Tips wanted on keeping the camera steady
Brian
a hand held video camera steady when zooming in on the action?
I know the best way is to use a propod or a monopod but there are
times when I find yourself holding the camera in my hands and trying
to get a steady shot.
Regards Brian
Sjeef
An old trick.
Use a nylon line, with a loop onder your foot, and the camera.
--
Regards,
Gerard Schaefers
Culinaire Top50
http://www.culinairetop50.com/cgi-bin/top50/rankem.cgi?id=Sjeef
David Ruether
"Sjeef" <sjeeef@(REMOVETHIS)gmail.com> wrote in message
news:4b06381c$0$22918$e4fe...@news.xs4all.nl...
> Brian wrote:
>> Does anyone have any tips, advice, or suggested equipment for keeping
>> a hand held video camera steady when zooming in on the action?
>> I know the best way is to use a propod or a monopod but there are
>> times when I find yourself holding the camera in my hands and trying
>> to get a steady shot.
>>
>> Regards Brian
> An old trick.
> Use a nylon line, with a loop onder your foot, and the camera.
> --
> Regards,
>
> Gerard Schaefers
This is a useful (and compact) solution. One I use is to restrict
myself to wide-angle (with a .66X WA lens converter added)
to "normal" views (the reduced image angular motion resulting
from my shakes produces smoother video). I also use a brace
I came up with after many tries (it is described and shown at -
http://www.donferrario.com/ruether/brace.htm). Of course the
camcorder stabilizer is also turned on...
--DR
Martin van derPoel
"David Ruether" <d_ru...@thotmail.com> wrote in message
news:he68b0$8uo$1...@ruby.cit.cornell.edu...
I use a canon neck brace with my XH A1s, it takes the strain of the arms and
does help to stabilise the camera.
Regards,
Martin
Richard Crowley
One technique is to simply leave the monopod attached (and collapsed)
and use it as a "counterweight" to help stabilize the low weight and small
mass of most consumer camcorders. Of course this isn't a technique
that is suitable for shots lasting several minutes. In that case, simply
extend
the monopod, etc.
Brian
Good idea Richard, but this would limit the camera from tilting
upwards and down when recording a scene. However most of the time I'm
recording stright ahead.
J. Clarke
If you google "DIY Steadicam" you'll find several options that can be put
together at low cost, or if you're well off you can just get a Steadicam.
Richard Crowley
My monopod has a tilt-only head on it. It is also quite useful
for setting to wide-angle, tilting down and then holding up in
the air (at full extension) to get a nice high-angle cover shot.
Peabody
> If you google "DIY Steadicam" you'll find several
> options that can be put together at low cost, or if
> you're well off you can just get a Steadicam.
I've built one of those DIY versions. This one:
except I used somewhat shorter pipe segments.
These things are not all that convenient, but they do help
smooth things out. Basically they just increase the mass
and inertia of the camera so it moves more slowly and
resists being affected by shakes and jiggles. Not as good
as a real steadicam with springs and gyros and such, but I
would say moderately helpful.
But they do get heavy after a while.
StormChaser
The Samsung HMX 10 and other camcorders in the HMX series incorporate
a strap that can twist to a vertical position so that the inertia of
the camera
is in sync with your arm extension greatly reducing vibrations.
Normally when a person holds a camcorder with a bent arm, the upper
arm
must balance the camcorder. A bent arm, however, causes unsteadiness.
Normally, a human being holds and carries items away from the body.
Twisting the strap to a vertical position allows arm extension
of the camera and more arm strength and increased steadiness.
Perhaps this type of strap could be developed as an attachment.
The strap of the HMX line has been criticized by several
camcorder reviewers because they either are in rival camps
(Panasonic and Sony heads)
or don't understand the physics behind it.
Brian
Thanks 'Stormch' and others for your tips on keeping a video camera
steady. One thing I try to do is to keep an object the same distance
from the left or right of the screen when recording to try and keep
the camera steady. Recently I came across someone who had made a
wooden camera attachment that sits on your shoulder to help steady the
camera (like a small plank of wood).
Regards Brian
mpp
Several posters have suggested DIY steadycams. Several years ago I
purchased two Steadicam JR's and modified them to operate most any
Sony and some Canon camcorders, (with LANC ports), using modified Sony
LANC pistol grip controllers, in place of the plain handle which came
with the Steadicam JR.
Since the LANC controller handle was isolated from the camcorder by
the gimbal joint between the handle and the Steadicam camcorder
platform, (except for the soft LANC control wire), the camcorder could
be play/paused, zoomed in/out, without touching the camcorder itself,
this provided a relatively smooth zoom whether zooming the camcorder
or moving toward the target, or both at the same time.
It worked very well with my VX1000, TRV900, and my PC 120BT. More
recently, I purchased a Canon HV20, only to discover that it did NOT
have a Lanc port. This was very disapointing, as I believe that Sony
bought the rights to use LANC from Canon (the original patent holder).
I even tried to get Sony to start manufacturing the Pistol Grip LANC
controller again, but they wouldn't even email a response ;-(
Mike
David Ruether
"mpp" <sandy...@harbornet.com> wrote in message
news:7d6a8b6c-dddc-478a...@13g2000prl.googlegroups.com...
Mike
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
I also was disappointed that the HV20 did not have a Lanc port - it
is really needed for smooth recording start/stop even without the
camera being on a steadycam device. Too bad you didn't post this
sooner - I recently almost gave away what you are looking for since
it had been around here unused for several years...;-(
--DR
J. Clarke
FWIW, there's a workaround of sorts at
http://yousillyman.blogspot.com/2007/05/hv20-non-lanc-controller.html, and a
different version
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-vixia-hv40-hv30-hv20-hv10/95585-how-make-real-hv20-wired-lanc.html
(the first one uses a lightpipe on the infrared remote, the second extends
the remote's emitter on copper wires).
If you google "HV20 LANC" you'll find several other variations on these
themes.
David Ruether
"J. Clarke" <jclarke...@cox.net> wrote in message news:hfgfu...@news6.newsguy.com...
> David Ruether wrote:
>> I also was disappointed that the HV20 did not have a Lanc port - it
>> is really needed for smooth recording start/stop even without the
>> camera being on a steadycam device. Too bad you didn't post this
>> sooner - I recently almost gave away what you are looking for since
>> it had been around here unused for several years...;-(
>> --DR
> FWIW, there's a workaround of sorts at
> http://yousillyman.blogspot.com/2007/05/hv20-non-lanc-controller.html, and a
> different version
> http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-vixia-hv40-hv30-hv20-hv10/95585-how-make-real-hv20-wired-lanc.html
> (the first one uses a lightpipe on the infrared remote, the second extends
> the remote's emitter on copper wires).
>
> If you google "HV20 LANC" you'll find several other variations on these
> themes.
THANKS!
--DR