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Home: Video University Forums: Tech Q & A:
Balancing the FlowPod

videobear
Veteran

Nov 28, 2006, 12:53 PM

Post #1 of 3 (1114 views)
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Balancing the FlowPod	Can't Post

I've started experimenting with my Varizoom FlowPod in stabilizer mode. The cam is a Sony A1U, and it's very lightweight...even with the larger battery, I wound up with NO weights on the lower column, and one weight actually ABOVE the gimbal (on the column just below the camera plate).

Varizoom doesn't really give much info on balancing in their instructions, so I'm looking for advice from other users. What sort of behavior do you want to see from the rig when it's properly balanced? How slow a pendulum swing from horizontal to vertical? How much overshoot? What sort of behaviors indicate which problems, when the rig's in use? (Glidecam and other handheld stabilizer users can chime in here, I'm pretty sure the basic behaviors of correctly and incorrectly set-up rigs are similar).

Regards,
Doug Graham
Panda Productions

carnicelli
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Nov 28, 2006, 4:02 PM

Post #2 of 3 (1104 views)
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Re: [videobear] Balancing the FlowPod [In reply to]	Can't Post

Doug,

In my experience with full size Steadicams you wanted a 3 second drop. That was considered the middle of the road setting. If you were going to be doing a lot of quick moves you would want a faster rig (quicker drop). If you were going to be doing some nice finesse shots then you would want a slower rig. When I took the Steadicam class it was suggested to use a faster rig while learning to operate it. You want the rig to keep the horizon with minimal input from your fingertips as you move. My suggestion would be to make it a little bottom heavy as you practice. Then slowly start getting it to the point were it feels like it just sort of floats on the horizon. Hope this makes sense. Wink

Bill Carnicelli
Carnicelli Media Productions Inc

videobear
Veteran

Nov 28, 2006, 4:16 PM

Post #3 of 3 (1101 views)
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Re: [carnicelli] Balancing the FlowPod [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thanks! With current settings, it does sort of "float on the horizon"...mostly. But every now and then it seems to drift off to the side. If I add more weight down low, it tends to sway and swing when I move rapidly, which I gather means it's too bottom-heavy.

I'm still getting the hang of how much control to exert with the thumb and forefinger of the "guiding" hand.

Regards,
Doug Graham
Panda Productions