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Glidecam vs tripod

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SkiJay.
Posts: 1550 - Karma: 653

im looking to get some sort of stabilizaton for this upcoming ski season and right now, my choices are the Sachtler Ace tripod or a glidecam. I have a 60d with a 18-135 kit, 55-250 tele, and 75-300 tele. not much other camera gear. What do you recomend? im mostly going to be filming skiing.

Oct 3 2011 4:24PM
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andstuff
Posts: 1118 - Karma: 61
Tripod, hands down. This shouldn't even be a question...
Oct 3 2011 4:25PM
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the.cheat
Posts: 2859 - Karma: 171
. go with the ace, don't even think about a glidecam till you're quite proficient with a tripod.
Oct 3 2011 4:30PM
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kootenayklaus
Posts: 3914 - Karma: 2,179
Bingo.

As a little side note, you seem to be not liked by some people in M+A, but I feel like you're one of the more knowledgeable, contributing, and wittier members on here. You have my seal of approval. (which doesn't actually mean shit...)
Oct 3 2011 5:46PM
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SkiJay.
Posts: 1550 - Karma: 653
Thanks guys, i think this answered my question pretty easily
Oct 3 2011 5:51PM
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1337
Posts: 31054 - Karma: 29,240
lol@not knowing that landis is varsity
Oct 3 2011 6:25PM
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[evan]
Posts: 5628 - Karma: 117
I still have about ____________________ that much idea of who this Landis character is. I found his Vimeo and he has some damn good videos and a sick last name, but like he's so mysterious.
Oct 3 2011 6:49PM
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the.cheat
Posts: 2859 - Karma: 171
its mostly noobs who think they're right.
Oct 3 2011 7:33PM
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kootenayklaus
Posts: 3914 - Karma: 2,179
lol@you thinking i pay attention to NS more than I pay attention to my life.
Oct 3 2011 7:36PM
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family_vacation
Posts: 6200 - Karma: 7,840
n00b!

and as everyone else said, the tripod comes before the glidecam. Period.
Oct 3 2011 7:50PM
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WillStart
Posts: 3955 - Karma: 3,192
if you were older you would know more about him, so don't feel bad.



in short, he was one of the first kids to push ski filmmaking to the next level and actually take the time to make it artistic. i just remember seeing the neon trailer back in the day and getting ridiculously stoked. then he disappeared for a while, and now he's back, which is tight!
Oct 3 2011 8:12PM
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ZachMcCarthy1
Posts: 469 - Karma: 432
make a DIY glide cam and buy a tripod
Oct 3 2011 8:56PM
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blatt
Posts: 5584 - Karma: 3,097
Makes me ponder...

Glidecam HD or Sachtler Ace... what to upgrade to next...
Oct 3 2011 8:58PM
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TaranItUp
Posts: 1313 - Karma: 802
Is it Landis Tanaka, Slandypoo? Sorry if I just exposed his name but just wondering, because slandypoo kinda disapeared.
Oct 3 2011 9:03PM
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andstuff
Posts: 1118 - Karma: 61
No.
Oct 4 2011 7:06PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
eh, i wouldn't say that. Which ever he will use more should come first
Oct 4 2011 7:17PM
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family_vacation
Posts: 6200 - Karma: 7,840
I would stand behind that 100%. haha
Oct 4 2011 7:20PM
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erikK
Posts: 3245 - Karma: 2,328
If he's filming skiing 100% then maybe that would make sense.
Oct 4 2011 7:33PM
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SkiJay.
Posts: 1550 - Karma: 653
well i'd say id be filming skiing about 75-80%, but i do have a cheap $50 tripod that i use to take pictures
Oct 4 2011 11:39PM
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eheath
Posts: 61603 - Karma: 123,089
You have no fucking idea what the fuck you are talking about Thomas, stop giving shitty advice.
Oct 4 2011 11:41PM
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Mkvackay
Posts: 1903 - Karma: 5,465
i really don't think this applies here. There is no logical explanation why a beginning videographer should start on a glidecam. To me that is idiotic
Oct 5 2011 12:17AM
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1337
Posts: 31054 - Karma: 29,240
thomas, please please please don't give video advice.
Oct 5 2011 12:21AM
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blatt
Posts: 5584 - Karma: 3,097
quoting b/c I want some internet opinions
Oct 5 2011 12:35AM
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andstuff
Posts: 1118 - Karma: 61
A video that is 100% tripod shots can be amazing. A video that is 100% glidecam cannot.

Also, a tripod will allow you to learn fundamental composition principles. With a glidecam, you are only going to get frustrated at this point, and spend more time trying to get your shots steady than actually learning the basics.
Oct 5 2011 1:21AM
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DIX~
Posts: 4695 - Karma: 6,502
You're gonna want to get a fluid head
Oct 5 2011 2:48AM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
My post is based off straight logic. Invest in what you will use most first, why would you buy something that you won't use as much as something else first, that's just stupid. If he is going to use a tripod more all around, then obviously go for that, but if he is going to use a GC more, then the logical thing to buy would be that.

Evan, suck my dick
Oct 5 2011 3:54AM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
also, did I specifically say get either? Nope, i posted a response that was a simple suggestion to take into account. So jamie/evan, shut up and learn to read, not everyone HAS to buy one thing first.

Perfect example(yes I know it's not filming, but same principle). I invested in a tripod because i thought i needed one, how often do I use it? rarely , how often do I use my monopod i acquired later? Far more. The logical thing would have been to buy the monopod first as I get more use out of it.

OP, as I suggested, buy what ever you will use most, chances are you will end up with both sooner or later, so which ever you will use most in the time being is what you should get. And only you can answer that, no one else.
Oct 5 2011 4:08AM
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eheath
Posts: 61603 - Karma: 123,089
Because NO ONE should only uses a fucking glide cam, especially a fucking beginning. YOU wouldn't know that because you don't know fucking shit, you watch videos on NS and just because every fucking kid makes edits with a glide cam DOES NOT mean this noob kid should spend 300-400 dollars on a tool he probably won't even learn to use until march or so and then hand holds the rest of his shit and it will suck. A tripod is the first thing any beginner film maker should ever buy and again YOU wouldn't know that. You think you're hot fucking shit bud cause your a photog who thinks he knows everything. You may know about photography and things related to it, but you blatantly don't know anything about video and you post ALL THE FUCKING TIME about video shit and you always give bad advice.

FOR A FILMER it is LOGICAL to buy a tripod over a glide cam, its NOT LOGICAL to only have a glide cam, period.


And, present it.
Oct 5 2011 4:16AM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
k, let me know when you are in town next
Oct 5 2011 4:19AM
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eheath
Posts: 61603 - Karma: 123,089
but really, you're a photog, stick to advice about photography. You giving video advice is like me giving photo advice. Would you let a accountant tell you how to kill someone? just like you wouldn't get a hitman to do your taxes (unless of course he was an accountant).
Oct 5 2011 4:22AM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,404
Do you see me giving video advice ever? Nope. Did i directly tell him what to get based off experience with either, nope. Did I give a logical answer that anyone, videographer or not would be able to give/understand? Yep. This kid obviously isn't a pro, he is doing this because he finds it fun, so he should buy what ever will be the most fun for him to use, because if he isn't having fun, he won't want to continue with this expensive hobby. That applies to a hell of a lot more then just video/photo stuff.

Also, your a videographer, I don't want to see you giving any photo advice if thats how you want to act
Oct 5 2011 4:29AM
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eheath
Posts: 61603 - Karma: 123,089
I think you're missing my point, its not logical or even reasonable to get only a glidecam. Despite what your "logic" is in the situation, despite if you weren't giving him video advice, you're wrong.

Sure, glide cams produce great shots in certain situations. But, as a growing film maker, you don't want to start with a glide cam. Not only are glide cams hard to use, but they are easy to abuse (guilty) and they're very limited in my opinion. Even if the kid thinks he's gonna use a glide cam more than a tripod, thats where he has gone astray and needs some guidance. Tripod shots 90% of the time will be the best shots any film maker will produce, period. There are so many options with a tripod and a glide cam is so limited and gets very old, a creative tripod shot never does, but the same creative glide cam shot does.

If the kid wants to buy a glide cam over a tripod, thats his choice but i will recommend he doesn't and buys a tripod first, especially if he is a beginner. Its not logical to buy a glide cam before a tripod, even if you might use the glidecam more, anyone who knows anything about film making will agree with me.

And i have never once given any photo advice outside of lenses, i never will because i recognize i don't know shit about photography minus what a basic digital photo college class taught me, which barely scratched the surface of "photography".
Oct 5 2011 4:39AM
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WillStart
Posts: 3955 - Karma: 3,192
.




the thing about glidecam vs tripod is that if you only have a tripod, and a certain shot would be cool with a glidecam, then eh it's a bummer you don't have one but you can make the shot look good some other way. but if you only have a glidecam and you need to do shots that aren't on a glidecam, you're pretty much fucked.
Oct 5 2011 6:09AM
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family_vacation
Posts: 6200 - Karma: 7,840
just going to continue to stand by my point, don't think anything else needs stated in this thread though.
Oct 5 2011 10:16AM
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andstuff
Posts: 1118 - Karma: 61
No. I'm sorry but you're just plain wrong here. With a glidecam he's restricting himself to no end with something with an insanely steep learning curve. A tripod is far more versatile, easier to learn, and is more conducive to learning the fundamentals.

Even if he wanted Glidecam shots, I would still tell him to get a tripod because edits that are 100% glidecam are boring. Deep down, experienced filmmakers secretly have an agenda that hopes newcomers will stay away from the typical shitty follow cam videos. If someone asked which fisheye to get for their first lens, I would tell them to get a 50mm.

Your answer is oversimplified and assumes OP has the sense to prioritize which equipment comes first, making it simply a matter of providing himself with whichever one he needs next. Not the case. OP is essentially asking which would be more useful to obtain first, and everyone here with video experience seems to agree that he needs a tripod.
Oct 5 2011 2:10PM
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