Camera stabilization Flycam 5000 and comfort arm vest review

[AlkimyDeal]

This is my least favorite design of steadycam. I suggest others look into the Cam Cadddie Scorpion. it's affordable and very effective. Perfect for anyone searching for an independent setup.

[TheRealColeKane]

I'm not trying to tell a man his business but guiding the sled with your other hand comprimises the physics of the stablization process. You have taught yourself to walk properly but your sled is too bottom heavy and that causes the slight side to side teeter. Properly balance the sled, hold it in one hand and flycam will appear to float on air!

[MaximoBrazil2000]

Hi Rick. Me again. The camera shakes even when I walk. It is not a question of practice...I see people running and the camera flows like a river...I don't understand. When I hang the flycam from a plan surface it doesn't bend right-left, neither front-back. It means it's balanced isn't it? Are the other videos cheating?

[MaximoBrazil2000]

Hi Rick, I cannot balance my Flycam 5000; I'm using a very light camera: Panasonic HDC TM700. If I balance it right-left; the back-front balance doesn't work and vice-versa. Is it because my camera? I have been suffered a lot. Thks.

[rickvanman]

@MaximoBrazil2000 tray strapping some extra weight to the camera side of the sled

[tinotrivino]

Rick, People like you helped us a lot.. thanks a lot that there are people like you in Youtube .D

[MisterBark]

you are not supposed to touch the balancing part linked to the camera ! you just kill the efficient of the system.

[tinotrivino]

@MisterBark nothing happens if he touches it with some fingers... its even recommended

[MrTWHall]

I saw your post on DVXUser. Right off the bat in your video I can see that you're holding it in the wrong place. You're going to want to control your panning by holding the post DIRECTLY below the gimbal, as close to the bearing as possible. This will dramatically cut down on your swaying. When you release the arm, does it shoot up, forcing you to hold it down while operating? The weight of the Flycam+Camera should be all the weight necessary to stretch the springs in the arm to horizontal.

[raphabadboy]

Hi rick,

i nees urgent help. my video is jumpy :=(

Waht to do to get no jumpy footage? horizontal seems to be ok, but everytime when i walk my footage jump :=( please help me.. i have to record a clip on friday.. cine city is great

[rickvanman]

It's all down to the techniqie of the operator. keep your knees bent when walking. think and act "glide".

Try filming without the vest arm (just holding the camera with your own arm.

[raphabadboy]

hi rick, yes im walking very very slow.. but its still jumping.. withou the vest i get better shots but its to heavy for shot 30 minutes..

must the arm move up and down when i'm walking? because if i walk now the arm don't move. i tried to play with the feather bolt but it does not help. please help me

[rickvanman]

Ideally you need a vest with a double jointed support arm (i.e. 2 seperate arms) - it's virtually impossible to get dead smooth footage from the single arm models because there are not enough pivot points to completely eliminate your body movement.

You can get reasonably smooth footage from the flycam and vest but it does take a lot of practice to get it right. You will get better results by not using the support arm.

[gpwhitem]

Great video. Quick question, I'm having trouble attaching the my flycam5000 to the arm. Your flycam appears to have a hole in the handle. Did you drill that, or is there something I'm missing?

[rickvanman]

I seem to recall cutting some of the grip off the handle before realising the pin was upside down and I didnt need to do that. definitely didnt drill anything. keep playing with it, and i'm sure the correct configuration will eventually become apparent as it did with mine.

[bluewiz20films]

what cam do you use and does it have a mic input jack?

[kish2]

Nice demo.

I must admit getting a bit impatient to see images shot with the flycam. You got me waiting 4 minutes for them :)

Thanks.

[mannyhall]

Rick,

Have you compare this flycam with glidecam (2000 or 4000)? I'm a bit worry about the quality and the smoothness of this flycam (since it's a copy of glidecam).

[flashgunfilms]

I currently have a canon xm2 - but I may be buying an XL2/HD cam next year. Does this fit with both?

[RaceClassicTV]

looks like you've had the Flycam 5000 for about a year now, will you be doing a follow-up video on what you think of it now, how it's held up, tips, tricks etc. I'd be very interested to hear someones view who's now had an opportunity to use one for a while.

[niallswand]

if you type flycam 5000 into google this video is the first result.

Niall

[niallswand]

also, incase you don't know, thecinecity use this video on their youtube account.

[rickvanman]

Hi Niall - yes I made it for them - thats how I got my Flycam!

[niallswand]

Oh right. Woops. Sorry for me intruding in your life.

Niall

[rickvanman]

d;o)

[paralion1]

hi there. i just got the flycam 5000 and can't figure out how to assemble the flycam to the vest system. do i have to take of the grip of the flycam? or the foam thats covering it? if yes, how. it seems impossible without force...

[rickvanman]

dont make the same mistake i did - i ended up cutting the bottom 2 inches off the foam grip before I realised that the fat part of the dowell simply sits up inside the handle tube.

If the handle has an end-cap, simply remove it.

The dowell has a fat and a thin part - the thin part isnt really used for anything - the fat part is held upright on the end of the spring arm, and the flycam handle (tube) sits onto it.

hope this helps.

Rick.

[Fagottron]

Could you use this with something a little more heavy duty? Like say... a Sony PMW-EX1?

[jazz4]

It is still not smooth, i think this is down to your camera weight being too light.

[michaellaumy]

how about Steadicam Merlin or Steadicam Pilot??

[rickvanman]

If you can afford them, go for it. I only do filmmaking on a low-budget.

[wingrove]

Rick you will get 500% better results by controlling the camera by lightly grabbing around the "gimbal" not lower on the camera pole. by holding the pole lower down as you are you are actually killing some of the stability. Look at a feww steadicam online how tos and GENTLY hold the gimble.. letting the flycam do the work. cheers

[rickvanman]

thanks for the tips

[stefanngr]

My camera system (with dof-adapter) weighs about 9-9,5 lbs. Do you think it`s to heavy for the flycam 5000?

[rickvanman]

sorry, I am unsure of this information, it's better to ask the company that make them (thecinecity)

[DragonSteadycam]

Ebay has two shops. The first is thecinecity, and the second is called DV-shop23. Which is the right one?

[rickvanman]

I think it's the same company.

[DragonSteadycam]

good Video!!!

[redtail5]

hey rick, i'm thinking about buying a stabilizer from the cinicity, but i have a few questions...

how well dose the fly cam owrk without the arm/ vest(expensive)(asied from the tired arms)?

how dose the flycam compair with the uflycam?

what do you think is better the body pod, or the arm brace?

i realy want this one, but witha new camera i can aford it :(

[rickvanman]

Hi Red.

The flycam 5000 is definately better than the U-flycam, but you have to balance it right or your results will make your viewers seasick with the swaying pendulum effect. (took me ages to suss out how to balance it properly, but I can now advise you on that when needed). I dont know about the body pod or arm brace (never used them) but the support vest (this video)is only really good for supporting the camera weight if filming for a long time -you get much smoother results without it.

[rickvanman]

with some minor modifications to the handle receptor you could probably get the U-flycam to sit onto the vest assembly, but you will have a nightmare keeping the camera steady. I don't think it will work beyond supporting the weight of the camera.

[teodoro1980]

I have this, I really like it. this guy has a handycam on it though, it works better when the camera is about 3-5lbs. his camera would shake with it because its too light.

[redtail5]

im curently trying to make one of these it wont be as good but i think it will be better than a boor mans stedi cam

[staytone]

Do you have any tips on how to balance it?

[rickvanman]

yes - use less weight than you think you need.

You should be able to move forward without the bottom end "dragging" behind. The whole unit should move forward without any sort of pendulum effect.

Hope this helps.

[staytone]

yes it does, thank you.

[icorry]

It is literally an exact functional copy of the name brand glidecam and the verizoom DV Sportster.

However i am in the market for a SteadyCam Merlin right now and i am looking to sell my Flycam and Vest. Should anyone be interested in buying one used, i will give you an even better price than the Cine City. Message me for more details and some samples of the films i have used this amazing system on.

I have shot many flawless shots on this system on only a month or so of fooling with it.

[DartBoardStudios]

how much are you selling the system for? we could use it!

[ipmaster]

U-Flycam or Flycam 500 without the comfort vest and arm ?

[ipmaster]

5000* sorry

[rickvanman]

For the best budget option, my personal opinion would be to go for the flycam 5000 without the vest.

[mistybluecanal]

yes i had bought on too but i never got around in using this but now i am not so scared in using this as you make it look so easy, really appreciate you effort in this, nice one rick

[staytone]

Do you think it could handle a XL2.

[rickvanman]

I think they have a model designed for the XL2 you'll need to contact the manufacturer direct. (ebay - DV-shop23)

[AMattDavidFilm]

I just ordered the Flycam 6000 series w/vest. Very excited, though I imagine the practice time I'll need to log in will be somewhat extensive.

[gnomespa]

Great videos! Just wondering, if you let go of the handle, will the camera drop or will it stay where you left it?

[rickvanman]

It will stay there - it is fully supported. The hands are just used to guide and steady the camera. Actually, apparently, the lower hand is supposed to be higher up( near the gimble).

[pdelatorremtz]

thanks...

really appreciate your reviews...

best regards, from Mexico..

[pdelatorremtz]

Rick, which one is better? the U-Flycam or the flycam 5000?

thanks a lot... really good job...

[rickvanman]

flycam 5000 if you can afford it

[theSmoogal]

Nice one :D

[clicktoneproductions]

Thanks for a really good object review of this product.

[russthedutch]

So have you dumped your u-flycam and upgraded to this one then?!

[rickvanman]

sure have

[Pookieftw]

Really nice review.

[xxSniperK2xx]

The equipment is very comfortable to wear (even if you do feel like Robocop when walking around...lol)

[lsw24]

thank you....

[lsw24]

thanks for the intro...

what the mattebox for?

is there any different with a poor man steady cam with the fly cam?

hope to hear from you soon....

[rickvanman]

Hi, the mattebox is both a lense-hood and a filter holder and also makes your camera look really cool!

The flycam is a lot better than the poor mans steadicam as it has multi-axis support on a bearing system rather than just a hand gripping the tubes of a poor mans steadicam. I would definately reccommend if you can afford one.