Tag Archives: Cheesycam

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One of the things that we've been working on for the past few weeks is a motorized, wirelessly controlled Cable Cam a.k.a. Skycam. These rigs fly a camera seamlessly across any distance using a rope line. Under the Cable Cam is a pan-tilt head to maneuver the camera position. We should have started the test without the camera mounted, and needless to say we've got a few bugs to work out!!

The problem we ran into was using a cheap Traxxas Remote and Receiver (old crystal type). There was too much interference that caused the motor to go out of control. After replacing our remote and receiver with a much more expensive 2.4GHZ version, we were outdoors flying our rig with no problems. Once we have the prototype finalized, we'll get this sucker into production and at the most affordable cost than any other motorized cable cam system on the market. I'm sure this will be something everyone will be excited about....

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Cable-Cam Prototype (can't show you too much...)

Here's an idea of the type of footage you can achieve with Cable Cam type systems (video below)

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A quick update about the Pico Flex Dolly. The first batch of pre-orders have already been completely purchased and should begin shipping (estimated) September 12th. The website is still taking orders for the next batch that should ship about 5-7 days after the first batch.

Here's some important information. The wheels might be a bottleneck for production until the supplier can catch up. We were able to make another small volume batch order very quickly before they ran out. So as of now, there is a limited quantity of complete Pico Flex Dollies available in the second batch. They are moving pretty quickly, so consider getting an order in while it's there. We are also hoping to make International Orders available this week. Found at https://photographyandcinema.com.

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find-price-button Pico Flex Table Dolly - PhotographyandCinema.com

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Here's a closer look at the inline version of the 'EVENT' DSLR rig from Express35. There is so many good things about this rig, but overall you'll find the price is the best part. Express35 stabilizers are made in the USA, and it's quality rivals many of the top local DSLR Stabilizer brands, and yet pricing competes with the cheapest of over seas rigs.

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This particular EVENT rig is designed for EVF or LCD Monitor use by keeping the camera in line over the shoulder. You can also use this setup with cameras that have Flip out LCD screens. The contoured shoulder pad wraps behind the shoulder (doesn't sit on top), and the counterweight that sits low balances the rig out even more. With the dual rods on the counterweight, you can offset this if you feel you need to shift it over more to one side. I prefer to have the weight adjusted to sit lower. You can also just shoot without the counterweight, and still have plenty points of contact for stabilizing your camera.

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Normally you'll see adjustable handles with some rigs, but those could have a tendency to reposition (slip) under weight. The Express35 XL HD handle is one solid piece which really adds to the whole stability of the rig. The 13" length and 4" offset design of the front handle makes it extremely comfortable to operate with less strain in your arm. There's a few optional pieces I suggest to really get this rig going. The optional top handle makes it easier for me to lift the rig on/off my shoulder or to hold the rig in a position for low shots. The optional tripod mount obviously makes it easier for you to get into tripod mode for some fluid panning (or just docking the rig). The 90 degree accessory rod clamp with stub makes it easy to attach or detach a 1/4-20 accessory. In this case i'm using a friction arm with Zacuto EVF with the rod clamp.

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The only other item I'm looking to add is a second handle. It's not necessary to have a second handle for stabilization when shooting video on this rig, but the second handle will allow me to place the rig on the floor without falling over. If you decide to look into Express35 gear, make sure you put in a good word about this Cheesycam blog. To find out the exact pieces that come with the EVENT, and optional accessories, check out Express35.com.

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find-price-button Express35.com EVENT Video camera Shoulder Rig.

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Our NAB2011 videos aren't all on the website just yet, but just wanted to thank Prodigy Studios for coming out and covering all the highlights and BTS footage of our trip. We covered lots of ground and got to meet all the good people behind some of the popular DSLR products including Cinevate, Konova, Jag35, WideOpenCamera, JuicedLink, Letus, Camera Motion Research, Varizoom, and more. [Thanks Waylon]

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Ok, I have to keep adding 'Roller bearing' to the description of this DSLR slider. Everyone keeps throwing in names like Igus and GlideTrack, but it's not the same. Those guys don't use actual 'Roller bearings'. I know all about the Igus based sliders, and you can find my version on this blog. My current fixation is about this particular 'Rolling Bearing' slider. If you've ever tried an actual roller bearing slider, you might not go back. The problem is that even the cheapest Roller bearing slider will run you close to $500 bucks. This is why I was excited to see something a lot cheaper show up online.

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So here it is, and what do you need to know? For starters, it's a great deal. Even after posting this slider up, I haven't seen anything else that can come close to this as far as features, build quality, and price. I'm sure i'm going to start getting some 'I made mine for this price...' comments, but unless you're selling it, i'm not considering it as a readily available option.

This slider has a solid rail, no flex. It has 1/4x20 & 3/8" threaded tripod mounts in the center, and on each end. It also has 1/4 x 20 & 3/8" threaded mounts on the sides for 'vertical' mounting. It comes with adjustable legs/feet that can be removed. There's also padded platforms that allow it to be used directly on any surface without worry of scratching or marking the area. There's a brake to lock down the carrier when it's not in use. It also comes with a very slick looking quality travel bag. The Slider moves very fluid with zero lash and can be adjusted if need be. It's also very lightweight, but feels like it can slide even heavier cameras than a DSLR.

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There is one thing to note. The platform is designed only for a 3/8" mount. This means you need a fluid head or some type of camera mount. You can't mount the camera directly to the platform. Not a deal breaker since most sliders require this anyway. The unit slides so easily, it would work perfectly for motion timelapse rigs. Any small motor can easily pull a heavy camera through it's entire rail. Overall it's more than I expected for the price. The first actual 'roller bearing' slider to break this price point, and here it is.

So another great cost saving product first introduced here on Cheesycam.com. If you want to show some support for what I do, hook a brotha up and link back to this article!

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find-price-button Konova DSLR Video Camera Slider

Konova Slider - via Amazon
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find-price-button KONOVA K Slider 3080 NA-8

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Yesterday was the holiday so mail wasn't running. This morning the first few items come in and they are both photography accessories to aid in Macro Photography. Actually i'm interested in testing one of these out as a video option. I'll keep you guessing for now, and open them up when I have time later today. Can't wait to test them out though!

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Click Images for Flickr

Posted by Tate Nations found in the comments section of this DIY DSLR Cage Fig Rig Stabilizer article. Wow I must admit, the black camera on red rig, with grey handles looks pretty sweet. Great job on this design Tate! You can find Tate's Flickr image here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/shockingbird/4911513235/in/photostream/

If you're looking to build your own, you can find that article I posted a while back here: http://cheesycam.com/cheesycam-exclusive-diy-dslr-cage-stabilizer/

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Wow, it's amazing how a simple product from the aisles of a home improvement store can be transformed into so many different things by so many different people. In Video world, this is actually becoming a quite popular little DIY stabilizer and feedback has been great about the stability of the tool. Here's a couple more rigs that are popping up.

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Kelly Bailey's DIY Rig

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Jonathan Olshefski's DIY Rig

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Franklin Anciano's DIY Rig

And here's a couple of Photos submitted by Sean Brown. The rig was used somewhere in their 'Lightface' film project.
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Check out the Video trailer below shot in what I believe is the Canon 550D / T2i. I get lots of emails, so if I've missed anyone else, or if you have one to share, let me know, thanks.