DSLR RIG REVIEW

by Sebastian WöberJanuary 23^rd, 2010

Sam has a video in which he explains the way he uses his rig to create smooth moves in a very different fashion than handheld is usually done. He partly uses his arms to perform crane-like movements. We found that it looks cooler in the video than when we did it ourselves, but maybe we just need practice. In summary we liked Sam’s imaginative approach but for us personally this “Crane Style” of filming didn’t work well. Video is here.

Sam says:
“Fewer points of contact certainly demand more skill from the camera operator
My rig in cinema configuration, not tested in the c5d test, has options for more points of contact with the operators body.”

Unfortunately this rig cannot be used with the shoulder rod and a loupe at the same time. We found this very frustrating since we think this additional point of stabilization gives a better handheld motion. We feel that we need the loupe to focus accurately.

A big issue of this rig is DSLR compatibility. Basically this rig isn’t compatible with any of the gear we have used in this test. If you are a do-it-yourself person, then you might find this rig very compatible.

Sam sent us this picture to visualize how he will accomplish more compatibility.

Sam also mentions that this rig will highly improve the smooth motion of a simple steadicam. He says it’s “adding the rotational inertia that is missing from short form cameras.”
His slogan is: designed to “fly”. We haven’t tried how that works but after being in contact with him a lot over these past weeks we believe him.
The only thing we want to add here from our own experience, is that lightweight steadicams with a wide form factor have real problems with wind and airflow, when you’re running, that can affect the movement of the camera.