test should be a baseline of what to expect from these handheld rigs when using them under extreme conditions. For walking shots and the like, one can expect to capture extraordinary footage.
If you’re still waiting for your MoVI and it hasn’t been delivered yet it may be worth getting in touch with Perspective Aerials. Anthony is offering 1 day of free handheld stabilizer use for each day of aerial filming only to EOSHD readers.
For eligibility simply mention ‘EOSHD’ in your inquiry email to info@perspectiveaerials.com
