14Nov Wieldy Stabilizer Available Again
Out of stock previously, that new carbon fiber Wieldy Stabilizer I posted an article about (found here) a few weeks ago has listed a few more in stock. News update, I received my unit in also and this thing was really modeled after the Glidecam HD stabilizers. Check out the photo below showing the counterweights. One is the Wieldy and the other is for the Glidecam – dead on exact same shape and the holes line up perfectly on my Glidecam.
Build quality is good although there were a few loose screws when mine arrived that I needed to tighten up before flying around. The sled is almost exactly the same also, but the Wieldy is using a thinner sled plate which I could easily bend by hand if I really wanted to. The Gimbal adjustment works great and I was able to reposition it so I can fly my camera upside down, something I can’t easily do with the Glidecam without the handle hitting the stage.
Balancing was very quick for me since it has the same fine tuning knobs that the more expensive Glidecam offers, so I was very familiar. FThis stabilizer can be compared to either the larger $570 Glidecam HD4000 (seen here) or smaller Glidecam HD2000 (seen here). The HD2000 will already run you about $500 dollars, while this Carbon Wieldy Stabilizer runs for about $300 bucks. Additional information, photos, and video examples of the Carbon Wieldy Stabilizer in use can be seen following the link to the product page via eBay (Click Here).
Wieldy DV Pro Iron Triangle Stabilizer
[Update] You can also find the Wieldy bundled with a dual arm stabilizer from another seller. The vest offered is different than the one I posted about earlier, and it’s available with different stabilizers. A few listings from this seller show the dual arm vest bundled with this same Wieldy Carbon Fiber stabilizer.
Dual Arm Support Vest with Carbon Stabilizer
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November 13th, 2012 at 1:11 am
@Everyone – You can also find the Wieldy bundled with a dual arm stabilizer from another seller. They offer different stabilizers, but a few listings show it with this Wieldy. Dual Arm Vest with Stabilizer (Click Here)
November 14th, 2012 at 1:12 am
i always wonder… are they allowed to copy the look of an other product so completely?
November 14th, 2012 at 3:02 am
I really want one of these. I may even grab the vest you reviewed recently as well. I wonder if there is a way for Ebay to notify me when an item I want arrives in stock?
November 14th, 2012 at 3:22 am
I hope – orpheus_c will have some ready for shipping .
By the way how do you received your shippment, from where do they ship this item ?
And what did they use for the shipping method.
Ad how long did it take to come please ?
November 14th, 2012 at 3:23 am
Emm, the eBay link shows no results, perhaps it’s gone already
November 14th, 2012 at 6:01 am
I received mine last week as well and its great for the price,
comparing to my friends HD2000, there isn’t much difference and at half the price in australia its an easy decision.
I also received my skyler minicam today but it can’t fly my 5d mk iii + 24-70 so I think the weildy is going to be my main flyer.
November 14th, 2012 at 6:26 am
man… somebody just bought the last one…. 2 seconds before I hit buy it now.. Oh well. I already have a 4000 and modified smoothie. But…. I like the fact this one can be used for low shots.
It was there then gone…
November 14th, 2012 at 6:45 am
@MProd – It took about 3 weeks shipped from China.
November 14th, 2012 at 6:45 am
@TikTak – Yes it’s sold out.
November 14th, 2012 at 7:27 am
it is probably best to get it quickly before Glidecam tries a cease and desist order of some sort…
i think i will try out that dual arm and vest [only] set…
November 14th, 2012 at 7:29 am
Will the hole in the handle be large enough to fit onto the post of a Steadicam Merlin vest? Thanks!
November 14th, 2012 at 7:31 am
@Phillip – The handle is very similar to the Glidecam which is larger than the Steadicam Merlin vest post. Here’s a video showing the difference and how I altered mine http://cheesycam.com/steadicam-merlin-vest-to-glidecam-hd4000-diy-adapter/
November 14th, 2012 at 8:28 am
I had been religiously watching for this to come back into stock, I purchased the first one last night. Great to hear your review regarding the build of this. Hopefully soon, after I get the hang of it, I’ll be pairing it with a solid vest.
November 14th, 2012 at 8:31 am
Maybe I am a man bought the last one from Japan.
But don’t worry about it. Same auction is starting!
November 14th, 2012 at 9:23 am
@ Emm
If you would choose one steadycam, with the best price/quality and offcourse not ‘to’ expensive (200-600dollars)… Wich one would you recommend?
November 14th, 2012 at 11:51 am
Might try to get one of these by the end of the year, been needing a stabilizer and DIY ones just dont do the job.
November 14th, 2012 at 12:59 pm
glad i ordered one. test footage and full review coming up soon.
November 14th, 2012 at 2:25 pm
I just sat there looking at the last one…couldn’t decide whether or not to buy.
November 14th, 2012 at 3:34 pm
I hope they have more.
November 15th, 2012 at 12:03 pm
Hey Emm –
I have an HD4000 and Steadicam Pilot vest – in fact I got the idea from you! I modified it with a curved handle though.
Anyway, is this unit’s gimbal directly comparible to the glidecam in quality? The glidecam is quite good I think at the pricepoint, and very smooth. But the lack of adjustability has always bugged me – I was thinking of selling the glidecam and getting this, to address that issue specifically. The only other issue – I’ve modded the glidecam by drilling out a hole and passing an HDMI cable through the inside, for a monitor on the sled (works well) – not sure if that’s possible with a carbon post.
November 15th, 2012 at 12:06 pm
@Bob – The Gimbal on here is very smooth, but overall this stabilizer is not the same build quality of the Glidecam. As mentioned in my post, the lower sled uses a thinner metal which I can physically bend if I wanted to, and there were some small paint blemishes.
November 15th, 2012 at 12:45 pm
Emm!
I bet I’m not the only one to wonder which handle and which cheap vest (1-arm? 2-arms?) should work effectively for the BMCC. I know,I know,I know — these are hardly more available than magic carpets, and may not be for a long time to come, but I have it from you that effective flying requires many months of steady practice, so needs to get underway early.
BMCC = 3.75 lb, a heavy lens say Zeiss 21mm Distagon or CP2 would add 1.5 to 2.2 lbs, and I guess that you could better estimate the weight of matte box w/ filters, perhaps focus gear wouldn’t be required since it can’t be worked while stabilized. An external monitor mounted on the sled might be a wash, weight-wise.
Q2: what would be some of the best ways to add weight to a lighter DSLR with this rig?
Finally: just how important is IS while shooting stabilized? Does it seriously change around a certain (crop-factored) focal length, in your experience? The prospect of dispensing with this expensive feature opens up a whole world of sometimes cheaper and very often better glass.
November 15th, 2012 at 3:21 pm
@Jerry Also – Sounds like a very top heavy setup you’re trying to work with on the BMCC, Matte, Zeiss, etc. It doesn’t sound like a Glidecam HD4000 would even be suffice. For adding additional weight to a DSLR setup, you could start with a battery grip, add on a quick release base plate system, and of course a good solid lens. I will have to test more on the vest to see what I can do to smooth out the spring tension when I get back to the studio.
Oh and if you have a proper stabilizer (a.k.a Steadicam) setup, then Image Stabilization is not required. IS is very good at micro vibration control which is not the same movement an unbalanced stabilizer will have.
November 16th, 2012 at 6:39 am
Just one simple question for those who bought the vest+arm too.
Nyone knows i this arm will fit corretly with a Glidecam HD2000? ( hole size, etc) .
Thanks a lot
November 16th, 2012 at 9:50 am
Curses! I just pulled the trigger on the 400$ Single-arm vest, with the FlyCam C5. >_<
Oh well. Maybe I can sell it locally if I pick up one of these dual-arm setups instead. Will be looking for reviews from the guys that early-adopted this one!
-S
November 16th, 2012 at 9:58 am
@Fender – Yes it will fit in the Glidecam Handle, but the Glidecam handle is a little bigger. Not really a problem and it doesn’t shift around due to the weight of the Glidecam.
November 18th, 2012 at 3:30 pm
The combo is running around 640 shipped. This seems like an incredible deal, Does anybody have experience with the cheapo vests? Issues?
November 18th, 2012 at 6:18 pm
Hmmm. On my browser it’s about $780 for the combo. I wonder how the vest compares to one Emm reviewed here earlier. That one seemed acceptable for my needs. I do notice that this one has the two stage arm which may correct some of the issues others found with the single stage Oprima unit. If someone has a review or video on this Wieldy vest send it along. $780 is not an impulse buy!
November 18th, 2012 at 9:48 pm
I think the one for 640 is a different stabilizer.
Also, looks like there are currently 3 new units in stock.
November 24th, 2012 at 5:16 am
i was thinking of gettng something like this.
anyone know if the double arm and vest will work with the Flycam Nano DSLR?
November 24th, 2012 at 10:02 am
@Mad – It will work with the Flycam Nano handle, but I don’t know how much minimum weight the double arm vest requires to operate smoothly.
November 24th, 2012 at 11:37 am
I just ordered the Wieldy Steadicam. I was going to buy a Merlin Arm Vest and adapt that but do you think the Wieldy Arm Vest might be OK? Anyone using the Wieldy Arm Vest?
November 24th, 2012 at 8:01 pm
Hi emm, what’s heavier C5 or wieldy? i have small arm and i get tired easily using C5 with 4 weights total, 5dmk2 and 16-35 lens plus 577 manfrotto adapter and plates combo. thanks
November 24th, 2012 at 10:01 pm
Ordered the Wieldy Stabilizer a few days ago. Says it will get here around the 14th of Dec. I’ll do a review and some tests when it gets here!
November 24th, 2012 at 10:47 pm
@Rogie – I have not used a C5, but the Wieldy is not very heavy (without the weights)
November 25th, 2012 at 2:26 am
@Michael Kleven I’m interested to find out about the Wieldy double arm vest too. Have you done anymore research on this? The footage I’ve seen looks pretty good. (I have the wieldy iron triangle on its way)
November 25th, 2012 at 8:26 pm
after using it heavily this weekend, I found it to be very stable and got very smooth shots from it.
I run a 5d mk III + 24-70 with 2 weights on each side,
balancing was a breeze with the fine tuning knobs
Emm, can you explain what moving the weights out further does? (closer or further away from the center pole)
thanks
November 25th, 2012 at 8:34 pm
@impoze – Good question. I’m no expert, but i’ve built my own DIY stabilizers in the past. From my experience it will prevent the stabilizer from ‘twitching’ side to side by spreading the center weight into a large spread weight. The twitching especially happens as you walk or run. Maybe one day i’ll do a video example of how the twitching can be replicated and how it can be corrected by spread weights.
November 25th, 2012 at 10:30 pm
thanks,
yeah, I’ve spread them out further and it seemed to be a lot more stable than my previous flycam nano DSLR flying the same setup
also just a tip, I balanced it first with 3 plates on each side and I couldn’t hold it much longer than 30 seconds,
2 plates makes a lot of difference!
November 26th, 2012 at 12:23 am
I asked one Wieldy supplier on ebay about the Double Arm Vest and he said, the DSLR is too light for it. Will investigate further.
November 26th, 2012 at 1:00 am
Sorry, I think I’m confusing the two stage arm for double arm. I’m looking at the single arm. The Wieldy looks very similar to the cheap arm vest @emm reviewed before.
I’m pretty keen on the Wieldy Arm Vest to go with my Iron Triangle I’m just waiting for some more ‘hands on reviews’ or insight from anyone on here. But If the Merlin is better adapted. Need to figure this out… big difference in price.
November 26th, 2012 at 1:00 am
@Paul Abrahams – I had already thought the single arm vest spring was too strong for a light DSLR, so it makes sense that the dual arm would be also. There is another vest which is different than the one I tried which I can’t seem to find any tests or reviews about. I’m wondering if the springs will be any different.
Here’s the single arm vest I tried: http://cheesycam.com/cheap-video-stabilizer-load-vest/
Here’s the dual arm version of that same vest: http://www.ebay.com/item20cdc49ec2
Here’s a different ’single arm vest’ that I can’t find much information on: http://www.ebay.com/item121025619171
Here’s the dual arm version of that vest: http://www.ebay.com/item140891263129
November 26th, 2012 at 2:48 am
Hey @emm I’ve been checking that one out. I guess it all depends on the spring tension. After watching the Wieldy Videos with the single arm vest and DSLR, it looks the good so far. I’ve emailed Cheung Frederic who I bought the iron triangle from and though they are not in the store he does sell the Vests.
November 26th, 2012 at 2:56 am
@Paul Abrahams – Well hopefully I’ll have an update on that smaller dual arm in a week or so.
November 26th, 2012 at 6:46 am
thanks emm.
any reason you or anyone else would recommend using the stabilizers that come with these vests and arms over the flycam nano dslr? im thinking of getting the whole package and just selling the nano
how about you impoze?
November 26th, 2012 at 8:59 am
@mad – The Wieldy is good, we know that. Just have to find the right vests now. The vests can work with many different types of stabilizers, they are not just designed to be used for one. The Wieldy handle is similar to the Glidecam, so a Glidecam will also work on those vests.
November 26th, 2012 at 10:48 pm
Here’s a video for those that haven’t seen it, with the Wieldy Kit these guys are flying some long lenses too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqaX3JYp0f8&feature=relmfu
Cheung Frederic got back to me and said he can sell me the Wieldy Single Arm Vest approx: USD$333 plus shipping. He also said he won’t list it on ebay only deal direct via paypal.
I’ve been buying on ebay since 2002 and over the years bought from Amazon and other websites but I don’t feel safe buying something without eye balling the product first.
I want to know I’m getting the SAME arm vest as in the video. I can’t be reassured of that without a listing on ebay showing photos AND a link to said video or at least a website/blog.
sigh… Do I have to be the guinea pig? lol
November 27th, 2012 at 7:09 am
I own Flycam C5 and Wieldy HDV PRO and Wieldy dual arm vest.I purchased them in ebay and imported to Japan.
And I had owned Glidecam HD1000(I lost it in Thailand last year.)
I have been using Wieldy HDV PRO and dual arm vest for just a week.
I think Wieldy stabilizer is better than C5 and HD1000.
Wieldy gimbal is much more smooth than C5’s.
Light body makes using comfortable without arm vest long time.
Only bad point of Wieldy is product intensity.
The top plate(includes adjusting system) is made from aluminium so I am afraid to use heavy camera.
C5 and HD1000 are much more solid.
And Wieldy dual arm vest is not bad.
However spring tension is too strong to balance light weight cameras even if I adjust springs loosest.
Maybe 5Dmk2/24-105L is the lightest system to balance.
But I can fly smoother without arm vest now.
I realise it needs more training to use arm vest.
p.s.
I am sorry but I can not speak and write English well.
November 28th, 2012 at 2:16 am
Well, I’ve taken the plunge and ordered the Wieldy Single Arm Vest will keep you guys informed and do a review after it arrives.
Signed
The Guinea Pig
November 28th, 2012 at 8:06 am
@Paul Abrahams – Which vest did you pick up exactly? They seem to be rebranding products lately and there are two different vests out there.
November 28th, 2012 at 11:18 am
@Paul Abrahams, did you end up buying through ebay?
what was the guys ebay name that you were dealing with? i too got offered a vest, stabilizer and double arm direct through paypal. i asked what brand was the vest and the guy sent me a pic saying Wieldy. the vest had the Wieldy brand on it but i noticed it looked exactly like the one in this ebay listing…
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-7kg-Load-Carbon-Fiber-Stabilizer-Steadicam-Camera-Video-Steadycam-Vest-Arm-/121029756279?pt=UK_Camera_Video_Lights&hash=item1c2def8577
when i brought this to the guys attention he replied “that guy is funny. always steals other guys pictures.”
thanks
November 29th, 2012 at 2:06 am
I ordered through Orpheus_c on ebay who has the youtube channel under name Cheung Frederic? I bought the Wieldy Stabilizer from his ebay store and then the 1.5k-5k Single Arm Vest Direct using paypal.
@mad It does look very similar to the one you are referring to. It wouldn’t surprise me if its the same manufacturer.
I was very impressed with the footage those guys were getting, as good as any I’ve seen around. I’m hoping I’ve made the right decision and I can get similar results.
November 29th, 2012 at 2:09 am
@emm I messaged Frederic on ebay and spoke about the Wieldy products in the videos we have all seen. Thats the Vest he offered me and fingers crossed, thats what I get…lol In those videos its the single arm vest.
Soon find out
December 5th, 2012 at 3:50 am
Wieldy Stabilizer & Vest arrived today and took about 4 days to get here in Australia. Even though I ordered a few days apart both were shipped together. Good job. Packaged well for the journey and its looks like customs had a good look at the box containing the Arm Vest. They probably thought it was a weapon…lol
The Arm Vest is just like in the video, a mix of velcro & buckles. Can be adjusted to suit. The arm is the double length arm with a single spring. I put the Stabilizer together and put on my canon 60D + 17-55mm lens. I’ve never flown or seen a stabilizer and without any written instructions it took me a few hours to get it close enough to balance and hold.
I’m going to do some research and make sure I have the gimble and other items in the right place. Seems to be working but I did need to make adjustments to the base plate to get it sitting right to balance my above set up. Once I got that close I noticed the micro adjustments (if you can call them that) front to back are good. The left to right however has less adjustment. I don’t have another stabilizer to compare but I think its well made.
Its going to take me a while to pull off any worth while shots… lol but like most new skills it takes a while to get used to it and to gain muscle memory. (like playing guitar or driving a car)
The Arm vest feels like it would work even better with a slightly heavier setup. I have it set just about on the springs loosest setting. I may try adding some weight to the stabilizer. I also need to work out the best way to go from the Wieldy to tripod or hand held, QR plate perhaps?
All in all for the price, I think its a great starter fly kit. I tried the flyer on the vest and walked around for a few minutes here and there taking it off and adjusting. My lower back started to hurt as all of the weight is on the front. Part of that was me letting the camera move out too far from my body.
By flying, I mean just around the house wondering how the hell guys get these things to behave!
I ordered the Bag as well, which can carry the Arm Vest, Stabilizer and bunch of other gear. Its a large bag.
I was seriously considering the Merlin Pilot but right now I’m happy to train on the Wieldy and see how much I like or need this look in my videos.
If you have any questions I’ll do my best to answer.
Btw: orpheus_c (frederic) on ebay was great to deal with, he even refunded me about $18 as the postage cost worked out a little cheaper than first calculated.
April 23rd, 2013 at 4:34 am
Can anyone who has the stabilizer tell me whether the mounting plate can fit a 3/8″ screw through it? it’s for the manfrotto QR adapter that I need to secure it too.
April 23rd, 2013 at 2:54 pm
@Zhen Jie – It is not large enough, but I don’t see why you can’t drill it to make it larger.