Shoulder rig?

A shoulder rig will probably be really awkward while skiing. If you like DIYs I would recommend checking out the $40 glidecam thread, and making one of those, just because a Glidecam is so expensive

yea thats what i was leaning towards

combination of both is best IMO. And tripod is your best friend, don't forget it.

what do you mean by this?

as in you have a glide cam AND a shoulder rig, not at the same time :P But before all this a good tripod is key

meh not really, i had a glidecam far before i had a decent tripod. Depends on what your needs are i suppose.

I just think that you can do a lot more with only a tripod and no glidecam than vice versa.

Shoulder rigs are kinda nice for certain situation, but for skiing id rather just hold my camera in my hands. Shoulder rigs are best for shooting documentaries or interviews without a tripod, etc

this.



OP since you are comparing a glidecam and shoulder rig, you should be warned that they work in very different ways. maybe these pros and cons will help make the differences more clear

Glidecam:
-Heavy. Requires a lot of concentration and is difficult to use for long periods of time. Also difficult to point in multiple direction quickly because of how it works.
-Intended for smooth shots where you have your path planned out ahead of time. Ideally you won't be pointing the camera in many different directions.

Shoulder rig:
-Not nearly as smooth as a Glidecam, but much easier to use for long periods of time.
-Very easy to walk around with and is much more versatile as a stabilizer. However, your shots won't be nearly as smooth.

Devices like the Glidecam were designed for very specific shots in films such as following a character walking. Outside of skiing (or other action sports), it's highly unusual to see people using a glidecam for nearly every shot. While a glidecam could be used for a few super smooth shots in a film, you could use a shoulder rig to shoot an entire film, especially for documentary work. With a Glidecam this would be totally impractical.

TL;DR - If super smooth skiing shots are what you're looking for, get a Glidecam. If you want a versatile stabilization device that won't be quite as smooth but will be useful in many situations outside of skiing, get a shoulder rig.