[Paul B]

I get what you're saying James but surely there's some cost element involved. I've seen some very acceptable vimeo stuff on HV20 using homemade steadicams, ok they're not perfect but likely its going to be used for videos submitted to sites like this very forum?

[JamesD]

I get what you're saying James but surely there's some cost element involved. I've seen some very acceptable vimeo stuff on HV20 using homemade steadicams, ok they're not perfect but likely its going to be used for videos submitted to sites like this very forum?

It's all relative I guess, e.g. what's acceptable to some may not be to others and so on, from my experience home made steadicams (or indeed cheap shit ones), are no better than using a fig rig, plus you end up wasting loads of time reshooting stuff as it keeps coming out crap.
Plus I just don't understand the purpose for bouldering, seeing as steadicams were designed for follow filming type shots, and shots where the camera needs to be moving, panning and following the person/object through the scene for dolly type shots but going places where a dolly can't go, or it's not possible to place one, generally for shots where the camera and subject are both on the move.
I just don't see how this is particularly useful for bouldering, where you are effectively following someone up a rock as opposed to through a scene, cheap Jib Cranes are great, and it's easy to compensate for a cheap jib crane by increasing your skill level, and practicing, and they are still good, they just lack luxuries such as motorized heads and so on, but they can still produce very good or indeed very professional looking results for very little cash, whereas cheap crappy steadicams were not, and hold very little merit for this type of shooting scenario unless you are using it to follow someone walking through the woods or on the approach to the boulder for instance.

For example these are cheap portable, (can fit in a backpack) and will deliver really professional results:

http://www.creativevideo.co.uk/public/view_item_cat.php?catalogue_number=glidecam_camcrane-200

I think you can probably even get cheap if you look, I didn't search for that long.
Results that you would probably need to spend 5-10k to achieve with steadicams, you can also get cheap dollyrails and a tripod-rail interface, et voila: you have still tripod shots, moving/tracking shots, and jib crane shots all for around 2k probably, around the same price you pay for a steadicam merlin and vest, which is shit.
In terms of me slagging off the cheaper steadicams, I guess once you've had a taste of the best you don't want to go back, but everyone i've spoken to who has ever hired/bought a merlin or similar has regretted it and either sold it, or taken up training to learn how to use the more expensive rigs and just hired in the future, they really are about 300% better, the more expensive unit's stabilization of the camera on the Z axis is just unparalelled by the cheap crap.

[rginns]

What did you want one for, Pasty?

Lots of info, thanks chaps. Just thinking of something different really, would be good to get some steady tracking shots of walk ins etc. I guess I'm a bit tired of the static tripod shot (admittedly the only thing you can do if you're on your own though ). Even editing between different angles can get tiring sometimes. Would be nice to get a bit of movement when filming others. A portable jib could be cool to use occasionally, or maybe a shoulder mount.
Alternatively I could just put it towards another lense...

[slackline]

Dude they deal with glidecam too yanno!

Nope, I don't know, as I've no idea who "they" are.

[Johnny Brown]

When I get a DSLR that does video I'm quite psyched to try some dolly type shots. Should be much easier/ cheaper to rig than arms or cranes, I reckon using tensioned wire instead of rails should work well in woods like font.

[JamesD]

What did you want one for, Pasty?

Lots of info, thanks chaps. Just thinking of something different really, would be good to get some steady tracking shots of walk ins etc. I guess I'm a bit tired of the static tripod shot (admittedly the only thing you can do if you're on your own though ). Even editing between different angles can get tiring sometimes. Would be nice to get a bit of movement when filming others. A portable jib could be cool to use occasionally, or maybe a shoulder mount.
Alternatively I could just put it towards another lense...

Whereabouts are you based, i'm shooting a short film near the end of july, and you are more than happy to come along and watch for a bit if you would like to see how steadicam type stuff is executed etc, not that i'm the worlds greatest operator or anything, but you might enjoy it?
I think it would be good to start with something like a cheap fig rig, portable jib cranes are awesome too and you can do so much cool stuff with them, perfect for professional quality vertical/horizontal movement with panning.

When I get a DSLR that does video I'm quite psyched to try some dolly type shots. Should be much easier/ cheaper to rig than arms or cranes, I reckon using tensioned wire instead of rails should work well in woods like font.

If you want portable dolly action, these are flipping awesome, had the pleasure of using one a little while ago, much less aggro than setting up a jib etc too:
http://kesslercrane.com/

[dave]

When I get a DSLR that does video

Just get a D3S.

[JamesD]

When I get a DSLR that does video

Just get a D3S.

Screw the D3s, it's all about this badboy: