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2017General Discussion forum

Using a motorized gimbal on a steadicam arm with a steadimate adapter

What the thread found

  • A gimbal mounted on a steadicam arm requires different arm tension settings than a traditional sled setup because the load is positioned further forward from the body.
  • Combining a gimbal with a steadicam arm can cause operator fatigue because the weight remains held far in front of the body despite the arm providing some support.
  • Gimbals have disadvantages including battery management, unpredictable operation like juddering or stopping, and difficulty maintaining the preferred operation compared to traditional steadicam for backward and forward movement, lateral motion, booming, and rotation around subjects.
  • An exovest can help reduce the side-to-side motion that occurs when operating a gimbal on a steadicam arm.
  • Visibility becomes challenging when mounting an operator monitor on top of a gimbal mounted to a steadicam arm, as the rig can block the operator's forward view and make ground-level observation difficult.
  • The steadicate adapter can be used in an inverted orientation.
  • Operator monitor placement on the steadicate offset to one side can improve visibility when moving through tight spaces.
  • A pro arm with appropriate canister configurations should work with a movi pro and alexa mini setup using the steadimate.

Depends on

  • The experience reported involved a ronin on an aero 30 arm with an fs7, not the specific movi configuration the original questioner planned to use.
  • Limited real-world operational experience with the steadimate adapter was available at the time of discussion in 2017.
  • One operator reported difficulty achieving optimal performance with an a-30 arm compared to other arm options.
  • Bearing failure in one reported case was caused by improper adjustment technique rather than inherent design issues with the steadimate.

Parts

Arm Post

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