Vertical Stabilizer

[klinkerhoffen]

Does anyone know where I could find a vertical stabilizer for a camera, i.e. it keeps the camera at a certain height even if the stabilizer is moved up for down.

[Musicat]

Are you thinking of a steadycam?

[Musicat]

Here’s a much cheaper one.

I bought a “poor man’s” steadycam long ago, made out of pipes and weights. Cost was $20.

[klinkerhoffen]

z axis stabilizer

[Bullitt]

@Musicat

Are you thinking of a steadycam?

Wasn’t that invented for the 1970s movie, Rocky? For the running-up-the-stairs scene?

[ftg]

The thread title makes this sound like an aircraft question, not a camera question.

[Musicat]

@Bullitt

Wasn’t that invented for the 1970s movie, Rocky? For the running-up-the-stairs scene?

According to this,

The Steadicam was introduced to the industry in 1975 by inventor and cameraman Garrett Brown, who originally named the invention the “Brown Stabilizer”. After completing the first working prototype, Brown shot a ten-minute demo reel of the revolutionary moves this new device could produce. This reel was seen by numerous directors, including Stanley Kubrick and John G. Avildsen. The Steadicam was subsequently licensed to and manufactured by Cinema Products Corporation, which later diversified the brand into a consumer line for DV cameras.

Steadycam is a staple of movie making nowadays. The professional models use a full-body mount on the videographer. Without that harness, the entire rig can get pretty heavy. Even my small one quickly gets tiring to hold. Basically, you’re doubling the weight of a large camera by adding weights on a pole.

[DPRK]

If the jitter is not too bad you could always apply some digital stabilization using a video editing program.