2010Cameras (Film/Video/HD) forum
Using high-speed video cameras at 900 fps on Steadicam rigs
16 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- High-speed cameras can be mounted and operated on Steadicam without fundamental technical obstacles beyond power management.
- Phantom cameras have been successfully used on Steadicam, particularly for vehicle-mounted work where vibration damping is needed.
- At very high frame rates, camera movement becomes minimal in the frame, so handheld or dolly approaches may sometimes be more practical than Steadicam depending on the desired effect.
- Phantom cameras require custom power solutions, with proprietary power cables needing to be fabricated for individual rigs or paired with Anton Bauer battery mounts.
- Phantom runtime with a Hytron 140 battery is adequate for typical shooting days, and sufficient Cinemag magazines must be available to handle recording needs.
Depends on
- The discussion mentions Phantom cameras specifically but does not cover other high-speed camera models.
- Power cable solutions are specific to Phantom rigs and may not apply to other systems.
- The practical benefits of Steadicam versus handheld for high-speed work depend on shooting context and platform stability, with no clear consensus established.
- Experience shared appears limited to specific operators and may not represent all scenarios.