In preparation for shooting my final Hollywood style sequences, I thought it would be good practice to think about testing out using stabiliser equipment that is going to help me improve the quality of my cinematography to match the standard that is seen in the latest Hollywood releases.
For this Blog post I will be showing my test results and will be speaking about the experience I have had comparing Steadicam stabiliser’s with electronic Gimbal Stabiliser’s equipment
1- Steadicam
Above, is the Stedicam I have purchased. Flycam HD-3000.
I chose to purchase this Stedicam because it is my first Stedicam. It was the cheapest one I could find which does everything that I need it to do.
Pros
- Easy to set up
- Cheapest on Market
- Build Quality
Cons
- Heavy
- Only one handle to hold stedicam
- doesn’t cope well with larger cameras
- Time consuming set up
below are the results of my first attempt at testing shooting with a Steadicam.
as seen in the footage above. you can see that the steadicam works well, The footage looses all shakiness and also creates a gliding motion which helps keep the footage from being shaky. However the downside to using a steadicam is that the steadicam creates a swinging motion which is hard to control as the steadicam is extremely heavy to hold and relies on the force of gravity to push it through the motion of movement. The steadicam works best when there is fast movements such as when I was running along the skateboarder in the footage above.
2- Gimbal
A popular Alternative to the Steadicam comes in the form of a piece of stabiliser equipment known as ‘The Gimbal’
This is the Gimbal I chose to purchase. Its a cheaper version of the DJI ronin which is perfect for me being as this is my first Gimbal.
Pro’s
- Lighter than the Steadicam
- No swinging motion
- Joystick
- Electronic
Con’s
- More expensive
- Not great in fast paced shoots
- time consuming set up
As you can see in the footage above, Gimbal footage is extremely hard to master. Gimbals rely on perfect balance and makes it extremely hard to think about focus as you have to rely on the cameras auto focus mode because you are holding the gimbal. however, Gimbal footage looks extremely clean when done right. With a gimbal, you loose all camera shake and achieve a floating motion. the gimbal I was using in the footage above also includes a joystick for precise motion.
Comparison conclusion
In conclusion, both stabilzers have their Pro’s and Con’s. The Steadicam is better in a faster paced environment where there is availabilty for lots of movement, however the Gimbal would be better utilised in an environment where there is more reliance on precise movements. For fast paced tracking shots, I think I will use the Steadicam, However for Hollywood style shots like the ‘Micheal Bay 360 Spin Shot’ I will use the Gimbal as it will perform better for a more precise style shot.
DFPR3105 - Advance Specialism 