Comments on: The Long Road to Stability: Modifying the Glidecam 4000 http://www.gospeljohn.net/filmmaking/diy-filmmaking/the-long-road-to-stability-modifying-the-glidecam-4000/ Ain't it the Gospel Truth Mon, 03 May 2010 07:26:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: coza4 diary » Blog Archive » アーム付きベストとか http://www.gospeljohn.net/filmmaking/diy-filmmaking/the-long-road-to-stability-modifying-the-glidecam-4000/comment-page-1/#comment-192 coza4 diary » Blog Archive » アーム付きベストとか Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:43:31 +0000 http://www.gospeljohn.net/?p=234#comment-192 [...] GospelJohn.net » The Long Road to Stability: Modifying the Glidecam 4000 元ネタはこちら。 おそらくアルミか鉄の角材を組んで、ボルト組みしただけ。 バネはエキスパンダーで使うような柔らかいもの。 びょんびょん伸びるバネが必要。 [...] [...] GospelJohn.net » The Long Road to Stability: Modifying the Glidecam 4000 元ネタはこちら。 おそらくアルミか鉄の角材を組んで、ボルト組みしただけ。 バネはエキスパンダーで使うような柔らかいもの。 びょんびょん伸びるバネが必要。 [...]

]]> By: Joe Swinehart http://www.gospeljohn.net/filmmaking/diy-filmmaking/the-long-road-to-stability-modifying-the-glidecam-4000/comment-page-1/#comment-191 Joe Swinehart Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:55:55 +0000 http://www.gospeljohn.net/?p=234#comment-191 Thank you so much for this information. I have been working on making my own steadicam for about 2 or 3 months now. I have been planning this and working out kinks for 3 months before this. Though I am making the whole thing I am very glad to have found this site. I don't think I ever would have thought of using that marching band drum harness. A useful tip there is a way to walk that might help reduce shake. It is the way you have to walk when you are in marching band. It's just rolling your heels. thanks again Thank you so much for this information. I have been working on making my own steadicam for about 2 or 3 months now. I have been planning this and working out kinks for 3 months before this. Though I am making the whole thing I am very glad to have found this site. I don’t think I ever would have thought of using that marching band drum harness.
A useful tip there is a way to walk that might help reduce shake. It is the way you have to walk when you are in marching band. It’s just rolling your heels.

thanks again

]]> By: Ian Rietschel http://www.gospeljohn.net/filmmaking/diy-filmmaking/the-long-road-to-stability-modifying-the-glidecam-4000/comment-page-1/#comment-179 Ian Rietschel Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:38:23 +0000 http://www.gospeljohn.net/?p=234#comment-179 Hello John, I just purchased one of these similar devices but it was a Flycam 5000 (a copy of the Glidecam) with originally, one spring arm and vest. Well I have tried it out and I it seemed to work OK. But for my old Canon XL1 I needed a monitor for it, so I bought a 7 inch LCD monitor from LCD4video on EBay with sun hood. I already had a Sony heavy duty battery with voltage step up voltage adapter plate, so I used that to power it (last for 7 or 8 hours). I added a coaxial video cable down the sleds post as you did and re-soldered a new RCA plug on the end. Also my Flycam 5000 came with a quick release plate but it was not compatible with my existing Manfrotto 501 older tripod head. I had also another tripod that was incompatible as well. So I bought some Manfrotto 577 adapter plate assemblies as the Manfrotto 577 had a 2 inch wide sliding plate and it was directly compatible with my existing Manfrotto 501 sliding plate. I added these adapter plates to my Flycam 5000 quick release plate and my tripods, mono pod and shoulder support and the sliding plates to my 2 x Canon XL1 and newer Sony HVR Z7 cameras, it worked a treat. Since then I have also added another arm to the single arm that was originally supplied on the Flycam 5000. I did this as I was getting a bit of upper back pain from wearing the heavy rig (even though it seems reasonably light compared to other units I could have purchased). I added the extra arm fairly easily. I also modified the connection point of the spring arm to the little arm on the vest, as I did not like the way it could come out as well and too easily when taking the sled's handle off the spring arm as well. With the two arms the sled seemed to be easier to control and the sled sits closer to my body minimising the upper back pain with the weight closer to the body (as you would if you lift anything). I am also now making an aluminium low mode type module frame with Manfrotto quick release 577 plate and balance adjustment for the camera for and aft and left and right adjustments if needed. I have also added a removable extension aluminium post on the top of the sled above the gimbal bearing as the gimbal is pressed on and can not be shifted up and down the sled post. I put a Manfrotto 577 adapter plate on the underside of the weight plate so I will be able to put the monitor and weights that were on the bottom of the sled on the top of the sled were the camera was to counter balance the camera weight in the low mode frame to prevent it from rocking and be able to balance it properly. I am nearly finished the rig and will test it out soon. I also made up an aluminium docking plate to mount on my Manfrotto light stand, to balance the rig and sit the rig safely on while adding the camera and components to it to set it up. I can even hang up the dual arm and vest on it too. I will take some video of the modifications and some sample video and put it on YouTube as there are not many videos of modified Flycam 5000 units on the web. Hello John,
I just purchased one of these similar devices but it was a Flycam 5000 (a copy of the Glidecam) with originally, one spring arm and vest. Well I have tried it out and I it seemed to work OK. But for my old Canon XL1 I needed a monitor for it, so I bought a 7 inch LCD monitor from LCD4video on EBay with sun hood. I already had a Sony heavy duty battery with voltage step up voltage adapter plate, so I used that to power it (last for 7 or 8 hours). I added a coaxial video cable down the sleds post as you did and re-soldered a new RCA plug on the end. Also my Flycam 5000 came with a quick release plate but it was not compatible with my existing Manfrotto 501 older tripod head. I had also another tripod that was incompatible as well. So I bought some Manfrotto 577 adapter plate assemblies as the Manfrotto 577 had a 2 inch wide sliding plate and it was directly compatible with my existing Manfrotto 501 sliding plate. I added these adapter plates to my Flycam 5000 quick release plate and my tripods, mono pod and shoulder support and the sliding plates to my 2 x Canon XL1 and newer Sony HVR Z7 cameras, it worked a treat. Since then I have also added another arm to the single arm that was originally supplied on the Flycam 5000. I did this as I was getting a bit of upper back pain from wearing the heavy rig (even though it seems reasonably light compared to other units I could have purchased). I added the extra arm fairly easily. I also modified the connection point of the spring arm to the little arm on the vest, as I did not like the way it could come out as well and too easily when taking the sled’s handle off the spring arm as well. With the two arms the sled seemed to be easier to control and the sled sits closer to my body minimising the upper back pain with the weight closer to the body (as you would if you lift anything). I am also now making an aluminium low mode type module frame with Manfrotto quick release 577 plate and balance adjustment for the camera for and aft and left and right adjustments if needed. I have also added a removable extension aluminium post on the top of the sled above the gimbal bearing as the gimbal is pressed on and can not be shifted up and down the sled post. I put a Manfrotto 577 adapter plate on the underside of the weight plate so I will be able to put the monitor and weights that were on the bottom of the sled on the top of the sled were the camera was to counter balance the camera weight in the low mode frame to prevent it from rocking and be able to balance it properly. I am nearly finished the rig and will test it out soon. I also made up an aluminium docking plate to mount on my Manfrotto light stand, to balance the rig and sit the rig safely on while adding the camera and components to it to set it up. I can even hang up the dual arm and vest on it too. I will take some video of the modifications and some sample video and put it on YouTube as there are not many videos of modified Flycam 5000 units on the web.

]]> By: cal http://www.gospeljohn.net/filmmaking/diy-filmmaking/the-long-road-to-stability-modifying-the-glidecam-4000/comment-page-1/#comment-178 cal Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:09:14 +0000 http://www.gospeljohn.net/?p=234#comment-178 Hey dude. good effort. I have the glidecam 4000 and an XL2. I have 'on a boat' syndrome and an achy arm too. its a ridiculous price when you start buying professional equipment. The XL2s bag for example was £200 or thereabout. Sod that. I bout a surfer bag and added a cat basket. it was waterproof to boot. £20 tops. Ive bodged a Dolly system. I'm incredibly proud of it. its broom handles and a plasitc tray for a tripod base, electricity wire trunking for tracks and a keyboard stand for adjustable height. Painted black . Possibly the cheapest, lightest, dolly system ever created. I may come back to you on here when I wanna make the arm system for the glidecam. Hey dude. good effort. I have the glidecam 4000 and an XL2. I have ‘on a boat’ syndrome and an achy arm too. its a ridiculous price when you start buying professional equipment. The XL2s bag for example was £200 or thereabout. Sod that. I bout a surfer bag and added a cat basket. it was waterproof to boot. £20 tops.
Ive bodged a Dolly system. I’m incredibly proud of it. its broom handles and a plasitc tray for a tripod base, electricity wire trunking for tracks and a keyboard stand for adjustable height. Painted black . Possibly the cheapest, lightest, dolly system ever created.

I may come back to you on here when I wanna make the arm system for the glidecam.

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