Stability in a Shaky World: Best Small Camera Stabilizers

Will Holloway

February 1, 2007    Source: Studio Monthly

Decades ago, the motion picture industry was rocked, or maybe I should say un-rocked, by the brilliant invention of the "Steadicam" camera stabilization rig. Garrett Brown’s gadget created endless possibilities for shooters who wanted to reposition their cameras and tracking shots. Some of these shots included running over uneven terrain with smooth-as-glass movement.

The stabilizer has made shots that would typically have been impossible to pull off with a dolly and track system so easy that directors have come to count on improving their craft and storytelling through the hands of talented Steadicam operators. Today you can buy a stabilizer from one of several manufacturers, to fit just about any weight camera. Here, I look at three budget-oriented rigs (plus one great accessory that isn’t body mounted) that I put to the testin different locations over the past six months.

Tiffen Steadicam Flyer F-24SE

Last summer I briefly reported on the Tiffen Steadicam Flyer, after having run with the newly upgraded model at NAB and then again on a job here in my hometown of Seattle. As I said then, I found that the Flyer, although a less expensive product in the Steadicam lineup, operated almost as smoothly as its far more lavish cousins. The Flyer F-24SE lacks the telescoping post found on many of its kin, and the arm can’t support heavier camcorders or large film rigs, but for professional cameras in the two- to 15-pound range, the unit is a dream. The system can operate 24-volt film equipment or 12-volt video cameras, and buyers can choose to use Steadicam’s Power Cubes, IDX V-mount or Anton Bauer batteries, which are sold separately.

The Flyer F-24SE has a comfortable, leather-trimmed vest, that can easily be customized to fit most average adult operators. The rig sets up and balances quickly with a minimum of tools required. When I opened the bounce-ready shipping case, I found that the F-24SE came with everything needed to get flying (although the battery system must be bought separately). Inside I found the vest, arm, sled, other rig accessories, a high-grade C-stand, two Steadicam logo sand bags to anchor the stand, a battery charger, two Power Cubes and all of the needed tools in a Steadicam logo tool bag. Tiffen also includes a variety of cables, the bright LCD high-definition monitor and the Low Mode bracket.

The Iso-Elastic arm provides more than 30 inches of vertical "booming" action, which I found to be ample for most work, and the tool-free arm adjustment made it easy to tweak the rig after starting to shoot, even while wearing it. I tested the system with Panasonic’s AG-HVX200 P2 camera outdoors. I was filming runners, keeping up alongside them on the uneven grass on the roadway, and the footage turned out really smooth. I love this rig and would buy one, no problem. As delivered, the system I tested had a retail cost of about $16,500. The Flyer can also be purchased in a lower-cost configuration without the "SE" accessories.

The Glidecam V-25

Glidecam Industries came on the scene in 1991, when Martin Stevens designed a stabilization rig to suit his needs and budget while directing his first feature-length film. Stevens felt that good design could be achieved and yet still be affordable for a wider cross section of shooters. Today, Glidecam continues to refine its designs and provide good value to the market with the rigs it offers. Glidecam Industries is betting on its innovations: It bills itself as "The name and future of camera stabilization."

I tested the V-25, which is the "middle child" in Glidecam’s product family. The rig was well designed and clearly built to last, with an industry proven arm design. The arm and sled have good tooling and metal work, and a wide range of camera weights can be supported. The rig is listed to fly cameras between 10 and 25 pounds, which nicely covers the gamut of mid-sized camcorders on the market, such as Sony’s XDCAM.

For my test, I was flying Canon’s new XH A1 HDV camcorder. Since this is a lightweight camera, the rig didn’t want to balance properly. I ended up doing the tests without the Anton Bauer batteries mounted at the bottom, which made it easy to counterbalance the sled to the camera. This disabled the ability to use the rig’s LCD monitor, but since the camera has a nice LCD of its own, it was not a problem. Once tuned right, the rig flew very well.

Also of note, the kit did not include a C-Stand to mount the rig on for balancing, or any batteries. In my case, I wasn’t using batteries on the sled, so this was not a problem. I had to scrounge up a stand to get the rig ready for use and to store it on between takes, on a long night of shooting a local pro skateboarding event.

The arm needs an Allen key (supplied, among other tools) to tune up its springs to support the post, sled and camera. For the Canon, I tuned the arm to its lightest setting. The low-friction Gimbal turned and tilted the post flawlessly, and I found the arm-attachment coupler on the vest to be very easy to adjust and use to mount the arm in and out. I also liked the telescoping post, which has reference numbers for easy set up, and no tool adjustment. The vest was comfortable, although with the waist belt tight enough for proper support and control, it was tough to buckle, as the closures are in the small of the back.

Overall, for a rig that is listed for less than $10,000, I think the Glidecam V-25 is a good choice. The rig provides great operation and solid and steady features and arm design.

Sachtler Artemis DV Pro

The Sachtler name is certainly well known in camera support. The German firm manufactures some of the finest tripods available [read Holloway’s tripod ratings feature, from the February 2006 issue, online at www.studiodaily.com/main/searchlist/5997.html]. The artemis DV Pro is another link in Sachtler’s long chain of high-quality support products. The rig received mixed reviews when it was first introduced, but the current version is nothing less than a stunning success.

The tooling and machined metal parts are the best of any rig I’ve seen in recent years, and look like they would survive a drop from a tall building. That being said, the arm and vest are heavy.

The arm doesn’t use springs like most rigs do. A set of gas canisters provides the tension for the dual-isolation arm. There are three sets of canisters to choose from, depending on the weight of the camera and sled combination you’ll be flying. Anywhere from a six-pound camera up to around 24 pounds can be floated with this arm, which makes it the most versatile of the three tested. The canisters seem to work well, although they sometimes felt a little sticky on first movement when booming up or down.

The vest is also the most unique of the three. It mounts the arm to a bracket and exoskeleton on the back instead of the front. This seems to release some pressure on the back and puts more weight on the pelvis where it belongs. It was easy to adjust and wear and made breathing easier. The arm coupling, however, is awkwardly placed under the arm.

The sled is a no-tools, no-fuss dream to set up, although the monitor is a little light and makes dynamic balance a bit challenging. The twist release collar on the post for adjustment is clever, and I liked the feel of the large diameter tubing used. The camera mount is finely adjustable, and includes a handy spirit level for side-to-side balance. The camera plate conveniently is the same as used on Sachtler’s DV 1 tripod head. Therefore, one could theoretically move a camera quickly from tripod to stabilizer. Strangely, though, the plate will be backwards on the tripod; that would be nice to have fixed in the next upgrade.

While any of the three rigs looked at here would be a great choice for operators needing high-end performance for middle-budget cameras, I’d have to say I liked the Artemis the best. For a rig priced well under $10,000, its burly machining and ease of set up make this system a steal. Have a nice flight!

Getting The Shaft

Since I was already on the subject of camera stabilization, I thought I’d mention a sweet little tool I’ve had in my own kit and use frequently. The Shaft, manufactured by Roadrunner Productions, is similar to an upside-down monopod and allows for "low-mode" shooting with quick set up and no tools. It costs only $99, and for fast shoots, it’s well worth its weight in gold. At just a little over a pound, that’s a remarkable deal!

Mounting to the top handle of a camcorder with a simple vice clamp, the Shaft is supported by an adjustable tilt head, which lets you tilt the camera to your desired shooting angle. At the top end of the tubular unit there’s a bearing swivel built into the handle for panning; you can also lock this tight for rigid control. On top of the handle is a shoe mount to attach a light, microphone or small viewing monitor.

Stabilization is provided by the "dual stage" isolation of the operator’s arms. Just as the your arm provides some vibration dampening while you walk holding a full coffee cup, so does the Shaft.

I use this rig when shooting sports video of snowboarders or skateboarders, and often from a moving vehicle or while running. Overall, the system performs quite well and is, frankly, the only time I ever like getting the "Shaft!"