Tag Archives: steadicam

Steadicam comes to smartphones with the gyro-stabilized Volt

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Steadicam changed the film industry with unrestricted tracking shots in films like Rocky and The Shining, and now, it's going after smartphone users. Parent company Tiffen has unveiled the Steadicam Volt, a handheld gimbal up for grabs on Kickstarter...

MōVI Stabilized Camera Gimbal Might Shake Up Cinematography

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A couple of months ago we saw the SteadyWheel, a very affordable camera accessory that can help you stabilize your shots. The MōVI is way more expensive than the SteadyWheel, but for what it can do – and the money, time and effort it could save – it seems like more bang for the filmmaker’s buck.

movi freefly stabilized camera gimbal

Made by Freefly, MōVI is a “digital 3-axis gyro-stabilized handheld camera gimbal.” It can be operated by one person or you can enlist another person to control the camera while you carry and move it about. Here’s a quick demo of the MōVI’s stabilization powers:

Mind not blown? Here’s what it can do:

Wow right? Once you don’t have to worry about keeping the camera stable I imagine it frees directors and cinematographers to think of a lot of different shots and angles. It helps that the MōVI only weighs about 4lbs. I’m pretty sure those of you who are into TV and filmmaking are scraping your brains off of your walls right now. Finally, here’s the final cut of the short film. It was directed by Vincent Laforet, and yes, every shot you’ll see was made with the MōVI.

Laforet said Freefly will release two models of the MōVI. The MōVI M10 will be the first one to be released. It will be priced at $15,000 (USD) and will have a 10lb. capacity. A smaller model called the M5 will follow for half the price. Later on, Freefly plans to release the big bad M20, which should be able to carry heavier cameras and accessories. I highly recommend you check out Laforet’s website for more details on the MōVI.

[via Vincent Laforet & Freefly via Reddit]

SteadyWheel Smooths out Videos Without Moving Parts

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Lots of today’s cameras have some sort of image stabilization tech built in, but none of them really provide the kind of smooth moving shots you can get from a professional camera rig like a Steadicam. A new gadget aims to smooth out bumpy shots, without any mechanism or gyroscopes.

steady wheel

The SteadyWheel takes advantage of a physics principle called the moment of inertia, which helps it smooth out the smaller jitters and shakes thanks to a set of weights at the outside of the ring. Operating the SteadyWheel simply requires that you attach your camera and then carry it by the outer handle.

It’s small enough to fit in a backpack, and will fit just about any small to medium sized camera with a standard tripod mount. It’s made from durable ABS plastic and stainless steel weights, and because it has no moving parts or adjustments, there’s virtually nothing to break, and it can even go underwater.

Best of all, the SteadyWheel is much cheaper than competing rigs. You can get in on the Early Bird action with the basic SteadyWheel for just $50(USD). For $60, you can get the version with a GoPro mount, or for $65 there’s a version with a SnapMount tripod case for the iPhone 4/4S. If you’d like a SteadyWheel for yourself, head on over to Kickstarter now and show your support by March 17, 2013.