#SteadyCam Power Cord
4 messages in this thread
Hi Tim
This is very interesting (your mag's shootout). What will be
the issue number and month-on-the-cover of that issue ???
I need a steadicam-type product, but
haven't been convinced by anyone's literature yet. Also, I'm
sure there are products out there I don't know of. So far,
when I look at the various video magazines — i've just scanned,
so don't know if yours falls in this category — i get a bit sad, there's
nothing in equipment analysis that comes close to the standard we
have in the computer field (pc magazine and infoworld being the clear
leaders there, both in integrity, thoroughness, and usually-pretty-close-
to-the-real-story-ness).
Some things of interest to me in such a shootout of products, stuff
I'd like to know about each product
— training time
— manual quality
— training videos, and their quality
— strength required (e.g., can kids use it — i do stuff with kids now
and then)
(also of interest to anyone with lower levels of upper body strength)
— can you use other lcd monitors — i want color, but the steadicam jr
comes
with b&w lcd monitor, and i've been told you can't replace that
easily
— warranties
— various other customer service policies: repairs, returns, tradeups,
upgrades,
turnaround times (the one that always gets me is when you buy a
product,
something goes wrong, the warranty covers it but the turnaround
time
they tell ya (after the sale, of course) is too long, but for a
few haha extra
$$$ they'll fix it overnight …. )
— stability of company (how long have they been around, who are they)
— technical differences, with no glossover, handwaving, smokeblowing
— exactly
what is each device doing, or not doing, to get that steadiness
effect
— finally, the obvious one: how well does it work ?? what kinds of
motion are
dealt with, and how well does it deal with each ??? (walking, trotting,
stairclimbing,
hiking, bicycling, horseback riding are a few motion forms that come to
mind immediately).
Whelp, best of luck, and i'll be looking for this issue. Do a great job, and
this
is one new subscriber you'll be gaining.
stan
Stan:
It will be the April issue which comes out in late March and will be the issue
we distribute at the NAB convention in Las Vegas. The piece isn't done yet so I
can't give you detailed information, but I do know we narrowed the field down
to four or five products that we thought were the most viable for serious work.
You can rest assured, however that it is objective, not a stroke, not just a
rehash of product literature, but that we have taken these systems out into the
field in real world applications with professional videographers running them
through their paces. We will also include a chart that rates each product in a
variety of categories.
Stay tuned.
Tim Wetmore
PMJI, which magazine will this be in? I came in late on the
conversation… I just got one of Eric Ortleib's SteadyTrackers which
I use with my Sony VX3. I like it a lot. I've just used it in a
supermarket with great success. (Passing the bakery with a dutch
angle was great.)
The best part is that I went into the supermarket ready-to-go. No
tripod setup, no nothing. Just move and move and move. I was outta
there in 15 minutes.
Are you including Eric's devices in your article?
db.out
Hi Tim
Sounds great !!! I'm looking forward to it. Time to go down to
the nearest magazine rack and check out your 'zine, I think.
I'm taking the trip of a lifetime in May to Africa, and I'd love
to have a steadydevice to pack along ….
stan
good data just wants to flow, eh ??