SteadiHub
2007Steadi-Newbies forum

Comparison of budget stabilizer rigs and upgrade paths for DV cameras

19 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.

Note (as of October 2026)Curt O. Schaller, the developer of Artemis and Trinity, has no longer been with ARRI since the end of 2025. To our knowledge, ARRI currently has no dedicated team and no official contact persons for its stabilizer systems. In our view, the future of this line is uncertain. If you are buying new, get written confirmation from ARRI beforehand on how long service and spare parts are guaranteed. Have used rigs checked by the manufacturer before you buy.

What the thread found

  • The MK-V Lite is a fully modular and upgradeable sled that can evolve into a professional system like the Nexus over time
  • The Steadicam Flyer is a fixed design without upgrade options, unlike the MK-V Lite which allows component swapping
  • The MK-V Lite offers significantly better performance than the Flyer but costs substantially more
  • Glidecam rigs are affordable video stabilizers with some reported bearing issues
  • The MK-V Lite sled alone costs approximately the same as a complete Glidecam V25 or Flyer package
  • Workshop training is valuable before purchasing, allowing hands-on experience with different brands
  • Instructor quality matters more than brand when selecting a workshop
  • MK-V components are compatible with other professional brands like Tiffen and PRO, but not with Glidecam or Artemis systems
  • A fully modular system like the MK-V allows purchasing a small camera sled initially and later upgrading core components to support larger formats

Depends on

  • No specific pricing details provided, only general cost relationships mentioned
  • Glidecam bearing issues mentioned but not detailed
  • Workshop availability in Europe only briefly addressed
  • Information from 2007, may not reflect current products or pricing
  • Cost comparison estimates are approximate

Gear in this thread

Artemiscatalog

Same gear or parts

  1. 2026Buying strategy for a 25,000 USD entry-level rig: used Artemis-1 with Flowcine X-Arm versus Rever-Evo Sled, and the case for learning on budget equipment firstDisputedFacebookThe Steadicam Group
  2. 2026Why a 150 Wh battery at the sled powers the camera for only ~20 minutes versus two to three times longer when mounted on-body, and how to extend runtime.DisputedFacebookThe Steadicam Group
  3. 2026Lemo connectors on the ARRI Artemis sled: pinout, polarity verification, and powering low-mode monitors and Volt battery.FacebookSteadicam operators group
  4. 2026Voltage display discrepancies between camera and RCP on ARRI Artemis Trinity 2: 24 V rail showing 23.4 V at RCP versus 28 V at camera.DisputedFacebookArri Artemis Trinity
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