CompuServe Messages

Rick, g'morning. I live in St. Louis. Been using a Steadicam Jr for about 8 months. I use it for poor man's tracking, dolly, and boom shots. I have a Sony TR700 mounted on it, which is much more camera than I have talent to use. The Steadicam and Optical Image Stabilization combo helps my footage look more fluid. <<When you say med-quality, is that VHS or better?>> The quality of my non-linear station far surpasses either of my decks or cameras (at least 20% more resolution). It is also better than my Videonics MX1 digital mix. What drags the quality down to 'medium' is that I digitize from Hi-8 and master to S-VHS through the MX1. None of these components approach the quality of my digital gear, and you're only as good as your weakest part. I say 'medium-quality' because there is a vast difference between my footage and what comes off of say Betacam SP posted on serious digital rigs. I'm sometimes a guest at a local sports production house <friends in the ad biz>. Sitting in an editing suite at one of these studios is quite a humbling experience. <<I wouldn't call you strictly amateure>> I do not make video for money. For me, it is art and craft <just like pottery or music>. And I'm definately amateur. But I don't mean this negatively. The Olympic Games are played strictly by amateurs. <<do you have any StediCam footage you could send me?>> Rick, I just used the Steadicam to shoot some clips at the St. Louis Auto Show. I'll be posting them down to a 90 second 'concept car' short this weekend. I'd be delighted to exchange tape with you as I'm always anxious to learn from the work of others. I'll be shooting a Mardi Gras parade the 25th. I'd love some pointers on using the Steadicam in crowded outdoor situations where there may be wind (I have trouble controlling the camera in these conditions).