Cheesycam DIY Stabilizer

Videos and Articles about the DIY Cheesycam Video Camera stabilizer steadicam project

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The GH2 or other small video cameras are very lightweight and the selection for a quality stabilizer are few. Lately, there's been some interest around modifying a Steadicam Smoothee to work with such light cameras. I was able to modify one successfully, but I never got around to showing it's full capabilities. So it's great to see other examples out there, and here's one of the best videos i've seen so far about a modified Smoothee (a.k.a Baby Merlin) with a GH2 camera from Vimeo member MKVideoFilms.

If you want to find out how to modify your own, there's an article posted here: http://cheesycam.com/diy-steadicam-smoothee-mod-cheesycam-baby-merlin/

GoPro-Steadicam-Smoothee-DIY-Steadicam
find-price-button Steadicam Smoothee for GoPro and iPhone

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YouTube member dim3m has got the right idea on using the Pico Flex Table Dolly. And on that note, keep watch on this blog. Orders should begin opening up again in anytime now..... [Thanks dim3m]

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pico-dolly-loaded

Here's the latest update. Thanks to those who have placed a pre- order with the Pico Flex Table dolly. Assembly and packaging is still underway. We estimated that shipping would begin by September 12th. While many items have already shipped (earlier than expected), shipping will continue according to the date the order was placed, but some items could ship just a few days after our estimated September 12th.

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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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Jason wanted to see the 717AH fluid head mounted to the Pico. Here's a video clip showing the mount and how much area is left. The 717AH has the same base diameter as most video fluid heads so a variety should be able to fit without issues.

Now going back to using friction arms, many people have asked about a way to mount their iPhone or similar HD Video device. Here i'm showing a universal quick camera clamp that can adapt to literally any cellphone or small camera. There is very little spring tension so it won't crush your device. The device stays inside the clamp through the angled design and with rubber grip pads. I also show my Sony HX9V mounted to the clamp. We're hoping to make these clamps available at PhotographyandCinema.com soon.

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pico-dolly-loaded

Sorry everyone, I didn't expect the Pico to become so popular in just two days. There was only a small count of Pico Dollies manufactured and it's expected to sell out soon. There will indeed be another batch order (no ETA yet) which will then be open to International Shipping. To be notified when International Shipping is available, you can add your email to the subscription list here: https://www.photographyandcinema.com/index.php/international

Also since there were many orders placed without the optional friction arm, the website has been updated at some point so that the excess Friction arms can be purchased separately from here: https://photographyandcinema.com/

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Another practice run on the Electric Skateboard. I'm determined to learn how to ride this thing, and I think I'm getting pretty comfortable. I picked up quickly for someone who never really knew how to skate. I had to warm up a 21 year old car and decided it would be fun to chase it around. Surprisingly this car still gets her 35+ MPG and passed the smog so clean, the Smog techs were in awe. Keep in mind i'm still not shooting with a Video camera Stabilizer, this is all with a short Velbon UltraStick monopod and the Sony HX9 point and shoot camera. The full 1080/60p helps with these moving shots. I'm almost pretty comfortable to take out my Steadicam Vest and Glidecam setup, so that should yield much better results.

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find-price-button Sony DSC-HX9 Digital Camera Full 1080 60p

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Wondlan Shoulder Rig
find-price-button Wondlan DSLR Sniper Plus Support Full Shoulder Rig

Wondlan's earliest DSLR products were pretty blah, but when they started pushing out their 'sniper' or 'target shooter' type rigs, they started making a bit of noise in the scene. My guess is they are doing pretty well since they are now expanding their lineup of previously only small parts. In 2011, here's one of their latest Full Shoulder rigs. Yes, everything you see above (except camera & battery pack) is part of the package including shoulder pad, extended handles, matte box, battery mount, top handle, LCD Monitor, and follow focus w/ whip. I personally don't think it's very aesthetically appealing in turquoise/silver, but Wondlan's new rigs are often being compared to Gini's quality. Current price not so exciting...

Another new product for Wondlan is their 'Leopard Vest system' (happy it's not in actual leopard print). The cheapest off the shelf vest systems still run over $1200, but are pretty much crap. If Wondlan's latest vest system is anything like their shoulder rig quality, the price doesn't seem too overkill.

Wondlan Leopard Steadicam Stabilizer
find-price-button Wondlan DSLR Leopard Vest Video Camera Stabilizer

It almost comes close to the total price of my Hybrid system using a Steadicam Vest & Glidecam HD4000. Wondlan's Leopard Vest system is spec'd out to handle 10 pound loads, comes with a Monitor and Matte Box (most likely does not come with a V mount battery). It will probably be a while before we see any video reviews on this, but if you happen to run into something, leave them in the comments.

Wondlan Leopard Vest System
find-price-button Wondlan DSLR Leopard Vest Video Camera Stabilizer

Another video with a few different additions to the DIY DSLR Cage project. This time, YouTube member browncowvideo uses a Miter Track channel for the top rail. This allows the mounted accessories to be adjusted left and right. Another added addition is the swing out feet that allows you to rest the Cage on a flat surface, a very simple yet functional idea. [Thanks Brian]