This type of stabilization is a conspiracy, by the secret order of boom operators. Steadicam made camera operators look like soldiers with heavy weapons and armor ready for battle, and nobody dared to block their path. Meanwhile, boom operators got kicked around for bothering the crew and cast with their fishing poles. Now, they made camera operators look like fish fishing themselves. It is all they could come up with..
I've really come to despise the way the camera "sways" on my easy rig. On a recent doc shoot I forgot to pack it in my car, and ended up handheld. While my back and arms were in pain, the footage was just....better. But rather than totally ditching the easy rig, which my body wouldn't be able to handle for long, I'm going out this week with a shoulder pad/easy rig combo. My idea is that the more contact the camera has with my body, the more it may mitigate the sway. Hoping I can find the middle ground between less stress of my body and controlled filming.
A three dollar external frame backpack from a thrift store and two salvaged tripod legs (square tubing) from a Slik, a couple “L” brackets and half an hour, and I made one. It works. Easily would hold ten + pounds, but I’ve just used it for lighter rigs. My arms are 76 years old, and they appreciate any relief.
Best invest I made so far, my back thanks me every day ! Especially when you think I ordered the Classic Easyrig like you and I received the Vario 5 with Stabil Arm for the same price ^^.
Production company I work with bought an Easyrig. As a Steadicam operator since the 90's I couldn't get used to it. All my body muscle memory was wrong and I hated the look, my handheld was/is a lot better :) Other camera people used it to start with but by the end of the year nobody was. They sold it shortly after. I haven't seen the guy who bought it using it. Really not for everyone.
Did you adjust the straps to your body shape? Both the chest and the waist strap should sit quite firmly to take the most weight off your arms and back.
Great but I still prefer shooting ENG style with my eye to the viewfinder and my hands on the camera that holding the camera in front me and looking at that damn screen. What about you? Do you prefer the easy rig to shooting ENG style?
Thank you for your comment! For us an Easyrig is really useful as our documentary work requires us to move quickly in an environment and hunt for the story where the scenario is ever changing. So for example we might need to hold a static shot on one group of people while looking over our shoulder to check if there is anything happening that we need to move to capture. To always have the eye on the screen is definitely the dream!
@@BenandJackStudio ah! I see! Great to know. Sometimes I open both eyes when shooting but having the flexibility of being more spatially aware makes sense
There is a difference in the movement of the camera on ENG vs Easy Rig. Its in the way the camera naturally sways, at least in my experience. Definitely prefer ENG full body contact style, but also am trying to save my body from certain deterioration with my easy-rig. So finding a middle ground I believe is key!
